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.
If there was a bit more character development, Rogue One would be one of the greatest films of the year. Either way, it was easily one of the best Star Wars films, and it got that way through likable characters, spectacular cinematograpy and a great final act.
Oh, and the Vader scene.
yeeeep goood stuff and movie
I walked in excited and walked out a smile that I couldn't wipe off my face!
Rogue One was a story almost developed to perfection, at every point your on the edge of your seat and can't help but feel invested in the story. And the Vader scene was epic in of itself, just made me tingle.
The amazing cinematography, fantastic scenes, and a final act that made this an Epic movie, and a must watch for every person, Star Wars fans and others shouldn't miss it.
On par with Empire Strikes back and probably one of the best movies of 2016.
We want more!
For me, paint by numbers. From the beginning it was obvious how it ends. Boring.
Let me begin by saying that the movie definitely had pacing issues. It moves slow in the beginning and although it is quite interesting it takes a while to capture you. I'd even go as far and say that it takes more than half of the movie to do so. But once it does, boy, Rogue One grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go until the credits roll. The last half hour of the movie is EASILY and I don't say that lightly, the best Star Wars has ever been. It even manages to make A New Hope better because of the decisions that Gareth Edwards made in Rogue One. I don't know about you, but I can think of exactly ZERO movies that have made their original inspiration even better.
My full review can be seen here:
http://uk.blastingnews.com/entertainment/2016/12/rogue-one-a-star-wars-story-review-001301535.html
No Bothans were killed in the making of this short review. This is how prequels should be done, sorry
George Lucas - you did a fantastic job with the originals but lost your way afterwards - this is highly reminiscent of the original movie and also deepens our knowledge of that film. It didn't blow me away but then i did see it at a midnight showing and its possible I will enjoy it much more when fully awake.
Is it odd that Dodgeball's Steve the Pirate is in this?
How is this one better than the Solo movie? it's not.
I absolutely love so much about this movie, but I get bored with some parts as well. Overall, it’s pretty good, and who doesn’t love K2? 8.5/10 :star:
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!
new drinking game everytime a character in rogue one dies keep drinking to numb the pain
10/10
All Gold
"This Is Where
The Fun Begins"
This is definitely my
favourite Star Wars
movie of all time
and absolutely the
Best damn Star Wars
movie.
Wow this movie is
Super frickin awesome amazing and so
Bloody entertaining.
The pacing is fantastic
the performances are
Outstanding, the story
is superb and the way
it ties into episode 4
is off the charts.
this movie is so much
fun and is actually a
Perfect edition to
the SW universe.
this movie is so well
thought out and actually enhances everything that
comes after and doesn't
feel Shoehorned in
like Captain Marvel
before
Avengers EndGame.
I absolutely love this
movie 3000 everything just
works and is meaningful
and to anyone who's says
there is no
ROGUE ONE
"There Is Now"
(and it's Sensational).
"I'm one with the Force, and the Force is with me."
Donnie Yen kicking ass as Chirrut Îmwe alongside his buddy Jian Wen who plays Baze Malbus. These two characters should be in a buddy-cop like movie in the Star Wars universe. That would be something to behold!
Anyway going through the Star Wars movie time-line brought me to Rogue One. The last stop before the original trilogy and it is still a good one. I like the darker tone, I like Donnie Yen killing it, I think K-2SO (Alan Tudyk) is the best Star Wars bot, I still really enjoy the bit at the end where Darth Vader kicks some serious butt, I'm honestly still put off by the scenes with the digitally made Peter Cushing, the one shot of Carrie Fisher I was less bothered by. I still wanted to see a bit more Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker) and his beast that can do stuff to people's mind and the final act with the big battle is still fun!
All in all Rogue One was a fun rewatch.
PS. Can't wait to see Donnie Yen shine when I go and and watch John Wick 4 this tuesday!
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a fantastic addition to the Star Wars universe. The movie features stunning special effects and action sequences that will leave you on the edge of your seat. The story follows a group of rebels on a mission to steal the plans for the Death Star, leading up to the events of the original Star Wars film. The film's characters are compelling, and the performances from the cast are great. What sets Rogue One apart is its darker tone and its willingness to take risks with the story. The movie is the best Star Wars film outside of the main saga, and a great example of how the franchise can explore new territory while still remaining true to its roots.
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.
It's even better after Andor. The ending is sad and perfect, very much like the ending of 30 Days of Night.
Just rewatched this again after a few years and having just completed star wars rebels. Id seen youtube footage of Chopper and the Ghost but i was so shocked to hear "General Syndulla" being called over the loudspeaker so this movie that i thought was good went up another couple of notches for bringing things together.
Better than everything JJ did
AS a starwars fan:
The best SW Movie so far!
2 hours of the Vader scene would do very nicely
Original trilogy, episodes IV–VI
A New Hope (1977) https://trakt.tv/movies/star-wars-1977
The Empire Strikes Back (1980) https://trakt.tv/movies/the-empire-strikes-back-1980
Return of the Jedi (1983) https://trakt.tv/movies/return-of-the-jedi-1983
Prequel trilogy, episodes I–III
The Phantom Menace (1999) https://trakt.tv/movies/star-wars-episode-i-the-phantom-menace-1999
Attack of the Clones (2002) https://trakt.tv/movies/star-wars-episode-ii-attack-of-the-clones-2002
Revenge of the Sith (2005) https://trakt.tv/movies/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-of-the-sith-2005
Sequel trilogy, episodes VII–IX
The Force Awakens (2015) https://trakt.tv/movies/star-wars-the-force-awakens-2015
The Last Jedi (2017) https://trakt.tv/movies/star-wars-the-last-jedi-2017
The Rise of Skywalker (2019) https://trakt.tv/movies/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-2019
Anthology films
Rogue One (2016) https://trakt.tv/movies/rogue-one-a-star-wars-story-2016
Solo (2018) https://trakt.tv/movies/solo-a-star-wars-story-2018
Rogue Squadron (2023) https://trakt.tv/movies/rogue-squadron-2023
As a big fan of short stories and anthologies, the thought of "one-off" episodes based in the Star Wars universe is very appealing. It was surprising then, to see how closely "Rogue One" ties into "Star Wars: A New Hope". In fact, it actually made the movie better. The closing moments were very satisfying.
There seems to be a lot of griping about the characters being too thin and not explored to any depth. It seems that since this was originally planned as a self-contained story, a carryover to another story or an extension to "The Force Awakens" plot line was not intended. A personal gripe of mine has been that most all Movie and TV viewers want to know excessive amounts of information about characters. This means everything needs to be a TV series with multiple seasons, or a movie with multiple sequels. It seems every time I read a recently released book, I find that there is no conclusion. Everything is a damned trilogy. I'm not so naive to not consider the economic benefit of turning a well received movie or book into a franchise, but when I start knowing the characters of a show as well as I know my own family, well, it gets stale fast. All that said, the fact that these characters are largely irrelevant to the continuing Star Wars story is just fine. They were all necessary heroes in the larger story.
There are some incredible special effects including one moment involving a couple of Star Cruisers that was worth the price of admission. Darth Vader is here and his moment late in the film is amazing.
Overall, there's little bad to be said about "Rogue One". It's an exciting, great looking Action movie.
The true and only Star Wars prequel movie and one of (if not) the best in the entire franchise. breathtaking and emotive, this movie makes justice to the original trilogy. very enjoyable.
A decent movie in the SW series, definitely not the best. Only the last one-third of the movie was exciting. A bit overrated IMO. Don't know why people underrate "Solo" and say this movie is better:thinking:. Generous 7.25/10
Oh hey you see these potentially interesting characters, yeah let's kill them. At least Cassian Andor is getting a series.
Gotta say it, what an amazing movie this is… after all this years I admit that the one thing I didn’t like about this one was that it was a single movie, the characters where remarkable unlike the sequels…
[9.75 of 10] With a bit more character development, this could be a perfect film - though at the length it is now it is easy to watch over & over again. More films should be comfortable ending with a TPKO. Sometimes the death of all of the protagonists/protagonist-adjacent characters is the correct decision to make. Not only is this a phenomenal film, it's also my favorite Star Wars film.
Characters not developed - would not watch again.
A pretty cool prequel to 1977's 'Star Wars'. I wouldn't say I overly enjoyed it, but it's worthy for the purpose it serves.
What stopped me from loving 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' was probably, mostly, the pacing, which I found to be too slow in parts. It never majorly affected my viewing experience, but I could feel it slightly dragging here and there. I also didn't like the cast on anything more than a neutral/standard level.
Felicity Jones does an admirable job in the lead role, I did like how they set her story up at the beginning. I also found any scene with Mads Mikkelsen good to watch, while Riz Ahmed and Forest Whitaker are solid; Alan Tudyk is OK as well. Diego Luna and Ben Mendelsohn, however, didn't do anything for me.
The story itself is satisfactory, the ending to it is more meaningful than I was expecting and features a few nice shots; the whole film looks lovely in fairness. I personally would've shaved 10-20 minutes off the run time and got more devilish antagonists, though.
Still, it's at the very least a good film no doubt.
A new hope for the SW franchise
I guess I just don't like Star Wars movies. I can't enjoy these. Laser gun shootings, big spaceships, weird aliens. All I'm saying is that If you're a young person who was born after 95 and haven't watched Star Wars before, you may not like this movie either. It wasn't a bad movie, I just can't understand why it's so good :)
This is the best Star Wars movie, ever, and that's a fact. The characters, the tone, the plot, the score, the lighting, the editing, the acting - everything was achingly beautiful, absolutely perfect. What I like best is how defiantly hopeful every minute of it is, when it's so full of death and suffering.
I'm taking one point off for that not-happy ending, but I have to admit the beach scene has stuck with me ever since I first saw it. I hate character deaths and I still think that was the easy way out in many ways, but if they had to die, I'm glad it was done that way.
The best Star Wars stories don't focus on a Skywalker. KOTOR, The Mandalorian, and Rogue One slap hard as hell.
Rogue One is a clear 10 out of 10 points for me. It‘s an amazing addition to the Star Wars Saga. The story, the characters, the locations and the look...it just fits right into the universe. Also the CGI is phenomenal here. Not only the CGI characters look amazing but also the locations like Jedha and Scarif are really breathtaking. And what really stunned me were the scenes with Vader. The one in his castle on Mustafar and the ending scenes were just jaw-dropping. In my opinion, Rogue One might be the best of the new Star Wars movies.
This Star Ware movie beats a lot of Star Wars movies, especially on 1 and 2.
It's good, a very interesting story, like never seen before in the Star Wars universe (that's my opinion), a lot of action, the visual effects were also in the movie, well not in any scene but they were too.
The film had some well-known actors such as Diego Luna and Ben Mendelshon and Mads Mikkelsen who played very well in this film.
A great massacre this film is :sweat_smile:. The plot is good and it connects perfectly with the original saga, it is the perfect prologue for Episode IV and Felicity Jones next to Diego Luna lead very good the whole story. But, come on! Everybody dies. It is a total massacre. I enjoyed the visual effects, the battles at different battlefields and the different characters presented in the film. The best one this far (I've only seen Episodes 1-4).
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.
That's what I call a star wars story
Could be a really great movie but it has too many mistakes and very heavy in my view...
This movie is amazing, I hate being this person as very few blockbusters warrant this but some of the performances in this movie are oscar worthy as the acting in this movie is absolutely sublime with Felicity Jones (Jyn), Diego Luna (Cassian) & Donnie Yen (Chirrut) turning in some of the best performances I have seen in a movie for a while. This is the crown jewel of the Star Wars franchise in my opinion and I think in many years time the fans of the franchise will see that, as the story is very unique and it allows you to see how the rebels were created and armed with knowledge.
Also, the cinematography and directing in this movie were perfect as the film is really beautiful to look at and the actions/visuals are shot so well that even in the action sequences you could see everything that is going on, with one scene in particular with Donnie Yen looking so awesome as it is just so kick ass. I can't recommend this film enough and I think if you didn't like some of the prequel movies, this will definitely scratch that itch.
The best Star Wars movie, i have ever seen
A true prequel to the original Star Wars, Rogue One is a thrilling sci-fi adventure that tells the story behind the Rebel’s first victory. When a defecting Imperial pilot with important information about a new weapon called the Death Star is captured by a fringe resistance fighter named Saw Gerrera the Rebels seek out one of his former followers in order to find Gerrera and get the information from the pilot. The cast is fairly strong and delivers some good performances; particularly Alan Tudyk, who does an excellent job voicing the droid K-2SO (giving him a fun sardonic personality). And, director Gareth Edwards does an impressive job at filming the action and capturing the scope of the battle sequences. Additionally, the special effects are extraordinarily well-done and allow for a surprising cameo. However, the score by Michael Giacchino is rather weak and the two lead characters aren’t that charismatic. Yet overall, Rogue One is an exciting and action-packed film that bridges the two Star Wars trilogies.
I finally got to see this with my dad, who saw the original Star Wars in 1977 when he was 6.
We both liked it way more than The Force Awakens. It loses a tiny bit of the magic the second time around, and K-2S0 is more annoying on repeat viewings, but there's still a little bit of that good ol' Star Wars feeling I get from watching the original trilogy. Also, incredible camera work from Gareth Edwards. Love his work from Monsters (2010) and Godzilla (2014).
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.
3 Thoughts After Watching ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’:
Outside of the original films like Empire Strikes Back, this is easily the best film.
Rogue One is definitely one of my favorite Star Wars films. It's so well done with all its connections to A New Hope. Also I really like the characters they've introduced.
I admit it: This was the first Star Wars movie I ever watched.
Taken as a whole this movie was alright, I guess? In my opinion Mads Mikkelsen's character Galen Erso was one of the more interesting ones, unfortunately he gets the least amount of screen time. Apart from him I liked Riz Ahmed's anxious pilot Bodhi Rook and Alan Tudyk as K-2SO who pretty much stole the show.
Would I watch this movie again? Probably not. But I'm interested enough to continue with this series.
An impressivly produced film, that for the most part sits genuinly in the canonical Star Wars seires, that's unfortunatly let down by it's bland story and unmemorable characters.
There are scenes in the third act of the film that give some shameless nods towards the original Star Wars film. Honestly, these felt like they were grossly playing to the audience, and spoilt the experience for me.
By far, my favourite of the Star War movies. Great CGI. Epic soundtrack. Human stories. Great performances. Many wonderful cameos. Heroism at great cost. The power of hope. This was my second viewing of many more to come. I give this film a 10 (perfect) out of 10. [SciFi Action Adventure]
pretty nice for a standalone star wars movie but :
- jyn lacks "character" + cassian doesn't seam too real
- chinese actors are just there for marketing and saw gerrera was a joke
Wish I’d switched off after the first hour. Weak storey line and a pathetic attempt to cash in on the franchise. They even attempt to make the audience show emotion over the death of a robot! Easily the worst film in the Star Wars series.
The ending vader scene is better than the rest of the movie. Better than all the disney star wars movies.
Enjoyable. I had high expectations due to other movies of Star Wars, didn't meet it, but it was quite enjoyable, therefore I give it a 7/10.
An exceptional Star Wars movie. Well worth watching.
I didn't have high expectations for this one judging it useless in the Star Wars universe because we don't need to know everything. But surprisingly, I liked it and it's different than the other movies. It is slow at the beginning but the third act is incredible with great action and the Vader scene is just awesome. However, the use of CGI for Tarkin and Leia is not really good and I personnally don't like when technology is used to bring dead actors back to life.
Among the new SW Disney movies this is the only one which should be defined, enjoyable.
entertainment movie to pass the time and which seriously harms the couple protagonist who transmits absolutely nothing
One of the best films of star wars. Good.
side stories mhmhm who needs them. ill avoid the Han solo Movie for sure.
Ok, let's face it. Original Star Wars was heaven on Earth when I watched it. Watched it again and it had that "80s bad acting aura" when I re watched it. You know, the ridiculous unrealistic fight scenes that were a must at the time. But still loved it so I was fine with that.
Then came the Disney inspired nonsense. I walked out of one and did not even watch another one. Just horrible.
So now this. I was worried after it started with a kid doing some stuff (the new ones had them perform like the best genius whatever which killed it for me). But no worries, was all fine.
Without giving spoilers, it was good. Vader's voice sucked but that was the biggest drawback. I watched and probably not watch it again but it was ok. Maybe I am just the original Star Wars dude and cannot get new ones. Then again I liked every new Bond movie or Fast Furious. Watch it and rate it :)
Sooo...this was way better than feared.
I put out watching this one for a long time. Mainly because I feared it would not live up to the hype.
I was wrong...it's actually quite good...or rather...the last half or so is good. The first half was kind of meh. I know I have to explain that better, but it just felt too long...too drawn out. It wasn't bad, but not worthy of a Star Wars movie either.
The special effects and CGI was great except for a certain character that ruined the immersion something fierce.
The acting was good all around, except for a few very goofy lines delivered in a very weird way. Almost like the actor wasn't sure about what they were saying.
All-in-all...if Rogue One sets the standard for the "in-between" Star Wars movies...I'll never put out watching one of them again.
If you criticized this movie, don't see The Last Jedi. ;) This movie is the best thing that Disney did with Star Wars. The scene of Darth Vader worth the price.
Low personality, big feelings. That’s a thing right? Fab movie.
A brilliant final act compensated for an otherwise slow and lacklustre middle and beginning with some questionable story choices.
For a story in which we knew how it ended, and all the characters died, it was pretty good. Can we get K-2SOs core downloaded into another robot? On repeat viewing, post VIII, one can appreciate some of those bits of data with long term impact.
I liked this movie more than I remembered. Maybe it is because I am watching them in chronological order in preparation for The Last Jedi and coming off the prequels but I think this movie works well. Decent action with new exotic terrain is a lot of fun. The sacrifice made by all the characters was somewhat emotional, could of been more with a little more character development. I really liked Ben Mendelsohn's Krennic. He is just a middle management guy trying to get credit for his project. Mads is great as always. K-2SO's sassy dialogue made for some funny moments. And of course Vader's scene was awesome but it felt like they had to put some lightsabers in this movie.
Some things that didn't work for me were everything with Saw Gerrera. I just think Forest Whitaker over played him. The CGI faces aren't terrible but they aren't good. It's more of a distraction than anything. They should of just kept Tarkin in reflections only or recast. The music didn't feel right. It felt like it was trying too hard to be different. This is still Star Wars and music is a very important part of this franchise.
Vader moves much faster here and a mere week or so later he's grinds to a halt against Obi Wan on the Death Star! Lord Vader....what happened to you in the space of a week?
To be what we expect to be. Not greatest. With big franchise and big production in the right place.
I liked it, but it's sometimes so boring
The closest Star Wars movie to an actual war. You can tell the influences from World War II.
Without question my favorite Star Wars film since The Empire Strikes Back. I liked all the characters tremendously, as well as the story, the visuals and set designs. I was hugely underwhelmed by The Force Awakens, but thankfully this movie exceeded expectations! I don't understand the Star Wars fans who don't appreciate it, but everyone has different tastes. I was eager to see a Star Wars film that didn't revolve around the Jedi and lightsabers. Fingers crossed for the Han Solo movie. 9/10 stars
A good storyline to fill the plot hole. However it didn't really live up to the expectations of a Star Wars movie.
A solid movie with crappy boring characters, good action and a Star Wars theme nothing more nothing less.
Good film, the ending was especially sentimental.
Really well done. A smaller Star Wars story with a human struggle and some tragedy. Filled with a roster of unlikables who earn some redemption with their just cause. Loved the ending, and liked how nicely and subtly it connects the two trilogies. Didn't like the addition of AT-ATs though, this movie cheapened them.
Way better than The Force Awakens! Can't wait for Rogue Two!
Really well done. I look forward to seeing the new one... wherever that is.
SAVE THE REBELLION SAVE THE DREAM
Oups! I just realized that, for some reason, this movie had fallen between the cracks. It was quite some time since I watched it but I seem to have forgotten to write a post about it.
For me this was one of the best of the new (after the original trilogy) Star Wars movies. It was fun, entertaining with plenty of good, old-fashioned Star Wars action. I generally do not like prequels but this time I felt it was nice to get a bit of the background to the statement that “a number of spies died to get this information” in episode IV. We were even provided with a bit of an explanation as to why the Death Star had this silly weakness in the first place.
The actors were doing a decent enough job of it. The chatty android was fun without being totally silly. It was a nice roller coaster ride of action, improvisations, and gung ho ludicrous stunts inside and outside of various forms of transportation means.
As usual with Star Wars the science part of science fiction is somewhat lacking. What looks cool is what is put on the screen and screw science. When reading books I am more sensitive to such things but for a Star Wars movie it works well enough.
Some people seem to be dissecting the characters and dialogue, trying to put logic into it as well as wanting to have more emotions and “character development”. Come on! It is a Star Wars movie. It is supposed to be all action and visually stunning.
On that this movie delivers. Sure the plot is not really the most developed one and has plenty of faults. The movie is till a hugely fun Star Wars based science romp though.
After Revenge of the Sith, the last of the prequels, came and went, it seemed that the Star Wars saga was over, as far as the films went; sure, there was the Clone Wars movie, but its box office receipts were well under the standard set for the series. Some years later, Disney bought Lucasfilm, and it was soon announced that there would be a new film in the series. People doubted the House of Mouse, but, the flick was a massive hit, and, soon, there were further films announced, the first one of which was Rogue One, another prequel to the original trilogy. The previous prequels had sort of a mixed reaction from moviegoers and critics alike, but, this one is in a completely different vein. Instead of the childishness of The Phantom Menace or the romantic aspect of Attack of the Clones, this one focuses largely on action, and answers a very big question: How exactly did the Rebels get the plans to the Death Star? Most of the characters introduced are likable, especially main heroine Jyn Erso. There are some familiar faces, though: Darth Vader makes two or so appearances, and there's even a scene with a very realistic computer-generated Princess Leia, who very much looks like a young Carrie Fisher. There's plenty of action and heroism, and no annoying characters like Jar Jar. Even the content is clean; though there's plenty of violence, as expected, it's not graphic, sexual content is absent, and language is limited to one unfinished, "What the...?"
Despite my high praise, I do have to issue some complaints: There was a pokey moment here and there, and, at times, it felt underwhelming. Still, for Star Wars fans like me, this is a blast.
I kinda loved the movie, except for the extremely obvious "lets copy all aspects from the previous movies", with daddy-complex issues, daddy dies, heroes who dont want to be heroes, unimportant people who are suddenly in front of the surpreme council and make a statement to address everyone to re-light their hope. blablalbla. Still: loved the movie.
Aspect that I absolutely did not like was the blatently killing off of all the characters. wtf was up with that.
By Far The BEST SW MOVIE EVER!!!!!
The problem with prequels, with almost all of them, is the general story has already been established. You know what will happen. That was true for Ep I to III and it is true here. So you can say it is about the journey and not the destination. And the journey in Rogue One is worth every minute. I am a decade long Star Wars fan but had you asked me some years ago if I think this story needed to be told in detail I probably would have said "no". And I would have been wrong because this is one of the best SW movies ever. I don´t compare it to Force Awakens on purpose as I see Force only as part of a story that needs to be told completely whereas Rogue is in itself a closed chapter.
Beside the hated CGI characters and, yes, some negligible minor flaws, I love everything about Rogue. It has some amazing moments that had me hold my breath. The visuals are awesome. It builds up towards an end where, despite the fact you know what will be the outcome, you feel with the characters.
And for someone who never has seen any Star Wars movie (yes, those people do exist) you can watch this first or between Ep III and IV because it takes nothing away from those other movies.
And that is how you do a prequel.
An awesome movie. The best end sequence of any Star Wars movie.
Only watched it a second time while listening to Red Letter Media's Commentary track, extremely forgettable movie, action can only take a movie so far
Lack of character depth coupled with a weak copy of an already told story made this extremely difficult to watch. It seems targeted towards newly christened SW fans, which is odd considering the timing of this release. The Force Awakens was a great re-boot to the series, though sadly it seems to have signaled the end of a cycle for those of us who started with the original trilogy. To all the newcomers, you are likely in for a treat and should enjoy this movie and those following it.
This is an instant classic! So beautifully made!
This is an instant classic! So beautifully made!
I was prepared to be a little disappointed, and have the movie spoiled (since you kinda get part of the story, and the ending from the other movies), but I would almost say that I enjoyed this more than The Force Awakens! It was a fantastic side-storyline that wedged itself perfectly in between episodes 3 and 4, and from a different vantage point.
Outside the original three the best of the series
Rogue One has a number of surprising and intriguing moments, but only within the scope of the Star Wars cinematic universe. When judged as an action/adventure film, it's fairly predictable and doesn't have much weight in the wider Star Wars story. I'd watch this, only if you've seen and enjoyed a number of Star Wars films already.
Fun Fact: this is the saddest film of 2016.. and of the whole Star Wars universe
Again, effects are too loud to watch in apartment, when you have volume high enough to comfortably understand dialogs. TV shows don't have this problem, old movies also don't have this problem, so it is not my setup.
IP Man was in this. :D
To me Disney is destroying Star War Sega.....
I liked it, but I am a starwars fan
Review by jaredVIP EP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2016-12-18T05:07:23Z
Just to preface this, I thought A Force Awakens was emotionless trash that undermined the entire purpose of the original three films.
Rogue One was the opposite.
The best thing about this movie was the emotional impact. It underlined the sacrifices made to make the original trilogy possible. Some people have called it long, but that helped build up characters that you actually felt for, and who weren't carbon copy ripoffs (cough cough A Force Awakens). The final scenes as the two main characters face their fate, recognizing that it was worth it, gave such a high emotional payoff. Each major death scene actually made you feel something.
The second best thing was K-2SO. Very funny, and much needed comedic (but not goofy) relief.
The CGI for landscapes and the world creation was outstanding. When I see a movie like Star Wars I want to be amazed and see things that I haven't seen done before. I want to be impressed and drawn into new, beautifully crafted worlds. In this respect, the movie just kept delivering over and over.
The cinematography was great during the action sequences. The sequences looked epic, and the violence and sacrifice felt meaningful. The Vader fight sequence was intense.
It also had interesting ties to current events with its commentary on terrorism/rebellion/weapons of mass destruction. By the way, the science genius character realizing that he isn't priceless in developing some major device is fantastic. All of the movies with "only so-and-so can figure this out" are very disappointing.
The moral message of the movie was also very clear and well delivered.
I really enjoyed the movie overall and thought that it was a big step in the right direction. It was adventurous again, it was sometimes shocking, original, and most of all meaningful. A Force Awakens failed on all of those points. It's good to see a franchise movie that's taking a bit more risk than average. AFA was just like the new Star Trek films, shiny bling low-impact action movies that just happen to be set in space. Rogue One pushes far beyond to show the what drives the Rebellion in a world we know and love.
Despite the fact that I really liked the movie, it had some flaws:
- Tarkin face CGI
- Some of the acting in the first half.
- Tarkin face CGI
- Some of the cuts were really weird and the pacing felt off for portions of the first half.
- Tarkin face CGI
- Forest Whittaker just deciding to die instead of trying to escape.
- Tarkin face CGI
- A few unbelievable plot lines (thankfully most were minor). Like Cassian being sent to kill Galen for almost no reason, and then deciding not to for no reason, and then Jyn forgiving him surprisingly easily. How did she even know that he was trying to kill her father?
- Tarkin face CGI
- Does every Star Wars movie need to have a father character die? Why didn't Cass follow orders when he heartlessly killed someone else in his first scene?
- Tarkin face CGI
- Heavy handed political messaging.
- Tarkin face CGI
- Said "hope" too many times.
- Tarkin face CGI
- You can just push Star Destroyers that easily?
- Tarkin face CGI
- The word "Stardust"
- Tarkin face CGI
- Too many random worlds introduced that you don't have the time to get invested in.
- Tarkin face CGI
- Too much awkward fan service.
- Tarkin face CGI
- Darth Vader's voice sounded off.
- Tarkin face CGI
- Some of the dialogue was really terrible.
- Tarkin face CGI