#that is part of his character flaw. that he will just swing wildly between self aggrandizing and justifying eating trauma(tm) and then also

[thebastardofgloucester]

More Thoughts on Rogue One

So I saw Rogue One again:

I don’t have any real revelations to expound upon - the first half is still a bit messy (though beyond the Krennic scene on Mustafar which we’re rather fond of I’m not really sure you can just cut out some of the planetary back and forth). The second half/last third really pulls the film together in some of the best action sequences I’ve seen in any war movie, Star Wars or no, but it also fails to resolve a lot of character arcs, which is...unsatisfying from a narrative nerd perspective but not really crippling to the film as a whole? In my opinion, anyway. 

- Jyn’s a flat character. I’m not sure if it’s that Felicity Jones is a bad fit for the part - they needed someone who did a lot of non-verbal acting and that ain’t her - but her character is choppily written at best, and wavers back and forth between passive and active in a way that just feels awkward when it abruptly switches. You have a bunch of character-establishing moments - trying to flee her rescuers, saving the little girl in Jedha, beating and gunning down stormtroopers, resenting Saw for abandoning her - and they just don’t fit together. At points, it seems like she’s a deer in the headlights, which makes some sense - she’s not a soldier, she’s not used to battle, to death striking suddenly and brutally - but it again swings back and forth and there’s no key determining factor beyond the immediate needs of the plot. And yet she knows her way around a blaster, she goes after that child (which is just wildly out of place and used as an excuse for Cassian to shoot one of Saw’s men, precipitating the group’s capture), she’s quite brave under fire. She’s established as initially cynical and apathetic about the Rebellion - for understandable reasons, though Cassian also rightly calls her out for wallowing in self-pity, which she clearly takes to heart.

Her transformation from reluctant accomplice to Rebel leader just doesn’t really follow.  A scene where she spoke with, say, Chirrut and Baze (maybe with Bodhi popping in) about their reasons for fighting the Empire, and she explicitly confronted her desperate need to redeem her father’s legacy and exonerate him from horrible crimes would have been a tremendous help, would have given Baze and Chirrut more depth (digging into their past service as guardians, their grief and Baze’s rage at the destruction of their home), and would have given some reason for the ‘little sister’ comment, which just feels so out of place because they don’t have that kind of relationship. I’m probably going to write this scene, honestly. At that point, speaking up about the need to strike Scarif makes more sense. Maybe another actress better conveys Jyn’s desperation and makes her sound less inexplicably confident. She’s not idealistic enough for that, change of heart or not. Fewer motivational speeches from her would have been a good idea. The one in the shuttle is the best fit - it’s full of desperation and anxious resolve. She’s addressing her men, not the leaders of the Rebellion. Basically, somebody else needs to back her case in front of the council. Hell, maybe Chirrut could have backed her up. That would have been another moment to establish their relationship. Jyn’s the primary protagonist, but she’s also not a conventional hero, and the film did not commit to that as it did with, say, Cassian. 

- Honestly, that’s the movie’s biggest flaw. It drags a bit, but I’m not sure what I would really cut. The trading port scene is vital to establish Cassian. The jailbreak was apparently largely a product of the reshoots, and that was absolutely a good call. The Jedha stuff needs to happen to launch the plot. The Eadu stuff needs to happen to raise the stakes, stage the Cassian/Jyn conflict, and kill off Galen. I *guess* the first Yavin 4 scene wasn’t entirely necessary, but it would be hard to do without it, and it does a lot of worldbuilding for the ANH-era Rebellion. 

- The movie isn’t terribly interested in preserving the scale of the GFFA - unless Eadu, Scarif, and Yavin 4 are within the same star cluster or something, the Rebel forces have at most a few hours travel time and that does’t make much sense. It’s not that Star Wars has ever cared about those kinds of logistics (save a few novels), but somehow the planet jumping makes it more obvious.

- The space battle is still astounding, and the Pacific Front-inspired beach scenes aren’t far behind. Just the perfect use of CGI, practical effects, and storytelling to create truly spectacular scenes. Also nice to see Rebel women pilots, though they pretty much all die.

- Bodhi has the most complete and coherent character arc, and given the time constraints, it’s actually a pretty good one. His sacrifice is poignant, even if his death is surprisingly pedestrian (which is by no means a bad thing - it adds a layer of realism to the combat that people just die). K2-SO has something resembling an arc. Cassian is the deepest character, even if a few more exchanges with Jyn or Bodhi or Chirrut could have helped make his inner conflicts more explicit. His relationship with Jyn actually worked better for me the second time around, but it has the overall vibe of ‘almost’ or ‘what if’ as it really should. 

- The movie does a lot of work in terms of world-building, and there’s loads of material for future films or EU media to take advantage of. I’m excited about the new in-between-the-OT Rebellion era. It might be a bit ponderous in the film, but it’s valuable yeoman’s work in the young new canon. 

- Krennic isn’t the most effective antagonist. That’s partially by design - he’s simply outclassed by the likes of Tarkin and Darth Vader. But in a moment where we might be able to explore his complexity with the reveal that his adversary is the daughter of his long-time friend and betrayer Galen he just...doesn’t really react beyond ‘generic Imperial villain’. That was a missed opportunity. More could have been done with him than having Cassian appear and shoot him while Jyn does her deer in the headlights thing again. There’s poetic justice in his being killed by his own life’s work, but it needs to be dwelt upon a bit.  

EDIT: my little brother suggests Jyn pointing out the Death Star rising above the horizon, as Krennic realizes that not only is Tarkin willing to sacrifice the entire base, but that he is expendable. Unlike Jyn, he is not ready for that brutal truth.

- In hindsight, the whole Vader in the corridor thing is a bit less fraught than I thought - the damn data tape is at the partially open exit the whole time, the dude with it just wants to escape. A better scene would be him desperately forcing the door open as his comrades try to slow Vader down, succeeding at the last minute before he’s cut down. All that would have been required is a few shots of the dude trying to force open the door, nothing really complicated. 

- It’s a bit weird that the Tantive IV, with Leia aboard, is waiting for ages inside the disabled Rebel flagship - presumably the data tapes take a while to transfer, but it seems like quite a risk. Plus there’s the ‘transmissions’ line in ANH which is now seemingly in error. Maybe the corvette is waiting on the fringes of the system, giving Leia plausible deniability? But that probably sacrifices the Vader scene, and I’m not sure any of us want that. It’s a hard problem to solve without retconning. 

- The Dr. Evazan/Ponda Baba cameo on Jedha is just not necessary. R2D2 and C3PO are acceptable - they’ve been in every damn movie and they have a reason to be there.  

- It’s a really good heist-cum-war movie, honestly. It’s got weaknesses in terms of characterization, because that’s not Gareth Edward’s real strength. It might not feel like ~Star Wars~ in terms of being magical space opera based on hero’s journey cliches and stronger characterization than plot, and might be missing the ‘magic’ or something, but it’s not supposed to be anything like The Force Awakens. I feel like a lot of the movie’s critics were just expecting ~something else~ and find the genre differences off-putting. I don’t. 

- Saw Gerrera deserved a bit more time - specifically, I think cutting his ‘what will you become’ speech was a mistake, though I’m not sure where it was supposed to fit? He’s a really really great character, honestly, and he’s vital in establishing that the Rebellion is a messy loose coalition of splinter groups who are at this stage very divided in terms of strategy, conviction, and morality. 

- Chirrut is definitely low-level Force sensitive. To an extent, fine, his sharpened sense of hearing explains his physical combat skills. But sensing Jyn’s kyber crystal, reading Bohdi and Jyn, dodging laser blasts, hitting stormtroopers on the beach - he’s not a Jedi, but he doesn’t really have to be. There’s another point of possible connection with Jyn - his faith in the Force would resonate with her memories of her mother. Again, just a handful of lines. Not a huge change. 

- I still think Chirrut and Baze’s relationship is easily interpreted as romantic, whether that was the result of the actors, Edwards, or Kathleen Kennedy, I don’t know. But it’s appreciated and extremely important. 

- Revised rating: 7.5/10. Could have been an 8.5, even a 9 with a more talented character writer and a more compelling primary protagonist. But it’s intensely watchable, really thrilling at points, fits seamlessly into the Star Wars universe, adds emotional impetus to A New Hope and the circuitous journey of the Death Star plans to Yavin 4, and Luke and Han’s subsequent heroism, and has a ton of interesting ideas percolating in the background. 

[fitono]

You Know Inspiration Culture Is Nonsense. So Why Do You Support It?

Ask any trainer about the problems in our industry, and you’ll get a litany of dysfunctions: fitness education, social media, body-image issues, professionalism, misinformation about nutrition and supplementation …

Every trainer has a different list, but we’re unanimous in saying we have issues we need to address.

And yet, none see themselves as part of the problem.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot since September, when I started my Instagram account and found myself in a front-row seat for the biggest dysfunction of all: inspiration culture.

We’re inspired by businesspeople, athletes, actors, and, most of all, fitness personalities. But what exactly do we find inspiring?

It’s not the sacrifices they made to get where they are. We don’t think about how the businessperson put his family aside in favor of a high-stress, low-sleep lifestyle. We don’t think of how the athlete pummeled his body to reach the pinnacle of his sport, or how that damage will leave him with constant pain and potential brain damage for the rest of his life. And we don’t think about the distance between the image the fitness star projects while playing a character on social media and what that person actually did to get into the shape we see on her Instagram page.

This is the Kardashian Effect in full swing. Being wildly popular for flimsy reasons ultimately turns the spotlight to the viewers, who actively support their high profiles with views, subscriptions, likes, and shares, despite nothing of substance ever coming from said profiles.

Is the professional smart to leverage any kind of celebrity? Or is the viewer just silly to succumb to it?

I can’t answer those questions, but I can certainly ask these: When it comes to fitness, what actually inspires you? And why do you find it inspiring?

READ ALSO: “How Much Should a Personal Trainer Keep Personal?”

Do-it-yourself celebrity

We’d be smart to remember that it’s no longer a novelty to be well-known or popular; 24-hour social media has exponentially increased both the supply and demand for celebrities. But it hasn’t increased the value of what those celebrities offer. In fitness, advertising your business in your underwear can get you a big following on social media. But it doesn’t make you a better trainer.

Nor does having fame as a fitness personality make you qualified to spout endless life advice on your wall.

Another way to get a big following: Endorse extreme or polarizing exercise goals or training methods. As with politics or religion, you can draw a lot of like-minded people. Or, turning it around, you can write off basic, innocent physique goals as “body insecurity.”

In every case, we need to apply a modicum of critical thinking before we follow one of the fitness personalities I just described. We have to ask what the long-term effects of his or her advice will be.

Are the go-hard-or-go-home proselytes who eat, sleep, and breathe this stuff really promoting a healthy, fitness-focused lifestyle? How will someone who lives by a “walk in, crawl out” gym mantra feel about that choice when he’s 85?

READ ALSO: “Forget About Setting Goals. Do This Instead.”

The blind leading the blind?

Imagine this: You’re out to dinner with someone who stops the conversation every five minutes to assure you he isn’t crazy. Even if the thought hadn’t occurred to you before, wouldn’t you begin to think that maybe he is a little crazy?

Now think about the behavior that so many of us consider “inspiring.” How much of it, in a different context, might be seen as cries for help?

Instead of gauging someone’s fitness expertise by the glossy, high-resolution images they post to say their life is so amazing, or by the level of nudity they display on their public profiles, or by their constant admonitions to be happy or respect yourself, ask yourself if there’s any substance behind their advice and rhetoric. What can you apply to your own life or workouts? What supports your lifelong goals?

And what happens when the person who thinks he has life figured out because he PR’d his deadlift and dialed in his nutrition hits a few bumps in the road? It can be painful to watch when the vital elements of your identity are no longer there. It’s that much harder if you’ve built a brand around that particular persona. You’re like an athlete who’s only useful in the absence of a career-ending injury.

Yet time and again I see examples of popular fitness-industry personalities abusing their bodies, be it through training methods, dietary habits, supplementation, or obsessive mental behavior.

Each time, intentionally or otherwise, they’re “inspiring” scores of recreational trainees ready to follow suit.

READ ALSO: “How to Make Sure You Aren’t One of the Bad Trainers Ruining Our Profession”

Inspiration culture is flawed

It’s plain and simple: Anyone can become an “influencer,” but every influence ain’t positive. I can personally relate plenty of examples of people who started out with healthy goals and good intentions, but ultimately went down a slippery slope of insecurity, imbalanced thinking, and an overall lack of perspective that transcended “fitness.”

If you want to know if you’re susceptible, start by answering the questions I asked earlier:

When it comes to fitness, what actually inspires you?

Why do you find it inspiring?

Taking the time to figure out what inspires you to hit the gym can help you develop some long-term perspective. What puts you on the path to better lifelong health, and what could potentially damage it?

And for the record, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with being motivated or inspired by someone lifting a ton of weight. Or by someone with a hell of a physique to show for all their efforts in the weight room. Or by a top-tier athlete doing what he or she does best. Or even a clip or quote of someone preaching the gospel of self-love.

We all need to have a few of those workouts that feel like we’re not gonna make it out of the gym alive. We all need to give ourselves an occasional kick in the pants by tightening up our nutrition, and we all need a reminder that it’s okay to feel confident in our own skin.

But there’s a big difference between seeing and experiencing these things once in a while, and seeing and experiencing them every single day.

And when that culture invades your newsfeed, and you surround yourself with people who share and amplify it, you’re part of the problem. You’re supporting people whose influence is based on dangerous practices and bad advice; you’re helping to normalize those things among people who look to you for advice and encouragement; and you may even be heading into that vicious cycle yourself.

Which isn’t exactly inspiring, is it?

A version of this article originally appeared on the author’s website.

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