Rogue One may be the worst Star Wars movie to date

[Zontar]

"Is It Time to Abandon the Star Wars Franchise?" -New Yorker
https://archive.fo/odrxd

"A laughable parody of itself" -Philadelphia Inquirer
https://archive.fo/It4s2

"A couple of 9-year-olds on a screen-free rainy afternoon would come up with better adventures, and probably also better dialogue." - New York Times
https://archive.fo/TXlAF

"...about as exciting as a long drive down the Florida Turnpike. " Miami Herald
https://archive.fo/NoEr9

So it's no apple pie (can't think of a good phrase right now) and so far the reviews seem to range from middling to scathing. I haven't seen it due to both the failure of TFA to be good and the inability of the trailer to make me think it would be good either, but from reviews I've seen it would appear the movie has bland characters, uninspired action, decent effects and continues the trend of the climax being the entire second half of the movie. I've even seen people claiming it's the worst one so far (hence the title).

While this is disappointing, I can't say I'm surprised. TFA should have have been seen as a sign of things to come, and the fact that Rogue One had to have reshoots coupled with other known production problems should have made it obvious it wouldn't be a good movie, but there's always hope and that hope came in the form of this being Star Wars, an IP you could take risks with due to the fact it'll sell well no matter what due to the name alone being one that'll get people to see it (since people never learn).

Well, that's another IP a big Hollywood studio has killed for me. I'll just be here in the corner, reading the Thrawn trilogy again.

 

[Zontar]

So it's no apple pie (can't think of a good phrase right now) and so far the reviews seem to range from middling to scathing.

Fresh: 197
Rotten: 36

Uh huh...

I'm still interested, but I don't expect a Disney manufactured Star Wars to be as good as even the weakest of the OT.

Toy Story also got a 99%, and TFA was given overall positive reviews, so say nothing of the flop that was Ghostbusters.

Hell reading through some of the "reviews" on Rotten Tomatoes, it's pretty clear many of them are giving positive reviews to a Star Wars movie on the simple basis of it being a Star Wars movie.

That's hack if I've ever seen one.

 

[Hawki]

Are we really at the stage where people need to have their opinions validated by review aggregates?

Anyway, I've seen Rogue One. It's fine. It's okay. It's average. It's like a counterpart to TFA, where it does things better than TFA, and some things worse. I think it's the weaker of the two mind you. To answer undeadsuitor, no, it's not worse than sand, but of the now eight live-action Star Wars films released in cinemas, it takes the #6 spot for me.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I've seen the movie. It's a good movie. Not great. Some fun sci-fi action entertainment for the holidays. You just singled out the four blurbs out of a possible hundred that backed your prejudice.

Should Star Wars be retired? If it were up to me TFA would've never happened. Blame Lucas for selling out and condemning his franchise to the Marvel route of "let's release one new movie every year until nobody gives a shit anymore". TFA was the last time a new Star Wars movie was a special thing.

 

[Zhukov]

Oh look, the guy who was determined to hate the movie long before it came out managed to find some reviews to confirm his opinion.

Imagine my surprise.

I don't know where you're getting reviews are "middling to scathing" from. Metacritic has it at a bit-above-average 66 and Rotten tomatoes has it at 85% with an average of 7.4.

Granted, review aggregates are hardly the last word on quality, but saying reviews have been "middling to scathing" is a blatant misrepresentation. What data are you using?

I don't have an opinion on the movie yet, due to, y'know, not having seen it yet. Not in any great hurry either.

 

[Erttheking]

Toy Story also got a 99%, and TFA was given overall positive reviews, so say nothing of the flop that was Ghostbusters.=.

Yeah, this might blow your mind, but people liked those movies. So you're not really proving a point. The closest you came to was Ghostbusters, as it did flop. And seriously? Toy Story? If you're trying to prove that a movie can be overhyped, maybe go for something that's less universally beloved. And as for the Force Awakens, again, people like it. I like it. Therefore, people liking Rogue One isn't really that radical of a concept.

And I'm sorry. Worst Star Wars movie to date?

So this.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/rogue_one_a_star_wars_story

Is somehow worse than this?

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/star_wars_episode_i_the_phantom_menace/

This?

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/star_wars_episode_ii_attack_of_the_clones/

and this?

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/clone_wars/

I'm not really seeing the "middling to scathing" reviews that you're talking about. Your friends don't like it? That's cool. I know plenty of people who don't. *Shrugs* It doesn't really prove anything.

 

[Parasondox]

Maybe, I know this will be extreme here but stay with me on this, maybe you should watch the movie yourself to determine whether you like it or not and not just listen to a few select critics and their reviews? People can still make up their own minds right and not let an echo chamber tell you what to think?

I know, I know. I'm a fucking rebel I tells ya!!

 

[Neverhoodian]

...I haven't seen it...

Well, that's another IP a big Hollywood studio has killed for me. I'll just be here in the corner, reading the Thrawn trilogy again.

"So certain are you..."​

I haven't seen the movie yet either, but I actually take the ruffled feathers as a good sign. It indicates to me that they weren't afraid to break the traditional "Star Wars mold." You know what I'm talking about; opening text crawl, Force destiny, lightsaber duels, stark black and white morality, the Hero's Journey, John Williams' score, all that stuff. There's nothing wrong with these things, but we've all been through this song and dance seven times already. As a fan of non-traditional Star Wars games like Tie Fighter and Republic Commando, I've been wanting to see a Star Wars movie get a similar treatment, and Rogue One seems poised to deliver.

I could be wrong, of course. I guess I'll find out when I see it on Sunday.

Also, there's a very different buzz going around when you compare the more "traditional" media with online reviewers. Make of that what you will...

Spoiler: Minor spoilers

 

[Fox12]

Worse then the prequels? Worse then The Force Awakens?! I don't actually think that's possible. The film could be nothing but four hours of watching John Water's taint, and it would still be much better then The Force Awakens.

Still, this is disappointing. I was hoping that this would be the film that reignited my faith in the franchise. Clearly this is not the case.

 

[Chanticoblues]

"Rogue One isn't so much a movie as a feature-length promotional film for itself; it's a movie that is still waiting to be made."

lol I love Richard Brody.

 

[Pyrian]

...maybe you should watch the movie yourself to determine whether you like it or not and not just listen to a few select critics and their reviews?

No way am I going to go around seeing every movie just to decide whether I like it. Listening to a few trusted critics to decide whether I'm going to spend my time is exactly what I think people should do. Now, the OP might have just picked critics who told him what he wanted to hear rather than critics who are particularly aligned with his tastes... Or maybe this just isn't the sort of thing he wants to see, which would be fine if he didn't also misrepresent the overall critical reaction.

 

[Saelune]

Worse then the prequels? Worse then The Force Awakens?! I don't actually think that's possible. The film could be nothing but four hours of watching John Water's taint, and it would still be much better then The Force Awakens.

Still, this is disappointing. I was hoping that this would be the film that reignited my faith in the franchise. Clearly this is not the case.

Did you see it? I should be seeing it tomorrow. I hated TFA, cause well, it was a poor rehash of A New Hope with a mary sue, and though I liked Finn, his escape was... counter to his characterization.

My brother and I have been watching the old Star Wars movies, and just have Return of the Jedi left, and its interesting seeing what I had not before, such as...Yoda is awful, and the original Trilogy put TOOOOOOONS of effort into either training Luke to be awesome, or giving a reason why he can do what he does.

But Rogue One, well, it is still going to rip off an old Star Wars, but its a now non-canon DOOM style FPS, so it wont bother me as much. (Though RIP Kyle Catarn). It being more focused on a smaller event and not staring a Jedi, makes me hopeful.

Still, the next Episode film I will be going in quite cynical, but we will see. Episode I was awful, but II and III were better than the one before it, if nothing else.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

I just got home for seeing it. No, just no.

Look, if you don't like Star Wars, fine. If you think The Force Awakens was bad, fine. If you've already made up your mind and just want to find other people to validate your opinion, fine.

But there is no way in hell this movie is as bad as those four quotes make it sound. And all the reviews I've watched say that it's good. Not great like the originals, but well worth the time to see. And I fully agree. I had a blast watching it, and even my friend, who is not a fan of Star Wars at all, enjoyed himself.

 

[Parasondox]

Worse then the prequels? Worse then The Force Awakens?! I don't actually think that's possible. The film could be nothing but four hours of watching John Water's taint, and it would still be much better then The Force Awakens.

Still, this is disappointing. I was hoping that this would be the film that reignited my faith in the franchise. Clearly this is not the case.

Did you see it? I should be seeing it tomorrow. I hated TFA, cause well, it was a poor rehash of A New Hope with a mary sue, and though I liked Finn, his escape was... counter to his characterization.

My brother and I have been watching the old Star Wars movies, and just have Return of the Jedi left, and its interesting seeing what I had not before, such as...Yoda is awful, and the original Trilogy put TOOOOOOONS of effort into either training Luke to be awesome, or giving a reason why he can do what he does.

But Rogue One, well, it is still going to rip off an old Star Wars, but its a now non-canon DOOM style FPS, so it wont bother me as much. (Though RIP Kyle Catarn). It being more focused on a smaller event and not staring a Jedi, makes me hopeful.

Still, the next Episode film I will be going in quite cynical, but we will see. Episode I was awful, but II and III were better than the one before it, if nothing else.

Oh GOD!! Why mention Mary Sue. Please lets not do this again.

 

[Saelune]

poor rehash of A New Hope with a mary sue

I see why they did it, at least with her force skills. They didn't want the viewer to go through the same jedi learning steps they watched in the OT and to a lesser extent in the PT. I didn't wanna start from the beginning again either, which is why I would have written her as an already trained jedi. I know it doesn't explain all her other skills.

I still don't know why Poe never gets called out for being a Marty Stu. That tripe ace dogfighting scene was far more ridiculous and frustrating than anything the reincarnated amnesia girl pulled off. He made Wedge Antilles look like a joke.

Well, had it been my choice, the main characters would have been Luke and Han's kids as Jedi in training under Luke as he rebuilds the Jedi Order.

As for Poe, well, I was annoyed he was even alive. I was ready to applaud the new films for killing off a red herring hero at the start, so when he showed up again I just wrote him off.

Worse then the prequels? Worse then The Force Awakens?! I don't actually think that's possible. The film could be nothing but four hours of watching John Water's taint, and it would still be much better then The Force Awakens.

Still, this is disappointing. I was hoping that this would be the film that reignited my faith in the franchise. Clearly this is not the case.

Did you see it? I should be seeing it tomorrow. I hated TFA, cause well, it was a poor rehash of A New Hope with a mary sue, and though I liked Finn, his escape was... counter to his characterization.

My brother and I have been watching the old Star Wars movies, and just have Return of the Jedi left, and its interesting seeing what I had not before, such as...Yoda is awful, and the original Trilogy put TOOOOOOONS of effort into either training Luke to be awesome, or giving a reason why he can do what he does.

But Rogue One, well, it is still going to rip off an old Star Wars, but its a now non-canon DOOM style FPS, so it wont bother me as much. (Though RIP Kyle Catarn). It being more focused on a smaller event and not staring a Jedi, makes me hopeful.

Still, the next Episode film I will be going in quite cynical, but we will see. Episode I was awful, but II and III were better than the one before it, if nothing else.

Oh GOD!! Why mention Mary Sue. Please lets not do this again.

I didnt write the plot or the characters, dont get mad at me for calling out a Mary Sue when I see one. It has nothing to do with her being a woman, if that is your concern as Id be just as annoyed with her if she was a man written that way.

Dont be afraid to debate shitty writing.

 

[Phasmal]

I highly doubt that, unless it's Jar-Jar Binks from start to finish.

I never understood getting invested in disliking movies. When I dislike a movie, I'm generally a bit disappointed because I would have preferred to enjoy it, but that's about it.

I'll probably end up seeing this when it's out on DVD. I'm far too broke from Xmas to be going to the cinema any time soon.