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Rogue One rewatched, and some more musings
I rewatched Rogue One for the first time since I originally saw it in the cinema, obviously inspired by Andor, and curious whether two seasons of an excellent prequel to a prequel would make a difference. In the grand scheme of things, it didn't - I liked the film then, I still do, with a few exceptions, I'm not interpreting things very different from when I was newly introduced to (most of) these characters. I'm still irritated by the same plot element in the opening sequence , possibly even more so post Andor- seriously, Lira instead of going on the run with little Jyn confronting Krennic who has an entire squadron as backup armed with nothing but a phaser is not heroic, it's incredibly stupid, stupider than even the squabbling rebels in the s2 opening arc, and is evidently there because Jyn needs to have only one surviving (absent) parent for the majority of the movie to focus on. . I still like and appreciate pretty much everything else. Then as now, I feel the movie is a love letter to all redshirts, and far more original and creative than the one sequel movie which was already released by the time Rogue One premiered, The Force Awakens, because instead of modelling itself on A New Hope and repeating the exact some emotional and plot beats, it told an actually new story within the SWverse.
There are a few differences seeing this for the second time and post Andor does make for me:
- Jyn Erso no longer feels like the main character, Cassian does, with Jyn only guest starring, so to speak
- the delighted shock at the appearance of Saw Guerrera (not so much for Saw's sake but for the fact that up to this point, he had been an animated Clone Wars character, and if he was now big screen canon, then so was Ahsoka) made room for Saw, you suck as a ruthless rebel mentor; Luthen did this much better and more moving with Kleya
- I like the Rogue One only (i.e. not appearing in Andor) characters of Bodhi, Chirrup and Baze a lot and in retrospect Bodhi especially forshadows Team Gilroy's ability to create nuanced imperial defectors/undercover-for-the-rebellion people who with not much screen time still make me feel a lot for them (see also Lonni Jung, or even just the maintenance worker Cassian interacts with in the first episode of s2)
- the way fascism works on a dog-eats-dog basis, with groveling towards those above you and kicking downwards, is really perfectly illustrated if you contrast Krennic in this movie (where we mostly see him with people who outrank him, like Tarkin and Vader) versus Krennic in the show (where we exclusively see him with people he outranks, like Dedra and Partagaz)
- yep, the digitally recreated counterparts of Peter Cushing and Carrie Fisher still look creepy, and Andor with Bail Organa proves you can successfully recast if an actor (for whichever reason) isn't available anymore
- I stand by my observation from my original review that the fact Rogue One as a prequel could not show the Death Star destroying a planet (since Alderaan has to remain the first occasion this happens) was a blessing, because what it shows instead - the destruction of two cities, seen up close by our heroes as in one case they escape and in the other they don't - is way more viscerally frightening, only now I think Tony Gilroy might have shown that restraint even without the prequel factor, because the Ghorman arc in s2 illustrated he and his creative team are very very aware of how you buld up to, execute and then show the aftermath of such an event in a way that really affects the audience. (Meanwhile, The Force Awakens went completely into the opposite direction and tried to top the one destroyed planet with multiple destroyed systems and no emotional resonance whatsoever.)
Some more thoughts about Jyn: it's perhaps a bit unfair to compare her with Kleya, or for that matter with Cassian, because a tv show has more time for character development than a movie, but I think Jyn going from "the rebellion has brought me nothing but pain" to "we need to risk all to retrieve those plans" with the change being triggered by the shock of her father's declaration and death is why her character wasn't the one that was considered for a spin-off. (For which there would have been room on paper, between her being raised by Saw Guerrera up to age 16 and then living as a criminal from then until she's rescued by Cassian and Co.) It is entirely a personal story and reverse/commitment. Don't get me wrong, there's a famous SW precedent, i.e. Vader is motivated by Luke and Luke's existence. And Felicity Jones plays Jyn's being shattered when watching her father's holo message and then later her despair when he dies in her arms very movingly. But Gilroy was able to use Cassian as a red thread for a "here's how a rebellion started, and the many many factors that went into it so it went from outrage at one particular injustice at one place to a mass movement" because he could align him going from "the Empire sucks, but looking out for me and mine is enough for me" to "willing to die and kill for the Rebllion: reporting for duty" in his backstory, which would have been impossible for Jyn, going from raised-by-Saw to "the Empire sucks and the Rebellion sucks, leave me alone!" in her backstory.
What Rogue One and Andor between them accomplished for good, though, is to realign the whole focus of the Rebellion era in SW from the force wielding Jedi and Sith characters to the non-force users (Chirrup's belief in the Force notwithstanding), and thereby making it feel far more of a story about Revolution versus Authoritarianism. This doesn't mean I disdain the Jedi and Sith aspects of the story now, btw. Or that I think the only valid SW has to be like Andor. As mentioned elswhere, I adored Skeleton Crew*, which is defiantely aimed at kids and about them, and which is just as much SW. But I am really really glad there is room for both.
*Speaking of which, I hear one young actress is now the new central Slayer in the BtVS sequel? On the one hand, good for her, she was great in Skeleton Crew, otoh, I guess that means it remains a miniseries without a second sason.....
There are a few differences seeing this for the second time and post Andor does make for me:
- Jyn Erso no longer feels like the main character, Cassian does, with Jyn only guest starring, so to speak
- the delighted shock at the appearance of Saw Guerrera (not so much for Saw's sake but for the fact that up to this point, he had been an animated Clone Wars character, and if he was now big screen canon, then so was Ahsoka) made room for Saw, you suck as a ruthless rebel mentor; Luthen did this much better and more moving with Kleya
- I like the Rogue One only (i.e. not appearing in Andor) characters of Bodhi, Chirrup and Baze a lot and in retrospect Bodhi especially forshadows Team Gilroy's ability to create nuanced imperial defectors/undercover-for-the-rebellion people who with not much screen time still make me feel a lot for them (see also Lonni Jung, or even just the maintenance worker Cassian interacts with in the first episode of s2)
- the way fascism works on a dog-eats-dog basis, with groveling towards those above you and kicking downwards, is really perfectly illustrated if you contrast Krennic in this movie (where we mostly see him with people who outrank him, like Tarkin and Vader) versus Krennic in the show (where we exclusively see him with people he outranks, like Dedra and Partagaz)
- yep, the digitally recreated counterparts of Peter Cushing and Carrie Fisher still look creepy, and Andor with Bail Organa proves you can successfully recast if an actor (for whichever reason) isn't available anymore
- I stand by my observation from my original review that the fact Rogue One as a prequel could not show the Death Star destroying a planet (since Alderaan has to remain the first occasion this happens) was a blessing, because what it shows instead - the destruction of two cities, seen up close by our heroes as in one case they escape and in the other they don't - is way more viscerally frightening, only now I think Tony Gilroy might have shown that restraint even without the prequel factor, because the Ghorman arc in s2 illustrated he and his creative team are very very aware of how you buld up to, execute and then show the aftermath of such an event in a way that really affects the audience. (Meanwhile, The Force Awakens went completely into the opposite direction and tried to top the one destroyed planet with multiple destroyed systems and no emotional resonance whatsoever.)
Some more thoughts about Jyn: it's perhaps a bit unfair to compare her with Kleya, or for that matter with Cassian, because a tv show has more time for character development than a movie, but I think Jyn going from "the rebellion has brought me nothing but pain" to "we need to risk all to retrieve those plans" with the change being triggered by the shock of her father's declaration and death is why her character wasn't the one that was considered for a spin-off. (For which there would have been room on paper, between her being raised by Saw Guerrera up to age 16 and then living as a criminal from then until she's rescued by Cassian and Co.) It is entirely a personal story and reverse/commitment. Don't get me wrong, there's a famous SW precedent, i.e. Vader is motivated by Luke and Luke's existence. And Felicity Jones plays Jyn's being shattered when watching her father's holo message and then later her despair when he dies in her arms very movingly. But Gilroy was able to use Cassian as a red thread for a "here's how a rebellion started, and the many many factors that went into it so it went from outrage at one particular injustice at one place to a mass movement" because he could align him going from "the Empire sucks, but looking out for me and mine is enough for me" to "willing to die and kill for the Rebllion: reporting for duty" in his backstory, which would have been impossible for Jyn, going from raised-by-Saw to "the Empire sucks and the Rebellion sucks, leave me alone!" in her backstory.
What Rogue One and Andor between them accomplished for good, though, is to realign the whole focus of the Rebellion era in SW from the force wielding Jedi and Sith characters to the non-force users (Chirrup's belief in the Force notwithstanding), and thereby making it feel far more of a story about Revolution versus Authoritarianism. This doesn't mean I disdain the Jedi and Sith aspects of the story now, btw. Or that I think the only valid SW has to be like Andor. As mentioned elswhere, I adored Skeleton Crew*, which is defiantely aimed at kids and about them, and which is just as much SW. But I am really really glad there is room for both.
*Speaking of which, I hear one young actress is now the new central Slayer in the BtVS sequel? On the one hand, good for her, she was great in Skeleton Crew, otoh, I guess that means it remains a miniseries without a second sason.....
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I agree very strongly about how dumb the Lira thing is. She could have just been dead already? It would have changed nothing?
yep, the digitally recreated counterparts of Peter Cushing and Carrie Fisher still look creepy
THANK YOU. I hate it.
What Rogue One and Andor between them accomplished for good, though, is to realign the whole focus of the Rebellion era in SW from the force wielding Jedi and Sith characters to the non-force users (Chirrup's belief in the Force notwithstanding), and thereby making it feel far more of a story about Revolution versus Authoritarianism.
YES! Love this!
I still think there aren't enough aliens, though.
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Fisher at least was still alive at the time of production and could consent to it. Not only could Peter Cushing not make that choice, I have seen Guy Henry and he could just have played Tarkin, full stop. I would have really enjoyed that.
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Now that you mention it, that is very true. I could see him in the background of All the President's Men!
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