Re: Star Wars [2]

by Eldorion Sat Dec 17, 2016 10:34 pm

I saw it this afternoon after leaving work early. I really enjoyed it. Very different in tone and content from the mainline Star Wars movies but that's what I was hoping for. Some of the things from the trailers that gave me pause (like the "I rebel" line) were mercifully absent. Lots of little easter eggs (the T-15 mention made me grin) but it didn't get overbearing. Anyway, just a really solid film all around, though I agree with halfy (or whoever who said) that it was pretty rushed in the beginning.

by Eldorion Sat Dec 17, 2016 11:01 pm

Apparently Forest Whitaker's character made an appearance in The Clone Wars (the animated TV show) as a much younger guy. Dunno how much seeing his episodes would have changed my impression of the character. I saw him as a guy who had become increasingly isolated and paranoid as a result of waging a insurgency and was starting to come apart at the seams both physically and mentally. His role in the movie was kinda weird though.

It was refreshing to see a piece of Star Wars media that didn't try to whitewash the fact that the Rebellion was, well, rebelling and resorting to guerrilla tactics out of necessity. Though it's kind of weird that one of the most successful films of the year is about a group of terrorists on a suicide mission. Something something freedom fighters something something terrorists.

malickfan wrote:And Eldo, I've finally got round to reading Lost Stars I'm maybe 3/4 of the way though and it's fantastic so far, it definitely reads like a young adult read and some of the tie ins and continuity references are gratuitous but it's a really enjoyable story.

Glad to hear that you've been enjoying it. Very Happy

Can't disagree with your reservations; hope you like the ending as much as I did. I'm pretty sure the author was told to include a TFA tie-in but I really liked what she did with the characters who, fortunately, are what the book is really about.

by Lancebloke Sun Dec 18, 2016 8:25 pm

That Vader scene though!

by halfwise Sun Dec 18, 2016 8:38 pm

I was trying to work out the Vader scene. Was that just a few seconds before Episode IV, or did they recapture? I didn't see any evidence that the story had re-located to Tatoonie, and princess Leia seemed overly composed for commanding a ship that had just been captured. It didn't all make sense to me.

by Lancebloke Sun Dec 18, 2016 8:53 pm

They were still above the planet. Vader's ship turned up just as the rebel fleet was jumping away and kicked the shit out of them. Then he boarded, massacred those troops but they got Leia and her ship away just in time.

I imagine the next few minutes involve Vader getting back on his ship and chasing them to Tatooine.

by Ringdrotten Sun Dec 18, 2016 8:56 pm

Lancebloke wrote:That Vader scene though!

Indeed

by halfwise Sun Dec 18, 2016 8:59 pm

Hmm...the ship inside the cruiser looked like Leia's from episode IV, was it ejecting from a Rebel or an Imperial cruiser? Not at all clear. Was Vader on the rebel cruiser from which Leia's ship ejected? None of this was clear, very poor visual storytelling, I'll have to see it again to see if I can follow it next time.

by Lancebloke Sun Dec 18, 2016 9:04 pm

Yes, it was that ship.

It was ejected from the rebel flagship as it was boarded by Vader. He was killing rebels and they were doing what they could to get the data away. They gave it to Leia just before the ship ejected and left Vader looking down at them.

by Eldorion Sun Dec 18, 2016 9:06 pm

I thought it was pretty clear. At the very end of Rogue One Leia was on the blockade runner that we see her (and Threepio and Artoo) on at the beginning of the original film. They were docked to one the Rebel capital ships. Vader and the Stormtroopers boarded the capital ship and were chasing the Rebel troops, but a handful of them, carrying the disc with the Death Star plans, managed to get through the airlock and detach the blockade runner in order to make the jump to hyperspace just in the nick of time. Vader presumably hurried back to his Star Destroyer to pursue them. The nature of hyperspace travel in Star Wars is such that even if Scarif and Tattooine were on opposite sides of the Galaxy (and I have no idea where they are intended to be in relation to each other) both ships could have made the trip in less than a day (at most).

Edit: crosspost with Lance

by halfwise Sun Dec 18, 2016 9:20 pm

Guess I wasn't paying proper attention. I think having it in a bay that looked like the empire cruiser bay at the beginning of Ep IV threw me off. An external dock would have been less confusing.

by Mrs Figg Sun Dec 18, 2016 11:15 pm

well it all looks very positive. will go after crimbo cos I don't like crowds and crunching popcorn. dang it! that may be too late, I will go next week.

by Eldorion Mon Dec 19, 2016 12:22 am

Hope you enjoy it, Mrs Figg! Let us know what you think. Smile

by Lancebloke Mon Dec 19, 2016 7:08 am

You don't need to interact with the crowds Figgy. Just ignore them!

by Mrs Figg Mon Dec 19, 2016 12:42 pm

its the ones sitting behind your head chowing down like they hadn't eaten for a week that really irritate me. oh and the mobile phone flashers, they cant bear to not tweet for 5 seconds and the flashing light distracts you. Mad

and the ones doing the running commentary, and the very worst of all The Coughers, sneezers and snifflers. Extremely Crabbit

by azriel Mon Dec 19, 2016 8:34 pm

Yep, & the one person in the whole theatre that has the most abnormal biggest head that science hasn't investigated !! Out of the whole room they go & sit slap bang in front of YOU ! Mad

Half the screen is blocked & you miss a chunk of the film if the action is more on the side of "Elephant man"

by halfwise Mon Dec 19, 2016 8:36 pm

That's why I only go to theatres with stadium seating these days. The old style simply ain't worth paying money for.

by Mrs Figg Mon Dec 19, 2016 11:42 pm

if I ever get rich I am going for home theatre.

by Pettytyrant101 Tue Dec 20, 2016 2:49 am

{{OK saw it- brief thoughts-

Spoiler:

}}}

by halfwise Tue Dec 20, 2016 4:44 am

Spoiler:

by Lancebloke Tue Dec 20, 2016 7:56 am

Petty / Halfy - it will be interesting when the dirt finally comes out on this movie. It sounds like after initial viewings a massive chunk of the film got binned and they had extensive reshoots. I think that explains why it feels so disjointed at times and why there is a lot in the trailers that never made it to the theatrical release.

I also believe the original composer got fired and a lot of the score you hear now was composed and recorded in about 4 weeks. I think it is OK but definitely forgettable.

The whole CGI thing is funny. I thought Tarkin, at times, was amazing. Other times not so much. Leia was shocking! The funny bit is that I have heard people say Tarvin was horrific and Leia was uncanny. Clearly people see different things!

Spoiler:

by halfwise Tue Dec 20, 2016 2:10 pm

I think the only one who hasn't seen it so far is Figgy, and she reads spoilers anyway, so enough with the spoilers, I say. Those who don't want it spoiled at this point shouldn't be on this thread.

I think that's a very good point that we didn't care about Jynn's death. Definitely a weakness. Her character wasn't given enough personality for us to care. If Rey had been killed we would have cared, and thinking back that's because she was developed as a scrappy downtrodden character. Jynn....we never really knew what she was.

Actually everything you just said was spot on, I don't know why I even bother to respond as I can't possibly add anything. silent

by Mrs Figg Tue Dec 20, 2016 4:33 pm

halfwise wrote:I think the only one who hasn't seen it so far is Figgy, and she reads spoilers anyway, so enough with the spoilers, I say.

Spoiler:

by Mrs Figg Tue Dec 20, 2016 4:35 pm

ok I read the spoilers and I still don't know if this film is interesting for non-SW geeks? scratch

by Lancebloke Tue Dec 20, 2016 5:08 pm

Go see it and let us know.

by Mrs Figg Tue Dec 20, 2016 7:57 pm