Rogue One: A Star Wars Story 2016

I watched this after seeing both Andor Season 1 and most of Ashoka Season 1, which actually make it better I think. I giggled when I heard “General Syndulla report to xxx” in one of the scenes @ Rebel HQ, tho that was it, I immediately pictured her from the (very) recently viewed Ashoka.

I initially rated it 8, I now knocked it down to 7, more granularly it would be a 7.5 — enough stuff missing to make it truly Great, but almost there. The main problem is like others have stated, rather flat characters. For example, we heard the pilot could “lose one’s mind” and indeed at the beginning of the gang meeting him, post-traumatic experience, he seems “out there,” but it’s never really addressed and then he kinda seems fine as the story goes on.

For me it was a little weird to see Andor’s personality in this film, this was shot prior to Andor Season 1 of course, but if you view them “in reverse” like me it can seem a little.. strange. Toward the end of the film it kinda ties back tho (to the future Andor Season 1, which is technically in the past story-wise).

Some of the battles are logically flawed, and badly, but it’s par for the course it seems, not as offending and far fetched as, for example, some of the stuff in the (cancelled) BoBF. And there was a certain ESB quality to the movie, well done in that regard.

Anyhoo, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Acting/characters- Pretty good overall. Cassian was by far the best part of the movie, K-2SO was great, Jyn was decent (not the best or worst main character, but I liked her well enough) and the rest played their part just fine. The one big gripe I have was that they may have put too many characters into this condensed story, there wasn't proper time to get to fully appreciate the pilot or the soldier who acts as the Monk's guardian but it wasn't terrible in terms of that.
Setting- All very pretty areas, but they really needed to chill out and stop switching scenery so fast. It's impossible to get the full atmospheric experience when you only see each area for around 20 minutes. They could have easily found a way to narrow the amount of planets they visited to 3 or so.
Story- pretty straightforward plot, felt natural the entire time, people made decisions that made sense and it fit well into the greater story (as it needed to considering it was made to fill a blank spot)
Sound- standard star wars, didn't do anything particularly impressive but it worked fine
Action/effects- The director of this movie clearly made sure that every single part of this movie had some sort of action to keep the blood pumping. This is maybe the most action packed Star Wars movie there is, the only one I can think that even comes close is Episode III. Because of this emphasis on action they clearly also made an effort to make it all look really good. Also there are a couple bits where they had a CGI version of Young Leia and Tarkin which I thought would be really "uncanny valley" looking and irritating to the eyes but surprisingly they seem to have surpassed it and made practically photorealistic reproductions of their faces. Really wild to watch, they still don't exactly move like human skin but it's damn close.

Random bits I want to mention- While Darth Vader's scenes were both really good I think it would've been much more powerful if he didn't have the first one where he talks to the commander and instead solely showed up as a surprise whilst boarding the rebel ships and tearing apart their soldiers
-Forest Whitaker did an absolutely awful job in this movie. I don't know what the fuck he was smoking while filming but I DON'T want some, he looked like an idiot. I wanted to separate this from the acting because it was an outlying part of it, but it needed to be mentioned.
-It's shallow, really shallow. Star Wars isn't known for depth and has outright been criticized when experimenting with it in the prequels and this movie take little to no risk. It's a very safe movie that everyone will enjoy but it never even reached for greatness.
-The ending is really good, by far the riskiest part of the whole shebang. It knows it is a self contained story and utilizes it's final 30 or so minutes to make the most out of the time it has.

Rogue One was okay. Definitely better than The Force(d) Awakens. But it doesn't have the necessary kick it should have had. 2/3 of the film is just Jyn Erso wandering around. The real film starts at the last 1/3 part of the film.

Despite having the Rogue One team as the center of the film, there is no Rogue One team. There is only a bunch of ragtags with a noble mission.

Let's start with Jyn Erso. Jyn, the reluctant heroine, was initially uninterested in being involved with the whole Rebellion vs Empire conflict. But after a life-changing event involving her father, only there she started to be engaged. The problem is: this happened too early. Just a moment after her newfound spirit, there is another moment that should have kickstarted Jyn. Something involving her mentor, Saw Gerrera. But instead having that point as the driving force, the writer chose to uplift the mood too early. Leaving us with spirited Jyn, dispirited Jyn, and then spirited again.

Also, the trademark quip you see in the trailer, "I rebel," actually got cut off in the final release. So the rebellious Jyn presented in the trailer is actually not that rebellious in the film. This is one of the problem with character development in the film: we don't get to see how Jyn react with her surrounding. We don't get to know who she actually was, her relationship with her mentor. There is implied that something serious is going on between the two but we don't get to see why she should be emotionally attached to him (or her father, even).

The problem with this character development also happen for the long duration of the film: how the characters bond with each other. Yeah, in the long course of the adventures of Rogue One, we don't actually see them working as a team. There are only Jyn and Cassian and K-2SO, the Force fanboys duo Chirrut and Baze, and the unfortunate ex-Imperial pilot Bodhi Rook stuck in this ragtag group. Oh and a few of Cassian's men, who we hardly knew. Despite having them wandering around together for 85 minutes, the film doesn't give them enough screen time to work as a team. Instead we only see Cassian working with K-2SO as a part of rebellion, Jyn acting as reluctant heroine, Chirrut and Baze as remnants of the ancient Force order, and Bodhi who has no choice but to chauffeur them to their desired places. And a bunch of Cassian's men joining the bandwagon at later times.

So, unlike the solid team we see in Star Wars The Force Unleashed (the game), or maybe other Disney-published film Guardians of the Galaxy, we see here a dysfunctional team who just happen to band together. They are willing to die for a cause, but it's unclear how willing they are to protect each other's back. Yes - because in the course of the movie they only act for the friends they already know. Baze only for Chirrut (and vice-versa), Jyn for Cassain/K-2SO (and vice-versa), and poor guy Bodhi being a lackey because he has no one he knows. When anything goes bad in the team, we don't see them losing as a team - only as individuals.

Speaking of characters, the film also has some unnecessary drama and characters taking dumb decision. The film starts with a really unnecessary death which can be prevented. The same goes with Saw Gerrera. This potential character, derived from the older Expanded Universe saga, is not utilized in full effect. Despite portrayed as important, he remained in the background almost in the whole time, with no air of mystery at all. We hardly knew him.

Felicity Jones acting as Jyn Erso is a bit jarring. She is a better written character compared to Rei in Force(d) Awakens, but Jones don't seem to act her properly. In some sequences she seem to behave awkwardly, like being uncomfortable at the scene. Then just a moment later, she became high and mighty.

In universe, the film also has several weird take on the Star Wars canon. First is Chirrut's constant praying to the Force. No one prayed to the Force before. Force is not Jesus, you don't pray to Him. Lucas' inspiration of the Force was Eastern esoteric religion - it's some sort of energy that surrounds us. Having someone praying to the Force is a very monotheistic approach to the concept of religion.

Another weirdness is the jumping to the hyperspace plot device. Like in The Force(d) Awakens, jumping to hyperspace is utilized as a too convenient deus ex machina: it can be done while in atmosphere. In Star Wars canon (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) you can only jump while in the orbit. The lack of security in Imperial-occupied planets also look very jarring. How can rebel ships slip into the planets that easily?

Despite all that, the last 1/3 part of the film is exciting, albeit using some cliched plot device (romance, main goal being sidelined by petty challenges). The space battle is fine. X-Wing and Y-Wing are utilized properly as fighter and bomber (not otherwise). The tactic with Hammerhead-class cruiser is, while ridiculous, still more satisfying than the one-fighter-destroy-one-SSD-by-crashing in Eps IV. Also the cameo of characters like Tarkin is pleasing to EU fans. The only weird part is the directors and governor addressing Vader as "Lord"--didn't they see them as a peer in Eps IV, by calling him simply as "Darth"?

All in all, not bad, but not that good either. As for the weird tone in first 2/3 of the film, I suspect there is Disney's part in here. Them ordering reshoot to make it more "fun and light-hearted".

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is the first standalone spin-off movie in the Star Wars franchise, tasked with expanding the universe and adapting to different themes and styles. Director Gareth Edwards delivers a gritty war film that leads into the events of A New Hope and adds to the experience of watching the original. The story follows scientist Galen Erso, who is the mastermind behind the Death Star's superlaser, but is forced to flee for his and his family's safety. Meanwhile, Director Krennic and Grand Moff Tarkin compete for power and position within the Empire as they oversee the production of the superweapon. Jyn Erso, a soon-to-be hero, is taken in by a Rebel extremist and recruited into his terrorist partisans as they fight the Empire using any means necessary. Along with a ragtag squad, they attempt the most daring raid in Galactic history: stealing the Death Star plans from the Empire. The film's pacing is fast-paced, with a slower second act that leads into an epic, massive third act Battle of Scarif, which is a huge ground and space battle. The characters are all solid and welcome additions to the universe, with strong performances by Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Donnie Yen, Jiang Wen, Riz Ahmed, Mads Mikkelsen, and Ben Mendelsohn. Overall, Rogue One delivers an engaging and action-packed addition to the Star Wars universe.

Rogue One: Una historia de Star Wars es la primera película derivada independiente de la franquicia de Star Wars, encargada de expandir el universo y adaptarse a diferentes temas y estilos. El director Gareth Edwards ofrece una cruda película de guerra que conduce a los eventos de A New Hope y se suma a la experiencia de ver la original. La historia sigue al científico Galen Erso, quien es el cerebro detrás del superláser de la Estrella de la Muerte, pero se ve obligado a huir por su seguridad y la de su familia. Mientras tanto, el Director Krennic y el Gran Moff Tarkin compiten por el poder y la posición dentro del Imperio mientras supervisan la producción de la superarma. Jyn Erso, un futuro héroe, es acogido por un extremista rebelde y reclutado por sus partidarios terroristas mientras luchan contra el Imperio usando todos los medios necesarios. Junto con un escuadrón heterogéneo, intentan la incursión más atrevida en la historia galáctica: robar los planos de la Estrella de la Muerte del Imperio. El ritmo de la película es rápido, con un segundo acto más lento que conduce a un tercer acto épico y masivo, la Batalla de Scarif, que es una gran batalla terrestre y espacial. Todos los personajes son adiciones sólidas y bienvenidas al universo, con sólidas actuaciones de Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Donnie Yen, Jiang Wen, Riz Ahmed, Mads Mikkelsen y Ben Mendelsohn. En general, Rogue One ofrece una adición atractiva y llena de acción al universo de Star Wars.

First of all, I'd like to say that Rogue One does an admirable job of slotting itself onto the wider context of the Star Wars universe and its story is pretty solid and definitely engaging.

However while the plot and action sequences in this film were good there was very little in the way of character development and in my opinion this is where the film falls down. On the whole the characters were very likable and interesting but unfortunately (and ironically considering I watched it in 3D) they were also pretty two-dimensional. This wouldn't be so much of an issue if there were going to be more films in which to develop the characters but considering they all die at the end that seems unlikely.

I have to admit, I've never been a huge fan of war movies, so perhaps I'm just not the intended audience for this film. But as a lover of Star Wars and someone who places a strong value on characterization, I have to say I was a little disappointed. As I said, there was a strong plot and some amazing action sequences but the film was also oddly paced at times and personally I don't think Felicity Jones was a particularly strong or compelling lead. While the rest of the cast were able to bring their characters to life despite very little to work with, I feel that Jones failed to do this and so I never really warmed to her character.

All that said I very much appreciate the racial diversity of the cast; it's very unusual to see a Hollywood blockbuster where the main cast consists almost entirely of people of colour and I'm hoping it's demonstrating a move towards more diversity in the film industry (I can only hope that the next Star Wars film will feature some WOMEN of colour in the main cast as well!)

Dark Vader: "Be careful not to choke on your aspirations, Director."

Rogue One follows Jyn Erso (played by Felicity Jones) a Rebellion soldier and criminal, who is about to experience her biggest challenge yet when Mon Mothma sets her out on a mission to steal the plans for the Death Star. With help from the Rebels, a master swordsman, and non-allied forces, Jyn will be in for something bigger than she thinks.

I had my worries with Rogue One, if I must admit. After the massive success of "The Force Awakens", the universe of Star Wars has now expanded even more. There's going to be more sequels, prequels, and spin-offs every year now. Why this worries me is because I fear I'm going to be sick of theses and not really get exited anymore. Star Wars should be treated like a three year event like before, it gives more time for the writers & director to really flesh out the story. It may seem like a long wait, but it'll be worth the wait. But that's not all. The trouble re shoots this went through and the ridiculous short deadlines during post-production. But after seeing the film myself, I can safely say that this new prequel isn't a bad one.

"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" is a good movie. Not great or amazing, just decent. In my opinion, it's not up there with "A New Hope" or "Empire Strikes Back". It's more in the middle for me. If I have to be honest, I actually enjoyed "Force Awakens" more than this. Yeah, I said it. The movie is flawed, but it dose have a lot to like about it.

I can't imagine the pressure Gareth Edwards must have felt making this, kinda like what Abrams was feeling. In interviews, Gareth has said he was a Star Wars fan and it was the reason why he wanted to make movies. So this is very dear to him and while there where some slip ups in parts, but I must say that he handed the material really well. Gareth Edward is very good at making things feel huge and the heavy scale of things. The action scenes were directed so brilliantly that it actually felt like a war movie.

That's what really surprised me about "Rogue One" is how dark and depressing it is. Some people may have a problem with that, since everyone is use to these adventures with are favorite characters. For me, I didn't have an issue with it. Heck, I'm kinda glad it had the balls to go that far and be violent. The humor is very limited, but when there is humor is mostly from K-2SO (played by Alan Tudyk), who was just the best.

The CGI in this movie was incredible and quite groundbreaking. I mean, it's TOO GOOD. The way it blended with the real life environment and the action scenes was so good that half of the time I was watching computer effect's on screen. How it was executed was so beautiful and quite the achievement.

Now the biggest complaint I've been hearing from Star Wars fans is about Peter Cushing Digital Resurrection. Yep, he's back to cinematic life through the use of state-of-the-art visual effects wizardry. He's character Grand Moff Tarkin is in the movie, but instead of re-casting the role or kept his digital face in the shadows, but that's surprisingly not the case. He's in the movie quite a lot as you see him in full form and up close. This is getting a mix response from people and even I was a bit mixed on it. I was a bit weird out by it, as Peter Cushing has been dead for 22 years and seeing up there was hard to digest. But after letting it sink in, I thought it wasn't too noticeable and in a few scene I actually brought into it. I thought it looked real when he wasn't moving around or any close ups to his face. But that's just my thoughts.

Speaking of bringing back old characters, Dark Vader makes a appears in this. While he's screen time is very short, but he steals every scene he's in. Eventually the hallway scene, that was so bad-ass and one of my favorite moments in the movie. It's great to see him and James Earl Jones back as one of greatest villains of all time.

Now for the problems: The first half of "Rogue One" was a bit rough for me and I was kinda bored at times. I didn't care or got attracted to the characters. The characterization was lacking and that's a real shame, because Star Wars is all about the characters, as it's the thing we remember from these movies. It's not all about Lightsabers and battles, it's the characters. Felicity Jones, Alan Tudyk & Mads Mikkelsen characters were the only ones that I cared about. The others not so much.

Another major part of the Star Wars movies is the score. John Williams score is so iconic that it's hard to top it. It's the heart of the series and I kinda wish he did the score for this, because Michael Giacchino score wasn't that good. But I'll cut Giacchino a little slack, he only had 4 weeks to compose it and it is a tough act to follow. That goes back to what I said about the deadlines being too short.

Overall rating: "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" is a good entry to the series and it dose feel like a dark Star Wars movie. I may have problems with the movie and I have to be honest with that, but I do think it ties in very well with "A New Hope". A plot like this was needed to fill in the 40 year old plot gap.

Feels like I wanted to like this more than I actually did. Behind the dazzling effects work, the colorful character designs and the back-bending efforts to make everything feel at home beside the beloved original Star Wars, the story itself has deep-seated problems.

Despite a very long, convoluted setup, most of the cast feels deeply underdeveloped and the plot comes across as overly simplistic and predictable. Even moreso than one might expect from a direct prequel to a film most of the target audience has watched dozens of times. The injection of late rewrites are obvious, too, as the third act flows far more smoothly than the preceding hour-plus.

Most of the successful elements fall into the domain of the visual and the atmospheric. The constant attention to detail is impressive, going to great lengths to establish vital credibility, and I was amazed by the controversial, convincing CG stand in for the long-dead Peter Cushing. Another computer-generated character just before the credits isn't nearly as effective, but that's more of an Easter egg than an integral part of the story and I'll let it slide as such. The action scenes sing, particularly when they also twang the strings of nostalgia by dropping familiar forms into a new setting, and the grand climax, while somewhat saccharine-drenched, is nonetheless effective.

A good demo-reel for the viability of the extended universe, but some day soon the sentimentality will lose its edge. Better get things tightened up before then.

Darth Vader: "Be careful not to choke on your aspirations, Director."

Rogue One follows Jyn Erso (played by Felicity Jones) a Rebellion soldier and criminal, who is about to experience her biggest challenge yet when Mon Mothma sets her out on a mission to steal the plans for the Death Star. With help from the Rebels, a master swordsman, and non-allied forces, Jyn will be in for something bigger than she thinks.

I had my worries with Rogue One, if I must admit. After the massive success of "The Force Awakens", the universe of Star Wars has now expanded even more. There's going to be more sequels, prequels, and spin-offs every year now. Why this worries me is because I fear I'm going to be sick of theses and not really get exited anymore. Star Wars should be treated like a three year event like before, it gives more time for the writers & director to really flesh out the story. It may seem like a long wait, but it'll be worth the wait. But that's not all. The trouble re shoots this went through and the ridiculous short deadlines during post-production. But after seeing the film myself, I can safely say that this new prequel isn't a bad one.

"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" is a good movie. Not great or amazing, just decent. In my opinion, it's not up there with "A New Hope" or "Empire Strikes Back". It's more in the middle for me. If I have to be honest, I actually enjoyed "Force Awakens" more than this. Yeah, I said it. The movie is flawed, but it dose have a lot to like about it.

I can't imagine the pressure Gareth Edwards must have felt making this, kinda like what Abrams was feeling. In interviews, Gareth has said he was a Star Wars fan and it was the reason why he wanted to make movies. So this is very dear to him and while there where some slip ups in parts, but I must say that he handed the material really well. Gareth Edward is very good at making things feel huge and the heavy scale of things. The action scenes were directed so brilliantly that it actually felt like a war movie.

That's what really surprised me about "Rogue One" is how dark and depressing it is. Some people may have a problem with that, since everyone is use to these adventures with are favorite characters. For me, I didn't have an issue with it. Heck, I'm kinda glad it had the balls to go that far and be violent. The humor is very limited, but when there is humor is mostly from K-2SO (played by Alan Tudyk), who was just the best.

The CGI in this movie was incredible and quite groundbreaking. I mean, it's TOO GOOD. The way it blended with the real life environment and the action scenes was so good that half of the time I was watching computer effect's on screen. How it was executed was so beautiful and quite the achievement.

Now the biggest complaint I've been hearing from Star Wars fans is about Peter Cushing Digital Resurrection. Yep, he's back to cinematic life through the use of state-of-the-art visual effects wizardry. He's character Grand Moff Tarkin is in the movie, but instead of re-casting the role or kept his digital face in the shadows, but that's surprisingly not the case. He's in the movie quite a lot as you see him in full form and up close. This is getting a mix response from people and even I was a bit mixed on it. I was a bit weird out by it, as Peter Cushing has been dead for 22 years and seeing up there was hard to digest. But after letting it sink in, I thought it wasn't too noticeable and in a few scene I actually brought into it. I thought it looked real when he wasn't moving around or any close ups to his face. But that's just my thoughts.

Speaking of bringing back old characters, Darth Vader makes a appears in this. While he's screen time is very short, but he steals every scene he's in. Eventually the hallway scene, that was so bad-ass and one of my favorite moments in the movie. It's great to see him and James Earl Jones back as one of greatest villains of all time.

Now for the problems: The first half of "Rogue One" was a bit rough for me and I was kinda bored at times. I didn't care or got attracted to the characters. The characterization was lacking and that's a real shame, because Star Wars is all about the characters, as it's the thing we remember from these movies. It's not all about Lightsabers and battles, it's the characters. Felicity Jones, Alan Tudyk & Mads Mikkelsen characters were the only ones that I cared about. The others not so much.

Another major part of the Star Wars movies is the score. John Williams score is so iconic that it's hard to top it. It's the heart of the series and I kinda wish he did the score for this, because Michael Giacchino score wasn't that good. But I'll cut Giacchino a little slack, he only had 4 weeks to compose it and it is a tough act to follow. That goes back to what I said about the deadlines being too short.

Overall rating: "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" is a good entry to the series and it dose feel like a dark Star Wars movie. I may have problems with the movie and I have to be honest with that, but I do think it ties in very well with "A New Hope". A plot like this was needed to fill in the 40 year old plot gap.