Sounds like they did a great job. If you get a chance, you should listen to Gareth Edwards visit to Museum of Curiosity. He had yet to make Godzilla and had no idea he was going to make Rogue One. He speaks about Star Wars and how he saw the first one 1400+ times(he has kept track).
No spoilers in this thread, but I’m sure some of the reviews we will post will contain some spoilers.
Wil Wheaton loved it. I think he would tell us if it was terrible. I’m glad to find out most of the footage in the movie is totally fresh and that they hid the vast majority of the movie from us.
The embargo is still in effect, I take it? I imagine this week we will see the reviews pour in. I plan to see it either this weekend or next.
Edit: I have checked. Reviews can be posted tomorrow, the 13th. I guess we’ll see.
I read Variety’s review and while it was not terribly spoilerific, it pushed a bit into that area as well. I suspected what Variety’s review revealed, but it was odd for them to confirm a minor plot point.
“A long time ago, in a galaxy – no, longer than that. You know how the prequels were set longer ago than the original trilogy? Like that, but not quite that long ago.”
Rogue One is a bold and stirring adventure film that will have both fans and casual observers spellbound. It is easily the most exciting blockbuster in recent memory this side of Mad Max: Fury Road, and that includes The Force Awakens, which now looks lazy and bloated with sentimentality and fan service in comparison to the subversive ingenuity of Rogue One.
(note it’s not Salon’s usual reviewer but taken from the AP news feed)
Wife and I got tickets for this Thursday night’s showing, last week. God am I excited – even more so, perhaps, than for Ep 7 last year (when I maintained my expectations low). I grew up in the 80s and Star Wars (movies, toys, games, books, etc.) was my favorite thing in the whole world from age 4 to 15, and I forget how big a part of me it still is.
I have a 6 and 8 year old. We saw Force Awakens when they were 5 and 7. I’m not sure if I should take them to this without previewing it first.
I saw Force Awakens without them first and was confident that if they were warned, they could handle Han Solo’s death. I only want to see Rogue One once in the theater, though, so I’m not sure if I should take them.
Re: kids watching - I’ve heard a couple of places strongly suggesting that you pre-watch it before taking kids younger than 12ish. I’m spoiler-free still (god only knows how) but it seems like it’s going to be pretty grim in places.
My son, 7 (almost 8), has seen all of the previous movies and cartoon series. My daughter, 5 (almost 6), has seen them all, except Eps 3 & 7. My son saw them all last year, when he was 6, and none of them scarred him. He clutched me a couple times and looked away during some intense moments during Force Awakens, but has said he loved it and can’t wait to see it again (he’s getting the DVD for Christmas).
I’m going to go see R1 solo while my wife takes the kids to see Trolls. I’ll likely take my son to see it in the week after that, but I’m confident my daughter isn’t ready for PG-13. And heck, my wife isn’t happy that my son’s been exposed. I just don’t know how I’m going to explain to my daughter that her brother gets to go and she doesn’t. It was easier last year with TFA and she was 4 and she hadn’t seen any of the other movies. But since January, she’s totally gotten into Star Wars and she’s been swept up in the excitement for a new movie.
So when does this one take place and how much backstory is required? I gave up on Star Wars after the diarrhea-fest of Phantom Menace and whatever the sucky one after that one was. But if the reviews are as good as this I might go see it.
You should check out Episode VII. It was really good. I think it has a fair amount of criticism, but not like the prequels. It’s better than I would have predicted, anyway. I liked it a lot.
Rewatch the original (aka Episode IV:A New Hope).
This movie is basically the opening crawl for A New Hope
(Episode VII, while IMHO a fine movie, is not something you need to see before Rogue One)
There are all sorts of “not like the last time” mentions in ANH - some of these may be explained
Not a ringing endorsement but they go on to say that Felicity Jones and the other main actors are all very good, and that the movie serves the overall Star Wars universe well and will likely do very well.
but they go on to say that Felicity Jones and the other main actors are all very good, and that the movie serves the overall Star Wars universe well and will likely do very well.