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

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Oh I'm not talking about the quality of the picture, my "issue" is on the storytelling front, and yeah, they do intend for it to be watchable before ANH as it leads directly into it. I think the way they reveal Leia at the end simply conflicts with the nature of how she's filmed at the beginning of ANH. I mean when you look at interviews with Edwards and others, they talk about how careful they were to make everything align, and it all mostly does. I just think that was an oversight or just in favor of having a Leia shot. If people love that, whatever, but it's like just pop in the next movie chronologically and yep there's Leia.
 

JB1981

Member
It was OK.

The final action scene was well executed, but pretty much every character was uninteresting. Jyn naturally was the one with the most development, but it was very rushed. Some other weird things with the characters like:

- why did Forrest Whitaker just give up?
- it was said that Riz Ahmed's character would have lost his mind after that weird slug thing read his mind, but he seemed alright after they escape from the first planet. Did the movie just forget about that?

The CGI was very distracting. I don't think the technology is there yet at all.

Whitaker had robotic limbs and a breathing suit. No way would he have made it to the ship.

Ahmed's character losing his mind seemed like it was something they simply abandoned.
 
It was OK.

The final action scene was well executed, but pretty much every character was uninteresting. Jyn naturally was the one with the most development, but it was very rushed. Some other weird things with the characters like:

- why did Forrest Whitaker just give up?
- it was said that Riz Ahmed's character would have lost his mind after that weird slug thing read his mind, but he seemed alright after they escape from the first planet. Did the movie just forget about that?

The CGI was very distracting. I don't think the technology is there yet at all.

- Saw had been fighting the Separatists and then the Empire for years, I think he'd just had enough. He never would have made it to a transport in time to escape anyway.

- It looked like Bodhi's mind was almost broken, but maybe he wasn't submitted to a long enough interrogation for Bor Gullet to cause irreparable damage. Maybe Saw was just trying to scare him by saying it would break his mind too.
 
If Peter Jackson made Rogue One it would have been a trilogy: the first film would be centering on young Jyn and Saw, the second film would be the Jedha stuff, and the third film would be the battle of Scarif.
 
I didn't like Force Awakens that much and I wasn't going to see this one, but my friends encouraged me not to miss it so I saw it a few weeks back. I liked it a lot. I don't think I'll bother with Episode 8 but I'll check out more of these spin-offs.
 
I didn't like Force Awakens that much and I wasn't going to see this one, but my friends encouraged me not to miss it so I saw it a few weeks back. I liked it a lot. I don't think I'll bother with Episode 8 but I'll check out more of these spin-offs.

Episode VIII is being directed by Rian Johnson, regardless of what you thought about VII it's a different filmmaker so I would still give it a shot.
 

Aiii

So not worth it
If Peter Jackson made Rogue One it would have been a trilogy: the first film would be centering on young Jyn and Saw, the second film would be the Jedha stuff, and the third film would be the battle of Scarif.

And everyone would be bored to tears by it after the first hour of the first one.
 
And everyone would be bored to tears by it after the first hour of the first one.

Sounds sweet

MtZ9N.gif


Lol
 

Monocle

Member
Yeah, I didn't think Tarkin worked visually either but at least he had actual story presence, which I think overrides my critical viewpoints on the visual execution. With Leia it was just too deliberate and kind of there to be there, like let's wow everyone with a Leia front and center appearance. I would have preferred something a lot more subtle, especially again considering that it would have flowed a lot better with her taking her hood off in ANH. Now when you watch Rogue One and see her face at the end, there's no real reason for her to have a reveal shot like that anymore.

I also fully admit this is the cornerstone of nitpickery, but I still find it a valid point, at least for me personally. Like the intro of ANH tries to make Leia's character a bit mysterious at the beginning when she's trying to get R2 away, leading to her removing the hood. But Rogue One ends with a front and center shot of her face. It just doesn't gel to me from a storytelling perspective and felt a bit indulgent.
I actually thought the movie somewhat averted this by showing the back shot of Leia first, with her hood up. It gave a nice little extra beat for her presence to register before she faced the camera.

This isn't the most satisfying solution if you want to view RO and ANH back to back, but RO also had to play to an audience that's well familiar with Leia already. So it's caught between preserving the sense of mystery for her intro in ANH, and giving fans a moment of payoff to close out the film and firmly connect RO to the OT with a hero character.

Personally I think it's a toss up as to whether the end would have worked better without seeing Leia's face. Maybe I would have preferred a profile shot where she looks down at the data thing with her hood up, and you hear the hope line without seeing her face at all.
 

Ridisc

Banned
I am totally taken out looking at Tarkin personally, what irks me more is that there were so many ways to have him in the film but never focused on to the degree they did, they got over ambitious and, in my view, it will age very poorly and bit them in the ass. Im not saying they couldnt do some CGI, but they could have done it far smarter, there is a scene for example where you see him from behind and he turns to the right briefly to talk to Krennic and it works, the lighting doesn't expose anything, no jarring movements where the head is jagging around, partial face. You could have done that, you could have made Tarkin a very real menacing presence, ala Vader, and even made it a part of his character, like vader that yes he is "in the film" but he is also "above" the film, above it in importance, his time is to come.

Voice was incredible though, no arguments there.
 

Korigama

Member
Finally saw it today, and...I just thought it was okay at best. Episode VII was much better. Can't say I'm all that interested in any additional spin-offs for Star Wars at this point.
 

Surfinn

Member
Watched it again recently. The ending feels a lot more powerful to me now that the film is starting to sink in. Got chills for the first time.

The score is fucking GOOD.
 
Watched it again tonight. Man I said it before and I'll say it again, the final sequence where they upload the plans and what not and Jyn and Andor escape to the beach...wow the music playing ties in so well with that entire sequence. It makes it really emotional.
 
This movie is so good, but they seriously overreached with the cartoon characters, and for no clear purpose. Like, why is there a digital Tarkin in the first place? It's just an old dude standing around talking. They switched Dumbledores from one year to the next and no one gave a shit.
 

Jedi2016

Member
I've been (finally) watching Star Wars: Rebels, and Rogue One just fits that same feeling and aesthetic so damned well. You can totally believe that it's all happening around the same time and involving the same people, and it does lend a huge amount of gravitas to what happens in the film.
 

Monocle

Member
Watched it again recently. The ending feels a lot more powerful to me now that the film is starting to sink in. Got chills for the first time.

The score is fucking GOOD.
Yeah it's fantastic. Super memorable, and it fits the movie so well.
 
Watched it again recently. The ending feels a lot more powerful to me now that the film is starting to sink in. Got chills for the first time.

The score is fucking GOOD.

I know this is going to be blasphemous to many but I think Giachinno made a better Star Wars score than John Williams did with The Force Awakens. The Rogue One score really gives the film that adventurous yet emotional feel that the music of the original trilogy gave me, the feeling I thought was missing from the score of TFA.

The title card theme is also the best space adventure sounding theme I've heard since the opening crawl of A New Hope. It might be my favorite score of his by far, and supposedly he did it in a week. #GiaBless
 
This movie is so good, but they seriously overreached with the cartoon characters, and for no clear purpose. Like, why is there a digital Tarkin in the first place? It's just an old dude standing around talking. They switched Dumbledores from one year to the next and no one gave a shit.

I felt they needed to establish why and how Tarkin even became the commander of the Death Star. And honestly, the involvement of Tarkin made Krennic a better character.
 
The vader scene at the end of the movie is seriously my favorite scene in any movie ever. If that's the last time we see Vader in a live action movie I'm totally ok with it.
 

Sarcasm

Member
So I am 1/4 through, but what is that thing that looks like an octopus that is mind sucking the pilot near the start?

What is the side affect did the guy say?
 

Surfinn

Member
I know this is going to be blasphemous to many but I think Giachinno made a better Star Wars score than John Williams did with The Force Awakens. The Rogue One score really gives the film that adventurous yet emotional feel that the music of the original trilogy gave me, the feeling I thought was missing from the score of TFA.

The title card theme is also the best space adventure sounding theme I've heard since the opening crawl of A New Hope. It might be my favorite score of his by far, and supposedly he did it in a week. #GiaBless
I know what you mean about the main theme and the general adventure feel of the score. It's a great accomplishment. Only thing I don't like is the handling of some of the JW themes.. They often felt rushed or abrupt.

I dunno what the song is that plays throughout the last 10 min or so of the film but that track is fucking masterful. Sticks with you after the movie.
 

Einchy

semen stains the mountaintops
So I am 1/4 through, but what is that thing that looks like an octopus that is mind sucking the pilot near the start?

What is the side affect did the guy say?
That's the Bor Gullet, the alien with the most fan name ever.

Bodi could lose his mind after having it read by the Bor Gullet.
 
I know what you mean about the main theme and the general adventure feel of the score. It's a great accomplishment. Only thing I don't like is the handling of some of the JW themes.. They often felt rushed or abrupt.

I dunno what the song is that plays throughout the last 10 min or so of the film but that track is fucking masterful. Sticks with you after the movie.

Which scene? If it's the Vader scene, it's 'Hope'. If it's the Scarif destruction, it's 'Your Father Would Be Proud'
 

Surfinn

Member
Which scene? If it's the Vader scene, it's 'Hope'. If it's the Scarif destruction, it's 'Your Father Would Be Proud'
Your father would be proud. The second half of that song. Damn that works well in the film. Hope is a brilliant play on imperial march. Those two tracks are a hell of a one two combo at the end.
 
This movie is so good, but they seriously overreached with the cartoon characters, and for no clear purpose. Like, why is there a digital Tarkin in the first place? It's just an old dude standing around talking. They switched Dumbledores from one year to the next and no one gave a shit.

Tarkin was the main antagonist of Star Wars. His absence in Rogue One would have been glaring.

I know this is going to be blasphemous to many but I think Giachinno made a better Star Wars score than John Williams did with The Force Awakens. The Rogue One score really gives the film that adventurous yet emotional feel that the music of the original trilogy gave me, the feeling I thought was missing from the score of TFA.

The title card theme is also the best space adventure sounding theme I've heard since the opening crawl of A New Hope. It might be my favorite score of his by far, and supposedly he did it in a week. #GiaBless

Agreed. TFA score was by no means bad but it was rather cookie-cutter IMO.
 
The vader scene at the end of the movie is seriously my favorite scene in any movie ever. If that's the last time we see Vader in a live action movie I'm totally ok with it.

I mean I know it's pure fan service and honestly doesn't really add much to the overall film, but I thought the same thing last night. It's the scene you always imagined Vader in as a kid on the big screen. I've watched that scene so many times since the movie has released it's disgusting.
 

Sillverrr

Member
It was... okay. Digital Tarkin looked like the alien from Mars Attacks! (1996). I understand why they'd include him for continuity purposes, but he seriously detracted from the other actors' performances during every scene he was in.

I must admit the main fascination for me was seeing the world and technology of Star Wars, A New Hope era again... such a joy for an old git like me. If I remove the rose-tinted spectacles, though, it was a pretty joyous affair. I understand that's the direction they were going in - to depict war, and the contributions of the everyman, but I don't think they needed to dedicate a film to it. Could have succeeded in novel format only.
 

magawolaz

Member
Watched it again with my sister (she likes the saga even though she's not a hardcore fan)...
She liked it! She totally awwww'd when she saw Leia... She thought it was an old/deleted scene before I told her they used CGI. She didn't realize Tarkin was CG either, but I don't think she remembers him from the original movie.
 
Just want to say that I really enjoyed this, I think it's great.
Knowing what they went through to get those plans gives the whole thing even more weight.
Out of the 8 movies I'd probably rank this at number 3.
 

Shaanyboi

Banned
Yeah, but why couldn't a different actor play him? He's just standing around and talking. It makes no sense.

Because it's easily Peter Cushing's most identifiable role. Anyone else playing that character, and most probably would just assume it was a completely different Imperial officer with no connection to ANH.
 

Boem

Member
Because it's easily Peter Cushing's most identifiable role. Anyone else playing that character, and most probably would just assume it was a completely different Imperial officer with no connection to ANH.

Eh, perhaps a bit unrelated to your point but I don't agree that Tarkin is Cushing's most identifiable role. If you're talking about Cushing's life in film, he's definitely most known for the various Hammer films. Perhaps not so much among the younger generation on gaming forums like this, but that's definitely where his real legacy lies. His Star Wars part was very minor in comparison. He's a Hammer horror/Sherlock Holmes icon.
 

Shaanyboi

Banned
Eh, perhaps a bit unrelated to your point but I don't agree that Tarkin is Cushing's most identifiable role. If you're talking about Cushing's life in film, he's definitely most known for the various Hammer films. Perhaps not so much among the younger generation on gaming forums like this, but that's definitely where his real legacy lies. His Star Wars part was very minor in comparison. He's a Hammer horror/Sherlock Holmes icon.

A significant majority of anyone seeing Cushing's face in the modern day is seeing it because of Star Wars. Not to dismiss the quality of Cushing's work, but Tarkin is the role people recognize him for. Not opposite to Christopher Lee in Dracula, not as Holmes.

It's like saying the name 'Sir Alec Guiness' and assuming the first thing anybody thinks of will be Bridge on the River Kwai. It's just not gonna happen.
 
One thing I noticed too which was a nice touch was how some of the imperial officers and rebel personnel looked like they came out of the 70s with a remastered look. Definitely a small continuity detail I liked.
 
Yeah, but why couldn't a different actor play him? He's just standing around and talking. It makes no sense.

A different actor did play him. They just replaced his face with Cushing.


I thought Tarkin looked good for the most part, but I wouldn't have had a problem with Guy Henry playing him normally.

The main problem I had was getting used to Krennic talking to a man who's been dead for twenty odd years.
 

Jacce

Banned
Eh, perhaps a bit unrelated to your point but I don't agree that Tarkin is Cushing's most identifiable role. If you're talking about Cushing's life in film, he's definitely most known for the various Hammer films. Perhaps not so much among the younger generation on gaming forums like this, but that's definitely where his real legacy lies. His Star Wars part was very minor in comparison. He's a Hammer horror/Sherlock Holmes icon.

Very very very few people have seen his Hammer films. They are very niche these days, obscure movies for old school horror buffs and that is about it.

He instantly more recognizable for Tarkin. Nearly everyone the world has seen Star Wars. Very few have seen his hammer films. And old Hammer films have only grown more and more obscure and niche as time goes by.
 
I wish they used some storytelling to hide the fact that Tarkin was CGI. He could have appeared as a reflection in a window like his initial appearance or through a hologram communicator. My parents, who aren't big Star Wars fans immediately called out the CGI while we were watching it last night.
 

Surfinn

Member
I never understood the huge deal people made about Tarkin. I thought he looked as good as he needed to in the scenes he was in.. and more importantly, he worked well with Krennic and in the story itself.

The tech isn't quite there yet but I didn't think it detracted from the film on rewatches.
 
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