YNMS: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Friday, April 8, 2016 at 8:00AM If any of you readers were bummed that we're not celebrating The Force Awakens for next week's Hit Me With Your Best Shot, feast your eyes on the first look at this year's trip to a galaxy far, far away! Coming on the heels of the franchise's massively successful beginning to a new trilogy, we have our first look at the series's first spin off: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Set between the events of the prequel trilogy and our original favorites, Rogue One (let's just drop the strange post-title, shall we) features the uprising of the rebels to steal plans of the Death Star. The cast is an unexpected and enticing ensemble of global talents and the Oscar annoited: Felicity Jones, Forest Whitaker, Ben Mendelsohn, Diego Luna, Mads Mikkelsen, Donnie Yen, and Riz Ahmed. If that cast doesn't already have you on board for any film containing them all, the future blockbuster is also director Gareth Edwards follow-up to the visually sumptuous Godzilla.
And this first teaser is just as much a visual powerhouse:
Let's break down the Yes No Maybe So of it all after the jump...
YES
- The action here is quite exciting. True to Edwards's aesthetic, there's an emphasis on scale - here with humans on the ground and the AT-AT's towering above. Edwards understands the power of this to create a visceral experience for the audience in ways so few of his big budget peers do.
- This is outright war. No trade federations or treaties to be had here. It may be set after the dreaded prequel trilogy, but there seems to be no influence from that era of the series.
- Ben Mendelsohn in a cape?! YAS QWEEN!
- This spin-off is still keeping canon elements. Mon Mothma never changed outfits over the decades!
- The ringing alarm is a strange and welcome alternative to the BWAHM Hans Zimmer sirens we get in our action trailers.
- Diverse casting!! Keep it up Disney.
- It's not just the combined excitement generated by each member of this ensemble, but that they're not drowning in silly genre costuming and makeup. Even character design is staying rooted in realism.
NO
- Space Katniss? Felicity Jones's toughness is unexpected and refreshing, but will her Jyn Erso be derivative of our contemporary female action heroes?
- Another Death Star? (yes, it's the same one from A New Hope but The Force Awakens already received this criticism)
- Does this mean Star Wars will monopolize the available screens for every holiday season? Last December wasn't friendly to smaller films
- There needs to be some levity. This is awfully brooding, and audiences are all but tired of the dark genre experience
MAYBE SO
- But this is how you do a Death Star. Doesn't it feel like the first time since the original that it feels like an actual threat?
- Finally Diego Luna gets the opportunity to be a blockbuster sexpot - if the movie takes it there...
- Rogue One is shot by Greig Fraser of Zero Dark Thirty and Bright Star. It's fascinating to think of what his eye can bring to this series.
For now, I am a solid YES on Gareth Edwards's vision! Are you a YES, NO, or a MAYBE SO?
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story opens on December 16!
Reader Comments (28)
100% yes. I'm here for the cape.
That ringing alarm stirred a lot of dread, since it reminded me of Alien. Very effective trailer.
I'm disappointed that Force Awakens won't be covered in Hit Me With Your Best Shot next week but I'm also not surprised. I really enjoyed the film but I don't know that a lot of people on here did. Also, and call it stereotyping if you want, but I just don't think Star Wars-anything is something that hits with people at this website. There's certainly people on here that are fans but the general community on here is more likely to embrace a Carol or Room, which is certainly no problem or bad thing. Every site/community on the web has their focus.
Anyway, I'm an absolute YES for this... with two or three reservations. While Edwards did a good job with the visuals in Godzilla, he pretty much dropped the ball in terms of character and story. He's not writing the script this time out, though, so that may help but Gary Whitta and Chris Weisz track records aren't fantastic either... We'll see.
Felicity Jones as an actress just hasn't done it for me yet; and while this is only a teaser trailer, nothing in it suggest that this will make me feel differently. Lastly, Forrest Whitaker is such an unreliable actor. I mean some times he's okay to good and other times... Yikes. Overall, this trailer was a success and I'm excited for the film. I'd rather we'd be getting Episode VIII this year but I'm digging the war film feel to it and it's Star Wars, so I'm certainly down for more of that!
Okay, I'm a Star Wars fan but do NOT need to be saturated with Star Wars EVERYTHING for the foreseeable future. That said, though, that trailer gave me all kinds of good chills, so I'll probably be queuing up for the first showing the midnight it opens!
daniel -- but we like more than one type of thing! Perhaps actors month will remind people that actresses are just the *best* thing but not at all the *only* thing to love about cinema.
the only reason i pulled it was availability. I'm eager to rematch but can't expect people to spend $20 or whatever to own it just to post a photo online that they love.
Denny -- i felt the same way. wasn't really looking forward to it but love this trailer (for the most part)
Ryan -- i think it's that effective because it doesn't reveal too much. This is all people really need a trailer to do. Tell the vague premise and show a few character beats. I'll never understand the need to super saturate audiences with spoilers and visuals and multiple trailers for brands that they're already sold on to begin with (like star wars or superhero films). just give a taste and save the goods for the movie theater!
YES! Great trailer. Previous to this, my attitude to these in-fill episodes was kind of 'oh please God no', and I'm still not sold on Felicity Jones. But that trailer is very exciting, and won me over.
Shame they're going to completely over-saturate it over the next couple of years, until we're all sick of Star Wars.
Having a few Katnisses (Katness?) to counterbalance the dreadful amount of Jay Courtneys/ Joel Kinnamen/Sam Worthingtons of the past decade is fine by me.
@deitrich I wouldn't mind the copycat Katnisses at all, but it's always disappointing to see Star Wars derivative of anything but Star Wars because it is *the* franchise that sets the beat for all other action/sci-fi movies. It's also weird that they didn't try harder to give Jyn her own singular look and didn't realize how reminiscent it was of another very recent icon. Esp in contrast with the remarkable job they did with Rey.
Nathaniel - My apologies. I'm a chronic over-thinker (and over-reacher more than likely). Also, in thinking about it, I have the Blu-Ray and wouldn't be able to get the stills of the movie I want without getting a Blu-Ray burner of some kind anyway.
As for studio marketing; Studios do it out of fear of not getting general audiences into the theater. Fans will go no matter what but studios probably believe that general audiences need a lot more convincing. Is it troublesome how far they go into spoiler territory? Definitely... but given how much money they pump into these things, I can kind of understand why studios do it.
JB - I think it depends on if they stick with one film a year or decide to go the marvel route with two or three a year. I mean we had Harry Potter films for nearly a decade straight and that didn't hurt them much at all. Either way, we're gonna find out.
One last thing: I like the fact that the actress playing Mon Mothma in this movie is actually the one that was hired to play her in Revenge Of The Sith. She ultimately didn't end up in that film because most of the political/Padme stuff was cut, so it's cool that she's getting a second chance at the role.
I'm really excited about Rogue One – but I still can't get over the fact that Tatiana Maslany was almost cast instead of Felicity Jones! Jones is so boring to me and when I watch the trailer I can't help but be burned up that we don't get to see what Maslany would have been able to do with the part. I will get over this and enjoy the movie...but not for little while.
How is she derivative of Katniss? The film universe is allowed to have a few female action heroes after all !
For real though: the Death Star? Again? AGAIN? Another Death Star story. This franchise has possibly the largest, most captive fan audience, I wish they'd use that knowledge to branch out a little. Shouldn't these spin-off films be the place for getting more adventurous?
Dave - me too, Death Star Again!
I guess in the future in a galaxy far far away, only one important thing happens over, and over again. They are either stealing the plans, hiding the plans, or blowing up that death star.
Also they have a female lead and Mon Mothma and everyone else is male - 2 females, 22 males.
That's a little disappointing and shouldn't still be happening. Harry Potter and Hunger Games gave us gender parity (or close to ) why not star wars?
From my understanding when the project was first announced, this one tells the story of the group of Rebels who stole the blueprints for the original Death Star that gave Luke, et all the knowledge of how to destroy it in the original 1977 film. So, as sick as we all are of Death Stars, it would have to be the same one.
@ Daniel Armour: if you're able to watch the Blu-Ray on your (Apple) computer, may I suggest Shift + Command + 4 to get the stills you want?
I could not be more excited! And despite talk of "another Death Star," I expect this film to be a notably divergent entry in the Star Wars pantheon. The mentioned scale, the heist premise, a seemingly singular antagonist who I, as a nerd, am happy to report looks to be strong, badass, attractive, and female all at once. Doubt I'll be met with disputation here on that score, but why would ANYONE complain about this?
@Rami I meant the look! Her hair, costuming, etc. is pretty reminiscent. It's fairly bland, really. Not terribly impressed with the costuming in this movie so far beyond Ben Mendelsohn's rockin white cape
All I can say is this... YES as the Force is strong with this film. I'm for a SW universe as long as it offers a lot more and none of the Lucas silliness.
Ben Mendelsohn is a freaking BOSS in that cape!!!
When the trailer for Rogue One came out, he started trending on Twitter which usually never happens to such an underrated actor like him. But I've read some tweets from people saying that they might see Rogue One, that normally wouldn't have, because Ben Mendelsohn is in it. So I think he could be a secret weapon to the film's success.
Yes - Star Wars forever.
Yes - Felicity Jones. I like her. She appears sweet but there's more going on. I like what I see here. Don't underestimate her bad guys...
Yes, yes - Ben Mendelshon. I've been a fan since he played the bad boy love interest in The Year My Voice Broke. So great to see him doing so well.
Yes - Genevieve O'Reilly finally getting to be seen as Mon Mothma.
Yes - cast diversity
No - agree about the Kathiss feel to a couple of those shots but I don't think it's going that way really. Jynn Erso appears to be loner, rebel out for herself. Katniss was all for her family. If Jynn turns out to be doing all to protect her baby sister then I'll be annoyed. I think though that they deliberately showed a few Katniss like shots to appeal to that demographic but that's it.
Maybe - I like what I see of Whittikar's character but he does worry me a bit. I agree he can be a bit uneven.
- Death Star looks good and is right here but let's hope future mega weapons are more creative.
Over all a definitive Yes for me. Star Wars at Christmas every year for the rest of my life please :)
Not a huge fan of felicity jones. Does she really have it in her to headline this? With that said, trailer was fantastic.
Gareth Edwards' "Monster" was an extraordinary achievement, while "Godzilla" was visually stunning, even if inherently stupid (something Zack Snyder's "Batman vs. Superman" also is, by the way). So, on the director, yes.
On the saga, NO. I mean, this is not exploring an universe, this is milking the cow. SW7 was horrible on all levels, with a couple of saving graces. I do understand what WB and JK Rowling are doing and that's certainly worth of praise, by expanding the Potterverse by actually exploring what already was in it. But I don't mind how many books have Lucas milked out of SW, after SW7, which was a mere redux of SW4, we can already see that Disney seems more oriented to rehash what already was done, rather than expanding in a proper way. This trailer does not help in a sense they're trying to do anything new. Just more war episodes, rather than daring to do anything different. I guess we have to wait for Miller & Lord (always reliable), to do their young Han Solo, to FINALLY avoid the clash of Empire and Rebels/Jedis, and have a peek of everyday life and other issues, in that universe. That's what SW needs. Not that they didn't try it before with both Ewoks films, however they focused too much in merchandising for children.
Thats one great story post! Thanks for this one! It is worth sharing in my facebook wall.
Thanks
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