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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story |OT| They rebel - SPOILERS

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i find funny that the weapon it took like 15 years to create was destroyed like in 3 days after it was finished, lol

Over twenty years actually. :P Early plans exist as far back as 22 years prior (Attack of the Clones), and the initial planning probably goes back quite a few years before that. Kyber crystals were being harvested for it as far back as 19 years earlier (unfinished, though canon, episode of Clone Wars) and the basic frame of the structure was constructed around the same time (seen a few months later in Revenge of the Sith), so even actual construction was quite, quite lengthy.
 
my girlfriend had no idea Tarkin was CG. So that probably is playing just fine with the mass audience.

It was damn good CG. Almost out of the uncanny valley. Almost

Naw. It was pretty bad to most I saw it with and the worst part is, Tarkin's inclusion wasn't all that necessary to the plot.

CG Leia was pretty terrible too.
 
my girlfriend had no idea Tarkin was CG. So that probably is playing just fine with the mass audience.

It was damn good CG. Almost out of the uncanny valley. Almost

Yeah I dragged my boyfriend to see it and he doesn't know anything about Star Wars or what a death Star is. He didn't even know Tarkin was CGI. Only Leia because everyone knows Leia.
 
Over twenty years actually. :P Early plans exist as far back as 22 years prior (Attack of the Clones), and the initial planning probably goes back quite a few years before that. Kyber crystals were being harvested for it as far back as 19 years earlier (unfinished, though canon, episode of Clone Wars) and the basic frame of the structure was constructed around the same time (seen a few months later in Revenge of the Sith), so even actual construction was quite, quite lengthy.

hahah well, next time they should make sure they dont kill the wife of the dude in charge of building the weapon!
 
Naw. It was pretty bad to most I saw it with and the worst part is, Tarkin's inclusion wasn't all that necessary to the plot.

CG Leia was pretty terrible too.

It ruined the movie for me. It was so bad that I couldn't get back into it. Even worse, every instance of it was completely pointless and didn't need to be there at all. Then it ended with the CG Leia and I was just done.

People blame TFA on pandering and like this movie. It's fuckin' baffling.

Paper thin characters in nothing but loud and flashy action sequences. By far the most hollow and fan-pandering SW film yet and it's not even close. I was bored out of my mind.
 
Another thing I was just thinking of. Why in the world would Bail Organa go to Obi Wan Kenobi with the Death Star plans? I mean, this is a question that goes to Episode IV's original plot anyway; but of all people, why did he think ol Ben Kenobi could do something about the whole thing?
 
Loved it, but seeing Jimmy Smits age like 5 minutes while Obi Wan has become ancient in the same amount of time makes you wonder who is really strong with the force lol

Probably the best last 10 minutes from any movie in a long time. The theater just got more and more excited as the events came to their inevitable conclussion.
 
Another thing I was just thinking of. Why in the world would Bail Organa go to Obi Wan Kenobi with the Death Star plans? I mean, this is a question that goes to Episode IV's original plot anyway; but of all people, why did he think ol Ben Kenobi could do something about the whole thing?

i guess that just like luke did, having a jedi taking the shot to destroy the Death star was a better option than a normal pilot

Loved it, but seeing Jimmy Smits age like 5 minutes while Obi Wan has become ancient in the same amount of time makes you wonder who is really strong with the force lol

Probably the best last 10 minutes from any movie in a long time. The theater just got more and more excited as the events came to their inevitable conclussion.

latin blood homs
 
Another thing I was just thinking of. Why in the world would Bail Organa go to Obi Wan Kenobi with the Death Star plans? I mean, this is a question that goes to Episode IV's original plot anyway; but of all people, why did he think ol Ben Kenobi could do something about the whole thing?
I mean Obi-Wan was a strong leader in the Clone Wars. Why wouldn't you want a Jedi on your side?
 
I felt like TFA was the better movie (having just rewatched it the day before).

The pacing of this movie felt really uneven in the first half and maybe it was just me but the motivations seemed a bit too convenient. How did they know the final planet was where the Death Star plans were? Maybe I missed that part. Suddenly the fleet deciding to join the fight just because a few Rebels made it to the ground seemed a bit too quick as well. Also WTF was Forrest told to act like?!

Liked the ground battles for the most part. The space battles didn't do much for me (though well superior to anything in the prequels). The constant callouts by the pilots were a bit cheesy in their fan service and the dogfights were just more CG blandness. Liked the pushing the Star Destroyer into the gate though.

The extended death sequences for each character were also cheesy as fuck. And the fact that the blasters stop firing once there is some kind of dramatic scene was lame.

The sequence where Cassian comes back to save the day was way too cliché. There were better ways to accomplish that than the oldest trick in the book.

The final sequence with Vader was awesome though, I wish it went on even longer to show the desperation.

Finally, the CG Leia was all right, the Tarkin did not look too great.

Don't think I'll be watching it again in theaters.
 
Another thing I was just thinking of. Why in the world would Bail Organa go to Obi Wan Kenobi with the Death Star plans? I mean, this is a question that goes to Episode IV's original plot anyway; but of all people, why did he think ol Ben Kenobi could do something about the whole thing?

One of the surviving Jedi masters? A hero and general from the clone wars? Yeah, whatever could he do? :P
 
Loved it, but seeing Jimmy Smits age like 5 minutes while Obi Wan has become ancient in the same amount of time makes you wonder who is really strong with the force lol

Probably the best last 10 minutes from any movie in a long time. The theater just got more and more excited as the events came to their inevitable conclussion.

that Alderaanian mountain air vs eating womp rats under twin suns
 
Just got back from seeing it with my wife.

First impressions are to give it a 6 or 7/10.

Star Wars - as a whole - is absolutely my favorite series in cinema. While I definitely enjoy the OT more and find them to be objectively better films, I can appreciate the prequels and certainly enjoy watching them a fair bit.

I really, really liked Episode VII. Yeah, yeah - it borrows heavily from a New Hope. But the action was fantastic, the plot was strong, the characters and dialogue were fantastic, the villain was interesting, and the lightsaber battle was great. Ultimately, I felt like it did an exceptional job of carrying on a story that for a decade prior, we weren't certain we were ever going to get.


I think the crucial problem with Rogue One is that it's supremely difficult to care about any of the characters. From simple changes (easier to pronounce and remember names like Qui-Gon, Anakin, Obi-Wan, Luke, Leia, Han, Poe, Rey, etc, etc) to more involved alterations (like actually having the crew bond rather than just stare at each other or make quips), I can think of countless ways to improve my empathy for the leads. There's a tremendous lack of development of these heroes. The comradery, if you will, is just absolutely absent.

Factor that with a story that we already somewhat know, some severe editing issues for the first 30 minutes, and a relatively action-less first hour, and it's really hard to get engaged.

WITH THAT SAID, there are certainly some awesome moments. While I found the ground troops on the beach to be a bit underwhelming, that final space fight and air combat was phenomenal - just really well done. Incredible spatial cues, fantastic shots, easy to track, and just a lot of fun.

The robot - whatever his name was (not easy to remember like R2D2) - was great comedic relief.

The brutality of the war was refreshing, and surprisingly dark in a good way.

I enjoyed the ending - it was dark, it was abrupt, and it literally takes into just moments before the saga began.

There were a large handful of scenes that seriously looked like they were ripped right off the cutting room floor in the 70s. Fantastic job of making this look and feel like the OT. And truly, that's an incredible accomplishment... not something I was looking for, but was definitely taken aback by how well it was done.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed by the Vader fight. Yes, it was cool fanservice. But it could have been sooooo much more. And now that opportunity has been wasted. Had they just given him two minutes of being a terrorizing force against the main characters or a massive army of enemies - shown his unstoppable power - it could have been insane. As it is - it's cool - but it didn't make my jaw drop the way it should have.

Oh - and the CG was more iffy in this than it has any right to. The faces were no better than Clu in Tron.

*****

Ultimately, I don't want to sound too negative. I enjoyed the film. I think it's good. I really do. I'd encourage everyone to go see it. But ultimately, I didn't find it to be great. And even if flawed, I would have loved for there to be something that just really stood out - made the whole movie infinitely rewatchable - and that just wasn't there for me.

EDIT: Upon further reflection, no way can I score this a 7. I'd give it a 6. With Return of the Jedi being a 9, The Force Awakens and Empire an 8, and Clone Wars a 4.
 
It ruined the movie for me. It was so bad that I couldn't get back into it. Even worse, every instance of it was completely pointless and didn't need to be there at all. People blame TFA on "pandering" but Jesus FUCK.

Jyn's endless pep talks were major offenders for me and I mentioned it earlier but Vader dropping a dad joke to sell his choking move was clown shoes.

IMO, if they didn't reveal Vader till the hallway scene, with zero dialogue it would have be sooooo much stronger. I still don't get having him revealed in a castle scene to a character (whining about Tarkin) that is gonna be killed off in this film.

Vader wrecks shit, rebels barely escape.
 
Jyn's endless pep talks were major offenders for me and I mentioned it earlier but Vader dropping a dad joke to sell his choking move was clown shoes.

IMO, if they didn't reveal Vader till the hallway scene, with zero dialogue it would have be sooooo much stronger. I still don't get having him revealed in a castle scene to a character (whining about Tarkin) that is gonna be killed off in this film.

Vader wrecks shit, rebels barely escape.

The script is a total mess. It was 2 hours of pretending I should care about something without the proper build. Jyn is the worst protagonist in the series by far.
 
Another thing I was just thinking of. Why in the world would Bail Organa go to Obi Wan Kenobi with the Death Star plans? I mean, this is a question that goes to Episode IV's original plot anyway; but of all people, why did he think ol Ben Kenobi could do something about the whole thing?

I always assume that Leia delivering the Death Star plan to Yavin IV and Leia enlisting Obi-Wan's help are simply two separate missions that both cut short due to the whole Darth Vader thing, forcing her to improvise.
 
Yeah, I felt they could have just shown Leia from behind and the message would have been clear, the decision to actually show her and have her speak too wasn't a wise one.

They clearly blew the vast majority of the facial CG budget on Tarkin.
 
I just got back and really enjoyed it. There were a few issues though. As some people have said the Tarkin look was not great at points but it did feel like it was better during the back half of the movie. The editing in the beginning of the movie was also a bit weak, things moved too quick and between too many planets unnecessarily during the first half hour. I also wasn't crazy about the title cards for the planets, it felt kinda weird for Star Wars and also kinda inconsistent.

All of those were pretty small issues though, the majority of the movie was fantastic. I loved K2, Jyn was great, Galen was great too even though he didn't have a ton of screen time. The cameos were pretty solid even if there was maybe one or two too many. The whole final battle did a great job of recreating the feeling of both the Battle of Yavin and the Battle of Endor. Vader going hard against the rebels at the end was a hell of a scene too. There are probably things I'm forgetting but overall it was a great movie.
 
Yeah, I felt they could have just shown Leia from behind and the message would have been clear, the decision to actually show her and have her speak too wasn't a wise one.

They clearly blew the vast majority of the facial CG budget on Tarkin.

i was hating how much they took to show her face, i was like "are they really not going to show her face?" that would be fucking idiotic, ooh this characater who we all know who is would not show her face because reasons.

also tarkin looked like shit
 
The script is a total mess. It was 2 hours of pretending I should care about something without the proper build. Jyn is the worst protagonist in the series by far.
Even worse than the imaginary protagonist of Phantom Menace?
Or the protagonist that murders a village filled with women and children, only to then go back to cracking jokes and getting the girl?

Yeah, no. Jyn ain't great but she's miles above just about every character in the prequels.
 
IMO, if they didn't reveal Vader till the hallway scene, with zero dialogue it would have be sooooo much stronger. I still don't get having him revealed in a castle scene to a character (whining about Tarkin) that is gonna be killed off in this film.

Vader wrecks shit, rebels barely escape.

Yep that whole lava planet scene was pointless fan service.
 
The script is a total mess. It was 2 hours of pretending I should care about something without the proper build.

Yeah, our heroes didn't really do anything for them to earn that moment on the beach embracing each other...I mean, they ran into some shit on their way to the plans but nothing about their personal back stories sold that final moment.

And the tick box style deaths of the Rogue One members. The only one I gave a shit about when they died was the fucking droid.

Jyn had no real arch. She was an orphaned kid, presumably turns to crime and then readily accepts working for the rebellion because her father might be involved. (this is before she sees the hologram). Then gets the plans her father wanted her too and dies doing it completing...no discernable arch.

But be sad, cause she died or something.
 
Or the protagonist that murders a village filled with women and children, only to then go back to cracking jokes and getting the girl?

Sadly Anakin had more complexity and I got why he did that stuff. I can't tell you a single thing about Jyn other than that she's a woman and that her dad was involved in making the Death Star. And hope.

But be sad, cause she died or something.

This is how every single plot element was in the film. Nothing but a void and cool shit happening on the screen to make you want to like it.

For instance people keep saying how amazing the space battle is. I can't think of one relatable character in it or any direct action or goal during it with a trace of palpable tension. It was literally CG fodder.
 
Yeah, the first time I saw CGI Tarkin, I thought, "WTF"...it clearly looked off. I imagine the team that worked on that won't be getting a call back for future work.

This didn't influence my opinion of the film, though, which I thought was solid. Quite possibly the most technically impressive Star Wars film yet. Some of the shots were just gorgeous - the Star Destroyers, the Death Star forming an eclipse with the sun, the dogfights...everything just felt so grand and real.

And yeah, that Vader scene. Loved it.

The death scenes did become a bit annoying, and there were a few low moments for the script, but overall, I enjoyed it.

Oh, and yes, I thought the score was really weak as well, which was surprising for a Star Wars film.
 
Probably my favorite Star Wars movie. I liked the actors in Force Awakens more (especially Rey), but as a whole Rogue One is so much better in my eyes. Also, going in without watching any trailers and avoiding everything I could paid off. Was cool figuring out when it was taking place, what they were doing, etc.

They'll probably have to remaster the CG actors later when we can finally overcome that uncanny valley though :P
 
you know the one thing I thought was hilarious was how the rebels attacked the base where the woman's dad was. And there's this big ass empire ship on the platform but they somehow managed to miss it and managed to kill whats his face.

That's pretty excusable considering their mission was specifically to kill whats his face, not to blow up ships. :P
 
I really liked the movie. Score was weak in places, that is a fair criticism. The acting was great. The script was tight. The crossovers and nods were on point. My third favorite star wars after empire and a new hope. Great ending and vader segments. Good story, Gary Whitta!
 
I really liked the movie. Score was weak in places, that is a fair criticism. The acting was great. The script was tight. The crossovers and nods were on point. My third favorite star wars after empire and a new hope. Great ending and vader segments. Good story, Gary Whitta!

Michael Giacchino is one of my favorite artists across any medium and him being given four weeks to do this score was more than evident.

That's a weird way to spell Anakin.

Light years more interesting and developed than Jyn, even with sloppy writing.
 
Part of the problem with Tarkin was how over-animated his face was. He was animated like he was a cg character, not like a real human being. There was way too much movement going on with his facial expressions. That and his complexion was off. He needed to be more pale and the redness around his eyes should have been more pink and less red. I think his eyes were a little too wide open as well. Peter Cushing had sharp eyes.
 
I wasn't feeling the beginning of this movie at all, but everything after Mads Mikkelsen's death was pretty damn awesome.

Also, I feel like we need to have a thread to discuss the recreation of Peter Cushing and the topic of "resurrecting" dead actors in detail, but I don't know how to title it without pissing everyone off over Rogue One spoilers.
 
I really enjoyed the film but yeah, VII is a vastly superior film to me

Despite nailing down the look to an insane degree, the feeling was not there for me personally.

Negatives:
-CG cameos were stupid and distracting. Leia looked ok, albeit artificial
-Without any actual introduction to characters it's really hard for me to care (Mads and Forest Whitaker)
-Some of the score hits early on in the film were really obnoxious. *Guy you haven't seen yet walks up to the war room table* "OH SHIT THROW IN THE THEME QUICK"
-A lot of the over dramatic/emotional stuff just didn't hit for me at all. Stuff like her crying at the hologram of her father makes sense but it came off super awkward in the film for whatever reason. Maybe the constant cutting back to her while Mads seems unaffected?

Positives:
-Gorgeous visuals
-Overall likable cast
-A+ action

Best characters were blind bro and his gun friend, and that tiny dude with a gun who shows up a few times. That little guy was GOAT status
 
Part of the problem with Tarkin was how over-animated his face was. He was animated like he was a cg character, not like a real human being. There was way too much movement going on with his facial expressions. That and his complexion was off. He needed to be more pale and the redness around his eyes should have been more pink and less red. I think his eyes were a little too wide open as well. Peter Cushing had sharp eyes.

Yeah he was cartoonish.
 
Makes sense. I totally misheard the exchange in the movie last night.

I need to rewatch Ep 4's opening again then. Was Leia aware that Obi-Wan was in hiding on Tattooine and delivering the plans there? I have fuzzy memories, but I suppose she would have known if she sent a personal message to Obi with R2 after jettisoning the droids onto Tattoine after Vader boards. I suppose its only after she is rescued by Luke/Han/Obi with R2 in stow that she pushes the group to travel to Alderaan to see well...Smits.

No.

Bail is aware Obi-Wan is there watching over Luke.

He plans to send Leia to retrieve him, as he trusts her completely.

She doesn't know much more about him, I assume, when she sends that message.

Leia wouldn't push anyone to go to Alderaan after being rescued, as she watched Alderaan be destroyed
 
Just got back, was a lot of fun and very sad. It was good.

Also dat Vader lava Castle finally makes an appearance from the old Empire Strikes Back Ralph McQuarrie concept art:
CT5ippzWUAAFGM_.jpg

vader1-300x2251.jpg

CDIL6PFW0AIXWfd.jpg


Also that General Syndulla callout was neato.
 
why people keep saying things like, "not enough to care for this character" when luke and obi wan were the same, why we should care for this blond brat who wants to abandon his old relatives to go have adventures, and for this old fart that say "these arent the droid you are looking for"

the only reason you care for luke and everyone else is because they keep developing them on the sequels
 
I really enjoyed the film but yeah, VII is a vastly superior film to me

Despite nailing down the look to an insane degree, the feeling was not there for me personally.

Negatives:
-CG cameos were stupid and distracting. Leia looked ok, albeit artificial
-Without any actual introduction to characters it's really hard for me to care (Mads and Forest Whitaker)
-Some of the score hits early on in the film were really obnoxious. *Guy you haven't seen yet walks up to the war room table* "OH SHIT THROW IN THE THEME QUICK"
-A lot of the over dramatic/emotional stuff just didn't hit for me at all. Stuff like her crying at the hologram of her father makes sense but it came off super awkward in the film for whatever reason. Maybe the constant cutting back to her while Mads seems unaffected?

Positives:
-Gorgeous visuals
-Overall likable cast
-A+ action

Best characters were blind bro and his gun friend, and that tiny dude with a gun who shows up a few times. That little guy was GOAT status

I fucking laughed. So damn true. A+
 
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