I loved Rogue One. I revisited the film for the first time since it’s release, and I was pleasantly surprised that it’s actually quite a banger. #rogueone #starwars #obiwankenobi #darthvader #videoessay #moviereview
I remember seeing TFA and feeling that it was okay, not particularly good but at least there was possibility for future development. Then Rogue One came out, and I was full of hope and optimism for Disney Star Wars. Then... then the dark times came.
I wasn't fond of it. I WANTED to be though, I wanted to love TFA but it just...it did so much wrong. So I was hoping the second movie would explain away some of the issues I had in the first but uh...yeah. We all know how that went.
I knew TFA was a piece of sh!t maligned by social politics and completely missing the mark 15 minutes into it. Rouge One on the other hand was overall pretty good from start to finish.
I really loved when they hugged at the end, I want to see more semi-romantic (or just straight up romantic) moments when they hug instead of kissing, it always feels more genuine to me.
I actually like that they didn’t go all romantic. There was nothing romantic about war and fighting and about to die to the white hot furnace of the impending explosion. I like that it was kept as friends and if anything kindred warbond spirits fused together in their hope that while their story is over that the rest of the rebellion will take action and continue the fight.
Another good part of Rogue One is the antagonist. Krennic isn’t just a generic and incompetent villain but obviously has his own motives and is shown as very capable while also revealing the power dynamic within the Imperial hierarchy by him getting stonewalled by Tarkin and Vader
That scene with Jynn seeing her father again in the hologram is perfect. The emotion, the acting, the music, the line delivery, and the looming threat of the Death Star while it’s all happening. It’s probably one of the best scenes.
Rogue One is so so good. Seeing in the theatre, bruh, it was awesome. This film respects the Star Wars legacy and even makes it better by elaborating on key aspects (thought the Death Star plotpoint was genius). That Vader hallway scene, just iconic and epic.
@@TheMovieCynic I love TFA, hate TLJ (on a technical scale, it's a beautiful looking movie, but it wrecked SW to me - Obi-Wan Kenobi is a better example of how they shoulda done Luke imo, changed, weathered, but not a complete departure of the character), TROS is not good either (cheap fanservice and bad storytelling). The Sequel Trilogy just didn't have a clear direction/endgame and you can tell. Solo, I love, really fun film. Entire cast's awesome. Rogue One is also really good. The Mandalorian is great.
Yes this film was great finally Disney doesn't make stormtroopers and the Grand Imperial army look like fools just if it could have stayed that way (Looking at you obi Wan)
I actually think it’s the best Star Wars film made and my favorite. Maybe not for the time because empire was clearly groundbreaking and the twist is really cool, but everybody knew the twist when I was born. Those are my top one, and I like the last Jedi in revenge of the Sith. I was so excited for the Obi-Wan Kenobi series and that’s one of the worst piles of $hit I’ve ever seen. The only one second I liked what is a Darth Vader absolutely kick the crap out of that black Jedi girl whose name I don’t remember. Reva I think? I’m glad he was such a beast compared to everybody. Actually, the best seen in one of my favorite things in Star Wars was where Obi-Wan cut his mask and you could see Hayden Christensen and hear his actual voice outside of the suit. But everything else was pretty awful.
I miss that age, when strong female characters were written with respect and common sense. Who doesn't like badass characters, and who can take those Reys, Reevas, Super-Leias and other wonder-girls seriously?...
Real drama and tension, even though we already know the ending: something Lucas himself was unable to pull off in the prequels. It's the only re-watchable SW film outside of the original 3 that gets better with each viewing (save the attempt to resurrect dead actors, which gets worse).
Rogue One blew me away in the cinema when I watched it for the first time and it still blows me away when I watch it now. It’s probably my favourite Star Wars film…
I agree with you. The only thing I enjoyed about Rogue One was the final battle, however beyond that (I'm not impressed and don't care about it. I vehemently reject all of Disney Star Wars, no exceptions. @@redwoodtrees7068
I'm one of those people that stood in line at the age of 7 to watch the first Star Wars movie and also watched the rest of the series in theaters. I have to agree with you that Rogue One is the best Star Wars movie of all time in terms of writing and acting.
Dude you nailed it. On a rewatch I actually realized this movie if f**king brilliant, and I needed somewhere to land. My brain wasn't ready for it in the theaters. This many years later, I honestly can't believe what I just watched. It may be my favorite next to Empire. For me, I needed the only other good thing to come out of star wars, Andor, to fully appreciate this.
Rogue One is pretty fun, and what i wish Disney tried more of. Stories that fill in gaps or explore other parts of the Star Wars story, and are not just space fantasy in genre style. Rogue One is a decent war movie that uses the stat wars setting.
Absolutely brilliant review. Loved it. It actually made me feel a bit emotional. It also reminded me how great this film was. Moral complexity, beautifully shot, great characters, great actors, great story and the final Vader scene was awesome.
YES! FINALLY! I have said everything you just said in this video to my friends and some still look at me funny when I say it. I was rewatching every Star Wars movie with my boyfriend, who was watching for the first time, and at some point in the original trilogy and prequels, he asked, "Okay, so Darth Vader is the villain, but we never really see him doing much besides choking someone at a distance and giving orders" And in my head, I was "ooooh just you wait until we get to Rogue One." It absolutely is my favorite, and like you, I'm not a huge fan. I appreciate the movies and all, I like being a part of the pop culture references. But this movie took me by surprise. It is amazing, and it does exactly what it's supposed to do. Tell its own story while elevating and even paying homage to what came before.
Rogue One is my favourite Star Wars film. It's because I was emotionally entwined with all the characters, when Baze and Chirut died I was so gutted, I mean I might have shed a tear in the cinema. When I rewatched Rogue One on DVD again and again I think Bohdi has incredible depth, again as you said by a fantastic actor Riz Ahmed. I'll agree with you Jyn Erso, was an amazing character.she transcends the screen.
I watched it in theater back at the beginning of 2017, and it blew me away. It's also my favorite Star Wars movie, and this comes from someone who's been watching Empire Strikes Back on VHS in the early 1990s. Sure I am not the original generation who adored the original Star Wars in their theatrical releases, yet Rogue One gave the much-needed gravitas and weight to an adventure which was a little too happy-go-lucky for me as an adult. You get to know that a war is not just won by the Skywalkers' family squabbles, but rather by countless unsung sacrifices like Jyn Erso and her team. There are lots of haters of this film too. Red Letter Media mocked it big-time, and some critics said "this one is not strong with the force". Well despite their cynicism, I still like it.
It is THE ONLY GOOD DISNEY STAR WARS MOVIE… it was rooted in the George Lucas timeline and paid proper homage to it, unlike everything else Disney have done with the franchise 👍🏻
its like 6,6.5/10 cheap milking of 'PLANS FOR DEATHSTAR' for 2 hours,0 creativity, too cheesy, no grit , action scenes? Disney action scenes. comically desperate insertion of Darth Vader scene into end just in case people were not sure they liked it or not.
Rogue One lived up to the hype, which is rare. It still is my favorite Star Wars movie. I felt genuinely sad that each of the main cast died even though I knew they were meant to. I even felt really bad for the nameless rebel soldiers and pilots. The camera angles made me temporarily believe I was there as part of the squad hiding behind the cargo boxes. And the Darth Vader corridor scene... there are no words to describe how awesome it was when I first saw it.
Yep. It can't be said enough that the film made people care about Star Wars. I'm not a big fan of that franchise and I can tell you that if Rogue One was the kind of content they always put on film for Star Wars, people would still be packing the theaters. I'm suprised at how some fans of the franchise didn't like RO.
100% agree. When I saw this in the theaters I nearly cried--it honored the original film without insulting the audience, or without retconning it. The visuals, the dialogue, the depth of the story, and the inventive way they set up the flaw in the Death Star that allowed Luke to blow it up. Completely believable, and the fact that everyone dies at the end gives it a gravitas that is missing from every other Disney SW movie. Plus, I loved how the Jedi are nearly completely mythical by this point, and that the first and only time you see a lightsaber is at the end. Sick of how Disney SW has made the lightsabers ubiquitous, to the point that seeing one is boring as hell.
Rogue One is the best after the original trilogy. You are still truly invested in the rebels and their mission even though we know their fate and the ending still feels satisfying.
I really liked Rogue One. Best Star Wars movie since the original three movies (episodes 4, 5 and 6). It had everything, humor, action, conflict, desperation, love and sacrifice. Special effects were well done, and it had great music. The way it ties into episode 4 was impressive. Every time it comes on TV and I happen to be scrolling through the channels I watch it.
Very interesting video. Never thought about this movie this way, in removing all the baggage that the franchise itself brings. I believe I need to watch it again and maybe I'll have to update my view of it. It's not that I hated it, but I do believe I was just carrying too many expectations of what Star Wars should be, instead of appreciating it for what it is.
Thanks for giving it a watch my friend. I appreciated that it’s not trying to carry the weight of Star Wars on its shoulders. It’s a straight forward, compelling story and treats the franchise with respect-it doesn’t feel like some sort of fan fiction, like a lot of the current Disney “product” does.
I wouldn't put so much credit on Gareth Edwards. He worked well with the actors and all, but most of the movie was saved by the writer Tony Gilroy. Story behind the scene is: When Edwards first came into the project, he shot a bunch of pretty scenes to set the tones and aesthetics, but no cohesive narrative to hold them all together. Production deadline crept in and Edwards was nowhere near having a complete movie, so he went to consult Tony Gilroy, sincerely wanted to fix the movie. Gilroy came up with a new script and this was where the reshoots happened. A bunch of footage that made it to the initial trailers but left out in the final cut was the footage Edwards shot before the Gilroy script. That cringy "I rebelled" line in a trailer was from Edwards' footage. Edwards mostly just worked with the actors after having the Gilroy script. The DP called his own shots. It was Gilroy that created the cohesion of this movie.
Hey man if you enjoyed this, I you'll love the Andor series. It's a prequel to Rogue One and t keeps the same mature tone with great world and character building. Some say it's a slow burn, but I believe it's the best Star wars show to date. Give it a chance. I'd love to hear your take on it.
I remember watching it for the first time, and that horrible sinking feeling in my stomach when I realised they were ALL going to die - because I cared about the characters. Plus, you see Vader as a one-man army, and the Ghost takes part in the final battle!
i have recently rewatched rogue one for the first time in at least 5 years, because i've finally watched the andor tv show (which is also amazing). Watching both of them back to back adds even more awesomeness and weight to rogue one. Knowing that cassian dies at the end of the movie just makes his entire saga so much more tragic and impactful. Rogue one and Andor are 100% up there with my favourite star wars content and i hope that season 2 will be as good as the first one and rogue one.
Rogue One is the second best Star Wars film behind Empire (very close second). It's the ONLY SW film that feels like an actual war movie. The battles have stakes. The storm troopers aren't cartoonishly and conveniently missing every shot. It's a war and people fuxking die in wars. It also brilliantly dives into the fact that Rebellions are often coalitions that aren't always pretty. Saw is an insurgent. Cassian is a spy who will murder and break the law to achieve his objectives. Fuxking brilliant movie.
By far the best Star Wars movie in almost 40 years, and my third favourite Star Wars movie after the first 2 from the Original Trilogy. For me is incredible that it had so many reshoots and issues during the production. Cause apart from being almost impecable in every film related topic, it shows respect and even love for the original content, something that the rest of the Disney Star Wars movies lack. I cried at the cinema, and not at the perfectly executed sentimental moments, I cried of joy cause I felt overwelmed by the feeling of being in the Star Wars universe again (And I can't recall crying watching a movie in any other time). The Darth Vader scene is for me not only the most badass scene from the Star Wars universe, but also from cinema history (Well, that one, and Thor entering Wakanda). Great review by the way.
Can't say enough good things about "Rogue One" and you covered most of those in this video. I am a full-on Old School fan, mainly the OT of course. Saw all the releases in the theater as a kid way back when, and seeing this masterpiece on the big screen gave me.. (God, this is gonna sound cliche AF) It gave me "hope" Thanks for doing this.
Like I said at the end of my video, how high quality this movie is should give Star Wars fans hope that Star Wars isn’t dead yet. There’s good material out there to be had! What are your thoughts on the newer trilogy and TV shows? And thanks so much for stopping in, giving a watch and commenting. 😊
@@TheMovieCynic The prequels are becoming increasingly tolerable simply because of context and over time you mature and realize this is how it is. The Force Awakens is cool but that's about all I can say on the Disney stuff. The "Clone Wars" animated series that was on adult swim in 2003 still holds up, general bad-assery, little dialogue, fills in some gaps nicely.
@@richardrobbins8067 I remember enjoying Force Awakens when it came out, even as a passive Star Wars-goer I think I saw it a few times in theaters. It just felt like such an event. I re-watched the prequels while I was working on this vid and I just can’t get past the acting and how on-the-nose Anakin’s development into Vader was. I was re-writing scenes in my head while watching Attack Of The Clones. I never watched the Clone Wars animated show but all I’ve ever heard are good things.
@@TheMovieCynic Not the longer running series, that's a soap opera. Just the short 11 minutes quickies, but you can view them all strung together on RU-vid. Make sure it's the 2003 version, true animation. From the dude who did Samurai Jack, Genndy Tartakovsky
I eemember saying after seeing it in cinemas "It was fine. Solid movie." Now, after all the Disney crap in retrospective this seems to be one of the best SW movies of all time.
You are spot on with this video. I’ve been a Star Wars fan since I was wee little lad… watching the original movies over and over, and reading almost all of the EU books. And I LOVE this movie. It is like a breath of fresh air when you’re surrounded by crap. The Vader scene at the end is enough to make this a good movie.
I don't konow why people dislike reshoots so much. A movie is made in the editing phase, that is the most important part. If you see that something is missing, reshoots should not be a problem. Every single movies had reshoots. It's a normal thing. The problem is when the reshoots come against the director's choices.
Personally Rogue One is my favorite film in the Star Wars saga. It has excellent visuals and art direction, the acting is great, and the character of Jin in particular was fantastic.
Totally fair. I can’t really figure out, let alone articulate, why the other movies never jived with me. 🤷♂️ but the franchise and it’s fans have my full respect.
My fav character sheet now: 1. Ahsoka Tano (idk why tho she's not a 3 dimensional character, which is totally out of my normal rating for characters, but i go absolutely ballistic when she's just mentioned) 2. Cassian Andor 3. Jyn Erso 4. Darth Vader 5. Dedra Meero
To think how much better this movie could/would have been if kk (a villain far more blood curdlingly evil than Darth Vader could ever imagine to be) hadn't interfered.
One of my most favourite things about Rogue One is how the Death Star finally looked right. It was menacing. Enormous. We could finally see the scale of destruction it caused. Incredible. The whole movie is breathtaking. Visually, emotionally. There is a complete lack of pointless romance. The diversity feels natural. Jyn is how you write a strong female character. There are hidden gems, such as Riz Ahmed as Bodhi Rook - great character, amazing performance. I could list a hundred other things I absolutely loved. Gareth Edwards just nailed it, because he is a huge fan of the original triology. I will probably rewatch this movie again very soon.
I just re-watched Rogue One and have been scouring the Internet for reviews and content and see what others thought of this masterpiece. Besides the deep-fake scenes being a touch off (which I can easily forgive given the rest of the movie), this movie is perfect. Your review here is exactly what I felt and I greatly appreciate your commentary. Well done!
As someone who saw the original Star Wars (A New Hope) as a kid during its opening week in 1977, I can say Rogue One captured the feel of the original films and improved on them. The costuming was excellent, the humor was tactfully inserted, and the special effects were outstanding. They didn't oversaturate the CGI like they did in the prequels, and they kept the ships designs and sets gritty instead of the lame designs they've created for the streaming shows. I totally agree, Rogue One is the best modern Star Wars film to date. "Solo", on the other hand, was utterly stupid.
@@TheMovieCynic - and how in the world did it slip through Disney's *woke quality control?...* It doesn't look like it will happen again under the watchful eye of Kathleen K.
Thank you for this video essay. I love it when people who are smarter and know more about things than I do can articulate why feelings in an informed, intelligence, and cohesive way. Just... thank you.
“It’s not a problem if you don’t look up” is also a very prevalent idea (if not THE DRIVING FORCE) of her in her book. Theres two instances where she does this, she doesn’t “look up”, but eventually the empire always comes for her and the people around her. Seeing that part of the movie and realizing she’s fighting against it after three losses - I cried.
The death troopers were one of the best additions to The Empire this movie made. Storm troopers that are actually highly efficient and are an actual threat to our main cast.
Welcome to the channel! And hey, any and all fans are welcome. It’s why I said in my video “you guys deserve better” and in the description, that I don’t begrudge anyone who’s enjoying the show. I’m just a man giving an opinion.
Rogue One has become not just my favorite Star Wars installment but one of my favorite movies. I liked the originals but even as a kid the prequel trilogy left me with a sour taste in my mouth so I had no interest in seeing more movies. My mom and I ended up seeing this one on a whim and I was blown away. Within a few days, I went to the theatre again and saw it alone. I’ve seen it on the big screen through special screenings and the re-release five or six times now and it has not ceased to impress me. This is the movie that got back into Star Wars and while not all the content has been good, I’m glad to be invested in it again.
This movie is hands down the best star wars movie. Its really not even close. Its the only movie that had the whole theater yelling in amazment. That darth vader scene bro. Its fucking amazing.
3:39 Whoa. The dude did The Batman too? Hearing that literally brought a tiny tear to my eye. But then you had to go and say he worked on Dune! Wow. It’s almost like my favorite films are connected in some way. 🤔
This was honestly a great video it baffles me how you dont have hundreds of thousands of subscribers, but I have no doubt it will come. I would rank Rogue One as my second favourite SW movie after Revenge of the sith. Those are the only two movies that genuinely make me emotional no matter how many times I rewatch them. For me I think they both accomplish what you mentioned about making the viewer be so invested in the characters even though we know whats going to happen. I did not think i would enjoy a SW movie that only has 1 lightsaber scene, but boy did they make that one scene count. A lot of the newer SW content i find myself only really enjoying because of the fan service, whereas Rogue One was a genuinely good film that made me feel something without relying on fan service to get a good rating. Also if you do want to test out other SW content that you might vibe with better than the movies, id suggest watching the clone wars because it allows you to connect and understand the characters on a whole other level plus you get to see many cool parts of the galaxy that you could never even think of. Id also recommend the SW legends novels if ur into reading, i find the darth bane books provided a super cool story to delve into as you follow a bad ass sith during a time period way before the movies take place, its completely different to all the mainstream star wars content. anyways keep up the great work and Warmest regards for your sister
also id love to hear your opinion on Revenge of the sith. This vader scene was dope but for me nothing can top the anakin and obiwan duel lol the choreopgraphy + scenery + emotion + knowing what it all leads to = chefs kiss
Thank you so much for the kind words. I really appreciate it and hopefully one day I’ll be able to do this for a job. Either way I’ll get out the best content I can. I know this probably juxtaposes hard with my Obi-Wan video but that’s the point with this channel-I feel how I feel about it, whatever *it* is and I’ll give you my reasons. I’ll definitely check out the Clone Wars, I’ve heard nothing but good things about that show and I caught a couple episodes last year on tv and did like what I saw. I’ll return to it and start it from the beginning. I think I might do an “ultimate review” and not just do Revenge Of The Sith, but all the movies. I think a review from a non-mega fan might make for an interesting video. Thank you for the kind words too regarding my sister, I didn’t know if I wanted to put it in the video because it’s so personal, but it illustrates my point so I left it-I’m glad I did. Take care and I hope to see you around the channel!
Rogue One was the best Disney SW project at a time when they still had time to really make good movies and shows for the fans who trusted them. That trust is long gone.
Dude. I don't know what to say. It's like for the first time in youtube history I am finding an actual kindred soul. Something like that. Kinda weird but dang. I have nothing to add, you literally said all my thoughts. All of them. Not just regarding star wars and this absolutely great movie, but your whole approach and perspective.
That’s really kind of you to say. I’m glad my videos are reaching the right people, like yourself. The reviews and essays won’t be stopping, I’m giving this channel my 110% effort and I really appreciate you dropping by and not just watching, but commenting. I hope to chat it up with you over future vids. Thanks for stopping in my friend
@@TheMovieCynic Well it seems you really struck a chord with a lot of people. That's awesome. And of course I subbed so looking forward to see more of your straightforward thoughts and essays
Rogue One and Empire Strikes Back are my top favorites. I grew up with Star Wars. I was 2 when Star Wars came out, and watching it is one of my first memories. I know that officially Star Wars played for a year in some theaters, I swear that it played for longer than that. My poor parents sat through Star Wars multiple times, that and Grease. My sister and I had our favorites. My sister was Princess Leia for years on Halloween, and I pretty much dressed like Luke from three until I was five, and continued to go as Luke for Halloween until I was 10. As for the Disney Star Wars, the shows are pretty decent, the final trilogy started strong, then lost me in episode 8, and then Rogue One, knocked it out of the park.
I am going through a ton of your videos after discovering your channel, and yet again, a video that speaks to me. I never got into Star Wars. Of the big pop culture lores out there, I was always way more into Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and in movies, the MCU. I never read comic books growing up and they seem too massive an undertaking to get into now. And I enjoyed Star Wars, but it was never that consuming for me. I didn't watch any of the smaller things or read any of the side stuff like I did with Harry Potter and LOTR and have since done with Game of Thrones once the early seasons of the show got me into it. But this movie was incredible. Still haven't rewatched it nearly as frequently as I should, but that is more due to the terrible taste that anything Disney leaves in my mouth based on the company alone and its massive portfolio of garbage over the last 5-10 years. But this was a grade A movie and you did it real justice!
I was very oppose to Rogue one when it came out, as I'd played Dark Forces back in the day and firmly believe Kyle Katarn was the one who got the death star plans. But after seeing the movie I was like "okay, maybe he only got some of the plays and Erso and the others got the rest" only disney starwars movie who's made me want to fit it into the Legends lore
Rogue One was the type of star wars movie I was wishing they'd make even back when George still had the rights. The Lore that takes place within the confines of the Original Trilogy's timeline is full of opportunity let alone good stories that can fill it in. (Shadows of the Empire being a prime example)
I'm old, I saw the originals in the cinema on release - I've had an interest in the Star Wars galaxy all my life. I really liked Rogue One, it felt gritty, I felt it was taking Star Wars forward, it was in the timeline, it builds background to "A New Hope". I feel and happy to say it's Star Wars episode 0.9. and Vader an angry Vader. Anyhoo as for the director, I love Edward's Monsters ..... and he uses vast areas to close and person really well.
Here Here! My favourite Star Wars movie. The score is massively underrated, the only space battle to surpass ROTJ and Ben fucking Mendelsohn is a legend.
I do hope that someday we'll get a directors cut or something like that. He tried to make a gritty war movie to really show the WAR in Star Wars, but you can tell they hacked it up a bit. The third act is FANTASTIC and I wish it had more of that energy throughout the first two acts.
Bro no I fell asleep when you posted this so I’m really late but I’m still happy I’m watching it still kinda fresh. Already know it’s finna be good. I never really liked rogue one or The solo movie but they were still ok
All good bro, I’m super appreciative that you drop in, watch and comment. Can’t thank you enough. And I try to make these entertaining even if the person isn’t a fan of the movie. Rogue One got personal for me after my second viewing of it so it had a place in my heart for sure, but I understand folks’ criticisms of it (that it’s forgettable for them is the one criticism I see sometimes).
