Reviews for Rogue One have been filtering through ever since the embargo for the eighth installment to the Star Wars franchise was lifted at the start of the week. Rogue One’s score of 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes proves that it has been met with some pretty impressive responses, but now director and all-around celebrated nerd Kevin Smith has chimed in with his thoughts, too.
Kevin Smith gave his Rogue One review during his appearance on his Fat Man on Batman podcast, via Comic Book. Those of you that want to hear his in-depth thoughts on the film should be warned that it’s chocker full of spoilers, so please proceed with caution.
Those of you looking for a more concise summary of Kevin Smith’s thoughts can check them out below, as the Chasing Amy, Mallrats, Clerks, and Dogma director revealed how spectacularly overjoyed he was with the blockbuster. Kevin Smith also admitted that he went into Rogue One with somewhat low expectations, as he wasn’t sure what sort of film it would be.
Clearly, it left quite the impression, though, as, using the colorful language that populates his films and has become somewhat of a trademark, Kevin Smith explained, “It was beyond good. It was fantastic. It was amazing, and maybe my bar wasn’t high but it wasn’t in the s****** either. I expected something. I did not expect this movie. They did not prepare us for what this movie is. I wouldn’t say they’re hiding what this movie is, like this movie is fan f******-tastic.”
Kevin Smith even went as far as to compare Rogue One to Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, which is widely regarded not just as the best installment to the Star Wars universe but one of the greatest blockbusters in the history of cinema.
Kevin Smith insisted, “It’s Empire Strikes Back good. That’s the highest f****** bar. It’s crazy f****** good, and there’s more wars in this Star Wars movie than in any Star Wars movie prior to this, and it really felt like oh s***.”
But while director Gareth Edwards will understandably be ecstatic at the haul of positive reviews that have been coming Rogue One’s way over the last few days, he admitted at the start of the month that he’d already received the one positive review he craved for the most. This came from George Lucas, with the Star Wars creator telling Gareth Edwards after he’d watched Rogue One that he enjoyed the movie.
Gareth Edwards admitted, via CinemaBlend, “I don’t want to put words into his mouth, but I can honestly say that I can die happy now. He really liked the movie, so it meant a lot. No offense to anyone here, but it was the most important review to me. You guys are important too, but he’s kind of god. I will take that conversation to my grave. It was a real privilege. His opinion means the world to me.”
Regular moviegoers now have the chance to see Rogue One themselves, as the sci-fi adventure finally hit cinemas on Friday, December 16 after months and months of anticipation. As you’d probably expect, Rogue One is due to make a rather massive impression at the box office over the coming days and weeks.
According to Market Watch, the latest box-office predictions for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story are that it will earn around $300 million over its opening few days, while it’s ultimately expected to rival Captain America: Civil War as the most successful movie of 2016. Marvel’s film ended up taking in $1.153 billion across the world when it was released into cinemas at the start of May.
[Featured Image by Miramax Films]