Rogue One Discussion - yep, spoilers will eventually abound. Beware.

[jjreason]

Just my feelings first, specific plot points & discussion of events I'll leave until more of us can chime in. I don't think I will spoil anything with this post so I'm leaving the purple alone.

Overall very good. A lot happens. Once again, I found myself rolling my eyes at the characters a bit after seeing them in figure form, bits from the trailers etc (and I did this for TFA as well) but they got me on their side quickly & with ease once the movie started.

There is some humor and I would say it's only a tad bit lame, which I guess is SW humor in a nutshell.

Chux is really going to enjoy the last little bit. I recall him being upset by something missing from ROTS. There is one segment that will fulfill that wish in spades.

Some of our old friends showed up in a very interesting way, which really lends itself to some new ideas for movie making going forward. I didn't know this was going to happen the way it did, and I found it effective in varying degrees.

There is VERY little time between the end of this movie & the beginning of ANH. I was initially worried that they might try to retcon in some dialogue about all the happenings, but really honestly they don't discuss Yavin in ESB or Hoth in ROJ so no, they won't need to (and hopefully won't want to).

I didn't sit through the credits. I was exhausted & needed to get on the road home - terrible weather here. I hope I didn't miss anything, but if I did I'll make sure to see it on future viewings.

EDITED: Apparently there is no mid or post credit scene.

[anarky]

The action fits the OT dialogue better than Lucas's own prequels did. I definitely need to re-watch ANH tomorrow.

Best Star Wars since ESB. Not even close. I fucking love ROTJ, and it's still not a contest there.

Motherfuckin' Dr. Cornelius "Roofoo" Evazan!!! Holy shitballs, I did not see that coming. Now I need the inevitable "what was he doing on Jeddah just a few days before he was in Mos Eisley" story.

The Tarkin and Leia actors were incredible. I was actually shocked that wasn't old footage of Carrier Fisher. And cameos from the original Red and Gold leaders, which I think we're unused or alternate ANH shots.

Vader's castle! Holy shit, what a way to bring back a cool but underused EU idea.

You all noticed the callsign of the red X-Wing that bought it? Hey, Luke couldn't have been the first.

"You've got to be kidding me. I'm blind!" I want my goddamn 6" Chirrut figure yesterday.

And Chirrut and Baze were formerly Keepers of the Whills. While there were lots of cheers for Vader, I think I was the only audible gasp at that line. Maybe Disney will finally do what Lucas would not and explain that shit.

[jjreason]

Chirrut was likely my biggest eyeroller of all leading up to the movie, but he took himself much less seriously than I was expecting, so he gets a pass. I enjoyed that line about what he used to be as well, very nice.

I really thought the OT characters were all CG'd (minus Vader of course) hence my comment about it opening up doors. I figured we could have 10 new Bruce Lee movies with no Bruce Lee kinda thing.

[vynsane]

i liked it a lot, but thought that both tarkin and leia dipped too low into the uncanny valley. and it absolutely was CGI, on top of actual actors.

[anarky]

Chirrut could've been the most ridiculous stereotype, and playing him as an humorous character was unexpected. Still, they could've made him ridiculous, but they skirted that fine line perfectly. I doubt I'm the only person who'd say he's my favorite new human character. (I imagine K2 is everyone's fave. That droid stole the show.)

[Diabolical]

So, I saw it tonight and thought was very enjoyable, not amazing.

It was a well done story, but it kinda felt like it dragged a little bit at times.
I'm glad that it felt like Star Wars but also didn't feel like Star Wars at the same time.
Great job lining up directly with ANH.
Nice links to the PT and OT.

The Rogues are pretty forgettable. There's Jyn Erso (because they say her name 1,000 times), the main guy, his funny droid K-something, the Imperial pilot defector, and the gay guys.

The music was terrible...for a Star Wars flick. The only time it evoked any kind of response from me was when the classic themes played. Otherwise, it was entirely forgettable.
Near the end I was disappointed by the lack of Vader, as he's been featured in damn near every commercial. Then his ass-kicking scene happened. Now that was the Darth Vader action I wanted in ROTS.

Tarkin - see below.
Leia looked great though. Granted, it was a 5 second bit.

Sometimes the call backs were too much.
Too many instantly identifiable sound effects, like the mouse droid for example. Does it always only make one noise?
The two Stormtroopers talking about BT-16 was dumb.
"I have a bad feeling about..."
Ponda Boba and Dr Evazan? Massive eye roll.

Artoo and Threepio were also unnecessary, but I'll forgive it because I love those two.
I've heard Chopper from Rebels shows up in the background a couple times, but I missed it (and the ship from the show - the Ghost? - appears also).

The reused/slightly altered footage of the ANH pilots was pretty cool. Its just strange to hear a voice/dialogue I know so well from ANH spliced into new footage.

The Jeddah and end battlefront scenes alone makes me want to see it again in 3D.

Tarkin - so close, yet so far.
This is all I could think of in regards to the uncanny valley:






And finally, if the Rebels needed to get in/out of that planetary shield, why didn't they just use the combination 1-2-3-4-5?

[anarky]

That sound you hear right now is baby Jesus crying.

[Ran]

why didn't they just use the combination 1-2-3-4-5?[/spoiler]

That's amazing! I have the same combination on my luggage.

[Tom Foolery]

I laughed when Darth Vader made a dad pun about choking on ambition. Asshole. He will forever be the corporate shill for batteries and other assorted shit. Fucking sellout.

Except for that last part. Baaaaaaaddddddaaaaaaasssssssssssssssssssssss.

[vynsane]

^ i might have missed it, but did he take his sunglasses off while he said that line? YEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!

[jjreason]

Didn't remote bother me, that line. I liked Krennic overall, I thought he was a proper selfish ass & tattling to Vader was a ballsy move. Vader was perfectly unstoppable in that short sequence. Amazing work by everyone who put that together.

[Tom Foolery]

i liked it a lot, but thought that both tarkin and leia dipped too low into the uncanny valley. and it absolutely was CGI, on top of actual actors.

The uncanny valley was a minor problem for me as well, but as we've all watched the original SW a thousand times, and knowing Peter Cushing has been dead for 20+ years, I'm wondering if a kid watching the movie would realize that wasn't a real person and not just some old actor playing a small role in the film. Because it was about 97% there. During those scenes, my mind was constantly flipping between studying the tiniest bits of the performance to figure out why I wasn't sold on it(lip movements, etc) and thinking holy shit, how far we've come with cgi work over the last decade.
In the end, its less distracting having a slightly creepy not quite real Tarkin on screen, than it is recasting the role entirely. Or not having him in the film at all. But I'm curious as to how that works. Does Cushing's estate get paid minimum SAG salary? Did they need permission to do that? I didn't look, did he get screen credit?


Non-sequitur; I've never watched Rebels and didn't know the name of the ship, but I recognized the Ghost from its LEGO set and turned to my daughter and said, 'hey that's the ship from Rebels.' In case anyone is going to see it again, its parked on Yavin in the upper left corner of a birds eye view tracking shot as they are leaving for their first mission together in the U-Wing.

[anarky]

The Estate of Peter Cushing received "Special Thanks to" credit, but I'm not sure what else, if anything.

[jjreason]

Aside - I need clarification on The Uncanny Valley. Isn't that when you actually think it's a real person for a second but then pull back when you realize it's not (likely stemming from seeing a hot tranny, getting a semi, only to notice the adam's apple once it's too late)? I didn't have that experience here.... but is that the idea?

[Tom Foolery]

It's a phenomenon where the closer something comes to resembling an actual human, the level of unease the viewer experiences.
Like you don't get creeped out by Disney cartoons or Simpsons even though they're way less human looking than fake-Tarkin.
You just know something's off, but you don't know exactly what because it does look lifelike, so you're edged.