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Author Topic: Rogue One  (Read 8585 times)

1SO

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Rogue One
« on: December 16, 2016, 02:25:55 PM »
Some points to debate.


1. I didn't care much for the characters. Loved the cast, but wasn't involved with their journey like with The Force Awakens cast.
It's too early in Daisy Ridley's career to say Felicity Jones is no Daisy Ridley, but one of JJ's great strengths is setting up likable characters and getting us excited about actors we've seen little of before if at all (Lost, Star Trek, Force Awakens). Take Diego Luna. We see him commit some morally dubious acts, but he's such a nice puppy dog most of the time I never matched it with a person who would do bad things because of the greater good. It was more that the film wanted to set up the possibility that he was going to betray them all at some point.

2. The film doesn't reach the prequel pit of endless boring conversations, but not enough happens for much of the film. Many of the dramatic climaxes, especially the entire rain platform sequence, are drawn out too far and lack any emotional punch. There's just no connection between Mads Mikkelsen and Felicity Jones except for typical father/daughter dramatics. I felt nothing for these two characters because I wasn't involved in their personal stories. It isn't until the rebel X-Wings appear above the shield that this felt like a Star Wars movie. Until then, it was a SW fan film, set in the world but using tired characters and story points.

3. I expect a lot of negative comments aimed at Peter Cushing, but my glass is half full. I'm surprised how far the technology is coming along. I expected him to look more like Polar Express (and he approaches it in his 2nd scene), but the skin texture and small gestures are fantastic. I say passible enough where if I didn't know it was impossible I might've not noticed it all the first time.

4. Darth Vader is an interesting inclusion. Some of the best imagery of the film. His final scene was fan service, but it was so badass I liked it a lot.

Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: Rogue One
« Reply #1 on: December 16, 2016, 02:56:07 PM »
1. Agreed. I liked the idea of the characters, some work better than others, but the performances for the two leads were not there. I thought K-2SO (Your son, 1SO?) stole the show. Comic relief that never felt trite or pandering. Chirrut Imwe was also a cool force sensitive character. I was initally worried he'd be your typical annoying monastic Jedi figure, but he turned out to be sort of this odd sage character that wasn't quite like anything we've seen in the Star Wars films before.

2. There were a lot of emotional beats that fall flat because the film never does a great job of investing us in that father/daughter relationship. I thought the whole first act was a drag because of how much time is spent talking about characters we don't know anything about. I get dropping us in the middle of a story, but maybe you could have at least given us some bearings. Do I dare say that maybe this film could have used a text crawl?

3. I couldn't stand it. Took me out of the film. Looked too plastically. Would have been fine with either less of the character, or more creative shooting around showing his face.

4. Oh yea, that moment is total fan service, and it's exactly what I hoped they wouldn't have in this movie, but it totally works here. The second you see the red glow, you know ish is about to go down.

I'm going to try to write a full review soon. This film has a lot of rough edges, especially that first act, but once it gets going, it's super good. That final act is probably the best action setpiece of the year.

1SO

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Re: Rogue One
« Reply #2 on: December 16, 2016, 05:41:00 PM »
I thought K-2SO (Your son, 1SO?) stole the show. Comic relief that never felt trite or pandering.
My wife thought they came up with him by asking "What if C3PO was autistic?" His speciality was blurting out whatever was completely honest but also inappropriate to say. I'm seeing that type of super-honesty is becoming the new sarcasm in movies, evidenced by the Guardians of the Galaxy trailer that preceded the film.

The biggest laugh for me was Donnie Yun's remark when they put a bag over his head.

Chirrut Imwe was also a cool force sensitive character. I was initally worried he'd be your typical annoying monastic Jedi figure, but he turned out to be sort of this odd sage character that wasn't quite like anything we've seen in the Star Wars films before.
dull, and again his relationship with Jyn Erso, with their conflicting takes on their past, was flat. I also don't know what they were going for with his final moment. Something off about Forest Whitaker's reaction. I expected something more zen or a feeling of relief. Perhaps a look that the future is something he never had to deal with. Reminds me of one of my favorite moments from Phantom Menace. During the Darth Maul battle, Liam Neeson is between laser doors and while Maul waits for combat to resume, Neeson meditates and calms completely down. That's so Jedi. This was not.


There were a lot of emotional beats that fall flat because the film never does a great job of investing us in that father/daughter relationship. I thought the whole first act was a drag because of how much time is spent talking about characters we don't know anything about. I get dropping us in the middle of a story, but maybe you could have at least given us some bearings. Do I dare say that maybe this film could have used a text crawl?
Can't say where the problem is having only seen it once, but there's the brief dream where we see Jyn with her parents on an Imperial ship. Some more of that is needed. Something where they're doing something not directly related to the plot. Even his nickname for her is an important plot point, repeated so you can't miss it.

That's what I mean about the story being tired. Like how at the very end, Krennic has the blaster on her and starts a conversation so you're basically waiting to see what's going to save her at the last moment. Considering how the film ends, why not have Krennic kill her and the plans still get out? Could've been more interesting.

New Point: this may be the worst Star Wars film regarding how bad the stormtroopers aim is, and that's because there are a number of times when the good guys are firing wild shots and killing with a single blast. Happens a lot in the city ambush. Cassian and Jyn both do this, but when a flock of stormtroopers appear and fire on them, nobody comes close. I thought of it again when the 100 Tie Fighters come out during the final battle. The rebellion ship has a giant glass window right at the front, and nobody takes a shot at it?


3. I couldn't stand it. Took me out of the film. Looked too plastically. Would have been fine with either less of the character, or more creative shooting around showing his face.
I liked the creative shooting for the first scene and would've been fine with more of that and with less of the character. They decided to go all in with the technology and they're going to suffer for that, but I still thought it looked better than I ever imagined it could. Same with the final shot.


I'm going to try to write a full review soon. This film has a lot of rough edges, especially that first act, but once it gets going, it's super good. That final act is probably the best action setpiece of the year.
Once it got going I was thinking "about damn time" and the best action setpiece this year is the airport in Civil War. I also prefer Dead Pool and Doctor Strange. This is about even with the best parts of Star Trek Beyond.

saltine

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Re: Rogue One
« Reply #3 on: December 16, 2016, 06:16:17 PM »
3D or not?
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Re: Rogue One
« Reply #4 on: December 16, 2016, 06:32:24 PM »
Didn't see it in 3D, but there are sequences that seem built for it. I'd try it out.
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smirnoff

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Re: Rogue One
« Reply #5 on: December 16, 2016, 11:43:29 PM »
Any comments regarding Michael Giacchino's contribution? I'm excited to hear someone else score a SW film.

Junior

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Re: Rogue One
« Reply #6 on: December 16, 2016, 11:51:18 PM »
I was quite positive on it, and excited to listen to it outside of the film.
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1SO

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Re: Rogue One
« Reply #7 on: December 17, 2016, 12:06:41 AM »
My initial reaction is that he makes the mistake of trying to honor the old themes too much in his new ones. I noticed a lot of places where the score sounded too Star Wars-esque, like a composer changing a few notes so they don't get sued by the original composer, and I'm not talking about the use of old themes directly at key moments, that was fine. I wish he hadn't played it so safe.

THATguy

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Re: Rogue One
« Reply #8 on: December 17, 2016, 12:20:14 AM »
I feel like I'm way more down on this than anyone else.

To me, it felt like meaningless fanservice, a bunch of too talented to perform this script actors cosplaying as character types from George Lucas's 70s art design.

I also actively disliked the score, thought the film was overscored and derivative rather than an homage to Williams's work.

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Re: Rogue One
« Reply #9 on: December 17, 2016, 02:37:15 AM »
I guess I get some of the comments from earlier today about the lack of rewatchability. I don't know that you'd sign up to watch all the heroes die over and over again. I do, however, think it forms a really great half of a duo with A New Hope. Here's the terrible low point before things start to get better again. It makes the Rebellion into a real thing with real consequences. It also makes the Death Star cooler, more interesting. Now it's forever connected with this kind of tragic father-daughter story and the flaw becomes really interesting rather than a kind of silly feature of a kind of silly movie.

I do also agree, however, that there could have been a lot more as far as all the characters go. I wanted to know more about everybody. Other than Jyn, I couldn't name any of the new characters for you. It's stick guy, big gun guy, flying guy, killer guy. The only exception is the droid, who's great from the moment he appears to his last act. I like the movie a lot and, like sam, thought it got better and better as it goes along (I'd probably just start with the Jedha attack upon a rewatch, though I do like Mads vs. White Cloak Guy in that opening scene). But it could have been the best in the series if it had better character development.
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