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[Cross-Section]

So. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is almost out, and a bunch of people in Hollywood and elsewhere have already seen it.

While there won't be any substantial reactions posted until the press embargo ends this upcoming Tuesday afternoon, there are, nevertheless, a whole bunch of 140-character impressions floating around the Twittersphere.

Places like Entertainment Weekly and Heroic Hollywood have collated this avalanche of tweets into easily-digestible articles that I'll link here, and here. While there are no real spoilers beyond the usual vague, hype-filled sentiments, I would advise you not click on those if you wish to go into the movie completely-fresh.

Nevertheless, I've picked out a few intriguing ones that I'll quote (and spoiler tag, where appropriate) below:

Lindsey Bahr ✔ @ldbahr
I honestly don't think I've ever heard such enthusiastic applause #RogueOne
Peter Sciretta ‏@slashfilm
Theres an amazing amount of footage/dialogue in the #RogueOne trailers and marketing that are not in the film, including

Spoiler

Troopers in water.

William Bibbiani ✔ ‏@WilliamBibbiani
#RogueOne is pulpy and fun, but it's got more plot than heart. I'd rank it fifth overall, behind Episodes IV-VII.
Anthony Breznican ‏@Breznican
Last thought (for now):

Spoiler

Vader gets a moment of pure horror. Maybe more than one, arguably. #RogueOne

Wil Wheaton ✔ ‏@wilw
The last time I loved a Star Wars movie as much as I loved #RogueOne, it was 1977.
Kristopher Tapley ‏@kristapley
[regarding Edwards' directing] @mardench It's different. I like what he did in Godzilla better. But he adds dimension to this franchise where it wasn't before.

And of course, one can never forget the shippers:

Kyle Buchanan ✔ @kylebuchanan

Spoiler

If you shipped Poe and Finn after FORCE AWAKENS, there are 2 male ROGUE ONE characters whose vibe seemed... *more than platonic* to me

Nor GAF's own Bobby Roberts:

Bobby @bobbyrobertspdx
The best way I can think of to describe #RogueOne is that it feels like a top-tier Dark Horse Comics run got adapted. Kinda like that.
Bobby ‏@bobbyrobertspdx
Like, think of a good example of a Dark Horse #StarWars miniseries. Then imagine dropping 200mil bringing it to complicated life.
#RogueOne

I'll update with more impressions and reviews on Tuesday!

UPDATE #1: French Impressions (translated by Vinc)

Both positive:

"Rogue One is not a Star Wars story, it's THE Star Wars story. MIssion accomplished for Gareth Edwards. Woot!"

"Even if you think about it a lot, you still have no idea what's coming in Rogue One."

"What a blast!! I only have one thing in mind now that I saw Rogue One: Seeing it again."

"Disney can thank Gareth Edwards for delivering a great Star Wars film. Slow start, but what an ending!"

"So I can finally say it. Rogue one is a blast! Incredible effect work. Superb film."

"People can't say Disney is just being Disney with this one. It's huge and very dark."

"A great film that's very different from the classic episodes. It brings a lot of freshness to the series."

"First reaction after coming out of Rogue One is that it's the best one since ESB"

"OH MY GOD at Rogue One!!!!! What a fucking movie!! Thanks Gareth Edwards!!"
(continued: "Rogue One is everything TFA was not: Visually stunning, fan service is earned, takes risks and feels unique")

"Fans will not be disappointed with Rogue One. Script, sound, special effects, and punchlines are all there. And even a

Spoiler

chewie

!"

And negative:

"A bit disappointed in Rogue One. The fun is there, but there's a lot of flaws."

"I didn't like everything in Rogue One, but it was overall pretty good."

"#RogueOne = Less charm and less attachment, a bit slow to start, but the last 30 minutes are nice."

"Slow to start and underwhelming. A solid war film that lacks passion and emotion. Donnie Yen is superb, though."

"Slow to start, but the final act goes all out."

"Meh."

"Plot is a bit thin [...] but the last ten minutes are brilliant."

UPDATE #2: Reviews are out! Go to your review aggregate of choice to get a taste of these generally-positive reviews.

Tomatometer score: 85% (Certified Fresh!)
Metacritic: 66
last updated, 12/15/2016 - 12:29pm PST

 

[Cheebo]

Also it sounds like the rumor from a week ago is true

Spoiler

Jar Jar

IS in it during the scene of meeting of a rebellion leaders.

 

[Cross-Section]

Also it sounds like the rumor from a week ago is true

Spoiler

Jar Jar

IS in it during the scene of meeting of a rebellion leaders.

I don't know, I'm seeing a bunch of people ("people") saying otherwise.

 

[WadiumArcadium]

That Jar Jar Rogue One poster is a thing of beauty.

 

[Burt]

Never forget

 

[thecouncil]

I don't know, I'm seeing a bunch of people ("people") saying otherwise.

"relax everyone"

*eyeroll*

 

[Diprosalic]

positive early twitter impressions? consider me shocked.

 

[jack_package_200]

positive early twitter impressions? consider me shocked.

Batman v Superman has positive twitter reactions. Look how that turned out.

 

[thehypocrite]

Can't see shit. everything is a spoiler now I guess.

 

[Fj0823]

"relax everyone"

*eyeroll*

It's like "Unless

Spoiler

Jar Jar

is in, the prequels don't exist"

While doing their best to ignore

Spoiler

Bail and Saw

 

[Servbot24]

Sounds alright. The trailers felt pretty dry to me, so the comment about it being

Spoiler

focused on plot

isn't too surprising and means I may be a little bored. But of course I'll still see it.

 

[zoukka]

The trailers looked horribad. Like a nightmare come true where the producers sit down and think to themselves "hmm what if we took the modern action film colour grading, random casting and tone-deaf seriousness and combined it with Star Wars... everyone should love it right? Like that shit goes with everything!"

Ugh.

 

[H.Cornerstone]

FWIW the three IGN editors loved it, even more so than TFW

 

[Frozenprince]

Please don't let

Spoiler

Jar Jar actually be in this

.

Leave that abomination where it belongs.

 

[Vampirolol]

I still have my doubts. A story that takes itself seriously in the Star Wars universe is something very risky.

 

[WadiumArcadium]

I still have my doubts. A story that takes itself seriously in the Star Wars universe is something very risky.

There's a fair amount of humour in the film from the clips we've seen. K2-SO especially.

 

[Cross-Section]

Please don't let

Spoiler

Jar Jar actually be in this

.

Leave that abomination where it belongs.

Part of me really wants

Spoiler

him to be, just to observe the self-righteous anger that would arise among a bunch of fans over what likely would be a 5-second, non-speaking cameo.

 

[RobotsAnger]

*Reads title* Yay, a Rogue One topic I can actually enter!
*Reads first post* Ah fuck.

 

[Vampirolol]

There's a fair amount of humour in the film from the clips we've seen. K2-SO especially.

True, in fact every new trailer made me feel more comfortable, but I still have my reservations about it.

 

[Quick]

Can't see shit. everything is a spoiler now I guess.

The Rogue One OT is spoiler tag-free if you're feelin' rebellious.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1323545

 

[eggandI]

Spoiler tagging Twitter impressions?

 

[Frozenprince]

Part of me really wants

Spoiler

him to be, just to observe the self-righteous anger that would arise among a bunch of fans over what likely would be a 5-second, non-speaking cameo.

Spoiler

There are other ways to connect to the prequel's than to just slap what is literally a walking racist stereotype in the movie. Jar Jar is offensive, he needs to be left in the past and George Lucas's fucked up mind, where he belongs/

 

[Loris146]

Spoiler

Holy Sith! @RogueOneMovie is unbelievably wonderful! No lie: it is #EmpireStrikesBack great! An excellent chapter in the @starwars Universe!

Hope the movie is good though.

 

[Cross-Section]

Spoiler tagging Twitter impressions?

It's what the people wanted. ¯\_(&#12484_/¯

Hope the movie is good though.

Kevin Smith reaction is Kevin Smith reaction, etc.

 

[chaislip3]

"The film, starring Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso, an outlaw recruited by the Rebellion to steal the plans for the original Death Star, is set just prior to the events of 1977’s original Star Wars, and references to the first trilogy abound, foreshadowing events-yet-to-come.

• The tone is, as promised by Lucasfilm, a war story – a relentless action tale. Fears that much-discussed reshoots were softening the story or watering down the ending appear to be unfounded, since the movie presents a much grittier soldier’s story than previous films. Think of it as Band of Brothers with a Star Wars setting, more than earning its PG-13 rating.

• Chirrut Imwe, the blind warrior monk played by Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen, and K-2SO, the blunt-talking security droid played by Firefly star Alan Tudyk, steal the movie. Ironically, they both provide some of the movie’s funniest and most heart-tugging scenes.

• Much like The Force Awakens, there are a significant number of shots from the Rogue One trailers that aren’t in the finished film. Director Gareth Edwards says he shot a lot of footage in a cinema verite style, trying to capture the chaos of battle, so either trailer-makers drew heavily from material that was later unused, or portions of those scenes were reshot.

• Despite its heavy tone, there’s a lot of humor in Rogue One. There’s also a lot of heart, particularly in the father-daughter story of Jyn and Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen) a scientist who is stolen away to work on the Empire’s Death Star project. The film also features a gripping, almost prescient speech by Jyn that will leave many fans with a lump in their throats.

Spoiler

• Finally, Darth Vader… The Dark Lord of the Sith delivers one moment of pure horror. You could argue there’s even more than one scene that fits this description. Rogue One shows a ruthless, predatory side of Vader when he is at the height of his powers.

• Actually … one more note: Fans of the Disney XD animated series Star Wars: Rebels should keep their eyes wide open for a number of special surprises. (That’s all I’m going to say about that.)"

-Anthony Breznican of Entertainment weekly

Crossposting this from the OT

 

[ghostwritingduck]

I want to see if people enjoyed it with general thoughts on pacing, characters and action, but everything has spoiler tags so I can't without risking actual plot comments.

 

[Cross-Section]

I want to see if people enjoyed it with general thoughts on pacing, characters and action, but everything has spoiler tags so I can't without risking actual plot comments.

Okay, I've unspoiled parts of the OP that generally don't refer to specific plot elements, and I'd advise the rest of you folks to follow the same example so the thread doesn't look like a redacted intelligence report.

 

[Mariolee]

Can we keep the spoilers out of here?

Glad to see things are positive though!

 

[Surfinn]

Thank you Jesus. Now we can hype and discuss safely.

 

[Boke1879]

I really can't wait for this. I've enjoyed all the Star Wars Movies to some degree. So I feel I'll enjoy this. Most of all though. I can't wait to see what Vader does.

 

[Ridisc]

Some of the previews from people who were super skeptical have been great so im optimistic

I think the hyperbole will die down though

 

[Surfinn]

Some of the previews from people who were super skeptical have been great so im optimistic

I think the hyperbole will die down though

It will. But I will say that Twitter impressions have been WAY more positive than TFA. Even on day one people were criticising it pretty consistently.

 

[Tizoc]

I am concerned about Donnie Yen's role in the movie. If there is positive word about his role in it I'll go watch it.

 

[sphagnum]

Also it sounds like the rumor from a week ago is true

Spoiler

Jar Jar

IS in it during the scene of meeting of a rebellion leaders.

ManaByte on TFN said it wasn't true.

 

[Harmen]

Yeah, not going to trust early impressions of a film series with big/fanatic fanbases. I really hope it turns out great though.

 

[Quick]

Crossposting this from the OT

I am concerned about Donnie Yen's role in the movie. If there is positive word about his role in it I'll go watch it.

See post I quoted above. Donnie Yen should be good.

 

[Surfinn]

I am concerned about Donnie Yen's role in the movie. If there is positive word about his role in it I'll go watch it.

There is. Don't have the link but a Twitter post said he does well.

 

[Androidsleeps]

I have a chance to attend a screening in two days, but I'll pass...cause the ticket is a bit pricey.

 

[Alucrid]

oh i didn't realize rogue one had a gungan cast. i'll definitely see it in theaters now

 

[JTripper]

I would watch an all-Gungan Star Wars spin-off. What I don't know is if I'd watch it ironically or unironically.

 

[sphagnum]

I am concerned about Donnie Yen's role in the movie. If there is positive word about his role in it I'll go watch it.

All indications are that Chirrut and K2 steal the show. I wouldn't worry about it. It doesn't sound like he was cast to be the token Chinese actor.

 

[Tom Nook Sawyer]

It will. But I will say that Twitter impressions have been WAY more positive than TFA. Even on day one people were criticising it pretty consistently.

Was there a similar Twitter-only embargo for TFA? I'm going to need to see the receipts that it wasn't as positive if so

If there wasn't a Twitter-only embargo, then I don't think the situations are comparable

 

[Surfinn]

Was there a similar Twitter-only embargo for TFA? I'm going to need to see the receipts that it wasn't as positive if so

If there wasn't a Twitter-only embargo, then I don't think the situations are comparable

There weren't official reviews until some time after the premiere. I believe it was the same for TFA.

I'm not quite sure how Twitter impressions work in terms of what they're allowed to comment on.

I remember people being far more critical with TFA. Still glowing, but more negative than R1 thus far.

 

[purseowner]

I would watch an all-Gungan Star Wars spin-off. What I don't know is if I'd watch it ironically or unironically.

I genuinely want a big-budget Ewok reboot.

'Wicket: A Star Wars Story'

C'mon, Warwick Davis gets enough cameos, he deserves his own Disney-era spin-off.

 

[mcfrank]

Was there a similar Twitter-only embargo for TFA? I'm going to need to see the receipts that it wasn't as positive if so

If there wasn't a Twitter-only embargo, then I don't think the situations are comparable

Yeah there was. Premiere twitter reactions then reviews 3-4 days later.

 

[eXistor]

I hope it's good, all the trailers were dogshit though and pretty much dashed all hopes for me.

I'll watch it down the line maybe.

 

[Thursday War]

Spoiler

There are other ways to connect to the prequel's than to just slap what is literally a walking racist stereotype in the movie. Jar Jar is offensive, he needs to be left in the past and George Lucas's fucked up mind, where he belongs/

ah yes a racist alien

 

[Ferr986]

For a moment I got really scared when I saw that OP's pic.

 

[Tizoc]

There is. Don't have the link but a Twitter post said he does well.

Oh I missed that post, but that sold me. Gonna watch it next week with my cousins :3

 

[Tom Nook Sawyer]

Yeah there was. Premiere twitter reactions then reviews 3-4 days later.

Were they not as positive as these overall? That's the part I'm skeptical about