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

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I don't see how that is lazy. It's excellent fan service.

Uh, wouldn't it have been more lazy to just get a couple of actors to play two more pilots amongst the dozen or so new ones as opposed to painstakingly going through the Lucasfilm vaults and finding alternate footage that would have been appropriate to use for the scene in question?

I mean they could have not done it at all and I would have been fine with it. I'm not really fond of fan service though, despite watching the OT more times than I care to admit.

New actors would have certainly given them more material to work with, and hopefully knowing the context of the film they could have worked with that and raised the tension, rather than trying to shoehorn in some archive material just for the sake of it.
 
People complaining about the archive footage now?

Holy shit, lol. Goes to show, no matter what the movie would have done, some people will always find something to complain about. You wanna talk about lazy nostalgia pandering, how about a movie that literally rehashes the same plot as the first movie despite being set like 30 years later... now that's far more insulting than neat little fanservice Easter eggs, if you ask me.
 
People complaining about the archive footage now?

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TIE Strikers. They're specialized for in-atmosphere operations, though they can apparently fly in space.

The best new ship for me was the U-Wing. Just a really cool-looking ship.

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They seriously took
800

The best and also most OP prequel vehicle, combined it with an X,A,Y wings and Snow Speeder and made it a legitimate vehicle that doesn't destroy elements of the OT.
Hoth is the only place it would be noticeably absent.

Though in canon the Empire needs a replacement as well, even Wookiees have one.
 
Gareth Edwards: "I don't see why Tarkin should be CGI. I think we should bring back Peter Cushing. Kids will want to see the original Grand Moff Tarkin."
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Producer: "I keep telling you, he is 103 years old and he's dead."
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Gareth Edwards: "Granted, but..."
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This movie is a metric fuckton better than both of Gareth Edward's previous movies. I liked aspects of Monsters, and I liked Godzilla 2014, but this is his first genuinely good movie.
 
Monsters is great.

Godzilla (2014) is fucking awful.

Godzilla (2014) is a fantastic Godzilla and monster movie.

However, both it and Rogue One suffer from the same flaw: bad and boring main characters with side characters that steal the show.

People complaining about the archive footage now?

Holy shit, lol. Goes to show, no matter what the movie would have done, some people will always find something to complain about. You wanna talk about lazy nostalgia pandering, how about a movie that literally rehashes the same plot as the first movie despite being set like 30 years later... now that's far more insulting than neat little fanservice Easter eggs, if you ask me.

I think the archive footage is great fanservice; but Star Wars TFA was still a better movie than Rogue One.
 
The way the word "fanservice" keeps getting thrown around here is more or less stripping it of any fuckin' meaning it might have ever once held.

(not that it held much in the first place, considering the context it was frequently used in)
 
The way the word "fanservice" keeps getting thrown around here is more or less stripping it of any fuckin' meaning it might have ever once held.

(not that it held much in the first place, considering the context it was frequently used in)

Yeah, I'm starting to lose track. Is the only way to avoid "fanservice" to avoid relying on any of the core elements or characters of the franchise? Do we need someone to make a Star Wars movie that doesn't have any recognizable elements of Star Wars to finally quiet the "fanservice detractors?"

I get some of the complaints - including things that you know people already love in a way that forsakes original ideas is not something that I want from forthcoming Star Wars movies. But, come one people, Star Wars is going to have Star Wars stuff in it, and some of it is going to be fan service, and not always to play it safe. It makes people feel good, and it's not a crime if other elements of the film are competent.
 
What meaning did you assign to fan service?

An egregious, obvious, existing-for-no-other-reason-than-to-break-the-fourth-wall reference to something previously seen in a popular series. Dr. Evazan & Ponda Baba would be, in this instance, fanservice.

As it's used now, it basically means "thing I saw that I recognized from before," regardless its usage and/or function in furthering either plot or characterization. Red & Gold Leader being in the movie isn't really "fanservice" in that example. Neither is the presence of stormtroopers, or the role of Tarkin and/or Leia. Or X-Wings & TIE Fighters.

The latter (re-)definition essentially extends to anything ever getting a sequel at all, and is almost primarily used as a means to denigrate and devalue the mere presence of anything that could be seen to be, or taken as, familiar and crowdpleasing.

There's a root cynicism in the way it's getting thrown around, as if the mere attempt to use pre-existing iconography and/or recognizable elements is somehow beneath both the filmmakers and the nerds who might appreciate its presence in the storytelling.

Sorta like how "lore" used to mean less-detailed, vague, hinted-at big-picture worldbuilding stuff from a fictional history's past that primarily just helps shape the setting the story is set in, but now just means "backstory." As in "fully explained, expositional, has 15 different wikipedia entries and at least 3 or 4 novels and/or tie-in games" backstory. Or honestly, just story at this point. Not back-story, or even side-story. Main story. It just makes your main story sound cooler & more important if you call it "lore," so people do that.
 
Finally saw it. Overall definitely had some issues with the story/script and none of the action set-pieces prior to the finale really stuck with me, but it was enjoyable. Darth Vader action lived up to the hype.

- It had been a while since I saw the trailer, when they took a small team to the beach planet I was actually thinking the rest of the movie would continue to be small scale. Glorious massive space battle was a nice surprise.
- Wasn't a fan of Donnie Yen's character for most of the movie, he just seemed like a cartoon character in a mostly dark/gritty movie. Joking in the middle of beating a squad of stormtroopers with a staff, eh... but I did like his send off calmly walking through blaster fire to shut down the shield.
- Great job keeping the A New Hope aesthetic feel for much of the movie while also still making good use of modern technology. For example the ships looked just like the models, even as they crashed into eachother tearing themselves apart as models could never do naturally (Super Star Destroyer just exploding as it hits the Death Star II and such).
- Liked how many altered/new ship designs there were rather than just all x-wing all the time Ep VII, even if the X-Wings were still the bulk.
- I noticed the characters that Obi Wan de-limbed/killed in Tatooine, not sure why they were on this random planet. Didn't realize they mixed in some of the original pilots, cool touch.
- I did think CGI Tarkin looked rather obvious, but it's not something that actually bothers me at all.
 
Just got out of a screening. Some scrambled thoughts:

* Count me in the "that was better than I expected" crowd.
* The CGI Tarkin and Leia were damn good. Just need some very minor tweaks to the lighting on their skin and tone down the movement of their facial musculature.
* I loved seeing a ton of new planets. Sure, narratively maybe the movie should have focused more, but I love new places.
* VADER CASTLE! It took almost 40 years, but we finally got it on screen. I'm so happy!
* Bail Organa! His introduction was fantastic.
* Vader had red eyes! I believe A New Hope was the only time the eyes were red previously. That was a nice touch.
* The Vader action was great. I'm glad the filmmakers resisted the urge to go overboard. Not too much of it, and they didn't resort to having a 7 foot, multiple amputee suddenly flying around like a ninja. And his introduction to the rebels was glorious.
* The final space battle was kind of a let down. I didn't really understand anything going on, small or large scale until the hammerhead cruiser rammed the Star Destroyer. I don't really know why the fleet was there in the first place. The admiral leaves for Scarif even though he doesn't really know what's going on. Or how to help. Or if he even can. They're essentially hanging around, fighting and dying, just waiting for someone to tell them what to do. Half of that space battle is literally just killing time.
* Meanwhile, on the surface, everything takes 3 times as long or is 3 times harder than it should be because the Empire is horrible at usability. Here's a gigantic stack of hard drives. Why is their storage so big? Who knows. And to access these archives you need to play a modified claw game. Apparently, in the Star Wars universe they can design thinking, feeling robots, but one that can find a specific thing in a stack is beyond their capabilities. Also, the best place for a port for that gangly data storage is outside on top of a spire. Can the dish that sends the information be repositioned from that same station? Of course not! Repositioning requires walking a precarious plank to nowhere. Of course, this goes hand in hand with the previous movies which showed their distaste for safety rails and obsession with bottomless pits. Star Wars architects suck.

Also, Palpatine is a dick. "Lord Vader, we shall be giving you a personal base with your own restoration chamber... on the planet where you were horribly burnt and last saw your wife"

LOL

Sheev: "Hey Vadey-cakes. I got an amazing deal on this piece of property for your new abode. Apparently, someone died there and it reeks of burnt flesh. And with all the damage to your nether regions, it's not like I had to worry about the school district! Just a total steal."

Vader: "Where is it, my master?"

Sheev: "Mustafar."

Vader (Internally): I'm gonna kill him someday.

According to GAF's favorite writer Gary Whitta, Vader himself chose to put his castle on Mustafar.

In the Art of Book, original screenwriter Gary Whitta says “the fact that he has chosen to build his mausoleum here is a nod to the conflict in him — that he would go back to this place to reflect on what happened to the man he once was. At the same time, it’s also terrifying, and when he emerges with all of his armor, he’s Darth Vader.”

The first concept drawings of Vader's castle (from December 1977 for Empire Strikes Back) show it on a lava planet. This might have been before Lucas had solidified that the Vader/Obi-Wan duel happened on a lava planet. Ralph McQuarrie concepts from December 1977:

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The top picture shows it on a lava planet, per instructions from Lucas himself, according to The Making of The Empire Strikes Back.
 
Imagine if they included just a few key scores from the main films. It would have made the movie GREAT.

Just some empire scores or something.
 
Imagine if they included just a few key scores from the main films. It would have made the movie GREAT.

Just some empire scores or something.

What do you mean by scores? You mean like music and themes? Because Rogue One was full of cameos of themes and motifs from the Star Wars movies, including from Empire (and even better, the Imperial fanfare from 1977).
 
Completely missed the pilot cameos. I'm kind of in awe of fans who could recognize such minor characters turning up. Regardless, the use of archive footage must have been absolutely seamless because it never even registered with me.
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Raise your hand if your heart sank as soon as you heard that pilot check in as Red Five. That spot had to open up somehow.
 
Imagine if they included just a few key scores from the main films. It would have made the movie GREAT.

Just some empire scores or something.

They did though? Imperial March plays when Vader first enters and exits, the main fanfare plays a few times throughout the film (Memorably right as the Rebel fleet comes out of hyperspace above Scariff), they even play the Death Star cue from A New Hope, a piece Williams himself hasn't brought back since 1977.
 
I'd rather them try to make new cool stuff instead of cling to the old even if that makes is better

It's still SW... and just asking for a bit more.

What do you mean by scores? You mean like music and themes? Because Rogue One was full of cameos of themes and motifs from the Star Wars movies, including from Empire (and even better, the Imperial fanfare from 1977).

Yes music!

They did though? Imperial March plays when Vader first enters and exits, the main fanfare plays a few times throughout the film (Memorably right as the Rebel fleet comes out of hyperspace above Scariff), they even play the Death Star cue from A New Hope, a piece Williams himself hasn't brought back since 1977.
Might of missed it then, will need to listen more during 2nd rewatch.
 
Were star destroyers this white in the prequels? They really stuck out and looked super fake/plasticy here when every other ship looked fine.

Really enjoyed the movie especially after the first third, way better than TFA.
 
So that was archival footage, eh? Pretty cool. Completely shocked when I saw that... like, that's Gold Leader!

Even cooler reading Gareth Edwards working it in and the reaction it got at the premiere:

“We went to Skywalker ranch, and there’s the archives there,” said Edwards, recounting how he came about the unused footage to Radio Times. “And as we’re walking around, and doing all the cool things and looking at the Millennium Falcon and trying on Han Solo’s jacket and things like that, in the back at the bottom was all these cans of film. And we said ‘what are they?’ and they said ‘Oh, it’s Star Wars.’ “And you go… ‘has someone gone through all this? And it’s like ‘not really, they’re not fully like digitised at all.’ We got the neg documents and found the clips from A New Hope that hadn’t been used. And there’s pilot photography and lines that were never featured in A New Hope. Through the magic of ILM [special effect studio Industrial Light and Magic] they cut round them and manipulated them and stuck them into our cockpits. It’s the sort of thing you think, ‘how many people will notice?’ Do you know what I mean? It’s like, is this a lot of effort for very little reward? At the world premiere in LA, there was this massive cheer at a particular point in the film. It was the only time during the premiere where I actually punched the air.”
 
Were star destroyers this white in the prequels? They really stuck out and looked super fake/plasticy here when every other ship looked fine.

Really enjoyed the movie especially after the first third, way better than TFA.

There were no Star Destroyers in the Prequels, the Republic Cruisers were more colorful (which fit their allegory for WW1 Battleships as opposed to the Nazi styled Empire). However, the Star Destroyers looked exactly like they did in Rogue One as they did in Episode 4, it was intentional, as the original Star Destroyers for A New Hope and the OT were models.

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Even cooler reading Gareth Edwards working it in and the reaction it got at the premiere:

I love reading the new Wookiepedia page on Vander now that he's finally in a new movie.
 
Might of missed it then, will need to listen more during 2nd rewatch.

Giacchino's score has maybe 3 minutes total of Williams music in it, and most of it is on the soundtrack.

"Krennic's Aspiration" has the original Imperial Motif and the Imperial March. The march also shows up in "Hope," before transitioning into...
The Rebel Fanfare, which is also sprinkled in a couple different paces.
Leia's theme gets a quick two-note quote, dunno if it's on the soundtrack though.
Luke's Theme (Main Title) gets a quote in "Scrambling the Rebel Fleet"
The Force Theme gets a few quotes as well. (I think it first shows up in "Trust Goes Both Ways," and definitely shows up in "Hope" at the very end)
The Death Star Motif gets love at the open and close of "When Has Become Now."
 
Just saw it and thought it was great and I kinda dislike all the "it's too thin and unnecessary." Talk about a paper thin complaint for a prequel.

Seems like an unfair criticism leveled at it just for being a prequel. Like Halo Reach, it developed a solid and heavy lead in to our beloved originals. It was well done and is harmlessly stylish at worst.but I think they managed something more heroic in feeling. And more similar to the cinematography aesthetic of the original trilogy than JJ got imo.
 
Giacchino's score has maybe 3 minutes total of Williams music in it, and most of it is on the soundtrack.

"Krennic's Aspiration" has the original Imperial Motif and the Imperial March. The march also shows up in "Hope," before transitioning into...
The Rebel Fanfare, which is also sprinkled in a couple different paces.
Leia's theme gets a quick two-note quote, dunno if it's on the soundtrack though.
Luke's Theme (Main Title) gets a quote in "Scrambling the Rebel Fleet"
The Force Theme gets a few quotes as well. (I think it first shows up in "Trust Goes Both Ways," and definitely shows up in "Hope" at the very end)
The Death Star Motif gets love at the open and close of "When Has Become Now."
When is this? I was so disappointed we got another uninspired iteration of the Force theme to close out the film. Those final moments were screaming for a big, full statement of Leia's theme.
 
I want to say it's at Bail Organa's "I would trust her with my life" that we get that little snippet. Not quite sure where it falls on the soundtrack, but it's definitely there.
 
When is this? I was so disappointed we got another uninspired iteration of the Force theme to close out the film. Those final moments were screaming for a big, full statement of Leia's theme.

I could have sworn hearing Leia's theme at the end of the movie; but I couldn't find it on the soundtrack, in it's place is just the Force theme. Maybe it was a placebo effect.
 
I want to say it's at Bail Organa's "I would trust her with my life" that we get that little snippet.

That's exactly where it is.

I do think the Force Theme has (unfortunately) become the de-facto "Star Wars" theme, to the point where I bet if you asked someone to hum "Star Wars" they wouldn't do the main title, they'd do "Force Theme/Ben's Theme." Some people might not even realize they're two different pieces of music at this point.
 
On the score, after seeing this again today, I think the soundtrack, for me, works a lot more within the film itself as opposed to listening to it by itself (duh, cause it's made for the film right). After listening to it for the past couple weeks, I do think it's a good score, but it's made me appreciate VII's score even more, and that was after getting into it after initially being underwhelmed when it first came out last year.

Giacchino's themes in this film are great, (Jyn's, Krennic's, and Whills) and the Hope and Rogue One tracks stand out as well, but beyond that I could totally give or take I feel. Not a conclusion I've arrived with on Williams VII's score. I dunno, I think Rogue One's score was good, but I got this nawing at the back of my brain making me think it could've been better, barring the four weeks Giacchino had to write it.
 
There were no Star Destroyers in the Prequels, the Republic Cruisers were more colorful (which fit their allegory for WW1 Battleships as opposed to the Nazi styled Empire). However, the Star Destroyers looked exactly like they did in Rogue One as they did in Episode 4, it was intentional, as the original Star Destroyers for A New Hope and the OT were models.

48965-lucas_destroyer.jpg




I love reading the new Wookiepedia page on Vander now that he's finally in a new movie.
Such a beautiful model. I want it.
 
There were no Star Destroyers in the Prequels, the Republic Cruisers were more colorful (which fit their allegory for WW1 Battleships as opposed to the Nazi styled Empire). However, the Star Destroyers looked exactly like they did in Rogue One as they did in Episode 4, it was intentional, as the original Star Destroyers for A New Hope and the OT were models.

The Venators were Star Destroyers.
 
On the score, after seeing this again today, I think the soundtrack, for me, works a lot more within the film itself as opposed to listening to it by itself (duh, cause it's made for the film right). After listening to it for the past couple weeks, I do think it's a good score, but it's made me appreciate VII's score even more, and that was after getting into it after initially being underwhelmed when it first came out last year.

Giacchino's themes in this film are great, (Jyn's, Krennic's, and Whills) and the Hope and Rogue One tracks stand out as well, but beyond that I could totally give or take I feel. Not a conclusion I've arrived with on Williams VII's score. I dunno, I think Rogue One's score was good, but I got this nawing at the back of my brain making me think it could've been better, barring the four weeks Giacchino had to write it.

You want your mind blown, you should listen to the most recent episode of Star Wars Oxygen and find out just how deep the roots of Jyn's theme go...
 
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