Rogue One - A Star Wars Story

[quigonkenny]

Originally Posted by Ithekro

TCW also gives him better dialogue and acting.

That's not really saying much, especially considering some of the dialog in Attack of the Clones, but they really did do a good job of fleshing out the character and giving his actions more meaning, rather than the largely "we need Anakin to (re)act this way because plot" treatment in the movies.

As for me, I have the benefit of having grown up with the Original Trilogy. I have enough of a "Vader baseline" in my head that can partition the "Anakin becomes Vader" part over to one side in my brain every time he does something "un-Vaderlike", and it's like they're two completely different people. None of Anakin's many shortcomings as a literary character affect the concentrated mass of badass menace that is the Dark Lord of the Sith. Hopefully RO does nothing to change that...

[monster]

Originally Posted by quigonkenny

As for me, I have the benefit of having grown up with the Original Trilogy. I have enough of a "Vader baseline" in my head that can partition the "Anakin becomes Vader" part over to one side in my brain every time he does something "un-Vaderlike", and it's like they're two completely different people. None of Anakin's many shortcomings as a literary character affect the concentrated mass of badass menace that is the Dark Lord of the Sith.

The Vader seen in the original trilogy is decades removed from even the Vader seen in Episode III, let alone the Anakin before that. It wouldn't make any sense for Anakin to always do something "Vader-like." That would just make the character of Anakin pointless.

[quigonkenny]

Originally Posted by monster

The Vader seen in the original trilogy is decades removed from even the Vader seen in Episode III, let alone the Anakin before that. It wouldn't make any sense for Anakin to always do something "Vader-like." That would just make the character of Anakin pointless.

Perhaps I misphrased it. Not so much "un-Vaderlike", but "something that diminishes Vader as a character, even separated by time and life-changing events". Prequel Anakin is full of those moments. TCW Anakin, not so much, thankfully.

[JagdPanther]

Originally Posted by Semblance_of_Power

With episode 7 playing it so incredibly safe to the point of bordering on being an episode 4 remake, it doesn't inspire much confidence in me that Vader seems to be one of the main draws of this movie.

I get the feeling it's going to be chock fill of easter eggs and references to the original trilogy just to try and exploit the nostalgia, instead of trying to tell an entirely new story and expanding the main universe.

I think Episode VII was strictly a way to cleanse peoples' palettes after the prequels. Starting with Episode VIII, they'll actually try to do something new and advance the story.

At least, I hope so...

[AntonKutovoi]

Originally Posted by JagdPanther

I think Episode VII was strictly a way to cleanse peoples' palettes after the prequels. Starting with Episode VIII, they'll actually try to do something new and advance the story.

At least, I hope so...

I actually thought that Episode VII was much worse than the prequels, so now they need to do something to clean from it.

[Chosen_Hero]

Kylo Ren reacts to the new trailer:

[quigonkenny]

Originally Posted by Semblance_of_Power

While I'm solidly in the camp of "screw George Lucas, the prequels were a convoluted mess that often broke the most basic rules of film making", we still have to remember that episode 1 was a commercial success and even more incredible, episode 2 and 3 were the same.

Given that fact, I strongly believe they could have made episode VII the 2 hour tale of an obese jedi dealing with a bad case of explosive diarrhea and the movie would have still been a financial success, so they may have as well tried to make some more groundbreaking and original than what we got.

But then again it wasn't my billions of dollars on the line and companies do not like risks.

Let's just hope episode VIII won't be the epic tale about taking down the Death Solar System, setting up the final confrontation in episode IX in which they destroy the Death Galaxy until a new trilogy comes out in which they must recover the stolen blueprints which show the completely unnecessary structural weakness of the Death Universe.

ROW, ROW! Fight the power!

[JagdPanther]

Originally Posted by AntonKutovoi

I actually thought that Episode VII was much worse than the prequels, so now they need to do something to clean from it.

Well, I won't go as far as to say VII was worse than all the prequels, but I do think it was bad.

But, you and I are in the very, very small minority. The vast and overwhelming majority of people loved the film. There's a sizeable group that even thinks it's the best of the seven mainline films (I still am shocked there are people who think that, and so many).

With Episode VII, though, Disney is like that team that is going to play it safe right before the half, comfortable with the score. They run a conservative play that's easy to defend, but difficult to for things to go wrong (that's the tried-and-true, loved story of Episode IV). But, it actually goes for a massive gain. They hit it big but not even doing anything well. They changed some minor details, threw in some slightly different backgrounds/settings, and voila, there's a blockbuster film.

As Semblance said above, they would've hit it big whether they turned out a horrifically bad film or a good film simply because of how the prequels have been bashed and the fact that it says "Star Wars" at the beginning. There was no way Episode VII wouldn't do well. But what they needed was not just for Episode VII to do well, but to setup a string of massively successful sequel movies, anthology movies, and alllllll of the ancillary stuff. They shelled out billions for this IP, and they need to get their money's worth. Disney is a business, plain and simple. They don't care what is done as long as it sells and it continues to sell.

Lucas made horrible decisions, but at least his first three movies, and really his first three major decisions in managing the Star Wars IP, were stunningly good. He had a mixed bag after Return, but the original trilogy is as close to perfect as you can get in movies. He was an artist, and he did a good job at that time. It was only later that people realized that, strangely, it's possible that technology not having yet advanced forced him to make better decisions because he couldn't act on the crazy ideas he had.

Then there's Disney, which is nothing more than a money machine. They will make whatever decision gets them the most money. Now, I'm not an anti-business guy. Hell, I am in business. A large part of me says, "Hell yeah, get 'er done, Disney! Make it rain!" But the Star Wars fan in me says, "Good Lord. This is a disaster."

That's why I am trying to remain as neutral as possible about Rogue One.

Originally Posted by Semblance_of_Power

While I'm solidly in the camp of "screw George Lucas, the prequels were a convoluted mess that often broke the most basic rules of film making", we still have to remember that episode 1 was a commercial success and even more incredible, episode 2 and 3 were the same.

Let's just hope episode VIII won't be the epic tale about taking down the Death Solar System, setting up the final confrontation in episode IX in which they destroy the Death Galaxy until a new trilogy comes out in which they must recover the stolen blueprints which show the completely unnecessary structural weakness of the Death Universe.

You're absolutely right about the prequels. And to be fair, counter to my argument above, the prequels did nothing to halt Star Wars fervor. The prequels launched a decade of some of the best Expanded Universe material around (e.g. Knights of the Old Republic comics and video games). And Disney hopes to do the same with the new trilogy. But they know that a set of movies that's loved will do better than a set of movies that is very, very divisive like the prequels were.

I doubt we have to worry about Episodes VIII and IX being like that. Like I said, I firmly believe Episode VII was a way to cleanse the palettes of older fans (well, anyone old enough to have seen all the prequels in theaters). All the marketing was so painfully obviously meant to show how much "different" Episode VII would be from the prequels (even though, in the end, there was probably more in common than not... that "practical effects" line that was repeated ad nauseum was crap... there was more CG in Episode VII than any prequels, and the "practical effects" were no more common than they were in the PT). From what I understand, they're approaching VIII much differently.

[barcode120x]

Donnie yen?! Hell to freaking yeah!

[quigonkenny]

Originally Posted by JagdPanther

...that "practical effects" line that was repeated ad nauseum was crap... there was more CG in Episode VII than any prequels, and the "practical effects" were no more common than they were in the PT).

I'm going to have to call you on this one. While TFA didn't use use practical effects for everything like had to be done in the OT, even a casual observer could tell you they were easily more prevalent than in the PT. You only had green screen or copious CG when it was practical (the "stage" for Han's last scene) or when there was an obvious advantage (the various ship FX, touch ups, etc.). You didn't have sets that were chopped off at 6 feet "so we can CG in the rest of them", people acting opposite air because "I know you were looking forward to meeting her, but Miss Portman couldn't make it today, Mr Stamp, and we can always just film her parts later and composite you together in post", or pointless CG aliens or creatures walking past in the background constantly. Abrams used CG, but he didn't overuse it like Lucas did in the PT.

[MeoTwister5]

I'm pretty sure almost the entirety of the PT were filmed in front a green screen...

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Originally Posted by MeoTwister5

I'm pretty sure almost the entirety of the PT were filmed in front a green screen...

Episode 1 actually had some notable practical props and sets ("Gungans vs Droids"-scene and space-battles notwithstanding). Lucas' addiction to everything digital only came full force (no pun intended) in Episode 2 & 3 .

[Yoxall]

International trailer is out.

[Ithekro]

A few little pieces more of information.

[AnimeFan188]

More Star Wars info & speculation:

Snoke’s Identity and More: What We Learned
From ‘Star Wars: Life Debt’:

"The newest novel continues to dig into what remains of the Empire
following the Battle of Endor, the state of the fledgling New Republic, and
the lives of key characters in the Star Wars universe. More than that, it
lends some much-needed background to a whole host of mysteries in
The Force Awakens, while teasing at what’s to come in Episode VIII. So
what exactly did Life Debt teach us? Here’s what we were able to find."

See:

http://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainm...=YF&yptr=yahoo

[Ithekro]

Trailer Number Two for Rogue One.

YouTube

https://youtu.be/sC9abcLLQpI

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

[MrTerrorist]

Nice. We even see Darth Vader.

[MeoTwister5]

On my birthday of all days.

[JagdPanther]

I'm starting to like Krennic. And I know it's a trailer, so some of it is editing, but my God is the dialog still so bad.

[sayde]

I have so much difficulty getting into spin offs like this. I may not understand exactly when this takes place in the timeline, but since I already know what ultimately becomes of the death star and Darth Vadar and how it all happens, I'm left wondering, what's going to occur in this side story that's going to be of any particular interest to me. And right now, even with the release of this 2nd trailer, I'm just not seeing it.

I want to look forward to this. I really do. And I keep thinking I must be missing something obvious that's preventing me from wanting to know more about this new protagonist and what's going on.

On another note, I almost had to do a double take when I heard Donnie Yen speak some lines in English. I don't hear that too often.