Star Wars: Rogue One
Discussion
I must be very lucky, seen around 20 films at my local Odeon this year and not run into any issues whatsoever. Maybe sitting in Row D helps (the first row of the main tier, the only one with leg room), as there is rarely anyone in front to disturb me with phone light etc.
I can't remember the last time anyone actually annoyed me in the cinema.
I can't remember the last time anyone actually annoyed me in the cinema.
Just watched it for the 2nd time today - enjoyed it even more than the first viewing as I could take in the plot and details more. Having read the book Catalyst before I watched it, I already had a good understanding of the characters especially the relationship between Galen and Krennic. The film is richer experience having read the book but as a standalone film, it'll still be a good film for the neutrals to watch although a crawl for exposition would help them understand the plot of RO.
I'm a massive SW fan since I was a kid and so far I would rank my favourite in the following order:
1. Empire
2. Rogue One
3. Force Awakens
4. Sith
5. Return of the Jedi
6. A New Hope
7. Phantom Menace
8. Attack of the Clones
Can't wait for Episode 8 now! I just hope Disney would can the young Han Solo spin off as NO ONE is fit to replace Han. I was hoping that Rogue One wouldn't bomb and glad it turned out great but I really hope that the Solo movie turns out to be trash.
I'm a massive SW fan since I was a kid and so far I would rank my favourite in the following order:
1. Empire
2. Rogue One
3. Force Awakens
4. Sith
5. Return of the Jedi
6. A New Hope
7. Phantom Menace
8. Attack of the Clones
Can't wait for Episode 8 now! I just hope Disney would can the young Han Solo spin off as NO ONE is fit to replace Han. I was hoping that Rogue One wouldn't bomb and glad it turned out great but I really hope that the Solo movie turns out to be trash.
Quickmoose said:
I much prefer joining or adding my thoughts after watching it than getting too involved in the hype....anyway...watched it yesterday.
I thought it certainly one of the better more enjoyable efforts.
BUT (tiny spoilers ahead)
I am getting tired of the same mini-arc single film as part of a larger arc.
kid loses parents, joins a human/robot duo, ends up in a big machine with a long drop in it whilst the guys fly along a path looking for a weak spot...red leader this and that...
I forgive it because it's done well...but I can't take much more.
I really liked the CGI'd characters...took me a while to cotton on.
I liked the droid too, as said he walks the line well between funny and effective.
^^^^ this is what I'm talking about.I thought it certainly one of the better more enjoyable efforts.
BUT (tiny spoilers ahead)
I am getting tired of the same mini-arc single film as part of a larger arc.
kid loses parents, joins a human/robot duo, ends up in a big machine with a long drop in it whilst the guys fly along a path looking for a weak spot...red leader this and that...
I forgive it because it's done well...but I can't take much more.
I really liked the CGI'd characters...took me a while to cotton on.
I liked the droid too, as said he walks the line well between funny and effective.
i liked it, needed a touch more humor, and didn't notice much cgi. the beach scenes reminded me of war films, albeit a lighter version, first half was slow but picked up, shame a lot of character die, but still a solid 8/10.
i think you can over analyse films like this, take it for what it is and it was enjoyable.
i think you can over analyse films like this, take it for what it is and it was enjoyable.
Edited by The Spruce goose on Wednesday 4th January 23:36
Ahbefive said:
I massively disagree with this. Putting loads of cheap gags etc in a film is how to ruin it and make it cheesy. I'm very glad that they refrained from that, too many films are spoilt that way.
a touch isn't loads thou, a touch just to balance it against all the morbidity, and comic relief would be there to take add an oasis of laughter in a dark film, after all the body counts and bleakness.The Spruce goose said:
Ahbefive said:
I massively disagree with this. Putting loads of cheap gags etc in a film is how to ruin it and make it cheesy. I'm very glad that they refrained from that, too many films are spoilt that way.
a touch isn't loads thou, a touch just to balance it against all the morbidity, and comic relief would be there to take add an oasis of laughter in a dark film, after all the body counts and bleakness.Made my way through the original 3 and enjoyed them. Moved onto the prequels.... deary deary me. And Jar Jar Binks isn't even the worst of it. No one in Phantom Menace appears to have any kind of energy in them. Flat as a pancake. No conviction. Its like they were doing a first reading but instead filmed it and called it a wrap.
My wife and I took our son to see Rogue One yesterday, it was a treat for his 8th birthday.
He's a big star wars fan and loved the film, understood the plot (did well there) and timeline.
He said the best bit was the ending and wanted to watch ep4 again afterwards
My wife enjoyed it, she's not a star wars fan but watched 3-6 last year before going to see 7.
She thought it was "the best one" which is interesting as it comes from purely a review of the film without nostalgia tinted glasses.
She's wrong obviously
but still an interesting point of view, I really enjoyed it personally, been in the dark since the first trailer as I hate all the hype and spoilers. I'll watch it a couple more times before I give a final judgement but a solid 8/10 for now.
He's a big star wars fan and loved the film, understood the plot (did well there) and timeline.
He said the best bit was the ending and wanted to watch ep4 again afterwards
My wife enjoyed it, she's not a star wars fan but watched 3-6 last year before going to see 7.
She thought it was "the best one" which is interesting as it comes from purely a review of the film without nostalgia tinted glasses.
She's wrong obviously
but still an interesting point of view, I really enjoyed it personally, been in the dark since the first trailer as I hate all the hype and spoilers. I'll watch it a couple more times before I give a final judgement but a solid 8/10 for now.Edited by wjb on Thursday 5th January 11:39
I've seen it twice now and have since re-watched Ep4-6: I think it is right up there with the best Star Wars films, although by no means perfect.
I agree with some of the comments on character development, and the first act of the film. Reading the Catalyst book helps a lot with both, but a little more exposition in the first act (or just a crawl...) would help the casual viewers a lot. I had no problem with the CGI, and I thought the level of humour introduced with K2SO was about right.
For those that have commented that the ending might not quite match with the start of Ep4, IMO it's ambiguous enough for me to accept that some time (days or weeks) passed between the two allowing for the slight differences. If we want to talk about piecing together story arcs fully, you only have to watch the original films again (and certainly the prequels) to spot far more obvious mismatches, and that was with Lucas and his 'plan'.
I agree with some of the comments on character development, and the first act of the film. Reading the Catalyst book helps a lot with both, but a little more exposition in the first act (or just a crawl...) would help the casual viewers a lot. I had no problem with the CGI, and I thought the level of humour introduced with K2SO was about right.
For those that have commented that the ending might not quite match with the start of Ep4, IMO it's ambiguous enough for me to accept that some time (days or weeks) passed between the two allowing for the slight differences. If we want to talk about piecing together story arcs fully, you only have to watch the original films again (and certainly the prequels) to spot far more obvious mismatches, and that was with Lucas and his 'plan'.
Halb said:
I do think this happened.
Lucas is not known as a people director, and he himself has said as much (I think). He is a pretty decent cinematographer.
Its definitely true. Used to work with a guy who was on the crew for Attack of the Clones. He had nothing but bad things to say about the lazy, shot-reverse-shot, one-take approach of George Lucas on the prequels. He said the big man would just sit in his chair next to a green screen, give the actors no direction and just chain pints of latte while telling everyone that the film would look great once they 'fixed' everything the actors did with CGI. This is why Ewan McGregor etc have such bad memories of working on the films...they knew it sucked and were given nothing to work with and no direction.Lucas is not known as a people director, and he himself has said as much (I think). He is a pretty decent cinematographer.
Watch the Red Letter Media 'Plinkett' reviews which are the most thorough deconstruction of the hundreds of things that are bad with the Prequels. (Although i actually disagree with RLM for once on Rogue One, which is 8/10 for me!)
https://www.youtube.com/user/RedLetterMedia/playli...
darth_pies said:
Its definitely true. Used to work with a guy who was on the crew for Attack of the Clones. He had nothing but bad things to say about the lazy, shot-reverse-shot, one-take approach of George Lucas on the prequels. He said the big man would just sit in his chair next to a green screen, give the actors no direction and just chain pints of latte while telling everyone that the film would look great once they 'fixed' everything the actors did with CGI. This is why Ewan McGregor etc have such bad memories of working on the films...they knew it sucked and were given nothing to work with and no direction.
Watch the Red Letter Media 'Plinkett' reviews which are the most thorough deconstruction of the hundreds of things that are bad with the Prequels. (Although i actually disagree with RLM for once on Rogue One, which is 8/10 for me!)
https://www.youtube.com/user/RedLetterMedia/playli...
Haha. Ewan gives a horrible performance. I've chatted about this before, in the prequels I reckon only Ian and Neeson give good performances, as the two old know what they are doing actors, who do all their prep and turn up day one all sorted. Ewan can be forgiven for maybe a few scenes in the first one, but by the second he should have known, yet his performance doesn't change.Watch the Red Letter Media 'Plinkett' reviews which are the most thorough deconstruction of the hundreds of things that are bad with the Prequels. (Although i actually disagree with RLM for once on Rogue One, which is 8/10 for me!)
https://www.youtube.com/user/RedLetterMedia/playli...
Star Wars had more older actors around, it also shows the ability of Harrison Ford, who oozed charisma off the screen.
RLM media has pointed out some accute flaws with Rogue One for me, but overall I disagree with them.
darth_pies said:
Its definitely true. Used to work with a guy who was on the crew for Attack of the Clones. He had nothing but bad things to say about the lazy, shot-reverse-shot, one-take approach of George Lucas on the prequels. He said the big man would just sit in his chair next to a green screen, give the actors no direction and just chain pints of latte while telling everyone that the film would look great once they 'fixed' everything the actors did with CGI. This is why Ewan McGregor etc have such bad memories of working on the films...they knew it sucked and were given nothing to work with and no direction.
Peter Serafinowitz said the same. He talked about it, and the shock of seeing the final film, on the RHLSTP podcast:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0wHqNi3x5M
I love how he describes the opening crawl
It's canon, it's just not involving any main characters, they're gonna be the peripheral characters.
I've heard the, 'make him sound evil' direction before...and Terry Stamp getting a stylus, or whatever the f
k it ws. 
that was a funny podcast
Way back in the 90s, I actually sent a letter to Lucas asking to be in the new Star Wars.
durbster said:
Peter Serafinowitz said the same. He talked about it, and the shock of seeing the final film, on the RHLSTP podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0wHqNi3x5M
I love how he describes the opening crawl
Christ what an indictment! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0wHqNi3x5M
I love how he describes the opening crawl
I've heard the, 'make him sound evil' direction before...and Terry Stamp getting a stylus, or whatever the f
k it ws. that was a funny podcast
Way back in the 90s, I actually sent a letter to Lucas asking to be in the new Star Wars.
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