Rouge One thread. There are a few SPOILERS in here If you haven't seen it yet!

[HamSandwich]

Also, what was up with the tentacle monster?

Right! When you have something like that, it's sort of like it would have come back in greater capacity. At the time, there was no reason to really care about the pilot. Then all of a sudden the guy says a couple words and all the damage that the monster did was erased? There has to be more to it that's on the cutttinf floor.

[mremic01]

I know TFA had its issues but R1 just wasn't very engaging.

This. I didn't feel any real connection with the characters. They seemed cool and likeable, but the movie never really put any effort into connecting with the audience. The plot was very predictable and I never really felt the the weight or urgency of any of the situations. I have to give Rogue One credit for never really making me cringe though. When the prequels were bad, it was embarrassing. Where Rogue One is bad, it's just kind of flat but not awful. Even though soundtrack was just kind of... serviceable.

BUT, the cinematography was incredible. Gareth Edwards did an outstanding job. With the exception of poorly rendered CG characters, the special effects were seamless. The action was way more fun than any other action movie I've seen since I was a kid. The last act was worth the price of admission and then some.

[matmosphere]

Just read a suggestion somewhere that Tarkin should have been done as hologram communication. Would have been a great move, and I'm sure everyone would think it was less awkward.

The thing I just realized is that all the stuff with the old pilots and the few seconds at the end were probably old footage from the filming of the first film. Which would explain why they didn't look very good, because film of extra takes from 40 years ago probably wouldn't be in the best shape today. I originally had thought that was all CGI, but I'm pretty sure none of it actually was. Some of it I'm pretty sure I've seen in some cut of ANH somewhere.

And just so there is no confusion I really like the Force Awakens, but as time passes I wish they had not relied on the old films for so much of the plot. I'm sure I'll watch it many more times than Rouge One, but in some ways Rouge One was a breath of fresh air comparatively.

More backstory would have been nice, but I think they intentionally didn't want to make the characters have much depth or be super likable. I'm guessing the reshoots are the only reason any one liked any of the characters at all.

[matmosphere]

I know TFA had its issues but R1 just wasn't very engaging.

This. I didn't feel any real connection with the characters. They seemed cool and likeable, but the movie never really put any effort into connecting with the audience. The plot was very predictable and I never really felt the the weight or urgency of any of the situations. I have to give Rogue One credit for never really making me cringe though. When the prequels were bad, it was embarrassing. Where Rogue One is bad, it's just kind of flat but not awful. Even though soundtrack was just kind of... serviceable.

BUT, the cinematography was incredible. Gareth Edwards did an outstanding job. With the exception of poorly rendered CG characters, the special effects were seamless. The action was way more fun than any other action movie I've seen since I was a kid. The last act was worth the price of admission and then some.

Just to be the devil's advocate, how could the story not be predictable. All and all I think they did an okay job for a tough situation. And they were probably worried that if they made the characters any more likable, or had them connect with the audience more, people would have ultimately been really pissed off.

[madbean]

More spoiler talk

It looks like they re-shot a good portion of the ending. There were shots from the trailer that showed Jyn running around with the databox thingy on the beach, I think. So, something was changed in how the Death Star plans were ultimately transmitted and I bet how some of the main characters died. Plus, there were a bunch of shots in the trailers not in the movie like that Tie Fighter behind the catwalk, etc. I'd bet good money that scene with you-know-who getting the plans at the end was shoe-horned in which is why it looked so terrible. I guess we'll never get to see the movie that it was supposed to be before the studio got involved!

[raulduke]

Uh oh this isn't looking good...

Not seen it yet but I'm getting a bit of a 'meh' vibe from you guys?

I've also seen a lot of mixed reviews. Couple of my friends that have seen it said it was average.

What you reckon... should I lump the (now extortionate) cost of going to the cinema, or wait for it to come out on streaming platforms?

[sonnyboy27]

@raulduke, I'd still go see it. I really enjoyed it overall. There were just some things that didn't really need to be there.

@madbean, they did redo the ending. Originally Felicity Jones had something written in her contract to appear in future movies, but because of the reshoot for the ending they changed that up too.

[matmosphere]

Changed the name of the thread because there's starting to be some spoilers here. So now I think we're free to say whatever. Those who haven't seen the film have been warned.

[somnif]

Uh oh this isn't looking good...

Not seen it yet but I'm getting a bit of a 'meh' vibe from you guys?

I've also seen a lot of mixed reviews. Couple of my friends that have seen it said it was average.

What you reckon... should I lump the (now extortionate) cost of going to the cinema, or wait for it to come out on streaming platforms?

Yes, it's worth seeing on a big screen,  just be aware that you will have to deal with an only "ok" firsthe two acts. The third act, in both concept and execution sells this flick, and other than a couple sloppy edits it's damn near perfect ( for what it is, anyway)

[matmosphere]

Suspicions have been confirmed. I don't know why this didn't occur to me. At the time I figured it was just CGI.

http://www.slashfilm.com/old-star-wars-footage-in-rogue-one/

[Willybomb]

The Vader In The Hallway Kicking Arse And Not Bothering With Names scene was pretty much worth the price of admission.  JUST PASS THE THING THROUGH THE GAP DAMMIT!!  VADER'S COMING!!!

I like how we got to see the original Red 5.  I didn't see Porkins though.  I always thought calling a fat pilot Porkins has to be some sort of in joke, surely.

I wasn't bothered by the Tarkin CG.  I didn't even realise until I remembered he'd died and I'd read they were CGing him anyway.  Leia wasn't bad.

We always knew how it was going to end though - EVERYBODY DIES.

[mjg]

Hah, I was wondering why I found Tarkin a bit odd looking.  I've been avoiding all the press about the movie, so didn't know he was CG.  And yes, the actor died.  That would have been a hint if I remembered that. 

Overall I enjoyed the movie - the thing that weirded me out the most was that there was only about 10 people in the whole cinema watching it.  I would have thought that on the first day of school holidays it would be packed.  Then again, they were showing it starting every half hour, so maybe the later sessions were more busy. 

I liked the new droid, but after a while I stopped laughing at his lines... maybe because I felt like a git laughing out loud in an empty cinema with no one else joining in.  Or maybe the lines were just a little bit forced (no pun intended).

My 9 year old liked it, but he was disappointed that they didn't do the Star Wars writing at the start, and that they changed the music.  I actually enjoyed the new music - I found I was paying more attention to it because it wasn't the usual Star Wars theme in every scene. 

Maybe I missed it, but I was waiting for a line about Bothans... did I snooze through that?

[matmosphere]

The bothans died getting the plans for the second Death Star, so that's a different story.

I liked the droid too. He and bb8 are contenders for the best new characters in their respective films.

[mjg]

Ahh, that would explain it.  Getting my Bothans mixed up. 

My kid thought that Princess Leia looked 'too smooth, but her eyes were too sharp'.  He didn't notice anything wrong with Tarkin though. 

[jimilee]

I read IMDB and train and Leah were actually look alike, or at least that what it says. I thought Vader looked sort of thin and not  very broad shouldered.