Star Wars: Rogue One

[Jason]

Can Edwards find the right balance between dark-side gloom and lighter comic motifs?

Nobody but Disney, Lucasfilm and Edwards himself knows what kind of movie Rogue One might have been without the highly publicized reshoots that took place earlier this year, not to mention the studio’s decision to hire Tony Gilroy to oversee the film’s final edit. But if trailers are windows to the soul of a movie, or at least chopped-down visions of the film the marketing guys think most people want to see, then it’s clear Disney believes audiences want an uplifting Star Wars movie about triumph over evil in the face of almost impossible odds.

This makes perfect sense, as – hokey religions and ancient weapons aside – these elements are precisely what helped the original 1977 Star Wars movie find so much success. And given Disney has spent so much time and energy retooling the film, it would be a shock if the studio had not lightened the tone of the “dark war movie” still being pitched by Edwards.

This may not be such a bad thing. Star Wars movies will always be judged on their ability to intelligently balance dark and light motifs, as the saga works best as pulpy, knockabout space adventure rather than brooding sci-fi. Without the Kurosawan comic relief of R2-D2 and C-3PO, the original trilogy would have felt very different – though the trick did not work quite so well when George Lucas introduced bumbling Gungan clown Jar Jar Binks for the prequels. There are promising hints that the peerless Alan Tudyk was given permission to ad-lib furiously throughout the Rogue One shoot as moody new droid K-2SO, which should help lighten the mood.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmbl ... -questions

I'm looking forward to it but this is the biggest doubt I have that it'll be any good. I was really looking forward to a darker, more adult, Star Wars film after being so let down by The Force Awakens last year, but now it seems Disney has intervened and imposed a lighter, comic, side to the film, made it into a 'good triumphs over evil' feel-good flick - essentially replicating, to their simple committee-based intelligence, what they assume was the winning formula for Star Wars originally. I think what the adult Star Wars viewer, the ones who grew up on the original trilogy, really want to see is Edwards' original vision of something darker, starker, much more real than the remake and not aimed at charming 8 year old children with the comically telegraphed actions of the non-threatening anthropomorphized robots.

[Tero]

Well it is that. A Star Wars dummy explains, minimal spoilers:
I have no real recollection of the previous star wars movie. This Rogue one seemed to tie in with the old movies. You get one familiar character in the last scene. Otherwise, all the usual elements. Cliff hangers and toys. Family links. And "plans" on a disc. Mix and serve to fans. Eadu has rocks, Scarif has palms, whatever they may be. Darth Vader seems to live in a tank of liquid when off duty. It would be nice if they just handed the older movie goers a comic book that explains the main points.

Maybe this is it? I don't have to go to more next year and so on?

Palm planet

[Rum]

Saw it yesterday and for what it is worth for my money it is the best of all the SW movies. The story is more than a link to other episodes, the direction and acting excellent and the CGI the best I think I have ever seen. The female lead has an 'arc' - a development arc if you will, which is always a good thing is fiction plots.

Loved it.

[Jason]

I like the idea of a strong female lead with some real character development.. I guess I'll have to see this one.

[tattuchu]

Saw it yesterday and for what it is worth for my money it is the best of all the SW movies. The story is more than a link to other episodes, the direction and acting excellent and the CGI the best I think I have ever seen. The female lead has an 'arc' - a development arc if you will, which is always a good thing is fiction plots.

Loved it.

Ah, cool. I hated the last one SO MUCH. But I'll give this new one a try

[Tero]

Oh that much is true.

Why do all the actors and even aliens other than Darth Vader speak UK English?

[Rum]

Oh that much is true.

Why do all the actors and even aliens other than Darth Vader speak UK English?

Made mostly in Pinewood, UK maybe?

[Brian Peacock]

Because British English is the lingua franca of Creation. We know this because the Bible is the word of God and God wrote it in English.

[Animavore]

I've heard Donnie Yen, whose films I love, kicks serious arse in this. That's enough to sell me on it.

[rachelbean]

I thought it was excellent. My favourite next to Empire. Looking forward to seeing it again next week

[Tero]

I see, this is confusing. It's after the Shit..h
Produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, the film is chronologically set between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope.

[JimC]

Movies?

Bah humbug!

[Hermit]

Saw it yesterday and for what it is worth for my money it is the best of all the SW movies. The story is more than a link to other episodes, the direction and acting excellent and the CGI the best I think I have ever seen. The female lead has an 'arc' - a development arc if you will, which is always a good thing is fiction plots.

Loved it.

The first Star Wars film put me off watching any of its sequels. Your take on the most recent one makes me wonder if I should have a look at it. From what I read it is still essentially an action movie, which puts me off. Will I miss out on much by not knowing what went on in its predecessors?

[pErvinalia]

Not reading the thread yet. Going to see it this arvo with the kiddies.

[pErvinalia]

Nice surprise to find Donny Yen and a familiar looking sidekick whose name I don't know.

I enjoyed it. The battle scene dragged on too long, but other than that. Loved K2. He was a laff