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Rogue One Reviews & Impressions (Spoiler Tags Required)

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C

Cross-Section

Member
Surfinn said:
Meh I don't think that makes a whole lot of difference, I'd say there's just as many, if not more, HC fans that dislike TFA than casual fans.

Either way, criticism of the characters is something that I've been fearing and it seems to be creeping its way into impressions.
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It's not so much the preference as it is the tone of opinion.

For example, I'd be less likely to trust the opinion of someone who hated or loved TFA with the passion of a thousand burning suns (as entertaining as those opinions usually are) than somebody who merely said "eh, I liked it" or "well, it's not my favorite", or etc.

It's an indication of the kind of emotional detachment that I like to see in my reviews.
 
R

rhino4evr

Member
Haloid1177 said:
I would have been pretty bummed going into TFA, seeing Hamill making appearances, and then boom last scene only. That'd have soured me on the whole film. Knowing what to expect in that regard helped a ton.
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Yeah but Hamil wasn't featured anywhere on the trailers or the marketing materials (except for his name). It was pretty apparent that he'd have a smaller part in the overall film. I'm guessing Vader will be the same way.

Plus Seeing Luke skywalker would have completely given away the ending of the movie.
 
H

Haloid1177

Banned
rhino4evr said:
Yeah but Hamil wasn't featured anywhere on the trailers or the marketing materials (except for his name). It was pretty apparent that he'd have a smaller part in the overall film. I'm guessing Vader will be the same way.

Plus Seeing Luke skywalker would have completely given away the ending of the movie.
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That's part of the reason why I'm kinda keeping up with spoilers. I don't wanna know character specific circumstances, just Vader's part. That's the make or break for me, as dumb as it is.
 
R

rhino4evr

Member
kIdMuScLe said:
Why do you care if someone wants to get spoiled? It actually enhances the movie for people that are spoiled according to studies.
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I care because people asking for spoilers in a non spoiler thread are just increasing the chances of spoiling it for the rest of us.

If you have a specific question...why not send a private message instead of asking someone to potentially post said spoiler for all to see.

Or like go to the spoiler thread which was already created.

Also,..I would like a link to these "studies" you are referencing. i feel most people would tend to enjoy the element of surprise when it comes to media. In order for drama to work as it's intended, you need at least some sort of suspense.
 
A

Already Torn

Banned
rhino4evr said:
In other words...if you cheat and look up all the answers to the test, you don't actually learn anything.
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Yes you do. This is why taking practice tests and sample questions is one of the best ways to study for exams. By seeing the answers to questions, you now know the answers to those questions.
 
G

Goodstyle

Member
The character criticisms are what I feared. Plainly, the cast looks super boring and lame. This is gonna be a reverse Force Awakens, and have a great original story, and shitty characters.
 
S

Surfinn

Member
Cross-Section said:
It's not so much the preference as it is the tone of opinion.

For example, I'd be less likely to trust the opinion of someone who hated or loved TFA with the passion of a thousand burning suns (as entertaining as those opinions usually are) than somebody who merely said "eh, I liked it" or "well, it's not my favorite", or etc.

It's an indication of the kind of emotional detachment that I like to see in my reviews.
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I get what you're saying about staying away from those extremities, but emotion can still make for a fantastic review as long as it's controlled. SW are films that are based on emotion and driven by characters and their actions because people find that relatability endearing.

It's just bad when it takes over an ENTIRE review, like you said. IT'S ALL HORRIBLE or IT'S ALL AMAZING when the film is clearly neither of those.

I just don't think whether or not someone is a SW (HC or SC) fan should have to do with how valuable or credible their opinion is.
 
T

Timu

Member
Another person who saw it shares the same opinion of a 1st half that's not great but an amazing last half...I wonder how that will affect reviews. Shame about some of the characters though.
 
T

TheXbox

Member
Goodstyle said:
The character criticisms are what I feared. Plainly, the cast looks super boring and lame. This is gonna be a reverse Force Awakens, and have a great original story, and shitty characters.
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It would be incredible if two successive Star Wars movies proved the auteurism of two successive directors. JJ writes great moments and characters with a script that falls apart at a second glance, and Gareth nails tone, grit, and action sans any compelling human drama.

It's a pattern which bodes well for Ep VIII, I guess, since Rian Johnson's defining characteristic is that he's just fucking good.
 
S

Surfinn

Member
TheXbox said:
It would be incredible if two successive Star Wars movies proved the auteurism of two successive directors. JJ writes great moments and characters with a script that falls apart at a second glance, and Gareth nails tone, grit, and action sans any compelling human drama.

It's a pattern which bodes well for Ep VIII, I guess, since Rian Johnson's defining characteristic is that he's just fucking good.
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Nah. There's just some weird decisions here and there.
 
C

Cross-Section

Member
Surfinn said:
I get what you're saying about staying away from those extremities, but emotion can still make for a fantastic review as long as it's controlled. SW are films that are based on emotion and driven by characters and their actions because people find that relatability endearing.

It's just bad when it takes over an ENTIRE review, like you said. IT'S ALL HORRIBLE or IT'S ALL AMAZING when the film is clearly neither of those.

I just don't think whether or not someone is a SW (HC or SC) fan should have to do with how valuable or credible their opinion is.
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I'm with you on that controlled emotion is definitely an asset, I probably went a bit too far with my original post in regards to that (which in turn highlights the point I guess).

I don't think that being a hardcore fan of something immediately disqualifies one from having their opinions on said movie/game/whatever, it just opens those opinions up to further scrutiny, in my opinion.
 
C

Cross-Section

Member
Haloid1177 said:
[tweet]https://twitter.com/evansaathoff/status/808393207600058368[/tweet]
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And this response:
Antonio Pacelli
‏@antoniopacelli8
@evansaathoff @LimitedPaper I would cut that down to about 30 mins but I agree that it takes a while to find it's groove
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I'm starting to see the "Star Wars fans will LOVE it" motif a bit more clearly now.

e: gah, edit not quote, etc.
 
T

TheXbox

Member
Surfinn said:
Nah. There's just some weird decisions here and there.
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Mmm, agree to disagree, but I think it's terrible. Actually, it's inexcusably bad, because I know Kasdan was a contributor, and you expect more from him (I know the guy has had his share of flops, but come on, it's Lawrence Kasdan).

There are plot holes and contrivances in TFA that recall similar - if not identical - flaws in JJ's Star Trek films. Leaning too hard on nostalgic material would be one (Kahn/ANH). Treating hyperspace and warpspeed as if they can achieve near-instant teleportation is another. You've got some deus ex machina at the end of both STID and TFA; Khan blood in the former, R2D2 in the latter.

All I'm saying is that there is some clear JJ-isms which repeat themselves over and over, even in shit like Mission: Impossible.

LucidMomentum said:
Any talks of the score? My main Star Wars joys are good sound design, good score, and good action.
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David Collins of Star Wars Oxygen said it's great. I mean, of course he would, but I've also heard other positive impressions. I think this movie will tick your boxes.
 
S

Surfinn

Member
TheXbox said:
Mmm, agree to disagree, but I think it's terrible. Actually, it's inexcusably bad, because I know Kasdan was a contributor, and you expect more from him (I know the guy has had his share of flops, but come on, it's Lawrence Kasdan).

There are plot holes and contrivances in TFA that recall similar - if not identical - flaws in JJ's Star Trek films. Leaning too hard on nostalgic material would be one (Kahn/ANH). Treating hyperspace and warpspeed as if they can achieve near-instant teleportation is another. You've got some deus ex machina at the end of both STID and TFA; Khan blood in the former, R2D2 in the latter.
Click to expand...

I really see those criticisms falling into the "nitpick" category and less in the "collapsing script" category. Who knows, maybe R2D2 is explained more in EP8. But that's hardly the script falling apart.
 
G

Goodstyle

Member
My problems with TFA begin and end with the fact that it just aped the first film. I know why they did it, I get the logic, I just really didn't like that they went with that. Also, the
Star Destroyer just blowing up a bunch of planets and killing like a bajillian people,
with the movie treating that like an afterthought, was so weird to me. It also kills the tension a little. It's like, the very worst thing that could have happened, happened, where do we go from here? That's another issue from them trying so hard to one up the original.

That being said though, I fucking loved the characters. Finn, Rey, and Kylo Ren alone are worth the price of admission. They are what is keeping me excited for the sequel since I have low expectations for the story.
 
S

Surfinn

Member
Goodstyle said:
My problems with TFA begin and end with the fact that it just aped the first film. I know why they did it, I get the logic, I just really didn't like that they went with that. Also, the
Star Destroyer just blowing up a bunch of planets and killing like a bajillian people,
with the movie treating that like an afterthought, was so weird to me. It also kills the tension a little. It's like, the very worst thing that could have happened, happened, where do we go from here? That's another issue from them trying so hard to one up the original.

That being said though, I fucking loved the characters. Finn, Rey, and Kylo Ren alone are worth the price of admission. They are what is keeping me excited for the sequel since I have low expectations for the story.
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I actually really loved the way that part of the film was shot and scored (Starkiller), but I get what you're saying. I just really thought they sold how big of a deal it was for both the galaxy and Finn's character (he chose to stay because of what the FO did).

One of the very best parts of the film for me.
 
T

TheXbox

Member
Surfinn said:
I really see those criticisms falling into the "nitpick" category and less in the "collapsing script" category. Who knows, maybe R2D2 is explained more in EP8. But that's hardly the script falling apart.
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Maybe I should distinguish between the script and the plot. Because dialogue is a part of the script and that stuff is great. The plot is where I take issue, and I'm not shitting you when I say that I think it's awful. Spending seventy minutes of the film retreading the doomsday plot of ANH/RotJ as the backdrop for unrelated character moments is not a criticism I would characterize as a nitpick. That's just the damn movie. Shrinking space is closer to a nitpick, but I'd put that in the same basket of contrivances and head-scratchers with which TFA is loaded. Some of them will be explained in future films, a lot of them won't. They add up in the end, and mystery starts to stink like negligence.

But, you know, that's ^ the most JJ Abrams thing ever. And wrapping wonderful, gritty action around a mess of boring characters? That's Gareth Edwards.

What I'm really saying is that I finally have the ammunition I need to cry about Collin Trevorrow for the next three years.
 
G

Goodstyle

Member
Surfinn said:
I actually really loved the way that part of the film was shot and scored (Starkiller), but I get what you're saying. I just really thought they sold how big of a deal it was for both the galaxy and Finn's character (he chose to stay because of what the FO did).

One of the very best parts of the film for me.
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Artistically, it was amazing. Like it was beautiful to look at, and the way it literally sucked away light was breathtaking. The way it affected the scene between Kylo Ren and Han was part of what made that scene so damn good. It's just that it felt like too much too soon for the story.
 
V

Vinc

Member
Cross-Section said:
Any French-speaking users in the thread?
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Yep, basically echoes the US impressions. Mostly very positive.

"Rogue One is not a Star Wars story, it's THE Star Wars story. MIssion accomplished for Gareth Edwards. Woot!"

"Even if you think about it a lot, you still have no idea what's coming in Rogue One."

"What a blast!! I only have one thing in mind now that I saw Rogue One: Seeing it again."

"Disney can thank Gareth Edwards for delivering a great Star Wars film. Slow start, but what an ending!"

"So I can finally say it. Rogue one is a blast! Incredible effect work. Superb film."

I'll keep adding more.


Edit:

"People can't say Disney is just being Disney with this one. It's huge and very dark."

"A great film that's very different from the classic episodes. It brings a lot of freshness to the series."

"First reaction after coming out of Rogue One is that it's the best one since ESB"

"OH MY GOD at Rogue One!!!!! What a fucking movie!! Thanks Gareth Edwards!!"
(continued: "Rogue One is everything TFA was not: Visually stunning, fan service is earned, takes risks and feels unique")

"Fans will not be disappointed with Rogue One. Script, sound, special effects, and punchlines are all there. And even a
chewie
!"


I'll stop here cause the rest is mostly positive and I wish I didn't read that spoiler. But here's a couple of more negative ones:

"A bit disappointed in Rogue One. The fun is there, but there's a lot of flaws."

"I didn't like everything in Rogue One, but it was overall pretty good."

"#RogueOne = Less charm and less attachment, a bit slow to start, but the last 30 minutes are nice."

"Slow to start and underwhelming. A solid war film that lacks passion and emotion. Donnie Yen is superb, though."

"Slow to start, but the final act goes all out."

"Meh."

"Plot is a bit thin [...] but the last ten minutes are brilliant."
 
S

Surfinn

Member
TheXbox said:
Spending seventy minutes of the film retreading the doomsday plot of ANH/RotJ as the backdrop for unrelated character moments is not a criticism I would characterize as a nitpick. That's just the damn movie. Shrinking space is closer to a nitpick, but I'd put that in the same basket of contrivances and head-scratchers with which TFA is loaded. Some of them will be explained in future films, a lot of them won't. They add up in the end, and mystery starts to stink like negligence.
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Not understanding the bolded. Can you explain? I really don't think TFA is "loaded" with head-scratchers, which as you said, will be explained in some part in future episodes. It's far too early to make those judgments one film in.
 
T

TheXbox

Member
Surfinn said:
Not understanding the bolded. Can you explain? I really don't think TFA is "loaded" with head-scratchers, which as you said, will be explained in some part in future episodes. It's far too early to make those judgments one film in.
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I always try add an asterisk when I criticize the repetitive elements of TFA. Does it carbon copy the Death Star plot? Absolutely, 100%. But it's also a B-plot in Episode VII, whereas in ANH it was A-plot. That's what I mean by unrelated character moments. The leads of the film - Rey, Finn, Ben, Han - have key moments and motivations that have nothing to do with Starkiller Base. Finn and Han going to rescue Rey didn't require a laser planet. Han would have gone to save his son in any event. Rey and Kylo Ren could have had a lightsaber duel anywhere. When I say backdrop, I mean that Starkiller Base is a literal backdrop. That's why I think the people that call TFA a remake are dead wrong, but I also think that JJ and Kasdan could have done a lot better.
 
S

Surfinn

Member
TheXbox said:
I always try add an asterisk when I criticize the repetitive elements of TFA. Does it carbon copy the Death Star plot? Absolutely, 100%. But it's also a B-plot in Episode VII, whereas in ANH it was A-plot. That's what I mean by unrelated character moments. The leads of the film - Rey, Finn, Ben, Han - have key moments and motivations that have nothing to do with Starkiller Base. Finn and Han going to rescue Rey didn't require a laser planet. Han would have gone to save his son in any event. Rey and Kylo Ren could have had a lightsaber duel anywhere. When I say backdrop, I mean that Starkiller Base is a literal backdrop. That's why I think the people that call TFA a remake are dead wrong, but I also think that JJ and Kasdan could have done a lot better.
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Ah, interesting, thank you for clarifying that. I never thought of that way honestly. I definitely think the third act needed a rework and it does kinda feel disconnected in a way between the resistance and the main character's struggles. Like they're both doing their own thing that's almost completely independent from each others' battles. I mean there was that one line from Han that was like "these guys need help, I've got some explosives" but I guess that can be sloppily viewed as Han secretly just wanting an excuse to confront Ren.

I mean I wouldn't have had an issue with it if Starkiller wasn't so poorly implemented, as the same thing basically happened with Luke/Vader in ROTJ.

But then again I guess you could also argue that Han would have done that anyway and that Finn would have too, since Han has done his part in the past with the rebels and Finn hates the FO enough to want to redeem himself for having been involved at all.
 
T

TheXbox

Member
Just having a look at his twitter, you could sticky his thoughts on Star Wars theories in every thread about who Snoke is or who Rey's parents are. But I'm sure he would (and probably did) get tired of posting it in every thread.

Anyway, you can count on him being level-headed about Star Wars - his TFA impressions/review were untainted by fanboy reactionism, in one direction or the other.
 
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