See, here's the thing. My first reaction was, "Ok, weird soccer ball R2 unit aside, it really does look like a Star Wars movie."
But then the more I think about it, the reason I said it looks like a Star Wars movie was because it has X-Wings, TIE fighters, Stormtroopers, and the Millennium Falcon. You know, the stuff they had in Episodes 4-6.
Except, wasn't the whole point of these movies that they're long after Star Wars Episodes 4-6? Like, enough to justify the age of the original actors? So why do we still have the Millennium Falcon being chased by TIE Fighters? How is it that things look the same if so much time has passed?
Anyway, floor open for opinions on this upcoming movie.
The Expanded Universe always had the Millenium Falcon bouncing around...
Umm, I thought the trailer was kinda garbage. Yeah, the X-Wings and the Millenium Falcon looked great, but that lightsaber looked super dumb and I hate the guy who did the voiceover. Can't stand him. The addition of random characters doing random things, popping up in front of the camera or riding a speeder into town, just left me uninterested. I'm going to have to be truly impressed in order to respect their decision to ignore the expanded universe.
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Seemed kinda meh to me. A longer trailer is needed before I can say anymore. Any Star Wars film will have to work hard to please me because I've been a Trek(except the last two films!) fan since childhood and prefer it's more sci fi approach to a space opera. I do appreciate the fantasy side of space though and both Dune and Star Wars explore this facet of imagination pretty well.
With a name like The Force Awakens, I imagine the plot will revolve around some sort of Jedi/Sith arms race to see who can field the most badass disciples following the deaths of Vader and Palpatine. The Rebels need Jedi pretty badly and while Luke Skywalker is powerful, can he prevail against a galaxy filled with dark Force users and Sith? If nothing else, it will be interesting to see the Empire start to decay and fall apart without it's brains to keep it running. Hell, the Rebels could probably just kill all the politically important people in the Empire and then sit back, watch various alliances form and break and see civil war decimate large swaths of the galaxy, and then swoop in and seize control.
I suppose the trailer was rather choppy, but as JJ Abrams said, it's just meant to give us a peek at the movie's contents, and it seems that they tried to cover a bunch of ground by showing several characters in different settings. Given its length, there isn't much to say or debate, but I still find it promising. It's a new trilogy, after all, and I'd definitely like to see new ideas and all that. It's entirely possible to get creative and new while still staying true to the series' heart. Too often with music and movies, people seem to want one original production duplicated over and over, just with different names. They're stubbornly stuck on one thing, like with Nine Inch Nails. Many fans hate the new, "lighter" album, and it feels like they just want The Downward Spiral 2.0. If you guys want TDS, just listen to TDS! Meanwhile, artists live up to that name and try new ideas and concepts, and push the boundaries. You can't just go in circles and get away with it! Unless you're AD/DC.
Back on topic... can't wait for the full theatrical trailer I hope to hear some plot soon.
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I actually was satisfied with the trailer so far. With the release date being a whole year away, I didn't really expect to have a trailer full of content.
So far the visuals have really impressed me. All the old classic Star Wars vessels look crisp in CGI. I do agree that the new lightsaber does look a little stupid, however we've had some pretty dumb designs in the past (curved hilt, double bladed saber, etc.)
I don't really need justification for them ignoring the extended universe. I'm almost certain J.J. Abrams and Co. can produce a better story then the ones in the extended universe. I think the plot will obviously center around some conflict between the newly resurrected Jedi Order under Luke Skywalker and the remnants of the Sith after the death of their leaders.
I take it that Force Awakens is a revisit to the force. During 4-6, the Force was cast off as Magic, with only a few beings even knowing how to use the force and most mocking it like Han Solo. May be with something akin to Luke rebuilding the Jedi Order to combat the rise of Siths. This might be a new telling of the stuff that happened with Luke forming the new Jedi Order in that book series.
The visuals are amazing*. I would almost want to see what Star Wars 4-6 would look like with those visuals.
*That red saber is arguably the dumbest attempt to look cool.
I'm going to have to be truly impressed in order to respect their decision to ignore the expanded universe.
I think there's a pretty obvious reason to ignore the expanded universe: 40 years in real life have past. Unless the movies were animated, you couldn't have them pick up where they left off, not without explaining why Luke, Han, and Leia have all aged rapidly since Endor.
Besides, I've always gotten the impression that technology in the Star Wars universe is pretty stagnant.
I completely disagree there. For starters, there's a major shift between the prequels and the sequels with regards to the look and feel of technology. And that's just the stupid prequels. If we're going with what Episode 4 implied, the jump should have been much greater still. Obi Wan had a cedar chest, minimal technology, spoke of a time where lightsabers were the weapon of choice for a civilized warrior, and didn't know what an R2 unit was. Also, it really seemed like something like IG-88 was not possible under the Republic's technology level.
But I'm not even talking about the technology. I'm talking about the fact that there are still Stormtroopers and TIE fighters. Why would this still be the case? Shouldn't the Empire have fallen by now? It's been 40 years.
PS: Cruciform lightsaber looks really dangerous to the user.
Yeah, not really getting why you'd have a lightsaber longsword. Seems completely pointless to me.
I don't really need justification for them ignoring the extended universe. I'm almost certain J.J. Abrams and Co. can produce a better story then the ones in the extended universe.
Yeah, I don't share your confidence with regards to J.J. Abrams.
That being said, it's pretty clear that Abrams really wants to make Star Wars films, and it's not like Lucas set the bar high with the prequels. So we'll see what happens.
The cross-guard lightsabers were mentioned in the Expanded Universe a few times, so this isn't something totally foreign to hardcore Star Wars fans, but it's the first time for anybody seeing it visually. I agree with others in that it's somewhat shoe-horned in here - it seems like JJ wanted to try and bring in a new, cool lightsaber design, but with Star Wars, sometimes less is more. We've been given new lightsaber designs in Episode I (Maul's double-bladed saber), Episode II (Dooku's curved hilt) and in the new cartoon Star Wars: Rebels currently airing on Disney (The Sith character known as "The Inquisitor" wields a double-bladed saber with a circled hilt that allows the blade to completely spin) - no need for another one.
One thing about the lightsaber which may seem interesting is the "rough" looking nature of the blades - especially the shorter ones on the hilt. This leads me to believe that the crystals used to built it weren't totally free of impurities and hopefully leads to stories of young Jedi/Sith apprentices (Luke and Lei's children perhaps) building their sabers and perhaps the Sith / Dark Side character not completely using the force to build theirs - which could explain it's rough look. Although rare, there are some lightsabers that could cut through other sabers - maybe this idea can be explored a little.
As far as the rest of the trailer, I thought the visuals were crisp (X-wings over the water, rolling droid on sand, stormtroopers in transport) and the music was well-suited and alluded to something bad about to awaken (young female teen hurrying onto her vehicle racing back to her home, black stormtrooper in trouble, X-wings in attack formation, TIE fighters firing on the Falcon, etc) and it basically did it's job, which is to "tease" the viewer enough to want you interested enough to watch the next trailer and ultimately spend money at the box office to see it.
I completely disagree there. For starters, there's a major shift between the prequels and the sequels with regards to the look and feel of technology. And that's just the stupid prequels.
If anything, the prequels look more advanced. That's partially just real-life moviemaking technology, of course, and partially aesthetic inconsistency. But beneath that I think there is an artistic reason that would have been valid even if the prequels were themselves masterpieces: to depict a "fall" between the Republic's golden age and the Empire's dark age. I'm no visual designer, but if I were sketching out a plan for the look of the prequels, I would have thrown in some starships that were obvious precursors to X-wings and TIE fighters, but more ornate and less utilitarian-looking.
If we're going with what Episode 4 implied, the jump should have been much greater still. Obi Wan had a cedar chest, minimal technology, spoke of a time where lightsabers were the weapon of choice for a civilized warrior, and didn't know what an R2 unit was.
He knew what an R2 unit was - he just said he'd never owned a droid before. Lightsabers were the weapon of choice for a civilized warrior, and they're very advanced tech that hasn't changed for a long time. He also spoke of "civilized warrior" Anakin Skywalker being an expert star pilot. And he was certainly familiar with all the tech in the movie, enough to casually negotiate passage on a space transport and to find and shut down the Death Star shield without incident. If he lived like a hermit on Tatooine, it's because he was a hermit. It's very much to the credit of Episode IV's worldbuilding that it was able to portray a wide range of technologies existing plausibly side-by-side to create a lived-in feel, rather than have everything be cutting edge as is usually the case in, say, The Jetsons.
But I'm not even talking about the technology. I'm talking about the fact that there are still Stormtroopers and TIE fighters. Why would this still be the case? Shouldn't the Empire have fallen by now? It's been 40 years.
The Eastern Roman Empire thrived for a thousand years after the fall of Rome. And the Star Wars universe's "Rome" hadn't fallen yet as of the end of RotJ. The Emperor died, but that's what all Emperors do eventually.
Even were that not the case, theoretically somebody else could be employing the stormtroopers and TIE fighters. It's not like the gear would magically disappear if the political structure changes. If the United States collapses tomorrow, whatever comes next is probably gonna fly F-16s.
Yeah, not really getting why you'd have a lightsaber longsword. Seems completely pointless to me.
It's actually got three points.
I can see the basic thought process behind it: a crossguard protects your hand if the enemy blade slides down yours, the only thing that stops a lightsaber blade is another lightsaber blade, therefore a lightsaber crossguard needs to be made of lightsaber blades. Problem is, if a blade slides down that sword, it's not gonna hit blade, it's gonna hit the protruding emitter and just slice it off.
Also, usual problem of stabbing oneself with the extra blades.
Like Forget You said, it's just what has unfortunately become the Obligatory Lightsaber Gimmick of the Episode.
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Quick note about the 'Broadsaber', I don't think it works very well. Look at it start up and how it kind of sputters. It looks like it is either really old and malfunctioning or that the person who put it together didn't know what they were doing.
See, here's the thing. My first reaction was, "Ok, weird soccer ball R2 unit aside, it really does look like a Star Wars movie."
I don't think it's an Astromech like R2, it just has a similar head. Reports are that it's Daisy Ridley's droid, and that the 'soccer ball' opens up for have a ton of tools available.
But then the more I think about it, the reason I said it looks like a Star Wars movie was because it has X-Wings, TIE fighters, Stormtroopers, and the Millennium Falcon. You know, the stuff they had in Episodes 4-6.
Except, wasn't the whole point of these movies that they're long after Star Wars Episodes 4-6? Like, enough to justify the age of the original actors? So why do we still have the Millennium Falcon being chased by TIE Fighters? How is it that things look the same if so much time has passed?
A few reasons: First, everything has had visual redesigns. Stormtroopers look 'new' (And awesome), the X-Wings have some distinct differences from the old ones, the costumes and outfits have some updates, etc. We barely see the TIEs, but the US military is still using some of the same Humvees we used 30 years ago, aren't we?
In the prequels, everything was constantly being updated as the war went on, mostly because there hadn't been a war in the Republic for a long time, so everything was new, and there were such high casualty rates that they most likely had to constantly order new ships. These movies are going back to the lived-in universe look that the prequels were lacking. If TIEs were cheap to mass produce for the Empire, they're probably still going to be using the same basic design. Unlike between 3 and 4, where there is a major cultural shift, it's looking like we've still got the Empire versus the Rebellion/New Republic, so it makes sense that both sides are still using what works for them.
We also don't know that the TIEs are in Imperial use. They could have been surplussed out to the local planetary government.
A cool little note: the Falcon has a new radar dish, since the old one got knocked off in RotJ. And for the Falcon, starships aren't cheap. I imagine a lot of private individuals are still using the same old ships, although Ridley's character is supposed to be some sort of junk dealer, I think, so it could just be she fixed it up. In either case, Boba Fett was using the Slave I 20 years later, so I can see the Falcon still being in use 30 years later.
Yes, and that's a problem with the prequels. It should be the other way around. But the point is, the technology does change profoundly between Episode 1 and Episode 4.
But beneath that I think there is an artistic reason that would have been valid even if the prequels were themselves masterpieces: to depict a "fall" between the Republic's golden age and the Empire's dark age.
Which has never really made sense to me. The Empire should represent a heyday of military technology.
Especially when it's established that the Empire had the technology to be able to build the Death Star, a feat which is regarded as beyond what most would believe possible.
He knew what an R2 unit was
I'm going to disagree there. He certainly knew what a droid was, but he says to R2, "Now let's see if we can't figure out what you are, my little friend, and where you come from." He doesn't say, "Why you're here and where you come from." He doesn't say, "What you're doing here, and where you come from." He says "what you are," which always indicated to me that he didn't know what an R2 unit was.
Also, it really seemed like something like IG-88 was not possible under the Republic's technology level.
How so?
IG-88 appears more advanced than any other droid we see in the original movies. That, and I assumed that the Republic didn't have the advanced droid technology the Empire did.
Even were that not the case, theoretically somebody else could be employing the stormtroopers and TIE fighters. It's not like the gear would magically disappear if the political structure changes. If the United States collapses tomorrow, whatever comes next is probably gonna fly F-16s.
But beneath that I think there is an artistic reason that would have been valid even if the prequels were themselves masterpieces: to depict a "fall" between the Republic's golden age and the Empire's dark age.
Which has never really made sense to me. The Empire should represent a heyday of military technology.
Especially when it's established that the Empire had the technology to be able to build the Death Star, a feat which is regarded as beyond what most would believe possible.
Not if the economy is in the trashcan.
And my impression is that the Death Star was "impossible" more just as a matter of stupidly wasteful scale than technology. Like, if we were floating around in the Pacific Ocean we wouldn't expect to run into a ship the size of the island of Manhattan. A major nation could put together the resources to build such a thing, but why the hell would they?
I'm going to disagree there. He certainly knew what a droid was, but he says to R2, "Now let's see if we can't figure out what you are, my little friend, and where you come from." He doesn't say, "Why you're here and where you come from." He doesn't say, "What you're doing here, and where you come from." He says "what you are," which always indicated to me that he didn't know what an R2 unit was.
But in context, that doesn't make any sense. He has no reason to care in that scene what specific model R2-D2 is. It makes far more sense that he's looking for an answer like "a messenger" or "a spy" than "an R2 Astromech unit". Also, Luke had just referred to R2 as an R2 unit.
See, here's the thing. My first reaction was, "Ok, weird soccer ball R2 unit aside, it really does look like a Star Wars movie."
My first reaction was "ok, weird gravelly narrator aside, it really does sound like a Star Wars movie." That's 1/3 John Williams, 2/3 Ben Burtt. Couldn't be happier that they got Burtt to come back.
At any rate, I have no interest in scrutinizing the trailer, hilted lightsaber included. Frankly, all I want is a fun space fantasy action film, which is what still makes IV the purest film in the series, and what I hope Abrams can deliver if the first Star Trek is any indication.
And my impression is that the Death Star was "impossible" more just as a matter of stupidly wasteful scale than technology. Like, if we were floating around in the Pacific Ocean we wouldn't expect to run into a ship the size of the island of Manhattan. A major nation could put together the resources to build such a thing, but why the hell would they?
I mean, it's a naval base that can move (apparently quite fast), can house an untold number of ships, is impregnable to anything except a small ship firing a one-in-a-million shot with a proton torpedo on one exhaust pipe, and can destroy a planet in a single shot, something apparently a thousand Imperial ships could not achieve.
So it'd be more like a naval base the size of an island that moves faster than a carrier, could destroy a continent in one shot, and is unsinkable to anything that isn't a waterski. The cost is certainly exorbitant, but having one of those is gg to all wars automatically.
But in context, that doesn't make any sense. He has no reason to care in that scene what specific model R2-D2 is. It makes far more sense that he's looking for an answer like "a messenger" or "a spy" than "an R2 Astromech unit". Also, Luke had just referred to R2 as an R2 unit.
Yeah, but I don't think Obi-Wan necessarily knows what an R2 unit is.
And I agree that saying "what you are" means what R2's intended function is, as droids are defined by their intended function ("what C-3PO is" would be "a robot who specializes in etiquette, protocol, and as an interpreter," for example). I just don't think that's necessarily exclusive of what R2's function in general might be. I don't know if Obi-Wan knows what an R2 unit is or even what an Astromech droid is.
Going back to the main topic, I'll accept that people might still be using the technology 30 years from now, and it's not like people aren't using Cold War tech in a lot of places anyway. So fair enough.
My point is it would seem quite weird to have another trilogy fighting the Empire after a whole trilogy about Luke's journey against the Empire AND a trilogy after that depicting Palpatine's rise to power. I'm hoping there's more to it than that.
What? For the two seconds he appears on screen, he doesn't do anything and looks like scrap metal. The most advanced looking droid is C-3PO, easily.
Really? I think IG-88 is the most visually intimidating of all the bounty hunters. He looks like military hardware, like a rifle that walks like a man. And is also carrying a rifle.
By contrast, C-3PO is clumsy and awkward, and 4-LOM looks jury-rigged on top of having a weird bug head.
I wonder how Star Wars fans would react to the idea of Episode VII being titled, "The Midi-chlorians Awaken" instead of "The Force Awakens"? It probably wouldn't have been a good sales pitch considering how The Phantom Menace ruined the mystery behind the Force however it didn't bother me as much going into Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith which was actually my favorite out of the prequels while I still consider the original trilogy a masterpiece that will never be equaled.
Considering how much CGI was put into the prequels I don't think The Force Awakens will live up to the hype of the original trilogy due to the authenticity of the Jim Henson puppetry that made the original Star Wars experience truly magical where as the prequels and Episode VII lacks that sense of imagination that kept you guessing what was real as the CGI itself gives you a clear distinction between the fictional characters and the real actors being portrayed in the films before rolling the film credits at the end.
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But beneath that I think there is an artistic reason that would have been valid even if the prequels were themselves masterpieces: to depict a "fall" between the Republic's golden age and the Empire's dark age.
Which has never really made sense to me. The Empire should represent a heyday of military technology.
Especially when it's established that the Empire had the technology to be able to build the Death Star, a feat which is regarded as beyond what most would believe possible.
Well, remember there is a difference between being capable of advanced technology and the practicality of managing a Galactic Empire. The Empire could (and in the EU, did) build better fighters than the X-Wing. They're just not cost effective, and so they mass produce cheap TIEs. As the Rebellion became more of an issue, the Interceptors were developed to better combat the threat. The Empire was always in favor of putting its money into big guns and shows of force. But a wing of TIEs is generally enough to deal with issues most Imperial patrols face. Fights with Rebels or smugglers capable of putting up a real fight are relatively rare, and most of the Imperial forces are used as a show of force to keep planetary governments in line.
The Empire's tech IS better than the Republic, it just doesn't look like it because the Empire is only about intimidation and function, while much of the tech we saw in the Prequels was about aesthetics. The Republic also had a learning curve, as there was no standing military prior to Attack of the Clones.
And also, I'd remember that we've got a very different perspective between the two films. In the prequels, we were at the forefront of civilization the entire time. In the OT, we're on the fringes the whole time.
As for IG-88, I'm pretty sure he's a variant of the Separatist Magnaguard - at least in the old EU he was their predecessor. Considering the Magnaguard could put up a good fight against Jedi, they're definitely something special.
After seeing that edited trailer, I finally saw the reverse proof of fractal stupidity. Normally, you prove it by zooming in and showing it's just as stupid. However, in their brilliance, these guys showed you can also do it the other way around. You can also increase the potential stupidity, and if it's just as stupid, you've proven the fractal stupidity of the original thing!
With a name like The Force Awakens, I imagine the plot will revolve around some sort of Jedi/Sith arms race to see who can field the most badass disciples following the deaths of Vader and Palpatine. The Rebels need Jedi pretty badly and while Luke Skywalker is powerful, can he prevail against a galaxy filled with dark Force users and Sith? If nothing else, it will be interesting to see the Empire start to decay and fall apart without it's brains to keep it running. Hell, the Rebels could probably just kill all the politically important people in the Empire and then sit back, watch various alliances form and break and see civil war decimate large swaths of the galaxy, and then swoop in and seize control.
But there are technically no Sith anymore. There's only ever two of them since Darth Bane.
I suppose the trailer was rather choppy, but as JJ Abrams said, it's just meant to give us a peek at the movie's contents, and it seems that they tried to cover a bunch of ground by showing several characters in different settings. Given its length, there isn't much to say or debate, but I still find it promising. It's a new trilogy, after all, and I'd definitely like to see new ideas and all that. It's entirely possible to get creative and new while still staying true to the series' heart. Too often with music and movies, people seem to want one original production duplicated over and over, just with different names.
True, but this is the same guy who murdered the Star Trek franchise.
But there are technically no Sith anymore. There's only ever two of them since Darth Bane.
This isn't entirely true, for a few reasons. First, Darth Bane no longer officially exists in canon (although his is one of the better non-OT gang stories). Besides which, the rule of two was bent to the breaking point by Palpatine AND Vader, both of who have a veritable legion of dark side users. In the EU, at least, there are three groups of Sith: The Rule of Two Sith, The Lost Tribe and Darth Krayt's group. In the EU, you've got apprentices or dark side trained agents all over the place. It's reasonable to assume that at some point, an apprentice escaped from his master and wasn't killed. After all, it 'officially' happened with Maul, although he was recaptured and his ultimate fate is unknown.
But then the more I think about it, the reason I said it looks like a Star Wars movie was because it has X-Wings, TIE fighters, Stormtroopers, and the Millennium Falcon. You know, the stuff they had in Episodes 4-6.
Except, wasn't the whole point of these movies that they're long after Star Wars Episodes 4-6? Like, enough to justify the age of the original actors? So why do we still have the Millennium Falcon being chased by TIE Fighters? How is it that things look the same if so much time has passed?
So much time? Like... 40 years?
From what I understand the explanation for the major change from I-III to IV tech-wise was you went from a Universe that's been relatively peaceful for some amount of time and is largely non-militaristic. This would naturally lead to stagnant tech advancement and possibly to governments spending money on "cool" looking ships and things instead of purely functional equipment. Then you go to Episode VI and we're in a Universe that has been at war for a couple decades. It makes sense for major changes in military tech as much of the random equipment each individual World possessed was probably destroyed in fighting and equipment had to be streamlined for cost and speed of manufacturing (no more pretty random ships). It would make sense then that in the following decades of the same war with the economy still in the toilet that any upgrades would just be applied to the same basic shell and likely not result in a completely new ship (like retro fitting newer radar or missiles onto old battleships and fighter jets).
Also... Obi Wan clearly new what an R2 unit was... R2 units clearly existed in Episodes I-III so I have no idea why that is even being discussed. That being said, I believe it was Episode IV before Luke goes to blow up the first Death Star when someone mentions to him that they could find him a newer R2 unit, which implies that while there were upgrades and advancements made to those droids, they were not necessary to function with Rebel ships and the 2 decade old R2-D2 was perfectly capable of being used.
But there are technically no Sith anymore. There's only ever two of them since Darth Bane.
Assuming these movies are going to follow any of that garbage, which I think we should all hope they do not.
True, but this is the same guy who murdered the Star Trek franchise.
"Murdered the Star Trek franchise?" Right, because Star Trek franchise was going so strong before Abrams showed up. Tell me, which was your favorite: Insurrection, Nemesis, or the Enterprise TV Show? Or can you not pick because they're all just so wonderful in their own way?
The Star Trek reboot was mediocre and Into Darkness was outright bad, but Abrams did not "murder" Star Trek.
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This isn't entirely true, for a few reasons. First, Darth Bane no longer officially exists in canon (although his is one of the better non-OT gang stories). Besides which, the rule of two was bent to the breaking point by Palpatine AND Vader, both of who have a veritable legion of dark side users.
The Rule of Two is absolutely stupid and completely contradictory to the original trilogy. Both Vader and The Emperor conspire to turn Luke in Empire, and at no point is it insinuated that the plan isn't to have three Sith running around.
Emperor: The Force is strong with him. The son of Skywalker must not become a Jedi.
Vader: If he could be turned, he would become a powerful ally.
Emperor: Yes... Yes. He would be a great asset. Can it be done?
Vader: He will join us or die, master.
This isn't entirely true, for a few reasons. First, Darth Bane no longer officially exists in canon (although his is one of the better non-OT gang stories). Besides which, the rule of two was bent to the breaking point by Palpatine AND Vader, both of who have a veritable legion of dark side users.
The Rule of Two is absolutely stupid and completely contradictory to the original trilogy. Both Vader and The Emperor conspire to turn Luke in Empire, and at no point is it insinuated that the plan isn't to have three Sith running around.
Emperor: The Force is strong with him. The son of Skywalker must not become a Jedi.
Vader: If he could be turned, he would become a powerful ally.
Emperor: Yes... Yes. He would be a great asset. Can it be done?
Vader: He will join us or die, master.
I think, though, that Palpatine's plan was to replace Vader with Luke, just like he replaced Dooku with Anakin in the Prequel Trilogy. How much Vader recognized that is up for debate, but Vader's plan was clearly to have Luke tip a battle with Palpatine in Vader's favor. So I think that was more of a case of 'We both want this guy on our side to kill the other'.
Ok, so, teaser trailer up.
See, here's the thing. My first reaction was, "Ok, weird soccer ball R2 unit aside, it really does look like a Star Wars movie."
But then the more I think about it, the reason I said it looks like a Star Wars movie was because it has X-Wings, TIE fighters, Stormtroopers, and the Millennium Falcon. You know, the stuff they had in Episodes 4-6.
Except, wasn't the whole point of these movies that they're long after Star Wars Episodes 4-6? Like, enough to justify the age of the original actors? So why do we still have the Millennium Falcon being chased by TIE Fighters? How is it that things look the same if so much time has passed?
Anyway, floor open for opinions on this upcoming movie.
Umm, I thought the trailer was kinda garbage. Yeah, the X-Wings and the Millenium Falcon looked great, but that lightsaber looked super dumb and I hate the guy who did the voiceover. Can't stand him. The addition of random characters doing random things, popping up in front of the camera or riding a speeder into town, just left me uninterested. I'm going to have to be truly impressed in order to respect their decision to ignore the expanded universe.
Besides, I've always gotten the impression that technology in the Star Wars universe is pretty stagnant.
I don't need any excuse to ignore the Expanded Universe.
PS: Cruciform lightsaber looks really dangerous to the user.
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With a name like The Force Awakens, I imagine the plot will revolve around some sort of Jedi/Sith arms race to see who can field the most badass disciples following the deaths of Vader and Palpatine. The Rebels need Jedi pretty badly and while Luke Skywalker is powerful, can he prevail against a galaxy filled with dark Force users and Sith? If nothing else, it will be interesting to see the Empire start to decay and fall apart without it's brains to keep it running. Hell, the Rebels could probably just kill all the politically important people in the Empire and then sit back, watch various alliances form and break and see civil war decimate large swaths of the galaxy, and then swoop in and seize control.
Back on topic... can't wait for the full theatrical trailer I hope to hear some plot soon.
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So far the visuals have really impressed me. All the old classic Star Wars vessels look crisp in CGI. I do agree that the new lightsaber does look a little stupid, however we've had some pretty dumb designs in the past (curved hilt, double bladed saber, etc.)
I don't really need justification for them ignoring the extended universe. I'm almost certain J.J. Abrams and Co. can produce a better story then the ones in the extended universe. I think the plot will obviously center around some conflict between the newly resurrected Jedi Order under Luke Skywalker and the remnants of the Sith after the death of their leaders.
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The visuals are amazing*. I would almost want to see what Star Wars 4-6 would look like with those visuals.
*That red saber is arguably the dumbest attempt to look cool.
I completely disagree there. For starters, there's a major shift between the prequels and the sequels with regards to the look and feel of technology. And that's just the stupid prequels. If we're going with what Episode 4 implied, the jump should have been much greater still. Obi Wan had a cedar chest, minimal technology, spoke of a time where lightsabers were the weapon of choice for a civilized warrior, and didn't know what an R2 unit was. Also, it really seemed like something like IG-88 was not possible under the Republic's technology level.
But I'm not even talking about the technology. I'm talking about the fact that there are still Stormtroopers and TIE fighters. Why would this still be the case? Shouldn't the Empire have fallen by now? It's been 40 years.
Yeah, not really getting why you'd have a lightsaber longsword. Seems completely pointless to me.
Yeah, I don't share your confidence with regards to J.J. Abrams.
That being said, it's pretty clear that Abrams really wants to make Star Wars films, and it's not like Lucas set the bar high with the prequels. So we'll see what happens.
One thing about the lightsaber which may seem interesting is the "rough" looking nature of the blades - especially the shorter ones on the hilt. This leads me to believe that the crystals used to built it weren't totally free of impurities and hopefully leads to stories of young Jedi/Sith apprentices (Luke and Lei's children perhaps) building their sabers and perhaps the Sith / Dark Side character not completely using the force to build theirs - which could explain it's rough look. Although rare, there are some lightsabers that could cut through other sabers - maybe this idea can be explored a little.
As far as the rest of the trailer, I thought the visuals were crisp (X-wings over the water, rolling droid on sand, stormtroopers in transport) and the music was well-suited and alluded to something bad about to awaken (young female teen hurrying onto her vehicle racing back to her home, black stormtrooper in trouble, X-wings in attack formation, TIE fighters firing on the Falcon, etc) and it basically did it's job, which is to "tease" the viewer enough to want you interested enough to watch the next trailer and ultimately spend money at the box office to see it.
He knew what an R2 unit was - he just said he'd never owned a droid before. Lightsabers were the weapon of choice for a civilized warrior, and they're very advanced tech that hasn't changed for a long time. He also spoke of "civilized warrior" Anakin Skywalker being an expert star pilot. And he was certainly familiar with all the tech in the movie, enough to casually negotiate passage on a space transport and to find and shut down the Death Star shield without incident. If he lived like a hermit on Tatooine, it's because he was a hermit. It's very much to the credit of Episode IV's worldbuilding that it was able to portray a wide range of technologies existing plausibly side-by-side to create a lived-in feel, rather than have everything be cutting edge as is usually the case in, say, The Jetsons.
How so?
The Eastern Roman Empire thrived for a thousand years after the fall of Rome. And the Star Wars universe's "Rome" hadn't fallen yet as of the end of RotJ. The Emperor died, but that's what all Emperors do eventually.
Even were that not the case, theoretically somebody else could be employing the stormtroopers and TIE fighters. It's not like the gear would magically disappear if the political structure changes. If the United States collapses tomorrow, whatever comes next is probably gonna fly F-16s.
It's actually got three points.
I can see the basic thought process behind it: a crossguard protects your hand if the enemy blade slides down yours, the only thing that stops a lightsaber blade is another lightsaber blade, therefore a lightsaber crossguard needs to be made of lightsaber blades. Problem is, if a blade slides down that sword, it's not gonna hit blade, it's gonna hit the protruding emitter and just slice it off.
Also, usual problem of stabbing oneself with the extra blades.
Like Forget You said, it's just what has unfortunately become the Obligatory Lightsaber Gimmick of the Episode.
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I don't think it's an Astromech like R2, it just has a similar head. Reports are that it's Daisy Ridley's droid, and that the 'soccer ball' opens up for have a ton of tools available.
A few reasons: First, everything has had visual redesigns. Stormtroopers look 'new' (And awesome), the X-Wings have some distinct differences from the old ones, the costumes and outfits have some updates, etc. We barely see the TIEs, but the US military is still using some of the same Humvees we used 30 years ago, aren't we?
In the prequels, everything was constantly being updated as the war went on, mostly because there hadn't been a war in the Republic for a long time, so everything was new, and there were such high casualty rates that they most likely had to constantly order new ships. These movies are going back to the lived-in universe look that the prequels were lacking. If TIEs were cheap to mass produce for the Empire, they're probably still going to be using the same basic design. Unlike between 3 and 4, where there is a major cultural shift, it's looking like we've still got the Empire versus the Rebellion/New Republic, so it makes sense that both sides are still using what works for them.
We also don't know that the TIEs are in Imperial use. They could have been surplussed out to the local planetary government.
A cool little note: the Falcon has a new radar dish, since the old one got knocked off in RotJ. And for the Falcon, starships aren't cheap. I imagine a lot of private individuals are still using the same old ships, although Ridley's character is supposed to be some sort of junk dealer, I think, so it could just be she fixed it up. In either case, Boba Fett was using the Slave I 20 years later, so I can see the Falcon still being in use 30 years later.
Three characters named in the films - Mace Windu, Lando Calrissian and now Boyega's unnamed Stormtrooper character.
I love that they cast Boyega. He was fantastic in Attack the Block, and I like the idea of following a Stormtrooper as a character.
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Which has never really made sense to me. The Empire should represent a heyday of military technology.
Especially when it's established that the Empire had the technology to be able to build the Death Star, a feat which is regarded as beyond what most would believe possible.
I'm going to disagree there. He certainly knew what a droid was, but he says to R2, "Now let's see if we can't figure out what you are, my little friend, and where you come from." He doesn't say, "Why you're here and where you come from." He doesn't say, "What you're doing here, and where you come from." He says "what you are," which always indicated to me that he didn't know what an R2 unit was.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ_mjtTCdcg
You know, I probably inserted more of the samurai-guns dynamic into my thinking than I should have.
IG-88 appears more advanced than any other droid we see in the original movies. That, and I assumed that the Republic didn't have the advanced droid technology the Empire did.
That's fair.
... Well-played.
Not if the economy is in the trashcan.
And my impression is that the Death Star was "impossible" more just as a matter of stupidly wasteful scale than technology. Like, if we were floating around in the Pacific Ocean we wouldn't expect to run into a ship the size of the island of Manhattan. A major nation could put together the resources to build such a thing, but why the hell would they?
But in context, that doesn't make any sense. He has no reason to care in that scene what specific model R2-D2 is. It makes far more sense that he's looking for an answer like "a messenger" or "a spy" than "an R2 Astromech unit". Also, Luke had just referred to R2 as an R2 unit.
What? For the two seconds he appears on screen, he doesn't do anything and looks like scrap metal. The most advanced looking droid is C-3PO, easily.
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My first reaction was "ok, weird gravelly narrator aside, it really does sound like a Star Wars movie." That's 1/3 John Williams, 2/3 Ben Burtt. Couldn't be happier that they got Burtt to come back.
At any rate, I have no interest in scrutinizing the trailer, hilted lightsaber included. Frankly, all I want is a fun space fantasy action film, which is what still makes IV the purest film in the series, and what I hope Abrams can deliver if the first Star Trek is any indication.
I mean, it's a naval base that can move (apparently quite fast), can house an untold number of ships, is impregnable to anything except a small ship firing a one-in-a-million shot with a proton torpedo on one exhaust pipe, and can destroy a planet in a single shot, something apparently a thousand Imperial ships could not achieve.
So it'd be more like a naval base the size of an island that moves faster than a carrier, could destroy a continent in one shot, and is unsinkable to anything that isn't a waterski. The cost is certainly exorbitant, but having one of those is gg to all wars automatically.
Yeah, but I don't think Obi-Wan necessarily knows what an R2 unit is.
And I agree that saying "what you are" means what R2's intended function is, as droids are defined by their intended function ("what C-3PO is" would be "a robot who specializes in etiquette, protocol, and as an interpreter," for example). I just don't think that's necessarily exclusive of what R2's function in general might be. I don't know if Obi-Wan knows what an R2 unit is or even what an Astromech droid is.
Going back to the main topic, I'll accept that people might still be using the technology 30 years from now, and it's not like people aren't using Cold War tech in a lot of places anyway. So fair enough.
My point is it would seem quite weird to have another trilogy fighting the Empire after a whole trilogy about Luke's journey against the Empire AND a trilogy after that depicting Palpatine's rise to power. I'm hoping there's more to it than that.
Really? I think IG-88 is the most visually intimidating of all the bounty hunters. He looks like military hardware, like a rifle that walks like a man. And is also carrying a rifle.
By contrast, C-3PO is clumsy and awkward, and 4-LOM looks jury-rigged on top of having a weird bug head.
Considering how much CGI was put into the prequels I don't think The Force Awakens will live up to the hype of the original trilogy due to the authenticity of the Jim Henson puppetry that made the original Star Wars experience truly magical where as the prequels and Episode VII lacks that sense of imagination that kept you guessing what was real as the CGI itself gives you a clear distinction between the fictional characters and the real actors being portrayed in the films before rolling the film credits at the end.
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Well, remember there is a difference between being capable of advanced technology and the practicality of managing a Galactic Empire. The Empire could (and in the EU, did) build better fighters than the X-Wing. They're just not cost effective, and so they mass produce cheap TIEs. As the Rebellion became more of an issue, the Interceptors were developed to better combat the threat. The Empire was always in favor of putting its money into big guns and shows of force. But a wing of TIEs is generally enough to deal with issues most Imperial patrols face. Fights with Rebels or smugglers capable of putting up a real fight are relatively rare, and most of the Imperial forces are used as a show of force to keep planetary governments in line.
The Empire's tech IS better than the Republic, it just doesn't look like it because the Empire is only about intimidation and function, while much of the tech we saw in the Prequels was about aesthetics. The Republic also had a learning curve, as there was no standing military prior to Attack of the Clones.
And also, I'd remember that we've got a very different perspective between the two films. In the prequels, we were at the forefront of civilization the entire time. In the OT, we're on the fringes the whole time.
As for IG-88, I'm pretty sure he's a variant of the Separatist Magnaguard - at least in the old EU he was their predecessor. Considering the Magnaguard could put up a good fight against Jedi, they're definitely something special.
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Lol. You mean cross, right? Crucifix is a specific term for a cross with an icon of Jesus on it (Catholic School FTW).
But other than that... I have no idea. It's meant to invoke the look of a broadsword, I guess. It looks gimmicky, I hope there is more to it.
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After seeing that edited trailer, I finally saw the reverse proof of fractal stupidity. Normally, you prove it by zooming in and showing it's just as stupid. However, in their brilliance, these guys showed you can also do it the other way around. You can also increase the potential stupidity, and if it's just as stupid, you've proven the fractal stupidity of the original thing!
But there are technically no Sith anymore. There's only ever two of them since Darth Bane.
True, but this is the same guy who murdered the Star Trek franchise.
This isn't entirely true, for a few reasons. First, Darth Bane no longer officially exists in canon (although his is one of the better non-OT gang stories). Besides which, the rule of two was bent to the breaking point by Palpatine AND Vader, both of who have a veritable legion of dark side users. In the EU, at least, there are three groups of Sith: The Rule of Two Sith, The Lost Tribe and Darth Krayt's group. In the EU, you've got apprentices or dark side trained agents all over the place. It's reasonable to assume that at some point, an apprentice escaped from his master and wasn't killed. After all, it 'officially' happened with Maul, although he was recaptured and his ultimate fate is unknown.
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So much time? Like... 40 years?
From what I understand the explanation for the major change from I-III to IV tech-wise was you went from a Universe that's been relatively peaceful for some amount of time and is largely non-militaristic. This would naturally lead to stagnant tech advancement and possibly to governments spending money on "cool" looking ships and things instead of purely functional equipment. Then you go to Episode VI and we're in a Universe that has been at war for a couple decades. It makes sense for major changes in military tech as much of the random equipment each individual World possessed was probably destroyed in fighting and equipment had to be streamlined for cost and speed of manufacturing (no more pretty random ships). It would make sense then that in the following decades of the same war with the economy still in the toilet that any upgrades would just be applied to the same basic shell and likely not result in a completely new ship (like retro fitting newer radar or missiles onto old battleships and fighter jets).
Also... Obi Wan clearly new what an R2 unit was... R2 units clearly existed in Episodes I-III so I have no idea why that is even being discussed. That being said, I believe it was Episode IV before Luke goes to blow up the first Death Star when someone mentions to him that they could find him a newer R2 unit, which implies that while there were upgrades and advancements made to those droids, they were not necessary to function with Rebel ships and the 2 decade old R2-D2 was perfectly capable of being used.
"Murdered the Star Trek franchise?" Right, because Star Trek franchise was going so strong before Abrams showed up. Tell me, which was your favorite: Insurrection, Nemesis, or the Enterprise TV Show? Or can you not pick because they're all just so wonderful in their own way?
The Star Trek reboot was mediocre and Into Darkness was outright bad, but Abrams did not "murder" Star Trek.
The Rule of Two is absolutely stupid and completely contradictory to the original trilogy. Both Vader and The Emperor conspire to turn Luke in Empire, and at no point is it insinuated that the plan isn't to have three Sith running around.
Emperor: The Force is strong with him. The son of Skywalker must not become a Jedi.
Vader: If he could be turned, he would become a powerful ally.
Emperor: Yes... Yes. He would be a great asset. Can it be done?
Vader: He will join us or die, master.
Which is a lot of time, yes.
Episodes I-III didn't exist yet when Episode IV was made.
I think, though, that Palpatine's plan was to replace Vader with Luke, just like he replaced Dooku with Anakin in the Prequel Trilogy. How much Vader recognized that is up for debate, but Vader's plan was clearly to have Luke tip a battle with Palpatine in Vader's favor. So I think that was more of a case of 'We both want this guy on our side to kill the other'.
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