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Why R1 is One of My FAVORITE Star Wars Movies!

posted 8 years ago by Hazekiah
48 replies | jump to latest

This is officially one of my most favorite Star Wars movies.

I pretty much loved EVERYTHING about it. The fan service especially was *beep* OFF THE CHARTS and a real treat for hardcore Star Wars nerds. Goddamn, we got the Whills, Kyber crystals, Doctor Evazan & Ponda Baba, Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, General Dodonna, Red Leader & Gold Leader, Chopper, The Ghost, the Hammerheads, shout-outs for Captain Antilles & General Syndulla, and aged Saw Gerrrera, Imperial probots, mouse droids, etc., etc., etc.

I mean, GODDAMN. The list goes on and on!

Not to mention Grand Moff Tarkin with more screentime than he had even when Peter Cushing was still alive ffs, Princess Leia in her prime, and HOLY HELL hands-down the most fearsomely badass Darth Vader onscreen to date. So BRUTAL!!!

And then there's the fact that the movie basically fixes two giant "flaws" from the original films, brilliantly and elegantly explaining both the critical weakness of the Death Star and the poor marksmanship of the Storm Troopers. Suddenly, this movie wasn't just simply expanding upon the original films but even IMPROVING them, too. Now THAT'S what I call REAL fan-service!

Likewise, the world-building was pretty impressive and well-conceived, even for a Star Wars film. Linking the power of the Death Star to the Kyber crystals mined from what's basically an ancient Jedi Temple homeworld named Jedha was yet another stroke of genius, and catching a few glimpses of what seem to be the Jedi equivalent of the Emperor's Imperial Guardsmen wandering around the temple city really drove home the point just as much as Saw's Vader-esque physical decrepitude. And OMFG Vader's castle on Mustafar was also as perfectly stark and intimidating as it needed to be, lol. The contrast of it being both his retreat in which he heals his tortured body within a bacta tank AND his own personal hell in which to wallow and therefore further his strength in the Dark Side of the Force was just ABSOLUTELY. ON. POINT. 100%.

On a similar note, the tone of the movie was also pitch perfect. Shady back alleys. Military occupation. Prisoner transports to mining colonies. The cold, blustery weather, of the opening and the "rescue" mission for Galen, the heavy rainfall...the galaxy really FELT like an awful, miserable place in dire need of hope to a degree we hadn't really seen onscreen before. I also really enjoyed seeing the somewhat sketchier side of the Rebellion alongside the oppressive occupation of the Empire. From Cassian's questionable wetworks assassination of a colleague and informant to Saw's extremist insurgent attacks and borderline torture, it all fit perfectly within the context of a less "family friendly" and more "desperate suicide mission" chapter in the ongoing battle against ultimate evil.

And that was something I liked about the movie the most.

Sure, there's a lot of attention to detail and fan service that will go RIGHT over the heads of the general audience -- Rogue One is WITHOUT A DOUBT a Star Wars movie catering to the superfans -- but even my friend's nine year old daughter who's only seen Ep. VII beforehand was still held rapt by the movie and its message of hope and sacrifice for the greater good in the face of overwhelming odds during even the darkest days.

As long as people can understand THAT there will ALWAYS be an audience for Star Wars.

[–] aliyahrocks 8 years ago

I also really liked RO 9/10. The people in my theater (myself included) started crying when we saw Leia on screen. Who was this Darth Vader? He was not the Anakin-Vader that we are familiar with right?

[–] Hazekiah 8 years ago

by aliyahrocks » 35 minutes ago (Sat Dec 31 2016 20:13:44)
IMDb member since January 2013
I also really liked RO 9/10. The people in my theater (myself included) started crying when we saw Leia on screen. Who was this Darth Vader? He was not the Anakin-Vader that we are familiar with right?

Carrie Fisher hadn't died yet when I last saw the movie (ten times and counting!), but there were DEFINITELY tons of people clapping and cheering.

And, personally, I really enjoyed seeing the MERCILESS SLAUGHTERHOUSE VADER we'd always HEARD about without actually SEEING before, except for his brief run as Vader without the suit in Ep. III.

If you think about it, he really had no reason to go ape$#!t on Kenobi because he was old as hell and wanted the Millennium Falcon to lead them to the hidden Rebel base anyway. Really, he never actually had ANY reason to go all out in the entire Original Trilogy, so it doesn't bother me at all to see him DESTROY a bunch of redshirts leading up to that.

[–] wtflolsfml 8 years ago

TLDR. Here, I'll edit it down for you: "Why R1 is One of My FAVORITE Star Wars Movies! .. Is because I have juvenile, easily satisfied taste and think that pandering fan service equates to great story telling ... ZOMG IS THAT PONDA BABA??? AHHHFJSHRYGHSJ!!"

[–] Hazekiah 8 years ago

by wtflolsfml » 5 hours ago (Sat Dec 31 2016 20:33:27)
IMDb member since May 2011
TLDR. Here, I'll edit it down for you: "Why R1 is One of My FAVORITE Star Wars Movies! .. Is because I have juvenile, easily satisfied taste and think that pandering fan service equates to great story telling ... ZOMG IS THAT PONDA BABA??? AHHHFJSHRYGHSJ!!"

Had your insufferably brief attention span allowed for such nuance, perhaps you'd have noticed my points beyond simple fan service as well as my comments regarding this film's exquisite storytelling.

But NOPE.

>_>

[–] wtflolsfml 8 years ago

Had your insufferably brief attention span allowed for such nuance, perhaps you'd have noticed my points beyond simple fan service as well as my comments regarding this film's exquisite storytelling.

HAH Sorry, can't help but LOL at the suggestion your fanboy "review" is so layered and deep that it contains any trace of "nuance" whatsoever. Much like Gareth Edwards' ability to inject emotion into any of his characters, your appraisal of the movie is about as "nuanced" as being hit in the face with a sledgehammer. "Exquisite storytelling." Goddamn LOL seriously, "EXQUISITE." Unbelievable.

[–] Hazekiah 8 years ago

by wtflolsfml » 5 days ago (Sun Jan 1 2017 17:52:28)
IMDb member since May 2011
Had your insufferably brief attention span allowed for such nuance, perhaps you'd have noticed my points beyond simple fan service as well as my comments regarding this film's exquisite storytelling.

HAH Sorry, can't help but LOL at the suggestion your fanboy "review" is so layered and deep that it contains any trace of "nuance" whatsoever. Much like Gareth Edwards' ability to inject emotion into any of his characters, your appraisal of the movie is about as "nuanced" as being hit in the face with a sledgehammer. "Exquisite storytelling." Goddamn LOL seriously, "EXQUISITE." Unbelievable.

I was hardly trying to prop up my little review as a masterpiece of modern literature, ffs.

All I was trying to say was that dismissing the entire thing as a "fanboy review" equating fan service to great storytelling when you self-admittedly didn't even bother to read beyond my opening comments is as ridiculous as it is obnoxiously rude and misguided.

Had your apparent ADD allowed you finish reading a few short paragraphs before you jumped in like an uniformed jackass, you'd have noticed that although I did lead with points pertaining to the bevy of fan service moments, yes, I likewise continued along by noting that the film also deftly enhances its source material by "fixing" a couple "flaws" of the original film, brilliantly expands expands upon the heretofore unexplored territory of the SOURCE of the Death Star's unbelievable power and the origins of the Jedi, as well as also giving us a tantalizing glimpse into Vader's personal life.

I also praised the film's overall tone and cited examples bolstering that tone, in addition to making note of the intriguing concept of the Rebel Alliance's own guilt and dirty deeds and Saw's correlation to Vader as a crippled vet extremist resorting to unpleasant means towards a greater good, drawing parallels between the Rebels and the Empire, which are otherwise generally considered as polar opposites. So, yeah. "Nuance."

And, yes, "exquisite storytelling."

I greatly enjoyed the through-line of "hope" in the direct prequel to "A New Hope," for instance. And, again, the movie didn't even really HAVE to fix the problem of the Death Star's critical flaw from the original film in the course of telling the tale of how its plans were stolen...but it DID anyway and that was a stroke of genius on the part of the filmmakers.

Hell, there's plenty more I could detail here but you probably already TL;DR-ed this post and you're just a time-wasting troll anyway so w/e.

The point is that you're as wrong as you are foolish and transparent.

[–] wtflolsfml 8 years ago

So, yeah. "Nuance."

I personally liked the nuance of Baze Malbus' character the most. He was a very interesting character. The way he did the things that he did. Awesome.

Nah, you are indeed just a fanboy who gets excited at cheap visuals and gimmicks. You're probably like 15 or something. You aren't even discerning enough to realise when you're being pandered to. I bet you cheered in TFA at Han Solo's "Trash compacter" line, and you'll probably cream your pants when they inevitably do the Kessel Run in Han Solo's stand alone film. "I REMEMBER THAT REFERENCE, BECAUSE I AM SUCHHH A HUUUUGE STAR WARSSSSSS FANNNNN OMMGGGGGGGG!!!! AND THEY DID IT IN 12 PARSECS AHJFHEUGBSJAUFHG" Jesus. And because you and your army of braindead plebs will gobble up anything with a Star Wars label on it, now the rest of us have to put up with this kind of unnecessary, unoriginal, middling, fan-service, fanfic bull$hit, so thanks for that.

[–] tobian85 8 years ago

wtflolsfml,

You must be great fun at parties, and even more so at fairs and conventions.

Thank the Force that the writers/techs/directors, etc. at Disney/LucasFilms don't make their major film-crafting decisions based on dyspeptic, buzz-killing posts like yours (and those of many other humorless, joyless, self-appointed experts).

Seriously, I feel sorry for you...I'd be willing to bet you spend so much of your time criticizing things and people that you get very little enjoyment out of life.

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. - E. Burke

[–] wtflolsfml 8 years ago

Seriously, I feel sorry for you...I'd be willing to bet you spend so much of your time criticizing things and people that you get very little enjoyment out of life.

Making assumptions about complete strangers on the internet in a forum for movie discussions, and I'M the one with no life? lol Good one.

[–] Hazekiah 8 years ago

by wtflolsfml » Sat Jan 7 2017 17:56:51
IMDb member since May 2011

Making assumptions about complete strangers on the internet in a forum for movie discussions, and I'M the one with no life? lol Good one.

by wtflolsfml » 31 minutes ago (Sun Jan 15 2017 21:58:51)
IMDb member since May 2011
Lol you must be trolling. Even stupid people don't have taste as bad as yours.

STFU and GTFO, hypocrite.

Ugh.

Despicable.

[–] wtflolsfml 8 years ago

No hypocrisy here. Stating that you're stupid isn't an assumption, darling 

[–] Hazekiah 8 years ago

So you're doubling down on your blatantly hypocritical jackassery then?

Really smart move there, lol.

[–] wtflolsfml 8 years ago

lol You're a fool. No wonder you like this movie. Have fun wallowing in your banal mediocrity.

[–] Hazekiah 8 years ago

by tobian85 » Sat Jan 7 2017 17:43:08
IMDb member since February 2010

wtflolsfml,

You must be great fun at parties, and even more so at fairs and conventions.

Thank the Force that the writers/techs/directors, etc. at Disney/LucasFilms don't make their major film-crafting decisions based on dyspeptic, buzz-killing posts like yours (and those of many other humorless, joyless, self-appointed experts).

Seriously, I feel sorry for you...I'd be willing to bet you spend so much of your time criticizing things and people that you get very little enjoyment out of life.

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. - E. Burke

Annnnd THANK YOU.

So goddamned annoyingly insufferable.

>___>

[–] CrbCrtx 8 years ago

personally liked the nuance of Baze Malbus' character the most. He was a very interesting character. The way he did the things that he did. Awesome.

Nah, you are indeed just a fanboy who gets excited at cheap visuals and gimmicks. You're probably like 15 or something. You aren't even discerning enough to realise when you're being pandered to. I bet you cheered in TFA at Han Solo's "Trash compacter" line, and you'll probably cream your pants when they inevitably do the Kessel Run in Han Solo's stand alone film. "I REMEMBER THAT REFERENCE, BECAUSE I AM SUCHHH A HUUUUGE STAR WARSSSSSS FANNNNN OMMGGGGGGGG!!!! AND THEY DID IT IN 12 PARSECS AHJFHEUGBSJAUFHG" Jesus. And because you and your army of braindead plebs will gobble up anything with a Star Wars label on it, now the rest of us have to put up with this kind of unnecessary, unoriginal, middling, fan-service, fanfic bull$hit, so thanks for that.

I like this person. Stay strong my friend and continue to be a friend to the truth. *beep* these fanboys.

[–] benmartin528491 8 years ago

Hahahaha, I'm dying laughing, way to shut these RO fanboys down.

[–] JakeHelmer 8 years ago

Stop using God's name as a cussword.

[–] aac7294 8 years ago

10 times...that warms my heart reminding me when I was young and went to the 1976 King Kong seven times...it's great to be a super fan. Don't listen to the trolls...loved your post OP it was a good movie and I like your enthusiasm.

[–] Hazekiah 8 years ago

by aac7294 » 1 day ago (Sat Dec 31 2016 21:21:06)
IMDb member since June 2003
10 times...that warms my heart reminding me when I was young and went to the 1976 King Kong seven times...it's great to be a super fan. Don't listen to the trolls...loved your post OP it was a good movie and I like your enthusiasm.

Thanks, much appreciated!

I guess when I like things I just tend to REALLLLY like them, lol. I've seen every Star Wars movie in theaters several, several times so far and don't see any reason to cut back yet! MOAR, PLZ.

And the original King Kong and Peter Jackson's remake are my two favorite King Kong movies but I finally caught up and watched the 1976 version too so I fully appreciate that one, too. Hard not to enjoy Jessica Lange in her prime, right?

Mmm.

<3

[–] Hazekiah 8 years ago

by
JakeHelmer
» 11 hours ago (Sat Dec 31 2016 21:02:56)
IMDb member since November 2014

Stop using God's name as a cussword.

LOLWUT

Aren't you supposed to not even type the word "God" if you feel so strongly about it?

And OMFG @ "cussword," lololol.

XD

[–] stanleyhetz 8 years ago

Stop using God's name as a cussword.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-WPlvZguZ4

[–] Hazekiah 8 years ago

by stanleyhetz » 1 day ago (Sun Jan 22 2017 04:33:40)
IMDb member since September 2001

Stop using God's name as a cussword.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-WPlvZguZ4

LOLOLOMFG THANK YOU XD XD XD

\m/

[–] Hazekiah 8 years ago

by
stanleyhetz
» 3 days ago (Sun Jan 22 2017 04:33:40)
IMDb member since September 2001

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stop using God's name as a cussword.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-WPlvZguZ4

Hahaha, I finally got to see that link, lol.

LOVE IT.

XD

[–] thenmadewild 8 years ago

I couldn't agree more. Some people will never be satisfied. Doesn't mean the rest of us can't appreciate a good thing!

[–] Hazekiah 8 years ago

by thenmadewild » Sun Jan 1 2017 11:40:06
IMDb member since September 2014

I couldn't agree more. Some people will never be satisfied. Doesn't mean the rest of us can't appreciate a good thing!

You're goddamned right!

Rogue One is a GREAT movie. I've basically been waiting my ENTIRE life for THIS movie and for Ep. VII+ and I sincerely thought I'd never get EITHER. Or I'd at least have to wait until after George Lucas died and hope I outlived him.

DISNEY IS HOOKING IT UP LIKE CRAZY AND I AM SOOOO EXCITED FOR STAR WARS + FOREVER I'M JUST MAD I'LL DIE BEFORE I SEE THE END!!!

\m/ -____- \m/

[–] MoviemanCin 8 years ago

Meh.

Schrodinger's cat walks into a bar and doesn't.

[–] roland-rockerfella 8 years ago

Agreed. It was very good. RO was defiantly the best SW film since Empire Strikes Back, no question about it.

[–] SarahJConnor 8 years ago

i thought the fan service was insulting.

imo

[–] Hazekiah 8 years ago

by
SarahJConnor
» 6 days ago (Sat Jan 7 2017 13:05:50)
IMDb member since September 2015

i thought the fan service was insulting.

How so?

It's fan service and used wholly appropriately.

The only way to make it "insulting" is to get the details wrong or to squeeze it in where it shouldn't be, neither of which were the case in this film.

I four the fan service in Rogue One to be dead-on, immersive, and very enjoyably conceived and executed. No complaints here!

[–] haynesjosephd 8 years ago

Hazekiah, I really appreciate your unbridled enthusiasm for this film. I thought what you said in your assessment was spot on. Others who are criticizing this movie seem to tend to be a Siskel or Ebert of their own and go in the theater with a critical lens. I enter every movie with the intention of being entertained, allowing myself an open minded opportunity to enjoy myself at the cinema. I loved this movie and its place in the Star Wars universe. Thanks for your take on it!