Rogue One Is Rogue One a True Spin-off?

For those that like those SAT type questions R1 is to ANH as ESB is to Jedi

Disney made a decision not to call it a prequel to ANH because of the stigma the PT has.

It fits with ANH like a glove and could not exist without the OT. R1 would not stand on its own.

If we do not want to call it a Saga film at a minimum it is a companion film to ANH. The Han Solo movie itself may be a true spinoff that stands on its own, but R1 is not. This was a huge pleasant surprise for me. I went in expecting a movie with Star Wars stuff in it and got a movie the expands the arc of the Saga.

Here are some reasons.

1. Vader plays is playing the same role in this as he did in ANH.
2. It has characters from all 3 trilogies in it.
3. It's plot is an extension of the plot of ANH. R1 is to ANH as ESB is to Jedi, like I said.

 

No, it's a spinoff. If it was a prequel they would have called it that, but it's technically not - different main characters.

 

It's a spin-off or anthology, but it's not a throwaway movie with a Star Wars theme and nonesense story.

The way it was done is with loving care, and it even added to the lore with how the film ended.

This movie has grown on me immensely since my viewing on Friday. The best of the prequels.
I wish this is what we got in 1999 instead of TPM.

 

They can call it what they want. I think they called it a spinoff because they did not want to market it as "Another Prequel". Like I said I was pleasantly surprised that I went in expecting a spinoff and what I got was effective an extension of the Saga arc.

 

Agree to disagree then. If it were a prequel, the main characters would have at least included Leia IMO.

 

What was Lucas's reaction to it? I would like he would be at least happy that the closed off probably the only major flaw in ANH. I mean as much as I love the Original I always thought it was a bit corny or off that a single little torpedo could blow up the entire death star. There are other plot holes that I liked because you can use your imagination to fill in the gaps but that was always one I could not get past.

 

Leia is included. She is included right where she joins the story in ANH. Bail Organa is in the movie heavily, which is important to tie why Leia would be the one who gets ahold of the plans.

 

I meant Leia would have been a main character in this particular film if it were a prequel. This movie was not about the Skywalkers, unlike the other episodes.

EDIT: Since you asked, Lucas really enjoyed the film. He was thrilled with it apparently.

 

I think "spinoff" is a marketing category. R1 is a prequel to ANH--no one can seriously argue otherwise. And I think it's a more effective lead-in to IV-VII than the PT.

 

No, they called it a spin-off because that's what it is, and that's what the entire line of additional movies is. Calling something a spin-off doesn't men that it can't enhance the story of the main episodes. A spin-off also doesn't need to stand on its own, at least not more than Rogue One can. There are plenty of origin stories that lose much of their meaning without the main storyline.

A spin-off isn't any more of a marketing category than the term prequel is. Both describe a movie in general terms, and a movie can be both of these things at the same time. Any movie that plays prior to the first movie of a franchise while being produced after it, is technically a prequel. Just like any movie that doesn't follow the main storyline of a franchise is technically a spin-off.

 

It kinda is. I will now look at R1 and ANH as 1 piece, a piece where the hero is introduce halfway through. If you look at it that way it has an amazing arc.

 

Ya, I agree with that idea. I was tempted to pop on ANH when I got home but I was too excited to resist going online and discussing! Lol

 

well the I guess our definition of a spinoff is different.

I think a good example of a spinoff would be the Wolverine movies (especially the one in Japan) from the X-Men series. Also to me a spinoff has to less to do with characters and more to do with story.

For instance, they could make a Darth Vader spinoff. Yes it would be about a skywalker, but it could be just about his time going around the galaxy hunting Jedi. It would add little to what we already know. That would be like the Wolverine movies, ya Wolverine is in it, but it is not part of the main story arc of the main story line (yes X-men is a mess the way they mix the originals and the reboot).

R1 one is the opposite side of the spectrum, it lacks a Skywalker being the key pro or antagonist but its story is very much apart of the same arc.

You can call it a spinoff sure, especially since the studio is marketing it that way.

I see it now as a companion film to ANH which causes me to lump it in with the Saga.

 

Quite the contrary.
It doesn't matter if there are different main characters or not. What matter is does the story take place before (prequel) or after (sequel) the main movie. So ROGUE ONE is definitely a prequel. It takes place days before STAR WARS.

 

It's a supplemental film.

sup·ple·ment
noun

ˈsəpləmənt/

1. 1.​
   something that completes or enhances something else when added to it.

 

The story is not about the Skywalkers like the prequels and the OT, so therefore it's its own thing. Disney has never described this as a prequel either - it's always been said to be its own thing.

 

I heard he liked it.

There was an ongioing joke with my friends where because he liked it more (apparently) than TFA that it would suck compared to TFA.

But I think there's some truth to that.
Rogue One is more of a Star Wars film for Star Wars fans, so Lucas' appreciation of it, makes sense as it adds to the myth and story he created.
TFA is a Star Wars film for fans + mass audience and corrected many of the perceived 'flaws' of the prequels so I think he took it personally.

The fact that both films ended up being pretty good is a side-effect of Kathleen Kennedy running a tight ship and having non-tone deaf people run the story and lore for these films.

 

Ya, some of the classical epics were written in that way, where the story was well underway before you get introduced to the hero.

Even the count of montecristo was this way. You are several chapters in before you meet Edmund, but in reality you don't meet the hero until much later as Edmund Dantes is not truly the Hero, but the man he is transformed into is the "hero" of the story.

 

that works, I was calling it a companion film, but supplemental works the same.

 

I feel like it's the Saga between the Sagas.
It's scope is broad enough to be that. The Saga of Krennic and the Ersos and Saw.

 

Or even hours. Leia did not even have time to send the data to a more secure location than leaving it with a droid. I think they jumped to warp to find Ben, and when they came out of warp vader was right behind them.

Also, it adds to why the Empire was suddenly so hell bent on finding the rebel base. After the major attacks they had just conducted.

 

This is so true. Plus Catalyst could basically be the second entry because I heard the characters who didn't get too much focus in R1 (Galen, Saw, Krennic) get more focus in Catalyst.

 

Or Tarkin ... ah. Nevermind.

 

Tarkin was never a main character though. I mean, he was I guess the main antagonist in 4, but that was the only film he had a significant role in.

 

He wasn't a main character in the vein of Cassian and Jyn, but i would say that as a protagonist, he overshadowed Krennic.

At the end of the day, you can call it whatever you like in your own head. For me, it's the prequel to A New Hope