Star Wars

[x105Black]

I'd rather know why the Last Jedi defies expectations.  I don't think there's a good answer to that.

[Oky]

On 8/31/2018 at 10:41 PM, Forresto said:

I must counter with this...

Good video, thanks for sharing. It's nice to see someone try to understand both sides of the debate and he is right. People who dislike the film just want a good escapist fantasy and yes, no matter how good certain aspects of the film may be, if it doesn't provide that fantasy and instead goes completely against the previous films treating everything that people liked about those films as something bad that needs to be corrected, they aren't going to be happy obviously.

And no, just because the character arcs were done competently doesn't make the movie good. None of the videos you shared addressed any of the flaws brought up in Plinkett's analysis such as the nonsensical plot or the mixed messages and tone. You shouldn't sacrifice the story (in a STORYTELLING medium) and consistency for good character development.

And I'm just gonna dismiss the last video because that's just made for sexist/racist idiots who disliked the movie simply because of their prejudices rather than any actual criticisms.

1 hour ago, x105Black said:

I'd rather know why the Last Jedi defies expectations.  I don't think there's a good answer to that.

This is what I still fail to understand as well. If this is the Star Wars movie we "needed", why did we need it? Why do we need to subvert the expectations of the fanbase and make it more realistic (i.e. muddled and depressing/disappointing)? Why turn Star Wars into something that it's not? What's wrong with Star Wars just being a black-and-white fairy tale that everyone enjoys? Why fix what ain't broken?

If they just wanted to mix things up, they should've just come up with a completely new story instead of just ripping off parts from ESB and ROTJ and just doing the opposite of what we would expect, only to have the characters end up in the same situation as where they started, except Rey is slightly better with the force, Kylo is slightly more evil, Finn is slightly more a rebel, Poe is slightly less of a reckless leader, and the two most interesting characters in the movie, Luke and Snoke, are dead.

On a brighter note, while we're sharing YouTube videos, here is one that gives us all of the catharsis that we wanted in the movie:

 

[Dr.Cogg]

I am one the people who hated The Last Jedi, which is why I posted Maulers break down of why people hated it, because in his break down of TLJ he tells just why so many people like my self dislike the film.   

 

On a different note if you want to watch something funny check out the Bad Lip reading: Star Wars link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv_hGITmNuo&t=46s

Edited September 2, 2018 by Dr.Cogg

[the last chronicler]

I'd argue the character development in TLJ is far more important than the simple character introductory role of TFA. Finn learns from Canto Bight that for many one simply can't run away from the systematic corruption (to run from the 'machine' as he did) of the First Order, and that he has to fight for others to make things right. Rey learns her place in the universe is not part of someone else's journey but her own, going from accepting her role in the hero's journey with Luke in TFA to making her own journey and family with the Resistance. Kylo Ren decides to beleive his past in totality makes him weak, that he cannot gain his power from the Skywalker line and resolves to destroy it, fully detaching himself from the galaxy to maintain his self-denial and belief in his own exceptionalism. And Poe learns not to fight in terms of winning the battle but saving the lives and ideals the war is defending: to not be blinded by the imminent threat but see the larger picture. I think one reason TLJ seems conterintuitive for fans is in TFA the thesis of the heroes is in part given in Maz's speech about bringing back Luke, and the villains thesis statement is in Hux's hatred of disorder in the Republic. Neither opinion is given much authority or objective value in TLJ in terms of Luke's status or Hux's competence, but treating either opinion as if from a reliable narrator may be too forgiving and too narratively limiting for the trilogy as a whole. 

Of course, I do agree that TLJ subverts elements of a simple escapist interpretation of TFA but that is not against the traditions of Star Wars. In particular that is Yoda's ideology, and exalts the lessons of moral complexity learned from Vader's redemption. It also parallels the underdog post-Vietnam-War philosophy of A New Hope with the Empire as a metaphor criticizing the military industrial complex. I think if a film does not have a relevent and powerful emotional effect then it cannot be memorable, and TLJ has a good external conflict, a great emotional conflict, and a fantastic philosophical conflict that focuses on the importance of how the first step of revolution/rebellion is in one's mindset about the world/galaxy.

Edited September 3, 2018 by the last chronicler

[x105Black]

I saw Solo over the weekend, and it's a much better Star Wars movie than The Last Jedi.  It has its problems, but overall it was good.  Not too much winking at the audience, which I liked.

Not as good as The Force Awakens or Rogue One, which were both great, but it was good.

[Tariq j]

I agree with that as well, it was an enjoyable film, there was a good ensemble cast, much like Rogue One. The Underowlrd of Star Wars is something I’ve always wanted to be explored so it was good to see traces of it here. I really enjoyed Alden’s performance as Han, I think the issue is he sounds and looks nothing like Harrison Ford, which is where the issue of believing they are the same person stems from. 

[Digger of Bricks]

 

[Forresto]

Given she’s one of the most successful producers alive this is unsurprising.

Regardless of how you feel about her, three out of her four last movies have broke a billion and Solo would’ve broke even if it not for the reshoots and production changes. 

Look up her credits and you’ll be shocked at how many classics she’s responsible for. 

 

Edited September 29, 2018 by Forresto

[Japanbuilder]

On 9/29/2018 at 1:23 PM, Forresto said:

Given she’s one of the most successful producers alive this is unsurprising.

Regardless of how you feel about her, three out of her four last movies have broke a billion and Solo would’ve broke even if it not for the reshoots and production changes. 

Look up her credits and you’ll be shocked at how many classics she’s responsible for. 

 

Actually, it is not surprising given the fact that no one wants the job. A split fan-base, controversy everywhere, boycotts. No one in their right mind wants to touch this gig. 3 years is simply a stay of execution in the biz. She can either turn it around or, given that this has only increased fan ire, gives Disney time to seriously search for her replacement. Her past is in the past, they care only about the money going forward. While I am sure they broke even on their investment at this point, I think they would prefer to see a profit instead.

[Digger of Bricks]

 

[Forresto]

The first three episodes of Resistance are on demand so naturally I binge watched them.

I enjoyed it a lot. So far I have to say I actually like it considerably more then the first season of Rebels.

Its definitely a kids show, something I had issue with at first but now i’m okay with. We adults get a lot of content from books, graphic novels, to even the spinoff films like Solo and Rogue One (come on we all know those are for the older fans.)

I love how this show blends the three trilogies. Seeing aliens from the Mos Eisley Cantina and Mos Espa brush elbows with aliens from Max Kanata’s Castle is incredibly rewarding. As is all the pieces of reused OT tech on the walls of the bar or in the ships or bring worn by the pirates.

The lead is a bumbling fool but is an obviously goodperson. As a result he comes off less precocious like Ezra and more sympathetic. I kinda like this dude, he’s a fool with a heart of gold.

So far I’ve not encountered a character I groaned at like so often happened in Rebels until old favorites from Clone Wars appeared.

Edited October 15, 2018 by Forresto

[Oky]

On 9/28/2018 at 9:23 PM, Forresto said:

Given she’s one of the most successful producers alive this is unsurprising.

Regardless of how you feel about her, three out of her four last movies have broke a billion and Solo would’ve broke even if it not for the reshoots and production changes. 

Look up her credits and you’ll be shocked at how many classics she’s responsible for.

 

On 10/1/2018 at 4:14 PM, Japanbuilder said:

Actually, it is not surprising given the fact that no one wants the job. A split fan-base, controversy everywhere, boycotts. No one in their right mind wants to touch this gig.

Sad, but true.

3 hours ago, Forresto said:

The first three episodes of Resistance are on demand so naturally I binge watched them.

I enjoyed it a lot. So far I have to say I actually like it considerably more then the first season of Rebels.

Its definitely a kids show, something I had issue with at first but now i’m okay with. We adults get a lot of content from books, graphic novels, to even the spinoff films like Solo and Rogue One (come on we all know those are for the older fans.)

I love how this show blends the three trilogies. Seeing aliens from the Mos Eisley Cantina and Mos Espa brush elbows with aliens from Max Kanata’s Castle is incredibly rewarding. As is all the pieces of reused OT tech on the walls of the bar or in the ships or bring worn by the pirates.

The lead is a bumbling fool but is an obviously goodperson. As a result he comes off less precocious like Ezra and more sympathetic. I kinda like this dude, he’s a fool with a heart of gold.

So far I’ve not encountered a character I groaned at like so often happened in Rebels until old favorites from Clone Wars appeared.

I've only seen the first two episodes and so far it's just ok. Cellshaded animation usually doesn't look very good and here it's no different, although it looks better when the scene is not in broad daylight. While some scenes in Rebels looked like gorgeous McQuarrie paintings, this series looks like a cutscene from a Wii game most of the time. And yes, it's very kiddie, but CW and Rebels started out this way too and got much better later on, so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. The lead character is tolerable. I groaned at most of his slapstick more than I did at anything in Rebels, but he does seem like a good kid and he will probably get more competent in time.

What I did like is that this show seems to be what a lot of people wanted Rebels to be: A SW show with no force sensitive heroes whatsoever (Unless you count Leia I guess). Just rebellious pilots doing their thing. And seeing all those PT, OT, and ST species and droids in one place was indeed a nice touch as made it feel more like a hodgepodge of aliens than any cantina scene before it. I also liked that Poe Dameron was only in it for a little bit before he left and I hope he stays away. I don't want to see that hot-headed idiot any more than I have to.

Personally, I find the First Order not threatening at all despite their ridiculous amount of resources, so I almost find it comical that they're setting them up as the villains of this show. Then again, the fact that they are run by cartoonish one-dimensional characters makes them a much better fit for a kids show like this than for the movies.

I think this show has potential, though, so I'll wait and see how it develops.

[TWRAddict]

Not fresh news, but John Williams, who's 88, was hospitalized for an undisclosed illness in the last day or so. 

Edited October 25, 2018 by TWRAddict

[Cylo]

1 hour ago, TWRAddict said:

Not fresh news, but John Williams, who's 88, was hospitalized for an undisclosed illness in the last day or so. 

Yeah, I saw that on Reddit. Not good.

 

I watched Solo recently, and it was quite enjoyable, although not as much as the OT, it explores in places that the normal francise does not.

[Junior Shark]

For those who are interested, word on the street is that we'll have Episode IX title and possibly teaser trailer before the end of December.

[Forresto]

I think we have a contender for best Star Wars fan film. 

I usually avoid fan films, they’re generally awful, but this surprised me.

Proof there needs to be a Vader film and that Disney is insane for not making one.

Edited December 22, 2018 by Forresto

[jimmynick]

I'm thinking about getting a few more collections of Star Wars comics. Does anyone have both the Dark Horse Omnibus and the Marvel Legends Epic Collection? Do you have an opinion about which edition of the comics you prefer?

[Digger of Bricks]

 

[Vindicare]

Not that I needed this teaser, but I am excited. Digging the new on screen TIE...assuming that’s Kylo Ren, although could it be that Major Vonreg? His LEGO TIE does have more red to than this one though. Seeing Lando, reminiscent of his squeal of joy in the OT. And that ending...woo boy. 

 

As as an aside, watching Celebration, it was very nice seeing Kelly Marie Tran get such a welcoming applause from those attending. 

[PenPlays]

4 hours ago, Vindicare said:

...although could it be that Major Vonreg?

It's not Major Vonreg.

Should probably watch Resistance. Its surprising good.

[Digger of Bricks]

Collider - We’ve Seen 10 Minutes of ‘The Mandalorian’ Footage and It’s Out Of This World

Quote

The piece kicked off with The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) walking into a cantina packed with curious individuals, likely up to no good. The Mandalorian sits down with Carl Weathers’ character, Greef Marda (spelling unconfirmed), who sorts through a bunch of “pucks,” each representing a different bounty. As described during the panel, Grief is running a guild of bounty hunters and he’s looking for someone to go after a very valuable product for a client. Grief explains that the payment will come from someone with deep pockets. He gives The Mandalorian a card and sends him to get further details on the job at another location.

From there, The Mandalorian takes to the streets and walks through a market where he passes a Kowakian monkey-lizard (like Salacious Crumb) roasting on a spit. There’s another nearby locked in a cage. He arrives at his destination and before he’s let in, he’s scanned by a TT-8L gatekeeper droid, very reminiscent of the one at Jabba’s Palace in Return of the Jedi. He’s escorted in by a GNK droid and ultimately, a door slides open revealing a room full of Stormtroopers as well as Werner Herzog’s character, someone clearly affiliated with the Empire.

The Mandalorian sits down with Herzog who lays out the plan. Grief chose The Mandalorian for this job because “he’s the best in the parsec.” An extremely uncomfortable looking Imperial doctor (Omid Abtahi) steps in, breaking the eerie calm in the room. Herzog explains that the doctor’s “enthusiasm outweighs his discretion.” They attempt to end the standoff by telling The Mandalorian that they out number him four to one. He replies, “I like those odds.”

They sit back down and that’s when Herzog’s unveils something to serve as a downpayment. At first, The Mandalorian is instructed to deliver the targeted asset alive but then, much to the doctor’s disapproval, Herzog tells him that proof of termination will be accepted too, but for a lesser payment. The Mandalorian asks him “to see the puck,” but Herzog explains that this arrangement is a less traditional one. He says he’ll be given a tracker and slides The Mandalorian a piece of Beskar (Mandalorian iron), and apparently there’s more where that came from. He tells him that the Beskar belongs back in the hands of the Mandalorians after “a period of such disarray.”

Collider - ‘The Mandalorian’ Images Give a Closer Look at the First Live-Action ‘Star Wars’ Series

[Tariq j]

The Rise of Skywalker trailer actually looks really good. I’m not too keen on the name although I’ll probably get use to it. The one thing that baffles me about the trailer is how a chunk of what is presumably the second Death Star is still intact on an unknown planet. Especially given how it exploded at the end of RotJ. 

The Clone Wars trailer was great. Just made me realise how much I miss the show . I’m kind of on the fence about bringing Maul back yet again. I love the character and everything that Filoni has done with him but I felt his arc was completed in Rebels. Regardless I’m still pumped for whatever Filoni has planned. 

[Japanbuilder]

I was hyped at first but I am keeping my expectations in check this time around. While I like the first two films in this trilogy I am curious about a few things from a narrative perspective.

1. Kylo got beat by Rey in TFA so what exactly are we looking forward to here?

2. Rey is still up to unearned awesomeness from the looks of it.

3. Hearing Palpatine made my heart sink a bit. In that if he comes back at all it means Luke achieved nothing, not one thing except exposing his father's latent good side.

4. Pasting Lando on a scene just felt like "see it's Star Wars" and also "desert skiff" see you like this right?????? Hmm....

5. That title. Skywalker as the new nomen for "Force User?" or Kylo redeemed (which would make ppl explode at this point), or Kylo/Snoke was lying to Rey all along by making her seem like a nobody when in truth Luke got around at his temple and fathered a child??? But see my point 3, is that then Luke's only achievement?

Again just concerned here. From a narrative stand point it has a lot of ground to cover and only 2 hours or so to do it. I doubt they've jumped on board to save the franchise(specially since judging form their wording from various sources they literally had no plan for this trilogy) but surely to minimize the rift in the fandom at least for a little bit.

[x105Black]

When the Rise of Skywalker is available to watch at home, I will watch it.  It should be interesting to see what they keep and undo from Johnson's botched episode.

I'm much more eager to see The Mandalorian.  That looks fantastic.

[Pdaitabird]

On April 14, 2019 at 7:59 PM, Tariq j said:

The one thing that baffles me about the trailer is how a chunk of what is presumably the second Death Star is still intact on an unknown planet. Especially given how it exploded at the end of RotJ.

It may not be the second Death Star...my own personal theory is that it's one of the twenty-three other death stars that were destroyed off-screen. Seriously, bad guys, quit building death stars already!