Rogue One DISCUSSION Thread INC. SPOILERS!!!!!!

[LESStar58]

Be warned; this thread is intended for open discussion of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story for those that have seen it and this will include character and plot discussion and SPOILERS.

If you have not seen it yet then I suggest you back out of this thread NOW!

Discussion will start further down my OP. Mods, please merge whenever you see fit.





































I honestly cannot believe what I just saw!

It's not that it blew "The Force Awakens" out of the water. It's not that it is on par with "The Empire Strikes Back".

It is that this movie represented EVERYTHING that I have loved about Star Wars since my uncle bought "A New Hope" for me to watch on Betamax in my nanna's living room in 1984.

This is a film made by a Star Wars fan FOR STAR WARS FANS!!!!!!!

This movie had me at blue milk. It was a bit slow to get going but when it did... boy, oh boy!

The thing that I have to get off my chest right away...

DARTH VADER'S CASTLE!!!!!!! THE ONE THAT WAS ORIGINALLY A CONCEPT FOR "RETURN OF THE JEDI"!!!! ON MUSTAFAR!!!!!

I saw the river of lava flowing and knew straight away what planet we were on..... but when I saw the Castle I came very, very close to shooting in my pants! It was a very, very special moment.

Tarkin! I am pretty sure that the actor who played his BODY was the same actor who is glimpsed briefly at the end of Revenge of the Sith with Peter Cushing's head digitally placed on it. But it was so lifelike and so believable!

Ponda Baba and Dr. Evazan. I imagine they got off planet before the Death Star levelled Jedah City. I knew well in advance that they were going to make an apperance but when Evazan tells them "you just watch yourself"... that was just a total fanboy moment. The Imperial probe droid on Jedah was a nice little Easter Egg too!

The Battle of Scarif made The Battle of Endor look like a Teddy Bear's picnic! And when they showed archival footage of Red Leader and Gold Leader from Episode 4... that was a stroke of genius.

Director Krennic. I couldn't tell if Mendehlson was speaking with an Australian or English accent though it would have been cool if his natural afflections (i.e. the OCkerness) was allowed to show to serve the story.. I thought he was going to be a total badass but he didn't really live up to the expectations I had for him. He looked cool and he was pretty good in parts. IF you have read the prequel novel Catalyst you'll know that Krennic and Tarkin hate each other (as if that was not apparent after the test fire scene) so it was kind of poetic that Tarkin ordered the destruction of Scarif with him still on but I knew after that scene with Vader that he wasn't going to go out the way I originally thought he was going to.

And VADER! AT THE END! The rumblings were that he was going to be shown cutting sick with his Force powers... but that was a sight to behold. IT does kind of make me wonder how they could possibly explain away why he was so tame in New Hope when it is bracketed by such brutality in Rogue One and The Empire Strikes back.

And finally.... K2SO. I hope to the stars that Alan Tudyk gets appropriate applause for his motion capture performance because K2 was brilliant! Absouletly brilliant! He was appropriate comic relief but he was also pivotal to serving the story as Cassain's offsider.

In fact, he is worthy of a tattoo and I have just the artist in mind in Melbourne to do it for me.

As for Jyn and her compadres.... well there really was no alternative but for them to all die but I thought they were all great in their own way.

And I've said as much in the other thread but bringing back the actress who played Mon Mothma in Episode 3 before being left on the cutting room floor was a small, but important, detail. I know people in here are not fans of the prequels but small details like that are so crucial to tying in all of these new films to the Holy and prequel trilogies and I think Disney/Lucasfilm should be commended for having the savvy to recognise this.

IF I have one complaint it is that I had a bit of a hard time understanding the accents of the 2 Chinese dudes, Saw and Bodhi but I will be seeing it a few more times so I'll pick up some more of the dialogue I missed this time around. Cassian I got used to as the film went on.

Aside from that; the glorified cameos from Jimmy Smits, General Dodonna, R2 and 3PO, a certain Princess, the vague reference to Obi-Wan Kenobi (I can't believe he's not going to get his own movie now!) and all of the various little bits of fanboydom along the way (the data socket, blast doors, the crappy CGA plans for the Death Star etc.....

If I had the opportunity to meet Gareth Edwards I would get him in a bear hug, hold on for an inappropriate length of time and then thank him with every fibre of my being for making the movie that I have just seen.

4.25 lightsabres out of 5.

 

[Parra Pride]

I wasn't a fan of the way the film started out, it seemed to just jump from planet to planet very quickly, but they had to set the scene for our main characters to all come together so I can understand why it was handled that way. Loved everything from the moment they all come together on Jedha, and the Death Star shows off it's power to kick start us along the way.

I liked all the characters we were given, and the closer we got to the end it started to suck more and more that you just know they are all going to die. KS20 easily the stand out here, pretty much every line that came out of his mouth was hilarious, and left the entire cinema I was in laughing.

Tarkin bothered me somewhat, the CG was done well but it still just stuck out as being really obvious that he was CG. Was still nice to see him though, and considering his role in what follows right where Rogue One leaves off he really had to be there. Vader may have only gotten five minutes of screen time, but that scene right at the end was well worth it. Wasn't sure if they were actually going to show Leia on screen either, or if they'd just keep her face off camera, but that along with R2D2 and C3P0 were nice little bits of fan service that were nice to see, but didn't come off feeling like they were forced in there just for the sake of showing characters from the main series.

The whole battle on Scarrif was great to watch as well, from the moment the Rebel fleet flew in it just kicked it up a notch and didn't relent until the final scene, which is literally the very start of A New Hope.

Was a great watch, and I will definitely be checking it out again at some point.

 

[Haffa]

What you guys have said summed it up for me. I'm going to watch it again on Saturday after a full nights sleep because I know there will be details I missed.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

That they sacrificed every single actor in the film...huge kudos to lucasfilm Disney.

Loved every minute of it. Wanted to cry at the end. Still choked now. Chuckled as Red 5 died though. And it explains away why so many gun pilots etc nit in Death Star run.


A stunning space epic.

 

[LESStar58]

I got a bit misty when K2SO died...

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Its amazing that tbis is quite literally a stand alone film. Sure, sandwiched between two trilogies but there will never be a Rogue Two.

 

[LESStar58]

That they sacrificed every single actor in the film...huge kudos to lucasfilm Disney.

Spot on, mate.

We were all so concerned about the reshoots but if you compare what we saw in the trailers and the Celebration Reel compared to the actual ending... then maybe the reshoots were not for the reasons we first thought. I'm sure they would have filmed all kinds of alternate endings but the one that we saw in the final wash up works best because every character died for a a specific reason to serve the story.

Now that I've spent the day at work and gotten the excitement out of my system, on my drive home I started thinking about what this film means for the rest of the property under Disney's control.

Look, every time a Star Wars movie comes out people, as sure as you're born, WILL go to see it so people were always going to see Rogue One... but we were never really sure how, or if, it was even going to work and if it would be a success or not.

Once the early reviews started coming in you suspected it was always going to be a hit. Now that people have actually started to see and react to it, the film's blockbuster status is pretty much confirmed. Not just because of how much bank it will bring in but because it is a brilliant film.

People like me who are Star Wars fanatics (and I'm a rank amateur compared to SOME people) will find things they like or don't like about it. The casual movie goer will love it , but there will be people who don't like it.

All the pressure is now on the Han Solo movie to perform. The sequel trilogy will also expected to perform because the reception to Episode 7 was a bit tepid so Eps 8 and 9 will have to go above and beyond.

But the sequel/saga films are not up to the same level of scrutiny that the Story films will be and Han Solo in the unenviable position of having to be just as good or better than Rogue One because Harrison Ford will not be in it.

Look at the Rogue One cast. The only bona fide Hollywood stars were Jones and Whittaker (who had limited screentime anyway). Mendehlson has had a bit of success in America and Tudyk was known because of Firefly/Serenity. Mads Mikklesen is known because of HAnnibal I guess but the Chinese guys and Bodhi are practically unknown.

Now look at Han Solo. The big draw in the deck is Emilia Clarke. Donald Glover has a bit of a profile because of Community but Alden Ehrenreich is basically an unknown and he is filling the boots of one of the most iconic movie anti-heroes of all time. I had only seen him in Hail, Caesar and his star will only continue to rise between now and 2018 as more projects he has starred in get released and people actually get to know who he is and that folks, who don't necesarilly have their finger on the Star Wars pulse in the way that people like me do, will learn he is playing Han.

I remember before Episode 2, Life As A House and The Virgin Suicides were released. Who was in both of those in minor and supporting roles?

Hayden Christensen.

And while he is pretty much an afterthought in Star Wars (and pretty much all of Hollywood) after his disastrous portrayal of Anakin Skywalker I remember watching both of them before AOTC came out to see what he was like.

I did the same with Adam Driver and saw This Is Where I Leave You (mainly because it starred Tina Fey, Rose Byrne AND Connie Britton) and even put myself through the first 2 seasons of Girls before I got sick of Lena Dunham's bleating.... which is just as worse in real life because she is a misandrist/far lefty/SJW/feminist who thinks that all white men should be killed off to improve the human race (probably because no white guys would root her). Not that I should pay attention to a quivering mass of horror who molested her own sister but that's a whole other kettle of fish (This is the source before a mod deletes my prose http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/lena-dunham-describes-sexually-abusing-her-toddler-sister).

But back to Han Solo; Lawrance Kasdan is writing it and he was the reason I was so optimistic about TFA. I don't think Disney will let it fail because all you have to do is look at the people involved but the point is that Rogue One is now the benchmark that all the Story films will be measured by because it was proven to WORK in a way that most of us couldn't have imagined and now KAsdan, his son who is co-writing it and the Lord Brothers will have to up the ante because if it ends up sucking then what potentially happens to the future of Star Wars under Disney? So far, the only 3 films that are guaranteed are Episodes 8 and 9 and Han Solo plus a third Story film scheduled for 2020. Does Disney REALLY have enough material to keep on churning out one Star Wars movie a year until the sun burns out?

So aside from Rogue One and Han Solo (which I've also heard is meant to be a trilogy) what else can they possibly do?

Boba Fett was almost a reality until Fantastic 4 came out, ate a bag of dicks and Josh Trask was effectively booted from the project and it is now dead in the water. The other one was Obi-Wan but Disney have said no to that.

The only viable option is giving Darth Vader his own movie IMO.

 

[PJ]

I didnt think it was as good as TFA to be honest.

Much of it was utterly forgettable.

The robot seemed to me to be channeling Sheldon from big bang.

It wasnt bad. In fact it was quite entertaining at times particularly the final act, but not one i will be rushing off to see again.

 

[Aragorn]

I didnt think it was as good as TFA to be honest.

Much of it was utterly forgettable.

The robot seemed to me to be channeling Sheldon from big bang.

It wasnt bad. In fact it was quite entertaining at times particularly the final act, but not one i will be rushing off to see again.

I'd have to agree. A good side filler before the main course, but i wont be in any rush to watch it again.

I thought some of the cameo's were a bit cheesy. No nostalgia unfortunately.

And i had a real thing for Princess Lelia, but her CGI did a good job of killing that.

I also felt there was a lack of meaty dialogue for character development. I would have loved to have seen more depth from the lead. I thought she was great.

One thing is for sure, shes not Rey's mother.

I for a sider filler though, i'd give it a 7/10.

Bring on the main course!

 

[Aragorn]

And another thing - I didnt feel any chemistry between Jyn and that lead guy. If they had the same sort of on screen chemistry han and lelia had (a love hate thing), that ending would have been totally epic.

Disney needs to seriously consider that going forward.

 

[Apey]

Definitely got better as it went on. Entertaining enough, the final act was great.

 

[Haffa]

The robot seemed to me to be channeling Sheldon from big bang.

He was very Drax.

 

[Aus_Dog]

Loved it, enjoyed it more than Force Awakens mainly due it being a darker film in the mould of Empire.

One of the best endings to a Star Wars film as well

 

[Zoidberg]

Not quite as enjoyable as Force Awakens 1st time around, but I do want to see it again to appreciate it more though.
Some of the shots of characters from A New Hope took me out of it a little bit but it completely fits in with the story, and knowing that they are there will not be as jarring next time around.
Great battles in the 3rd act and a wow scene from Vader (which I was waiting all film for) definitely finishes this on a high.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

My wife and I were debating Rogue one ending last night.

I'm hoping for total tragedy.

But how much earlier than Star Wars is this? Considering Leia was dashing off with the stolen plans, you'd think it'd tie in closely with that end.

Also, I wonder if there are any Bothan spies? I know, I know...Death Star 2. But...it'd be nice to see one.

Okay... bear in mind this is NOT a saga film. It fits the Star Wars time line but I honestly can't see Rogue One ending and New Hope beginning immediately after the events of the former. Hell, at this stage they can't even decide if they think the opening crawl is appropriate for the stand alone films. I think they have written and edited the movie in such a fashion that the events do not allow for us to know what happens next... even though we KNOW what happens next.

I think we'll seem them acquire the plans... but we won't see how they are given/transmitted to Princess Leia on board the Tantive IV.

I think we were (along with others, in the other thread) on the rightish track.

Funny now reading back on a lot of our thoughts and comments.

For me, I totally got the tragedy I wanted...and more. That basically EVERY major character was killed and probably gave good reason as to why the battle fleet for Battle of Yavin in ANH was so small. A lot of gun pilots downed in this battle at Scarif.

The attention to detail - sets, ships, costumes - along with the beautiful scenery was amazing. And I totally loved Leia and Tarkin. I thought that did an excellent job with that.

I also loved the complications of good people doing bad things and vice versa...heard some complaints about parents taking kids, blah blah blah. I had a really really good talk with my son about 'happy endings', sacrifice, etc. It got us talking and thinking about it. I'm sure there's people out there who want Jyn and Cassian to root on the beach and fly off in to the sunset.

Anyway...got tickets for tonight to take the missus. All I've wanted to do for nearly 24 hours is grieve the characters and talk to her about it but have had to be quiet.

 

[LESStar58]

I reckon I might go see it again on Tuesday. Ive been disecting it with my Ukranian friends. They were not as impressed as I was.

 

[LESStar58]

I also read that Base was supposed to end up as a double agent/imperial plant.

That's probably the one aspect of the "war film" genre that was missing; a good guy conspiring to lead the others in to a trap.

Yes, Galen had that role to a degree and so did Bodhi as they were in cahoots but I would maybe have liked to see one of the good guys end up being a turncoat.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Yeah - a double agent dynamic would have been good.

BUT...not Baze. I loved that pair. Worked so well. I can see them becoming fan fic and expanded universe favourites like Boba Fett.

 

[Zoidberg]

Wonder if they will ever make a Vader film?
So good seeing him again. A movie about him hunting down the last of the Jedi could be pretty amazing.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

LOL

Bigots: the Brit feminazi, the Mexican, the Aussie, the Pakistani, the androtop, the African American, the Dane and 2 Asians (one of them disabled) and a shed load of aliens, all die.

Rogue One is for you!