Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

[Kromm]

Carrie Fisher looks pretty young and thin in that poster. I know she was asked to lose weight for the return but Leia looks closer to her appearance in the original trilogy than most recent pics of Fisher. If she did get herself looking like that... kudos to her and her trainer.

I dunno. It's hard to tell. I've seen photos that SEEM recent with her looking puffy and large, and others where she seems a lot thinner. She doesn't look young in any of them, but it's just the difference between old lady skinny and old lady large.

 

This however is her in April 2015...  (she's sitting down though, so you can't totally see her middle)

 

 

For contrast, here's her in a shot that it's easy to pinpoint as an event in May 2014 (it's something called The Hay Festival, in Wales and the photo is tagged with the date).

 

Of course that movie poster is not only idealizing her... it's also only showing her face and neck.

[scarynikki12]

I don't have a link but I enjoyed the new trailer.  I'm also weirdly amused at how hard it is to get tickets online (as I sit at my computer with five tabs open trying to get Fandango to work). 

[VCRTracking]

Edited October 20, 2015 by VCRTracking

[Ronin Jackson]

No real look at Luke in the trailer either... Great trailer... it doesn't reveal too much and it's got me pretty excited to see it. Nice to see Leia... they definitely de-aged her in the poster.

[Wynterwolf]

That was fantastic, it's going to be hard waiting for December.  

[benteen]

I wish they weren't keeping Luke under wrap till December and they ripped off Guardians and Game of Thrones in the beginning (Who are you?  No one) but I really enjoyed it.  The action was really impressive and I was glad to see Han and Leia together in one scene.  Visually looks great and hyperspace looks AMAZING.

[blixie]

Han + Leia = ALL THE FEELS

 

Also great to at least HEAR Lupita's space pirate even if we didn't see her? I assume that was Ren in the first shot, but I guess it could be Maz Kanta.

 

If only Michigan States greatest finish to college ball game in history hadn't depleted my EXCITE reserves. Not stopping me from rewatching though and it gets better with each viewing. 

 

I don't think I am mentally prepared to fight the ticket fight tonight, and besides my theaters aren't playing nice so fuck it.

[SnoGirl]

I am so excited for this movie!!! That trailer was awesome. I loved the mix of the new characters and the old characters. I still wish we had seen more female characters in the trailer, but I'll take those amazing scenes of Rey and Leia.

It just looks so incredibly massive. I know there were real sets built, but the scenes on the alien planets were beautiful cgi too.

The two lines of "There are stories about what happened," and "It's true, all of it," was probably my favorite moment during the trailer. I got the biggest goofiest grin on my face.

Edited October 20, 2015 by SnoGirl

[lion10]

OMG that looks so good.  I love every minute of it, especially the second of Luke that we got.  I'm feeling Rey and Finn and it's so good to see Han and Leia again!  That said, I really want to know what's been going on for the past 20 years in the Star Wars universe.  Both Vader and Sidious die, the second Death Star is destroyed and...what?  The snake's head was chopped off so why is the body still living?  Shouldn't there have been mass panic and shouldn't Luke, Leia, and Han have pressed their advantage against a severely weakened Empire?

[VCRTracking]

Every time I see that shot of Leia hugging Han being sad I start to tear up too.

[Kromm]

No real look at Luke in the trailer either... Great trailer... it doesn't reveal too much and it's got me pretty excited to see it. Nice to see Leia... they definitely de-aged her in the poster.

I actually think that trailer reveals quite a LOT if you read it right. Not too much, but enough to get some sense of certain things.

 

1.) We see Rey with Han (along with Finn) and while you can't say for sure from the way they're speaking that they don't know each other, at the very least you get a 100% confirmation that she's only now being informed of the reality of the Jedi.  Which means that whoever's kid she is (assuming it's anyone important) she wasn't raised by someone with that knowledge. Unless there was a hell of a motive for the whole idea of the Jedi to be kept hidden and driven into the realm of legend even to their kids. It doesn't track that way really. It argues that unless they come up with some plot of her having been fostered or a lost child, she's not a Solo, or a Skywalker.

 

That said, there's a possible parallel with Luke himself.  She's on a desert planet with the suggestion she'd been metaphorically buried there, and Luke was on a desert planet and we KNOW he was buried there (to protect him).

 

2.) We get confirmation that Finn isn't just coincidentally in a Stormtroopers outfit. He really was one.

 

3.) That tomb raiding figure at the beginning LOOKS like Rey, but I wonder if that's a misdirect. It could be Luke for all we know.  That said, there's zero doubt that's Luke touching R2 later in the trailer. So we've got that for certain.

 

4.) That "the force is calling to you" does not really sound like Carrie Fisher. Am I wrong there?  If not though, it would mean there's at least one female Force user besides her (presumably a baddie? So... Phasma?) EDIT - actually on third or fourth listen that COULD be Carrie. I honestly can't tell.

Edited October 20, 2015 by Kromm

[Wynterwolf]

 

4.) That "the force is calling to you" does not really sound like Carrie Fisher. Am I wrong there?  If not though, it would mean there's at least one female Force user besides her (presumably a baddie? So... Phasma?) EDIT - actually on third or fourth listen that COULD be Carrie. I honestly can't tell.

 

Didn't sound like Carrie Fisher to me either, and I think it makes sense for it to be someone from 'the other side' to set Rey up for having to make a choice.  

[Kromm]

Well we know the whole "there will only be two force using baddies" rule has been tossed out... mainly because it was one of Lucas' stupidest "inventions". So yeah, it makes sense there could be some force using woman running around.  Which makes at LEAST three, because we know that Kylo Ren is another, and allegedly Ren has a boss, Snoke (he's the one who says that "There has been an awakening, have you felt it" line in the teaser from last year).

[Kromm]

BB8 seems a LITTLE worried about the number of Tie Fighters they're going to be facing...

 

[calliope1975]

4.) That "the force is calling to you" does not really sound like Carrie Fisher. Am I wrong there?  If not though, it would mean there's at least one female Force user besides her (presumably a baddie? So... Phasma?) EDIT - actually on third or fourth listen that COULD be Carrie. I honestly can't tell.

 

Is it Lupita? Or is she the voice at the beginning talking to Rey?

[Ronin Jackson]

Yeah that is probably Luke with the robot hand, but they've avoided showing his face. I'm guessing he'll have a nice Obi Wan beard.

[Kromm]

Is it Lupita? Or is she the voice at the beginning talking to Rey?

You know I had been thinking Gwendoline Christie for the second female VO, but I don't know why Gwendoline Christie wouldn't be doing her own natural accent for this movie. As we know, most of the people who work for the Empire (and presumably their offshoots) seem to mysteriously have British accents (well, other than Vadar).

I will say this though. WHAT is being said sounds FAR more Jedi than Sith or their offshoots. The woman says "The Force, it's calling to you... just let it in". Nothing about feeling your anger, or any of that other jazz the Dark Side force people say. So maybe it IS Leia, whether than sounds like what we expect Carrie Fisher's voice to sound like or not. Certainly from a story perspective it makes sense, since we can clearly see that Finn (who's most likely being told this) and Leia will be at the same base at the same time.

The first VO definitely is Lupita. Zero doubt. It has those lilting up-sounds in it that are markers for her accent.

 

Yeah that is probably Luke with the robot hand, but they've avoided showing his face. I'm guessing he'll have a nice Obi Wan beard.

Hamill was sporting a big ol' beard for some of his appearances over the past year.  Bushy though... not as elegant as anything Alec Guinness would wear. Edited October 20, 2015 by Kromm

[Jediknight]

8.) Daisy Ridley's Rey is the daughter of Han and Leia - Not only not crazy, but almost a lock IMO. She just looks too much like young Carrie for it to be a casting coincidence.  Now obviously they could also spin her as Luke's daughter instead, and the resemblance would be inferred from their grandmother I guess, but Rey is certainly no random plugged in character. Also, the name "Rey Solo" sounds right (although I suppose if they contrive some split between Leia and Han it could be "Rey Organa" too).

I think she's Luke's daughter.  There's no doubt a Skywalker is a parent, and despite what they say about Luke's voiceover just being for the trailer, I think he's saying it in the movie to Rey.

 

I am ready for this movie.

[lion10]

Well we know the whole "there will only be two force using baddies" rule has been tossed out... mainly because it was one of Lucas' stupidest "inventions". So yeah, it makes sense there could be some force using woman running around. Which makes at LEAST three, because we know that Kylo Ren is another, and allegedly Ren has a boss, Snoke (he's the one who says that "There has been an awakening, have you felt it" line in the teaser from last year).

See I thought that rule made sense. The Sith are too prone to rage and subterfuge compared to the Jedi to make having large amounts of Sith sustainable, like a fire with too little fuel, they'd burn themselves out.

[Kromm]

I think she's Luke's daughter.  There's no doubt a Skywalker is a parent, and despite what they say about Luke's voiceover just being for the trailer, I think he's saying it in the movie to Rey.

 

I am ready for this movie.

I assume you mean the teaser (Teaser #2 actually, from April) since what we're seeing now is what's technically the first trailer. The difference between teasers and trailers being kind of vague I guess, but that's what each of them has been labeled.

"The Force is strong in my family" certainly is about someone beyond Leia (one of the original uses of it), but that's also where the Kylo Ren theories are coming from (the ones that don't have him as Palpatine's kid or grandson). The idea being Luke having a kid, who's raised to the dark side (explaining also why Ren is talking to Vader's helmet--because presumably he's been raised to know that relationship and revere it). Or a theory I've never seen but which just occurred to me. We have clones. While Kylo Ren doesn't LOOK like a clone of Anakin, one wonders if they might have made him some genetic adaptation of him to make THAT point. Or a clone/or even more likely an artificially made child of Luke himself (again, despite the lack of resemblance) because a big ol' piece of Luke perhaps could have survived being cut off with a lightsaber and falling to a planet and been used for either cloning or gene splicing.

Anyway, the point is that if there's some confrontation between Luke and this person at the end of the film, him saying what he's saying would make natural sense (and also pave the way for his death, if that's the rug they pull out from under us instead of Han dying). Luke murdered by his own child (or possibly brother, but child makes more sense dramatically). But both make sense, because while Luke's missing hand is the genetic material for him, the fact that the baddies have Vader's helmet means that's the genetic material they would have needed for Anakin/Vader--because presumably even a burnt husk from that funeral pyre might have had recoverable DNA.

Mind you, this only tracks so well as a theory because cloning, and therefore perhaps other DNA modification, is already such an established part of Star Wars (even if it wasn't made overt inside the original trilogy).

Edited October 20, 2015 by Kromm

[VCRTracking]

 

Well we know the whole "there will only be two force using baddies" rule has been tossed out... mainly because it was one of Lucas' stupidest "inventions". So yeah, it makes sense there could be some force using woman running around.  Which makes at LEAST three, because we know that Kylo Ren is another, and allegedly Ren has a boss, Snoke (he's the one who says that "There has been an awakening, have you felt it" line in the teaser from last year).

It's Lupita and I don't think she's a bad guy. I think her character is on the poster if you look hard enough.

 

The "Rule of Two" only applies to the Sith and not to other dark Force users. The Clone Wars series, which Lucas had a lot of input in introduced the Nightsisters:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq80K_yfTcU

Edited October 20, 2015 by VCRTracking

[Kromm]

It's Lupita and I don't think she's a bad guy. I think her character is on the poster if you look hard enough.

I suppose the female voice at the head of the trailer could be the same one as the voice at the end. The echo on the later voice makes it really hard to tell. The FIRST voice is definitely Lupita. It's only the last voice I'm not as sure about. What COULD be that same lilting tone that Lupita has might be in there under that echo/reverb. I had to play it back a few more times though to hear it.

[Danny Franks]

I'm quite happy to know no more about this movie than I do now. It's one where I will avoid being spoiled, like the plague. The trailers have been spot on in terms of whetting the appetite and I just don't think anyone going in will appreciate the movie more if they've read up on whatever spoilers are out there. A friend of mine smugly claims to have read the entire script, which was leaked online. My question? Why? How will that improve his enjoyment when he gets to see the movie?

 

This new trailer is just getting me more excited. Hints about characters without confirming anything and focusing mostly on the visual touchstones of Star Wars. I'm not even speculating, just thinking, 'wow, that looks amazing', 'wow, Daisy Ridley is really pretty', 'hey, it's Han Solo again!'

 

Literally the only thing I'm currently wondering about is the connection between Rey and Poe Dameron. There must be one, to have BB-8 with her on the planet, and then later (presumably) with him on his X-Wing. Unless Rey becomes an X-Wing pilot herself. Or that's a different yet identical droid. Love interest? Big brother? Platonic buddy?

 

The snake's head was chopped off so why is the body still living?

 

 

Because the Empire wasn't a snake? It was a galaxy-wide despotic military government, with multiple senior officers and officials who did the Emperor's bidding. Just because he's gone doesn't mean they would all give up on their galaxy-wide despotic military government. They'd just vie for power and form rival factions. My assumption is that one of those factions won out, and that's who the enemy is in this movie.

 

Just because Lucas shoved some silly, CGI, 'galaxy celebrates and throws off the shackles of oppression' scenes into his special edition of ROTJ, doesn't mean it makes sense for an organisation this vast to disappear because its figurehead is gone.

[VCRTracking]

 

Just because Lucas shoved some silly, CGI, 'galaxy celebrates and throws off the shackles of oppression' scenes into his special edition of ROTJ, doesn't mean it makes sense for an organisation this vast to disappear because its figurehead is gone.

 

 

That ending works if ROTJ had been the final chapter of the saga. The first Star Wars movie from 1977 had been was still satisfying to people even though Darth Vader was still alive and the Empire still around.

Edited October 20, 2015 by VCRTracking

[Spartan Girl]

The new trailer is AMAZING. I love that we are all in the dark for once. Squee at seeing Han and Leia!

Fingers crossed that Rey is Luke's daughter!

Edited October 20, 2015 by Spartan Girl

[SNeaker]

The two lines of "There are stories about what happened," and "It's true, all of it," was probably my favorite moment during the trailer. I got the biggest goofiest grin on my face.

 

See, I dunno, this whole concept bothers me. Even though I can let go of the books (much of which I didn't like and ignored anyway) I need to feel like the end of Return of the Jedi ushered in an era of peace and prosperity and a new Jedi order based on Luke (and Leia) and Leia and Han's future children. The idea that not that long in the future people don't even know it all happened is bizarre to me.

 

I feel like I kind of wish this story was taking place even further in the future, like centuries even, with no Han/Leia/Luke at all, and so it's ok for that time period to be kind of shrouded in myth and mystery and the legends of these great historic heroes, but why so soon after it have people forgotten if nothing changed after the triumph at the end of the original trilogy?

 

I know I'm probably overthinking it, but this is why I've been ambivalent since they announced the new movies. No, nothing could be worse than the prequels, but the prequels were backstory. They couldn't ruin the original trilogy  or the original characters for me the way the new movies can.

[absnow54]

See, I dunno, this whole concept bothers me. Even though I can let go of the books (much of which I didn't like and ignored anyway) I need to feel like the end of Return of the Jedi ushered in an era of peace and prosperity and a new Jedi order based on Luke (and Leia) and Leia and Han's future children. The idea that not that long in the future people don't even know it all happened is bizarre to me.

I can understand why Luke, someone who is very impulsive and lets emotions guide him, and also who had less than a year of Jedi training might not be successful in restoring the Jedi order. And if he's in the throws of some self-imposed banishment, because, hey, that's what Yoda and Obi Wan did when they fucked up, I can understand why people Rey and Finn's age wouldn't quite know the full story. Because to most of the rebellion, Luke wasn't a Jedi. He was a farm kid who was a pretty great pilot, and, okay, he got a little weird towards the end, but war's tough man. Only Han, Leia, and Lando (and the rest of the falcon crew) really saw the Jedi Knight side of Luke, and they would hold onto his secret if that's what he wanted.

 

My issue is that it feels like A New Hope all over again with Rey and Finn stepping into Luke's shoes, and Han Solo, remarkably taking on Obi Wan's task (I actually love this, it's absolutely perfect. HAN SOLO IS LEADING A GROUP OF KIDS ON A BLIND MISSION INTO THE FORCE! That is the most stunning character development I've ever seen.) I feel like there should be a new story to tell, but instead, it looks like we might be we're hearing the same story all over again. 

 

I know I'm probably overthinking it, but this is why I've been ambivalent since they announced the new movies. No, nothing could be worse than the prequels, but the prequels were backstory. They couldn't ruin the original trilogy  or the original characters for me the way the new movies can.

Well except for Darth Vader.

[nobodyyoucare]

 

The "Rule of Two" only applies to the Sith

Also the Sith could interpret that in many ways. One Master one apprentice who would become a master by disposing of his master but there could be a lot of students of the master or the apprentice. Also not every dark side user of the force was a Sith. There were also different factions of Sith. 

 

 

Both Vader and Sidious die, the second Death Star is destroyed and...what?  The snake's head was chopped off so why is the body still living?  Shouldn't there have been mass panic and shouldn't Luke, Leia, and Han have pressed their advantage against a severely weakened Empire?

You had all the Admirals, Grand Admirals, Moffs, Planetary governors etc. Just like throughout history the military, criminal elements etc would all start to organize into factions to fight one another, fight the rebels etc. Then because the Empire had broken apart you would have various alien races, other gov'ts who had been previously kept in check taking advantage of the chaos by  doing invasions, raids etc. So the rebels may have to step in rather then fight various Empire factions who may want peace with the rebels to deal with internal matters in the factions sphere of influence. . 

Edited October 20, 2015 by nobodyyoucare

[SNeaker]

I can understand why Luke, someone who is very impulsive and lets emotions guide him, and also who had less than a year of Jedi training might not be successful in restoring the Jedi order. And if he's in the throws of some self-imposed banishment, because, hey, that's what Yoda and Obi Wan did when they fucked up, I can understand why people Rey and Finn's age wouldn't quite know the full story. Because to most of the rebellion, Luke wasn't a Jedi. He was a farm kid who was a pretty great pilot, and, okay, he got a little weird towards the end, but war's tough man. Only Han, Leia, and Lando (and the rest of the falcon crew) really saw the Jedi Knight side of Luke, and they would hold onto his secret if that's what he wanted.

 

My issue is that it feels like A New Hope all over again with Rey and Finn stepping into Luke's shoes, and Han Solo, remarkably taking on Obi Wan's task (I actually love this, it's absolutely perfect. HAN SOLO IS LEADING A GROUP OF KIDS ON A BLIND MISSION INTO THE FORCE! That is the most stunning character development I've ever seen.) I feel like there should be a new story to tell, but instead, it looks like we might be we're hearing the same story all over again.

But if there was no, like, reinstatement of the Jedi and a new hope with the eventual Skywalker/Solo offspring redeeming the Skywalker name, then it makes a lot of the original trilogy kind of bogus. So they won, but...eh, it was kind of temporary, they didn't really succeed in rebuilding anything either Jedi wise or galactic republic wise. So why should we believe it if this trilogy ends with the bad guys defeated again if we know the good guys may not actually accomplish anything.

 

Anyway, right now my working theory is that Luke fell to the dark side and Han and Leia sent their daughter away (or someone else did and told them she died) to a desert planet to protect her from being corrupted by Luke. So it's the same story all over again with a girl in the lead (the way Lucas originally intended.)

Edited October 20, 2015 by SNeaker

[Kromm]

See, I dunno, this whole concept bothers me. Even though I can let go of the books (much of which I didn't like and ignored anyway) I need to feel like the end of Return of the Jedi ushered in an era of peace and prosperity and a new Jedi order based on Luke (and Leia) and Leia and Han's future children.

That didn't even happen in those books. The very first books out in that expanded universe thing were (although not exactly the same as what we're getting now) the SAME idea--an Imperial Remnant still around and at war with our heroes. Then although they resolved that eventually, the rest of the books had war after war with all kinds of things, ranging from alien empires to OTHER Imperial Remnants.

Anyway, right now my working theory is that Luke fell to the dark side and Han and Leia sent their daughter away (or someone else did and told them she died) to a desert planet to protect her from being corrupted by Luke. So it's the same story all over again with a girl in the lead (the way Lucas originally intended.)

But that seems to betray the whole idea of the Trilogy. I can easily accept a set of sequels where the Empire is not gone and the Rebellion hasn't won. But Luke going over to the Dark Side is different. That's a betrayal of the original premise. Luke wasn't Anakin. It's the only way we can justify the prequels even existing--that what happened in those is not inevitable.

That's why I think Luke's role is more like Ben's. To hide in the shadows protecting something. Admittedly that seems like an odd decision in a universe not totally Empire dominated anymore, but there probably will be reasons.

[SNeaker]

That didn't even happen in those books. The very first books out in that expanded universe thing were (although not exactly the same as what we're getting now) the SAME idea--an Imperial Remnant still around and at war with our heroes. Then although they resolved that eventually, the rest of the books had war after war with all kinds of things, ranging from alien empires to OTHER Imperial Remnants.

 

 

But they were setting up the New Republic at the same time. So yes, there were still remnants to fight and all that (and I quit before the Yuuzzhan whatever thing), but they were still building something at the same time. The trailer implies that nothing got built. If Rey is either Luke's or Leia's daughter, then what I'm seeing is that with everything they fought for in the original trilogy, they couldn't even build a better future long enough to raise their own children. (Though maybe we're all wrong and she's actually a grandchild -- the ages would make more sense, tbh.)

 

 

But that seems to betray the whole idea of the Trilogy. I can easily accept a set of sequels where the Empire is not gone and the Rebellion hasn't won. But Luke going over to the Dark Side is different. That's a betrayal of the original premise. Luke wasn't Anakin. It's the only way we can justify the prequels even existing--that what happened in those is not inevitable.

 

Well, I agree, but I wouldn't put it past them. I trust no one.

Edited October 20, 2015 by SNeaker

[jcin617]

The idea that not that long in the future people don't even know it all happened is bizarre to me.

Even in the original "Star Wars", though, the Jedi had been gone long enough that there were folks who doubted.  Han Solo was originally skeptical about the Force and such, even though at the height of the Clone Wars the Jedi were everywhere.

[SNeaker]

Yes, but that was during the age of the Empire, after Palpatine and Vader deliberately wiped out the Jedi and all memory of them.

[absnow54]

And in that case, the Jedi had only been gone for 20 years. Chewie had partied with them. Han Solo was probably a teenager by that point. Was that sloppy writing, or was the implication that Han knew of the gang of crazies who fought with laser swords instead of guns, but didn't believe in the Force aspect. I guess before the fall of the Jedi, there was already a faction of the galaxy who doubted their ability, and when they were overthrown, that led to even more skepticism. 

[lion10]

That didn't even happen in those books. The very first books out in that expanded universe thing were (although not exactly the same as what we're getting now) the SAME idea--an Imperial Remnant still around and at war with our heroes. Then although they resolved that eventually, the rest of the books had war after war with all kinds of things, ranging from alien empires to OTHER Imperial Remnants.

 

It did happen in the first few books, but it certainly didn't take 20+ years for the New Republic to become dominant.  The time gap is so large, imo, that it needs a really good explanation for why the Galaxy appears to have been in stasis.  Apparently, Luke hasn't bothered setting up a temple on Yavin 4 or anything Jedi related.

 

As for people saying that Luke turned to the dark side, I don't think that's the direction the movie will go.   At the climax of Return of the Jedi, Luke briefly gives in to the dark side to defeat Vader, but then rejects it (and Sidious) when he's given the chance to kill his father.  Why undo that beautiful moment with another Skywalker making an offscreen journey to the dark side?

[Kromm]

It did happen in the first few books, but it certainly didn't take 20+ years for the New Republic to become dominant.  The time gap is so large, imo, that it needs a really good explanation for why the Galaxy appears to have been in stasis.  Apparently, Luke hasn't bothered setting up a temple on Yavin 4 or anything Jedi related.

 

As for people saying that Luke turned to the dark side, I don't think that's the direction the movie will go.   At the climax of Return of the Jedi, Luke briefly gives in to the dark side to defeat Vader, but then rejects it (and Sidious) when he's given the chance to kill his father.  Why undo that beautiful moment with another Skywalker making an offscreen journey to the dark side?

Well also it ruins Luke being a mirror of Anakin. So the logical path for him is to be that mirror, but also a parallel to Ben Kenobi. If Luke is a grumpy bearded old recluse keeping a slightly distant eye on a Jedi spawn? That's Ben. That's also why I think it's possible it's HIS death at the end of the movie and not Han's. Another Ben parallel (and the explanation for the scene with Leia and Han in the trailer).

That said, I still have doubts if it's as simple as him keeping an eye on Rey and her being the Jedi Spawn. It could be an imperfect parallel, which is where some of the theories I espoused with Kylo Ren, and him perhaps being some genetically engineered Skywalker son or grandson, come into play. Setting up another mirroring, so to speak, but this one forward a generation instead of back to Anakin.

Edited October 20, 2015 by Kromm

[Crs97]

A friend of mine smugly claims to have read the entire script, which was leaked online. My question? Why? How will that improve his enjoyment when he gets to see the movie?

Speaking for myself, I can't handle the tension of action-packed movies very well. I cannot handle torture or, frankly, just people being mean to others. I don't like loud, sudden noises (pop a balloon and watch me jump) so going to movies like this is hard. Hubby took me to the first Hobbit and decided just to go to the next two by himself because I was buried in his shoulder the whole time. I have had to leave the theater entirely before. Once I know where I need to close my eyes and ears, I am fine. Until then, I struggle a lot! I don't want to read the entire script, but my reading a plot summary lets everyone involved enjoy themselves.

[blixie]

 

It's Lupita and I don't think she's a bad guy. I think her character is on the poster if you look hard enough.

 

I agree on both counts, I think the first VO is Lupita, as is the one at the end, "just let it in", and Carrie is the middle part. Because I think Lupita's character is a Jedi, but not a Sith or dark sider, rumors are she's a space pirate which is what Han was, which means she's a morally ambiguous Jedi figure something the Star Wars universe has never really dealt with. I'd like if she were talking to Rey, but I also think if she's truly indifferent to sides/mercenary, she's talking to Poe Dameron, he reads as the Anakin Skywalker we should have got in the prequels and the one described in a New Hope, crazy talented pilot, hot headed, it seems like an obvious Mulligan for Jake/Hayden.

 

 

I can understand why Luke, someone who is very impulsive and lets emotions guide him, and also who had less than a year of Jedi training might not be successful in restoring the Jedi order.

 

Right, and he'd have obvious reservations, since he was so tempted and his father "turned" about the Skywalkers as the appropriate bearers of the flame weather as teachers or students. I am imagining an Empire that had to recede into something like Farscapes Unchartered territories, and are more like....terrorists, because their power locus of Sith has been decimated. There are still a lot of them around, but they stick to their zone. (I guess Serenity kind of had this too)

 

That's why I think it's possible Rey and Finn don't know, because they've grown up away from what ever Galactic Republic does exist, and like was said, most of the details re: Luke/Jedi never made the evening news.  I don't mind the idea that it hasn't fully established itself in one or possibly two generations depending on if Rey is daughter/grand-daughter or Ken a son/grandson. I"m not really sure what the Galactic history curricula looks like across systems, heh. I also wouldn't view it as temporary victory as more INCOMPLETE, Luke et all failing to rejuvenate the Jedi, made sense when there was no living Sith they thought they had to vanquish, Ken will obviously change all that.

[revbfc]

The only thing that is worrying me about this movie is the planet-sized Death Star. We've already had two DS's, why is a an even bigger one not a retread? If it's because the First Order is using the planet and the inhabitants as sentient shields, then I'm cautiously more upbeat. I just can't accept the good guys destroying a whole planet and having it be a "good" thing.

Edited October 20, 2015 by revbfc

[DollEyes]

WOW! That trailer was amazing! Now, that's how you "break the internet," Kim. I do wish there was more of Luke, but if Luke's hand touching R2 is any indication, I think he's still a crucial part of the story. I'm also among those who think that Luke believes that he's failed the Jedi but instead of turning to the Dark Side, he's wallowing in self-pity, has gone into seclusion and will stay there until he's needed again, which hopefully will be way sooner than later.

Edited October 25, 2015 by DollEyes

[nobodyyoucare]

 

I guess before the fall of the Jedi, there was already a faction of the galaxy who doubted their ability, and when they were overthrown, that led to even more skepticism.

Even at the height of the clone wars there were only a few thousand jedi max. Usually the most jedi per planet at any time was one or two. Hence to a lot of beings they were mythical. Also the Jedi had a lot of bad marks then due to Jedi going over the to the dark side. 

 

 

The only thing that is worrying me about this movie is the planet-sized Death Star. We've already had two DS's, why is a an even bigger one not a retread?

The Empire at the end due to the Tarkin doctrine had a real thing for super weapons like the  Death Star. 

 

 

But Luke going over to the Dark Side is different. That's a betrayal of the original premise. Luke wasn't Anakin.

Except he did go over briefly in the EU due to the effects of clone of the Emperor. 

 

 

Even though I can let go of the books (much of which I didn't like and ignored anyway)

So you didn't like the Rouge Squadron books that introduced Grand Admiral Thrawn? Most agree those were about the best EU books and why people are angry most of the EU got tossed. Plus the awesome Tie Fighter game. 

[lion10]

I'm more angry that KOTOR 1 and 2 and Revan and the Exile are no longer canon. That was an awesome story.

[SNeaker]

The Rogue Squadron books were my faves! But they didn't introduce Thrawn, the Zahn trilogy did. Those (the Zahn books) were ok, but more serious and political than I like. To me Star Wars is supposed to also be funny and fun, and that's what I felt like most of the books were missing. The Rogue and Wraith Squadron books were great because they had adventure and humor, and it was actually good that they mostly left out Luke/Leia/Han since most writers couldn't write for them properly.

 

I could take or leave most of the books, but when I picked a new one up at B&N out of curiosity, I was shocked at seeing the whole timeline just gone, even though I knew the old books were no longer going to be considered canon. It's hard to think of Corran, Tycho, Mirax, the book versions of Janson and Wedge, Face, et al just wiped out.

Edited October 20, 2015 by SNeaker

[Ronin Jackson]

I'm not particularly fussy about how the new films affect the legacy of the original films (I do think the prequel films affected it and I don't think RotJ was all that great in the first place) but I don't think they can go down the "Luke's gone to the dark side" route. If only because after the fact, it can only be told to us, not shown to us, and just telling us something we spent 3 films watching a character overcoming was all for nought is bad form. Since we know the Empire was not totally defeated, Luke redeeming Vader and not turning is the biggest triumph of the original trilogy. They can't just blithely undo that in an opening title scrawl.

Edited October 20, 2015 by Ronin Jackson

[jennifer6973]

Personally I loved the Young Jedi Knights series and wanted to be Jaina Solo.

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------

stupid that they got rid of that also.

[Sharpie66]

Salon just posted an excellent article on the fact that TPTB behind this film actually let Carrie Fisher's Leia have crow's feet and greying hair.

[Wynterwolf]

Literally the only thing I'm currently wondering about is the connection between Rey and Poe Dameron. There must be one, to have BB-8 with her on the planet, and then later (presumably) with him on his X-Wing. Unless Rey becomes an X-Wing pilot herself. Or that's a different yet identical droid. Love interest? Big brother? Platonic buddy?

 

 

I am wondering if that space battle happens before the point where Rey and the droid are seen together, since it looks like Poe is captured (possibly during that battle), so there might not be a previous connection between them, though I think it would be cool if there was some sort of distant family connection. 

 

Because I think Lupita's character is a Jedi, but not a Sith or dark sider, rumors are she's a space pirate which is what Han was, which means she's a morally ambiguous Jedi figure something the Star Wars universe has never really dealt with.

 

To be honest, I am hoping we’ll see that ‘force user’ no longer means only Jedi or Sith, so I am totally loving the idea of a force using space pirate.  The Jedi were a social/political/religious construct, so I hope they are finally moving away from the idea that force users are part of a strict binary system.    And while I think the larger moral questions can still be broadly viewed as light vs dark, good vs evil, the reality of individuals is always a lot murkier.

[revbfc]

You know what I loved about the old Extended Universe? It was just cool stories that were canonical to each other, but not to the movies. The "Tarkin Doctrine" seems like a way to explain away the writer's inability to think up something more terrifying than "more Death Stars."

Sure, the old EU parsed other issues, but it was way after fan-wanky debates needed to be put to bed (Kessel run in 12 parsecs, or Han being allowed to step on Jabba's tail because they had that kind of relationship, for examples). This Tarkin Doctrine stuff just seems like they're telegraphing their a explapology.

Edited October 20, 2015 by revbfc

[JessePinkman]

Salon just posted an excellent article on the fact that TPTB behind this film actually let Carrie Fisher's Leia have crow's feet and greying hair.

 

They could have dyed her hair but what could they do about crow's feet? I don't think they should be praised that much since they did insist that she lose weight. They also airbrushed her face and thinned her out even more on the poster. So fuck them a little bit.

[blixie]

 

hey could have dyed her hair but what could they do about crow's feet? I

 

? Digitally erased them? I mean I assume anything you can do with Photoshop you could do with a movie digital image, or even digitally correct film. Carrie appears to be the same weight in the trailer, she was in 2014, if anything it looks like she dropped the weight post shoot. I suppose she could still show up in the next two movies, but I thought this was passing of the torch time and the OG's would play less of an already small role they are playing in Episode VII.

If they did ask her to drop weight though, that's super douchey (though horribly predictable), she's a senior citizen, if the lady wants to eat cocoa nibs to hearts content let her. 

Edited October 20, 2015 by blixie