The Star Wars Saga

[blixie]

I really can't harp on the "acting" in Eps 1-3 as being it's glaring fault, the acting is pretty bad in 4-6, I always thought the best analogy about the Original Trilogy v. Prequels was just plain age and success, power, when Lucas made Star Wars, as a film maker he had more in common with the Rebellion, when he made Prequels he had more in common with The Empire.

[Kel Varnsen]

All I really want in these movies (other than decent plots and decent acting) is for someone working on the script to really think about the kind of shit you could do if you had the power to move things with your mind. It seems like for the entire series the writers forget that this is a really amazing and powerful power for someone to have. I can kind of forgive things in the original trilogy like in Jedi where Luke has to throw a rock to hit a button to drop a door on a monster. Because in that movie he was still learning. But in the prequels it was really bad. There was one scene in I think Ep 3 where Obi-Wan and Anakin are in there little space ships and there are little robots crawling all over them messing things up. The are freaking out not sure what to do, and all I can think about is that, if you can move things with the force why not just push those robots off of your space ship?

[VCRTracking]

One of the best performances I've seen recently was in Pacific Rim and the young actress playing Mako as a little girl. This girl was reacting to nothing when they filmed this scene but she is totally convincing as being terrified and traumatized by a giant monster:
 

There was one scene in I think Ep 3 where Obi-Wan and Anakin are in there little space ships and there are little robots crawling all over them messing things up. The are freaking out not sure what to do, and all I can think about is that, if you can move things with the force why not just push those robots off of your space ship?

I think the writers on the Clone Wars were similarly bothered by because in one of the episodes Anakin does use the Force on them(yeah, yeah he calls his apprentice by a nickname "Snips" but it's a great show):

Edited December 3, 2014 by VCRTracking

[absnow54]

The teaser had me pumped, and I hadn't done it in a few years, so I rewatched the full saga, and damn, I don't care how many times I've seen it, every time the Bespin rescue starts up in Empire from Leia spotting Luke in the hallway and telling him "It's a trap!" to Leia and crew reaching the platform just as Boba Fett is flying away with Han I am on the edge of my seat thinking "this is the time it all works out and they get away safely."

 

I also love that each of the main characters fail to pull their own weight at times and need to be rescued. The heroes rescuing the princess in the first one is the most common of all tropes, but then in Empire Luke needs to be rescued by Han at the beginning and then by Leia in the end, and then Han needed to be rescued from Jaba. I just loved the original trios dynamic, because even though the trilogy is mostly about Luke's hero journey, both Han and Leia played equally as important roles. 

 

I had also forgotten how much fun the start of Revenge of the Sith was. Hayden Christensen was much less terrible and Ewan McGregor had flat out stopped caring in an entertaining way (Ewan and Samuel L Jackson are pretty much the saving grace of that entire trilogy for me) and they were actually on an adventure rather than sitting in an overly computer generated room having a conversation, and they actually generated chemistry, which was nearly non existent in those movies. I think a lot of the plot falls apart in that movie, and Padme is essentially just an incubator when she should have been planting the seeds for the rebel alliance, but the one thing I thought they did do right, was make me care about Obi Wan and Anakin's friendship falling apart. I still get feels when Obi Wan shouts "You were the chosen one!"

 

Attack of the Clones though has only gotten more terrible with time. In fact, I'd probably rank it last. The asteroid chase between Obi Wan and the Fetts is fun, and there's Yoda's big light saber debut, but Anakin is soooooooooooooooooooo terrible in this movie, and the love story that's supposed to propel the entire saga is so dull, and the dialogue! *face palm* 

Edited December 7, 2014 by absnow54

[VCRTracking]

"The Beginning" which is a "fly on the wall" documentary about the making of Episode I is still one of the best behind the scenes looks I've ever seen. It's heartbreaking because everyone including George is excited about making the movie and working hard. There's an illuminating moment at 55 minutes though where they're in a screening room and watch a cut and there's a feeling of "Uh oh."

 

My favorite part of it is around the 9:20 minute mark when Steven Spielberg visits him just before filming and Lucas is genuinely enthusiastic showing him the battle droid prop and describing the final battle between the Gungans and the Battle Droids.

 

Edited December 10, 2014 by VCRTracking

[Danny Franks]

I've seen that clip before, in the Red Letter Media critique of the movie. And sadly, most of the criticisms were spot on, yet lessons were not learned for the next two movies. Lucas might be a good ideas man, but I think he needed many more people with backbone around him, to force those ideas through a filter. Look how terrified those guys are of saying anything, even after Lucas opens the door by calling himself out.

 

Meanwhile, I've been watching Empire of Dreams - The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy, a 2004 documentary on the making of the original movies. It's absolutely great, and what I thought would be unabashed praise of George Lucas is actually far more objective. It actually doesn't focus much on Lucas at all, after the story of getting the first movie off the ground is told. It's about the actors, the effects, the challenges of actually making the movies. And it really reiterates for me that making movies like this should be hard, for the writers and directors as well as the actors. It should be a challenge and you should have to think and rethink and adjust. Because that's where greatness comes from.

 

The prequels were too easy. Especially for Lucas himself. He just had to sit in his director's chair, tell the actors what to do (which, as Harrison Ford points out in the documentary, Lucas is not good at doing), with the knowledge that everything else will be put in later, using CGI.

 

Take Yoda, for example. I just watched the bit where they talk about having to build the entire Dagobah set five feet above the floor of the soundstage, so Frank Oz could work the puppet from underneath. He couldn't hear Mark Hamill, he couldn't hear the director, he couldn't see what was going on. And the funny thing is, Lucas says on this documentary that if Yoda hadn't worked, the entire film wouldn't work. His exact words were, "it would have been this silly little muppet. It would have been Kermit running around in that movie". This is the man who created Jar Jar Binks.

 

It's so great, seeing all the stop-motion models being manipulated, learning that there were 64 different sets for Empire, actually seeing footage of Darth Vader with David Prowse's original dialogue (safe to say, the movie would have been a joke if they'd kept that voice). Lots of deleted footage and alternate takes that I've never seen before. And I just learned that the only people who knew the twist before they shot it were Lucas, Irvin Kershner and some other producers. The actors didn't know, and Mark Hamill was told only moments before they shot the scene.

 

Also, I never realised that Carrie Fisher was only 19 when they made Star Wars. She has such poise and authority. Shame that her career never really got away from the franchise.

[scarynikki12]

the only people who knew the twist before they shot it were Lucas, Irvin Kershner and some other producers

 

I don't know how accurate this is but I remember reading that the secret was easy to keep before the movie was released, since it was revealed via voiceover rather than on set but the spoiler hounds were so relentless that they purposely wrote the line as "Obi Won killed your father" as misdirection.  If accurate, that's a really clever way to keep the truth hidden until the release. 

[Danny Franks]

I don't know how accurate this is but I remember reading that the secret was easy to keep before the movie was released, since it was revealed via voiceover rather than on set but the spoiler hounds were so relentless that they purposely wrote the line as "Obi Won killed your father" as misdirection.  If accurate, that's a really clever way to keep the truth hidden until the release. 

 

Yeah, that's exactly what they said happened, in the documentary. David Prowse was given the line that Obi Wan killed Luke's father, but Mark Hamill was reacting to it as though it was the real line, which he'd been told would only be done by James Earl Jones (who said he thought Vader was lying, when he first read the line).

 

Something else I didn't know, both Harrison Ford and Lawrence Kasdan were pushing for Han to die in Jedi, early in the final act. How differently would the movies be viewed as a whole, I wonder, if they'd gone through with that. A good decision by Lucas to say no, there.

[absnow54]

While I would have hated it, I thought Ford had a valid argument for Han dying to sacrifice himself for Luke, Leia, and the Rebel cause. It would have been the ultimate character growth for the person we were first introduced to. I don't think it was necessary though, and I think Han's journey was really well done without it.

[Joe]

That's why I suspect Han is going to die in TFA. They lured him back with, 'You're going make that heroic sacrifice.' I'm all right with that, but I hope Chewie lives. Stay away from Sernpidal!

 

And on the subject of speculation/spoilers, there's something about Luke.

I was trying not to listen, but apparently he may have gone over to the dark side. I hope this isn't true. That was his father's failing, and I don't think it's a good idea for him to follow his father's path. But hey, it would make Obi-Wan and Yoda look really bad. That part I'm all right with.

[jcin617]

[T]he one thing I thought they did do right, was make me care about Obi Wan and Anakin's friendship falling apart. I still get feels when Obi Wan shouts "You were the chosen one!"

 

That whole scene with Obi Wan is, for me, the most emotionally raw scene of any of the 6 movies.   I still feel it when Obi Wan cries out "You were my brother Anakin and I loved you!" whereas Anakin is just seething in hate.  

[VCRTracking]

 

Take Yoda, for example. I just watched the bit where they talk about having to build the entire Dagobah set five feet above the floor of the soundstage, so Frank Oz could work the puppet from underneath. He couldn't hear Mark Hamill, he couldn't hear the director, he couldn't see what was going on. And the funny thing is, Lucas says on this documentary that if Yoda hadn't worked, the entire film wouldn't work. His exact words were, "it would have been this silly little muppet. It would have been Kermit running around in that movie". This is the man who created Jar Jar Binks.

 

I think because Yoda was a risk that ended up paying off, Lucas was also willing to take another risk with a CGI character instead of a puppet. The problem was Jar Jar was a silly character that would have been a problem even if he was a puppet like Yoda. Now Peter Jackson showed you can have a movie where CGI character  gives a dramatic performance throughout the movie with Gollum.

 

Of course all the reviews of the latest Hobbit movie say that Jackson has gone down the same path as Lucas with an overreliance on CGI and spectacle forgetting the kind of tactile and down to earth qualities that made the first Lord of the Rings trilogy special. And I think his crime was worse because he actually had better material to work from.

Edited December 22, 2014 by VCRTracking

[Dandesun]

I suppose Yoda was a risk. Jim Henson and crew could do amazing things with their puppetry, though. But I'mpretty sure that Empire came before The Dark Crystal and Henson's muppets on Saturday Night Live were a one season thing and most probably had no idea about it even happening. When you hear Frank Oz and puppetry, you immediately go to Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear but Henson and Oz and all those guys were part of a somewhat subversive crew in the late 70s -- guys that included Lorne Michaels and Steve Spielburg and George Lucas and such.

 

It's entirely possible that Yoda's existence opened up the development of The Dark Crystal. He really did make it acceptable to buy that not all muppets were silly and wacky. They could have gravitas.

[VCRTracking]

Frank Oz has always praised Mark Hamill on his great acting with Yoda as helping the audience believe in him.  Mark meanwhile always said Oz' puppeteering and vocal performance made Yoda come to life and it was easy to react to him as if he was a real person. I think they both deserve credit for making the Yoda scenes on Dagobah work.

Edited December 25, 2014 by VCRTracking

[Joe]

Okay, so I was reading this review, and something struck me. Ackbar was right. The Death Star II is a trap. That's the primary purpose. The rebels destroy the first one, Palpatine realises that Luke Skywalker was the one ultimately responsible. He thinks, I can destroy the rebellion and lure Luke to my side. So he builds the Death Star II. Look, it's just like the first one only bigger and scarier. He leaks the news, the rebels rush in. It nearly works, only Luke wouldn't give in and convinced Vader to turn back to the light side. At the same time, the groundside rebels are proving better than expected. It's a decent plan, only he let his megalomania get away with him. If he'd put more forces on the ground, realised that Luke would never turn, he would have pulled it off.

 

Also, pulling from the EU. Palpatine is using a variation of the mind trick to not outright control his forces, but nudge their coordination. I think he was doing this to the Senate all through the prequels, too. Only he diverts his attention to deal with Luke, and so his forces have to fall back on their own less coordinated performances. The rebels relied on their own training to start with, and are used to adapting to the situation. So that's why they were able to overcome the Imperials.

[VCRTracking]

 

Okay, so I was reading this review, and something struck me. Ackbar was right. The Death Star II is a trap. That's the primary purpose. The rebels destroy the first one, Palpatine realises that Luke Skywalker was the one ultimately responsible. He thinks, I can destroy the rebellion and lure Luke to my side. So he builds the Death Star II. Look, it's just like the first one only bigger and scarier. He leaks the news, the rebels rush in. It nearly works, only Luke wouldn't give in and convinced Vader to turn back to the light side. At the same time, the groundside rebels are proving better than expected. It's a decent plan, only he let his megalomania get away with him. If he'd put more forces on the ground, realised that Luke would never turn, he would have pulled it off.

 

In a deleted scene Palpatine orders the Death Star commander to destroy Endor if the Rebels destroyed the shield generator.

 

That accomplishes two things: First,  it takes care of the Rebel forces there(sure some of his own troops are killed but can't make an omelette...) and two, it makes Luke angry enough to turn to the Dark Side.

Edited December 27, 2014 by VCRTracking

[Joe]

Interesting. He really is a bad loser. But that doesn't change my theory. The whole thing was a trap for the rebels and Luke in particular.

[Danny Franks]

Never doubt the wisdom of Admiral Ackbar. The Death Star II (Electric Boogaloo) seemed to serve the dual purpose of, 'if they don't learn about it, then I've got a new Death Star. If they do, and come to destroy it, then I can spring my trap'. I'm guessing that the Emperor was a guy big on contingencies and redundancies, when it came to scheming. 

 

But I do think it was more his own hubris that destroyed him, than anything else. He could have just killed Luke right at the start, blown up Endor with him on it, then turned his fleet and the Death Star to deal with the Rebels. Job done. The Jedi extinct again, the Rebels defeated. He didn't really need Luke, he just needed the Rebels not to have him.

[Joe]

Yes, that's what I was trying to say, but more elequent and shorter. Damn you!

[VCRTracking]

 

But I do think it was more his own hubris that destroyed him, than anything else. He could have just killed Luke right at the start, blown up Endor with him on it, then turned his fleet and the Death Star to deal with the Rebels. Job done. The Jedi extinct again, the Rebels defeated. He didn't really need Luke, he just needed the Rebels not to have him.

 

I think he did need Luke because he got "gyped" shall we say with Luke's father, the "Chosen One" who he expected to be this incredibly powerful Force wielder under his control, but instead because of Obi-Wan got this asthmatic cripple with only one human arm. Not to go too deep into spoilers for The Force Awakens but apparently Luke does become more powerful after the events of ROTJ and I think Palpatine sensed that potential in the Skywalker bloodline.

 

Also Palpatine thought what worked on Luke's dad would work on him not realizing that what was different was that back then he came across as this decent, kindly seeming benevolant father figure, and now is this cackling, clearly evil and malevolent madman.

Edited December 27, 2014 by VCRTracking

[JessePinkman]

The Force Awakens trailer

 

I'm not even a huge fan, I like Star Wars the way I like Terminator, I watch it, enjoy it and forget it but this has me PUMPED.

[Dandesun]

My life flashed before my eyes.

 

I can't be neutral about this. I saw Star Wars in the theater when I was five years old. I had a hard time with the prequels but this is completely different. That's Luke's voice... that's fucking Han Solo and Chewbacca.

 

Now where's Leia? (Other than her hands which I died over all the same.)

 

No rationality here. I can't even apologize for it.

[Danny Franks]

Okay, cards on the table: I may have giggled like a small child when Han said "Chewie, we're home". Although, doesn't Chewie age? Couldn't they put a bit of grey in his fur?

 

This was a wonderful little teaser, and I love how it used the established iconography of Star Wars to great effect. Crashed Star Destroyer on Tatooine and Vader's mangled helmet signifying the old Empire, and new takes on TIE Fighters, their pilots and Storm Troopers signifying... whatever entity is antagonising the galaxy now.

 

Oh yeah, and then there's the dude narrating it. He was okay as well.

 

And I have to say, Daisy Ridley looks very fetching indeed. So that's something else to look forward to.

[Spartan Girl]

"We're home Chewie."

Yes you are. :)

Edited April 16, 2015 by Spartan Girl

[Rick Kitchen]

My life flashed before my eyes.

 

I can't be neutral about this. I saw Star Wars in the theater when I was five years old. I had a hard time with the prequels but this is completely different. That's Luke's voice... that's fucking Han Solo and Chewbacca.

 

Now where's Leia? (Other than her hands which I died over all the same.)

 

No rationality here. I can't even apologize for it.

 

I read one commentary that said

"Leia finally picks up a light saber"

.

[Shannon L.]

 

I can't be neutral about this. I saw Star Wars in the theater when I was five years old. I had a hard time with the prequels but this is completely different. That's Luke's voice... that's fucking Han Solo and Chewbacca.

I loved the first three when I first saw them all those years ago and got chills when I walked into the theater for the re-release a number of years ago and heard the music playing.  I never saw the next three because they didn't look interesting to me, but this trailer has me really interested in this one.

[CaughtOnTape]

Chills when Han and Chewie showed up at the end.  It's amazing to me how Harrison Ford just slipped right back into being Han Solo.  He played the character almost 40 years ago.  Like everything about how he said that was Han Solo.

 

Can.not.wait.

[revbfc]

Loved the trailer. Still skeptical because of the prequels, but I'm keeping hope alive.

Oh, and for the person wondering about Wookies aging, they have a lifespan of 200 years.

[SnoGirl]

Growing up, all my uncles would play the Original Star Wars trilogy during the holidays. I was so disappointed by the prequel three, but that little girl that grew up watching Luke, Leia, and Hans is geeking out! That trailer is so awesome!

I also like how they're dragging out characters and plot points. I'm hoping we see a sneak of Leia in one trailer and Luke in the last trailer out. I hope they continue to try and keep everything under wraps like they have so far, I won't be able to resist the spoilers.

[tennisgurl]

I am trying SO HARD not to get my hopes up about this movie...I cant take my heart being broken...but oh my God that looks AWESOME!

 

Every time it gets to the end, and see see Han and Chewie...chills! And so much fangirl flailing. 

[Jediknight]

Oh Avatar, your ass is grass and The Force Awakens in the lawnmower.  Provided this movie doesn't suck, the Star Wars franchise is taking back the spot for highest grossing movie ever.

[Kromm]

Okay, cards on the table: I may have giggled like a small child when Han said "Chewie, we're home". Although, doesn't Chewie age? Couldn't they put a bit of grey in his fur?

Maybe a little might have helped, but I think the non-movie stuff that established that Wookies are very long-lived compared to humans may still be one of the outside things still in continuity.

[Danny Franks]

Maybe a little might have helped, but I think the non-movie stuff that established that Wookies are very long-lived compared to humans may still be one of the outside things still in continuity.

 

I'd have thought he'd still be at least middle aged, even for a Wookiee. He was an adult in Revenge of the Sith, and this is what, sixty years later? I don't know, I guess it would have been nice if he and Han were similarly weathered. Still, this is a minor quibble in what is an otherwise great little teaser.

[SnoGirl]

I wonder if the droids R2D2 or C3PO are going to look weathered or older at all. They would be out-dated 60 years out right? I know we did see R2D2, but since they've been around since the beginning, I'm wondering if we're going to see their age in this film.

Edited April 17, 2015 by SnoGirl

[DollEyes]

If I wasn't already planning to see it, that trailer in general and seeing Han & Chewie again in particular would've changed my mind in record time.  At the risk of aging myself, the trailer reminded of me of the excitement I felt seeing Episode IV for the first time back in 1977. Avengers: Age of Ultron might own the summer & the fall, but come December 18th, it's Star Wars' world and they're just living in it, like everyone else.

Edited April 19, 2015 by DollEyes

[VCRTracking]

 

Okay, cards on the table: I may have giggled like a small child when Han said "Chewie, we're home". Although, doesn't Chewie age? Couldn't they put a bit of grey in his fur?

 

I straight up shed a tear!

 

Also, awesome to finally confirm that BB-8 was real and not CGI:

Edited April 17, 2015 by VCRTracking

[SnoGirl]

OMG. I thought BB-8 was total CGI. That is just incredible...I want a BB-8! Seriously, hearing them say they thought it would be better if BB-8 was real and not CGI is so telling about what their expectations were for this movie. And seeing the creator out in the crowd with that look of pure bliss on his face made me tear up.

Is there a link to all the clips? I'd love to see more!

[Danny Franks]

I can't figure out how that little dude even works. I imagine there are electromagnets involved to keep the head in place, and gyroscopes but... other than that I'll just assume it's magic. Amazing.

 

Fantastic that they seem to be using practical effects for so much of this movie, though. I've been vocal before about the terrible overuse of CGI in the prequel trilogy, and I do think that, no matter how good the CGI, you can always tell it's not real.

[Kromm]

I wonder if the droids R2D2 or C3PO are going to look weathered or older at all. They would be out-dated 60 years out right? I know we did see R2D2, but since they've been around since the beginning, I'm wondering if we're going to see their age in this film.

Would they really HAVE to? Their external metal shells are repairable/replaceable.

[BizBuzz]

Oh Avatar, your ass is grass and The Force Awakens in the lawnmower.

 

This wins.

 

All I can say is OMG.  Seriously.

[maraleia]

Here is a link to the livestream with JJ, Kathleen Kennedy and members of the cast ... have fun watching. It was awesome http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/16/star-wars-jj-abrams-celebration_n_7065846.html?utm_hp_ref=tv&ir=TV

[bunnyblue]

I am trying SO HARD not to get my hopes up about this movie...I cant take my heart being broken...but oh my God that looks AWESOME!

 

I'm right there with you. I'm telling myself to temper my expectations because I got burned back in '99, but these trailers are making me so damn excited. 

 

 

I'd have thought he'd still be at least middle aged, even for a Wookiee. He was an adult in Revenge of the Sith, and this is what, sixty years later? 

 

Yeah, even though Wookie's are long-lived, Chewie has been around for decades and has seen many battles. I'd expect at least a bit of gray around his muzzle or temples. His fur looks all lush and shiny in the new trailer; it looks better than it did 35 years ago. Like you said, just a minor quibble, so I won't get all worked up over it.

 

 

Also, awesome to finally confirm that BB-8 was real and not CGI:

 

 

Wow, I was sure that little robot was all CGI. Not because he looks CGI but because I assumed having a little droid literally rolling around the desert during filming would be a complete pain in the a**. That makes me appreciate Abrams and company all the more.

 

I can't figure out how that little dude even works. I imagine there are electromagnets involved to keep the head in place, and gyroscopes but... other than that I'll just assume it's magic. Amazing.

 

Amazing is right. Major kudos to the creator of that little guy.

 

I've seen speculation on another board that Luke's narration is a new recording of his ROTJ speech to Leia; with the final line ("you have that power too") being the new addition. To my ears, it sounds like that is young Luke's voice for the first 4 lines and old Luke for the last line. The inflection when he says "my sister has it" sounds exactly they way he delivered it in ROTJ. And when he says "too", his voice sounds older and grizzled. I know MH is a voice actor but I don't think he can match his voice to the way it was 32 years ago. And the fakeout of using his line reading from ROTJ would explain why he talks of his father in the present tense.

Edited April 18, 2015 by bunnyblue

[AshleyN]

I love that I've now seen two trailers for this movie, been riveted by them, yet remain completely in the dark about the actual plot of the movie. They're teasers, in the best sense of the word.

 

I know JJ Abrams tends to go overboard with the secrecy, but I do wish more films could follow this sort of model when it comes to their marketing. I know Star Wars has an advantage there because they have so much iconography that invokes an automatic reaction even without context, but man am I tired of marketing execs who seem to think that the purpose of a trailer is to tell the film's whole story in three minutes or less.

[Joe]

Ashley, I've listened to one too many podcasts and read too many articles. I could probably piece together at least a third of the plot, but I won't. Lucasfilm is either really bad at keeping a lid on spoilers, or really good at distributing foilers. However, stay away from any trailer in the last couple of months. Those will be the spoilerful ones.

 

In other news, Matthew Mcconaughey's reaction to Star Wars teaser #2. I think that was my reaction too. A combination of tears of joy, hyperventilating, wanting more... That moment when I realised it was a downed star destroyer! That's when it had me.

 

Third thing on my mind. You know how the force theme plays at the start and you hear a sort of tink tink tink in the background, I know that version from somewhere, but I can't remember where. Can anyone else place it?

 

Last, so there's a chrometrooper. I'm not sure about supporting Google's quest for galactic domination.

[AshleyN]

Ashley, I've listened to one too many podcasts and read too many articles. I could probably piece together at least a third of the plot, but I won't. Lucasfilm is either really bad at keeping a lid on spoilers, or really good at distributing foilers. However, stay away from any trailer in the last couple of months. Those will be the spoilerful ones.

Yeah, just as a matter or personal preference I tend to avoid things like articles and podcasts and such on purpose, for that reason. I'm not someone who needs to go into a film completely dark, and I don't necessarily need marketing to be as vague as this has been, but I do like there to be some sense of mystery left when I actually sit down to watch a film. Give me an idea to hook me, along with some nice visuals, but leave the meat of the story for the film itself. The thing is I think that with the way that the blockbuster industry has evolved and budgets have ballooned, the stakes are so high that studios feel like they need to throw out everything they have that might possibly entice people to come. But in this case, they don't - it's freaking STAR WARS. As we've seen, all you need to do is give people a glimpse of a lightsaber, or the Millenium Falcon in flight, or Han Solo and Chewie, and you'll have the entire internet losing its collective mind*. So I like that they seem to be taking advantage of that so far.

 

And while I don't doubt that the later trailers will have more details in them (nor do I really mind), I actually don't think they'll give away too much. Partly because of Abrams track record, and partly because, like I said, they don't need to.

 

 

*That being said, I do want to give credit for the fact that I really haven't felt like they're just throwing out images that will remind people of previous glory. I actually feel like they've hit the perfect sweet spot in which they're clearly taking advantage of people's familiarity and knowledge of this world without it coming across as just relying on nostalgia to sell the movie. Particularly in shots like John Boyega the terrified Stormtrooper or the crashed Star Destroyer, where the images are familiar, but the context is so different that it automatically stokes your curiosity and has you anticipating the story behind them.

Edited April 18, 2015 by AshleyN

[missbonnie]

I love that I've now seen two trailers for this movie, been riveted by them, yet remain completely in the dark about the actual plot of the movie. They're teasers, in the best sense of the word.

I know JJ Abrams tends to go overboard with the secrecy, but I do wish more films could follow this sort of model when it comes to their marketing. I know Star Wars has an advantage there because they have so much iconography that invokes an automatic reaction even without context, but man am I tired of marketing execs who seem to think that the purpose of a trailer is to tell the film's whole story in three minutes or less.

I totally agree with you. I was totally spoiled for ROTS and it ruined it for me. The ONLY thing I am going to watch this time around are the trailers and possibly read mainstream magazine articles.

I am kinda torqued at Marvel's campaign for Ultron, I feel like I have seen half the damn movie already, just from the trailers and tv spots.

Fast and Furious 7 promoted the hell out of that movie, but they were smart and released very little footage.

[JBC344]

I totally agree with you. I was totally spoiled for ROTS and it ruined it for me. The ONLY thing I am going to watch this time around are the trailers and possibly read mainstream magazine articles.

I am kinda torqued at Marvel's campaign for Ultron, I feel like I have seen half the damn movie already, just from the trailers and tv spots.

Fast and Furious 7 promoted the hell out of that movie, but they were smart and released very little footage.

From critics who have seen Age of Ultron, they are saying that the trailers show hardly any of the movie.  Outside of a few clips of a couple of the fight scenes it doesn't amount to a blip of the 2 1/2 hour movie.

[missbonnie]

I hope so.

[bunnyblue]

I've seen speculation on another board that Luke's narration is a new recording of his ROTJ speech to Leia; with the final line ("you have that power too") being the new addition. To my ears, it sounds like that is young Luke's voice for the first 4 lines and old Luke for the last line. The inflection when he says "my sister has it" sounds exactly they way he delivered it in ROTJ. And when he says "too", his voice sounds older and grizzled. I know MH is a voice actor but I don't think he can match his voice to the way it was 32 years ago. And the fakeout of using his line reading from ROTJ would explain why he talks of his father in the present tense.

 

Answering myself: Turns out it is a new recording by Mark Hamill. Color me impressed that he was able to duplicate the delivery from 32 years ago. 

 

https://www.yahoo.com/movies/s/mark-hamill-said-suspicious-j-j-abrams-035442948.html

[maraleia]

Walk don't run to watch the Star Wars Celebration livestreams. There's so much fan goodness that they can't be missed especially the interviews with Carrie, Mark, Billy Dee, Peter and Anthony.