“Rogue One” Reviewed: Is It Time To Abandon The “Star Wars” Franchise?

I remember talking to a friend of mine years ago, and I said, "Can you imagine the planning, manpower, time, materials, etc. it would take to build something like the Deathstar?"

That guy really must have been a genius if he was so important to its construction.
*ahem*
Actually if you follow the movie's plot, it seems to me that his expertise is on kyber crystals which is needed to operate the Death Star's superlaser. The guy dies at the Kyber Refining Facility on Eadu.
 
Dropped the kid off and went to see it with the wife friday afternoon. We both really liked it, thought it was better that FA. The theater had recliners and served food and alcohol, was an awesome experience.
 
Dropped the kid off and went to see it with the wife friday afternoon. We both really liked it, thought it was better that FA. The theater had recliners and served food and alcohol, was an awesome experience.

We went and saw it last night and thought the same thing as well.
 
*ahem*
Actually if you follow the movie's plot, it seems to me that his expertise is on kyber crystals which is needed to operate the Death Star's superlaser. The guy dies at the Kyber Refining Facility on Eadu.

He is stated as a scientist at the beginning, he was even dressed differently from the main engineers on the platform. So this does make a lot of sense. The only plot hole is how was he able to put in the weakness if hes only the chief scientist.
 
The movie felt unfocused and unfinished, there are plenty of rough edges, and it was unfortunately rushed to meet the release date, but the last 30 minutes are definitely worth the price of admission if you are a Star Wars fan.
 
The 2k/1080p thing is a general reference when talking about the print you'd see in a theater. Each generation of film has a resolution loss, being an analogue process. So you get the most resolution on the 35mm negative, then less on the positive you make from that. However that is rarely what goes to theaters, usually a number for 1st generations positives are made, and then 2nd generation ones made from those and that is what theaters get. Those are usually around 2k/1080p tops because of the generation loss.

However if the movie is going to be digitally edited, and they basically all are these days, you'll just scan in the negatives and get full resolution because why not? Any theaters getting digital distribution then get a source that came straight from the digital master, they don't print it to film and re-digitize it or anything.
So I think that means we agree, right?
 
I just walked out of the movie. I have to agree with this review. There is no passion behind this film that can only come from a young writer/director looking to prove himself with a new property. It is just hitting all the Look it's Star Wars! notes.

Your mileage may vary, fandom depending.
 
I liked it, more than I liked TFA. The absence of all the jedi/sith/light-side/dark-side stuff gives this movie a different feel, which I liked.

Regarding the CGI characters, I honestly did not even notice one of them. I thought to myself, "Wait, wasn't this guy in the original SW film?", but I just didn't realize what they had done. Considering they can do this now, I'm surprised they couldn't enhance Darth Vader's voice to sound a little less like old James Earl Jones.
 
Gonna watch it tomorrow and cant wait to see Forrest Whitaker's role!
Found this pic.

640.jpg


They don't need the Force in this movie, they can give them the Forrest Whitaker Eye!

tumblr_lpmltwiRsr1qbkog4o1_400.gif
 
Last edited:
I don't think there is a movie reviewer on earth I trust anymore. It seems like half of them decide how much they like a movie before even watching it. Also they seem to all be up Hollywood's collective ass, oblivious to all the flaws that they love to bake in to every movie.

I'm going to see this eventually and I'll decide to which level I'll continue watching Star Wars movies based on that.
 
This is what I was afraid of, Disney so afraid to think outside of the box and take any creative risk that we'd just have another big dumb action movie with a paper thin script and no character development or exposition.


Of course, this is what they think all the rabid OT fanboys think SW is all about. The OT needs to be taken down off of that pedestal.

It'd be nice if Disney could make a movie with the level of depth present in any of the Disney canon novels.
Lost Stars, Tarkin and Bloodlines are all leagues better than these movies so far.
 
Man, it wasn't cool to hate the prequels until around 2009.

Sorry, but everybody always hated Jar Jar Binks.

And what this reviewer is saying is actually worse than just saying EP1 and EP2 were good - they're saying that they were better than EP4 (A New Hope) and EP5 (The Empire Strikes Back). That's where the reviewer jumps the shark and permanently loses all credibility.
 
I guess theres commercialized and hyper-commercialized. TFA sucks donkeys. I like star wars and shit but like star trek movies, the whole thing is being ruined. Yes it is, and its not even age for me I only got more familiar with star trek thanks to netflix not that many years before the 'reboot' . Its a halo that keeps these movies making money and most people saying they are great.. don't know about this one but the force awakens was a sad pos
 
I'm glad to see the hipster hate-the-movie-because-it's-popular trend didn't die with last movie.

So far, everyone I know that hated The Fanfiction Awakens loves Rogue One, although admittedly it got off to a rough start.

Of course, there will be a handful of bigoted idiots who hate both just because they feature diverse casts, but the majority of people who hate TFA do so because they have the brainpower to realise that a poorly conceived movie with good execution is still a bad movie.
 
This is what I was afraid of, Disney so afraid to think outside of the box and take any creative risk that we'd just have another big dumb action movie with a paper thin script and no character development or exposition.


Of course, this is what they think all the rabid OT fanboys think SW is all about. The OT needs to be taken down off of that pedestal.

It'd be nice if Disney could make a movie with the level of depth present in any of the Disney canon novels.
Lost Stars, Tarkin and Bloodlines are all leagues better than these movies so far.

Err, that's kind of exactly what they did with this movie.

It's not like other Star Wars movie, it's not an "adventure/journey" movie rather it's much more like a War movie, and it's a lot darker then most other Star Wars movies, more in line with Empire Strikes Back in that regard.

The Vader scene alone makes it stand out from other Star Wars movies.
 
Man, it wasn't cool to hate the prequels until around 2009. There are loads of video of people loving EP1 coming out of the theater.

TFA at least got a few months until it was cool to hate.

Rogue One only got 24hrs.

Must suck to not enjoy anything in life.

I agree with this. Jar jar was universally hated but other than that, the prequels were pretty well received. I remember standing in the long ass lines and hearing people rave about them. Yes Jar jar sucked, the dialog was corny and there were plot holes. Welcome to a Star Wars movie. What made these movies great was the fantasy and the story in the way Lucas told it, it was like the story kids would make up when playing. It was pure over the top fantasy.

But yeah, all of a sudden around 08 or so all you heard was how bad the prequels were. Maybe it's just from vocal Millennials that are just now seeing them and didn't grow up fantasizing and playing along with the movies. Maybe that's the key, you have to watch them for the first time when you're a kid. And then theres also the fact that in this day and age, it's trendy to hate everything.
 
The problem with the presequels were that they had no soul or passion, along with the acting rather stilted IMO when portraying the Jedi (especially as both Ewan and Liam Neesam are very good actors), and CGI that did not work always work well from an interraction-immersive perspective, along with a so-so script and stories not done at their best potential - oh man they seriously wasted the potential with The Phantom Menace.

It says something that I feel the Clone Wars animation series was actually better than the presequels, and also rated better by critics/general reviews.
Cheers
 
The problem with the presequels were that they had no soul or passion, along with the acting rather stilted IMO when portraying the Jedi (especially as both Ewan and Liam Neesam are very good actors), and CGI that did not work always work well from an interraction-immersive perspective, along with a so-so script and stories not done at their best potential - oh man they seriously wasted the potential with The Phantom Menace.

It says something that I feel the Clone Wars animation series was actually better than the presequels, and also rated better by critics/general reviews.
Cheers

I thought Hayden Christensen was the one that ruined the other two pre-sequels. Yikes that was terrible casting.

PS: I enjoyed all the SW films for what they were as I didn't read the books.
 
But yeah, all of a sudden around 08 or so all you heard was how bad the prequels were. Maybe it's just from vocal Millennials that are just now seeing them and didn't grow up fantasizing and playing along with the movies. Maybe that's the key, you have to watch them for the first time when you're a kid. And then theres also the fact that in this day and age, it's trendy to hate everything.

You must have been very young when epsiode 1 came out and not remember because people slaughtered the shit out of it because it was awful and that was a decade before you remember. Episodes 1, 2, and 3 were just bad movies. When George doesn't have people telling him no he makes bad movies.
 
I thought Hayden Christensen was the one that ruined the other two pre-sequels. Yikes that was terrible casting.

PS: I enjoyed all the SW films for what they were as I didn't read the books.
Yeah just disappointed regarding Ewan and Liam as they are very good actors and to me suggests the issue goes beyond the acting, like you I have not bothered with the books but I was interested in what George Lucas and LucasFilm would come up with in the Clone Wars animated series (and more recently Rebels, which is even stronger at times), and it seems with more time/writers it was actually better.
Cheers
 
You must have been very young when epsiode 1 came out and not remember because people slaughtered the shit out of it because it was awful and that was a decade before you remember. Episodes 1, 2, and 3 were just bad movies. When George doesn't have people telling him no he makes bad movies.

When Star Wars was first introduced to the public, it was called 'a cowboy and indian movie set in space' giving no significance, just an enjoyable 'park your brain at the entrance' movie. It was fun because no one tried to analyze it for something it wasn't (until the sequels started rolling out).
 
When Star Wars was first introduced to the public, it was called 'a cowboy and indian movie set in space' giving no significance, just an enjoyable 'park your brain at the entrance' movie. It was fun because no one tried to analyze it for something it wasn't (until the sequels started rolling out).
And that is the problem because George Lucas attempted to change the approach-context-narrative with Episodes 1-3 compared to IV-VI, and unfortunately it did not work either due to still not complete thought-out framework of the universe for him personally or enough writers.
Cheers
 
You must have been very young when epsiode 1 came out and not remember because people slaughtered the shit out of it because it was awful and that was a decade before you remember. Episodes 1, 2, and 3 were just bad movies. When George doesn't have people telling him no he makes bad movies.

I was 27 when Ep 1 came out. I remember the critics shitting all over it but they often do on movies people actually watch. As for fans, it broke a lot of box office records during it's run and made hundreds of millions of dollars. Maybe millions of people just liked to go see shitty movies back then but that kinda makes me think it's more likely millions of people dug the movie.

Like I said, the dialog is corny and the plot has holes but growing up with the original movies, they were like magic. The light sabers, the ships, the battles, the characters. Again, it was like Lucas put lots of kids childhood imaginations on the screen.

I guess if you're looking for superb writing, directing and acting, watch The English Patient or something. Star Wars movies are about pure fun, fantasy and entertainment.
 
The movie was excellent and a love letter to fans. The visuals were absolutely gorgeous and true to Star Wars.

If only Garet Edwards would have directed the force awakens which in my humble was garbage because JJ is a hack.

Go see it and enjoy it.
 
I was 27 when Ep 1 came out. I remember the critics shitting all over it but they often do on movies people actually watch.

So it wasn't in 2008. Imagine that!

As for fans, it broke a lot of box office records during it's run and made hundreds of millions of dollars. Maybe millions of people just liked to go see shitty movies back then but that kinda makes me think it's more likely millions of people dug the movie.

Yes, millions of people like seeing shitty movies all the time and lot's people grudgingly saw Ep1 because it was the first new theatrical star wars was in years. That is called pent up demand and not indicative of quality.

Like I said, the dialog is corny and the plot has holes but growing up with the original movies, they were like magic. The light sabers, the ships, the battles, the characters. Again, it was like Lucas put lots of kids childhood imaginations on the screen.

Ep 4, 5, and 6 did that too. Surprisingly, they did it fare better. Ep 1, 2, and 3 were bad movies. They were bad at the time, they were bad in 2008, and they are bad today. When George Lucas has money and doesn't have people telling him no he makes bad movies.
 
My first SW movie was Episode I, never really had a problem with the prequels; however, my favorite movie up until now has been Return of the Jedi.
I've probably read around 75-85% of most of the Extended Universe books (mostly the "classics", also the newer stuff although I try to avoid the Anakin emo novels).

IMO, Rogue One is awesome. It fits into the universe, there are nice tie-ins and a near seamless "handover" to EP IV.

What I really like though is that this movie is basically a war movie set in the SW universe. For me, after reading so many of the novels, I realized just how shallow the storytelling in the movies really is (original trilogy less so than the prequels, but the statement still stands imo).

If you're a SW nerd, and just want to be immersed in the battle of Rebels vs Empire for a couple of hours, no romance, no soap opera, just plain action with a nice dose of tie-ins, then this movie is perfect. Rogue One just "fits" into the SW universe/narrative, unlike FA which felt like a cheesy/cheap remake of IV (from the pimple face "villain" to the awkward stormtrooper character and the Yoda-esque wise-woman).

I am very thrilled to see what else Disney can release, FA had me worried, but Rogue One has given me some hope for future installments.
 
Star Wars VII reminded me a lot of The Hobbit I and Deathly Hallows I......a whole lot of talk, movement, but no real plot. They were there to bring you up to speed and to set the stage for the upcoming sequels and when you look back on them now, they look more like money grabs than anything else. SW VII introduced you to new characters, new bad guys, and several plot twists while weaving the past into the 'present' and on into the future in the SW universe. I liked SW VII for what it was, but it's the first of the third trilogy and is a necessary evil.
 
Thanks for the snippet quote
or experiential thrills of the best of George Lucas’s “Star Wars” entries (“Attack of the Clones” and “Revenge of the Sith”)
All I needed to see was this to know that I don't need to read this review, as the review is not catered towards me, Attack of the Clones and Sith were his best entries? Wow... just fucking wow.

This is why you don't necessarily look at the Critics value on Rotten Tomatoes, but more the fan response.
 
So it wasn't in 2008. Imagine that!

No, 2008 was just when it became trendy to hate it.

Yes, millions of people like seeing shitty movies all the time and lot's people grudgingly saw Ep1 because it was the first new theatrical star wars was in years. That is called pent up demand and not indicative of quality.

Opening weekend I'd agree with you but EP 1 broke not only opening records but also fastest to $200 million and then fastest to $300 million. According to its Wikipedia page it also sold 84 million tickets in the US during its theatrical run. I know some saw it more than once but still that's coming up on 1/3 of the US population going to see 1 movie.

Ep 4, 5, and 6 did that too. Surprisingly, they did it fare better. Ep 1, 2, and 3 were bad movies. They were bad at the time, they were bad in 2008, and they are bad today. When George Lucas has money and doesn't have people telling him no he makes bad movies.

Yes they were bad in terms of writing and directing. Nobody would deny that. Star Wars movies have never been about that. They are movies you can go sit and get lost in for 2 hours and enjoy the ride. Or you can go sit and poke holes in the plot and whine about the dialog not being as good as Bridges of Madison County.

I'm not arguing the fact that any of the Star Wars movies were well written with deep, rich dialog, bulletproof plots and Oscar worthy actors. I'll give you that. What I'm saying is that Star Wars is a fantastic story that touches on emotions and imagination that most of us had as kids.

You keep your Oscars. I'd rather have light saber battles with cyborgs with 4 arms.
 
The problem with the presequels were that they had no soul or passion, along with the acting rather stilted IMO when portraying the Jedi (especially as both Ewan and Liam Neesam are very good actors), and CGI that did not work always work well from an interraction-immersive perspective, along with a so-so script and stories not done at their best potential - oh man they seriously wasted the potential with The Phantom Menace.

It says something that I feel the Clone Wars animation series was actually better than the presequels, and also rated better by critics/general reviews.
Cheers
Yep. Bad casting, acting and Lucas directing completely ruined the prequels. Still prefer the Muppet version of Yoda over the CGI one.
 
I thought it was a great movie although I do have my gripes. The lack of the Star Wars crawl through me way off with no Star Wars at all in the title with awkward font of Rogue One being the only title given. The other thing I didn't care for was the score. It was slow to start but didn't matter, the ending was awesome. They had a lot of tie ins yet distance themselves from the Saga when it's clearly part of it. It's not the movie I didn't like it's this cluster fuck of a personality disorder they are giving the film.
 
The problem with the prequels is they attempted to be something the movies weren't. Star Wars were never great made movies, they had terrible plot holes, terrible acting, and terrible directing. What George Lucas did well was put on a great show that involved heart pounding music, great colorful visuals and awesome action scenes.

To tell you the truth that's all I care for in movies. The deal with all the politics and attempting to make a love plot that was arguably one of the worst set ups in history can be removed.

Rogue One was awesome if only for two reasons:

1) It wasn't a happy ending, but it felt happy for some odd reason

2) The last 20 minutes is top 10, edge of your seat, insane tense action out there AND you already know how it ends!
 
  • Like
Reactions: pxc
like this
Praising George Lucas' prequels, top el oh el

Attack of the Clones was hands down the worst Star Wars movie, right after TPM. The dialogue and acting (due to piss poor direction) were so appallingly bad that I literally started cringing during some of the scenes. I've read before that Harrison Ford used to bitch at Lucas, during the original trilogy, about how bad the dialogue he'd written was. Difference was that the original trilogy had Lucas not in complete control, and his ex wife edited it. Supposedly ANH was really poorly received by audiences until his wife recut the whole thing.

TFA may have some general similarities to ANH (is that really that important?) but it was still head and shoulders above the prequels. Rogue One was awesome.
 
Back
Top