Star Wars: Rogue One

[tielan]

Saw it. Enjoyed muchly.

The main tension of the story comes, not from whether or not they'll succeed in their mission - because we already know they will - but whether they'll survive it. That, I think, was the most brilliant part of the movie - that none of the Rogue One band made it off the planet, but also that survival wasn't in the plan and they knew it. There was no scrabbling for survival, just the mission and it's completion, and in that completion - in the opening of hope - was sufficiency.

"There can be no heroes in a world where heroes never die."

And yes, my brain has already tried working out fix-it fic on the bus ride home (all of 8 minutes) because this is what my brain does. I'm not really sure it can be fixed; it feels wrong, like for them not to die cheapens the deal. I'll have to think that one over. At any rate, I have some missing scenes, some thoughts, and, oh yes, I'm looking on AO3 already. I don't think it's going to become an abiding adoration, but it will be a nice diversion for a bit.

Various small things:

Although the CGI on Tarkin (and Leia?) was really well done, it still felt CGI to me. I don't quite know why. Lovely use of Bail Organa in cameo. Seeing him, I wonder a little if one of the old men standing around the table in TFA knew Cassian (and the volunteers for the Rogue One mission).

The tie-in of 'rebellions are built on hope' transforming to 'a new hope' for Episode IV was fantastic - I love echoes, and the relationship between Chirrut Îmwe and Baze Malbus was perfect.

Yes, I ship Cassian/Jyn (all those scenes where Jyn is doing something and Cassian is watching her) and Chirrut/Baze (their interreliance on each other is fantastically depicted).

There is, of course, the question of whether Jyn is Force-sensitive, or if her mother's 'faith' is in the simple form of belief (the difference between, say, Chirrut and Baze). Her taking the necklace out and focus on it when they're getting through the gate might suggest she's Force-sensitive.

And I have a bone to pick with casting. Out of twenty or so volunteers backing Cassian, not one could have been a woman? Really?

*grumbles*

Comments

[theladyscribe]

We have very similar thoughts/feelings about the movie (I, too, saw it today). There are things that I wish they had done a little differently (I would have liked more women, and I think they could have ratcheted up the tension in the final sequence a little more, and I would have liked more backstory with Saw Gerrera and his side of the rebellion), but overall, I thought it was a compelling war movie with bonus heist and an excellent remix of A New Hope.

[tielan]

See, I didn't feel this was a remix of A New Hope - I felt The Force Awakens was more the remix. This felt like a missing scene - I guess it was more like a short novella than a full novel.

[saturnofthemoon]

Jyn's mother was originally supposed to be a former Jedi, but they changed it because they wanted the movie to be about ordinary people. Instead, they made her a member of the Church of the Force. I believe that's the significance of the necklace.

[tielan]

Ah. I see - good point! (Although the matter of Jyn's father and that he's a brilliant enough scientist to be able to conceive the Death Star...

To some degree, I don't see why ordinary people can't be Force-sensitive, just not trained like Jedi. Like some people can sing in tune, but even most of them will never be professional singers.

[elanya]

My personal headcanon for why none of the volunteers were women is that they were people gathered *by Cassian* and he didn't know any of the women in his line of work well enough to ask them. Self-selection of machismo culture, basically ;p

[tielan]

Okay, that could work, although that doesn't entirely work for me either...

[elanya]

Yeah, it's a pretty epic casting fail, but that's all I got. None of the ladies wanted to join his little club before they volunteered to put themselves on the line, and they couldn't ask them later

Of course the corollary to this is that all the rebellion's best remaining solo operatives willing to do serious dirty work for the cause are ladies. I'm willing to take that one :)

[tielan]

EPIC CASTING FAIL. EPIC.

all the rebellion's best remaining solo operatives willing to do serious dirty work for the cause are ladies

LOL yes!

[beatrice_otter]

Good point!

[beatrice_otter]

I don't have anything to add, but I agree with everything you said.