tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post9213130755354708926..comments2024-03-27T09:00:32.195-05:00Comments on The Signal Watch: Star Wars Watch: Rogue One - a Star Wars Story (2016)The Leaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04836241071795980225noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-56239947177414908172016-12-28T13:56:05.977-06:002016-12-28T13:56:05.977-06:00I remember seeing a thanks to Peter Cushing's ...I remember seeing a thanks to Peter Cushing's estate in the end credits.<br /><br />Always stay through the credits.Stuarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16334865373173505274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-2437437793621134642016-12-28T11:44:06.666-06:002016-12-28T11:44:06.666-06:00I actually enjoyed the film a lot more on second v...I actually enjoyed the film a lot more on second viewing and think Leia's appearance makes a nice tribute, especially considering its timing.Stuarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16334865373173505274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-45838556256096549662016-12-28T11:08:12.540-06:002016-12-28T11:08:12.540-06:00Yeah, I'm not sure how all of that will work r...Yeah, I'm not sure how all of that will work retroactively. No doubt they've signed away rights to their likeness for these films, and that's going to eventually mean a lawsuit when MGM decides to mount a whole new Wizard of Oz with Judy Garland and doesn't check in with Liza first (hypothetical example. This is not happening that I know of.). And that's what bothered me about it here. Did Cushing's family sign off on this, or did they walk in to see a Star War and see a ghoulish CGI version of dad? <br /><br />These days, multi-billion-dollar franchises tend to touch base before-hand with anyone who could potentially sue - note the Kirby settlement over at Marvel/ Disney. <br /><br />And, of course, if you start having the character behave in ways the actor never would have, or act *badly*. How do you guarantee quality of the performance?<br /><br />It's gonna prove more trouble than it's worth when the first lawsuits show up.The Leaguehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04836241071795980225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-50828759846792389992016-12-27T23:33:01.038-06:002016-12-27T23:33:01.038-06:00Finally saw it today. Carrie Fisher died this mor...Finally saw it today. Carrie Fisher died this morning, and I was greeted with her mediocre CGI Leia image this evening. At the moment, I'm having a really hard time accepting the wisdom of using CGI in this way (although at least her image was obviously used with her permission). Seems like all actors are going to have to start writing prohibitions on the future use of their CG images into their wills...J.S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03903186469796595837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-36350993181263064152016-12-23T13:21:52.719-06:002016-12-23T13:21:52.719-06:00Oh my god...Oh my god...The Leaguehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04836241071795980225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-75896212470644260092016-12-23T07:59:50.896-06:002016-12-23T07:59:50.896-06:00It really is everything we've loved and hated ...It really is everything we've loved and hated about comics coming to movies now. These stories don't just go forward anymore, and it's not just because we're going backwards. They just expand in every direction. It's a dangerous game as we've seen over the years and many reboots at DC and Marvel. I figure in less than 10 years, there will be at least a serious discussion about rebooting Star Wars and people our age will lose their minds. Sound Affectshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05509617424337109337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-17369064823103196502016-12-22T23:30:51.786-06:002016-12-22T23:30:51.786-06:00Having more Star Wars certainly increases the issu...Having more Star Wars certainly increases the issues with flaws, perceived or otherwise, on a pretty steep curve of growth with each additional movie. And, of course, how many series really go on very long before becoming a shadow of what made them great to begin with? Or, at least, retaining what made them special?<br /><br />You're right. None of us is beholden to the films because they exist, and we should feel free to judge each film on its own. Like it or dislike, accept or reject flaws. All that. And you can feel the "but..." coming.<br /><br />We're in uncharted territory here with how Disney is handling Star Wars and the Marvel series. As these movies and their universes expand - and we get new movies that retroactively impact existing movies - it's gonna be fascinating to watch.The Leaguehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04836241071795980225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-23115194185270982162016-12-22T10:41:54.539-06:002016-12-22T10:41:54.539-06:00I think there's a line between trading on nost...I think there's a line between trading on nostalgia and audience manipulation, and it's a line that each viewer has to judge for themselves. For me, a lot of the callbacks and references in Rogue One seemed forced (no pun intended) or just poorly assimilated and took me out of the moment.<br /><br />I think Rogue One was generally good, with some significant flaws. I'm also aware that my view of these things tends to change dramatically over time and multiple viewings. Maybe I will warm to it, maybe not. But I don't think just having *more* Star Wars is necessarily a good thing. And I don't see that as a fan I owe this movie or its current IP owners anything but an honest chance to make an impression on me.Stuarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16334865373173505274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-12284904705457590012016-12-22T10:28:20.845-06:002016-12-22T10:28:20.845-06:00I'm gonna also jump on the "have we jumpe...I'm gonna also jump on the "have we jumped the shark?" question about a single line reading bit, because it wasn't in my actual write-up, more of an observation in the comments. But... <br /><br />The challenge of the interconnected movies is tonal fidelity and character fidelity. The tone of Rogue One is way off from other Star Wars films, and that is a feature, not a bug. I think it shows how awful things were under the Empire (and about to get worse), and why the Rebels were legitimized in rising up against their government, something we don't talk about much. <br /><br />But if we're talking about Leia's one line, we have to put it in context. And I found it an odd way to deliver the line at such a bleak and crucial turning point. As they say in acting - every entrance is an exit from somewhere else. We've known for 40 years how desperate Leia is on the Tantive IV and this actually ups that intensity by a factor of 1000. For my dollar, it was a Disney Princess delivery, not a Princess Leia with her game-face on (something we've all seen for 40 years). So, sure, it took me out of the movie at a crucial point, and that's a sin of filmmaking in my book.The Leaguehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04836241071795980225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-16692270095166257102016-12-22T00:23:59.987-06:002016-12-22T00:23:59.987-06:00I don't want to give the impression I didn'...I don't want to give the impression I didn't like the movie, because I certainly did, and, yes, we're nitpicking as 40-something's with a lifetime of Star Wars fandom and spoiled to now have 8 Star Wars movies. And because it wasn't as hilariously bad as that weird live-action Ewoks thing or as tragic as trying to go back in 2016 and try to re-watch "Phantom Menace" as I attempted and quit just last weekend (my god... Jar-Jar...). <br /><br />Are we spoiled? Sure. Is that a byproduct of exploiting devotion to the product? Most definitely. One breeds the other. I'm not sure how we have one without the other. Before "buy all the doo-dads" was the thing, the primary hobby of comics fans was to consider what they like and don't like in a team's take on a book, and much the same has occurred with serial movies. <br /><br />The Disney-factory is not here to encourage the auteurship you refer to and we grew up on. The era of name talent is not what supports studios - it's gigantic franchises and everyone is replaceable. Marvel used name directors to get started, but these days, they're hiring people who won't argue with Kevin Feige, and at Star Wars, that will be Kathleen Kennedy. They wouldn't want any of those names you listed to direct one of these movies because those directors would go off the rails on them. (see Marvel's many firings and that DC can't get a director on board for Flash or seemingly anything else).<br /> <br />Again, I liked the movie. Certainly the spectacle of the movie alone is worth the price of admission. It's the best shot of all the films. It's the first to do many things, including checking out our interest in non-Skywalkers (turns out, we're all interested). And, yeah, it made the Empire and Vader terrifying. <br /><br />The Leaguehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04836241071795980225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-63746029719318746212016-12-21T20:13:13.414-06:002016-12-21T20:13:13.414-06:00Was the CGI distracting? A little I suppose; I me...Was the CGI distracting? A little I suppose; I mean, I noticed it. But was it terrible? I thought it was awfully good. Assuming that was the best human CGI Hollywood is technologically capable of, the question is, would I rather Governor Tarkin and Princess Leia had not been featured? Would we have settled for actors who look similar? I'm not sure there's a right answer because we would be criticize it, again for what it's not, regardless. Wouldn't we? I don't know. I guess I feel like when we start analyzing Princess Leia's one line (a single word) -- whether or not she would say this or that -- we've kinda jumped the shark, haven't we? When she's asked what she was handed, it's not like they zoomed in on her face a la Clubber Lang as she growled "Pain!"<br /><br />The film wasn't perfect. I think you were right about some of Jyn Erso being left on the cutting room floor. Heck, the unused footage in the trailers and ads are proof of that. And you're right about Gareth Edward's human characters in Godzilla - terrible. But this was a vast improvement. Think about that amazing third act. As much as any Star Wars film, it felt like there was really something at stake. For Edwards to create such suspense over the last 15 minutes of the film, despite everyone in the theater knowing how it will turn out, is pretty impressive. We've seen other Star Wars films (Episode I) that flip back and forth between different parts of the battle, but has it ever been better executed or edited? And has a Star Wars movie ever looked this good? It was beautiful to watch. I think the CGI was, as you said, a bold choice. It wasn't perfect, but worked well enough. And finally, has Darth Vader ever been more menacing or frightening? Good grief. <br /><br />Again, I'm not trying to troll anything. It just feels like we're a little spoiled. If the top 20 Hollywood directors had a shot at this film, how many of them would have been as good as this one? My guess, based on the caliber of Hollywood films these days, is maybe one. Spielberg maybe? Ang Lee? You want Michael Bay to have a shot at this? Peter Jackson? Christopher Nolan? Ridley Scott? Steven Soderbergh? Ron Howard? Wes Anderson? Tim Burton? Coen Brothers? Michael Mann? David Lynch? <br /><br />Perhaps my I'm so jaded my expectations have become too low because I'm just happy it's a decent movie that feels like Star Wars. <br />Jake Shorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00124378230594689452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-58890233347031516812016-12-21T20:11:29.648-06:002016-12-21T20:11:29.648-06:00So much of this, it seems to me, comes down again ...So much of this, it seems to me, comes down again to expectations. I know I've said this before, but I become more convinced of it as I watch movies. And there can be no greater expectations heaped upon a film than Star Wars, particularly one that seeks to place the audience squarely in the world of the original 1977 movie. <br /><br />As look back upon all the films I have most highly anticipated, I notice some familiar patterns. I don't think I will ever be as excited as I was in 1999 with the release of Star Wars Episode I, and to a lesser degree, the remaining sequels. The next highly anticipated films were Superman Returns, then Man of Steel, The Force Awakens and finally, Rogue One.<br /><br />In all these cases, I found myself a victim of my own hopes. It took me the better part of a year to admit, Episode I was a major let down and not that good of a film. I felt the same way, although not nearly so acutely about Superman Returns after the 2nd or 3rd viewing. I'm even ashamed to say, I got swept up in my own hopes for Man of Steel. It took about two weeks and after a second viewing to realize what train wreck it was. And last year, despite being cynical and jaded, I still allowed myself to become completely swallowed up by my enthusiasm after watching The Force Awakens; although that was as much as about the relief over what the film was, rather than what it was. And although that film holds up far better than others I mentioned, it's not hard to see the film's problems. <br /><br />It was because of The Force Awakens succeeded, I allowed myself to get excited for Rogue One. I enjoyed the film. I think your review makes some salient points, but as I read the comments here (and to a greater degree those on other sites), I find myself a little sad about the way we sometimes nitpick our favorite movies. I'm not trying to be critical, and I'm not calling anyone out. It just feels like everyone is talking about what's wrong with the film. It makes me wonder if a movie based on a beloved franchise, or comic book characters, or popular book adaptations can ever really be accepted by their fan bases. Star Wars is truly a victim of its own success. People like me were thrilled to hear a movie that faithfully hearkens back to the 1977 movie, but we also cannot wait to dissect it, and tell the filmmakers where they failed. Our expectations set such an incredibly high bar, I almost feel sorry for J.J. Abrams and Gareth Edwards.<br />Jake Shorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00124378230594689452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-4892894779086018702016-12-20T17:51:06.630-06:002016-12-20T17:51:06.630-06:00Ah. Yeah, yes. That would do it.
Really, when y...Ah. Yeah, yes. That would do it.<br /><br />Really, when you find yourself disagreeing with me, always ask yourself "why am I wrong? How can I take steps to correct how very wrong I am?"The Leaguehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04836241071795980225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-43369399368561699632016-12-20T13:02:19.628-06:002016-12-20T13:02:19.628-06:00I somehow inserted "love" in the "f...I somehow inserted "love" in the "falls in with" sentence. My bad. We will continue to agree, then. For now. . . <br />Sound Affectshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05509617424337109337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-44799632387758973532016-12-19T23:41:30.021-06:002016-12-19T23:41:30.021-06:00"Our only hope" always sounded desperate..."Our only hope" always sounded desperate in the original film. "Hope," rebellions are built on hope" comes across as ridiculously optimistic given the context.Stuarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16334865373173505274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-81356410427613456402016-12-19T23:27:56.289-06:002016-12-19T23:27:56.289-06:00I'm scanning what I wrote, because I didn'...I'm scanning what I wrote, because I didn't there was any romantic angle with Jyn and what's-his-face, either. So, we're in violent agreement there. Seriously - point me at what I said, because I'm not finding it.<br /><br />I don't know what changed, but it wouldn't be Star Wars if we weren't obsessing about how it was made. The ending worked for me (especially since we never see those characters again). <br /><br />There are always a thousand ways to deliver a line, but a "it's all gonna be okay" relieved smile when you just saw a mother ship taken out (and everyone on board likely to die) and know Darth Vader is about track you down - maybe something a bit more breathless...? Hoping for hope? The Leaguehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04836241071795980225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-37252694092461732772016-12-19T18:53:24.442-06:002016-12-19T18:53:24.442-06:00I have to take issue with your assessment that Jyn...I have to take issue with your assessment that Jyn fell in love with what's his face. I didn't get that at. I didn't get anything romantic from them at all. <br /><br />I'm hoping the original cut comes out at some point because I have to wonder if it was darker or not dark enough. I can't imagine test audiences suggesting a massacre at the end, but from the little I've read comparing scenes that were in the trailers but not in the film, the ending was very different and suggests Jyn may have gotten away. <br /><br />Grand CG Tarkin was distracting. I thought Leia was fine because she was only there for a second, but now that you mention it, that smile and delivery was a little weird. She may as well have said "It's a NEW HOPE!" and winked at the camera.<br />Sound Affectshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05509617424337109337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-29844399274934418192016-12-19T11:27:13.627-06:002016-12-19T11:27:13.627-06:00@stuart - [SPOILERS - yeah, I was absolutely delig...@stuart - [SPOILERS - yeah, I was absolutely delighted to see Leia from the back, less so from the front with the iffy CGI. Had a moment of elation that was tempered by the fact that I wondered if that were a last minute addition or not how that was initially planned. I hate considering the gears when I'm watching a movie. I don't want to think about process until afterwards, and the closing moment really shouldn't be one of the ones pulling you out of the movie.<br /><br />But, yes, as you know, Leia is one of my favorite parts of the original Trilogy, so, yeah, of COURSE I got excited seeing her, and was willing to forgive the movie a bit to give me a glimpse of Her Highness. That said, the line-reading lacked the kind of world-weariness I associated even with 19-year-old Carrie Fisher. It felt a bit off.]The Leaguehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04836241071795980225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-87939465488403786402016-12-19T10:56:36.274-06:002016-12-19T10:56:36.274-06:00[SPOILERS]
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I was particularly curiou...[SPOILERS]<br /><br />.<br />.<br />.<br />.<br />.<br />.<br /><br />I was particularly curious about your reaction to the Princess Leia's appearance at the end, because you're probably the most outspoken Leia fan I know.<br /><br />For myself, I had a gut reaction to seeing her there that really surprised me. Like, I git really choked up. I almost cried. And then the credits rolled, and immediately felt kind of suckered and ashamed for feeling that way. Like, I saw that I had a knee-jerk Pavlovian response, and it annoyed me that they were able to push my buttons with something so fan-servicey and gratuitous and not at all necessary to the story they were telling.Stuarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16334865373173505274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-71408548181076076182016-12-19T10:07:04.329-06:002016-12-19T10:07:04.329-06:00Randy - I should mention, the number of Easter Egg...Randy - I should mention, the number of Easter Eggs in the movie/ attempts to make sure we're in a cohesive universe is amazing. So, a few things that were or were not errors was no big deal.<br /><br />[SPOILERS - I wasn't sure how R2 and C3PO were on the Rebel Blockade Runner if you saw them in the loading bay at Yavin IV and then they were on the ship which they said had just taken off for Scarif. Matt's point was that they got on the Rogue One craft and said "May the Force Be With You", which was not at all a common phrase for everyday people in the Star Wars Galaxy, and something people started saying with the arrival of Luke Skywalker. Also, no one says it before or after this point in the movie. And, a few other minor quibbles, but nothing that was distracting. The R2 bit seemed like a last-minute insert shot to make sure C3PO and R2D2 appear in all of the movies somehow.]The Leaguehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04836241071795980225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-41773431250474077892016-12-19T09:42:26.717-06:002016-12-19T09:42:26.717-06:00I'd love to hear what issues you and Matt spot...I'd love to hear what issues you and Matt spotted.RHPThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05617999946778955502noreply@blogger.com