What did Maximus think? What did you think?
Note: I will not see the film until Sunday afternoon. My comments will go up Sunday evening or Monday, depending. So if you guys are posting your reviews/reactions keep them light on spoilers since I still have to moderate unapproved comments ;).
Again: No flaming, no bashing, no trolling, no baiting, etc. or the ban hammer will be applied. If the thread goes off the rails, I will have to shut it down. Thank you.
Tags: Saga
starwarsprequelappreciationsociety.wordpress.com 
December 16, 2016 at 10:59 am |
It’s really good. A ton of fun, and really bold in some of its narrative choices. It’ll also definitely reward repeat viewings in a way The Force Awakens (which I loved) really didn’t; it’s thematically rich and visually almost overwhelming at times. I think prequel fans will be pleased. I’ve always been someone who thought the films should be watched in the order they were released, but a few moments here made me think Prequels–>Rogue One–>Originals might soon be the optimal way to marathon them.
December 16, 2016 at 11:28 am |
Hello my friends!
For those who has already seen the movie, I’d like to ask your opinion on something
.
As a prequel fan I was very dissapointed by how Disney’s prequel bashing approach for marketing campaign for TFA, as well as its intentional avoidance of prequel references in the movie (I believe it was Abrams intention).
I don’t want to go and see a movie that does the same.
This time I see Disney changed their approach: Jimmy Smitts’ return’ as Bail Organa, Lucas approval, some overall threat for the movie (based on what I’ve seen in he trailers) point out to a much more prequel appreciating approach. Also, the last Kathleen Kennedy commentary to a newspaper (I don’t remember which one) shows Disney changed their politics.
I believe, since the movie happened after RotS, there must be more references to the prequel trilogy.
Could anyone who’s already seen the movie can write heir opinion on this matter.
December 16, 2016 at 11:48 am |
Rogue One doesn’t shy from the legacy of the prequels and I much prefer it over TFA. I think that every prequel fan should give Rogue One a chance.
December 16, 2016 at 3:06 pm |
Unlike TFA, Rogue One clearly accepts and uses the legacy of the prequels. There is one particularly great nod regarding Vader that I won’t spoil…
Obviously they could have done more, but it’s heading in the right direction.
December 16, 2016 at 11:54 am |
I liked it a lot; for the first time in years, I left the cinema feeling like a highly excited six-year-old boy. I consider this a good thing. 🙂
December 16, 2016 at 1:03 pm |
I don’t know when I’ll go. Maybe I’ll wait till it’s on DVD. I simply cannot muster any interest in the thing, and I cannot picture myself enjoying it. The idea of seeing it feels like going to the dentist, something to be endured and gotten over with. Possibly I need help.
December 16, 2016 at 1:42 pm |
I can also say as a big fan of the original six films that Rogue One honours George Lucas’s vision more than FA. It has vision and imagination, with things that honour the saga but also has the guts to be different with the overall tone. It’s ironic that this film probably had more right to be retro than FA given its position in the story but FA felt far more derivative than this. It brings back certain characters seen in the trailers (and one who you may be surprised by for one fairly obvious reason) and there are loads of nods to the saga as a whole, above all A New Hope obviously. It maybe took a little while to get going and I felt maybe some of the characters needed a final ‘oomph’ to really come to life but the acting was great overall and for the last 30 minutes of this film, my inner fanboy was practically screaming. I warn you though: the film is DARK at times. That quote from The Dark Knight springs to mind: ‘The night is darkest just before the dawn’, if A New Hope is the dawn, then you get the idea.
I get the impression that this is the film Gareth Edwards has been waiting to make his whole life, there are some brilliant moments and two brilliant shots related to a certain returning villain that Lucas would have been proud of. On that note, Edwards said that George liked the movie, that doesn’t surprise me for the reasons I have said. It just has more vision and imagination than FA and honours Lucas’ knack for pushing the boundaries (even digitally in this film I would argue, on one thing in particular). Last year, I sat there feeling a bit apathetic about FA (it’s growing on me slowly after 3 viewings) but this gave me the energised feeling that I should have had last year and should have after any Star Wars film: the ‘I LOVE STAR WARS!’ feeling.
December 16, 2016 at 3:19 pm |
I loved the movie !
One thing that gave me hope for the future is the CGI versions of two human characters of the original trilogy. It’s amazing.
It means that even if it takes 10 years to convince Lucasfilm, a Star Wars Story based on the prequels can include cameos of Padmé, Anakin, Qui-Gon, Mace, or even Dooku !
December 16, 2016 at 3:32 pm |
It’s the movie Lucasfilm should’ve made before TFA to give fans a big shot nostalgia (and plenty of fan service) before taking the saga films in a more original, inventive direction. The good news is that the movie is great and even better news for PT fans that it respects the prequels — a lot. It fits perfectly between the PT and OT.
I’ll say it right now, Lucasfilm needs to make an Obi-Wan film. If they’re smart (since they can’t have Obi and Vader directly facing off) they’d bring in a live-action Ahsoka to wrap up her storyline (she’s gotta die sometime) by taking on her former master.
December 17, 2016 at 10:30 pm |
> Ahsoka to wrap up her storyline
Theres already a book that follows her adventures between episode 3 and her becoming part of a resistance.
December 18, 2016 at 1:23 pm
Does she die in the book? Because at some time between Rebels and ANH she, Ezra, and Kanan all need to go belly up. All I’m saying is if they’re going to give Obi a stand alone movie, and he and Vader don’t meet again until ANH, then bringing in Ahsoka as part of some mission, then having her confront Vader instead of him, might be the way to have Vader in the movie without any direct contact with Obi.
January 4, 2017 at 5:30 am |
I agree, it would have been perfect if they made RO first to satisfy the OT nostalgia (here all the references, particularly to ANH, make much more sense) and then took TFA in a more original direction. Hopefully, Ep. VIII will make up for that to some degree. I suppose they thought the story of RO was too small-scale for the first new SW movie in several years?
I also agree about the Obi-Wan spin-off, especially as Ewan McGregor seems to be quite enthusiastic about it.
December 16, 2016 at 5:17 pm |
i never understood why people consider the prequel so bad i love how palpatine manipulated the republic like a chess game and seing the heroic man anakin skywalker was suposed to be sometime i thing nerd culture is full of morons
December 17, 2016 at 10:32 pm |
There a vocal minority who dont know what to bitch about.
December 16, 2016 at 6:40 pm |
Without giving to much away should I go see this? I was pretty much going to skip out on this one. TFA really burned me. Does this respect the saga or should I look elsewhere? I may catch it next week if I get good answers from this.
December 16, 2016 at 6:59 pm |
Watch it. It really respects the Prequels. I was surprised. 🙂
December 16, 2016 at 10:27 pm |
Hey new to the site, but very happy I found it as I love every Star Wars film equally and don’t understand all the prequel hating as it gives more backbone to Star Wars than even the Originals.
That being said, I believe Rogue One was the perfect mix of PT and OT and even further strengthens that Disney did not forget the prequels. If you haven’t seen the film yet I highly recommend to and be pleasantly surprised by the greatest Star Wars film you never knew you wanted.
December 17, 2016 at 3:12 am |
I liked it much better than TFA, but it still left a lot to be desired. I don´t think the reshoots helped the movie at all, and in the first hour or so it felt pretty disjointed. Also the score felt very rushed, it should have been given more time to steep.
Although I know it will never happen, I would indeed like to watch the unaltered version, before the Disney reshoots. Since to this day, the very first teaser trailer (“I rebel”) remains my favourite of them all, and I was pretty disappointed that a lot of those scenes did not end up in the movie.
That being said, it took some bold decisions, gave us stunning visuals, and a bunch of likeable characters.
January 4, 2017 at 5:41 am |
I also liked the first teaser trailer and I was slightly disappointed the “I rebel” line wasn’t in the movie. Still, I did enjoy it overall, and I actually liked Jyn’s character more than I had expected to.
December 17, 2016 at 6:58 am |
They didn’t blow up the Senate and all signs of civilization this time, so it is an improvement.
December 17, 2016 at 7:22 am |
This is a movie that celebrates the saga.
Love it.
Only weakness to me was soundtrack but that’s ok. Some people loved the sound track so personal preference I guess.
Cgi makes worlds big. Thank heavens we didn’t have TFA we’re the galaxy is a bunch of small settlements
December 17, 2016 at 10:27 am |
I grew up with the originals, I liked the prequels very much and I felt Iike TFA was a bit empty. I must say that I did not like Rogue One much at all. It felt a bit like “Black Hawk Down” with some Star Wars-type props/ships/creatures. (I liked Black Hawk Down, but Star Wars should be more than just a war movie). Very heavy and very little life to it except for the blind man.
December 17, 2016 at 11:27 am |
I guess the character of Bria Tharen, who was part of a mission to retrieve the Death Star plans in an EU novel, has been made obsolete. Damn shame.
December 17, 2016 at 12:25 pm |
Well, since the EU was never canon to begin with and was cast as “Legends” as of 2012, this shouldn’t come as a surprise.
December 17, 2016 at 10:34 pm
> since the EU was never canon to begin
That is wrong. The EU was canon, but on a lower hierarchy of canon.
The hierarchy used to be like this:
Movie > TV series (ie TCW, CW, droids, ewoks) > books/comics > games
December 18, 2016 at 8:40 am
Indeed. Kyle Katarn never infltrated a poorly guarded Imperial Base to retrieve the Death Star Plans. And X-Wing pilots never had to capture Imperial Sattelites and spread them across an Asteroid Field to capture secret transmissions containing vital schematics that should never have been sent to begin with.
I’m obviously referring to X-Wing and Dark Forces. XW Tour II missions 4-6, and the first level of DF.
December 18, 2016 at 4:48 pm |
I don’t think it’s a shame. I’m glad to be completely rid of her. And the EU was never canon.
December 26, 2016 at 2:13 am
> since the EU was never canon to begin
That is wrong. The EU was canon, but on a lower hierarchy of canon.
The hierarchy used to be like this:
Movie > TV series (ie TCW, CW, droids, ewoks) > books/comics > games
December 17, 2016 at 12:25 pm |
I would like to see Lucasfilm add a few PT aliens into the mix. A Basalisk (Dexter’s race), a Geonosian, a Kaminoan. If they really wanted to prove they embrace the mythology of the entire saga they’d throw a Gungan into the background somewhere, but I don’t think they have the guts to do it. I still say Dave Filoni should get Jar Jar into an episode of Rebels. Give him a truly heroic moment that even haters would have to admit is cool.
December 17, 2016 at 12:35 pm |
I certainly enjoyed the movie as well, but agree that it was a little disjointed in the first half and overall had some pacing issues. It was cool to see a character like Saw from TCW show as part of the story, although I was hoping there would be some mention of his past in the Clone Wars or being trained by Jedi, something to give general audiences a sense of who he was. It was great to see Smits as Bail Organa and I was so happy to finally hear him talk with Mon Mothma about the Clone Wars and Obi-wan, even without mentioning him by name.
December 17, 2016 at 10:37 pm |
Too bad they didnt get someone who actually looked similar to Saw to play him in the movie.
December 19, 2016 at 3:09 am |
Wait – this character has been seen before? I googled him, and he’s the guy from Onderon?
I don’t see what they’d have in common, but the name. Not the personality, not the looks, and why does he now have two(?) artificial legs? Why take a name from the CW, when you’ll just make it an entirely new character?
December 19, 2016 at 9:06 am
It is a nitpicky point but yeah, Forrest Whittaker doesn’t look anything like the cartoon version.
December 17, 2016 at 12:36 pm |
Oh, and Vader’s castle on Mustafar – awesome!
December 17, 2016 at 1:26 pm |
Was that really Mustafar? I´d be surprised if he wanted to have his castle there ..
December 17, 2016 at 1:28 pm
Yes, definitely Mustafar as was confirmed by Pablo Hidalgo. My favorite scene of the whole movie.
December 19, 2016 at 3:07 am
Did not notice that at all. Had to see it mentioned in a YouTube video, or I’d never have known.
December 26, 2016 at 2:13 am
Surprised? This is disney were talking about. They take a crap on canon.
December 17, 2016 at 8:05 pm |
Why on earth would Vader have a castle on Mustafar? Whose idea was this?
Well, since the EU was never canon to begin with and was cast as “Legends” as of 2012, this shouldn’t come as a surprise.
The EU was canon, until after Lucas sold the franchise to Disney, who made it non-canon.
December 17, 2016 at 10:12 pm |
The EU was never fully canon; it was always subject to be overwritten by Lucas, which he did frequently on Clone Wars.
December 18, 2016 at 4:50 pm |
No, the EU was never canon. Disney labeling it “Legends” (one of the few things Disney has done since they bought SW that I approve of) was just a formality.
December 18, 2016 at 9:20 pm |
I loved many things in the EU, and disregarded those I did not. And the things I loved are still in my canon, couldn’t care less what the “official” position is.
December 17, 2016 at 11:13 pm |
Finally saw Rogue One today.
I will definitely being seeing this one again. I didn’t care for TFA at all. I only saw it once at the cinema and I haven’t seen it since. Rogue One- I need to see it again just to process everything I just saw. The film does a wonderful job of connecting elements from the Prequels, as well as The Clone Wars, to the original trilogy. Without giving anything away, there are some wonderful surprises in the film, both characters and ships.
I have read that some people complain about the score. Personally, I enjoyed it. The composer isn’t quite as epic as Williams in his approach, but the score is distinctive and I didn’t have to wait until the end credits to figure what the central character’s theme was. The score definitely stood out and a very distinctive presence.
In regards to Edwards, he is no George Lucas, but he is very close. Like our dear Dave, Edwards’s approach is different from George’s, but he respects the Maker’s work and he understands the essence of Star Wars. The saga is about characters, story, imagination and pushing creative boundaries. This film contains all of those elements. In the time allotted, you are given new characters, new worlds, the mythology is enriched and there is even a bit of family drama. The visuals are amazing and if the film isn’t at least nominated by the academy, I will be stunned.
I have read some reviews and comments stating that the film is very dark and that it completely changes A New Hope. I didn’t find the tone to be all that dark, especially when you compare to Revenge of the Sith. As for the changing A New Hope, I don’t think it does. The urgency is right there in the opening crawl- Empire has a weapon that can destroy an entire planet and the Rebels know it! The sense of urgency is already there! For me, A New Hope changed after seeing Attack the Clones & Revenge of the Sith.
Overall, I would call this film a must see. Rogue One does what the EU did when it was at its best: enriched the Star Wars universe without undermining George’s foundation or detracting from his characters.
I’ll save spoilers for later. 🙂
December 18, 2016 at 2:39 am |
I think the movie was entertaining … and nothing more. The characters were *meh* – not all, but most of them. I wasn’t really emotionally invested in the whole thing. At least it helps to link the PT and the OT better – or let me say smoother. Solid movie — 7/10
December 19, 2016 at 3:11 am |
I’d say this sums up my experience, though maybe I’ll feel different the next time I see it.
“Meh”, nothing special, but not bad either.
I guess to me, it’s just not Star Wars without the Skywalker family (and Vader showing up for two minutes to kill a few people doesn’t count).
December 18, 2016 at 7:08 am |
I thought it was okay. Not as good as the original six, and somewhere on par with Force Awakens. One aspect I thought Force Awakens did really well was the characters. But I was left a little cold by Jyn and Cassian. The supporting cast was great, but I went in knowing Donnie Yen would steal the show so maybe I’m biased. The space battle was magnificent while still keeping it small scale enough not to overshadow the Battle of Yavin in A New Hope. I wish Alexandre Desplat had stayed on to write the score, but there were a few highlights from Michael Giacchino’s score. Notably that he included some imperial themes from A New Hope that had been discarded when John Williams gave the world Imperial March later. As for the CGI de-aging, it wasn’t 100% great all the time, but nailed it most of the time. And unlike Terminator Salvation where it was filmed with brevity, this was shot like the actors where really standing there in the room, which I admire. The only other thing though that bugged me, and it’s just because the nature of the story they chose to tell is that classical mythology played even less of a role than it did in Force Awakens. The closest thing would be the Force being used as a modern day religious parable, but even that was really a minor part of the movie. I guess I’d just call it a dark sci-fi action movie with some really cool Star Warsy moments thrown in. Nice that some discarded ideas like the lava castle, Blue Squadron, “May the force of others be with you” and a very historic Star Wars word made it to the big screen.
December 18, 2016 at 8:25 am |
I liked Rogue One, but would have liked it more had it’s indulgence of nostalgia been isolated to it, and not been TFA’s MO as well, just a year ago.
Also, does every planet have to be a riff on Tatooine and Mos Eisley? Can we open up our imaginations, Lucasfilm, and think of something new!
Overall though, it’s a good movie, with a solid premise that, after a meandering first act, it manages to make engaging and fun. And what relief to see a modern director who has some idea of how to shoot and edit an action sequence so it’s somewhere approaching coherent. If he’d only managed to create worlds sufficiently different from one another, and memorable enough, that cutting between them didn’t require on screen text to keep track of where we were, he’d be golden.
All the same, superior movie to TFA in most every respect. I liked it.
December 19, 2016 at 3:14 am |
Yes, it’s such a huge galaxy, endless opportunities, but nah, we just have to have more dirty desert settlements. They don’t dare try anything new, because just look at what happened to Lucas when he did that…
December 20, 2016 at 4:09 pm
Yeah, it just feels too much like the current filmmakers behind Star Wars are mere custodians and caretakers of museum pieces, rather than artisans in their own right, creating new works of imagination and innovation to be admired. Which is a little sad, given the series being curated always distinguished itself on those grounds.
December 20, 2016 at 5:13 pm
They are in this to make money so they are going with what they think is safe. (Not to mention Lucas’s imagination cannot be transferred to others like software.) I’m not saying this to slag on Lucasfilm/Disney; it’s true. It doesn’t mean they want to make bad movies or they don’t care about quality but the age of Star Wars leading the way is over.
December 22, 2016 at 7:56 am
Oh, there’s no doubt they’re out to make good movies, and Rogue One is good (more or less). But it’s hard not to lament the lack of imagination, and the reluctance (or is it fear?) of doing anything that steps outside the box that’s been assigned to star Wars by its fanboy fan base.
Like you say, ‘the age of Star Wars leading the way is over’. It’s just another franchise now.
December 18, 2016 at 9:57 pm |
If I were to grade the saga, I’d give Episodes I-VI 100, TFA an 84, and Rogue One a 91 or 92.
This was a unique experience in that I went to see it sick with a cold I came down with on Saturday. Pumped full of drugs and sitting in a La-Z-Boy at one of those theaters, I hoped I would make it through without a sneezing fit, trumpeting nose-blowing, or a hack attack.
The good news is Gareth Edwards does a solid job with what he’s got: a pretty straightforward small-scale story that 30 years ago would’ve been a t.v. movie. It’s inspired by war flicks, most notably “The Dirty Dozen.” Though this crew is what I’d call The Dingy Half-Dozen. The beginning of the film sort of reminds me of the opening scene from “Inglorious Basterds,” where Christoph Waltz finds a rural home where a Jewish family had been trying to lie low. While the first act is basically assembling the international box office boosting cast, the payoff is in some good action sequences and a spectacular battle at the end. Sure, some of it is total fan service but it is also fun and entertaining. Edwards had a smaller budget and at times, it looked like he pushed every buck he had. He also seems to get some Lucas-isms like opening vista shots. In this film there are new ships, some new kinds of planets, and other things we haven’t seen before. For that, Edwards deserves a lot of credit. Unlike TFA, which was basically about only what J.J. Abrams liked about Star Wars, Rogue One takes full advantage of the mythos even to the point of arcana. The phrase “May the Force of others be with you” comes from George Lucas’s original drafts. Genevieve O’Reilly and Jimmy Smits reprise their roles from the prequels; there’s a short conversation between them that will bring smiles to most of you who visit this site. Saw Gerrera originated on The Clone Wars, though he’s crazy and suffering from COPD at this point. Mustafar makes an uncredited appearance. There were supposedly “Rebels” references but I missed those. Michael Giacchino’s score isn’t quite on par with John Williams’s best but it’s definitely better than Williams’s score for TFA.
But. (And isn’t there always a but?)
My mom whispered at one point, “I think Lucas’s movies are better. They have more flavor.” And well, it’s true. Maybe Rogue One is shooting for something different but it doesn’t quite have that larger than life feel. While the stars do the best they can and pull it off ably, with Donnie Yen and Alan Tudyk often stealing the show, the RO characters feel like ships passing in the night. Qui-Gon Jinn and General Grievous only did one film each and they filled the screen every time. They’re legends. When Darth Vader first appeared, the audience at my showing applauded. A little boy cried out, “That’s Anakin!” Heck, I felt like hugging him myself. The audience gasped with delight and surprise to see Artoo and Threepio or Leia again.
While Rogue One does have many beautiful visuals, at times it was the TFA school of eyesore cinematography all over again. The movie tries to tell you repeatedly it’s “gritty” by making the visual surroundings as “gritty” as possible. But to be honest, it’s not a really dark or gritty film with a couple of caveats. The creature design still isn’t up to par with Episodes I-VI. On that note, I’m all for creating new “aliens” but would it kill them to put in an occasional Togruta, Zabrak, Quarren, Duros, or something besides a Mon Cal to remind you you’re still in the GFFA?
It’s clear that Disney is still very much married to the OT, in terms of aesthetic and story. Unfortunately they just couldn’t stop themselves from obvious callbacks and visual cues that seem forced. At some point, Disney has to recognize it’s got a bigger galaxy to play with but as long as it thinks OT nostalgia is where it’s safe, that’s where Star Wars will stay.
The other thing is the film’s odd moral compass. It assumes you already know who the good guys and bad guys are so it doesn’t need to show you why “they’re” bad and why you should cheer for the heroes. Jyn and Chirrut (sp?) emerge as the film’s moral voice so to speak but Diego Luna’s character does things like whack informants and has a to heck-with-’em attitude. Again, I understand what they were going for here, it’s just that in Lucas’s universe, the Empire is evil because of what it does to people and its affiliation with the Dark Side and the Rebels are good not just because they oppose the Empire but because they’re NOT the kind of people who do unethical or immoral things. Just a thought.
And in nitpick theater, why does Jyn tell Krennic there’s a flaw in the Death Star design? What if he survived long enough to get on his horn and warned everybody? Her whole mission would’ve been for nothing! Why the hell was the Death Star upside down for half the movie? And Disney, for the love of God, please stop with the radar screens and characters wielding long staffs!
I’m not yet sure what to think about CGI Tarkin and Leia.
On a non-critical note, I guess the Death Star used low power on Jedha and Scarif because it was more like Hiroshima than the kablooey that took out Alderaan entirely in like two seconds.
Overall, Rogue One is an entertaining film that left me with a positive feeling. It is neither the greatest Star Wars movie ever nor an abomination. But it is worth a couple of viewings and it almost made me forget about my cold for a couple of hours.
December 19, 2016 at 5:04 pm |
Hi, Lazy Padawan. Glad yoi liked Rogue One more than TFA. Just wanted to give you 5 pieces of feedback regarding Rogue One.
1. I’m not sure if you saw, but, just in case, another Prequel Trilogy planet, Coruscant, appears in a flashback of Jyn Erso, which is when we see her in red PJ’s with her family and Krennic.
2. Relating to my first piece of feedback, I’m sure you want more depth to Jyn & her family. I know where to help you. If you get a chance (and if you would like), pick up the Rogue One prequel novel “Catalyst : A Rogue One Novel”. It’ll help you with liking Jyn and it’ll also help improve Rogue One on future viewings.
3. If you think we’ve seen the last of Saw, don’t worry. When “Star Wars Rebels” returns on January 7th which will be a two-parter on Geonosis (yep, that’s right!) where Saw will return, which means we’ll likely get an in-depth explanation on why Geonosis was later removed from finishing the Death Star. Here’s the news of that for you: http://makingstarwars.net/2016/12/saw-gerrera-coming-to-star-wars-rebels/
4. I know you still think Disney needs to try harder to be less “in-love” with mimicking the aesthetic of the OT. Well, I believe that they may potentially do that, especially if they do do that Obi-Wan standalone movie with Ewan McGregor.
5. After seeing Rogue One, would you rather see Star Wars Story spinoff films or the main episodic movies? Personally, I’d go with the spinoffs because they’ll be more daring and risky.
Thank you for your time!
P.S. If you got to see any trailers for any upcoming 2017 movies before Rogue One played, I’d be interested to know which 2017 movie you’re most excited for that you saw a preview of when you went to go see Rogue One.
December 19, 2016 at 5:39 pm
Most of what I saw before RO was Marvel films and I’m okay with MCU but not a big fan.
It depends on what they do with episodic films versus the standalones. I have no opinion on that yet.
December 21, 2016 at 10:27 pm |
I pretty much agree with this review. Though I’d rank TFA and perhaps R1 just a tad lower. Good take.
December 18, 2016 at 10:53 pm |
Thankfully, this movie was no “The Force Awakens”. The rest of my family thought “Rogue One” was one of the best STAR WARS films. I couldn’t really share their feelings.
Don’t get me wrong. It was a pretty good movie, but I thought it could have been better and more unique. I could have done without the major battle in the end. Considering the protagonists’ goals, I thought it was a bit too much and it felt as if Edwards was trying too hard to remake the Battle of Endor in the movie’s last act. I don’t know. It was a feeling I had. If the movie had played out as a straight espionage or military intelligence story . . . without the major battle, I would have been a bit more impressed. As for CGI Tarkin and Leia . . . didn’t care for it.
I really hope that one day, the Disney Studios and Lucasfilm will get over this obsession with the Original Trilogy and create stories that are a lot more original and less to do with it.
December 19, 2016 at 7:51 am |
I took my kids to see it yesterday (second time for me, first for them) and my eldest daughter, who hated TFA so much she cried when we left the theater last year, was bubbling with happiness. She specifically liked that the movie “fit” with Lucas’ Star Wars, not give it “a big middle finger” like TFA did. I think the film did exactly what these stand alone movies should do: take deeper dives into the mythology, illustrate previously unseen backstory, and fill gaps. I’m happy to squeeze this movie in between Episodes III and IV.
December 19, 2016 at 9:05 am |
I think that’s the impression I got too; this was a movie that tried to honor what Lucas did and that’s always appreciated.
December 19, 2016 at 12:05 pm |
And its surprising, given Gary “F-George Lucas” Whitta’s name on the screenplay. Having to look at his name in the credits is really my only negative about the movie. That and George’s name STILL isn’t on any posters. The Bond and Trek films still include a “created by” credit on their posters. What the what, Lucasfilm.
December 19, 2016 at 12:55 pm
That’s a great point. WTF is up with that?
December 20, 2016 at 5:11 am
From what I gather (and this is mainly just industry rumor), there’s HUGE bad blood between Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy/Disney. Even though Lucas visited the set of RO, there’s no indication KK was there even though she was the producer. It was her film. If she wasn’t there, it’s because she CHOSE not to be. Someone like George Lucas just doesn’t show up on a set without the producer knowing. I’ve been on sets where there have been high profile visitors before and the high-up producers are ALWAYS there. Their egos live for that stuff. Lucas wasn’t at the premiere and Lucas hasn’t shown up in the press like he did after TFA. Whether Lucas just isn’t available or whether Disney is somehow putting pressure on to make sure there isn’t a repeat of last year’s negative comments, who knows. But it’s very telling that Lucas and Kennedy were friends for decades and now they are never in the same room together. I bet if you asked Disney why Lucas doesn’t get a credit on posters they’d say, “Well, his name is the very first thing people see on each movie,” which is true, but it’s also a sign that they’re still distancing themselves from him. They even recently made a point to make sure people knew George wasn’t involved “at all” in the new Indiana Jones flick. It may be that the good will shown toward Lucas on RO is mainly due to Garath Edwards and John Knoll and not necessarily a thaw from the executive offices.
December 20, 2016 at 6:09 am
Well, she betrayed him, didn’t she? She said his legacy was going to be protected, and then threw it in the trash?
December 26, 2016 at 2:16 am
Well KK is their equivalent of the crooked witch.
December 20, 2016 at 8:47 am |
Not related or anything but 9Gag did one of those Live “React for you favorite” videos about which female Star Wars hero was there favorite and Padme came in first with a huge lead of 80,000 to second places’ 30,000. Thought it was a postitive to share 🙂 https://www.facebook.com/9gag/videos/10155227252016840/
December 20, 2016 at 8:48 am |
Yikes. Wrote this too fast. Grammar waaaaay out of wack. You get the point lol.
December 20, 2016 at 9:55 am |
No wonder considering she’s just an amazing character, Lucas really outdid himself there.
December 20, 2016 at 8:34 pm |
I have a question about “Rogue One”. Why was Leia and the Tantive IV so close to the war zone above Scarif? Wouldn’t it have been easier for her if the ship had maintained some distance away from the Rebel Fleet, during the battle?
It’s not as if the Tantive IV had to be so close to the planet’s surface, as transmissions featured in the Prequel Trilogy have proven. And no one has complained about the distance involved in those transmissions.
December 20, 2016 at 9:26 pm |
I think its a matter of making the movie exciting. Having Leia’s ship hanging off away from the battle, even if that makes more sense, just isn’t as dramatic as putting it in the thick of the action.
December 24, 2016 at 5:08 pm |
One thing I did get to thinking was that when Vader confronts Leia in Star Wars, he just talks about “transmissions being beamed to your ship.” The blockade runner managing to flee a major battle would seem something a bit harder to pass off as a “mercy mission…” (I hope this doesn’t sound too much like “smirking nitpicking with the aim of discrediting the whole experience,” anyway; I’m as annoyed as anyone else by that sort of stuff.)
December 20, 2016 at 9:30 pm |
Oh dear. I’m afraid you’re right.
December 21, 2016 at 8:34 am |
It also would’ve been nice to have a mention of Geonosians when Krennic or Tarkin were discussing the Death Star delays, but that’s a minor quibble.
December 21, 2016 at 1:27 pm |
I don´t actually think it´s minor at all. The Geonosians had apparently planned the whole thing, so they would hardly have needed some random scientist to make it work. I don´t like that they dumped this whole idea just because they wanted to tell a different story. They SHOULD pay attention to what came before, already!
December 21, 2016 at 2:50 pm
That’s it! They are obviously trowing what Lucas did under the bus to please the hateboys. And it wasn’t enought for them, they are already complaining about Bail Organa and calling him ” unecessary”.
January 28, 2017 at 8:53 am
This is just a thought, but maybe the Geonosians designed the space station itself, and the superlaser came later? Was it ever confirmed that the Geonosians themselves also designed the laser? Maybe the Geonosians designed the space station, and it was the Empire (mainly Palpatine) who decided to add a huge laser onto it later on. A space station of that size would still be a formidable weapon, being absolutely immense, and would take several dozen cruisers to destroy. (Not the kind of thing the Republic can just take lightly, in the middle of the chaotic Clone Wars :-/). Especially since it’s hyperspace capable, which means it could just show up instantly and just decimate the playing field.
Again, it is something that should be clarified, but maybe it is a case where the Geonosians designed the structure itself, and the scientist guy was just brought there to add the laser, or refine it into a planet killer. (That’s probably the most powerful weapon ever built, so it’s going to require a hell of a lot of scientific advancement in those 20 years, unlike a normal turbolaser battery that just fires on ships.)
December 21, 2016 at 7:38 pm |
Maybe we’ll get that in the two-part Rebels mid-season premiere on Geonosis with Saw Gerrera in 2.5 weeks.
December 21, 2016 at 8:03 pm
That’s the problem. Rebels seems to be filling the role of The Imperial Senate: Just a remnant of the old regime, a necessary inconvenience to explain events and mantain continuity every time they get rid of another element from the prequels.
December 21, 2016 at 4:00 pm |
I found Rogue One to be entertaining; however, I miss the mythology that was always present in a George Lucas movie. The battles were fantastic. I think having the team sacrifice their lives was the right course of action for the story.
The final Darth Vader scene was awesome but ultimately I felt it was not appropriate for a major Star Wars release. That kind of violence is usually implied rather than shown in such a detailed way.
I don’t like the CGI replacement of Peter Cushing and Carrie Fisher. The continuity is fantastic but I personally feel it’s unethical to present someone’s image and likeness in a role they are not actually playing.
It was nice to see Jimmy Smits come back to the role of Bail Organa. It was like seeing an old friend. I felt his character had slightly more dimension to it here than in the prequels.
There were too many characters and not enough time to develop them. The emotions seemed authentic but I definitely didn’t care about any of them – you meet them and they all say goodbye in the same movie! I think three main characters would have been sufficient.
I liked some of the references to George Lucas’s original treatment, such as as Vader’s castle and Journal of the Whills. However, I think I liked them more because I understood their historical significance in developing Star Wars versus their actual storytelling value here. But they were fine.
The plot was too complex. I didn’t understand all of the action and wasn’t thrilled with how much every action needed to be explained. I understand how in a serial the stakes are constantly raised as the characters get themselves in more trouble; however, I couldn’t understand all the different actions every character needed to do in order to play their part with stealing the Death Star plans.
Ultimately, I miss George Lucas’s storytelling and his touch on the franchise. The mythology was sorely missing and I believe Star Wars is not the same without it. I understand this was essentially a spin off, but if it carries the Star Wars name, it carries all of the tradition and expectations that go along with it.
January 28, 2017 at 9:10 am |
I was disappointed that Vader didn’t kill the main characters himself, but I think it was necessary to show why Vader was such a monster, during his darkest time. Kylo Ren is such a whiny misguided fool and a lot of fans are starting to get behind him, and some even agree with him!, that we needed to see this. No, Vader wasn’t some noble warrior, or however you want to justify it. ‘Anakin’ was the noble warrior.
I know it was intended to horrify us with his injuries, but during that scene when we’re introduced to him in the bacta tank, he almost looked like some type of Eldritch Abomination being summoned forth from the shadows to me, to kill our good heroes utterly. The fact that he doesn’t get his hands dirty until the end doesn’t mitigate it. About as far a cry from Anakin the noble Jedi as you can get…
Yes, Vader is an awesome villain. He is also a monster. And as long as Kylo Ren continues to worship that, he will always be unredeemable. Something some fans needed to be reminded of, now that they’re starting to worship Kylo Ren. I think that was Gareth Edwards trying to send a message to them, through his prequel movie. Whether Rian Johnson continues with it however, we’ll have to see. He likes the prequels though, so it should be in good hands.
Plus, Vader was a monster in the original movies, too. It’s not like that’s any new storytelling. 😉
December 21, 2016 at 8:03 pm |
And in nitpick theater, why does Jyn tell Krennic there’s a flaw in the Death Star design? What if he survived long enough to get on his horn and warned everybody? Her whole mission would’ve been for nothing!
I was a bit surprised by that myself.
I’m not yet sure what to think about CGI Tarkin and Leia.
That was a big problem with me. It was like watching a video game in the middle of a live-action film. Very distracting.
Despite my quibbles regarding “Rogue One”, I still enjoyed it. In fact, it has become one of my favorite movies of the year. But I don’t think I would regard it as one of the top three or four STAR WARS films.
December 22, 2016 at 4:00 pm |
LOL, I got out of my cold medicine stupor to go, “Why are you telling him that?” It’s like the old Evil Overlord joke, i.e. before I kill the hero I will not tell him all of my plans and gloat about my scheme, etc.. Why does Jyn owe him an explanation of anything?
At least the RO CGI wasn’t like this: http://static3.gamespot.com/uploads/screen_small/123/1239113/3159059-ac+face.png
December 27, 2016 at 1:25 pm |
I think they did that scene to acknowledge and put an end to that fan theory/debate about whether that flaw in the Death Star was intentional or not.
December 23, 2016 at 4:25 am |
Sorry, but a Jimmy Smits cameo who’s not even mentioned by name (just like like Mustafar. The only planet without a title card. Why is that?) is not “respecting the prequels”, like some of you keep saying.
Not avoiding something is not the same as respecting it. This is not a criticism towards the movie nor is it praise.
December 29, 2016 at 12:19 pm |
Maybe there is no title card for Mustafar because not many people in the galaxy know if it’s existence now, not because of fear of Prequel backlash. Also, if you dont’ believe me, I should remind you that the first planet in Rogue One, the planet Lah’mu where we see younger Jyn on, doesn’t have a title card either.
December 23, 2016 at 5:18 am |
It is an interesting trick that Disney has seemed to managed here with their two Star Wars films. George used the whiz-bang in the movies as sort of a way to trick the kids into the theater where he would then expose them to some mythology/morality/psychology. Disney has kept the whiz-bang and jettisoned the rest and people come in droves. It is coming full circle in a way. I remember Joseph Campbell saying something to the effect that he did not look to movies for modern examples of mythology (until Star Wars) because the point of movies was to make money.
December 24, 2016 at 3:18 pm |
Rogue One was the second new-era Star Wars movie I didn’t rush to see (which meant maintaining a careful separation from this community for over a week), although this time it was less due to a distinct lack of personal enthusiasm settling in over the course of the promotional buildup (which seemed less intense in general this time) and more to the thought that if I “could” wait, I could go back to my hometown theatre (not affiliated with any chain, so far as I know) once more and have no film commercials and only a few trailers to sit through before the feature started. There also, though, might have been a bit of “if I don’t have whatever positivity I managed to generate by the end credits crumple within a few hours this time, that’ll lift a certain slight shadow from the common experience…”
I think I was less “ambiguously braced against” Rogue One than I was with The Force Awakens. The scope seemed more generous, the “we can write snappy, witty dialogue” seemed less relentless, and speaking only for myself I was surprised in a pleased sort of way to see Tarkin appear the way he did. (Perhaps Gold and Red Leader looked “odder” to my eyes, and I did have the unfortunate feeling Vader didn’t look right for different reasons; his neck seemed too thick, perhaps…) At the same time, though, I’m aware of one thing my brother said afterwards, that the merchandising alone of the main characters may run up against “you can’t imagine them going on further adventures, much less hit on your own clever explanation as to where they were during the original trilogy movies”… Perhaps that’s one thing watching the movie again might help with, though (which brings me straight back to how I kept making excuses not to rewatch The Force Awakens even when it was on Netflix here.)
December 25, 2016 at 9:21 pm |
I went to see the movie for a second time. I still enjoyed it, but the last act is still a problem for me. I realized that a lot of people loved it, but I could not help but feel that the whole Battle of Scarif was a bit too much, considering that this whole thing was supposed to start as a covert (and unsanctioned) military intelligence operation. A part of me cannot help but wish that Jyn Erso’s goal to steal the Death Star plans had been a planned operation from the beginning. I also wish that they had ended the story without a large-scale battle that involved the entire Rebel fleet (is that right?).
December 27, 2016 at 1:28 pm |
Well, if I may help you, it said in the Epiosde IV title crawl that “Rebel spaceships emerged from the base”. So, I think it’s intentional that that space battle happened, especially if it was planned out by George Lucas when making Epiosde IV.
December 26, 2016 at 6:32 am |
This is an interesting review. Not exactly positive but not outright negative either, however the author of the review makes interesting points.
http://www.rickworley.com/2016/12/17/rogue-one/
December 26, 2016 at 9:49 pm |
I found a good video about prequel trilogy references in Rogue One.
December 27, 2016 at 1:48 pm |
Well, if I may help you, it said in the Epiosde IV title crawl that “Rebel spaceships emerged from the base”. So, I think it’s intentional that that space battle happened, especially if it was planned out by George Lucas when making Epiosde IV.
Yeah, you’re right. I guess I’ll give it a pass. After all, the crawl also added that the plans were stolen during the battle. Aside from the CGI for Tarkin and Leia, it’s only my real beef with the movie. Still . . . it’s a pity that the battle didn’t happen in another operation.
December 27, 2016 at 8:32 pm |
From Riz Ahmed, one of the stars of “ROGUE ONE”:
https://letdiegolunatouchjabbathehutt.tumblr.com/post/154610450809
December 27, 2016 at 8:53 pm |
This was brougt up before in a separate post of LP’s. Riz Ahmed enjoys the Prequels, he’s just not a Jar Jar fan. It’s not like everything about the Prequels has to be loved, if you don’t like just ONE thing from the PT that’s fine (thought the focus of the talk on the PT from those that like the PT should be on things from the PT that they do like).
December 28, 2016 at 3:22 pm |
I enjoyed TPM with Jar Jar about 1000 times more than the pedestrian Rogue One.
December 28, 2016 at 4:28 pm
I also did, but more like a duzillion more times
December 28, 2016 at 4:38 pm |
It is time to get on the offensive, that doesn’t mean we are like the haters, that means that we should demand to be respected. We are beaten upon every time a freaking article comes out on a major news publication. The movies we all here love, the movies many of us here regard on an equal or greater level to the original trilogy get treated like trash to the point where even a patronizing dismissal (cof, Riam Johnson, cof) spurs hate among the hateboys, because for them it’s not enoght. “It’s not enought to call them a 7 hour kids movies. You are not trashing them enough!”
December 27, 2016 at 8:58 pm |
I wonder why people dislike Jar Jar. Never understood it.
January 28, 2017 at 9:49 am |
For me, it’s the ‘accidental’ thing. I always liken him to Rygel from “Farscape”, another character who’s INCREDIBLY grating (to some people), but manages to redeem himself by occasionally doing creative and clever things.
I wanted to see Jar-Jar ‘throw’ the electromagnetic ball at the tanks, ‘intentionally’ open up the back cargo to that one carrier and spill the balls onto the ground. It bothers me that George Lucas chose to make it all accidental.
Then again, I say the same thing about Anakin ‘accidentally’ destroying the Droid control ship; he should have blown it up on purpose, especially since his friends were in danger. >_> I get why George made it that way, about the Force helping them along and all that, but I just wish George had more faith in his characters to get things done intentionally, and not rely on ‘luck’ and the Force to explain things along.
Though that does raise the question of whether the Force was behaving more like an intelligent life form during the Old Republic era, helping things along rather than just being a passive observer in the universe. 
Idk, it’s just personal preference. *shrugs*
December 29, 2016 at 6:51 am |
Since reading Mike Klimo’s essay on ‘ring theory’ I’ve been thinking about recurring themes in Star Wars. One of the things I found a bit disappointing in The Force Awakens is that the ‘rhyme’ of that film does not seem to be in sync with the rest of the saga. There seems to be a discord.
After the first viewing, I think Rogue One is different. And I think it contains the most important homage to the prequels yet – Chirrut Imwe’s mantra “I am one with the Force, the Force is with me”. What clearer example of chiasmus do we want? The words “The Force” do no change place, just like Klimo describes the way in which RotJ and TPM keep the same order. The words “I” and “me” are in opposite places in each sentence, “me” and “am” even sound reversed.
After repeating it many times, it can also be heard as “The Force is with me, I am one with the Force”, with the middle “I” being a kind of divider between two halves. So you can switch the two sentences. Klimo doesn’t specifically address it, but you can actually do the same with eps. I-VI. That had to be the case, because I-III were made after IV-VI, and most fans would not see them in chronological order. But if the ‘rhyming’ pairs are I and VI/II and V/III and IV then you can watch the films in the order that they were made and still see the ring structure or chiasmus.
“I am one with the force. The force is with me.” is almost the same thing as “The force is with me. I am one with the force.” when you repeat it. And IV-V-VI-I-II-III is almost the same ring as I-II-III-IV-V-VI.
It’s as if the mantra is an attempt to capture all six parts of the original saga in one sentence.
December 29, 2016 at 10:12 am |
That’s very interesting!
December 29, 2016 at 12:10 pm |
Can I ask everyone what they thought of the scene where Vader, as he LITTERALLY is choking Krennic says “be careful not to CHOKE on your aspirations, director”? Some people on other sites are divided on that line. Some like it, some think it’s cringeworthy, but I’d say I liked it because it’s a combination of what used to be Anakin mixed with who Vader is now and that’s someone who doesn’t see eye-to-eye with regular military officers and will taunt them and trash talk them.
December 29, 2016 at 2:55 pm |
Vader was always snarky.
December 30, 2016 at 4:07 pm |
I just got done seeing Rogue One and,
I LOVED THE MOTHER EFFIN HELL OUT OF IT!
I LOVED THE MOTHER EFFIN HELL OUT OF IT!
Yep it was so good I had to say it twice! This movie really hit all the right notes for me. The mix of classic and new was stunning. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. As cliche’ as this will sound but this movie restored my HOPE in the future of SW movies.
I really needed this because it gave me that feeling of seeing a SW film that I haven’t felt since 2005. It is that special feeling that only SW does for me. I thought that TFA was just the start of what I thought was going to be a dark time for being a SW fan. Because as much as I don’t care for TFA, I really don’t blame the film. I blame Abrams. Because Rogue One you can tell it was made by people that care for the entire SW universe. TFA is the only film for me that lacks that feeling I have felt with all the previous SW films and now including Rogue One with those. TFA suffered because it was tainted with Abrams narrow minded stench.
I usually see people say that TFA was a love letter to the fans. But to me I see Rogue One as a love letter to Lucas himself. This movie retained the feel and vibe of the Lucas era SW. One of the many reasons it resonated so well with me. I didn’t think I would have had the interest in the characters that I had. I be lying if I said my heart didn’t break for these characters and what they went through.
I loved K2SO. He had me laughing. Krennick was a return to that complete arrogant imperial feel and he nailed it. The blind guy, can’t remember his name of hand, but he was awesome! I loved how they were able to get the old school vibe while also expanding the SW galaxy in a huge way.
I was really surprised when they used the code word STARDUST. That was one of my earlier DJ names that I used. Almost 20 years ago. But this movie is something special that any fan of the SW universe can appreciate no matter what era they come from.
December 30, 2016 at 5:04 pm |
The blind guy was Chirrut; it’s hard not to like Donnie Yen.
December 30, 2016 at 5:11 pm
Yep that is it. When I wrote the comment his name was escaping me. But I was never really familiar with Donnie Yen before but now I want to check out his other works. I really enjoyed his take on the force and how he viewed it. A really good character for sure.
January 4, 2017 at 6:06 am
I wasn’t familiar with Donnie Yen before either, and yet somewhat unexpectedly Chirrut became my favorite character in the movie. His view of the Force was interesting and I liked how he was, in a way, the last remnant of the Jedi beliefs in a world devoid of them.
January 5, 2017 at 3:17 am |
Better late than never…
My feelings are very close to the ones of andywylde77. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Fun fact: We watched RO in the same cinema where my entire family watched TPM back in 1999. This time, I was there with my youngest brother and my father.
There’s nothing really negative I can say about this movie. It gave me the right “Star Wars feel”, maybe a bit different to 1999, but that may be due to the fact that I am older, or that the movie had a more “gritty” approach.
Now, did I find it better than the Saga movies, or is it my favourite? While watching it, I feared I would like it more than one of the PT movies (note to myself: I’m an idiot). Maybe I did, maybe I did not. I think I will just keep my refusal to rank the SW movies and be happy that the “cinematic SW universe” has expanded.
Some observations:
– Vader’s suit was slightly different (I think). The mask chin seemed to be thicker than usual.
– Vader’s rampage was “nice”, but it also reminded me of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan at the beginning of TPM. There, they are depicted as “unstoppable monsters” to the Neimoidians.
Moreover, I think Vader does not go on the rampage if he has a lot of Stormtroopers around him. He did not single-handedly kill the guards on Tantive IV at the beginning of ANH either.
– Speaking of Stormtroopers, they seemed to hit their targets in this movie! Maybe remaining Clone troopers? 😉
– Strangely, I could not remember the character names – this is just an observation, I really liked the characters. Maybe their introduction was too short for me?
– CGI Tarkin was good IMHO. He maybe seemed a bit stiff to me. However, I knew that he was CGI, so it is hard for me to judge it objectively.
– We saw the movie one day after Carrie Fisher’s death, so seeing young Leia again was tragic. 😦
– C-3PO and R2-D2 on Yavin IV seemed a bit odd. I did not have the impression that C-3PO knew much about the Rebellion in ANH, but I may also misinterpret his statements (or not remember them correctly). Moreover, he may be cautious to tell something to an “average farm boy”.
– While the soundtrack has received a lot of praise elsewhere, I did not remember anything specific of it after the credits. This may change when I get the movie on DVD/BluRay.
– Interesting idea I have read elsewhere: the crystals used by the Jedi for their swords, i.e., for something spiritual, are now just a part of a large “materialistic” and destructive weapon. I have to think of LP’s observation that everything shifts to be male-centric in RotS.
Overall, the movie is IMHO a “worthy member” of the SW movie canon. I am curious which great “a Star Wars story” movies will follow.
December 30, 2016 at 7:36 pm |
I really enjoyed Donnie Yen and Jiang Wen in this movie. In fact, I had shed a few tears over their fate. There was something about that last shot of Jyn and Cassian that reminded me of another movie or television production. I just can’t remember which one.
January 1, 2017 at 7:42 pm |
Hi, I’m new to this site. I’ve been following it for about a month now, but never commented. I saw Rogue One today for the Second time today, and I enjoyed it better, than I did the first time. I do like that it tried to do something new in Star Wars. Sure, it had nostalgia, but that made sense for the time period it was in (Although the Pondo Baba and Dr. Evanzan cameo was totally unnecessary). The CGI Tarkin wasn’t perfect, but for what it was, I thought it was cool, and I want to see Count Dooku get that treatment one day. The story was interesting, but it does seem like you needed to read “Catalyst” to completely understand it. I do miss George Lucas, but I’m hoping Rian Johnson will be the director that really brings all the eras of Star Wars together. This movie started that with Bail Organa, Mustafar, etc. Here’s hoping!
February 7, 2017 at 8:46 pm |
just got back from the show good movie nicely sets up a new hope