[movie] Star Wars Rogue One

[Daehawk]

Plan to go Christmas Eve....may not get to go until the week after Christmas....hope someone is there at the theater besides us by then.

[naednek]

If I were grading it I'd give it a B-/C+.

And what do you give TFA?

I am seeing this tomorrow with my 2 girls. Not taking the 6YO boy since he is a bit sensitive to scary or intense scenes in movies (not crying sensitive but 'leave the room' sensitive). Anyone take a kid that age?

I've read several articles about kids and this one saying this is the darkest, most intense (and probably most 'adult') SW of them all.

I took my 6 year old son, and he loved it. He's seen every star wars now. I didn't think Rogue 1 was dark. It's definetely more actiony but it's not that dark.

[AWS260]

I liked both Rogue One and The Force Awakens very much, but for very different reasons (Star Wars-y spectacle aside).

The Force Awakens handled its characters extremely well. I would argue that it's the first, and still the only, character-driven Star Wars movie. Its plot, on the other hand, wasn't particularly memorable, unless by memorable you mean "I remember seeing this before in the first Star Wars movie."

Rogue One is sort of the opposite -- the overarching story is clever and interesting, and complements A New Hope instead of rehashing it. But its characters are much more one-dimensional than those in The Force Awakens, and many of the more emotional beats felt awkward or flat. Nonetheless, I had a great time in the theater, and am hoping to go see it again over the holidays.

[Carpet_pissr]

So just got back with the two older girls, both loved it (and I enjoyed it so much I almost teared up, I'm not ashamed to say).

But I'm glad I didn't take the boy. I agree with the above that it's not nearly as 'dark' as had been proclaimed, or maybe my definition of 'dark' is different than movie critics.

It is very intense, emotionally, and there are specific scenes at the end particularly that had my younger daughter grabbing onto my arm. There is overt (though non-gory as all SW) war violence...maybe the most violent scenes to date we have seen from the series, and for that alone I am glad I decided to wait with the youngest. I would not have enjoyed having to leave the theater with him for the last 15% of the movie. Hell, it had my stomach turning as well (though mostly from the intense, amazing nostalgic ride as much as the emotional rollercoaster and fantastic music).

I will be seeing it again as soon as I possibly can (with wife this time, since she wants to see it).

Comparing to TFA...wow, that's tough. Very different movies. While I really love both of them, and welcome ANYthing SW Disney does from this point forward, I have to give the nod to R1, just for the range of emotion it made me feel compared to TFA. I felt more of a connection with Rey than our heroine in R1, but the character development seemed more spread out in R1...i.e. more characters to care about/be interested in, but less deep with each one, maybe.

For me personally (and maybe it's too soon to be ranking):
R1>V>IV>VII>VI Refuse to rank the prequel garbage.

I know that's controversial, but I actually toned it down. Originally I had R1 then VII...

[Moliere]

The Onion Reviews 'Rogue One'

Peter Rosenthal is pissed!

[rshetts2]

The Onion Reviews 'Rogue One'

Peter Rosenthal is pissed!

Finally, a review that is spot on.

[cheeba]

If I were grading it I'd give it a B-/C+.

And what do you give TFA?

B

In TFA you can at least remember the characters and their names.

[Daehawk]

So should I see this in normal screen or 3D?

[Anonymous Bosch]

So should I see this in normal screen or 3D?

IMAX 3D is certainly worth paying for, but I wouldn't bother otherwise.

[Rip]

Not fully interested but going anyway Thursday or Friday.

[El Guapo]

I liked both Rogue One and The Force Awakens very much, but for very different reasons (Star Wars-y spectacle aside).

The Force Awakens handled its characters extremely well. I would argue that it's the first, and still the only, character-driven Star Wars movie. Its plot, on the other hand, wasn't particularly memorable, unless by memorable you mean "I remember seeing this before in the first Star Wars movie."

Rogue One is sort of the opposite -- the overarching story is clever and interesting, and complements A New Hope instead of rehashing it. But its characters are much more one-dimensional than those in The Force Awakens, and many of the more emotional beats felt awkward or flat. Nonetheless, I had a great time in the theater, and am hoping to go see it again over the holidays.

Just saw it last night, and this about sums it up. I really liked Rogue One, probably better than TFA (which I also liked). But yes, the characters were more interesting in TFA, but the plot in it was pretty uninspired.

I'm also planning on taking my 7.5 YO to see it as well. There are parts that she won't like, to be sure, but I don't know if there's anything worse than Kylo Ren shanking Han, so I think she will be all right overall.

[El Guapo]

So should I see this in normal screen or 3D?

IMAX 3D is certainly worth paying for, but I wouldn't bother otherwise.

I saw it in IMAX 3D, and it was great, though I haven't seen it in 2D (and haven't seen an IMAX movie in a long time before this) so I don't have great points of comparison.

[Carpet_pissr]

Since IMAX really started upping their marketing game, and licensing their tech to theaters, it's soooo confusing to know what people are talking about when referencing 'IMAX'.

1. IMAX theater, with 70mm IMAX film: the original, crazy assed, awesome, almost vertical seating theater designed specifically for 70mm IMAX movies. Screen envelopes you (above your head, and to both sides of you). Very few of these left I think (less than 50 in US). I know a bunch were closed about 10-15 years ago, worldwide.

2. Digital IMAX (sometimes referenced as LIEMax) This is what you mostly see at typical cineplexes now - it's a cheap version of the original IMAX concept. Not a big difference between the excellent Sony 4K projectors IMO (but I do prefer it)

3. Traditionally shot movies upconverted to show in an IMAX dome theater (Think 'Polar Express' or 'The Dark Knight')

[Isgrimnur]

1. IMAX theater, with 70mm IMAX film: the original, crazy assed, awesome, almost vertical seating theater designed specifically for 70mm IMAX movies. Screen envelopes you (above your head, and to both sides of you). Very few of these left I think (less than 50 in US). I know a bunch were closed about 10-15 years ago, worldwide.

OmniMax.

[JCC]

Saw it today. Great, dark, action packed Star Wars movie. I really wish this had been the prequel trilogy as it all felt very rushed. Leaving the theater my wife and I couldn't remember any characters' name. There is a serious dearth of any character development. There was also way less of ... someone... than I expected based on some spoiler free fan ravings I had read. Again, I wish this has been three movies. I would say it's my fourth favorite movie of the 8.

[Holman]

Since IMAX really started upping their marketing game, and licensing their tech to theaters, it's soooo confusing to know what people are talking about when referencing 'IMAX'.

1. IMAX theater, with 70mm IMAX film: the original, crazy assed, awesome, almost vertical seating theater designed specifically for 70mm IMAX movies. Screen envelopes you (above your head, and to both sides of you). Very few of these left I think (less than 50 in US). I know a bunch were closed about 10-15 years ago, worldwide.

2. Digital IMAX (sometimes referenced as LIEMax) This is what you mostly see at typical cineplexes now - it's a cheap version of the original IMAX concept. Not a big difference between the excellent Sony 4K projectors IMO (but I do prefer it)

3. Traditionally shot movies upconverted to show in an IMAX dome theater (Think 'Polar Express' or 'The Dark Knight')

We saw the movie in regular 2D on a regular screen (but he had excellent reserved reclining seats).

After Christmas I believe I'll take the boys to see it at the Franklin Institute's IMAX theater, which is apparently one of only 13 places in the US showing it in 70mm. It's described thus:

The Tuttleman IMAX® Theater is a dome theater that is truly unique in a number of ways. Unlike conventional dome theaters that are 180° encompassing, IMAX® dome screens are also tilted at 30 degrees. The special seating places the audience up in the dome, completely involving them in the show.

The dome is over 70 feet across and 4.5 stories tall. In addition, 20,000 watts of amplifier power and over 50 speakers will make you feel like you are part of the action. An IMAX® dome theater truly puts you in the center of the action.

4.5 stories tall?? Is that too much?

[Carpet_pissr]

Since IMAX really started upping their marketing game, and licensing their tech to theaters, it's soooo confusing to know what people are talking about when referencing 'IMAX'.

1. IMAX theater, with 70mm IMAX film: the original, crazy assed, awesome, almost vertical seating theater designed specifically for 70mm IMAX movies. Screen envelopes you (above your head, and to both sides of you). Very few of these left I think (less than 50 in US). I know a bunch were closed about 10-15 years ago, worldwide.

2. Digital IMAX (sometimes referenced as LIEMax) This is what you mostly see at typical cineplexes now - it's a cheap version of the original IMAX concept. Not a big difference between the excellent Sony 4K projectors IMO (but I do prefer it)

3. Traditionally shot movies upconverted to show in an IMAX dome theater (Think 'Polar Express' or 'The Dark Knight')

We saw the movie in regular 2D on a regular screen (but he had excellent reserved reclining seats).

After Christmas I believe I'll take the boys to see it at the Franklin Institute's IMAX theater, which is apparently one of only 13 places in the US showing it in 70mm. It's described thus:

The Tuttleman IMAX® Theater is a dome theater that is truly unique in a number of ways. Unlike conventional dome theaters that are 180° encompassing, IMAX® dome screens are also tilted at 30 degrees. The special seating places the audience up in the dome, completely involving them in the show.

The dome is over 70 feet across and 4.5 stories tall. In addition, 20,000 watts of amplifier power and over 50 speakers will make you feel like you are part of the action. An IMAX® dome theater truly puts you in the center of the action.

4.5 stories tall?? Is that too much?

NOPE! That will be amazing. I see movies in those theaters every chance I get (never seen anything other than a documentary/made for IMAX movie on them though). If you ever get the chance, must see the International Space Station one, or actually the more recent one that contains footage from that specific one. Just mind blowing.

[Holman]

Tix bought!

[Daehawk]

Off to the movie. Hope its better than I think it will be.

[Daehawk]

Loved the movie hated the ending. Will try to discuss it later in the spoiler thread. I will say I thought it was a better movie than TFA, But also even with the ships and music it didn't feel like Star Wars but it did feel like an awesome sci-fi movie. It was also more cohesive than TFA. In TFA it just felt like they were showing me characters and places...heres Han and heres Leia and there is Jaku and so on.

[Zaxxon]

Honest trailer.

[dbt1949]

When are the DVDs going to be released? They keep saying April 4th but that didn't happen.

[Isgrimnur]

...May the 4th?

[Chrisoc13]

The Blu ray is in my Xbox right now. It came out last week.

And it's just as awesome as it was the first few times I saw it.

[Holman]

Watched it this afternoon with my boys. Great Star Wars! (I think it came out last week, so April 4 sounds right.)

The blu-ray release doesn't include any deleted scenes or unexpected surprises, alas.

[wonderpug]

When are the DVDs going to be released? They keep saying April 4th but that didn't happen.

Were you trying to shop on Amazon by chance?

[El Guapo]

Watched it with my 7.5 YO the other day. She enjoyed it, but not as much as the OT movies or TFA. We'll presumably watch it again together at some point (how it goes with kids), but I think part of it is that Rogue One is way more complicated plot-wise, so I kept needing to explain things every few minutes it felt like.

Also the Droid is still the most relatable character. All the death in the end was a little bit tough, but by far the hardest part was when the droid bit it.

[dbt1949]

When are the DVDs going to be released? They keep saying April 4th but that didn't happen.

Were you trying to shop on Amazon by chance?

Yep.

[wonderpug]

When are the DVDs going to be released? They keep saying April 4th but that didn't happen.

Were you trying to shop on Amazon by chance?

Yep.

You may have just been confused like I was in the lead-up to release. Amazon and Disney are having a fight right now, so Disney movies aren't purchaseable/preorderable on Amazon until the day of release. If you tried the "notify me when in stock" option, that just plain doesn't work even for non-Disney products.

[JCC]

Amazon pissed me off with the R1 release. They only had it listed for $5 off MSRP on release day ($35), whereas Best Buy had it for $20. I have lots of amazon GC credit so I wanted to order it from there. So on the day after release Amazon had it on sale for $20, but they were out of stock. Grrr. (I bought it at Best Buy.)

[pr0ner]

I wound up buying it at Costco.

Got double the usual points on my credit card that way too.

[LordMortis]

Finally watched this last night. It felt way more like a Star Wars movie to me than did TFA, which makes me wish I'da seen it in the theatre. It had some warts (for instance, CGI people were distracting to me and James Earl Jones' voice acting was emotional but not dark) but they were trivial.

Was the movie shot with really dark lenses? Do all movies nowadays do this? I'm going blind and I don't like the trend of movies where everything looks like it's being shot in such a way that I'm trying to make shit out in the dark. I know it's not entirely my or my television because you can set this movies side by side with a darkly shot movie like Empire Strikes Back and I can make out what is happening in darkened scenes. There's still some sort of lighting and strong contrast. I'd say that was my big complaint for the movie, but it seems like this is a trend in all syfy/fantasy movies.

[McNutt]

I'm very vocal on my dislike for movies with low lighting, yet this one didn't bother me.

The CGI faces were a bit distracting too. The technology isn't quite there yet, so they should have done more with camera tricks and relied less on the CGI faces.

[Moliere]

Available on Netflix.

[Moliere]

‘Star Wars’: Diego Luna to Lead Spinoff Series

Diego Luna will star in a new “Star Wars” series for Disney’s upcoming streaming service. The show will be a prequel to “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”

Luna will reprise his role as rebel spy Cassian Andor, the cocky daredevil who helped Felicity Jones’ Jyn Erso steal the Death Star plans in the hit 2016 movie. Given that film’s high mortality rate, a sequel would have been a difficult proposition.

“Going back to the ‘Star Wars’ universe is very special for me,” Luna said in a statement. “I have so many memories of the great work we did together and the relationships I made throughout the journey. We have a fantastic adventure ahead of us, and this new exciting format will give us the chance to explore this character more deeply.”

[Chrisoc13]

Excited about that. Sounds cool.

[Holman]

I was watching Rogue One again and noticed some things I'd missed before:



This shot is from the moment Saw Gerrera's insurgents attack a group of stormtroopers and their ground vehicle moving through the streets of NiJedha. It lasts only a second.

One interesting note is that this shot almost exactly mimics one I'm pretty sure I've seen in an old movie about the French Resistance where a bomb goes off near German officers enjoying themselves in a Paris cafe. (Unless I'm mistaken and remembering something from The Battle of Algiers?)

The other thing, though, is the servers on the left. Are they not the disturbing Decraniated that show up late in Solo at the crime lord's party? I don't think we see them elsewhere in Rogue One.