10 Teaser Trailers Better Than The Actual Movie

Rogue One promised to be the first Star Wars movie that emphasized the 'War' in the series' namesake. No Chosen Ones or masterful lightsaber duels, just grungy war-time combat where heroes rarely get their legend spread. There's a sense of ruggedness and tension throughout the trailer, helping to establish this sense of dread as the Rebels face daunting opposition. Series fans know whether or not they succeed, but the trailer somehow makes them feel uncertain if they'll succeed.

Well, once you watch the movie, the uncertainty and tension fades away pretty quickly. The Empire doesn't feel imposing enough, the main Rebel fighters aren't interesting, and everything plays out exactly as you expect. It plays very much like a highlight reel of fan-favorite components from the original trilogy, leaving character development and intrigue to be non-existent. Characters act based on what the plot needs, never going deeper into some of the more unexplored components of the universe, like the, sometimes, morally dubious actions of Rebel soldiers.

In addition, this movie was completely redone through heavy reshoots. Half of the shots in the teaser aren't even in the final film, ultimately hinting at what the movie originally was. Instead, fans got a heavily-watered down war movie where you knew the ending before it started.