Star Wars Rogue One MASSIVE SPOILERS BY BERKUT

[Syt]

I still think the plot was weak, the script too hastily done, directing too impatient and characters bland.

But after some more thinking, I believe I have come to the conclusion that Rogue One is probably as good as we will get out of any new Star Wars movie for a 21st century audience that need explosions every five minutes. With expectations this low I think it was original enough to warrant a high ranking in the series: I put it down as #4 after the three real Star Wars installations.

Don't cut yourself on that edge.

[Richard Hakluyt]

He's right though, a lot of modern movies would be better with fewer "spectacular effects" and more character development.

Oh well, I'll see it on Friday with my youngest, no doubt we will enjoy it and have forgotten it more or less as soon as the end credits roll.

[Syt]

The actual antagonist (not Tarkin or Vader which are just "there") was also really weak.

He's a technocrat, and a toady. He cares about his standing within the hierarchy, that he gets the credit he deserves for his new toy, and that's about it. He's more of an Albert Speer than a Himmler or Heydrich. The Empire's failing is that they put such a character in charge of a project like this, since while he surely is ruthless, he's also too shortsighted (or too involved in high level stuff) that he overlooks the treason under his nose.

[Admiral Yi]

I like English chicks with buck teeth.

[celedhring]

The actual antagonist (not Tarkin or Vader which are just "there") was also really weak.

He's a technocrat, and a toady. He cares about his standing within the hierarchy, that he gets the credit he deserves for his new toy, and that's about it. He's more of an Albert Speer than a Himmler or Heydrich. The Empire's failing is that they put such a character in charge of a project like this, since while he surely is ruthless, he's also too shortsighted (or too involved in high level stuff) that he overlooks the treason under his nose.

He's an incompetent lackey, the kind that gets his throat crushed after 2 minutes of screen time in ESB. Yet here he's the main antagonist. Awful choice.

The script puzzlingly keeps undermining him, too.

[Syt]

He's an incompetent lackey, the kind that gets his throat crushed after 2 minutes of screen time in ESB. Yet here he's the main antagonist. Awful choice.

The script puzzlingly keeps undermining him, too.

To play devil's advocate: apparently he had the skills necessary to coordinate the construction of the first Death Star. As soon as the station is finished, though, Tarkin takes over command from him, and he's sent on seemingly insignificant errands. He's lost his usefulness, and Tarkin doesn't even bother checking if he's alive before blowing up the base he's on.

Also, by ESB, the Empire might be a different place. In ANH, officers are still bickering, fighting for rank and approval, kind of like they might have done in the Old Republic. A lot of the highest ranked ones die on the Death Star (not least, Tarkin), and by ESB we see almost exclusively loyal officers (a rivalry between Ozzel and Piett notwithstanding).

[Syt]

I liked, though, that Ahmedinejad has a new job as Rebel senator.



(Apparently the chatacter is called Vasp Vaspar, played by Swedish-Assyrian actor Fares Fares.)

[celedhring]

I'm not arguing whether the character is believable, he totally is. I'm just arguing that he's an uninteresting and weak antagonist. I'm pretty sure the Empire had i.e. an army of accountants, I just hope they aren't the main antagonist of Ep VIII. 

I get the feeling that way back when this was first conceived Tarkin was the antagonist, him being the dude kidnapping Erso and overseeing construction of the Death Star, and they just created Krennic when it became apparent that using Tarkin so much wasn't practical unless they recast him.

[Liep]

I liked, though, that Ahmedinejad has a new job as Rebel senator.



(Apparently the chatacter is called Vasp Vaspar, played by Swedish-Assyrian actor Fares Fares.)

Swedish? That's why he sounds so funny in the Department Q movies.

[Admiral Yi]

Is that the dude that was in Zero Dark Thirty?

[Syt]

I get the feeling that way back when this was first conceived Tarkin was the antagonist, him being the dude kidnapping Erso and overseeing construction of the Death Star, and they just created Krennic when it became apparent that using Tarkin so much wasn't practical unless they recast him.

That's would make sense. But yeah, as far as movie villains go he didn't really do much or posed much of a threat. I understand that it's nice to have a personified enemy as foil for the heroes, but the movie had been better if he didn't exist in this case, pitting the faceless Empire (save for Tarkin/Vader) against the Rebels, further showing how the Empire underestimated their opponents - of course that wouldn't be plausible, considering that in Rebels they use considerable resources to take care of the insurgents, including sending in Tarkin and Vader for the climax between Seasons 1 + 2, and later Thrawn in Season 3.

[katmai]

Is that the dude that was in Zero Dark Thirty?

yes

[celedhring]

I will say something, though, Rogue 1 manages to elevate ANH's climax - having seen how much it took to put Luke Skywalker just a torpedo shot away from killing the Death Star heightens the tension. It makes for a stronger "FUCK YOU ASSHOLES!" moment when the Death Star blows up.

I wish that somehow ANH and Rogue 1 weren't 40 years apart so they meshed better together. It almost feels like a two-parter.

[Syt]

I will say, though, that it was weird to watch a Star Wars movie without opening fanfare or crawl text.

Also, title cards?

[celedhring]

I will say, though, that it was weird to watch a Star Wars movie without opening fanfare or crawl text.

Also, title cards?

I'm fine with that. The opening crawl for saga episodes only. It's overused in Star Wars entertainment anyway.

Glad they kept the end credits theme though.