Rogue One (SPOILERS)

[Phrubruh]

I've been thinking about the scene where Jyn has to climb out of the hard drive depository. There is a door that quickly opens and closes. It reminded me of the room in Galaxy Quest with all the stampers and cutters. I was thinking why is that there? Who designed an escape hatch that won't let you leave? I know it was probably malfunctioning but still kind of silly.

Also, who designs a control tower were you set something to transmit on one box but then have to go out on a platform to realign the dish on a another control? Why are they not in the same place? I think the whole point of it was so she had to shoot down the TIE fighter waiting with her blaster. I assume she shoots the pilot through the glass. I guess the glass can withstand the vacuum of space but not small arms fire?

Those two scenes felt a little video game like to me. 

[P-Siddy]

Or the comm link switch being located on some random control box out near a landing platform/bunker

[JediJman]

I took it that most of the data on scarif was for storage/backup.  They would not routinely transmit that data off world - it was more of a knowledge vault than a library.  It makes sense to me that the process would not be easy - kind of like how we have to use special codes and multiple keys and such to launch missiles.  Or maybe they just have different areas in the tower for different purposes.  My local library doesn't have a section for me to transmit data to anyone, but I could bring it somewhere else to read it over the phone or record a video, etc. 

As for the climbing around inside the data core, that was all improvised on the fly.  I thought the imperials would normally use the control-arm gizmo to retrieve the data tapes, but the electrical system was fried when K2 blew up the control console.  Normally I think someone would retrieve those tapes with the arms Cassian was using then take them to a room to review the data, take it off world via ship, or transmit the data with the dish at the top of the complex.  It was a little goofy to have the dish realignment controls way out on some abstract ledge, but there's probably a group of people involved when they have to transmit data, so it wouldn't matter that it wasn't in the same console if multiple people were involved.  Just my two cents.

[Dave]

Even these days we've got cloud based data backup deployments with things being highly integrated and redundant.  The fact that they needed a physical drive that wasn't somehow connected to a network is technically silly.

If you over think it you'll just be annoyed that they have to physically retrieve (even with robot hands) data from a fancy data tape tower and then plug it in to a terminal to read it (without a security code).   The fact that data backups aren't 100 miles underground in a protected vault but a kyber processing facility is built in to the side of mountain is kind of dumb.  Its also kind of hard to believe there aren't multiple copies located around the universe.  Heck, you could argue that they built the second Death Star pretty quick, even though all of the plans for the first one were destroyed.

Its all just a plot device to move the movie forward and build tension, and I thought it was a tremendously enjoyable movie.

[Qui-Gon Jim]

LOVED it.  Vader was so badass.  They need to keep the "continuity expert" in charge of this on board.  My nitpick was the choice of actor for Vader.  Too buff in the neck.  My wife even noticed it.  BUT, HUGE props for making Vader's lenses red.

Since this is a "different" SW film, it would have been awesome to have a post-credits coda with Ewan McG (maybe in session with a spectral Qui-Gon?) realizing something has happened and giving a knowing look to the sky.

[Nicklab]

Even these days we've got cloud based data backup deployments with things being highly integrated and redundant.  The fact that they needed a physical drive that wasn't somehow connected to a network is technically silly.

For security purposes it's not that crazy for stored data to *NOT* be connected to some sort of network.

There were some technical bits in this part of the story that I appreciated from a purely professional standpoint.  I've worked in some facilities where stored media was accessed via robotic armatures like the ones in ROGUE ONE.  It's really not that far-fetched.

As for the transmission antenna?  Again, I've got some professional interest in that.  You won't always have antenna control equipment co-located at the same position as transmission and receive equipment, but each earth station facility that I've worked with is different.  From a story standpoint it did help for Jyn to have to step out onto that catwalk, though.  And at some point the viewer needs to suspend a little of their disbelief as well.

[I Am Sith]

Finally got to see it today and am so glad that I stayed spoiler free on this one other than seeing the first trailer.  And as others have said, I was completely taken aback that almost all of the footage from said trailer was nixed from the final cut of the movie.

I absolutely loved that they were able to have Tarkin in as big a role as they did.  Can't wait to read about how that was done.  Also really loved a lot of the smaller cameos and nods like Red and Gold leaders, Leia, the blue milk and the Turbo Tank.  Missed every Rebels cameo with the exception of the Hammerhead, but will be paying better attention when I see it again on Friday.  And yes, it was awesome to see Vader's castle on Mustafar and his massacre of the troops at the end.  I thought the costume didn't look quite right as well.

Definitely a great start to the standalone films and a very welcomed addition to the SW Universe.

[Jesse James]

On the Blue Squadron thing, that was the original color of Red Squadron, but because of the blue screen filming, blue didn't do too well with the effects shots and red replaced it and all that stuff...  Thus some Rebel Pilots still sport the blue logos on the buckets and stuff, but were only filmed hopping into lifesize props and didn't have the starfield background and stuff.

Anyway, I just found it neat that Blue Squad was who basically got wiped out at Scarrif...  it felt like some kind of homage to include them but not seemingly have many, if any, of them make it back to Yavin and be at the Death Star battle there.

I really enjoyed the entire fighter combat...  They did a superb job with that.  The fighters skipping off the shields (something that should've happened at Endor, and was in the radio dramas and I believe the novel), the sound of the Imperial fighter spiraling and crashing, the U-Wing being a sort of fighter transport that could pull multiple duties, the X-Wings darting into the shield around the transport before it could close off, the formation flying (lots of OT nods with it, but with a good deal more maneuvering and such), Red 5 "explanation"...  I loved the Hammerhead corvette making itself useful... 

And I really want to watch it again now and just confirm but I swear those Rebel Transports are firing...  They actually are doing something!  Hooray!  Finally answering the question WTF were they doing at the battle of Endor?  I always thought maybe they're there to pick up ejected pilots or just act as clutter, floating bombs (didn't do much to the devastator when that one crashed into it though).  Just all around, the space combat was epic.  Best battle in any Star Wars film, for me, and I thought TFA's were pretty epic and well done.

Gareth Edwards gets a lot of the OT...  I have to hand it to him.  You can tell he was living those battles with his action figures too, when he was young...  not now that he's old like the rest of us, and we call it "posing" of course...  right? right? 

[Nicklab]

This article gets into the wealth of scenes that were featured in trailers that just didn't make it into the theatrical release of ROGUE ONE.  It looks like much of the battle on Scarif was significantly re-cut.

[Scott]

Saw for a 2nd time today...a lot more emotional for me this time...like close to tears emotional as Jyn and Cassian are sitting on the beach.   Solid effort and makes me feel good SW is in good hands for years tomcome

[Nicklab]

The return of a certain character in ROGUE ONE was deemed so significant that the New York Times has written a report on the subject, complete with interviews with members of the Lucasfilm story group, ILM personnel and even the actor who aided in the motion capture process.

[Jayson]

Something that I didn't notice on my first viewing, when DS fires on Scarif, the beam takes out the top of the transmission tower before striking the water/ocean. Was that intentional and if so, why not just fire on the installation directly versus out to sea a few miles? Narratively it gives time for our rebels to have their moment on the beach, but still if the DS could blast Jedha City directly, why not decimate the Scarif complex in the same manner?

[Jesse James]

I thought about that too, and maybe it's just rationalizing it too much or something, but my thought was they come out of hyper space, and wanted to fire on the planet as soon as they could, and ultimately they wound up getting it at the best angle they could to immediately fire and destroy, but not an angle that allowed a top-down shot like on Jedha.

Just a thought...  or the one that helps me rationalize that anyway.

[Darby]

This is one of those that is very hard to explain without simply saying, 'Because it's a movie.' The angle provides both a fitting and quick end to Krennic atop the tower, while also allowing a dramatic, slow build death for Jyn and Cassian. Otherwise, there's no in universe explanation for such a clumsy shot outside of the quickness Jesse mentioned. If haste was their chief concern, then they could have destroyed the entire planet in a single shot without giving the Rebels any time at all to run around, kiss their asses goodbye, etc. I could speculate the beam simply making contact with the tower would be sufficient to cause a blast similar to Jedha City, but without knowing exactly the mechanics of the energy dynamics at play and not caring I'm fine with that the way it is.

[Jesse James]

See I'd lump that in with the haste...  The shot wasn't so much clumsy as that's the first shot they could make that would hit and do the job they're wanting done.  And I figure the single reactor shot itself could be a faster shot taken by the DS...  less destructive, but also far quicker than the "full" shot the DS takes on Alderaan ultimately.  I was figuring that angle was just their immediate shot that would do what they wanted, as quickly as they wanted, sans getting the DS into a better position of course.  I figure it's all just time/timing and them wanting it to end fast because clearly Vader/Palpatine viewed that (the Rebels getting any info on it, the leaks, the open attacks, etc.) as one giant cluster-F of sorts. 

The fact it offed Krennic in a fun way and gave the survivors trapped there a chance to have intimate moments of reflection, hey, great.