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Monday, May 07, 2018


My Favourite Movies: Rogue One

Now I’d be the first to admit that I’m not a huge Star Wars fan. Actually I’d even say that I’m not a Star Wars fan at all. That might seem strange considering the topic of this piece but bear with me.

I saw the original Star Wars movie (no doubt someone out there will be able to explain to me why the first movie was actually Episode IV) back in 1977 and remember it was probably the first movie I’d ever queued for. At the time I remember it being pretty good – I was already into SF by then – except for the overly sentimental ending. I even thought at the time, as far as I can remember that far back, that it would have been much better if they’d ended it with the destruction of the Death Star. Rather inevitably I saw Empire Strikes Back and thought it was a half decent film but rather slow in the middle. By the time of Return of the Jedi in 1986 I had kind of lost interest in the whole thing. Again I thought it was OK but nothing to write home about. Of course if that had been the end to it the trilogy might have simply become an iconic moment and we might have moved on with our lives. But, as always with these things, they couldn’t stop making movies in the series. After all there was money to make and a growing fan base to please. So, we went back in time for Episodes 1-3.

I went to see Phantom Menace with friends in 1999 and thought that it was one of the worst films I had ever seen. It’s still, after all these years and all those movies, in my Top 10 Worst Films I’ve Ever Seen. If I hadn’t have been with friends I would’ve honestly walked out before the ending. I think over the years I could count about 2-3 times I’ve done that and I’ve seen a LOT of movies. Rather bizarrely, in a clear case of hope over experience, I actually sat through the awful Attack of the Clones in 2002 and even Revenge of the Sith 3 years later and witnessed some of the worst acting and worst dialogue I’d ever experienced. So, when the stand-alone move Rogue One was advertised I was, understandably, reluctant to give it the time of day. After all, bitten five times shame on me etc…  But then I watched the trailers and some of the other promo videos and thought: This looks interesting and different and, possibly, actually good! So, with some trepidation, I went along with the guys to see it on the big screen. I’m glad I did!


There is so much I like about this film I hardly know where to start. A good place would be, I guess, the main lead Felicity Jones who played Jyn Erso, daughter of the main Death Star designer. I was very impressed by her and how she played the rebel without a true cause fighting for herself and ‘not looking up’ so she’s not disturbed by the Imperial flag flying everywhere. She had a great story and really held the film together driving the plot forward to its rather brave and unusual ending. Inevitably with such a strong central character everyone around her took very much second place. I did like Diego Luna as Cassian Andor who did whatever was necessary to fight the Empire and justified his actions, however questionable, because of that. This was his central motivation near the end of the movie which propelled him to take part in the final desperate attack and was very believable. Then of course there’s Saw Gerrera played by Forrest Whitaker. I understand that the producers had issues with him, as he was essentially a ‘good terrorist’, and had to tone things down a bit after negative views from focus groups. I understand their reluctance to create a character that is too ‘shades of grey’ rather than a straight forward good guy but life is generally more complicated than that. Overall though this tone down had little impact on the movie itself. The true baddie, and clearly loving it, was Orson Krennic played by the very versatile Ben Mendelsohn. This was an Empire man through and through and we, rightly, hated him for it. I do like it when we have a ‘black hat’ with few or any redeeming qualities.

The feel of the movie was superb. It was most definitely a Star Wars film but was, I couldn’t help thinking, a modern day War Film that just happened to be in the Star Wars universe. The Star Wars elements where, very much I thought, in the background. Naturally they pervaded the whole movie, Force like, but I never felt as if I was being hit over the head with it at every opportunity. I did very much appreciate that level of subtlety absent, I thought, from the other rather heavy handed movies. But the icing on the cake for me, as a lifelong fan of War Movies, was the combat sequence at the end of the film. Taking place on the ground in an almost Vietnam War setting as well as in space over a vital gateway it all felt very real, very visceral and both battles had some lovely unique moments – I’m thinking of the rocket launcher hitting the walker and the ramming of the Star Destroyer. Throughout the film there were moments of reference to the original 1977 movie (rather inevitably in this case) and none more so that the final scenes when the Death Star plans are handed over to Princess Leia which, of course leads naturally into Episode IV. After seeing that scene on the cinema (and honestly nearly crying!) and at least 5-6 times on DVD it still brings a lump to my throat. You know, maybe I am a fan after all.


This is not a perfect movie – what is? – but it’s very nearly a perfect Star Wars movie and is, at least in my opinion, head and shoulders above any of the others in this series. Rogue One is the only Star Wars DVD I own and the only Star Wars movie I’ve watched multiple times enjoying it each and every time. I’m hoping that the new Solo film will hit me in the same way. Again this looks like a film within the Star Wars universe but with a different vibe. It’s got a hill to climb to be anywhere near as good as Rogue One but the trailers make it look interesting enough to give it a chance to impress me, which is more than can be said for the last two Star Wars series films neither of which I have seen or had much interest in seeing.

7 comments:

Mudpuddle said...

i've seen, or so i thought, all the SW films and liked them (what can i say: i'm simple-minded), but i sure don't recognize this one... maybe there's one that was only seen in Britain?

CyberKitten said...

Definitely world-wide in 2016.....

Mudpuddle said...

tx... have to hunt for it...

Greg said...

I liked Rogue One- a breath of fresh air or so it felt to me. I'm hopeful for Solo!

CyberKitten said...

@ Greg: Yes, exactly - a breath of fresh air away from the stifling (whatever you call a nine series thing). I'm hopeful for Solo too. I'll see it with fingers crossed but at least I'll go see it without too much doubt in my mind.

Welcome to SaLT. I try to post at least 2 things most days. Although SaLT isn't a book blog 'per se' there's usually something book related here. My fiction reading is all over the place and presently makes up around 1/3 of my books. The other 2/3 is mostly history and politics presently but, again, pretty much anything goes. I do have a few themes from time to time - Star Wars presently because of May 4th recently - but generally it's whatever crosses my mind. I hope that you stick around or pop in from time to time.

Stephen said...

If you were of the right age, there was one really good reason to see Attack of the Clones: Natalie Portman. She's in Revenge, too, but she's lame and crying. In Attack she's the senator with a blaster, doing good work by whatever means are open..

Have you ever played any Star Wars games, by chance? Republic Commando is one of the most intense FPSs I've ever tried. It had squad-based combat where you could issue commands -- telling one guy to take position here to cover another guy while he's hacking into the doors, something like that. Funny, too. It was just so short...4 extensive missions.

CyberKitten said...

I can see some of the attraction in Portman but it wasn't anywhere near enough to get me over how bad those films where!

I never played any of the ST games but some of my friends did. They were very impressed by the 'Wars' look and feel but less so by the game-play itself.