13 replies to this topic

[fenderjazz]

I figured I'd bite and start this today. I saw it last night. Loved it. In terms of rank in Star Wars movie here is my list.

1 The Empire Strikes Back
2 A New Hope
3 The Force Awakens
4 Rogue One
5 Return of the Jedi
6 Revenge of the Sith
7 Attack of the Clones
8 The Phantom Menace

My initial reaction to the film is, "Now that's how you do a prequel!" I do feel it's flawed, however.

Spoiler

First off Vader:

1. John Williams is as important to Vader's character as anything else. It is his absence from this movie, particular in Vader scenes where this is felt.

2. David Prowse did not play Vader. Different actor. Acting in a big costume, is always trivialized by many, however the costume amplifies the movements in ways that can be distracting. You have to act with the costume. Prowse did this brilliantly. I'm not saying that the person who did it in Rogue One didn't do it properly, just that any differences would have been magnified by the costume itself.

3. This is a big one. The camera angles were different that previously used.

[chemistry1973]

Just got out of the film. It was very good yet your criticism is spot on.

[Moving Target]

I hear that Vader is badass.

[Pressure/Hopenosis]

I hear that Vader is badass.

Straight out of a video game...

[Greg]

I thought Star Trek was done in the 60s...!

 

[SJS]

Saw it today as well.

 

I would rank it fourth after Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi.

 

I liked Force Awakens very much, and probably the characters in Force Awakens were more compelling - especially Rey, Finn, and Po.  However, the storyline in Rogue One was tighter, and that's a big deal for me.  I thought the last half of Force Awakens was a let down; I didn't buy the whole Starkiller Base business or the rapid rise of the First Order and the mysterious Snoke or Snape or whatever that dude is called.  Rogue One didn't have those kinds of issues, and it even cleverly tied up a few hanging chads from New Hope.

 

I hate CG characters, as a rule, which ruined the prequels for me, but the whole Tarkin thing I thought they pulled off brilliantly.  I also approve of the Force Awakens like shout outs to the original series, including - holy shit - reusing footage of Red Leader and Gold Leader from deleted scenes in Star Wars!  I thought they did this without too much winking and nodding at the audience, other than the requisite C3PO/R2D2 scene.

 

I also really liked the tropical location of the final sequence.  This is a rather cool feature of the series, finding every imaginable biome and making a world out of it.  Let's see, we've had desert (Tatooine), arctic (Hoth), jungle (Dagobah), redwood forest (Endor's moon), world-wide city (Coruscant), waterworld (Kamino), rocky badlands (Geonosis), and lava world (Mustafar).  Now, Pacific Atoll world (Scarif).

 

I can't rank it quite as high as the original trilogy, because it just didn't have the memorable characters of even the Force Awakens.  But it's a solid fourth for me, and I'm glad to have seen it.  I will see it again.

[fenderjazz]

I'm with you SJS, I just loved the characters a bit more in TFA vs this one.  We didn't get to know them as much, and bam the action started.  I liked the character development a bit more in TFA.  We really only saw Jyn's development here.  Rogue One was great though, still surpassing the prequels and Jedi for me.

 

I was hoping for an origin story to come out of this for Rey or Finn but that didn't happen.  Too much to be expected and I guess we'll know more in Episode VIII.

 

Red and Gold leader were amazing, that was a great nod to the original.  Porkins wasn't there.  I guess he was at the all-you-can eat buffet on Yavin.

[SJS]

I'm with you SJS, I just loved the characters a bit more in TFA vs this one.  We didn't get to know them as much, and bam the action started.  I liked the character development a bit more in TFA.  We really only saw Jyn's development here.  Rogue One was great though, still surpassing the prequels and Jedi for me.
 
I was hoping for an origin story to come out of this for Rey or Finn but that didn't happen.  Too much to be expected and I guess we'll know more in Episode VIII.
 
Red and Gold leader were amazing, that was a great nod to the original.  Porkins wasn't there.  I guess he was at the all-you-can eat buffet on Yavin.

In the scene, they made a point of killing off the original Red 5. Its that kind of subtle, but serious attempt to integrate with the other movies that I appreciate.

The acting in this movie was really top notch. It is too bad the characters weren't a bit deeper, because the casting was fantastic.

[Casey]

Just got back from the theater and I loved this film, on every level.

 

I thought character development was better than in TFA, the pacing was superb and I found myself emotionally hooked in ways that TFA just didn't do for me. 

 

The final scene was so appropriate, on today of all days. 

 

Rest in Peace, Carrie. 

[scott14]

I thought it was excellent, indeed the prequel everyone's been waiting for.  I loved the inclusion of Jimmy Smits Bail Organa, a very graceful yet subtle tie to Episodes I-III.  They're finding very tasteful ways of including the second Trilogy while minimizing the damage.

 

My new ordering, the original Trilogy is still untouchable, but I agree with FJ's reasoning for placing TFA over R1...

 

1.  The Empire Strikes Back

2.  A New Hope

3.  Return Of The Jedi

4.  The Force Awakens

5.  Rogue One

6.  Revenge Of The Sith

7.  Attack Of The Clones

8.  The Phantom Menace

[chemistry1973]

I love ROTJ, but with hindsight, it is basically a New Hope retread.

My breakdown:

Empire
ANH
Rogue One
Jedi
TFA
Phantom
Sith
Clones

[SJS]

I would have to watch the prequels again to do a proper ranking. Each had such detestable flaws it is hard to know which belongs sixth on my list, then seventh, then last. I think probably Clones was the worst. Maybe SW, Empire, Jedi, TFA, Rogue One, Sith, Phantom, Clones.

I watched Rogue One the second time in the theater (and gave TFA another look on DVD). I still think Rogue One is the evener effort - really no flaws, nice and tight, good performances, good story. Where TFA gets a slight bump in my rankings, despite its several flaws, are the great moments Rogue lacks. The Finn-Po escape scene, the Rey-Finn bonding scenes, Kylo throughout, the final light saber duel, and Han, Chewie, Leila, Luke. So many flaws too, but more really great moments.

Rumor has it that Carrie Fisher had finished all of her Episode VIII scenes prior to her untimely death. That will be eerie to watch, but as a movie, I have high hopes.

[RollDeBonz]

Finally got to see it. I have avoided this thread as well as other forums so for the most part I went in spoiler free. I thought it was great overall. I liked the darker tone. I liked the many references to the other movies. I think connected with the main characters from TFA more, but I think R1 is a more solid movie. Still I would rank it right behind TFA. So currently I would rank all of the movies as follows:

 

TESB

SW

ROTJ

TFA

R1

ROTS

AOTC

TPM

 

On a side note, I'm really glad I went to the movie when I did. I got home to find my mailbox knocked to the ground and branches from a neighbors tree in the road. Looking at the tire tracks they stopped right about where my car would have been parked. Called the sheriffs mostly because the neighbor's vehicle had been badly vandalized before. Someone keyed his almost new pickup from front to back on both sides and the tailgate about 6 months ago. Seemed personal so I thought maybe someone was fucking with his property and my mailbox got caught up in it. Cops checked his vehicle and they determined it was him.

[Casey]

I didn't do a ranking in my first post. I suppose it breaks down this way...

 

1. ESB

 

2. ANH

 

3. R1

 

4. TFA

 

5. RotJ

 

6. RotS

 

7. AotC

 

8. TFA