Please note for this week’s episode: we recorded this podcast before Carrie Fisher’s death, so though we talk briefly about her role in this film, we don’t address this event or its impact on the series. Alright, with that out of the way, let’s dive into Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and our picks for the best pop culture of 2016. Spoilers for this episode: we’re talking about everything in Rogue One, so definitely check it out before listening here.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Rogue One is the first of the “Anthology” films being made by Disney, and it sits outside of the main “Saga” films that we have seen before (i.e. Episodes I – VII).  As a very casual fan of this series, I admit to being very lost in the positioning of this particular story, and it’s something I felt the movie didn’t help me out with at all. As Jeff points out, these Anthology films are the future of the franchise, so it behooves Disney to work out some of these kinks for more casual fans. Jeff liked the movie more than I did, and maybe other super fans of the franchise felt served by the movie. We’d love to hear your thoughts.

If you like war movies, I think this is also for you. I saw visual parallels to Saving Private Ryan and Apocalypse Now, and the work the movie does with those themes is strong. As Jeff points out, this is a darker film in both tone and visual spectacle, which makes it different than most of the other Star Wars films. Rogue One looks directly at themes of political activism, fascism, and the need for good people to take action. I was very impressed by the point the film makes that while some people have the luxury of discovering a political or social ill and choosing to take up the fight against it, for many many others, their life is that struggle, and always has been. If you find yourself on the lucky side of this equation, it is your absolute obligation to give everything you have to help those who don’t have the choice. Well said, Rogue One.

We talk a little about the casting of the film, and praise the diversity of the cast. It was great to see another woman at the front of a Star Wars story, and also great to see a (subtextual) gay relationship between a monk and his protector. Make it canon, people. We also talk about the CGI in this film, and both agree that on the whole, the effects in the film are super great. Neither of us cared for the CGI re-rendering of Peter Cushing (who died in 1994) and a remaking of a 1977 version of Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia. It was jarring in both cases. Overall, Jeff gives this entry into the Star Wars universe a solid B+. I’m probably closer to a C+, but, in keeping with the theme of the story, I’ll keep hope alive for future Anthology films that I might enjoy more.
Pre-2016 Best Pop Culture Picks
In our second half, we run down our picks for the best pop culture of 2016. We have two picks for each category. One that came out in 2016 and one that we discovered last year. Here’s a summary:

Books
Jeff had fiction and non-fiction picks because he luvs books. Non Fiction: Yes, Please By Amy Poehler and for Fiction: Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson.
Lauren: Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson and Illustrated by Adrian Alphona.