Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2016/10/13/this-is-the-rogue-one-trailer.html
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I am looking more forward to this than any of the prequels or the newest one. Maybe because with the Force Awakens, I see that those in charge had a decent head on their shoulders. Maybe it is a lack of a shot of the Senate floor. Maybe it’s that with all new characters, I have less expectations - or rather no preconceived expectations.
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The one I’ve been waiting for? You mean, the one with Wedge Antilles? Tycho Celchu? Zev Senesca? Wes Janson? Corran Horn? Either of the Darklighter cousins? “Hobbie” Klivian?
No? Absolutely nothing to do with the Rogue Squadron of Empire or the Expanded Universe?
No one said it was Rogue SQUADRON.
Also the video game Rogue has nothing to do with Star Wars.
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I’d watch it just for Mads and Donnie.
One not new character: Bail Organa. AKA - Jimmy Smits. A bit of carry over from the Movies That Don’t Exist.
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No preconceptions is a GREAT way to do Star Wars. Every single person in those trailers, with the exception of Darth Vader and Mon Mothma (unfortunate name, thanks George), could be placed in serious dramatic jeopardy. Vader’s probably going to smoke them all, but we don’t know HOW.
The dude in the cape is way more menacing than the bickering bureaucrats around the table of the Death Star.
Does anyone else think that Death Star is a terrible name for anything, especially a super weapon? I liked how in the radio plays, it was only a code name. I hope they only refer to it as “the battle station” or in similar “serious” terms.
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Mon Montha is in this film too, but not the same actress. Though she does look very similar! And Vader too! Though I suspect his role will be minor. He would straight up slaughter anyone in the film.
But we don’t have the old cast were are familiar with and have to worry about them acting like we remember the character being like.
Also it doesn’t appear too Jedi/Force centric. It is an element, but so far no light sabers. Which is good. Personally I find the more mundane struggles more interesting. Some one like Vader was to be feared because no one could match him until look finally got strong enough in the Force.
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Yeah, it’s not about Rogue Squadron.
Since you mentioned Corran Horn, I’m starting to feel like Lucasfilm could greenlight a movie where Corran Horn and Kyle Katarn singlehandedly take down the Chimaera and the EU diehards still wouldn’t be happy. Look, I only ever read the novels and played a couple of the games, but I think with the latter, The Force Unleashed is a prime example of what was wrong with the EU. Galen is just too overpowered. The novels? I read the Thrawn trilogy starting in 1993. Now, go watch the prequel movies, then read the Thrawn trilogy, and tell me if that series still fits in canon. And the big problem with it not fitting? That’s the best of the EU, at least in my opinion.
I can’t even imagine what the meetings were like when they got together, looked at the different levels of canon, tried to make it fit with the movies, and then finally gave up in frustration and treated prior canon more or less like Star Trek does it. I used to fall asleep after a hard day at work reading those novels, and y’know what I remember most? It was decades of war after war after war, and Han, Luke, Leia, Chewie, and the gang always managed to be right there in the thick of it, every single time.
I like that there are new characters now. Thousands of habitable planets full of millions to billions of sentients? Surely there’s a story to tell other than Luke Saves The Day Again.
This isn’t actually the first time she’s played Mon Motha, but her scenes were cut out of Episode III.
EDIT: I’d intended to put this in, since Wedge and Hobbie were mentioned. They’re not in any of the upcoming movies afaik, but the kids got a Wedge prequel.
Wedge and Hobbie start out as Imperial cadets.
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I almost included her in my comment, but as you note, not the same actress (because 1977 was a long time ago).
I’m kinda expecting to see some familiar characters from Rebels or even Clone Wars with these EU movies.
Well, of course not. Neither of them were involved in the Chimaera conflict.
I would be the first one to say that not everything in the EU was worth saving. But discarding all of it wholesale was, I think, a step too far.
Agree, 100%. But that’s a problem with the prequels, not the Thrawn trilogy.
If Lucas really did have the prequels fully-conceived in the 80’s (as he’s always claimed), then the Thrawn trilogy should have been tailored to fit that continuity before it was published. So, either Lucas only started actually figuring out what happened in the prequels when the time came to make them, or he was incredibly lax when he approved the Thrawn trilogy in the first place.
When the prequels finally came out, the EU started its final death spiral, I think, because it just couldn’t tie itself into the knots required to keep itself consistent with both itself and the prequels.
And, on the one hand, I don’t blame Lucas for not binding himself with those same knots in trying to tell his story (I wish he’d done a better job with the prequels, but eh). But on the other hand, he had to approve every one of the EU storylines before the books were published. If that’s not the direction Star Wars was supposed to be going, he had a veto over it. But he didn’t veto it, and so I do think it’s largely his own fault that the EU and the prequels don’t fit very well together.
Then again, Lucas couldn’t even keep Star Wars: Clone Wars and Star Wars: The Clone Wars in continuity with each other, so maybe I shouldn’t be too surprised.
Which is what made the X-Wing books so awesome. They are right up there in the top shelf of the EU, along with the Thrawn trilogy, and the central cast of characters make short cameos and then drift offstage again. Han’s present for “Solo Command,” of course, but other than that, it’s Wedge and Wes and guys you’ve never heard of.
When I heard they were making a movie called Rogue One, I thought they were doing it as an olive branch to the EU fans who loved the X-Wing books, because that’s what “Rogue” means in Star Wars continuity. So, even one of them, even one of the canon ones — Wes, Wedge, Hobbie, Biggs, Zev — would say, “Look, EU fans, we remember what the word ‘Rogue’ means to you!”
I understand that they couldn’t keep the EU in canon. If the Rogue Squadron of the books no longer exists, so be it. If they choose to bring that Rogue Squadron back into continuity, I’ll applaud them for it. But creating something completely different and then slapping the “Rogue” name on it just seems like (yet another) slap in the face to those fans who loved the Expanded Universe.
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Huh - didn’t realize that was the same character… not even sure who the character is… Looks like it is from Clone Wars?
I do NOT seek out info on NEW stuff. For the movies and the cartoons I will watch the official trailers - and that is all. I won’t go and research every new character etc or watch a dissection of the trailers. I will just let that be discovered when I watch the film/show.
Yes. It was bitter sweet to see Grand Moff Tarkin at the end of Revenge of the Sith. I love Cushing’s look and his portrayal of the character. People over look the fact that he was 2nd in Command of the Empire at that point, and Cushing just did it for me. But obviously he can’t reprise his role…
I am glad to see Mon Montha and welcome a few more characters like that, but just don’t go all “Adventures of Young Indiana Jones Chronicles” where he can’t take a piss with out hitting someone famous. The galaxy is HUGE, and while it is fun to see different parts of the puzzle, they don’t have to actually butt up against each other.
Please, Rebels, don’t actually visit young Skywalker…
I had a friend who was livid when they shit canned the EU. I was sympathetic, but a mutual friend pointed out “No one cares about the EU.”
Unfortunately, he recently died. The mutual friend commented shortly after, “Now no one really does care about the EU.” 
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The awesomeness is strong!
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[quote=“nimelennar, post:11, topic:87371, full:true”]I understand that they couldn’t keep the EU in canon. If the Rogue Squadron of the books no longer exists, so be it. If they choose to bring that Rogue Squadron back into continuity, I’ll applaud them for it. But creating something completely different and then slapping the “Rogue” name on it just seems like (yet another) slap in the face to those fans who loved the Expanded Universe.
[/quote]Two things:
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What people seem to keep forgetting is that the EU isn’t simply “no longer canon” unless it contradicts something that is canon. Everything else is basically a “Schrödinger’s Canon” at this point - it neither is or is not canon until those making “official canon” decide it is. Several pieces of EU material have been moved into official canon over time (even if the stories they’re from are still somewhat nebulous).
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“Rogue One” could be seen as being a precursor to Rogue Squadron. It doesn’t replace them, as they weren’t active at the same time, and it can be viewed that Rogue Squadron was possibly named in honor of the Rogue One mission.
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Why do Stormtroopers even WEAR armour, if a single laser bolt always kills them? Wouldn’t they be better off with less encumbrance and a better chance of dodging?
The problem I now have with this and all the SW movies is that, since The Force Awakens (which I liked) hit cinemas, our friends no longer have our happy ending. Everything they fought and in many cases died for ultimately gets overturned by an identikit Empire 2.0. Han and Leia marry, spawn an emo Sith, divorce, and Han dies nearly as badly as Kirk in that godawful Trek crossover movie. There’s an empty hollow feeling watching their victories in ROTJ (and presumably Rogue One) because we KNOW it all crumbles away in a few short decades.
(Except the prequels. I have no problem with those because as @IronEdithKidd IronEdithKidd already commented, they don’t exist)
(ETA Name of previous commenter)
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Seeing as we didn’t even hear about Rogue Squad until ESB this makes perfect logical sense. Wedge, Luke and the handfull of aces left from the Battle of Yavin decided they needed to make up a new squad. It is as simple as that.
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I regret that I only have one like to give for this comment.
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psst…Comment 4…
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Missed that, thanks.
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The EU (novels, games, comics, etc) before Lucasfilm hit the reset button on them all have been doing that for decades already. Welcome to the club.
