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

[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.