Chat corner 170: Rogue One

[annathecrow]

Welcome to the Monday chat corner!

This week's topic is Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, a film that might be just much a prequel to the Original Trilogy as the Prequels.

I generally see this movie framed as the only good "new" Star Wars movie, so thought I'd give the opposite as a prompt: what do you not like on Rogue One? Or, what memorable critical opinions you've encountered, whether because you agree with them or because you don't?

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Fun fact! I just realized that I skipped the Clone Wars movie in the movie chat topic rotation. *facepalm*

So, organizational question: should I use it for the next movie week? Should I keep it for the end of the rotation? Should I just not use it this year?

("I don't care either way" is also a valid answer.)

Comments

[primeideal]

Oooh, this is a great prompt.

To some extent, all prequels suffer from "you know how the plot's going to go because it's a prequel," so like...plotwise, there's not a lot there? Some of the reactions when it came out were like "wow, no spoilers, but I loved the ending, so great!" And (after I'd seen it) I was like "...what about it?" "How it led right into A New Hope." Like...yeah? Okay?

(This did mean I came to appreciate it more on rewatches because I was more interested in the characterization than the plot, or lack thereof.)

[dhampyresa]

I wish it'd had more female characters in it.

[ironymaiden]

I do love the chase with Vader, and him being genuinely scary. my favorite thing that came out of that film is the scene being synced with Britney Spears

BUT CGI Leia, ugh. they didn't need to show her face! it would have been great if we just saw a silhouette and heard her voice

[himbeersaft]

I hadn't seen that video before and omg, it's hilarous. Thank you for sharing.

I'm with you on the CGI Leia though. Same with that flashback scene in TROS imo. It just looked weird.

[yourlibrarian]

Completely agree with you about Leia.

[cephy]

Also agree re: Leia!

[autodach]

I wish they would leave deceased and aged actors alone, and not cgi them in. Fake Tarkin and Leia rub me the wrong way.

[atamascolily]

I've never watched Rogue One and I have no interest in watching it because it features a bunch of new characters, all of whom die by the end of the movie. I realize there's catharsis in tragedy and all, but to me, it feels like a blatant bait-and-switch. (And yes, there's a prequel now in the form of Andor, but that's only one character, not to mention an entirely different story.) I also never felt a need for the story behind the Death Star plans in the first place, so it's hard for me to get invested in the premise.

I think what bothers me about so much about Rogue One and related storylines is that they're centered around the rise of space fascism; any triumphs are bittersweet because the Empire remains standing at the end. While I think there are interesting things to say on the topic, that's not what I want to watch right now because it feels way too much like real life.

[yourlibrarian]

I've watched Rogue One several times now and have to agree with the framing of the film. However I remember that at the time friends and I first saw the film, we were not that enthused. We didn't DISlike it, but there were complaints about thin characterization and a slow first half.

That said though, it's the only new movie I had much interest in rewatching. I've liked the new characters in the final trilogy but I definitely don't like the way the story was handled. By comparison I think Rogue One did a good job with the overall plot and tying in existing characters to the prequel.

[cephy]

I had a very similar reaction - the first time I watched Rogue One, my reaction was just lukewarm, but it has far, far more rewatch power for me than the rest of the new movies. I think it just... wasn't what I expected from Star Wars, that first time, so it threw me, but it is a good movie, so it couldn't help but grow on me after.

[yourlibrarian]

I think, too, that despite being a prequel, there's so much fixit fic and expansion on things that were newish in the film, that in some ways it has more intriguing possibilities than the other new films.