Rogue One (No Spoiler Review)

[Flack]

It's tough to pull off a prequel. Not only do you have to make a great movie (especially if you're making a prequel to a great movie), but there are so many little pieces that have to dovetail into an existing universe that all it takes is one line that doesn't quite add up for people to jump on.

Rogue One is different from any other Star Wars movie I've seen. For one, it doesn't focus on the Skywalker story arc. A New Hope is about getting the Death Star plans to the Rebellion so that they can blow it up. Rogue One is ultimately about stealing the plans and getting them to to the rebels in the first place.

The first part of the film jumps between planets and people so on my first viewing it was a little tough to get my bearings. It's a Star Wars film, so nobody is named Bob or Steve; instead, during the first act, we meet Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor, Chirrut Imwe, Baze Malbus, Orson Krennic, Saw Gerrera, Bodhi Rook, and Galen Erso. Comic relief is provided by K-2SO (kay-two-ess-oh, or jut kay-two). It's a similar role to 3P0, except K2 is sarcastic, and knows how to handle a blaster.

The third act of Rogue One is a straight up war movie. It's preceded by a couple of battle scenes, but by the time the rubber hits the road, you've got rebels throwing grenades and firing blaster machine guns (where have THOSE been!?).

I won't say much more until people have had a chance to see the movie, but I'll say it's different than every other film. Most of it worked, despite some slow pacing toward the beginning. I'll most likely see it again this weekend to try and catch everything.

[RetroRomper]

Going into it, my impression was they were trying to do the equivalent of making a movie out of the White Council from LoTR: make a full film out of a small plot point, a side story, if you will.

Which is exactly what they did - far less character development (everyone is a throw away with no larger ties to the canon,) a couple cameos (including at least one actor who is dead,) and the latter half (as Flack noted) is just a show piece without the emotional tension present in not knowing how this all ends.

That all in mind, my goals were to:

1. Figure out what the heck a Bothan is.
2. Sit back and enjoy the CG.

Did it fulfill either of those requirements? You decide!

[Joke Corner]

Hopefully, we can get something from Ben of Pinback Reviewz fame to chime in on the latest SW flick. In the meantime, a joke!


Q: What is the most racist soup?


A: Clan Chowder

[Tdarcos]

It's preceded by a couple of battle scenes, but by the time the rubber hits the road,

Considering what you're writing about, shouldn't that be "but by the time the anti-grav meets the atmosphere"?

[Tdarcos]

Q: What is the most racist soup?
A: Clan Chowder

Wrong, it's "Jew York style Clan Chowder"

[Flack]

[Jizaboz]

Do the Bothons look like this?



I'm going to try to see it soon.

[Flack]

In theory, although the Bothans were responsible for stealing the plans to the second Death Star, not the first one.

[Jizaboz]

Ahh yeah.. the quote "many Bothons died.." is from Return of the Jedi during the "reconstruction" or whatever.