The third act of Rogue Onemay be one of the most stunning cinematic achievements in movie history.
After witnessing the rebels' visceral, breathtaking and ultimately suicidal attack on the Imperial base on Scarif, we barely have a moment to breathe after Jyn and Cassian succeed in transmitting the Death Star plans to the Alliance ships above the planet. No sooner are the vital blueprints in friendly hands than Darth Vader comes to retrieve them.
We saw hints of Vader's power in the original Star Warstrilogy, but nothing comes close to the harrowing encounter the rebel soldiers have with the villain as they scramble to slow the Dark Lord's progress -- many of them falling to the Sith's lightsaber in what is more a massacre than a fight.
SEE ALSO: 'Rogue One' has no lightsaber fights. Why? Because Donnie Yen would win all the Star WarsThe fact that it's the only time we see that iconic weapon in the film only heightens its impact. As stunning as the lightsaber battles in the prequel trilogy were, they were often between evenly-matched opponents. In Rogue One, it's straight-up murder, with Vader mowing down rebels like they're bowling pins.
Even knowing that the Death Star plans eventually make it into Leia's possession, that doesn't ease the tension of the terrifying scene -- in that moment, the panic is as real for us as it is for the poor rebel who knows he's about to meet a horrifying end at Vader's hand.
And speaking of Leia, who saw thatcoming?
Rogue Onedid an incredible job of digitally recreating Grand Moff Tarkin -- considering that Peter Cushing, the actor who originally portrayed him, died in 1994. You wouldn't know it from this movie.
But the film definitely saved the best reveal for last. It closes on the youthful visage of Carrie Fisher's Princess Leia as the plans are triumphantly delivered into her hands. A new hope indeed.
The movie couldn't really have ended any other way. Vader and Leia's appearances tie the end of Rogue One neatly into the beginning of Episode IV.But the fact that it still feels wholly surprising is a testament to director Gareth Edwards' skill.
Did the CGI rendering veer a little too far into the uncanny valley at times? Undoubtedly -- and I think it was more noticeable with Leia than Tarkin, who had the benefit of lurking in the shadows for much of the film.
But it was still a punch in the gut to see Leia as fresh-faced as she was in 1977, and the crowd at the Hollywood premiere of the film hit the roof with euphoria at that big reveal.
According to the Washington Post, the producers cast an actor to stand in for digital Cushing on set -- the similarly cheekboned Guy Henry-- before digitally augmenting his features. That helped them avoid the "dead-eyed" look that's typical of fully CGI characters attempting to pass as human in movies such as Polar Express.
There's no official word yet on how Leia was created and whether Carrie Fisher was involved, but Lucasfilm sources tell Mashableshe was entirely CGI -- which might explain why she didn't work quite as well as Tarkin.
SEE ALSO: 'Rogue One,' 'Doctor Strange' make the Oscar VFX contenders short-listIt's a testament to Industrial Light and Magic, Lucasfilm's in-house effects shop, that after the initial shock of Tarkin's appearance, you practically forget it's not Cushing himself. (We've seen similar tricks employed on Michael Douglas in Ant-Manand Robert Downey Jr. in Captain America: Civil War, but never without the actor alive to be involved in it.)
Few things can rival the spectacle of watching the original Star Warstrilogy for the first time. But it's refreshing to know that the franchise is still at the forefront of cutting edge visual effects and inventiveness under the auspices of John Knoll, ILM's chief creative officer andRogue One's visual effects supervisor.
The Force is definitely strong with Rogue One, and it's impossible to predict where Lucasfilm's collective imagination will take us next.
SEE ALSO: The ultimate 'Star Wars' gift guideTopics Star Wars
Square wants to make your chip card less annoyingNew research extends Earth's temperature record back 2 million yearsHow the ex6 times Prince George gave absolutely zero f*cksJupiter's moon Europa may shoot liquid water into spaceSinging man completely shuts down a dissenter at Dublin proWhat are Leonardo DiCaprio and President Obama talking about?Singing man completely shuts down a dissenter at Dublin proDrake releases flexes his acting chops in a new short film, 'Please Forgive Me'Man suspected of Pippa Middleton iCloud hack arrested, then released on bailOne man's dinosaur impressions will save you a trip to 'Jurassic Park'The music industry is going after YouTubeThis is why you should be concerned about a seemingly innocent Zombie attackFoursquare's new roadmap features an LA office and a growing data businessThis Hillary Clinton campaign photo brilliantly sums up 2016Man suspected of Pippa Middleton iCloud hack arrested, then released on bailThis Hillary Clinton campaign photo brilliantly sums up 2016This is why you should be concerned about a seemingly innocent Zombie attackFirst presidential debate or 'Monday Night Football'? The choice is yours, AmericaSnapchat says it's a camera company with more TV 'Hitman 2' review: Building a better murder mousetrap Facebook starts rolling out 'Unsend' feature in Messenger Oh cool, you can see how much time you waste on Instagram now 10 books by women who are changing the world JUUL restricts JUULpod sales and tries to crack down on vape content See what California's relentless winds do the state's extreme fires Luna Display turns your iPad into a touchscreen Mac (sort of) Critics slam Amazon's HQ2 deal as 'corporate welfare' How to make your email stand out from all the rest Google Assistant is even more kid PlayStation is skipping E3 for the first time ever in 2019 Reggie Fils Dyson debuts a heater Beyoncé remembers Aaliyah in throwback Instagram post 3 easy ways to resell your old iPad The next Xbox One won't have a disc drive: Report Google Home's best feature just got way more useful Google Pixel 3 Night Sight review: Game Facebook won't operate in China until there is 'free expression' The internet's best tips for how to be kind on World Kindness Day
2.2453s , 10134.1953125 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【A Clockwork Orange Porn Parody XXX】,Steady Information Network