Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

[Last Time Lord]

The Emo Kylo Ren Twitter account is everything I never knew I wanted: https://twitter.com/kylor3n

I sincerely thank you for introducing me to this.

[SeanC]

I don't remember seeing Grunberg in Super 8 or either Star Trek movies, though. If he was, the roles were low key or forgettable enough that I've... well... forgotten them.

He was the voice of Kirk's stepfather over the radio in the first Trek.  I don't know about Super 8.

 

Edit:  The IMDb lists him as "Sitcom Actor" in the latter, so presumably on some TV in the background.

Edited December 23, 2015 by SeanC

[Ronin Jackson]

I don't mind there not being a fight scene, but it still boils down to, why The Raid guys there in the first place? They were kind of wasted. I suppose it was just a cameo, but I found it to be a distracting one. Better off just having random aliens in the scene, or unrecognizable actors.

[revbfc]

I don't mind there not being a fight scene, but it still boils down to, why The Raid guys there in the first place? They were kind of wasted. I suppose it was just a cameo, but I found it to be a distracting one. Better off just having random aliens in the scene, or unrecognizable actors.

Perhaps it's set up for an action scene in VIII or IX? Edited December 23, 2015 by revbfc

[Morrigan2575]

I don't mind there not being a fight scene, but it still boils down to, why The Raid guys there in the first place? They were kind of wasted. I suppose it was just a cameo, but I found it to be a distracting one. Better off just having random aliens in the scene, or unrecognizable actors.

Are they recognizable actors? I've never heard of Raid and had to look the actors up. Seems to me that Abrams gave people he knew cameo roles. They certainly aren't A List actors that would take the majority of the audience out of the movie, IMO.

[benteen]

He was the voice of Kirk's stepfather over the radio in the first Trek.  I don't know about Super 8.

 

Edit:  The IMDb lists him as "Sitcom Actor" in the latter, so presumably on some TV in the background.

 

Yeah, Grunberg was supposed to be the engineer that got red shirted in Star Trek but scheduling conflicts led him to just do a voiceover in the movie.

 

Interestingly, while reading Star Wars Wiki, I found out that Grunberg's character was already introduced in the Star Wars Aftermath book that came out a few months ago.  Although his character was 15-years-old in that one.  This is what I was talking about how they are putting the books, comics, etc. under one shared universe with the movies.

Edited December 23, 2015 by benteen

[Ronin Jackson]

Are they recognizable actors? I've never heard of Raid and had to look the actors up. Seems to me that Abrams gave people he knew cameo roles. They certainly aren't A List actors that would take the majority of the audience out of the movie, IMO.

 

They are well known Indonesian actors, and the films they've made with Gareth Evans, The Raid 1 and 2 and Merantau have a huge following in the international action market. So they are not well known to those who don't watch foreign action films but make no mistake, J.J. Abrams put them in there to be recognized by their fans. He's a fan himself I assume, and maybe that's all it's about, he wanted to give them a cameo. And honestly thinking about it some, people who did recognize them probably thought "Oh hell, Han and Chewy are in deep now!"  

 

I suppose it's not dissimilar to Max Von Sydow's role... he's not a household name but well known particularly by international film followers... I mean this guy was first on the map when he was in The Seventh Seal in 1957! He looked ancient in The Exorcist in 1973 but he was actually only in his 40's. But it's still surreal he's still around! Anyway it was surprising to see him get killed off so quickly, and I suppose there was a similar affect with Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhian, to make you think Han and Chewy are in trouble then having them bailed out by the CGI creature. 

 

Rian Johnson is apparently solely responsible for working out the story for the next installment aside from a few vague details J.J. alluded to (I'm guessing major character details such as Finn and Rey's origins), so I doubt minor characters such as these written for major roles. The characters were unremarkable and now largely irrelevant with Han gone.

[VCRTracking]

There was probably a fight scene with the Raid guys filmed but it got cut out to keep it to over two hours.

 

Are they recognizable actors? I've never heard of Raid and had to look the actors up. Seems to me that Abrams gave people he knew cameo roles. They certainly aren't A List actors that would take the majority of the audience out of the movie, IMO.

 

You should definitely check the movies out. They're some of the best action movies in recent years.

 

I may like that bit more in a few years, but right now it feels like it diminished things a bit. Ren could have been done much better (and Poe was just annoying to)

 

 

Aaaaaand that's where you lost me.

Edited December 23, 2015 by VCRTracking

[SeanC]

I saw it for a second time (in 3D this time, because the 10 PM 3D showing was the only one not sold out by the time I got around to ordering tickets).  I don't think a second viewing has really altered my thoughts overall; the derivativeness of much of the plot bothered me less, perhaps since I was already familiar with it.  Abrams has stated that Poe died in the earliest drafts, and honestly, it kind of feels like he should -- not that I don't like Oscar Isaac or anything, he's great, and I'm glad he's got a big franchise part like this, but purely speaking as a movie his return in the third act feels pretty random (also, if those three are meant to be the new "big three", it's weird that I don't think he interacts with Rey at all).

 

My single-biggest nitpick, which I noted on first viewing but forgot to write about earlier:  when Rey and Finn are planning to ambush the people they think are Stormtroopers, Finn claims that gassing them will work because "their helmets filter out smoke, but not toxins."  Why the fuck would anybody design a helmet to do that?  This never gets used, but still.

[Joe]

My single-biggest nitpick, which I noted on first viewing but forgot to write about earlier:  when Rey and Finn are planning to ambush the people they think are Stormtroopers, Finn claims that gassing them will work because "their helmets filter out smoke, but not toxins."  Why the fuck would anybody design a helmet to do that?  This never gets used, but still.

It's possible he was talking about everyday troopers. There are specialist flametroopers and snowtroopers, they would probably have ones that go into toxic environments. I think the old EU did this. It probably costs more to put toxin filters in regular stormtrooper helmets.

[InsertWordHere]

Yes, I thought it was a statement about how much the First Order values the lives of their foot soldiers, as in they don't value them at all. 

[JessePinkman]

I have to disagree. Ren came across as bumbling and weak at times because he was supposed to. He's an ill-tempered, half-trained child who has been unleashed with the full power of the First Order and the Dark Side behind him. That's what's scary about him, in my view. Abrams didn't include two scenes of him acting like the angriest toddler in the world for no reason, and he didn't show the Stormtroopers reacting to it just for laughs. This is who Kylo Ren is, when we meet him. He and Snoke even say it themselves. He isn't yet the villain that they want him to be, unlike Vader who was fully formed from the moment we met him, and never changed until the very end. Kylo Ren has his own arc, and we saw him embarking on that in this movie. He makes mistakes, just like any hero does, and he gets his ass kicked because he's arrogant and ruled by anger.

I agree, he was written and acted like a petulant child, I'm pretty sure that was the whole point. He's not supposed to be legitimately scary or competent. He kills his father and commits self-flaggelation, boy has issues.

Who exactly would these Raid dudes be fighting? Han, Chewie, Rey and Finn aren't exactly hand to hand combatants so I guess they'd be fighting each other? Who wants to see that? I guess Rey could have pummeled them with the Force but that's not exactly martial arts.

Btw types not "the Force" made me think that it's funny that the peacekeeping energy of the universe (at least that's what it appears to me) is called the Force.

One bit I keep forgetting to mention is Finn straight up murdering a Stormtrooper, that seemed terribly counter to his character and arc. They've now established that the Stormtroopers are bred from birth to serve the Empire, they're basically victims and he, the escaped ex-trooper, just wilynily kills them? I get self-preservation but from a storytelling standpoint it left a weird taste in my mouth.

Edited December 23, 2015 by JessePinkman

[nobodyyoucare]

The stormtroopers are conditioned in other words programmed. Finn broke the conditioning but he was always suspect in training since it didn't seem to take like on the others. 

It's possible he was talking about everyday troopers. There are specialist flametroopers and snowtroopers, they would probably have ones that go into toxic environments. I think the old EU did this. It probably costs more to put toxin filters in regular stormtrooper helmets.

Also special ones for low or heavy gravity enviornments, aquatic environments and ones without atmosphere. Even modern armies today have specialized units for certain terrain etc.

[Kromm]

I saw it for a second time (in 3D this time, because the 10 PM 3D showing was the only one not sold out by the time I got around to ordering tickets).  I don't think a second viewing has really altered my thoughts overall; the derivativeness of much of the plot bothered me less, perhaps since I was already familiar with it.  Abrams has stated that Poe died in the earliest drafts, and honestly, it kind of feels like he should -- not that I don't like Oscar Isaac or anything, he's great, and I'm glad he's got a big franchise part like this, but purely speaking as a movie his return in the third act feels pretty random (also, if those three are meant to be the new "big three", it's weird that I don't think he interacts with Rey at all).

 

My single-biggest nitpick, which I noted on first viewing but forgot to write about earlier:  when Rey and Finn are planning to ambush the people they think are Stormtroopers, Finn claims that gassing them will work because "their helmets filter out smoke, but not toxins."  Why the fuck would anybody design a helmet to do that?  This never gets used, but still.

If Poe HAD died maybe his character would have felt less forced/cartoonish. I'm sorry, but I DO put an equal share of that on Isaac's head.  That said, dying off-screen in the crash wouldn't have flown.  He had to visibly die if they did it.

 

The non-toxin filtering of the helmets IS another of those "Convenience, Nay!" moments I mentioned.  Some I can roll with (the "Yay!" ones as I called them) but some are just a hair too silly or unnecessary. Given that Stormtroopers never actually DID invade the ship, there HAD to be a better way to write this. In fact, simply having them panic and hide would have been enough.

[absnow54]

It could have been an interesting bait and switch if the promotion had gone differently. Oscar Isaac isn't a huge name, but he's one of the more recognizable faces in the new cast. They could have set Poe up as the big hero only to have him die in the first 15 minutes and have Finn shoulder the rest of his adventure. I liked Poe and his instant connection with Finn, so I don't mind that he's sticking around, I just don't necessarily see his purpose, since his role in this film was a slightly expanded Wedge Antilles. Maybe they'll find a way to weave him more into the story next time around.

 

I know they were saying the next "Big 3" would be Rey, Finn, and Poe, but I feel like it's actually Rey, Finn, and Kylo Ren. These are the three characters I we're really getting to know, even though one is the "big bad." As someone said above, Vader in the original trilogy was very enigmatic. Even when he was under conflict, we never really saw it the way we did with Kylo Ren, and although it's still unknown whether Kylo's story will be of redemption or tragedy, I think he's the third main character for this trilogy. 

[AshleyN]

The Bad: I suppose I could get shot by anyone who loved him, but I think Oscar Isaac was terrible. Not quite bad enough for the "ugly" category, but pretty damn bad. It just felt like this fake swagger and unearned bravado with no emotional connection behind it.

Yeah, I couldn't disagree more. Considering how minor his part turned out to be I'm surprised at how much of an impression he left on me. Poe really wasn't much of a character, and his return from the dead was weirdly glossed over, but Isaac got me invested in him just through sheer movie star charisma. His little "so who talks first" bit was my "oh, I think I'm going to love this" moment early on. Also, I kind of loved his instant bromance with Finn. Anyways, I'm hoping he gets more to do in the next one.

 

Actually, the only actor I really didn't like in this was Domhnall Gleeson. I get what he was going for, but dude needed to take it down about thirty notches. He felt like a total cartoon, especially next to the more restrained performances the rest of the cast were giving.

 

 

As for the rest of the movie, I really enjoyed it, but I don't have a lot to add that hasn't already been said. I would have liked if it hadn't hit the Episode IV beats quite as hard, but it didn't come close to ruining the experience for me or anything. It got me really invested in the new characters, which was probably the most important job it had. And that ending was the perfect cliffhanger. I loved Rey and was anticipating some interaction between her and Luke the whole movie, but leaving it where they did felt just right and has me super amped for the next one (especially since I'm now totally in the "she's Luke's daughter" camp).

 

I actually think the director choices (for the first two at least) are about right. Abrams was the safe, competent choice that could be trusted to deliver compelling characters, some decent humour and entertaining action and most importantly regain people's faith after the disappointment of the prequels. Whereas I'm hoping that now that they have the audience (for the most part) back on their side, Rian Johnson will be able to deliver something a little more ambitious and less obvious about invoking the originals. Perhaps it's wishful thinking, but I actually wouldn't be surprised if they end up being similar to Episodes IV and V: the first being the fun space romp that draws people (back) into this world, while setting the stage for a grander sequel that can delve deeper into the characters and themes (and becomes generally regarded as the better overall film).

Edited December 23, 2015 by AshleyN

[Kromm]

Yeah, I couldn't disagree more. Considering how minor his part turned out to be I'm surprised at how much of an impression he left on me. Poe really wasn't much of a character, and his return from the dead was weirdly glossed over, but Isaac got me invested in him just through sheer movie star charisma. His little "so who talks first" bit was my "oh, I think I'm going to love this" moment early on. Also, I kind of loved his instant bromance with Finn. Anyways, I'm hoping he gets more to do in the next one.

It might be a matter of individual taste, I guess. I mean I love and appreciate every last thing Harrison Ford does, and it's a similar kind of charm offensive, but there's always a sense with Ford IMO that it's been earned. He's not just charming, he's a scoundrel, and it makes it convincing because immediately he has at least two dimensions. Poe as presented had one, admittedly only so far--but it IS all we're going to get for years--and moments like his chuckling defiance against Ren seem posey and less legit because of that.

 

Actually, the only actor I really didn't like in this was Domhnall Gleeson. I get what he was going for, but dude needed to take it down about thirty notches. He felt like a total cartoon, especially next to the more restrained performances the rest of the cast were given.

I don't totally disagree, but I do think "Tarkin 2.0" is SUCH an inherently limited role (and SHOULD be--knowing more about him would just divert the story) that this dude was just struggling to justify his paycheck. Wish he hadn't felt the need so hard though. The character is just a prop--he should have just accepted it.

 

Speaking of which... Max von Sydow. I seem to be the only one who was rolling eyes at what he turned in,  That little pre-death speech was so... I dunno. Artificial feeling (in writing and execution both). Then again... in and done. We never have to see him again.

 

As for the rest of the movie, I really enjoyed it, but I don't have a lot to add that hasn't already been said. I would have liked if it hadn't hit the Episode IV beats quite as hard, but it didn't come close to ruining the experience for me or anything. It got me really invested in the new characters, which was probably the most important job it had. And that ending was the perfect cliffhanger. I loved Rey and was anticipating some interaction between her and Luke the whole movie, but leaving it where they did felt just right and has me super amped for the next one (especially since I'm now totally in the "she's Luke's daughter" camp).

Not that there aren't plenty of other things I liked, nevertheless it still wouldn't be inaccurate to say Rey (and Daisy Ridley) was the huge saving grace of the film. I don't have enough words of praise for both her acting, and even the way the character was written (and her arc). What I felt was painfully bungled with Ren, any sense of mystery, was beautifully done in the inverse with Rey. And aside from mere likability, what Daisy Ridley brought was a sense of both conviction in the character and deep loneliness. I was doubly surprised because while I steered clear of major spoilers, I'd seen Daisy by now in many interviews and she comes off as a very sunny extrovert. Rey isn't exactly an introvert in contrast (if so more by circumstance rather than preference), and she's not what I'd label as defeated (which would be far more overt pain), but I think we can see the loneliness not just in the sometimes rather sad scenes on Jakku (the best stuff JJ directed IMO), but also in how visibly she blooms when someone bothers to pay attention to her. It's the part of the movie I'm going to remember most.

 

 

I actually think the director choices (for the first two at least) are about right. Abrams was the safe, competent choice that could be trusted to deliver compelling characters, some decent humour and entertaining action and most importantly regain people's faith after the disappointment of the prequels. Whereas I'm hoping that now that they have the audience (for the most part) back on their side, Rian Johnson will be able to deliver something a little more ambitious and less obvious about invoking the originals.

Agreed. I was like "Rian, huh?" when it was announced, but I appreciate the choice now. JJ hardly bungled this overall, but if you look back at my laundry list of my last few posts, I definitely think he showed a lot of limitations as a director and steerer-of-the-movie.  Safe choices, a lot of the "Convenience yay/nay" stuff, and a bit too much pandering to the masses (for example the overuse of the mostly lovely BB8--who was great but who we needed about 75% down to 50% as many cut-aways to for little cutesy jokey moments).

Edited December 23, 2015 by Kromm

[Ronin Jackson]

I'm about to launch into another criticism, but I feel like I have to re-iterate that I liked the movie... especially the new cast including Oscar Isaac... whom I've liked in everything I've seen in unless I was confusing him with David Krumholtz. 

 

I suppose it's a good sign as well that two days after seeing the movie I'm still thinking about it, but it's bothering me more how Rey started using what we assume from the previous installment are advanced force techniques. The telekenesis is something Luke was only just beginning to grasp at the beginning of Empire (he even had to take a moment to concentrate). but Rey can out TK Kylo Ren who has presumably been training in the force for years. The Jedi Mind Trick scene was amusing, but it also was something we'd only previously seen advanced force practitioners use. Rey using it so quickly kind of undercuts the entire focus on training that has been part of the mythology.... and having to train for a long time before being able to do advanced techniques simply makes more sense than the idea that some people who are genetically predisposed can automatically whoop ass with the force.

 

That being said since so much is unknown about her past, maybe there's something that explains it a little better, like she was trained as a young child and forgot or something. Not sure anything would be plausible but I'd prefer an attempt at an explanation than just the idea that some people can use the force just be trying really hard.

[Joe]

My theory is that she's heard about the Jedi and their powers. Suddenly she discovers she is one, so she's going to try to do what the stories say.

[Kromm]

My theory is that she's heard about the Jedi and their powers. Suddenly she discovers she is one, so she's going to try to do what the stories say.

Nah, doesn't feel right to me.

 

My problem with some of the way folks are reacting to this one (I've been critical of big parts of the movie but defending most of the stuff around Rey) is that they seem to be taking most things about Rey at face value. I mean do we ever actually hear her deny she's a Jedi? Or do we see her run scared (at first at least) from the idea of having to actually pick up that lightsaber and DO it?  I wish I had some bootleg video or something I could rewind on (no other reason! I swear!) because I think it's possibly the later, but can't prove it. it fits very well with the idea of someone half-trained when very young, then made afraid of the very idea and told (by some authority figure) to hide out and never reveal herself on a backwater.  It's like the discount version of a Ben Kenobi plan, except something happened to all the people who were supposed to watch over the kid so nobody ever went back. It would be really cold of Luke if this was his kid, so I don't think it's that obvious, so it could be door B (an unnamed Solo twin who everyone presumed was dead--brought to some other part of the galaxy than she was supposed to be in) or door C (a mystery Kenobi grandchild who's parents we never met, who got half-trained by parents in hiding though the events of the whole first trilogy and beyond, who had some really bad luck both on Jakku and after--where poor Rey waited for dead people to come back). 

 

Heck, she could even be what I'd hoped pre-movie that Kylo Ren would be--a kind of clone/genetic construct from Luke or some other Jedi's DNA. Tech we KNOW exists in the Starwarsverse.  It would be interesting if her "family" were scientists, or even something like other constructs/clones (escapees from some Empire or First Order program). 

Getting back to the part about taking Rey at face value, aside from her rejection of the lightsaber there's also her presumed attitude that Luke Skywalker is a myth, etc. There are explanations of her that don't challenge that, but even still there's the possibility that she was just playing wide-eyed and naive for Han Solo's benefit.

[Browncoat]

I don't know about Rey, but if I touched an object and suddenly had visions and flashbacks and all that she saw, I'd drop it like a hot rock and not want to touch it again, either.

 

She did seem genuinely surprised when Han told her that Luke Skywalker was not a myth or a legend but a real person, and the stories that surrounded him were also real.  From that, I can buy that she had heard about things that the Force can do, and from her ability to resist Ren's mind intrusion, figured she could maybe test out the Force and see what she could do.  She was awfully tentative when she first tried to get Daniel Craig to release her using Jedi mind tricks. 

[anna0852]

Maybe it's a case of not knowing what she's *not* capable of?  Like, she's heard stories and rumors about Jedi and their power but doesn't have a solid grasp of the limits or how it's supposed to work. And by not knowing those limits, she's not constrained by them.

 

Or maybe it's the equivalent of a Jedi adrenaline surge. If desperate regular humans can lift cars, who knows what a desperate Force user can do?

[AimingforYoko]

  She was awfully tentative when she first tried to get Daniel Craig to release her using Jedi mind tricks. 

Yeah, doesn't she know with Bond, there's easier ways to persuade him to do stuff?

[MrsR]

My theory is that the Force can do ANYTHING. Well, anything the writers think up at any time they need something to be useful. Or thrill the audience.
 
They have added Force powers as they go along. That lightning stuff the Emperor uses, that would have been mighty useful to demolish the tractor beam or even screw up the interior of the Death Star for awhile but Obi Wan didn't seem to be able to do it. (Cause the writers hadn't thought it up yet) So yeah, some Jedi and Sith are talented in areas that others are not.  
 
So I think that one of Rey's talents is that she is a Force... ah, suck. She absorbs. Yeah that's it, she's an Abzorbaloff! 

 

No really, when Ren uses his powers on her she seems to adapt, learn, and get stronger really quickly. It's not such a wacky idea because that's what the Star Killer does. It absorbs the solar power and then uses it against the system that charges it.  With all the powers that Force sensitive folk have now, this would be a nice new wrinkle, making her quite unique in the previous incarnations of the Force.

 

Oh God I hate that I just gave all this that much thought.

 

PS. The Jedi are only one group of people who study and utilize The Force. They are a sect. There  can be others who are Force sensitive who are not Jedi. Like Leia for instance. Rey can't be a Jedi because there is no longer a Jedi sect, just one lone Jedi in hiding, Luke. But she's gonna be.

Edited December 24, 2015 by MrsR

[Joe]

MrsR, that's an interesting theory. But didn't the Exile from KOTOR II have something similar? I know there was something about force bonds, and taking other people's power for herself.

[Kromm]

All of these are possible sure. But I still think Occam's Razor/KISS (keep it simple, stupid!) aims more in the direction of Rey simply having had training young but she's either consciously or unconsciously denying it. 

 

Sure, an even simpler explanation is just Convenience, Yay! (or Nay!)--in other words that the writers just didn't worry overmuch about this and just let the Force and Force users be whatever it needed to be whenever it needed to be. JJ Abrams is known for writing like that, for sure. That said, Rey's background is not accidentally secret--there's clearly a real intention there and it fits too well into her being or not being a Force user for us to ignore the possibilities that she's simply in denial (suppressing) or lying. I mean she was abandoned as a child, not as a baby. She had a sense of identity, a personality, and potentially a few years of SOMETHING under her belt (the age people get Force powers also seems to vary, but I'd argue Lil' Anakin showed it could happen young and be wildly strong at first). 

 

So I'd say..

1.) scared by the lightsaber and the associated visions (they aren't as simple as her memories--we see LUKE and even some of ANAKIN'S memories).

2.) perhaps fibbing or gently obfuscating when Han is talking about Luke Skywalker. Or she wasn't trained young by him or of his get at all, but some other potential origin like mysterious Kenobi descendants or cloning.

3.) perhaps her opponent, Ren, is just not that good. I talked about how bozoish he seemed in many ways so fine--lets take that at face value. I mean FINN holds him off for a bit, and stupid Wedge 2.0, er... I mean Poe banters with him before finally giving into incompetent torture that takes far too long.  The Jedi Mind Trick is admittedly a surprise as something she pulls off, but we could cover that as Theoretical Force Kiddie Rey seeing it done and so knowing it CAN be done and grown up Rey just getting lucky meeting a weak mind.  And her basically beating Ren, because well... Ren kind of sucks. I mean on some level I can't see how any real analysis of the film comes to a positive conclusion on Ren. Even if you find the character interesting, and thus worthwhile, he kind of operates as a far lower rent Vader--the version who can't get anything right. So why not a barely trained girl beating him?  He's no challenge. I mean he only beat Han because Han walked into being sucker-speared.  If Daddy had even tried to hold off a weapon (not fight per se but at least avoid it) would a wimp like Ren have gotten the job done?  We can only speculate.

 

By the way, apparently the novelisation of the film is out--and it might be worth picking up because it's not by any of the annoying people who did Expanded Universe books (ptui! Especially long winded Zahn!), but by Star Wars Novelization Legend Alan Dean Foster--who novelised the original movie, even though Lucas' name got put on it, and who rocks. And just by it's nature, the Force Awakens novel is going to fill in a lot of these holes. This also makes me hopefully that Foster's early Del Rey original (Splinter of the Mind's Eye) is by osmosis still in continuity, because I am so far more emotionally connected to it than the EU books.

Edited December 24, 2015 by Kromm

[Kromm]

Okay, I haven't read the novelization yet and plan to (because I love Alan Dean Foster) but DID cheat and read this very revealing article about it. Note it's totally spoilery of the book, so click with that in mind (say, for example if you are eager like me, or the reverse, have no plans to read the book, then go ahead and click).

 

http://www.slashfilm.com/star-wars-the-force-awakens-novelization/ 

 

In short, the novel spills that.. (spoiler tagged):

 

The Hosnian system we see destroyed isn't just to kill people on those planets--it's mainly to eliminate the New Republic's FLEET. This is not made clear enough in the movie but apparently is in the book.

 

Snoke is actively scared of Luke Skywalker.  Even the book doesn't say why apparently, but it's more than him being ruthless--it's him being scared.

 

In the book, in the scene where Rey calls Luke's lightsaber to her instead of it going to Ren, he says "It is you” (a line omitted from the film). As much as I don't personally like what this implies... it implies it strongly.

 

Leia went rogue from the New Republic to found the Resistance. In other words while they make it seem like it's just the Rebellion continued, it's not really. Again, very badly explained in the film to make it echo New Hope. The First Order is basically a terrorist organization--not some opposing government (or if it is it's just in the galactic fringe areas)--and the grand story arc is that the New Republic refused to take them seriously. Leia and a few close allies did, and others in the N.R. could only support her covertly.

 

Leia and Han's breakup, as laid out in the book, seems a lot more Leia's fault than the movie was willing to admit. The movie almost made it seems like Han was somehow stubborn or feckless and ran off to deal with his end of the grief, but the book apparently explains that Leia knew something about Snoke and the threat he represented to Ben in particular at some early point and hid the info from Han.

 

Another book, Greg Rucka‘s Star Wars: Before the Awakening is one I doubt (unlike the Foster novelization) that I will read. I like Rucka as a comics guy, but don't really want to read this. But the same article above about the movie novelization stuff includes stuff revealed in Rucka's book too (and it IS all considered "official canon").

 

Finn wasn't just some faceless Stormtrooper. Rucka's book insists he was exceptional and a favorite protege of Phasma's.

 

Rey is a gamer. Yes, you read that right--a gamer. Apparently even desert rats can play video games and that's part of how she's a good pilot. A little eye-rolly because I have trouble believing sims on that dustbowl could be that detailed, but... whatever.

 

Poe was such a big deal because like Leia he left the New Republic because he thought the First Order was more dangerous than they admitted. So he was genuine military and not just scrappy rebel.

 

Edited December 24, 2015 by Kromm

[MrsR]

Well, Ren was pretty injured when she faced him. I loved the way he punched his own wound to help him concentrate. I'll bet that was an actors choice. And I think that he over estimated his chance of getting the light saber to come to him because he thought she was down and out. As the only Force sensitive in his social group he really doesn't have a chance to practice against a talented opponent. Yeah you can practice stopping blaster beams, and reading people thoughts all you want but you need a true sparring partner to get really good with a light saber. He's unfinished.

 

Honestly this depiction of him really creeps me out. He's basically a modern school shooter. He fetishizes the mask. He covets a specific weapon. He wants Rey to be Harris to his Kleibold. He shoots up a school!!!!

 

It's a very unnerving character to expose to a whole new generation of disaffected high school nerds.

Edited December 24, 2015 by MrsR

[calliope1975]

I have no problem with Rey beating Kylo. Ren was not fighting to kill. He was trying to disarm, but he ultimately wanted to train Rey and bring her over to the Dark Side. Add to that his unstableness from killing his father (which Dark Side or no has got to fuck up a dude,) his major injury from Chewie, and his superficial injuries from Finn. Rey's fighting technique is terrible, but she has a lot of heart. Once she's cornered and taps in the Force, she starts balls out fighting, but she still has very little technique. She fights a lot like when she was fighting those guys who tried to take BB8. 

 

I eagerly await a rematch once both have received further training. 

Edited December 24, 2015 by calliope1975

[Kromm]

Spoiler bars aren't needed still, are they?

 

What do you think it implies?

For the novelization I'm assuming yes they are. Which is why I used them in that post.

For anything in the movie itself? No.

The novelization clarifies a few things, and I'd consider at least two of the things it does genuinely spoilery, whereas a few just explain stuff more (like why that starsystem that got destroyed was the specific one targeted).

[anna0852]

I read the novelization as well and

I thought the farewell scene at the end between Leia and Rey all but spelled out that they are mother and daughter. You don't fuss like that over a stranger or niece.

 

 

Whoever called out Zahn, don't be hating on my boy! Out of all the EU author's he's my favorite. I thought the Thrawn novels did very well continuing the story. I was a little sad that this movie means they are all officially Alternate Universe now and we'll never meet Mara Jade.

Edited December 24, 2015 by anna0852

[ybrik]

Well in regards to Rey being able to use the force and the Jedi mind tricks, she may have heard the rumors about the Jedi's and their abilities. Also we never really saw what regular training would have been for the Jedi. We have only seen Luke sort of get trained but he wasn't really given extensive training. Rey being able to do things quicker than Luke could really be pointed to one thing that Yoda mentions in Empire Luke doesn't believe. He was always thinking of what can't be done. Rey was in a spot where she kind of had to believe in herself and these abilities to escape.

 

Also as I mentioned in another post, there is a potential dangerous side to her being so powerful which was during the end fight with Kylo Ren, she was drawing on anger. This was like Luke in ROTJ. Speaking of the novelizations, Rey's strength, if she is a Skywalker, in the force could also be explained by a passage in the novelization of ROTS. Dooku describes Anakin as a machine of battle who had the gift of fury. The only thing, as Dooku described it, that kept Anakin completely in check was the Jedi training which made Anakin dread this fury. Rey in the end became this machine with her fury at Ren. The look she gives him when she knocks him down was of someone who was going to go for the kill strike.

[Morrigan2575]

She was awfully tentative when she first tried to get Daniel Craig to release her using Jedi mind tricks.

Thanks! I remember that Simon Pegg and some other Hollywood A lister had cameos in the movie. I thought it was Benedict Cumberbatch but now that you mention Daniel Craig I believe he was the one I was thinking of. So Daniel Craig was the Mind Tricked Storm Trooper and (I just looked it up) Simon Pegg was the Junk Merchant who sold out Rey and BB-8.

As far as Rey goes, I'm convinced she was not a Jedi but was a youngling and part of Luke's new class. I'm convinced she's a Skywalker or Solo (mostly leaning towards Skywalker). I have no idea what they'll setup for Episode VIII but right now I think Rey was raised in the new Jedi School and is subconsciously aware of what a Jedi can do but has blocked it out. Either she's repressed the memories or someone has blocked them to try and protect/hide her from Ren/Snoke.

While this is never outright stated in the movie they've certainly dropped hints and deliberately omitted scenes revelations about Rey to make me think there's a lot more to her story.

[thuganomics85]

Just saw it again for the second time, and I think it still holds pretty well, so I definitely think it's probably going stick at the third spot in the franchise for me.  For comparison, when I saw The Phantom Menace, my excitement for a new Star Wars effected my first viewing and I thought I loved it, but after the second viewing, I realized that it actually wasn't very good.  So, yeah, I definitely think this worked for me.  For whatever flaw it might have had, I just found this to be fun and the characters are so engaging and likable.

 

One of the things that I remembered this time was that I really like how they thankfully didn't drag the whole "Finn hides who he really is from Rey", and cause major friction over.  I remember when I first watched the film, I thought for sure they were going to do something like have one of the villains expose him, and then Rey feels betrayed and never trusts him.  So, I like that instead, he finally confesses it himself to her, and while she is shocked and probably a bit hurt, she still wants him to stay in the fight.  And there didn't seem like there were any hard feelings between them when they reunite.  I think in some ways, Rey understood why he felt the need to lie to her.  Admitting that he was a stormtrooper from the First Order probably wouldn't be the best way to introduce yourself, and while claiming you are part of the Resistance was deceitful, he was clearly desperate to get out of there, and thought that was the only way.  I just found it slightly more refreshing compared to the norm.

 

Paid more attention to BB-8's beeps and whatnot, after hearing both Bill Hader and Ben Schwartz did them.  Couldn't really place Ben I really only know him from Parks & Rec (Jean-Ralphio!), but there were definitely a few noises BB-8 made that made me go "Oh, that so sounds like something Bill Hader would do!"

 

Forgot that Han actually puts his hand on Ben/Kylo's face, right after Kylo stabbed him.  Even after he fatally wounds him, Han still sees him as his son.  Harrison Ford was really great in that.

 

Going to continue to go all in and say that Daisy Ridley is going to be huge.  Despite being a relative newcomer, she really has a confidence about her, and just is able to nail every moment she is on screen.  Not sure who it was that actually discovered her in the casting section (although, I have to think J.J. Abrams himself played a part), but they get the biggest gold star possible.

[Ronin Jackson]

My problem with some of the way folks are reacting to this one (I've been critical of big parts of the movie but defending most of the stuff around Rey) is that they seem to be taking most things about Rey at face value. 

 

You may be right, but at the moment we don't know. J.J. Abrams has said he largely plotted only the first film and Rian Johnson is writing the next one largely without his input. If there is something not at face value then it is up to Rian Johnson, most likely, to reveal it. It's clear Rey's origins have been set up for a big reveal and perhaps that's part of whatever basic ingredients Rian Johnson has been asked to work with, but we don't know. And it's not hard to imagine that some of Rey's scenes with the force came about in a fan service kind of way,,, showing she is in tune with the force by going through a kind of "greatest hits" of Jedi feats... and this would not exactly be a deviation from the rest of the film's M.O. 

 

But it is an open book no matter what the case may be. Even if J.R. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan wrote it in a fan service kind of way Rian Johnson can fix it when we find out what Rey's origins are. If they have a back story that explains it well, so be it. We won't find out for a while. But if Rey's mysterious origins do not explain prior force training, I'm afraid that aspect of the story is exhibit A for any criticism that the new trilogy is fan service fan fiction.

[MrsR]

Interestingly enough, Daisy Ridley is not looking for another job at the moment. She will be attending University in England.

[JessePinkman]

How is Rey being an innately powerful Jedi any different from 8 year old Anakin? The complaint that she's suddenly super powerful bewilders me because that was the entire point.

[Ronin Jackson]

How is Rey being an innately powerful Jedi any different from 8 year old Anakin? The complaint that she's suddenly super powerful bewilders me because that was the entire point.

 

The entire point of what? 8 year old Anakin was an unusually gifted pilot, which was not exactly the most revered plot point of episode 1. But when was 8 year old Anakin using Jedi tricks? (I must admit, I could be forgetting something... I haven't seen the movie in years) The original trilogy clearly established that Luke had to train to learn Jedi tricks... his "use the force" moment in episode 4 was firing a proton torpedo without a computer guidance system. In that case he was using the force as an internal guidance system. That's a far cry from Jedi Mind Tricks and telekinesis. So again, the entire point of what?

[VCRTracking]

Watching it again(in a packed theater at 2 in the afternoon full of what seems a lot of non-SW fans who were tearing up after Han's death), I noticed that Kylo pretty much had her on the ropes until he said "I will teach you how to use the Force" and she repeated "The Force?" and she suddenly had that of look of recall and then concentration. It's the same concentration Obi-Wan had in Episode I had when he was hanging off a pit with Darth Maul above him. Obi-Wan used the Force he made a big leap and flip, called Qui-Gon's lightsaber to him and cut Maul in half. Whatever Rey did wasn't as impressive but still effective, like she was letting the Force "flow through her" as Yoda said and letting it guide her movements taking him by surprise. Kylo was defeated the same way Maul was in that he was just not expecting it.

 

Again, I really think she was remembering early training, but the style of Star Wars use the cinema language of usual quick flashes of memory. The vision at Maz' itself was unusual.

 

Saw a little girl dressed as Rey with her mom outside one of the cineplex theaters. That's one of the best parts of the character.

 

So Daniel Craig was the Mind Tricked Storm Trooper

 

The best part? According to IMDB his Stormtrooper number is JB-007!

Edited December 24, 2015 by VCRTracking

[JessePinkman]

The entire point of what? 8 year old Anakin was an unusually gifted pilot, which was not exactly the most revered plot point of episode 1. But when was 8 year old Anakin using Jedi tricks? (I must admit, I could be forgetting something... I haven't seen the movie in years) The original trilogy clearly established that Luke had to train to learn Jedi tricks... his "use the force" moment in episode 4 was firing a proton torpedo without a computer guidance system. In that case he was using the force as an internal guidance system. That's a far cry from Jedi Mind Tricks and telekinesis. So again, the entire point of what?

 

The point is that she's...super powerful? Maybe they'll reveal she was trained as a child, I don't know, but right now I'm reading it as she's just an incredibly powerful Jedi. Are we unwilling to accept that there are Jedis that don't need training? Or is that completely off the table?

 

I mentioned Anakin because he was unusually skilled because of his connection to the Force, Rey is unusually skilled...due to her connection to the Force.

[Eyes High]

Finn/Rey was perfection. I know that some have griped that their rapid mutual permabonding wasn't earned, but I loved their devotion to each other, regardless of whether or not it will remain platonic. Finn having no pretenses of heroism or glory and being 100% dedicated to Chosen One action hero Rey felt like a swap of traditional gender roles, and I loved it. Also, I thought they had tons of chemistry, even if they bonded so quickly that there wasn't exactly room for sexual tension, especially of the Han/Leia snarky banter variety; it seemed as if Finn and Rey were pretty much married by the second act, even though it could be plausibly read as a platonic BFF sort of marriage.

The reveal of Bishounen Kylo in all his moist-eyed, great-maned glory made many in the audience cackle at the viewing I attended.

One thing I don't get is the insistence by some, notably Rob Bricken over at io9, that TFA undid the happy ending of the characters. I mean, sure, eventually the happy ending was undone, but I doubt Kylo went bad before the age of 15 or so, meaning that Han and Leia had at least 15 happy years together before everything went to shit. Call me cynical, but 15 years of domestic bliss are nothing to sneeze at. Most people would kill for a 15-year happy relationship.

Edited December 24, 2015 by Eyes High

[VCRTracking]

Reylo shippers on Tumblr really went nuts over the way he carried her away bridal style on Maz' planet.

Edited December 24, 2015 by VCRTracking

[johntfs]

I think we'll eventually learn that Snoke is actually an alternate identity of Hannah Horvath...

 

As far as Rey's lack of training, I figure she got "trained" by Kylo Ren during their mindlink - which went both ways.  Figure he got her loneliness and other memories while she grabbed and implemented his memories of lightsaber combat and Sith mind techniques, especially the latter.  Recall that Rey was only able to use that ability after the "mind meld."

[Danny Franks]

I'm fine with accepting that Rey is just a prodigy when it comes to the Force. I don't need it explaining with childhood training or anything like that, and I don't think it invalidates the struggles Luke and others had when they were being trained (I say 'others', but we never saw anyone being trained in the prequels except the kids with the stupid little lightsabers). Because, as the movie itself states, 'the Force awakens', and I'm happy to accept that awakening manifesting itself in Rey.

She just needed that spark from Kylo Ren, that exposure to the Force and the powers it grants, to wake her latent abilities. Now, it's probably going to turn out to be uncontrolled and undisciplined power, which is where Luke will surely come in, to refine it. I will equate it to the way the One Power worked in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, where a person could be trained to wield it, but some were born with the innate ability, which would manifest whether they wanted it or not, in ways that could be incredibly dangerous if they didn't learn how to control it.

Edited December 24, 2015 by Danny Franks

[Jediknight]

What you're asking is if there are Force-sensitives who don't need training. Being a Jedi is a way of life, which a Force-sensitive person may or may not choose to adopt. The Jedi would have you think that Force-sensitives who don't get trained.. end up abusing their powers and falling into the Dark Side. But I think that most of them will be like Luke in early ANH. Ordinary people who seem to have some partial sixth sense and can be uncanny with certain physical skills. But can a Force-sensitive learn on her own to do a mind trick or wield a lightsaber...? In my opinion, I think that in the right circumstances - under duress - those abilities can manifest. But how well will an untrained Force sensitive fare against someone who has got actual training on how to do these things seems to be the issue here...  I think the answer would be more straight forward if Kylo Ren weren't another Skywalker with Anakin's super-midichlorian-blood flowing through his veins just like Rey. If she was besting some run-of-the-mill Dark Sider with her super-speshul Skywalker Force abilities, it would be easier to accept. But that she's besting someone who, not only has longer training than her, but is also a member of that gene pool... is the problem.

He did have more training than her but he was still an apprentice, his training wasn't finished and he was an emotional wreck.  The guy was not in control of his emotions, and wasn't in control of the Force.  It was when Rey calmed herself and let the Force in that she stomped Ren.  That's the key being calm and in control, Ren was just a whiny brat who let his emotions control his actions.  He was thrown completely off his game, because he never really faced anyone as strong with the Force as Rey.  He obviously didn't fight Luke, or else Ren wouldn't be around.  He in a way got popped in the mouth when she fought back against his Force mind reading, and that knocked him out of sorts.  That's not even getting into his being mortally wounded.

 

It's like Obi-Wan vs Anakin, there's no doubt Anakin was more powerful, but Obi-Wan was able to win due in part to being in control, Anakin's emotions were controlling him.

 

Reylo shippers on Tumblr really went nuts over the way he carried her away bridal style on Maz' planet.

He's a whiner who murdered innocents, ordered the murder of innocents, had no problem with blowing up planets, threatened Rey with a lightsaber, knocked her out, abducted her, restrained her to something so he could read her mind, and murdered his father in cold blood, obviously he should wind up with the heroine.

Edited December 24, 2015 by Jediknight

[SNeaker]

One thing I don't get is the insistence by some, notably Rob Bricken over at io9, that TFA undid the happy ending of the characters. I mean, sure, eventually the happy ending was undone, but I doubt Kylo went bad before the age of 15 or so, meaning that Han and Leia had at least 15 happy years together before everything went to shit. Call me cynical, but 15 years of domestic bliss are nothing to sneeze at. Most people would kill for a 15-year happy relationship.

 

Because the movie didn't just take away their happiness, it took the happiness they created and turned it against them. If they'd had a son who died, but they had 15 years with him, I would say that it's very sad and tragic, but that it wouldn't ruin their happy ending because they still did something and still accomplished something. The problem I have with this movie isn't that it's a continuation of the story that should have just ended, it's that it's not a continuation at all -- it's a giant reset button. Kylo didn't just go evil -- he destroyed Luke's work reinstating the Jedi, tore apart his parents' marriage, and eventually murdered his own father. Stormtroopers are terrorizing innocent people led by a dude in a black cape and mask and uniformed British-accented Aryans, and the Empire -- er, First Order -- is destroying whole planets again. So what did the original trilogy accomplish, exactly? In fact, the galaxy might have been better off if Han and Leia had never had a child to turn evil and cause so much damage. So the "15 years of bliss" have been marred. Their love *caused* this mayhem and destruction. That's not how I really wanted things to go for them, ya know? Which is why the only potential salvation will be if Rey is theirs. But even so, why should I get invested in these new characters and hope for their triumph if I know it can all be undone? Why should I root for the Skywalker family if it seems that the line is just clearly too tainted (Ben, who did not have the troubled childhood of Anakin or the stifling bureaucracy of the Jedi Order to deal with went evil rather easily) and they should probably just sterilize themselves to protect the galaxy?

 

 

He's a whiner who murdered innocents, ordered the murder of innocents, had no problem with blowing up planets, threatened Rey with a lightsaber, knocked her out, abducted her, restrained her to something so he could read her mind, and murdered his father in cold blood, obviously he should wind up with the heroine.

 

I would say I hope Rey is his sister just to end the shipping, but...that never stopped people before.

Edited December 24, 2015 by SNeaker

[benteen]

I saw the movie again yesterday on IMAX 3D and I still really enjoyed it.  I'm not big on seeing movies that were converted to 3D instead of shot in it but I have to say this was one of the better 3D conversions.  A few notes and observations...

 

-I could definitely hear Ewan McGregor's voice at the end of Rey's vision.  I think he said "This is the first step."

 

-Noticed more of the cameos, including Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Jojen Reed in Game of Thrones) as the First Order officer who tells Hux someone is stealing a TIE fighter and Freema Agyeman (Martha from Doctor Who) as a doomed Republic citizen.  Interestingly enough, Brodie-Sangster guest stared on Doctor Who the same season that Freema was on.

 

-Speaking of the Republic, I noticed this time around that Hux referenced the Republic's "mighty fleet" during his over-the-top speech at Starkiller Base.  Right before the Republic capitol is destroyed, you can see a bunch of starship hovering over it, which I assume is the Republic fleet.  Threepio later says the Republic fleet can't help them.  So the Republic did have a fleet...which they may have stupidly kept in one place!

 

-I still don't think the score stood out for me this time around but I will say that the music played while Rey searched that beautiful island for Luke was terrific.

 

-If there's one thing that really annoyed me the second viewing, it was how they used Phasma.  Phasma absolutely should have been the stormtrooper who confronted Finn outside of Maz's castle.  The conflict between them had already been set up in that early scene.  I got the impression that Phasma, like Finn, was probably taken from her parents when she was really young but unlike him grew up to be fanatically loyal to the First Order.  You could have had Phasma fight Finn like that stormtrooper did (and anyone who has seen Game of Thrones knows that Gwendoline Christie can do a fight scene), defeat him and nearly kill him until Han shoots her.  But she's only wounded and you can set up her return for the next movie. 

 

Instead, you have her lower the shield at gunpoint when you should have a character so fanatical in her beliefs that she'd be more likely to break her own fingers than cooperate.  So you just neutered a potentially fascinating and badass villain.  Hopefully this can be something worked logically into the next movie but I can't believe JJ and Kasdan missed an opportunity to have her fight Finn, which they had set up earlier and works for these two similar but opposite characters.

[Jediknight]

-I could definitely hear Ewan McGregor's voice at the end of Rey's vision.  I think he said "This is the first step."

-I still don't think the score stood out for me this time around but I will say that the music played while Rey searched that beautiful island for Luke was terrific.

Which is another reason Rey is Luke's daughter, Obi-Wan always has a hand in those Skywalkers becoming Jedi.  The best character in Star Wars, just has to make sure that the Jedi win.

 

The score while not as good as previous ones, had some great moments.  The best moment for me was Force Theme playing after Luke's lightsaber went flying past Kylo into the hands of Rey, who then fires it up.

[Danny Franks]

-Noticed more of the cameos, including Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Jojen Reed in Game of Thrones) as the First Order officer who tells Hux someone is stealing a TIE fighter and Freema Agyeman (Martha from Doctor Who) as a doomed Republic citizen.  Interestingly enough, Brodie-Sangster guest stared on Doctor Who the same season that Freema was on.

 

Huh. I noticed Thomas Brodie-Sangster, and now you mention it I know I saw Freema Agyeman, but for some reason I didn't recognise her. I really like her, and felt she got completely screwed over with Doctor Who, when the Rose fangirls refused to accept her.

 

If there's one thing that really annoyed me the second viewing, it was how they used Phasma.  Phasma absolutely should have been the stormtrooper who confronted Finn outside of Maz's castle.  The conflict between them had already been set up in that early scene.  I got the impression that Phasma, like Finn, was probably taken from her parents when she was really young but unlike him grew up to be fanatically loyal to the First Order.  You could have had Phasma fight Finn like that stormtrooper did (and anyone who has seen Game of Thrones knows that Gwendoline Christie can do a fight scene), defeat him and nearly kill him until Han shoots her.  But she's only wounded and you can set up her return for the next movie.

 

 

I feel like a lot of Phasma was cut, which was probably a smart choice because she makes a strong enough visual impression that you can spread a little of her a long way, while establishing Kylo Ren and Hux. I do think she'll play a bigger role in the next movie, and setting her up as Finn's nemesis would be a cool way to go. Finn vs. Phasma and Rey vs. Kylo Ren, rather than the girls fighting each other and the boys fighting each other? I like it.

 

Which is another reason Rey is Luke's daughter, Obi-Wan always has a hand in those Skywalkers becoming Jedi.  The best character in Star Wars, just has to make sure that the Jedi win.

 

 

Well, she's still a Skywalker if she's Leia's daughter too. But they will need to come up with a good reason for neither Leia nor Han to recognise or acknowledge her. Of course, they'll also need a good reason to explain how Han and Leia could either not be aware or not care that Luke had a daughter that he abandoned.

 

The voice that stood out for me the most was Alec Guinness saying "Rey", which they apparently pinched from him saying the word "afraid". His voice is so rich, and so synonymous with the idea of the Force, that it evokes a reaction that the others didn't.

[absnow54]

Instead, you have her lower the shield at gunpoint when you should have a character so fanatical in her beliefs that she'd be more likely to break her own fingers than cooperate.  So you just neutered a potentially fascinating and badass villain.  Hopefully this can be something worked logically into the next movie but I can't believe JJ and Kasdan missed an opportunity to have her fight Finn, which they had set up earlier and works for these two similar but opposite characters.

 

Why was she so complicit? Finn's plan was terrible! I was certain she was going to sound an alarm or something to get backup, since Finn's rescue mission was literally him and a 70 year old man and he gave her access to a central control panel. 

 

Freema Agyeman (Martha from Doctor Who) as a doomed Republic citizen

 

She actually has an entry in the Visual Dictionary as a Resistance Representative sent to the senate to plead their case. I wonder if she had a side plot that was cut to avoid bogging down the film with politics.

 

I read the novelization as well and

I thought the farewell scene at the end between Leia and Rey all but spelled out that they are mother and daughter. You don't fuss like that over a stranger or niece.

 

I'm reading it right now too, and I don't know if the novelist was privy to more information, or merely jumping to his own conclusions, but

there's a moment when Han and Rey are escaping on the Falcon and she makes a snarky comment about the hyperdrive failing in very Leia-like fashion and he gets caught up in a wistful moment that seemed pretty heavy handed "this girl is your dead daughter" to me, although it also could have just been Han reconnecting with the life he thought he'd left behind.

Edited December 24, 2015 by absnow54