Star Wars

[Bagheera]

Peter Cushing's animators might disagree.

FTFY.

[Yaywalter]

Peter Cushing nontroversy aside, I wouldn't have an issue with a CG Leia in IX. Wouldn't surprise me if they preemptively obtained Carrie's approval on the matter to prepare for this possible outcome.

Using a CG likeness of a deceased actor is, at worst, in modestly poor taste. But in this instance I think it would be justifiable for the sake of giving her character a proper conclusion. If they decide to run wild with her likeness in spin-off movies, prequels, etc... well that'd be pretty tacky.

[Bagheera]

Peter Cushing nontroversy aside, I wouldn't have an issue with a CG Leia in IX. Wouldn't surprise me if they preemptively obtained Carrie's approval on the matter to prepare for this possible outcome.

Using a CG likeness of a deceased actor is, at worst, in modestly poor taste. But in this instance I think it would be justifiable for the sake of giving her character a proper conclusion. If they decide to run wild with her likeness in spin-off movies, prequels, etc... well that'd be pretty tacky.

They already have the rights to her likeness, and have for 39 years now. The CG bit is just using it in a new way.

[Geometer]

I liked rogue one, at least the ending was good. Better than the prequels at least, those failed as movies first, except maybe episode 3, but that was pretty boring except for a few good moments. People just like getting mad at things I guess.

[Chuckman]

I don't see any problem with using Carrie Fisher's likeness if she agreed to it, and I'm sure they wouldn't if she didn't.

I'd rather they write her out, though. It's be fairly easily done since Han is dead in the story. It's supposed to be a new trilogy about a new generation and all that.

[Bagheera]

I don't see any problem with using Carrie Fisher's likeness if she agreed to it, and I'm sure they wouldn't if she didn't.

I'd rather they write her out, though. It's be fairly easily done since Han is dead in the story. It's supposed to be a new trilogy about a new generation and all that.

She needs to have a reckoning with Kylo Ren (not sure what Han has to do with it). If that happens in ep 8, fine, nothing else for her to do, really. If not, folks'll have to get creative.

[Chuckman]

Ah true, that's a good point. I'm not sure what they can do about that now since it'd be a pretty involved role.

[Shinoyami65]

Well, Episode VIII is either due for a recasting or a complete rewrite.

RIP Carrie.

I guess it depends on how much Leia actually does in the film. If she gets killed off or confronts Kylo, at the very least she won't have much to do in IX.

[Ray]

Sigh. . . In light of Carries death is it appropriate for me to talk about Rogue One?

SPOILER: Show

It's easily the best Star Wars movie since Empire Strikes back. It easily has the best action scenes of the entire franchise, beating the originals and the prequels in terms of spectacle and scope. It's gritty, it's gruesome, it's a Star Wars movie that actually feels like A WAR FILM. You can tell the rebels are fighting a losing battle. It feels like an insurgency.
The CGI reconstructed cameos of old characters from the original movies, looks amazing.

I like how they actually acknowledged the prequels happened without it coming off as pandering or an apology to the audience like Force Awakens did. I like the way they incorporated a few of the actors from the Prequels into the movie (Mon Mothma and Bail Organa), how the Death Star is powered by the Jedi's Lightsaber crystals, how an imperial military base is built on the ruins of a Jedi Temple.

I saw it with my dad, who really enjoyed that the movie really had actual military tactics to it. Like the way those hammer-head spaceships pushed a Star Destroyer into another one. He says that was right out a world war 2 Submarine tactics book. Shows someone in the Star Wars writing room has really done their homework.

I like how it feels like an Homage to old 1970's and 80's scifi. How the death star plans are stored on tapes, and not hard drives. Everything is analog and hardedged and practical. Gone are the romantic medieval flourishes of the prequels, replaced by hard unfeeling metal.

That scene I mentioned as a deleted scene 'Vader Xenomorph Kill Scene' is still in this movie. Albeit now not with any of the characters and just some generic republic troops. But it's AWESOME. After most of the movie where not a single lightsaber is used, Vader pulling his out and going to town on the troops is TERRIFYING. I really hope they do a vader solo movie after this, because this gave us a taste of what Vader could be in a modern movie. Freed from the technological restraints of the past movies, and the hokey writing of the prequels. A solo Vader movie could be just what the character needs to salvage him as a terrifying prescence after the Prequels hurt the character in the eyes of fans.

But I do have some concerns.

With the exception of Jin. The majority of the characters come off as a bit one noteish, and don't really get much fleshing out. You've got the Han Solo character, the guntoting meathead character, the wise kung fu master who's almost (but not really) a Jedi, and the mascot creature character. One thing I will say is that it does come off as a team effort. Each of these characters gets their moment to shine and contribute to the effort. It never feels like one character is eclipsing the other.

Also, some of the imagery used may come off as a bit explotative if you're one of those easily offended people. Guys in Turbans fighting men in uniforms using tanks and bombs in a desert setting? My dad was FUMING at the start of the movie as he thought it was romanticizing Al-Qaeda style terror tactics, fortunately the movie won him over by the end.
Quite a bit of this movie requires you to have seen the other Star Wars movies to have an understanding of just what the hell is going on.

The musical score for this is in this awkward uncanny valley. Where it's on the verge of being it's own thing, but then it has to homage a musical theme from the original films instead of going in it's own direction.

Speaking of Uncanny valley. While it's even more poignant now that she's no longer with us. that last image of Leia came off as REALLY creepy.

[Mr. Tines]

SPOILER: Show

My dad was FUMING at the start of the movie as he thought it was romanticizing Al-Qaeda style terror tactics

We've been here before  SPOILER: Show

There's evidence that the original film was about the Vietnam war.

[Sachi]

The parallels between the Rebellion and guerilla warfare is definitely intentional, and is appropriate given some or the recent wars the US has been in. If it seems similar to Vietnam, Iraq, or Syria, it's because it is. Of course, the film does make a point that some rebels are more extreme than others, and that they don't always agree with each other's tactics.

[Monk Ed]

I saw Rogue One two days ago and it was fffrickin' awesome. I was pleased to see it be everything I'd heard on EGF ("a gritty war movie") and more. I certainly liked it better than The Force Awakens, and in several particular respects it did the same things better. (I thought Jyn was a lot better-executed than Rey, for example.)

I echo Sachi's sentiments regarding CGI Tarkin. I didn't even know the actor was dead, actually.

[Chuckman]

The desert freedom fighter imagery is part of the film's 80s throwback feel. Believe it or not there was a time when such characters were lionized and not stock villains.

Makes me wonder how a Dune film would go over now.

[Glor]

Had some pretty neat action, but the Stormtrooper slaughter was just obnoxious. Ship ramming scene was probably the best. The planet shield had me rolling my eyes though.

K2-SO was the best character. Bodhi was pretty good too, but I forgot his name and had to look it up just now. Space Zatoichi was cool. Would have been nice if he had an actual reason to be there instead of "We're just hanging around, Stormtroopers suck because muh temple."

Everyone else was really bland.

[cyharding]

Well, I was finally able to see Episode VII...by reading the script online (Troy McClure does have a point about scripts). The story is enjoyable, though I have a couple of questions about some plot points. It should be interesting where things go from this point.

[SoryuUberAlles]

Interview reveals Rogue One was storyboarded by taking clips from hundreds of other films. Article mentions Aliens. Any others you noticed?

[cyharding]

I've never seen any episode past the series premiere, but here is the midseason trailer for Rebels. Seems to be a big deal for some reason.

[Bagheera]

I've never seen any episode past the series premiere, but here is the midseason trailer for Rebels. Seems to be a big deal for some reason.

Mainly because it's a brilliant trailer. The use of "warning" is a big part of it, but "you're in the wrong place!" doesn't hurt.

[Sachi]

The trailer alone is probably more epic than the entire latter half of the season will be. Seems like they're going to try and fit a lot into the last half of the season, and I wonder how they'll be able to pull it off. At the very least, the Kenobi/Maul stuff should be interesting, and the Thrawn stuff looks really good.

[Markal]

Rogue One was definitely an awesome viewing. Considering how much disdain I have for Disney treating much of the Star Wars franchise in the past (In particular the CGI Clone Wars series), this latest Star Wars movie is one of the strongest pieces to have come out since the original trilogy, in my humble one-man opinion.

The emotional impact in many ways is much stronger than that of Episode VII, and the characters were truly enjoyable to watch. My only real gripe was with the music. In my case, it was as if I could hardly register any music at all. It felt in my mind as if the music was... faded, as if I could hardly hear any music in my head. The fact that I could not remember any distinct tunes (Even compared with Episode VII) leaves me to thinking that the music was perhaps one of the weaker elements in Rogue One as a whole.

The other real issue (And this is just more due to the nature of Rogue One's story context) is that in many ways, the ending was kind of a foregone conclusion. Without going into too much detail (In case there are still some people out there who've never seen the movie), I will say that I wasn't really surprised by the outcome. I think I honestly would've been MORE surprised had the movie not ended the way it had.

Overall, Rogue One does leave me with hope that there will yet be more quality Star Wars-related movies in the future to come.