Last movie watched...

[Mattofthespurs]

Wow.... that's a lot to write about Rogue One.

Nice to see you engage with a reasoned critique in such a sensible way. "I didn't like it, so everyone else is wrong."

Well, I did like it, so clearly you're wrong. Glad we sorted that out.

It's my favourite Star Wars film 

[SIP]

Ha ha. Fair enough!

For sheer lack of creativity and originality, unlikeable shallow  characters, choppy disjointed storytelling and continuity disasters, it's my least favourite Star Wars movie. It's soulless like none of the others are......and there are admittedly some turkeys in there.

[Professor Bear]

"Soulless" is an utterly bizarre reading of Rogue One.  Of all the Star Wars films, I can't think of a single one that sledgehammers home - to the point many people counted it as a major criticism of the film - the importance of undiluted moral certainty in service to others, and how it can lead to redemption for even the worst of people, but at great cost.  Rogue One is borderline biblical in its morality and the depiction of the cost of doing good, which in itself is fascinating when contrasted with the Eastern mythical cycle that Lucas famously drew upon for his SW films.
As for shallow characters, well, you've got me there.  This is the only Star Wars film that uses archetypes, and it's just a shame that it didn't have the characters be unlikable on purpose so they could be redeemed or something.

MEANWHILE, IN THE FORCE AWAKENS
Finn: "because it's the right thing to do"
Audience: "I am entirely satisfied with that motivation and Finn is one of my favorite characters now."

[SIP]

I'm really not putting forward a bizarre opinion here, plenty feel the same.

I genuinely didn't care about the demise of a single character in Rogue One, not one, and I'm an emotional wreck at the best of times. It just made no impact whatsoever. Not a flicker.

The film feels like an emotion vacuum, a by the numbers get from A to B.

I just genuinely didn't care......and it isn't like I didn't want to! I'm a star wars fan by all accounts, but this film is a frustrating, empty, what could have been experience for me.

And never in 2 hours of cinema has the word "pilot" been used so much.....if it was a drinking game, you'd need a liver transplant.

[TordelBack]

MEANWHILE, IN THE FORCE AWAKENS
Finn: "because it's the right thing to do"
Audience: "I am entirely satisfied with that motivation and Finn is one of my favorite characters now."

Bad example!  Finn is instantly rumbled as lying on this point - pure terror of 'reconditioning' is his sole motivation in that scene, indeed his main motive throughout: until he realises that Rey is more important to him than his fear of the First Order.

R1 isn't my kind of SW film, but I have to agree that the thematic structure and moral trajectory is rock solid, starting with Saw staring down into the darkness where Jynis hiding alone, and intoning "we have a long journey ahead of us".  Where  I think the movie slips up (other than the irritating cameos and Uncanny Equatorial Trench issues) is in not nailing down Jyn's character - as the pole that gives everyone else direction she needed to be something more than the vague mess of Daddy issues she comes across as. I accept that at some point after Eadu she is selfless and driven, and everyone rallies around the force of her conviction, but I don't really know when or why that happened.

[pictsy]

SUPERMAN (1978)  After watching Man of Steel and Batman v Superman this film was so refreshing to revisit.  I had not seen since I was a little kid.  It had some wonderful moments alongside some silly and cheesy moments.  It's an engaging film that only seems to drag at one point (the flying scene with Lois - my least favourite part of the film).  The actors did a good job and I loved all the characters.  For all its faults I feel it still holds up and does a good job of introducing the Superman character.

As for Rogue One, I liked that film more than Force Awakens.  It is probably my favourite Star Wars movie.  It's a weird film because I knew they were going to get the plans and die at the end, so the film became more about the journey than the destination.  I actually liked the characters and finding out what they were about and felt that through them they fleshed out the universe more adding new dimensions.  Sure, I can see why some don't like it, but I can see that with every Star Wars film.  As a stand-alone film it is an entertaining sci-fi romp and that is how I enjoy it.

[Professor Bear]

I'm really not putting forward a bizarre opinion here, plenty feel the same.

If it makes you feel any better, it's perfectly okay for them to be wrong, too.

MEANWHILE, IN THE FORCE AWAKENS
Finn: "because it's the right thing to do"
Audience: "I am entirely satisfied with that motivation and Finn is one of my favorite characters now."

Bad example!  Finn is instantly rumbled as lying on this point - pure terror of 'reconditioning' is his sole motivation in that scene, indeed his main motive throughout: until he realises that Rey is more important to him than his fear of the First Order.

Not really, as my point was the double standard applied: Rogue One is subject to surface readings at best, but The Force Awakens gets a pass for almost identical non-problems.  People will make the effort for the Skywalker series, but not R1, although I do like my mate's opinion hand grenade that he likes to throw into the room on this subject: "funny how no-one can decide exactly why they don't like the only Star Wars film with gay characters in it."

[SIP]

I should carry on debating at this point........but life's too short to argue the validity of my opinion.

I'll think twice before giving my opinion on a film in the film thread in future. The hostile reception isn't much fun (much like "Rogue One").

[TordelBack]

Not really, as my point was the double standard applied: Rogue One is subject to surface readings at best, but The Force Awakens gets a pass for almost identical non-problems.

Very valid point, was just pointIng out that 'right thing to do' wasn't ever Finn's motivation, and his claim to that effect was immediately shot down. Very simple, clear motivations are one of the strengths of TFA, IMHO (in stark contrast  to the prequels). OTOH the more complex motivations in R1 are one of  its strengths -  I find Cassian a particularly compelling character, Bodhi and Galen too,  and wish we'd had more time with them. The iate addition of the Kafreen murder scene was genius.
I just struggle with Jyn.

[radiator]

For me, the writing in Rogue One and TFA was equally weak, but the difference was charm. TFA went out of its way to endear the audience to these characters - for whatever reason (and I know its subjective up to a point) I just instinctively liked Finn and Rey, and I wanted them to succeed. Their motivations and backstories make little sense, and it puts a lot of the heavy lifting on the charisma of the actors, but it just about works well enough to get me to overlook a lot of flaws in the writing.

Rogue One is just plain dour. Despite having some genuinely great actors in the cast (Riz Ahmed ftw) they are squandered and/or underused, and Felicity Jones is fatally miscast as the lead imo. And because I don't like or care about any of the cast, I never felt invested in the story, and no amount of technical wizardry can hold my attention.

Anyway...

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Predictably great, but a lot heavier than the trailer would suggest. It's still peppered with moments of humour, but man, this is one bleak movie. Beautifully shot and acted - I was absorbed for the full running time, and it'll stay with me for a long time. Oh, and when DC inevitably recasts the Joker, they could do a lot worse than Caleb Landry Jones. Guy has such a unique look about him.

5/5

[Professor Bear]

I just struggle with Jyn.

She is a bit vapor, but it could be argued that this is the point, as without higher purpose Jyn is nothing - she's not even particularly gifted as a pilot like Luke was, or gifted as a pilot, lightsaber duellist, Force user, martial artist and mechanical genius like Rey was.
Jyn's only world after her parents being the goals of the Rebellion as filtered through Saw, when Saw cut her loose - presumably in a moment of self-awareness about what happens to people around him - she had literally nothing in her life and became the unremarkable petty criminal we see in the opening scenes of the film - we never even get to see any of her crimes because they - like Jyn - are nothing of note.  Choosing hope is Jyn's salvation from inconsequence and mediocrity much as Rey or Luke's taking up the call to adventure was.

It is a shame that she wasn't a bit more memorable away from her sacrifice, really, otherwise she might have got some of the credit rather than it all going to the Bothans, whom I presume are a race of PR people or something.

[SIP]

The bothans relate to the information collected on the emperor and Death Star 2 from Return of the Jedi. The thieves of the original death star plans from new hope are only referred to as " rebel spies".

[Jim_Campbell]

The bothans relate to the information collected on the emperor and Death Star 2 from Return of the Jedi. The thieves of the original death star plans from new hope are only referred to as " rebel spies".

[Keef Monkey]

Watched What Happened To Monday on Netflix the other night, had a really good time. It's got a really neat concept and does some fun things with it, and I have to say it was genuinely unpredictable. It kept going to places we didn't expect and that's a bit of a rarity these days, it's quite a gritty set-up but then it has a lot of fun throwing in WTF moments. We had a blast. Bonus is if you like Noomi Rapace (and I love Noomi Rapace) she plays 7 characters and does a great job of them all. It's impressive from a technical standpoint and is impressively executed in such a way that after the initial 'WOW THERE ARE LIKE 7 NOOMIS AT THIS DINNER TABLE' moment you just stop thinking about it. Could have been gimmicky but really didn't feel that way.

[pictsy]

Batman (1989)  I always liked this film.  Definitely one of Tim Burtons better movies.  It was kind of weird watching this after Superman as the two films sort of feel like they are in the same universe.  I don't have much in the way of criticisms, the film is what it is and I enjoy it for that.  I think it holds up well enough that it doesn't diminish the nostalgia I have for the film.