Star Wars Rogue One Thread

[Metalhead]

1 minute ago, Springfield said:

 

Ive enjoyed most movies that Abrams has made.  Didn't realize that he wasn't highly regarded.

 

Single handedly brought Star Trek back as well.

 

But was it Star Trek?

 

Abrams is style with little substance...he's a modest step above Michael Bay. He was brought in to revive Star Trek with flair and do the same with Star Wars, and he did so. Disney knew he couldn't carry a story without creating more unresolved questions with no payoffs or answers. I mean, he put the lightsaber in an actual "mystery box" (his own term) and had a character brush it off as a story for another day.

[Destino]

1 hour ago, Metalhead said:

Wow, honestly surprised about such an opinion on characters between the films. I really enjoyed VII but it has the most bland, generic new characters ever crafted...100% J.J. Abrams hack job. The "mystery box" is the only reason viewers are invested, and the only saving grace is that a different director and writing team have come in to salvage it. Could you imagine an Abrams sequel?

Yeah I have to disagree completely.  I didn't think Kylo, Rey, Finn, and Poe were bland at all.  It's a strong diverse cast and while the character writing haven't eluded tropes entirely, they're not text book examples of ancient fantasy tropes which is where these movies began.  I want to know more about why Kylo turned on everyone and why Rey was abandoned.  Finn breathed humanity into storm troopers and who doesn't love a Hispanic main character heroic ace pilot?

 

And no where did a child accidentally destroy the bad guys base by hilariously bumbling a fighter into an enemy hanger and then mashing buttons.  

[Sacks 'n' Stuff]

So Snoke is Tarkin, right?

[Momma There Goes That Man]

I loved TFA and RO. The Skywalker story will always be more entertaining and engaging to me. TFA did a great job of bringing the magic back to Star Wars with a great new cast of characters that I am genuinely interested in and excited about. 

 

Kylo Ren was an immediate badass and his family situation and undisciplined temper make him more intriguing to me. 

 

Id never seen or had any reason to even think about who was under a stormtrooper mask before Finn had his attack of conscience. 

 

Rey, couldn't say enough great things about her. She was fantastic. 

 

Plus episode 7 did a great job of wrapping the new universe and characters up in mystery that can be explored in future movies. 

 

Rogue One, the first half just felt like it was setting up a lot of ground for a big payoff so it never bothered me. I could keep up with it just fine and enjoyed seeing all the new locations and sets in the universe. Plus K2SO crushed the first half and made it even better. 

 

I felt connected to Jyn and imo that was really the only character I needed to connect with. I liked the other characters and wanted them to survive. I think for a movie that knew it was going to kill everyone, that's all it needed to do. They each had their moment, some were quite moving like the big walking tank dude discovering his belief in the force again after his close friend, blind Donatello, sacrificed himself. I guess my point is that those characters didn't need to prop up a trilogy so they served their purpose very well to me. 

 

RO greatly enhances ANH and the OT entirely by focusing on how shattered and hopeless the rebellion was. They nearly gave up and this was truly their last chance. Even through ESB and ROTJ, Luke is essentially their only chance despite the events of ANH. You can really feel the might of the empire echo through the galaxy in the OT after seeing more of it first hand in RO as well. 

 

2 excellent movies imo. 

 

Really looking forward to episode 8 

1 hour ago, Sacks 'n' Stuff said:

So Snoke is Tarkin, right?

 

Snoke is the hooded butler dude in Vader's castle. 

[Springfield]

3 hours ago, Metalhead said:

 

But was it Star Trek?

 

Abrams is style with little substance...he's a modest step above Michael Bay. He was brought in to revive Star Trek with flair and do the same with Star Wars, and he did so. Disney knew he couldn't carry a story without creating more unresolved questions with no payoffs or answers. I mean, he put the lightsaber in an actual "mystery box" (his own term) and had a character brush it off as a story for another day.

 

And both were entirely entertaining movies.  That's what I expect out of Star Wars.  Let us not forget that Star Wars is a cheesy space western, for kids.

 

This isn't The Godfather here.  It isn't a film starring Daniel Day-Lewis.  It's Star Wars.

[Sacks 'n' Stuff]

13 hours ago, Momma There Goes That Man said:

Snoke is the hooded butler dude in Vader's castle. 

No chance. That character's name is Space Alfred. He's featured prominently in the novella heptalogy, Timmy & the Jedi meet Darth Lob-Star

 

 

Speaking of Darth Lob-Star (above), I hope they find a way to work him in to the new movies. For those who aren't familiar with his backstory, he was the legendary Sith Lord that invented the force pinchy power. His only vulnerability was drawn butter.

[Destino]

1 hour ago, Springfield said:

 

And both were entirely entertaining movies.  That's what I expect out of Star Wars.  Let us not forget that Star Wars is a cheesy space western, for kids.

Western?!  Star Wars was a fantasy epic set in space... or at least it was before George Lucas tried to turn into into some horrid scifi dystopian political nightmare.  It had all the elements of classic fantasy.  The farm boy destined to be the great hero.  The secretive mage.  The rogue with the heart of gold.  Magic swords.  An actual princess in need of rescue from a black knight.  The magic is even nicely carved into good and bad elements so that we can have good wizards and dark sorcerers.  Our brave Jedi Knight even fights a monster at one point while trying to save his friends.  And the finale?  The assembled forces of good and evil battle while our brave hero faces down the the main villain and confronts his own demons in order to save the day!

 

That ain't no western. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Fergasun]

Watched it again today.  It was just as pleasant.  

 

Thinking how I would rate all 8.  Really hard because the originals were not watched in theaters... hard to really understand the entire story when you are 6 years old and watching on a smaller screen. 

 

Starting from the "worst":

 

"Not that great"

Episode 1:  Too much CGI (complaint holds against Episodes 1 and 2).  Sure, we see Jedi at their peak, and an awesome villian, and innocent little "Ani" -- but too much Jar-Jar, and climactic battle is just too unbelievable. 

 

Episode 6:  Ioved this as a kid, 8-10 year old Fergasun's favorite -- what a great space battle and wrecking of Jabba is fantastic.  Over time, the plot has diminished for me, and I consider the Ewoks only slightly less annoying than Jarjar.  Vader/Emperor vs. Luke is awesome.

 

"Good, but not great"

Episode 7:  Takes a hit in the wake of Rogue One.  Hopefully, it ends up being a better Phantom Menace, and we get better movies now that the characters are in place.  "Han Solo and the search for Luke Skywalker".  Kylo is not nearly as menacing as Vader or Maul.  

 

Episode 2:  This one has a special place in my heart -- I love watching Obi Wan unravel the mystery of the Clones (the opening chase when he jumps out of the window is pretty cool).  In fact, I very much want to rank this higher than Episode 3.  However, it is hindered by the Anakin-Padme love story...ugh.  Painful.  

 

Episode 3:  Opening up, it is time for Anakin to kick butt!  Up until he goes Darth on us, he is the Jedi hero in this one.  Stupid Anakin-Padme plot still exists, but overshaddowed by the rescue, betrayal, Order 66 and the final duel.  

 

"These movies are great"

Rogue One: Little comment needed

 

Episode 5:  Personally I put Episode 4 above it, because of my age and when I saw it.  Slow moving plot as well --- but thats fine, can't all be white knuckle chase movies. 

 

Episode 4: The original!!  Completely re-watchable... what a ride from Mos Eisley to the Death Star.... 

 

 

 

[Xameil]

6 hours ago, Momma There Goes That Man said:

 

Kylo Ren was an immediate badass and his family situation and undisciplined temper make him more intriguing to me. 

 

Here is where you lost me...

He was not so much a badass as he was an ill-tempered spoiled brat. He was whiny and just a ****. Darth Vader would have been extremely disappointed in him.

I just chalked up his whole thing to being a punk with teenage angst who in order to mask his insecurities with himself is trying to be more then he is....I kinda equate him to the overweight bully in elementary school who tried to convince everyone his fat rolls were muscle.

[Bacon]

I would never say Kylo Ren was a badass, but being a frustrated young man/whiny brat doesn't make him any less of an interesting character. In fact, I think his flaws and temperament make him extremely memorable and interesting to watch. I'd much rather follow a quirky, strange loose cannon than some dull, stoic figure that simply carries out the plot and represents a position in a conflict.

[Larry]

1 hour ago, Xameil said:

Here is where you lost me...

He was not so much a badass as he was an ill-tempered spoiled brat. He was whiny and just a ****. Darth Vader would have been extremely disappointed in him.

 

Who can stop blaster bolts in mid air, and use the Force for interrogation. 

 

(Which rather makes me wonder if they've decided to repurpose a line from Star Wars. Vader commenting that Lea's "resistance to the mind probe is impressive".  Maybe they've decided to claim that that's supposedly a Sith power?)

[Xameil]

16 minutes ago, Larry said:

 

Who can stop blaster bolts in mid air, and use the Force for interrogation. 

 

(Which rather makes me wonder if they've decided to repurpose a line from Star Wars. Vader commenting that Lea's "resistance to the mind probe is impressive".  Maybe they've decided to claim that that's supposedly a Sith power?)

Pfft nah. He's still an emo **** who would have been a disgrace to Vader.

[Springfield]

6 hours ago, Destino said:

Western?!  Star Wars was a fantasy epic set in space... or at least it was before George Lucas tried to turn into into some horrid scifi dystopian political nightmare.  It had all the elements of classic fantasy.  The farm boy destined to be the great hero.  The secretive mage.  The rogue with the heart of gold.  Magic swords.  An actual princess in need of rescue from a black knight.  The magic is even nicely carved into good and bad elements so that we can have good wizards and dark sorcerers.  Our brave Jedi Knight even fights a monster at one point while trying to save his friends.  And the finale?  The assembled forces of good and evil battle while our brave hero faces down the the main villain and confronts his own demons in order to save the day!

 

That ain't no western. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shut up

 

?

[Bacon]

"Space opera" is the precise term  

[The Evil Genius]

I think a space western and space opera is what Lucas wanted to make. Check out this review on the LA Times from 1977.

 

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-star-wars-hails-the-once-and-future-space-western-20151202-story.html

 

As for Kylo Ren, you have to remember - he's part of a cult who really don't have an established master (unless Snoke turns out to be someone major from the main storyline). Right now, Snoke is just some random force sensitive dude who saw the rise and fall of the Empire. So freaking what. All we really know is that Kylo and his fellow Knights of Ren are kind of making it up as the go along. Sure he's emo whiny. So was Anakin. But Anakin had two masters (three if you count Yoda) that hardened him. 

[Destino]

Space opera because of the setting certainly, but I insist that's an old school fantasy epic set in space.  Firefly is a space western.  There is just no getting around the fantasy tropes on full display, they've even got orcs:

 

 

Uh excuse me I mean "gamorrean" which is clearly not an orc, what with that futuristic armor and all.  

[Bliz]

On 12/19/2016 at 7:41 AM, codeorama said:

 

 However, EP III, which is my favorite of all the movies, shows Vader as a badass 

 

 

Does it?  Now granted I haven't seen it as many times or as recently as you, but I'm having a lot of trouble here remembering what he does that's so badass?  He slaughters a bunch of helpless kids (mostly offscreen, iirc).  Beats Dooku early on in the movie, before he's officially Vader.  Anything else?  

 

He didn't have enough time as Vader to do badass things before he got beat by Obi-Wan (a long and insane battle that is won by Obi-Wan claiming the high ground ).  The conversion of Annakin to the dark side should have been the climax of Ep 2, with Ep 3 about him reigning terror and stomping out the remnants of the old order, killing Jedi (full-grown ones.  Who have light sabers.  Onscreen) as he is attempting to establish his power in the universe, before he is finally beaten and ends up in that suit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Momma There Goes That Man]

6 hours ago, Bacon said:

I would never say Kylo Ren was a badass, but being a frustrated young man/whiny brat doesn't make him any less of an interesting character. In fact, I think his flaws and temperament make him extremely memorable and interesting to watch. I'd much rather follow a quirky, strange loose cannon than some dull, stoic figure that simply carries out the plot and represents a position in a conflict.

 

I agree with this. I don't know how you can't say he's badass when he is first shown strolling out of his aircraft, stopping a blaster shot in mid air, identifying the name of the Stormtrooper that didn't fire his blaster just by looking st him, his force interrogations etc.

 

he was so strong right of the gate and then it dips into the compelling and engaging character parts of it when you see a lot of that calm confidence he has was a facade and we see that he is short tempered, unsure of himself and bitter. Even Rey calls out his fears of never being as strong or as good (quality) as Vader. 

 

He he was an awesome character 

[Voice_of_Reason]

12 hours ago, Destino said:

Western?!  Star Wars was a fantasy epic set in space... or at least it was before George Lucas tried to turn into into some horrid scifi dystopian political nightmare.  It had all the elements of classic fantasy.  The farm boy destined to be the great hero.  The secretive mage.  The rogue with the heart of gold.  Magic swords.  An actual princess in need of rescue from a black knight.  The magic is even nicely carved into good and bad elements so that we can have good wizards and dark sorcerers.  Our brave Jedi Knight even fights a monster at one point while trying to save his friends.  And the finale?  The assembled forces of good and evil battle while our brave hero faces down the the main villain and confronts his own demons in order to save the day!

 

That ain't no western. 

 

I actually think the "western set in space" quote was attributed to Lucas at some point.  I can't find the quote, but I kindof think I heard it on a director's track from Lucas for one of the movies.  I could be very wrong about that, but that's what I remember.  My memory can be terrible, but I don't think I'm making it up... 

[Voice_of_Reason]

1 hour ago, Bliz said:

 

Does it?  Now granted I haven't seen it as many times or as recently as you, but I'm having a lot of trouble here remembering what he does that's so badass?  He slaughters a bunch of helpless kids (mostly offscreen, iirc).  Beats Dooku early on in the movie, before he's officially Vader.  Anything else?  

 

He didn't have enough time as Vader to do badass things before he got beat by Obi-Wan (a long and insane battle that is won by Obi-Wan claiming the high ground ).  The conversion of Annakin to the dark side should have been the climax of Ep 2, with Ep 3 about him reigning terror and stomping out the remnants of the old order, killing Jedi (full-grown ones.  Who have light sabers.  Onscreen) as he is attempting to establish his power in the universe, before he is finally beaten and ends up in that suit.

 

You couldn't be more right about what Lucas SHOULD have done with Ep II and EP III. 

 

In fact, Ep 1 should have been a combination of most of the current Ep 1 (ok cute picture of young Anakin being adopted by the Jedi. Maybe 20 minutes worth of movie there.  Gotta show how he came into the care of the Jedi).  Then some of his training with Obi-Wan.  That would be great exposition for Ep1.

 

Ep II should have all been about his relationship with the emperor, and his struggle, and then his descent to the dark side. I would open Ep III with the massive fight between Obi-Wan and Vader, and then have 3/4 of the movie about him doing bad-ass stuff as the Darth Vader that we originally saw, in the suit. 

 

But what the hell do I know? 

 

I do think a "Vader" movie would be awesome. I could easily sit through 2 hours of Vader doing bad-ass evil stuff.

Spoiler

See the last sequence of RO.  If that wasn't some great bad ass **** and great star wars magic, I don't know what is....  Imagine a movie of that.

 

[The Evil Genius]

Here's the thing...

 

Spoiler

Vader is the same age in Rogue One and New Hope. And yet..clearly he's more bad ass in Rogue One. And by the time of ROTJ happens..only 4 more years have passed. 

 

[China]

13 hours ago, Fergasun said:

Watched it again today.  It was just as pleasant.  

 

Thinking how I would rate all 8.  Really hard because the originals were not watched in theaters... hard to really understand the entire story when you are 6 years old and watching on a smaller screen. 

 

 

Episode 7:  Takes a hit in the wake of Rogue One.  Hopefully, it ends up being a better Phantom Menace, and we get better movies now that the characters are in place.  "Han Solo and the search for Luke Skywalker".  Kylo is not nearly as menacing as Vader or Maul.  

 

 

Still don't see what is so great or menacing about Darth Maul.  He dies after 6 minutes of screen time at the hands of a padawan.  What, he's menacing because he's painted black and red and has horns?  Someone was trying too hard to make him evil by giving him devilish features.   But then I never understood the love for Boba Fett either (who died after only 5 minutes of screen time over 3 movies).

 

 

[Sacks 'n' Stuff]

Neither Anakin nor Kylo Ren is a badass. Being a badass isn't a part-time thing. If you're a badass, you're a badass 100% of the time.

 

like me.

[The Evil Genius]

14 minutes ago, China said:

 

Still don't see what is so great or menacing about Darth Maul.  He dies after 6 minutes of screen time at the hands of a padawan.  What, he's menacing because he's painted black and red and has horns?  Someone was trying too hard to make him evil by giving him devilish features.   But then I never understood the love for Boba Fett either (who died after only 5 minutes of screen time over 3 movies).

 

 

 

But...

 

Spoiler

neither of them died. It would be funny to see Maul show up in Ep 8 and people not know wtf is going on. It won't happen since he lives only in Rebels and likely dies somewhere between Rebels timeline the Force Awakens timeline (about 25 years or so).

 

As for Boba Fett. I doubt people would have liked him as much if knew he was a clone from the beginning. Although the mandalorian armor/jet pack is pretty damn cool. It's easy to see why people liked him (from the looks).  Also..I remember reading somewhere that Boba Fett crawled out of the sarlaac pit but it wasn't shown in the movies.    

 

[DM72]

People fell in love with Boba Fett because he just looked cool. Plus, he was one of the few who wasn't petrified of Vader in The Empire Strikes Back.