Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Spoilers) Seen it? Discuss it here!
David_D
Posts: 3,884
There is some lead-up conversation and non-spoiler reviews in the old discussion here, eventually to be combined with this discussion.
Have at it!
Have at it!
Comments
The only quibble I have would be with the digital Grand Moff Tarkin, which simply failed to convince.
Ultimately, that is what this movie was about, giving nameless heroes faces.
When the team go to get the Death Star plans, to get through the shield gate they use a captured imperial shuttle with registration code SW0608.
SW06 = Star Wars Episode 6 Return of the Jedi - where a captured imperial shuttle is also used to infiltrate an imperial base.
So what about the 08 part of the code? Spoiler for a plot-point in episode 8? or do I just need to cut down on the caffeine?
I do mention what happened as the news broke while I was editing it.
I'm kind of undecided with what I thought. Still processing the movie, which is a rarity for a movie I knew the whole plot going into it.
I'm curious how the reshot happy ending went. I'm glad they kept the original ending. It felt right for the story.
And how does Saw stay unkempt yet still has perfectly white teeth?!
M
Most of the talk, I think including some on the record quotes in EW or other places, suggested that the reshoots were actually meant to lighten things up a bit.
So my guess, and it is only a guess, is that the ending they originally shot brings the group back together, and they actually ALMOST make it out of there, and then the Death Star makes sure they don't. And I am guessing that cut actually played as darker, and potentially harder for the audience to take-- that it all seems like they are going to win and make it, and then there is this final twist that they don't, and it is a surprise.
Whereas the movie we got, I felt like, with the characters spread out, as soon as they start dying, as an audience member, I settled into, 'Oh. Okay. They are all going to die. It's going to be that.' And the tension of 'will they make it?' releases, and instead you know you are now going to see the moments of heroism, sacrifice, and dignity with which they die, no longer wondering if they will or won't. Just how.
And, for me, that actually, strangely, made the series of character deaths a little more gentle. Especially Jyn and Andor. They aren't running from it, or struggling against anything. They have accepted. For me-- and maybe this is also because of the familiar Giacchino sad piano music-- but it reminded me of some of the skillfully handled character deaths on Lost. Usually (not always) those were done in ways that didn't feel like they were trying to surprise or shock you as an audience member. Rather, once you got the feeling that, 'Ok. This is going to be the story of how XXXXX dies', it would be telegraphed, and emotional, but you were also taken care of as an audience member. You indulged in what was sad or tragic or noble about it (while sad piano music played) but it wasn't a surprise, the rug pulled out from under you right when you think it is going to be ok.
Again, just a guess. But I am very curious to know what some of the earlier cuts were like. It will be interesting to see how much of that we ever get to find out.
I believe, based on a clip in one of the trailers, Krennic also is seen walking way instead of his platform death.
I agree the deaths did feel similar to those on LOST.
http://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/rogue-one-13-revelations-director-gareth-edwards/
From that, there was a happy ending version of the script in the early days, but they never shot a version where they lived (though Edwards kept expecting they would ask him to.)
https://player.vimeo.com/video/196155136
Apparently the last act changed quite a bit according to these two editors on the film.
Most of the film looked great. Star Wars does "scale" better than any other franchise and the Death Star visuals really showed it.
The Empire got some added depth and was made to seem like an actual threat. I like that Alderann was not Tarkin's first mass destruction effort. Having his first solution to every problem seemingly be to blow up the problem adds to his character.
The cons for me was that it had some of the same old Star Wars stuff - the records depository that fulfilled the bottomless pit requirement & another movie with a shield generator that needs to be deactivated.
They look cool, but if someone would just use one from time to time, I would be thrilled.