Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

[Rogue 9]

Given the nature of the story, if I were to take guessed I'd say he's ISB.

[Eternal_Freedom]

Besides, the Eclipse was apparently stolen four year after the Battle of Yavin, then abandoned, then recovered by the reborn Emperor's forces. Even if Thrawn knew about it, it may not have been available to him during his campaign anyway.

It was briefly captured by Zann while under construction at Kuat but never actually moved.

[Elfdart]

Seems like a real hackjob were going to get. Super implausible character, who has to be another English sounding white women of course for reasons, with the worst possible horrible traits for being a secret agent/spy/covert anything, and a bunch of really dumb looking fighting. I was hoping these side story movies would be where some more exoticism came back into the franchise but looks like nope. Certainly I don't see a trace. Frankly the moment I saw the moron with the staff I just gave up hope, I'll have to settle for being happy if it isn't a literal Force Awakens 2.0.

Disney buys the IP of real artists; they don't hire them to make movies.

The fact that this is from the director for Godzilla, which could put most of its problems squarely on poor direction and a failure to give the audience what it rationally wanted is also filtering my expectations and opinions.

It's also written by Gary Whitta, who wrote After Earth, the movie that left John Travolta feeling great relief since thanks to Whitta, Battlefield Earth is now only the second worst Scientology film ever made.

[ray245]

Disney buys the IP of real artists; they don't hire them to make movies.

George made a horrible mistake in appointing Kathleen Kennedy to be the head of Lucasfilm. That's what happens when you don't have a storyteller in charge of Star Wars.

[The Romulan Republic]

Disney buys the IP of real artists; they don't hire them to make movies.

Well, Marvel, which is Disney-owned, got Joss Whedon to make two Avengers films and work on Agents of SHIELD. I don't know that I'd call Whedon an artist, but he has talent, and his own distinctive style, as opposed to being merely a hack.

[Elfdart]

Disney buys the IP of real artists; they don't hire them to make movies.

George made a horrible mistake in appointing Kathleen Kennedy to be the head of Lucasfilm. That's what happens when you don't have a storyteller in charge of Star Wars.

I doubt Kennedy had a whole lot of say in the matter, since Bob Iger is the one who is really in charge. Lucas hired Kennedy and Arndt (giving him a story outline) and persuaded Ford, Fisher and Hamill to sign up before he sold to Disney. Iger promptly shit-canned Arndt (plus George's story), brought in one of the biggest hacks to direct, and demanded the movie be ready for Christmas 2015, even though the star was unable to work thanks to being seriously injured by one of those "REEEEEEAL SETS!" internet fatties like to gush over. Well, that's a perfect storm for derivative, unoriginal film-making and guess what -that's exactly what Disney served up.

[ray245]

Disney buys the IP of real artists; they don't hire them to make movies.

Well, Marvel, which is Disney-owned, got Joss Whedon to make two Avengers films and work on Agents of SHIELD. I don't know that I'd call Whedon an artist, but he has talent, and his own distinctive style, as opposed to being merely a hack.

My issue with Joss is he's a TV series director, and the Avengers films really show his limitations, especially in regards to cinematography.

This video, in the 4.57 mark demonstrated why some cinematography described The Avengers as a boring movie.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doaQC-S8de8[/youtube]


Now, Disney did hire some really creative talent in people like Gareth Edwards and Rian Johnson. Both of them have a rather interesting visual style.

Rian Johnson's top 10 movies (apparently he asked the production crew of Ep 8 to watch them) are rather interesting choices.

https://www.criterion.com/explore/37-ri ... n-s-top-10

He's probably the most creative director hired by Disney, which is why I am disappointed he is handling Ep 8 as opposed to 7. He would have set up a much different universe for other directors to explore, rather than being constrained into repeating the themes seen in the OT.

I doubt Kennedy had a whole lot of say in the matter, since Bob Iger is the one who is really in charge. Lucas hired Kennedy and Arndt (giving him a story outline) and persuaded Ford, Fisher and Hamill to sign up before he sold to Disney. Iger promptly shit-canned Arndt (plus George's story), brought in one of the biggest hacks to direct, and demanded the movie be ready for Christmas 2015, even though the star was unable to work thanks to being seriously injured by one of those "REEEEEEAL SETS!" internet fatties like to gush over. Well, that's a perfect storm for derivative, unoriginal film-making and guess what -that's exactly what Disney served up.

Kennedy was the one pushing for Abrams, even after he said no. Disney as a parent company tends to give their subsidiaries a lot of creative freedom. I think she made some good decision in hiring some interesting directors like Rian Johnson and Gareth Edwards. However, the people she hired to write the stories and the script tends to be a bigger issue.

[Vympel]

It's also written by Gary Whitta, who wrote After Earth, the movie that left John Travolta feeling great relief since thanks to Whitta, Battlefield Earth is now only the second worst Scientology film ever made.

Gary Whitta departed the project last January, he was replaced by Chris Weitz.

[ray245]

It's also written by Gary Whitta, who wrote After Earth, the movie that left John Travolta feeling great relief since thanks to Whitta, Battlefield Earth is now only the second worst Scientology film ever made.

Gary Whitta departed the project last January, he was replaced by Chris Weitz.

Why would any sane producer even hire Gary Whitta in the first place?

[Vympel]

Why would any sane producer even hire Gary Whitta in the first place?

Presumably they liked his treatment, then changed their minds. It happens.

Seems like a real hackjob were going to get. Super implausible character, who has to be another English sounding white women of course for reasons, with the worst possible horrible traits for being a secret agent/spy/covert anything, and a bunch of really dumb looking fighting. I was hoping these side story movies would be where some more exoticism came back into the franchise but looks like nope. Certainly I don't see a trace. Frankly the moment I saw the moron with the staff I just gave up hope, I'll have to settle for being happy if it isn't a literal Force Awakens 2.0.

Because of course we've never seen anyone use a staff or other mundane edged or blunt weapons in Star Wars before?

... except for nearly every single type of Jabba's guards in Return of the Jedi, the Emperor's guards, and General Grievous' guards.

[Elfdart]

All of whom got their asses kicked, or turned out to be useless.

[The Romulan Republic]

My issue with Joss is he's a TV series director, and the Avengers films really show his limitations, especially in regards to cinematography.

Hmm.

He certainly has more directing experience in television, but I don't think he's a bad film director. Then again, Whedon was a writer first and a director second.

That said, I don't think Avengers is the best to show case his style, perhaps because he was working inside someone else's world and with certain limitations.

Serenity is a better example of what Whedon can do as a film director in my opinion, despite the fact that he was working on a much smaller budget.

[Vympel]

All of whom got their asses kicked, or turned out to be useless.

Unlike all the bad guys with guns, who were of course super effective in comparison

The point is that these sorts of weapons are common in Star Wars, and its ridiculous to call it out as being some sort of offense.

[Eternal_Freedom]

There's also the fact that all the people he mentioned getting beaten soundly...were beaten by Jedi or other Force users, who make up a vanishingly small part of the population.

[ray245]

My issue with Joss is he's a TV series director, and the Avengers films really show his limitations, especially in regards to cinematography.

Hmm.

He certainly has more directing experience in television, but I don't think he's a bad film director. Then again, Whedon was a writer first and a director second.

That said, I don't think Avengers is the best to show case his style, perhaps because he was working inside someone else's world and with certain limitations.

Serenity is a better example of what Whedon can do as a film director in my opinion, despite the fact that he was working on a much smaller budget.

That's really no excuse considering the Russo brothers produced something more cinematic than Whedon. Anyone directing a film must understand visual storytelling is the most important thing, not just the dialogue.

[Galvatron]

Thrawn was a Chiss wasn't he? The guy in the trailer looks decidedly human. Maybe he'll be a 'Thrawn in all but name' type, unless they pull a Star Trek Into Darkness/Spectre and have him announce himself as Thrawn accompanied by BWUUUUUM music.

The rank badge has me more curious than anything. It's the same one that Admirals Piett and Ozzel wore in TESB, but Admiral Motti and General Tagge had far smaller badges in ANH. Only Tarkin himself had a badge that size, although with slightly different colored squares.

Could he be the unidentified ISB Director mentioned in the Tarkin novel?

The guy in the trailer also didn't wear a Grand Admiral's uniform.

People can't get past the white tunic.

[Kal_Skirata]

I've been wondering if the man in white might be Armand Isard, who was recanonized in Tarkin. Isard was the head of Imperial Intelligence, which would make him a good fit for the story, hunting down those who stole the Death Star plans. Also, the man in white's rank badge is identical to what Isard wore in Legends comics; six red above six blue. Also, while their uniform colors are different, Armand Isard usually wearing red, the style, minus the cape, is pretty similar and Disney may want to keep a more uniform Imperial color scheme.



Compared to this:

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/a/ae/Armand-Isard-design.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/500?cb=20120130020446[/img]

[Thanas]

My guess is that the guy will be a version of a special troubleshooter cliche in the tradition of Inglourious Basterds' Hans Landa,someone outside the chain of command or directly appointed by Palpy.

[Iroscato]

My guess is that the guy will be a version of a special troubleshooter cliche in the tradition of Inglourious Basterds' Hans Landa.

Oh man...now you've got my mind racing about casting Christoph Waltz in a Star Wars movie one day

[Thanas]

Can't be any more of a waste of his talents than the last James Bond movie was.

[NecronLord]

Parsimony would suggest that he's an ISB General/Admiral as the ISB exists in the new continuity and it seems like they associate Yularen with it still.

For what it's worth Rebels also shows ANH and ESB style rank plaques pre-existing before the Battle of Yavin, compare Admiral Konstantine to Admiral Titus.

[Galvatron]

I've been wondering if the man in white might be Armand Isard, who was recanonized in Tarkin.

I think he's more likely to be someone we haven't heard of before, like the unidentified ISB Director, so they can create as much of his bio from scratch without shitting all over Isard's old EU version.

[applejack]

I don't know if this is even still an issue, but this pretty much puts to rest the idea that the Empire switched over from one badge-rank system to another between ANH and ESB, doesn't it? The ISB Marshal in RO has the same rank scheme as Death Squadron, and would appear to be concurrent with the regional rank system used under Grand Moff Tarkin.

EDIT: Oops... missed Necronlord's post just above... LOL! But, no really, is it still a contentious issue? Because I remember reading about it on Saxton's site and largely agreeing with his assessment.

[Adam Reynolds]

Something random I just noticed in the trailer(though only because someone else pointed it out) is that it sounds like we heard Vader breathing just before Jyn turns in the final shot, the one where she is wearing an Imperial uniform.

[Galvatron]

I don't know if this is even still an issue, but this pretty much puts to rest the idea that the Empire switched over from one badge-rank system to another between ANH and ESB, doesn't it? The ISB Marshal in RO has the same rank scheme as Death Squadron, and would appear to be concurrent with the regional rank system used under Grand Moff Tarkin.

EDIT: Oops... missed Necronlord's post just above... LOL! But, no really, is it still a contentious issue? Because I remember reading about it on Saxton's site and largely agreeing with his assessment.

I don't think it means anything conclusive. Tarkin had a rank badge with just as many squares. I can easily imagine that the Director of the ISB would have had one similar to that of a Grand Moff, whether before ANH or not.