Spoilers Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - Grading & Discussion

[Alidar Jarok]

Trailers have always been edited in distorted ways - taking quotes out of context and out of order (even putting different lines over reaction shots). I wouldn't try to figure out what the movie was based on how the trailer made a line seem. That being said, the beach scenes certainly suggest a whole different action scene cut. I also do suspect that Jyn had her character changed significantly based on some of the lines, but it's hard to be certain.

 

[davejames]

I saw a theory on what happened to the scene from the trailers where they're running acorss the beach with the plans.

The plans were originally in a different building from the comm tower, and during the reshoots and editing process they combined the two buildings.

Yeah there was probably already too much of that kind of thing in the movie as it was. What with Bodhi needing someone to flip a switch... after he first needs to connect to a comm tower... so that Jyn can beam out a transmission... but only after first crossing a bridge to realign the dish... which then nearly gets shot out from under her.... right before Krennic shows up to stop her from activating the signal...

I'm not sure the movie could have taken any more of that kind of thing before it started to seem a bit silly.

 

[LJones41]

It was a pretty good movie, but I thought it could have been better and more unique. I could have done without the major battle in the end. Considering the protagonists' goals, I thought it was a bit too much. If the movie had played out as a straight military intelligence story . . . without the major battle, I would have been a bit more impressed.

I really hope that one day, the Disney Studios and Lucasfilm will get over this obsession with the Original Trilogy and create stories that are a lot more original and less to do with it.

 

[Lakenheath 72]

I attribute some of what I saw in the film to the influence of video games - the multiple steps to completing a step. (I saw this, too, in Star Trek Beyond, with Kirk having to flip four switches to activate a device.) It is a trope in video games - the developers put it in to challenge the player who is facing enemies at each step. In movies, it is ridiculous and stretches the suspension of disbelief.

 

[Xerxes82]

It was a pretty good movie, but I thought it could have been better and more unique. I could have done without the major battle in the end. Considering the protagonists' goals, I thought it was a bit too much. If the movie had played out as a straight military intelligence story . . . without the major battle, I would have been a bit more impressed.

Except what you're describing doesn't fit the opening crawl of Star Wars (now Ep 4, A New Hope). Where it was explicitly told to us that the Death Star plans were stolen during a battle won by Rebel ships. They could have made the battle less significant, I suppose. But it IS still a Star Wars movie, after all. Frankly, I thought the battle was one of the best handled parts of the movie. Where we see a clear goal established, then the parties moving to achieve that goal.

 

[Ithekro]

I kind of wish they'd left more of those rough edges in myself, as I liked the idea that Jyn didn't see the rebellion inherently as "good guys" or that it was her fight, even though she has plenty of reason to hate the Empire. I also would have liked to see more background on Saw's character and why he's become militant to the point that the Alliance has trouble with him.

That will likely be told in the next pair of episodes in Star Wars: Rebels in January, as it was announced it will be a two parter with Saw involved. The event in Rebels would be taking place two to three years before the events of Rogue One.

 

[StarMan]

Seen it twice and loved it. For me, the thing that really highlighted the CGI-ness of Tarkin was the eyes. Voice work was spot on.

 

[Relayer1]

Around 70% of votes in the A- to A+ grades.

Seems pretty conclusive...

 

[Ithekro]

I'll need to see it again (and again later so I can pause and look for stuff in the battle, as someone said there was a TIE Defender in the battle).

 

[Mach5]

Rogue One takes the weekend domestically with an estimated $155 mil. worth of sold tickets.

It's the second best opening weekend in December. Number one belongs to TFA ($ 248 mil.) and that's not likely to change any time soon.

 

[Reverend]

I've been thinking about the supposed pre-reshoot ending and this is pure speculation but from the old trailer footage, I think what happened was that Cassian died in the shaft as pretty much as we saw only it wasn't a fake out, leaving Jyn the last rebel standing at the end. Then you have that shot with the TIE rising up, she walks towards certain death, throws the switch to transmit the plans and gets blown away right then and there.

Not sure how the Krennic showdown would have played into that. Maybe he's taken out earlier, or maybe he makes it to the top alive and well in time to have Jyn's last words with a dying Jyn before Tarkin vaporises the pair of them?

If I'm guessing right then Krennic getting shot, Cassian coming back and their embrace on the beach would all be new material. If that's the case than I think I prefer what we ended up with. It's still bleak but with a more heroic, hopeful undertone.

 

[Venardhi]

I'm pretty sure that TIE fighter got wiped out by an X-Wing about 5 seconds after that clip from the trailer ends. Jyn may have met her end on top of that tower, but not that way.

Considering how many other "Our heroes look down the barrel at certain doom before the enemy suddenly gets shot/blown up by an unseen ally." scenes there are in the film, I found the climax about as satisfying as my 5th slice of cheap pizza. Repeating it with an X-Wing so soon after the AT gets blown up in the same way would have been even worse.

 

[stardream]

Around 70% of votes in the A- to A+ grades.

Seems pretty conclusive...

I don't know. The reviews on Reddit were pretty mixed last time I checked but then again...it's Reddit.

 

[General_Phoenix]

So when I saw Vader in the bacta tank, I immediately thought of the old EU where he was trying to heal his body to where he didn't need the suit anymore, pretty interesting nod if that is the case. Think Shadows of the Empire first mentioned that.

 

[Mach5]

I don't know. The reviews on Reddit were pretty mixed last time I checked but then again...it's Reddit.

Rogue One holds a 90% audience score at RT, and 8.3/10 at IMDB.

 

[RAMA]

I think they'll oversaturate the market. They won't be events anymore. FA made $2.2 billion, this one, maybe $1 billion.. The next $500 million?

 

[KennyB]

I'm pretty sure that TIE fighter got wiped out by an X-Wing about 5 seconds after that clip from the trailer ends. Jyn may have met her end on top of that tower, but not that way.

Considering how many other "Our heroes look down the barrel at certain doom before the enemy suddenly gets shot/blown up by an unseen ally." scenes there are in the film, I found the climax about as satisfying as my 5th slice of cheap pizza. Repeating it with an X-Wing so soon after the AT gets blown up in the same way would have been even worse.

You are EXACTLY right. The Jyn/TIE scene was edited out because of the similarity of it to the AT-ACT/X-Wing scene just minutes before. Edwards and Hidalgo have stated this now.

 

[marillion]

A-
Once again I am bitten by my over-expectations in a movie... It was good.. In fact it was really good.. But I was wanting SO BADLY to be blown away and I just wasn't.. Maybe I need a second viewing where my expectations aren't so high.

The good: The characters. The main cast was really good and I thought the acting was really spot on. The sense of desperation was conveyed well. The characters from ANH who were recast were subtle and not "LOOK, I'M MON MOTHMA!!!" I really appreciated that. The nods to the past were well handled (especially 3PO and R2)... The sacrifices at the end were respectful and meaningful to the story. I loved the look and feel of the grittiness of this struggle against the empire. The fact that they were about the throw in the towel got really conveyed.

I also really liked Governor Tarkin.. The CGI was handled well, I thought. The voice acting was a little off, except where they used lines from ANH. Along those lines (har har), I really liked including the brief clips of Red and Gold Leader.. I wonder if they brought in the actor who played Gold Leader to voice over the "on the gate" part of his statement about starting the attack run.

The not so great: The pacing seemed off.. Nothing specific.. Just seemed off. I agree with those who didn't care for the music. If you're going to use the traditional Star Wars music, use it.. Don't tease me with notes and bars of the original and then take it in a different direction. I found it distracting. Maybe if John Williams had written the deviations from the original score, it wouldn't have seemed so off putting..

And finally.. Leia... I don't understand how they could have done such a good job with Tarkin and not with her. I would have much preferred them to leave her in the shadows, under the hood... What made Tarkin work was the darkness of the lighting around him. But her face seemed far too wide and too smooth... Ah well..

I do think it a worthy part of the Star Wars family and in truth, I will enjoy seeing it again.

 

[Xerxes82]

And finally.. Leia... I don't understand how they could have done such a good job with Tarkin and not with her. I would have much preferred them to leave her in the shadows, under the hood... What made Tarkin work was the darkness of the lighting around him. But her face seemed far too wide and too smooth... Ah well..

Oh, that one's easy. Tarkin has all those delightful wrinkles and featues on his face. CG is always better at rough surfaces than smooth ones, especially where it's being used to attempt to recreate skin. The CG Leia is cursed with having to look like the smooth skinned Carrie Fischer from 1977. A much, much more difficult look to pull off. Combine that with the fact that the CG masks were modelled over the faces of actual stand-in actors, whose own features are obviously different from those of Cushing and Fischer, and you get a little bit different look. Tarkin is actually just as different from Cushing's appearance, much more gaunt and frankly scary. But it works because of what the character represents in the film.

It's also possible that the Tarkin design got more attention, seeing as it gets significantly more use throughout the film, but that's speculation on my part.

 

[johnjm22]

I think they'll oversaturate the market. They won't be events anymore. FA made $2.2 billion, this one, maybe $1 billion.. The next $500 million?

For sure they'll be diminishing returns but I don't think the drop off will be that steep or that quick. As long as they don't have any major missteps, I don't think we'll see a 500M Star Wars movie for a long time.