I give TFA the nod because at least it had some characterization. At least it had some dialogue. At least it had characters with clearly defined goals who were actively working towards those goals. I think the rebel base scene was the point that finally broke me. Because it brought me to the realization that I neither know nor care who any of these character were. The only dialogue up to that point was in three categories: snarky/sassy remarks; big dumb action speech; or person explicitly telling protagonist where the plot needs them to go next. There were no quiet moments. More importantly there were no warm moments. There was no point in which any of the characters actually sat down and had an honest to goodness conversation with each other. You never get to hear about the characters' wants or needs or interests or motivations or ANYTHING aside from "we need to go to this planet because Forest Whittaker told us to. I cackled. CACKLED at the end of the movie when they're going up the elevator and protagonistgirl and Spanish guy had that romantic moment, and then on the beach Spanish guy says, "your father would be proud." I mean, wat? You never talked to Mikkelson Spanishguy! And you never talked to protagonistgirl about Mikkelson, so where the fudge is any of that coming from?!
Like compare that to A New Hope, in which the first 45 minutes of the movie is spent hanging out with Luke, learning his wants and needs and personality, as well as that of Obi-Wan, and then intercutting that with stakes-raising tension scenes showing the quest Luke's about to be sent on.
Compare it to Empire where the first 30 minutes is spent re-acquainting ourselves with the characters of Luke, Han, and Leia, and Setting up their arcs for the rest of the movie. Luke is still weak and needs to learn the ways of the force. Leia and Han bicker but deep down they care for each other. The entire 2nd act is devoted to, alternatingly: Luke (and us) facing his demons and coming to grips with his weaknesses and insecurities, and Han and Leia being stuck in a box together, experiencing stress and trauma, and coming to grips with their feelings with one another. We care about them and want them to succeed in their arcs, and we feel the tragedy of both Luke running from his training (and fighting and getting his ass kicked by Vader) and seeing Leia finally admit her feelings for Han only for him to be wrenched away from her, perhaps never to be seen again. We feel these things because these arcs have been set up and crescendoed properly.
The key to effective screenwriting (and editing) is the proper establishment, buildup, and resolution of tension, both within individual scenes (e.g. will Luke manage to pull his lightsaber from the ice and free himself before the yeti thing finishes nomming on his tauntaun?) and within an overarching arc (We have seen how Luke still struggles with the force - that run-in with the yeti was close! - will Luke be able master this powerful tool and finally confront the man who killed his father-figure?)
Rogue 1 fails on both fronts. Yes Protagonistgirl has a want (she wants her charges cleared) but we're never given context. We're never told why she wants to be free, what she's going to do with her freedom when she gets it. The 1st act is usually wholly devoted to establishing the protagonists want, her reasoning and motivation behind that want, and the establishment of a quest leading them towards that want. Rogue 1 doesn't really do this. We have the scene where her mother dies, sure, but then it jumps forward and shows her in jail. Exposition tells us it's for forgery and being a fugitive and whatnot. But we don't see any of this from her. Think about Han in ANH. Another scoundrel on the run. His want a big payday so he can clear his debt to Jabba. This is a secondary arc, and yet it's much stronger than protagonistgirl's. We get a feel for his character: fast-talking, self-serving and uncompassionate. We get an establishment of stakes for why he has his want: he needs da cash or bounty hunters like Greedo are going to keep chasing him. And we get a quest to achieve his want: deliver Luke and Obi-Wan to Alderaan.
Usually the 3rd act arrives when the protagonist achieves their want but comes to the realization that there is a larger need that they must still pursue. For example in a romcom, this would be when the erstwhile sleazy guy gets the sleazy thing he wanted at the start (that promotion he was lusting after) but realizes what he needs is love, so he throws away his want (he tells his ******* boss to shove it) and professes his love to girl. In ANH Han gets his big payday, but realizes he cares deeply for Luke and so blows off Jabba to go bail his friend out. The payoff is Han coming back to save the day. And the payoff is satisfying because it's been building up over the course of the whole movie. We've seen Han morph over the course of the movie from standoffish, selfish prick to noble friend and ally. We've seen the growing chemistry between the two building up over the course of all of act ii. We've seen them talk to each other about themselves and each other. We've seen them bicker and butt heads, and we've seen them triumph and praise each other. The conclusion in which Han comes back for Luke is therefore satisfying.
In Rogue 1 the need is to go on the suicide mission and steal the plans. But this need isn't really established. We're shown why the Death Star is a threat, but Protagonistgirl is never given a motivation to discover (internally) or pursue this need. Theoretically it should be the love for her father, or her love(?) for Spanishguy or a sense of duty to the rebellion. But none of these are established. Protagonistgirl doesn't have a character, just the faint whisperings of one (the random throwaway dialogue with Whittaker and the random flashback that happens and is never revisited or mentioned again). Because of this, there's no payoff. Protagonistgirl's arc feels hollow. Spanishguy suffers from the same problem, but even worse. At least Protagonistgirl has the vague inklings of an arc. Spanishguy has none character. Protagonistgirl's blaster has more of an arc than he does.
This is overlong, and I hope you get the point, but basically the characters are bad and the editing is bad and it makes me mad.
