SIGNIFICANT STAR WARS: Rogue One
A Star Wars Story nobody asked for nor did we really need
But it's kinda good!
Kinda.
Rogue One is dedicated to fans and the attention to detail will make fans nostalgic for the simpler days of 1977 if not because the plot is centered around the original film then they'll be nostalgic because in 1977 there wasn't this much unnecessary plot surrounding Darth Vader's troops.
In 1977, the unnecessary plot followed around these hoes.
Don't misread what I'm saying. Rogue One is not bad nor should anyone skip out on the theater to see it by any means, but it's also not an incredibly exciting nor a highly demanded story, regardless of how much of a thrilling, action-heavy plot the film possesses. What is nice about it is the execution in shedding some light on backstory of the Rogue squadron as discussed only in dialogue in the original films. What Rogue One actually accomplishes is pretty neat in details and fan servicing especially with its depictions of some actual wars in a Star Wars film for once.
The worst part of the film by far is the cast of bland new characters and all their techie talk of plotting and planning and hatching formulas that audiences don't ever become truly invested in. Granted the entire movie IS a high stakes Valkyrie-style plot to take down the Death Star and it's all very exciting, especially once the war-heavy action sequences give way, but until the final act there's so much dialogue exposition of plotting and scheming by Mon Mothma's band of merry men, it all sounds a lot more important than it ends up being. The fact that a Star Wars movie actually features some real, quality sci-fi war scenes for once is vastly impressive but it doesn't hide the fact the movie lacks a wild sense of fun or colorful character development.
MOST CASUAL FANS DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO THIS LADY IS.
On the other hand, the lack of fun is replaced with a fresh, brooding, dark atmosphere for Star Wars territory which has never been explored in previous films and has been much desired after years of watered down space violence. Not only are the war scenes intense but the film's got a pretty ballsy third act making for some of the most emotionally devastating Star Wars we've seen since Hayden Christensen slaughtered little children in the Jedi temple.
(NOT THE YOUNGLINGS, YOU BASTARD)
It's a new turn for the franchise and considering both sides always seem to be at war it's nice to get a sense of depth or gravity as to the reasoning behind the warfare.
That being said, the characters are shockingly dull for a Star Wars film. Granted most of them have their memorable moments, after the movie I found myself going "I enjoyed the blind guy in that one scene" or "the droid had some good jokes" rather than actually grasping the characters' names or getting to really know them. The only character we ever really scrape beneath the surface is Felicity Jones' character as the lead, Jyn.
(Not to be confused with this)
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Jyn is often the most lifeless of the merry band of rejects. She's certainly not bad but whether it be the way her character was written or the actress herself, Jones seemed more void of personality than nearly any other cast member (JUST SMILE DAMMIT). Even guys like Forest Whitaker or Mads Mikkelsen couldn't hold down the rebel fort of often eschewed characters. That said, the blind guy and the droid were great (insert names here).
All unnecessarily complicated plots and thinly written characters aside, the film attempts to pay homage to O.G. Star Wars; the original Episode, A New Hope and at times those paid respects are often brilliant. The attention to detail is arguably some of the best ever featured in a Star Wars film. Everything from the costumes, ships, imperial destroyer's interior designs, visuals and sound effects down to the original soundtrack's tribute to John Williams with echoes of the previous films' score, R1 often feels like a direct relative of ANH and there are moments where it feels so much like it, it were as if some of these scenes were taken directly from 1977.
That being said, the film can only do so well without the flaws showing through the cracks however small and insignificant they be. For one, the CGI depiction of General Tarkin is convincing but once your brain realizes the face is completely animated, you can't help but feel like he eerily resembles Jim Carrey from A Christmas Carol.
Humbug Rebel scum.
From the way his head turns to the way his lips move when he speaks, it's just clearly not a real person and for some, it's gonna seem absolutely absurd. Personally, it would have been way more effective had they hinted at the character and alluded to his face rather than have full blown up-close shots of the once deceased, now animated Peter Cushing. Other CGI-imposed actors appear as well and while some of them actually work (the pilots in the Rogue fighter ships are very convincing) others look like they're from a PlayStation cut scene. Granted it's slightly mesmerizing to see old faces rejuvenated after four decades, even the shots of Darth Vader are slightly distasteful as the iconic outfit for some reason now resembles a children's Halloween costume in certain shots. It's not often but between his cape and neck piece, it just doesn't look right. This was another prime example of how less would have been more (though Vader's moments no doubt will give fans, willing to suspend their disbelief, the chills).
Is Darth Vader gonna have to choke a b*tch?
All these complaints aside, the love that went into the craft of this film is undeniable. Director Gareth Edwards is obviously a Star Wars fan who paid great attention to the little details that made the original what it is, helping fit this new little film into a much larger universe. That said, Rogue One does not accomplish its mission as effectively the way Godzilla did in 2014 and Edwards has directed stronger pieces than this. Still, even with these flaws, the man does indeed know how to stage a damn fine action sequence and build remarkable tension. If not for these aspects then his attention to detail alone must be rewarded.
Rogue One is a Star Wars spin-off before anything else and though it is now canon and officially part of the saga it should be treated as nothing but a spin-off. To be completely fair I actually enjoyed the film most when I disconnected it from all things Star Wars. Save for the fact that it's a complete homage and a direct prequel to A New Hope, the tone and overall feel to Rogue One is just very different. It's dark and brooding; It's heavy and at times soul crushing; it often takes itself very seriously. Fans don't normally think of these aspects when they think Star Wars so obviously the film is immediately very different but different is also very welcome after a trilogy of classic, campy films followed by a prequel trilogy of overly soapy, sour, missed opportunities. After nearly 40 years, fans deserve different and they deserve a different that feels good. If one thing's for certain, if we're talking prequels, Rogue One is far, far away the best prequel by twelve parsecs so fans really need not worry.
But with this welcome change also comes a lack of the spark that drives the spirit of Star Wars. It's action packed but never too emotionally compelling; sprinkled with humor but never pushes character development beyond its limits. For one, other people may think of The Force Awakens as a carbon copy of A New Hope but if we're going to compare films, save for the last twenty minutes, I never once found Rogue One to be as fun, thrilling or emotionally savoring in its plot nor in its characters as I did in last year's Episode VII. That said, my advice is that if you were sour about Force Awakens not feeling as quality as the old stuff (or on the contrary, feeling too much like the old stuff), Rogue One should make you feel right at home. Then again, all the overbearing nostalgia of the original may be a turn-off for some
(and maybe you're just a sour puss who should stay home for the next one).
Rogue One is made for fans and not just fans but nostalgic fans; fans who know and cherish the original 1977 film so well that they want to live in that perfect range of a timeline that exists before Whiny Kylo Ren and after all the political, Hayden Christensen mumbo-jumbo. It's a film for post Empire Strikes Back fans who feel they haven't had their way yet and if you're willing to suspend your disbelief enough (and accept CGI faces and lots of unnecessary political warfare) you'll have fun with it.
The film is an Easter-egg filled basket of nostalgic tricks and tons of little treats for all the patient nerds who know the original films so well; fans who want to know exactly why our rebels are fighting so hard and why Darth and the troops are being so dramatic during the events of A New Hope. If you ever wondered what Mon Mothma meant when she said "Many Bothans died to bring us this information" this movie gives you an answer. If you don't even recall the line, you may have trouble keeping interest with the whole thing. Regardless, R1 answers questions regarding the original Star Wars that you never knew you wanted to ask. It calls back to some scenes from the 1977 film directly, making it truly bleed in with the franchise. R1 indeed sparks new life in the original franchise if anything by being a complete fan service to it. Hell, the last 30 minutes of the film alone are worth shelling out money for. The final beach sequence is breathtaking and as a bonus, the film even features an ending that bridges a loading dock for the plot to roll right into A New Hope. It's a slightly shoddy, very abrupt ending but one that's guaranteed to make the fans smile and make the hardcore nerds want to stand up and cheer for.
The fan servicing can also go both ways. Some people will definitely watch R1 and feel that adding on a drama-heavy plot surrounding the lighthearted 1977 original will taint their idea of simplistic Star Wars being about nothing more than swashbuckling heroes and scruffy nerf herders on an adventure to rescue a princess.
It's STAR WARS, folks. The true fans will eat it up even if the hardcore purists will write it off as a Disney manipulated cash-grab (HOW DARE THEY ADD MORE CGI, they will cry). In the end, this is a movie made for die hard fans and I would never recommend it to anyone who's not a die hard fan. The bigger the geek, the more you'll get out of the film, and if you've never heard of Wookieepedia, you should not be attending this one.
Was this film necessary? Absolutely not. Does it do anything for the overarching themes and characters in the SW saga? Not really. Will it make a few scenes and bits of dialogue in A New Hope stand out more? Yes, it will make the clash between the Rebels and the Empire feel a lot more dramatic, and if you're one to believe that a classic movie can be slightly improved nearly four decades later, you'll have the power to believe that Rogue One is something made of magic. If you don't buy into any of the newly fan serviced crap however, don't even put this one on your radar unless you're ready to roll your eyes at all the attempts to make it feel like 1977 again; a simpler time when it was just Star Wars; Star Wars with no Episode surnames, prequels, sequels or spin-offs.
For everyone else who's a little more level headed with the change, they should find Rogue One to be a fine addition to the age old saga, even if it never reaches that point of excitement or never truly rejuvenates the spirit that exists within the former films, regardless of the countless Easter eggs.
No but really....
Die hard fans are gonna love this.
Fans expecting the long awaited Jar Jar Binks cameo might be disappointed.
But with this welcome change also comes a lack of the spark that drives the spirit of Star Wars. It's action packed but never too emotionally compelling; sprinkled with humor but never pushes character development beyond its limits. For one, other people may think of The Force Awakens as a carbon copy of A New Hope but if we're going to compare films, save for the last twenty minutes, I never once found Rogue One to be as fun, thrilling or emotionally savoring in its plot nor in its characters as I did in last year's Episode VII. That said, my advice is that if you were sour about Force Awakens not feeling as quality as the old stuff (or on the contrary, feeling too much like the old stuff), Rogue One should make you feel right at home. Then again, all the overbearing nostalgia of the original may be a turn-off for some
(and maybe you're just a sour puss who should stay home for the next one).
Rogue One is made for fans and not just fans but nostalgic fans; fans who know and cherish the original 1977 film so well that they want to live in that perfect range of a timeline that exists before Whiny Kylo Ren and after all the political, Hayden Christensen mumbo-jumbo. It's a film for post Empire Strikes Back fans who feel they haven't had their way yet and if you're willing to suspend your disbelief enough (and accept CGI faces and lots of unnecessary political warfare) you'll have fun with it.
After all, the worst is behind us.
The film is an Easter-egg filled basket of nostalgic tricks and tons of little treats for all the patient nerds who know the original films so well; fans who want to know exactly why our rebels are fighting so hard and why Darth and the troops are being so dramatic during the events of A New Hope. If you ever wondered what Mon Mothma meant when she said "Many Bothans died to bring us this information" this movie gives you an answer. If you don't even recall the line, you may have trouble keeping interest with the whole thing. Regardless, R1 answers questions regarding the original Star Wars that you never knew you wanted to ask. It calls back to some scenes from the 1977 film directly, making it truly bleed in with the franchise. R1 indeed sparks new life in the original franchise if anything by being a complete fan service to it. Hell, the last 30 minutes of the film alone are worth shelling out money for. The final beach sequence is breathtaking and as a bonus, the film even features an ending that bridges a loading dock for the plot to roll right into A New Hope. It's a slightly shoddy, very abrupt ending but one that's guaranteed to make the fans smile and make the hardcore nerds want to stand up and cheer for.
The fan servicing can also go both ways. Some people will definitely watch R1 and feel that adding on a drama-heavy plot surrounding the lighthearted 1977 original will taint their idea of simplistic Star Wars being about nothing more than swashbuckling heroes and scruffy nerf herders on an adventure to rescue a princess.
And blue milk. There may or may not be a cameo from the blue milk.
It's STAR WARS, folks. The true fans will eat it up even if the hardcore purists will write it off as a Disney manipulated cash-grab (HOW DARE THEY ADD MORE CGI, they will cry). In the end, this is a movie made for die hard fans and I would never recommend it to anyone who's not a die hard fan. The bigger the geek, the more you'll get out of the film, and if you've never heard of Wookieepedia, you should not be attending this one.
Was this film necessary? Absolutely not. Does it do anything for the overarching themes and characters in the SW saga? Not really. Will it make a few scenes and bits of dialogue in A New Hope stand out more? Yes, it will make the clash between the Rebels and the Empire feel a lot more dramatic, and if you're one to believe that a classic movie can be slightly improved nearly four decades later, you'll have the power to believe that Rogue One is something made of magic. If you don't buy into any of the newly fan serviced crap however, don't even put this one on your radar unless you're ready to roll your eyes at all the attempts to make it feel like 1977 again; a simpler time when it was just Star Wars; Star Wars with no Episode surnames, prequels, sequels or spin-offs.
For everyone else who's a little more level headed with the change, they should find Rogue One to be a fine addition to the age old saga, even if it never reaches that point of excitement or never truly rejuvenates the spirit that exists within the former films, regardless of the countless Easter eggs.
10 points for detail.
No but really....
Die hard fans are gonna love this.
May da motha f**kin' Force be witcho dumb ass.
