Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is set to open in theaters nationwide on December 16th. This is the first in a series of anthology films that Disney intends to make parallel from the standard “Episodic” series of films. The big question becomes is how successful will Rogue One really be? More specifically, will it not only please fans and critics alike, but will it also appease Disney’s shareholders in terms of the box office take? Hmm…
If there should be any concerns it should be with how convoluted the title of this film is. I’ve talked with too many people who are thrown off by the name, along with the trailers not necessarily doing a better job of pointing out what point of Star Wars history this takes place in. Why not call it “Star Wars: Rogue One”? Making the Star Wars portion of the title take a back seat to another name is something that does more to confuse than to create an understanding from the get go. Additionally, of those I’ve talked to, many are assuming this film takes place after the last one, Episode 7 (The Force Awakens), and then go onto wonder where Rey and Finn are. To me, that’s a potentially serious problem in terms of adversely affecting the box office potential of Rogue One. If average moviegoers simply view this as a throwaway story, who knows, maybe less people will be inclined to see it more than once.
Now, here is the latest trailer for this film, and if it’s the first time you’ve watched it, ask yourself if the average fan will have a clue as to where the events of this movie fit into the Star Wars timeline:
Look, should it be enough that within the trailer you see Darth Vader and the Death Star to decipher this is probably set earlier in the timeline? I suppose… However, that’s obviously not the case as many casual Star War fans still don’t have a clue this is a prequel versus a continuation of the standard episodes of 1-7.
Nevertheless, the good probably outweighs the bad here–This certainly looks like one of the most visually stunning of Star Wars films. For die-hard fans there’s plenty to salivate over in the trailers, on top of getting to see Darth Vader in his prime again.
That being said, will the actors performances elevate what’s seen in these previews throughout the entire film? I’m not so sure. From what I’ve observed, a lot of the lines come off as flat and devoid of personality. It’s possible that direct Gareth Edwards is intentionally withholding some of the better character moments. Let’s hope so, indeed.
Not for nothing, but it should also be noted that Disney has announced another Star Wars film in their anthology series, an untitled young Han Solo film, that will depict a young Han Solo, played by Alden Ehrenreich, and will also have his old buddy, Lando Calrissian, played by Donald Glover! So regardless of how Rogue One performs, this news is indicative that Disney is full steam ahead on making more side-story/prequel style films.
Bottom line, are you excited for ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’? And if so, how much??
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