Rogue One Rogue One Reviews/Reactions thread

That bit also jumped out to me the first time. Great direction, great acting from that featured extra, or both. That scene alone sold me on the grim reality of the Empire. The rest of the film just reinforced it.

 

The devil hides in the details.

And RO really delivered.

You can tell much more story by using the full-frame of the film and inserting little details that tell the story visually. Also by having the background characters add to the story and help convey the message. Great work!

GL of course has used this very well specially in the OT, but seemed to rely more and more on exposition in later movies.

 

I love this film. A lot. And I agree the visual fx are stunning. But is it just me or when you see the dish being put in place on the Death Star, the Star Destroyer looks, well, like a model?

Just a small gripe.

And on a more positive note I absolutely loved Jedha. I do hope we go back there in the ST. To see the devastation left behind.


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Yeah, the SD did look like a model, just like they did in '77. I think that's one small instance of the filmmakers trying too hard to match the visuals of the originals.

 

I agree. I thought it was kind of endearing though...

 

I LOVE how the new Star Wars movies are treating the force, and bringing a deep richness to the sense of the mythical nature of the force and different spiritual beings as a whole in TGFFA. TFA had it with the Church of the Force, Lor San Tekka, the Lightsaber vision scene and Maz 'knowing the force', but not being a Jedi. Then in RO, Chirrut, his riddles about Kyber Crystals, beings walking around in extremely religious-looking clothes on Jeddah etc...it's fantastic, and exactly how I always saw the force.

 

What to think of Rogue One?
A few words spring readily to mind. Brilliant, gritty, emotional, engrossing, intriguing, strikingly visual and different. It feels like a Star Wars movie, but not in the same way as the rest. But no less brilliant all-the-same.
What I didn’t like about Rogue One
The one and only thing I didn’t like about Rogue One is the lack of the fanfare and crawl.
This is wrong! Completely and simply wrong!
Anthology film or not, saga film or not, they are all Star Wars stories and Rogue One should have had the same standard fanfare and crawl. Rogue One may have a different feel about it, but this is not an acceptable excuse to distinguish it from the saga films just because it may confuse the general mainstream audience as to its place in the Star Wars timeline. You don’t need to be a Star Wars fan to work out where it belongs. There is simply no plausible justification one can use for the lack of the fanfare and crawl. Rogue One is a Star Wars film and should have been honoured with the fanfare and crawl.
What I did like
Where do I start. So many things and even then, I don’t think I will be able to get all of it out in one go. So here goes;
· Tarkin. A great expanding on his character. We’ve known he is mean with what was presented during ANH, but that man is seriously and viciously mean. No wonder he got close to the top of the Imperial food chain with a personality like this.
· The tie-in’s with ANH; such as Red 5 meeting his end – thus opening up a vacancy on the flight roster for Luke.
· The special effects used to generate Leia’s and Tarkin’s faces. You can still tell that it’s not quite right, because as human beings we naturally look for the flaws and the differences. But it was almost there and believable enough. Similar to my views on the use of Vader, I may also be saying “I stand corrected” in 2 years time when the Han Solo movie comes out. Maybe that’s all it takes. Get an actor/actress in that looks almost like the younger versions of the original three and use technology to “air-brush” the features to suit. It was so amazingly close to Leia and Tarkin.
· The “behind the scenes look” in so many areas of the film; where you get to see places like Yavin 4 and Imperial complexes from a different perspective.
· The many different and new planets and the inhabitants that make up those places. I love the “melting pot” society of Jedha and the “Jabba the Hutt throne room” kind of feel about Saw’s headquarters. All locations were strikingly visual and the use of special effects to enhance the appearance of those worlds and places was appropriate and done in a manner that gives a realistic feel.
· The “look” into and the interactions that take place within Imperial buildings and space ships and between senior Imperial figures other than their Sith lord leaders.
· The action sequences and the tone of the movie. Yes, it is more violent when compared with the saga films and I would be the first to admit that the film appears to be targeted at older audiences (fans from an earlier era), but I was okay with the level of violence because it shows the grit and struggles that the Rebellion faced when starting up against the Empire. It does make me wonder how “toned down” the movie has been made (or re-made may be more appropriate).
· The many new and great and compelling characters. Their personalities shone through throughout the film and weren’t sacrificed in the name of show-casing the latest technological advancements. The exceptional character development gave the film heart and soul and the grit needed to show what the Alliance was up against. It just goes to show everyone that you can have great and deep character development and great plotlines; in addition to great action sequences and the latest special effects techniques. AGAIN, I WILL SAY SPECIAL EFFECTS SHOULD BE USED TO ENHANCE THE FEEL OF A FILM, NOT DOMINATE IT TO THE DEGREE WHERE OTHER ASPECTS ARE SACRIFICED!!
What I really, really liked
· The three cameo scenes of Vader. Firstly though, I will stand corrected on the use of Vader in Rogue One. I have previously been on record saying that Vader should have been front and center in Rogue One. But with Vader used sparingly in Rogue One, this reminds me of the phrase where “a little bit of something goes a long way”. The three cameos work so much better than a saturated use of Vader and delivers considerably more depth and punch to the film, to this point in the Star Wars timeline and to the character of Vader himself; particularly the third cameo. Vader in the Bacta Tank, brilliant. Vader speaking with Krennic and offering a “friendly reminder” to not go above his station, brilliant. And then the best of all. The breathing, the ignition of the red lightsabre in the dark and then Vader laying waste to countless Rebel soldiers; all of this without even enduring a single scratch. Vader at his bad-ass and most ruthless best!! Ruthless and without mercy. The epitomisation and complete embodiment of what it takes to be Palpatine’s right hand man / henchman / enforcer and a Dark Lord of the Sith; or in Kenobi’s words, “twisted and evil”. We’ve had tastes before from other Sith Lords in what it takes to be one, but many of these times have involved fighting Jedi; not taking apart people who are essentially powerless against them. This is the side of Vader I have needed to see! Its not a celebration of evil for evil’s sake, but rather simply the completion of the character of Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader. I would still love to see and a Vader anthology film, but maybe such a film could focus on Anakin having doubts over his decision to turn dark and Palpatine questioning his commitment to the Sith way of doing things; rather than on how “bad” Vader becomes.
· Baze Malbus’s heavy repeater cannon. That weapon rocked and kicked ass!!!

· The complexity of the plot elements and ideology surrounding the Rebellion. There is no doubt they all want freedom from tyranny and Imperial oppression, but only some are prepared to take the “sometimes” necessary steps (to go to the nth degree) to achieve this. Is it a good thing or bad thing? Is it blurring the lines between right and wrong? Perhaps it’s a reality of life. Perhaps we need to sometimes venture into those grey areas for “the greater good”. I just love how its not just a classic case of the goodies vs the baddies. There’s an in-between as well.

 

Agreed. This is one of my favourite things about the new stories (I'd include Bendu and the Lassat interpretation of the Force in there too) and I can't wait to see where 8 takes it. It seems like the Story group is driving the ST towards really exploring the broader and deeper nature of the Force, and that's hugely exciting IMO.

 

After refusal from Kathleen Kennedy and other senior people to have a crawl, the director came with an alternative idea.

Basically, everything up until the title "Rogue One" appears on screen, can be considered like a crawl. Not with letters scrolling up, but with actors.

 

Ricardo Funes
The "live action" crawl was definitely a nice touch. Taking a bunch of possible crawl exposition and setting it up in a key pivot point that involved many of the main players. Quite a lot of background to squeeze in while keeping it emotional as opposed to the players simply talking about their past.

 

Exactly. It was a "live action" crawl.

I am not saying I prefer this or the traditional. It was different and this is what we wanted from the spin-offs, to take risks.

When EP 8 crawl starts, it will feel even more special.

 

I will admit that the Star Wars logo with the fanfare is always a rush any time I begin my very first viewing of a Star Wars film. Not having that while having the natural anticipation during the GFFA text almost helps set the mood. It is like a big, welcoming "nice to see you old friend" that restarts the "double life" that has been there since the beginning. It draws you in before a single actual even takes place. Sets the table.

Not having that created a natural sense that something was wrong. Then when the Rogue One logo happened, it too was neutered.

Despite all that, it hardly put me in the audience of the first half of the film being "wrong". The crawl and fanfare were never about massive content, so it was just about fighting a very temporary feeling that the restaurant fired the greeter that always made me feel at home upon entry. The meal itself was still as good as ever.

Quite frankly, it was much easier to get used to than The Clone Wars Monday Night Football announcer in lieu of a crawl. That always felt strange to me.

 

In the scene where K2 slaps Cassian in front of the Stormtroopers, if you look closely at Diego Luna's face, it looks like he is about to crack up after the slap.


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I liked most of TCW, but I absolutely hated the intros with that terrible voice.

 

I just got back from seeing this movie for the umpteenth time and loved it even more and I liked it since the first viewing! It really feels like the first real SW movie since Revenge of the Sith. The Force Awakens had a lot of great ideas and potential and the characters are great but Disney was too afraid to take risks and do something different and I guess I understand, it was their first movie after paying 4 billion. Rogue One though, is definitely a superior movie all-around. It feels different and yet fits perfectly in with the other movies. It's the best of SW, the fun, the darkness, the depth, the action and the characters.

This concept of spin-off movies and having a movie every year may seem like purely a money grabbing scheme and it is but not only just. Star Wars was always in the style of a serial and having all these different stories set in that galaxy is actually really true to the original conception of SW.

 

After the rebels obtain the transmitted plans Gen. Raddus orders all rebel ships to bug out. Then there is a wide shot of a number of ships flying away but we see one of the ships crash into (I think) Raddus' ship. Whose ship is that? Exactly what happened there?

 

Vader's Star Destroyer drops in from hyperspace and some Rebel ships smash into it.

 

It was much better than TFA but then that's not hard. Jyn was better than Rey too- she was allowed to be vulnerable and be saved by others. Jedha was nicely done and liked the new locations, again an improvement over the bland recycled locations of TFA. Though it would have been more enjoyable with a guy lead since it's more of a gritty war movie. Fortunately Cassian wasn't made weak to empower Jyn - again an improvement over Rey-Finn in TFA. A bit too much fan service but still not very annoying.

 

Vader arrives in his Star Destroyer and some Rebel ships crash into it. The scene is followed immediately by a shot of Vader observing the battle through the Star Destroyer's command bridge.

 

That is some freaking bad timing for those rebel ships.

 

So, nearly all the reasons you've given for enjoying RO are sexist. Got it. After all, why is it important to you that Cassian not be shown as weak to empower Jyn, but less important to you that Jyn not be shown as weak to empower Cassian? Why not simply celebrate their equality instead?

RO is my favorite SW film at the moment. But it has nothing to do with a burning need to see women as weak, or "needing" to be saved. Jyn and Cassian became, in the end, team players. That's the important thing to focus on.

 

I saw RO a third time the other day and it was easily my best viewing. I found it highly enjoyable all the way through.
This is a different kind of Star Wars and I love it!

 

The "male lead" reason is rather dodgy I'd agree and actually I think Rogue One is a good example of female leads often being more effective in blockbusters because audiences will accept a wider range of emotion from them with less build up. Along the same lines but more specificly I think Jyn's relationship to Galen and Saw was easier to get across as a father(surrogate in Saw's case)/daughter one than it would have been as a father/son one.

Honestly though I think he has a point with TFA, that is Finn is deliberately diminished in competence to try and cast Rey as more competent in the classic comedic sidekick manner. Rogue One I think builds up Cassian as a much more credible character by avoiding this and settles for Jyn being decently competent and having more dramatic depth relative to Rey who was IMHO showing ever greater competence in lieu of a good dramatic arc.

 

Cassian was just following Yoda's advice. Don't let attachment get in the way of your calling. If you honor the rebellion, a few friends dying is the right move.

Of course the Old Jedi had their indoctrination rules as disclaimers. 1) From a certain point of view. 2) Not ready were you for the burden (to hear the truth).

Qui Gon / Jyn was having none of that.