PBA: There is a Chiyuv to know Kol HaTorah Kula by heart. Rote memorization sounds better for that than most Lomdus.
I understand that chiyuv as being able to answer substantively–not to respond to: “can you please tell me the words of mishna gimmel in perek vov of shabbos”?
I don’t think there is any value in rote memorization at all, and it is worse than watching movies, since it is bittul torah without even getting any relaxation out of it.