17 replies to this topic

[Alteran195]

Surprised there isn't a topic on this yet, anyone else seen it?

I thought it was phenomenal, the look and feel of the universe was spot on, and worked perfectly with ANH.

Can't wait to see it again Monday.

On to more spoilery things.

Spoiler

I was very happy to see references to Rebels with the page for General Syndulla, the Ghost, and even Chopper being on screen a couple times. Now that I know where he is, I'll be keeping an eye out for him.

Saw Garrera from TCW was a surprise for me, didn't even realize it was him until after reading discussions when I got home.

The whole battle at the end, and the Vader stuff was absolutely amazing. They really showed how terrifying Vader was.

Tarkin was pretty well done. His CGI was a bit spotty, but for the most part it was really well done. Same with Leia, which I wasn't expecting.

Wasn't expecting them to kill everyone, especially after Cassian didn't end up dying after his fall.

K-2SO was awesome, Alan Tudyk was phenomenal, and I was probably the most upset by his death.

Showing Red 5 getting shot down was a pretty cool set up for Luke in ANH.

Red leader and Gold leader being "back" was really cool, and really well done.

The new explanation for the Death Stars weakness was nice, it no longer seems like an idiotic design flaw when it was intentional.

The beginning of the film, with the planet jumping was really jarring, and not great, but once the movie got going, it was very good.

Seeing the random ANH references were amusing.

The 2 aliens from the cantina that hassled Luke.

Bail talking about getting in touch with his Jedi friend, and going back to Alderaan.

I swear there were more, but i can't think of them.

The Tantive IV launching at the end set up ANH so well, I really wanted to go home and watch it afterwards.

[1701D]

If Discovery can do for Star Trek what Rogue One has done to enhance and add to Star Wars then perfect!

Great movie.

[JMW326]

I saw it last night. I loved it. The tie ins to the original Star Wars along with the fresh take on how they told this story was great. All of the actors did great jobs.

[Alteran195]

I liked it much more than TFA.

They didn't play it safe, and told a new, different kind of story while TFA just played it safe and rehashed ANH.

I really hope 8 does something new and different, and while skeptical, hope the Han Solo movie is good.

[Morgan]

Already seen it twice, liking it better than TFA. Such a different film in all respects.

Spoiler

 

Grand Moff Tarkin was really well done, he's about 98% "there." Leia was spectacular though -- that was the most "whoa" moment in the entire film for me. Got goosebumps when I saw that. The end of the battle and the set up for ANH was incredibly well done.

 

Ben Mendelsohn is, of course, Australia's national treasure though he rarely appears in films in the states. If you've seen The Place Beyond the Pines you know he's awesome. Was great to see him in a Star Wars film. That role could have been botched by someone else's overacting.

 

The casting for just about everyone was spot on, especially for characters like Mon Mothma, General Draven, and the fighter pilots.

 

The space battle special effects were very nicely done, ships like the Star Destroyer were given a more original trilogy look, you've probably noticed, with a high-contrast white finish that replicates the look of the physical ship models.

 

Vader's appearances were great: his character was not overused and he had some good lines in the film. And he didn't overshadow the main characters. He was very consistent with the Vader of the original trilogy.

 

The new ships were pretty good, not like in the prequels when they were too fanciful or impractical. Especially liked the Hammerhead Corvette.

 

[JMW326]

I liked it much more than TFA.
They didn't play it safe, and told a new, different kind of story while TFA just played it safe and rehashed ANH.
I really hope 8 does something new and different, and while skeptical, hope the Han Solo movie is good.

I can't say I liked it better but I liked it just as well. I don't get the nit picks for TFA but to each their own. I personally loved TFA. I thought that Rogue One was a great addition to an ever exapanding universe. They really showed a different tone a side to Star Wars.

[WORF22]

i loved the movie 1 thing tho SPOILER sorry i don't know how to do the spoiler thing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

no bothans. Many Bothans Will Not Be Dying in Rogue. 

 

[Alteran195]

Not really a spoiler.

Bothans didn't die stealing the first Death Star plans, they stole the second.

[WORF22]

Not really a spoiler.

Bothans didn't die stealing the first Death Star plans, they stole the second.

 

 

[VorlonKosh]

I thought it was fantastic!  It really adds to the universe.  TFA was just too similar to ANH, however, I'm hoping it was with a purpose and sets up the next 2 episodes well.  TFA was just so similar to ANH.... starts on a desert planet, a budding jedi, a bar full of people, sith lord kills one person on a death star/planet, which explodes with the help of a budding jedi and crew and xwing fighters in a trench run with is destroyed by the best pilot available.   Rogue One was a little slow with setup, but it all had a point and wasn't just filler.  Loved tarkin, lea and vader.   maybe they can do something like rogue one to fill in what happened between ep 6 and 7

[Alteran195]

I'd love to see a movie about the Battle of Jakku, it was supposed to be a pretty major conflict.

[Destructor!!!]

Agreed on most of your points, guys!

 

I know a lot of people place the original trilogy in a "special" category that makes them hard to objectively compare to regular films. I'm not one of those people. I do that for Star Trek, sure - but not Star Wars. They're just decent sci-fantasy adventure films to me.

 

And Rogue One is better than them.

 

I had great fun barrelling right across the border of my friend's "original trilogy reservation" to objectively declare that fact for him.

 

I've never, ever, *ever* enjoyed a Star Wars film so thoroughly. It was shockingly good.

 

It's probably the best film I've seen this year, and I am a Star Trek fan who quite liked Beyond (despite myself).

 

Here are some of my initial thoughts pasted from a conversation I had with another friend about it. Apologies for the sweariness, but I'm Irish and I was excited, and I still am so I won't edit them out

 

 

Spoiler

Since I've already made it clear that I completely loved the film...

 

Things I didn't like (that in no way ruined the film) :

• The music was weak. Michael Giachino? More like Michael Jack-ass-o, amirite?! The main theme sorta sucked, and instead of building up to references to Williams' score, Giachino instead started beats with references, and then twisted them away, robbing us of payoff. Main theme is a case in point - starts off sounding like Star Wars then goes "Unh uh! I'm my own thing, actually!". Star Wars' theme is the best music, so going away from that is bad. Should have been its own melody to start, then segued into a quotation of the Wars theme.
   
• Grand Moff Tarkin was really, really good CGI, just... Not good enough for all those close ups. He should have been seen in reflection only, and had a smaller role. His first scene was really jarring, and took me out of the film while I plummeted down the uncanny valley. That's a real pity because it completely torpedoed the awesomeness of the Death Star dish-installation shots.
   
• Vader felt a little tacked on in his first scene. The Bacta Tank scene was so cool, though - explains why he's all lumbering later - too long out of the tank! Also, how cool is it that he has a palace on Mustafar?! All the better to remember his dismemberment by.

What I liked :

• Everything else.

But especially :

• The authenticity. This wasn't a film wearing a Star Wars costume, it was through and through Star Wars, in every detail.
   
• The confidence. It wasn't trumpeting the fact that it was Star Wars all the time, like how everything since Jedi has been. It was just a grown up film set in the richly detailed mythos of Star Wars. I kept leaving over to my friend Liam and saying "this feels like an actual movie, what the fuck!??"
   
• K2-SO
   
• Vader Vadering the fuck outta dem rebels. Hot fuck.
   
• PHYSICS as a weapon! Woo!
   
• How I kept saying in my head "oh, I hope they do this" AND THEN THEY *WOULD*!!!
   
• The no-nonsense start.
   
• That orgasmic droid's-eye-view shot from the X-wing of the rebel fleet dropping out of hyperspace! Omg.
   
• K2-SO
   
• How everyone died
   
• The cinematography of practically every fucking shot.
   

Very minor niggles :

• Some dialogue scenes went on too long with rather unstructured blocking of the scene and seemingly random camera angles and moves. Probably a consequence of the infamous re-shoots and editing.
   
• Jyn's heartfelt speech to the rebel alliance parliament was rather unearned.
   
• The empire's overly convoluted and inefficient data storage methods(EDIT: I've since come to appreciate the offline-security aspect of that) and the pointless iris hatches above that. Rather Galaxy Quest, that random silly detail.

[Gothneo]

Vader gave me chills for the first time since I saw ANH as a boy.

 

Just pure badass IMO. I was literally saying... "Get out of there... for god sakes... he's behind you! You have no chance!"

[Whirlygig]

I agree, Rogue One was what every single movie that tried to call itself Star Wars since 1983 should have been.  Including TFA.  Who cares that there are no Skywalkers, or Jedi fights?  In the OT, the Force was mysterious and for all we knew, somewhat limited in its scope and power.  What Chirrut Imwe does with his Force-faith isn't much less than what Luke does in ANH.  In fact it may actually be more.

 

Speaking of this, I just had to ask myself...  For one thing, why can't Jedi fly around, if they can make rocks float?  And even if there's a limit to their floatiness, surely the powerful Vader can manage to float himself around instead of needing those prosthetic limbs or a wheelchair?  I mean, Luke could lift a big rock while standing on his head and he was a n00b.

[MisterPL]

I was just happy to see a prequel that actually enhanced the original trilogy instead of undermining it.

[Alteran195]

I agree, Rogue One was what every single movie that tried to call itself Star Wars since 1983 should have been.  Including TFA.  Who cares that there are no Skywalkers, or Jedi fights?  In the OT, the Force was mysterious and for all we knew, somewhat limited in its scope and power.  What Chirrut Imwe does with his Force-faith isn't much less than what Luke does in ANH.  In fact it may actually be more.

I was really, really nervous that Jyn would end up being force sensitive when they showed her with the kaiburr crystal in the beginning, and was very relieved when she wasn't.

[robster]

And now we'll never know if she was or wasn't. LOL!

[Gothneo]

It really is seamless into ANH. I watched just the intro of ANH again... and the basically the scrolling intro of ANH is exactly the plot of of Rogue One. 

 

It was smart to limit and hold back the use of Jedi special effects... because there really weren't allot in ANH either and I think its more seamless.