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Multimedia => The Sequel Trilogy => Topic started by: Scott on November 5, 2012, 09:13 AM

Title: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Scott on November 5, 2012, 09:13 AM
So...lots of speculation out there on Casting, Directing, Scoring etc

Let's start with who would you want to see from the OT return?

Do you think there will be any mention of Vader anywhere in the new movie?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scott on November 5, 2012, 09:16 AM
One other thought I had today (don't shoot me)...Do you think the reason we never saw Ahsoka in Episode III is that she is being saved for Episode VII.  Think Carbon Freezing :-\
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on November 5, 2012, 11:14 AM
Who would freeze her? If she was frozen, would Anakin know about it? If so, wouldn't he freak out over freezing his son the same way?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Qui-Gon Jim on November 5, 2012, 11:37 AM
Ugh.  I hope not.  I imagine that while recognized, there won't be much reference to CW in the new films.  I am sure there would be plenty of viewers going "Who the hell is that?" if Ashoka were unfrozen in VII.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Pete_Fett on November 5, 2012, 11:40 AM
Do you think there will be any mention of Vader anywhere in the new movie?

Not Vader - but Anakin - why else would Lucas change the force ghost of Anakin to Hayden Christensen if not so Anakin's ghost could show up as an adviser to Elder Luke Skywalker.

If Ewan McGregor wasn't so busy, I'd almost go as far as saying that Old Ben (McGregor in make-up) would make an appearance as well...
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: efranks on November 5, 2012, 12:12 PM
Do you think the reason we never saw Ahsoka in Episode III is that she is being saved for Episode VII.

It's because she hadn't been invented yet.

   E...
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Qui-Gon Jim on November 5, 2012, 12:28 PM
Do you think there will be any mention of Vader anywhere in the new movie?

Not Vader - but Anakin - why else would Lucas change the force ghost of Anakin to Hayden Christensen if not so Anakin's ghost could show up as an adviser to Elder Luke Skywalker.

Ooh...  That sounds pretty cool.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Pete_Fett on November 5, 2012, 12:52 PM
Now that they've even gone as far as having Liam Neeson record new Qui Gon dialog for the cartoon - I could see Luke consulting the force ghosts of Anakin, Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon and Yoda in a scene that would nicely - and legitimately bring in elements from both the prequel trilogy AND the original trilogy.

Heck - if they can't get Ewan to do it - they could always use the Avatar technology and have that guy that does the Obi-Wan voice from the cartoon do his best Alec Guiness impersonation and make the Obi-Wan force ghost entirely a computer generated performance.

Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: jedipurge on November 5, 2012, 01:06 PM
kinda up in the air, who's to say main cast would want to be in the new movie, obviously if say Harrison Ford didn't want to do it they go easily write him off as killed in the aftermath of taking out the remainder of the Empire after ROTJ, but i think fans would just totally hate on the concept of not having the original cast.  So my feeling is that it would be whole new generation maybe even past the grandchildren of luke/leia/han.  Perhaps if they can get Hamill to reprise the role as Force ghost to bridge the gap/timeline. 

Either way i think the whole prospect of Disney taking over and getting new movies is great.  i gotta think that any new movies just can't be worse then TPM so I think we'll be ok.   
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Diddly on November 5, 2012, 01:09 PM
BRING BACK JAR JAR!  :D

Honestly I want as little CGI/green screen as possible. I might cry if we get CGI Stormtroopers.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scott on November 5, 2012, 01:56 PM
Do you think the reason we never saw Ahsoka in Episode III is that she is being saved for Episode VII.

It's because she hadn't been invented yet.

   E...
Well duh...I'm talking more generally obviously.  One of the main things I have always hated about the CW Canon is that they threw her in there without any real thought of what that meant for Episode III.  Hey Anakin, you have this Padawan that you go on all sorts of crazy adventures on and she really means a lot to you...where did she go...who cares!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Mister Skeezler on November 5, 2012, 02:24 PM
I'm thinking Ahsoka needs to die before the CW series ends. That's the only way they could reconcile her absence. Though the CW cartoon really should have been more about Anakin and Obi-Wan together...I feel like Ahsoka was an unnecessary addition to the SW universe.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on November 5, 2012, 02:46 PM
I am hoping no on the frozen Jedi thing, only because it would really dampen the, "last of the Jedi" lines and stuff...  I'd really like as little OT meddling as possible.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Mister Skeezler on November 5, 2012, 03:01 PM
I'm curious what the "threat" is going to be. I'd prefer to not have a "plans-within-plans", "who's the real threat" storyline like the PT, and instead get back to the good vs. bad of the OT. And I really want a villain who spans all three movies, unlike the prequels, which felt like villain speed-dating or something like that.

One of my first thoughts was that I'd like to see the Mandalorians factor in in some way, but I know they're already featured in the CW cartoons, so I think they may have lost their "teeth."
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on November 5, 2012, 03:12 PM
Though the CW cartoon really should have been more about Anakin and Obi-Wan together...I feel like Ahsoka was an unnecessary addition to the SW universe.

Nothing against Ahsoka, but I agree with that sentiment.... where's the rescuing Master Kenobi from a nest of gundarks type of stuff that Anakin mentions in Clones.  It should be about showing their friendship intertwining and the love between them so that we can see how heart-wrenching it is when Obi-Wan cuts Anakin's arms and legs and tells him that he was his brother and loved him, etc. before leaving him.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Mister Skeezler on November 5, 2012, 03:22 PM
Agreed. From what I've seen of the CW (which is, admittedly, not a huge amount), I feel like Obi-Wan's final words to Anakin on Mustafar should be changed to "You were a co-worker! I had some respect for you when we had meetings together!"
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on November 5, 2012, 03:59 PM
Agreed on Ahsoka on the show...  If anything, and you have to have her, she should be with them and she should highlight some of Anakin's better and worse qualities.  His attachment and devotion, his inability to separate himself but also his self-sacrifice...  That type of stuff would've gone a long way, and it could've served to show how Obi-Wan's blind to Anakin's ultimate change whereas Yoda is not when the **** finally hits the fan.

That would've been awesome stuff.  Like Obi-Wan was a little naieve in his youth, in the war, and that's why he regrets so much later on.  His self-sacrifice to "right the ship" then would've been even more powerful if you saw a true friendship built through the toon.  The movies didn't really do a good job of it when they crowbarred a line or two between them while they ride in an elevator.  ::)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on November 5, 2012, 04:09 PM
I agree, Jesse.  I mean they need to have Obi-Wan blinded (not entirely the wise Obi-Wan who instructs Anakin) because they are friends.  Even though he is his great pupil, they need to show why Obi-Wan thought he could be better than Yoda (Yoda speaks that all Jedi have arrogance).  Plus, they have to show why Obi-Wan is conflicted when he asks Anakin to spy on Palpatine for the council, etc.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Mister Skeezler on November 5, 2012, 04:35 PM
To get back on Episode 7, I do like the idea of bringing the Force ghosts back in. I'd like to see Luke conferring with them a bit, if possible.

Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on November 5, 2012, 04:42 PM
I'd like to see him talk with Yoda, OWK, and if possible some of the others... Seems like QGJ may work out for that.  I got the impression that not everyone manages to do that though?  Would Mace be able to?  I suppose anything could be bs'd.  I'd just be interested in seeing what Luke's conversation and questions might be for some of those guys.

He'd probably bitch about E1 a lot.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Mister Skeezler on November 5, 2012, 05:05 PM
"Soooo...my dad built C-3PO? The ****?!!!"
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: speedermike on November 6, 2012, 12:22 AM
I have a feeling Yoda will show up as a Force Ghost.  The Sequel Trilogy has a hard time in front of it.  No Vader.  No Yoda.  Two of the most iconic characters are off the table...
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: iFett on November 6, 2012, 08:31 AM
Not unless they were cloned   :o
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: efranks on November 6, 2012, 09:57 AM
I think the next SW film should be a true sequel to the Saga and they should handle the OT characters in one of two ways; set the film far enough in the future that they can cast Hamill, Fisher and Ford to basically hand off the new series to a younger generation of characters or base it off a scenario where we don’t need to see those original characters on film.

Maybe base the film on some other characters living in a post ROTJ universe, where we may hear about how Leia is leading the Senate or Luke is off teaching at the new Academy without actually showing them.  Or if they skipped ahead and the series focused around the children of the OT heroes.

One thing I don't want to see is Luke, Leia and/or Han recast with different actors.  I've seen some comparison between the new Abrams Star Trek and how Disney could handle a sequel to Star Wars but I call bull****.  Abrams didn’t really come up with a way to recast the actors as much as he wiped out four decades of continuity with a time travel film and started over from scratch.  I liked the movie, and I accept it because time travel isn't new to that universe, but I don’t want to see that with Star Wars.

I can accept the EU being thrown out and not being taken into consideration when it comes to sequels, but the six Saga films and the Clone Wars animated series, all of which came with Lucas’ input, should stay.

   E...
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on November 6, 2012, 10:07 AM
What if the new movies were based on the NJO?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Carpeteria3000 on November 6, 2012, 10:10 AM
This would be a great thread to start collecting/posting links to interesting info out on the interwebz if you guys find them. I know there's a lot of stuff out there right now.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Brian on November 6, 2012, 10:31 AM
Apparently (and somewhat surprisingly), rumor is Ford is up for reprising his role, at least at this point:

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2012/11/05/star-wars-sequel-harrison-ford-han-solo-exclusive/ (http://insidemovies.ew.com/2012/11/05/star-wars-sequel-harrison-ford-han-solo-exclusive/)

Honestly, and I know everyone has their own opinions on this, but I sort of want to see the OT characters back.  I know they are older, but really that is where the magic is for me with Star Wars.  I enjoyed the prequels for what they were, and still watch them now and again, but they never held that same magic as the OT did for me.  A lot of that may be nostalgia and everything, but the prequels for the most part never had that same feel to me as the OT.

I think it would be nice to at least have them appear, whether it is to set up new characters for future installments, or in maybe more supporting roles, but I just think it would be nice to see again.  Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, the Droids and even characters like Lando helping to continue the Rebellion, etc.  I'd be interested in seeing any new movie set in the SW universe, but honestly the OT time period is the most interesting to me right now.

I've never played the game(s), although they look spiffy, but that might be where the Old Republic type stuff (or even other EU sources) don't seem as "Star Wars" to me.  I enjoy them for what they are, and maybe would really get into them if I devoted more time to those areas, but I sort of like having the character follow through from the movies.  That is sort of my feeling with EU books/novels (which, to be honest, I haven't read a ton of)....it stinks for those who are way into those, but to me they had some great stories and they'll still be great stories even if the movies overwrite them in some ways.  I'd rather have original ideas where I don't know what's going to happen than an adaptation of a story I've already read.  One drawback mentioned of the prequels was knowing the "end point", and one of the most exciting things we have about these new movies is that anything could happen this time around.  There is great material in parts of the EU, and some stuff that could even be incorporated, but to me the movies (and to a lesser extent the TV series) supercede anything else, canon-wise.

That being said, one adaptation that would be cool to see would be the Thrawn Trilogy.  That is one EU source that I've read several times, and I really enjoyed it.  Even if they went the direct to video animated route, it would be cool to see that story told at some point.  Anyways, back to the Episode VII excitement.  To me, this is some of the best part of having new movies, having all this discussion and speculation on the forums.  Just wait until we start getting casting/director news, story rumors, and even set pics.  Fun stuff.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jeff on November 6, 2012, 11:55 AM
Apparently (and somewhat surprisingly), rumor is Ford is up for reprising his role, at least at this point:

(http://www.jedidefender.com/jsmentek/crossfingers.gif)

If they can get Harrison Ford to somehow agree to be Han Solo again?  Then they can do whatever the hell they want with the rest of the movie and, even if it ends up being a giant train wreck, I'd still happily go see it...  :-[
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scockery on November 7, 2012, 12:27 AM
I like that Ford will be more game if he's killed off. Like Heston in Beneath Planet of the Apes....I'll do it, as long as you promise I die by the end.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on November 7, 2012, 09:48 AM
I guess he has to keep Calista Flockhart happy.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on November 7, 2012, 05:31 PM
I'm thinking Ahsoka needs to die before the CW series ends. That's the only way they could reconcile her absence. Though the CW cartoon really should have been more about Anakin and Obi-Wan together...I feel like Ahsoka was an unnecessary addition to the SW universe.

Ha, maybe for you.  My daughter loves watching the Clone Wars, but only when Ahsoka is in the show.  She will complain or lose interest in the ones where Ahsoka isn't featured - even Padme isn't worth her time.  You guys have to think about the motivation for some of this stuff.  Jar Jar was added for comic relief and the kids loved him as much as we hated him.  Ahsoka was added to bring girls into the fold for a kid cartoon - not establish stronger continuity between the movies.  It will be interesting to see what they do with her, but if it's carbonite freezing for E7, I will be very dissapointed.

I think the next SW film should be a true sequel to the Saga and they should handle the OT characters in one of two ways; set the film far enough in the future that they can cast Hamill, Fisher and Ford to basically hand off the new series to a younger generation of characters or base it off a scenario where we don’t need to see those original characters on film.

Maybe base the film on some other characters living in a post ROTJ universe, where we may hear about how Leia is leading the Senate or Luke is off teaching at the new Academy without actually showing them.  Or if they skipped ahead and the series focused around the children of the OT heroes.

One thing I don't want to see is Luke, Leia and/or Han recast with different actors.  I've seen some comparison between the new Abrams Star Trek and how Disney could handle a sequel to Star Wars but I call bull****.  Abrams didn’t really come up with a way to recast the actors as much as he wiped out four decades of continuity with a time travel film and started over from scratch.  I liked the movie, and I accept it because time travel isn't new to that universe, but I don’t want to see that with Star Wars.

I can accept the EU being thrown out and not being taken into consideration when it comes to sequels, but the six Saga films and the Clone Wars animated series, all of which came with Lucas’ input, should stay.

   E...

+1 to just about everything you said E.  I would like to see Han, Leia, and Luke all in there, but as mostly small parts handing off the baton to a new generation.  I can't believe people are suggesting things like "Han's not here because he was killed off screen."  I will be so ridiculously dissapointed with that.  This movie is going to be huge - if they want Ford, Hamill, and Fisher in the movie, then I'm sure they will get them. 

As for the storyline, there's so many routes they could go with this.  Mopping up the Empire seems logical, but not very entertaining.  I don't really want to see them pursuing warlord-lead clans around the galaxy.  I know not everyone is an EU fan, but there are some fantastic sotrylines they could go after or at least base a new plot on:

#1 - The New Jedi Order makes the most sense.  The Solo Kids would make an easy transition, introducing the new characters and building some cool new Jedi with Luke at the helm.  Don't like Hamill?  He could be initial the headmaster, then killed off...or just not on screen for much of the movie.

#2 - Korriban was the home planet of the Sith and made a resurgance after the fall of Palpatine.  They could go with some Jedi exploring Korriban and falling to the dark side ghosts there.  Heck, if you're rebuilding the jedi then maybe someone is rebuilding the sith and we'll have a new Jedi/Sith war down the road.  Imagine that lightsaber battle scene!  In the Legacy comics, the new Sith leader does away with the rule of two.

#3 - Clones, clones, clones.  In Dark Empire, the Emperor's essence travels to a younger clone body, which means you could have Palpatine back again with another actor fairly easily.  Maybe he resumes control over the remnant Empire.  What if a younger, clone Palpatine joins the New Jedi Order and is the one to kill Luke?  Maybe the new trilogy will be Leia's kids eventually taking down Clone Palps?

#4 - One Name: Legacy.  They could go 100 years into the future to encompass all or any of the existing EU.  In the history of the SW universe, 100 years is a rather insignificant amount of time.  They could start off with the grandchildren of Luke and Leia with new threats the galaxy.  This would avoid having to get OT cast members back AND wouldn't tread on the EU outside of the Legacy comics themselves of course.

Just some fodder to think about, but I'd be happy with any of these ideas.  I just don't want to see any time travelling or find that some hidden figure was around prior to EI orchastrating everything from the prior six movies.  And I definitely don't want to OT characters just written off  as having died in the aftermath of the war.  Recasting the core OT characters would also be a HUGE mistake IMO.  Although...

At one point Lucas said that CGI tech used for Yoda was at the point where they could essentially create an artifical human character that would seem as real as any actor.  Is there any chance that they're planning to bring back ROTJ-age Luke/Leia/Han with CGI?  I can't imagine it, but seems like yet another possibility if the tech really is that good.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Mister Skeezler on November 7, 2012, 05:55 PM
Another Death Star!!!








(obviously a joke)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Brian on November 8, 2012, 06:22 PM
Latest rumors:

http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/11/08/toy-story-3-screenwriter-may-write-star-wars-episiode-vii (http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/11/08/toy-story-3-screenwriter-may-write-star-wars-episiode-vii)

Oscar winner Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3, Little Miss Sunshine) has wrote a treatment for Episode VII (and perhaps the entire trilogy) and may be one of the writers of the trilogy when it is scheduled to go in front of cameras in 2014.  It is said to include Luke, Leia, and Han and they are hoping to be able to bring back Hamill, Fischer and Ford to reprise their roles.  According to the report, the first three directors that the treatment is being sent to are Spielberg, Abrams, and Brad Bird.  Again, grain of salt and all that....
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: I Am Sith on November 9, 2012, 03:32 PM
Looks like Steven Spielberg is out:

http://movies.yahoo.com/news/steven-spielberg-not-direct-star-wars-movie-145726563.html
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Brian on November 9, 2012, 05:08 PM
I saw that too, not overly surprising I guess.  I sort of would have liked to see Spielberg give it a go, at least for one movie, but I guess that wouldn't really go in line with the "handing it off to a new generation of film makers" thing.  I do hope the rumors of Abrams and Brad Bird getting a look at the script, because I'm a fan of both.  I'd be a little surprised if Abrams would with Star Trek and all that.

I see that people like Zack Snyder and Tarantino have said they aren't interested (although I don't know that anyone asked them).  Tarantino in particular was a little snippy about it.  I just hope it doesn't devolve into a "no one wants Star Wars" thing in the media.  It is fun having Star Wars rumors/news on an almost daily basis these days though.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Darby on November 9, 2012, 08:23 PM
Speilberg would have been grand, but yeah, it's unrealistic. The reality to me anyway is someone like Joe Johnston whose relationship with the franchise/Disney makes him ideal. That being said, there could be someone out there unknown who has made an impression on Lucas/Disney that we're not aware of. Brad Bird, Alan Taylor - also other very good choices.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scott on November 9, 2012, 09:46 PM
Latest rumors:

http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/11/08/toy-story-3-screenwriter-may-write-star-wars-episiode-vii (http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/11/08/toy-story-3-screenwriter-may-write-star-wars-episiode-vii)

Oscar winner Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3, Little Miss Sunshine) has wrote a treatment for Episode VII (and perhaps the entire trilogy) and may be one of the writers of the trilogy when it is scheduled to go in front of cameras in 2014.  It is said to include Luke, Leia, and Han and they are hoping to be able to bring back Hamill, Fischer and Ford to reprise their roles.  According to the report, the first three directors that the treatment is being sent to are Spielberg, Abrams, and Brad Bird.  Again, grain of salt and all that....
Arndt is confirmed as script writer
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Carpeteria3000 on November 10, 2012, 05:55 PM
Why not Wes Anderson? (http://gizmodo.com/5959231/what-if-wes-anderson-directed-the-next-star-wars-movie)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: EpicGon on November 11, 2012, 10:14 AM
Casting the original actors Mark, Carrie and Harrison would be a nice hommage to us the original SW generation of fans.
We the X Generation deserve that
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: speedermike on November 11, 2012, 02:24 PM
I don't need to see Han or Leia.  They are legends and I don't want to see them old and rickety.  However, Luke should be there, as an old Jedi who is important to launching the new story.

Also, I am hoping, and I have heard, it's an ORIGINAL story.  No comics, novels, games will be used as a starting point.  And I'm glad...
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: EpicGon on November 12, 2012, 11:15 AM
Hey guys, what about Mara Jade character?

Do you think Shanon Mc Randle needs to appear on episode VII?

Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Pete_Fett on November 12, 2012, 02:49 PM
Hey guys, what about Mara Jade character?

Do you think Shanon McRandle needs to appear on episode VII?

I would think that, unless they are going to acknowledge the events of the Thrawn book trilogy, Mara Jade will have never existed in the canon of Star Wars.

Heck - we could join the adventures where Jaina & Jacen are the only children that Han & Leia ever had and Jacen never turned to the Dark Side. Or we could find out that Han & Leia had twin boys and it's Luke who has a daughter. There's nothing to say we'll ever see Jaina, Jacen & Anakin Solo or Ben Skywalker in the Sequal Trilogy.

I think whatever has happened in the EU is in jeopardy of having never happened or existed at this point.

And personally, I think they might actually, and purposefully do something different then the kids that have been created for the EU for the sole purpose of not having to answer the question of which EU stories/books/comics play into the timeline and which ones don't. It's much easier to say "that stuff never happened, here's what really happened" and move on.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Brian on November 12, 2012, 08:58 PM
Latest rumor....brace yourselves:

Darth Vader Returns? (http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/11/13/star-wars-vii-will-darth-vader-rise-from-the-ashes)

Probably just another one of the many rumors that we'll read/hear over the next few years, but I could see this one really bothering people if it holds up.  Vader/Anakin's story had such a nice resolution with the redemption at the end of Jedi, so I'm not sure how they would bring him back.

I can understand that people (either at Disney or Lucasfilm) are realizing that they really had the "magic" with the Original Trilogy, and want to try to recapture that by using the old characters, but hopefully things are still going to make sense.  I'm sure that this one won't hold true, but if it does, things could really get interesting...
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scott on November 12, 2012, 10:02 PM
Another terrible idea I thought of...Darth Maul is also of right now in SW Canon alive again...ugh
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on November 13, 2012, 09:21 AM
Darth Vader: "It was only a flesh wound."
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Qui-Gon Jim on November 13, 2012, 12:18 PM
Another terrible idea I thought of...Darth Maul is also of right now in SW Canon alive again...ugh

Hate that too.  Maybe we'll see someone taking on Vader's outfit, impersonating him.  Then Luke has to clear Anakin's name.  Wow.  That sounds lame as I type it.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Carpeteria3000 on November 13, 2012, 01:09 PM
I call major bull**** on that. The citation is from an "industry insiders" and it's written up in a UK tabloid. That's two strikes against reality right there.

Meanwhile, here's a good roundup of responses from Spielberg, Abrams, and Favreau considering their desire to be involved (http://www.slashfilm.com/who-wants-to-direct-star-wars-jon-favreau-jj-abrams-and-colin-trevorrow-respond/).

Interesting stuff.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Pete_Fett on November 13, 2012, 03:54 PM
Or again - it could be that someone is taking a kernel of truth - e.g. the Ghost of Anakin Skywalker counsels Jedi Master Luke Skywalker and they're taking to it the extreme form of the truth which is "Darth Vader will be back in EP7!!!!"

Which, if Hayden reprises his role as the force ghost of Anakin Skywalker, is true, from a certain point of view.  ;)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scockery on November 16, 2012, 04:02 PM
Carrie Fisher confirms she is appearing. Because, you know, she has nothing better to do.

Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jayson on November 16, 2012, 04:21 PM
Nope. (http://www.eonline.com/news/363932/star-wars-7-casting-carrie-fisher-just-kidding-about-being-in-new-movie)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on November 16, 2012, 04:25 PM
What is funny about that  ???

The lawyers probably made her retract it...lol
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on November 16, 2012, 09:30 PM
I think she was just being sarcastic.  Its not unheard of.   ;)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: darth broem 2 on November 17, 2012, 07:46 PM
The problem is people just can't wait for confirmation on anything.  In the rush to be the first media will take anything out of context, sarcastic, or otherwise as official word.  At this point in the game if it's not verified on StarWars.com it's not true.   
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on November 18, 2012, 11:07 AM
What the heck is it with news reporters saying Fisher will were the metal bikini again? Why would they ever do that in a movie again? It's a pretty lame joke.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on November 18, 2012, 08:52 PM
Why would anyone believe it for that matter?  Has anyone actually seen Fisher?  I don't mean to be mean here, but...  yeah...  Metal's expensive.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: jedipurge on November 21, 2012, 01:16 PM
I'd love to see Leia as a Jedi, c'mon what about the whole "pass on what you have learned" thing.  who else better for Luke to start teaching then his own sis and the other child from the "Chosen One".  Gotta say I never liked the EU portrayal of Leia never really learning to be a Jedi.  She could easily have become a Jedi General and be a negotiator of peace instead of being a total sentor/chancellor.  So if new movies are gonna trump the current EU I certainly hope it steps all over the whole Leia=senator aspect. 

It always seemed to me from Ep. 2 that the whole "shroud of the darkside" had some how hampered the Jedi and did not allow them to reach the full power that they were capable of.  There's that whole scene in which Windu, Kenobi, Yoda talk about how much the Jedi suck at what they used to be good at.  I imagine that that over the generations of Sith have slowly, so to not be noticed, sort of cut off the Jedi from the Force but just enough to not really notice.  And now that the most powerful of them, Sidious, is gone I hope to see Jedi pulling off stunts like we saw in the Old Republic trailers.
 

Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on November 21, 2012, 05:23 PM
Actually, I think Leia does develop strong force skills in Dark Empire, though I don't know remember the storyline that well.  I think she sticks with the political side of things because she was raised that way and served in the senate.  Her Alderaan upbringing doesnt really fit with becomming a warrior or general.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on November 21, 2012, 07:58 PM
She was sorta forcey in the Thrawn Trilogy but I don't recall her using a saber.  I could see it though.  I'd be fine with Luke passing it on.

I don't think kids are even necessary...  I think force sensitives would continue to be born and Luke could begin training any number of them.  At least that's how EU lays it out, but it stands to reason I think.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on November 22, 2012, 12:35 AM
She was sorta forcey in the Thrawn Trilogy but I don't recall her using a saber.  I could see it though.  I'd be fine with Luke passing it on.

I don't think kids are even necessary...  I think force sensitives would continue to be born and Luke could begin training any number of them.  At least that's how EU lays it out, but it stands to reason I think.

So, on that note I've always felt there was a disconnect between that and the movies.  It seems that even though the Jedi are near extinction, more force-sensitives would be born all the time.  Was the emperor actively tracking and scooping them up or was he not worried about them because he figured no one was left to teach them?  In Empire, Yoda and Ben are basically saying Luke (or Leia) are their last hope, but why are they the last hope if there are more force sensitives out there/on the way?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on November 22, 2012, 02:09 AM
EU says more are born...  Palps scoops some up.  Maarek Steele, Mara Jade, etc., and they fall into different roles for him.  There's a whole "inner circle" of sorts of force users that either he, or Vader, or both wind up training.

I think Yoda/Ben look at Luke and Leia as the last hopes due to what they assume are their natural force abilities.  Maybe they tested them as infants?  Also I think having nobody to really train them to fight two seasoned and very powerful Sith would be a big roadblock too.  Vader's obviously super powerful, and Palpatine took Yoda to something of a draw.  Throw in their political/military power.  Anyone Yoda or Kenobi trained would be in for a fight unless they had inheritly natural strength I guess.

It probably also takes work to find them...  many going unnoticed.  Yoda and  Kenobi would be exposed looking for them I suppose.

I can't think of many other force sensitives at this exact moment but I know there were others.  There were other trained Jedi lurking around too who survived, if you buy into EU of course.  Shaak Ti seemed to escape death a lot, Rahm Kota, Qu Rahm (I think that's the spelling) as well, at least for a time...  Till someone got 'em.  Then there were the Dark Jedi, like Jerec and his group of weaker Dark Jedi (Sarriss, Boc, Gork & Pic, Yun, and the guy cut in half on a floaty prosthetic whose name I forget offhand)...  I guess Jerec was off in wild space while the Clone Wars went on and he got goofy out there, and came back armed with some lesser apprentices and took over some of the Imperial remnant and killed Qu Rahm in the process...  though when he kills Rahm in the storyline's tough to tell, but it's into the Imperial era as Rahm appears to be helping the Alliance, possibly like Rahm Kota was in its earlier days.

That's EU though...  take or ignore at your leisure.  That's what I do.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on November 23, 2012, 11:35 PM
I think EU or not, the storyline was flawed without some kind of side story on the Empire looking for new Jedi.  If you buy into the EU, there are any number of Jedi that survived Order #66, so it isn't impossible that one of them takes down the Emperor or even trains someone to fight him. 

Even if you don't buy into the EU, Yoda and Ben Ghosts could have trained some other newer Jedi down the road.  They are being born all the time and it doesn't seem like a Force Ghost has issues travelling all over to check them out or feel them in the force.  It isn't like Luke is such an incredible fighter in ROTJ that no one could stop him.  I think it just comes down to another aspect of the OT that gets a little ruined by poor prequel planning.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: jedipurge on November 26, 2012, 02:47 PM
i think that the whole luke/leia being last hope is that there wasn't anyone one that was as powerful as Anakin even in his demenished state as Vader.  If Vader was to "be more powerful then either of us" from what Palps says in EPIII, then i think the best hope is that 1 of his offspring has the inate talent born into him/her to take Vader on and defeat him.  Any other Force sensitive person probably won't do, and probably would be killed just as easily as any of the council members did in EPIII.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on December 4, 2012, 10:22 AM
Not just the talent, the access.  Vader would let his kids get into the same room as him... also, he'd be more likely to let his guard down, even if just a little.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Lestat on December 10, 2012, 02:53 PM
   I am a big EU fan but I think the Sequel Trilogy should either completely ignore it or use whatever bits and pieces serve the story. I think seeing Luke as a Jedi Master is a must. I think the first movie should catch us up with the OT characters and establish the new threat. the second movie should move the focus from the OT characters to the ST characters (hopefully the children of the Skywalker/ Solos), and the third should be a vehicle for establishing the ST characters as the new guard.

   I don't need or want to see Luke, Han or Leia die. IMO, killing off characters of that stature is a cheap way to get an emotional response from the audience. Not only that, it's been done to death in the EU (Jacen going dark, Anakin dying, Chewbacca dying) and I'm sick of it. Call me sentimental, but I want to see these characters pass the torch and have a happy ending to their respective stories.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on December 10, 2012, 03:05 PM
I really don't know what to expect for the STs either.  I'd like to see the passing of the torch, too, but I could never get into the Solo/Skywalker kids.  Maybe if they are older children (since it's 30 years since RotJ)... but no more Jake Lloyd young kids.  As for EU things, I don't follow it much, so I hope that they start with a clean slate.  I don't want to go into the movie and wonder who or what things are, to where one would be required to read the books before hand.  I'm sure there could be nods to EU fans in the movies like they did with the PT.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on December 10, 2012, 08:14 PM
I keep taking note that almost every bit of news released about the Sequel Trilogy mentions the words "AN ORIGINAL STORY".  And that leaves me thinking that we may see a significant departure from the Zahn penned Thrawn trilogy, and other post ROTJ expanded universe.

My key concerns?  Is it a good story?  Does it carry on that original spirit of Star Wars?  Is it not a blatant money grab by Disney?  Those are the things that come to mind for me.

I've been interested to see some of the director names that have been getting thrown around, too.  Jon Favreau appears to be lobbying for the job.  There's also the continuing mentions of Joe Johnston.  And David Fincher's name has been added to the mix, too.  It's definitely not bad company in terms of directors.  As long as they keep schmucks like Michael Bay and Brett Ratner away from the projects!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: I Am Sith on December 10, 2012, 10:22 PM
I think that there might be a glimmer of hope that they will use some of what is already out there in the EU, or at least not completely ditch what has been written.  From this month's Insider interview with Kathleen Kennedy and George Lucas:

Quote
Lucas: ...I have story treatments of Episodes VII, VIII and IX and a bunch of other movies and obviously we have hundreds of books and comics, and everything you could possibly imagine.  I moved that treasure trove of stories and various things to Kathleen and I have complete confidence that she's going to take them and make great movies.

I didn't read this to say they are completely ditching the EU and will not use any of it.  In fact, there was another part from that interview that talks about how Lucas will be there to make sure there is continuity between the new movies and what is already been penned:

Quote
Lucas: ...I mean, I can tell you the mythology.  That's all my job is, is to be the keeper of the flame, and just make sure that it's consistent...

Quote
Kennedy: ...I like to think as we move forward that the fans are on board, they help us, they support what it is we're trying to do.  The main thing is to protect the characters and that they still continue to live in the way that George created them.  And that the universe of Star Wars continues to grow in ways they can get excited about...

Quote
Kennedy: ...These are original stories and original ideas that come out of a world that, essentially, is in George's head.  So the beauty of the collaboration that can continue, as we work our way through these scripts, if we're sitting there going, "Hmm... I wonder if this character can do that?" or "Does this make sense within the rules of Star Wars?" I think there's so much that's been written about Star Wars that falls outside of what happened in the movies that he's the keeper of the flame.

So I'll keep my fingers crossed over the next several years hoping they don't completely f-up decades worth of great stories, characters and worlds.  Here's to the future of Star Wars, and a hope that its new beginning is as great as it was back in 1977!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on December 10, 2012, 11:01 PM
Quote
Lucas: ...That's all my job is, is to be the keeper of the flame, and just make sure that it's consistent...

Well, that's debatable since there are conflicts between the OT and PT.  ;)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on December 10, 2012, 11:30 PM
Not to mention Lucas is sort of known for not giving a poopy about the EU...  The Coruscant story always makes me laugh a little that he sanctioned it and then was mad about having to use the name in the PT...  Why was that such a big deal?  No clue.  It gives me little hope of the EU making any appearance is all.  Possibly being able to still be crowbarred into things, sure, but not really making an appearance.

I'm honestly going in with an open mind though, and whatever happens, happens.  I just want to enjoy it.  Whatever it is.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: EdSolo on December 11, 2012, 07:23 AM
The EU post ROTJ is just too expansive at this point for the new movie not to step on something.  You are just going to lose the general audience if you try to set this movie ~40 ABY and keep all the EU.  I think it would be a bit too much to tell someone:  Han and Leia had three kids, but two are dead and one of the dead ones became a Sith Lord.  They are now pretending to be the parents of the Sith Lord's child because the mother is a Queen in a planetary system where females are in charge and said child would be in danger of being assassinated.  Then tell them, Luke was married but his wife was killed by the above Sith Lord nephew, but they did have a kid named Ben who is named after Obi-Wan.  Then progress to all this happened after the universe was decimated by a technology hating species that could be felt in the Force.  This was followed up by a second Galactic Civil War which lead into Jedi going crazy because they were exposed to some all powerful being that links in to that crazy Mortis trilogy from the Clone Wars cartoon.  Finally, tell them that Chewbacca is dead and won't be in the new movies.  He sacrificed himself saving Han's son (not the one who became a Sith Lord) and had a moon dropped on him...then tell them that was all for nothing because that son died shortly thereafter.

I think all that is a little much for the general fan to digest.  If the new trilogy is to be the passing of the torch, it is a little weak to only have two Skywalker decendents left alive.  There are too many established Jedi in the EU for the new trilogy to be a "Luke training/resestablishing the Jedi" storyline.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jabba the Slug on December 12, 2012, 04:43 AM
Sorry this is really off-topic from what everyone's talking about on here, but I was thinking about it the other day and I find it really funny that we've already heard from pretty much everyone (Samuel L. Jackson, Ewan McGregor, Mark Hamil, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher) that they want to be/are open to being in the new movie, and the ONE person we haven't heard from is the star himself... Hayden Christensen. ;)

It's funny, because you would think Force Ghost Anakin would have a greater chance of showing up in the film than Force Ghost Mace or Obi, to communicate with Luke once he's busy running the New Jedi Order.

Hmmm, I wonder what did it for Hayden... ::) 
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Mister Skeezler on December 12, 2012, 11:41 AM
CGI Sebastian Shaw, anyone?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Carpeteria3000 on December 12, 2012, 02:16 PM
You're also not hearing many people clamoring for Christensen to return for the new films, either.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scockery on December 12, 2012, 11:10 PM
Make Mace Windu be the villain because he believes the Skywalker line is destined for evil and must be destroyed. He dies in like the second one but his prophecy comes true as Luke's son turns evil.

Writes itself, really.  :D
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on December 13, 2012, 04:22 PM
Not to mention Lucas is sort of known for not giving a poopy about the EU... 

Honestly, I got the complete opposite impression from Lucas.  I recall reading somewhere that he had his hand in EVERYTHING Star Wars related.  They had to pass general storylines, storyboards, specific plot points, and finished product for just about everything past him for approval.  That's what helped drive a strong continuity than most fictional universes out there.  If he truly didn't care about it, I don't think he would have dedicated that much effor to maintaining it.  I do think the EU was and will always be secondary to his movies though.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scockery on December 13, 2012, 05:43 PM
Plus side that probably prevented some EU crapfest book about Star Wars's humans being descedents of Earthlings from the future.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on December 13, 2012, 06:06 PM
Plus side that probably prevented some EU crapfest book about Star Wars's humans being descedents of Earthlings from the future.

Yeah, a storyline like that would be totally ridiculous.   ;)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on December 14, 2012, 12:28 PM
But what if they were being chased by robots as they look for a new home? Now you got something!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on December 14, 2012, 12:54 PM
But what if they were being chased by robots as they look for a new home? Now you got something!

That helps, but still too bland.  You would need to throw in some kind of resurrection plot for a hot blonde pilot, then leave her "death" as something of a mystery towards the end of the series.  Now that would be something worth watching.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on December 14, 2012, 04:05 PM
What would be even cooler is if some of those robots looked human, too... say like 12 or 13 models and you'd never know who was bad... or some of them could be good. 

Then add a law enforcement officer that hunts down these replicants who are trying to find their maker and understand why they are designed with an expiration date... and somehow that whole word is related to one that has these insectoid aliens who impregnate people and it explodes out of their chest... which is also in the same universe as these ugly MFken aliens that hunt humans for sport...
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on December 15, 2012, 03:49 PM
Now you are getting silly. Who would make movies like that?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on December 17, 2012, 02:34 AM
I've never really heard much, outside of a few things, of Lucas taking direct interest in EU really...  rather I've heard Lucasfilm had oversight of EU that became more strict as time went on, but in the earlier days of it, it was fairly loose as I understand it.

The only things I've heard him having a direct interest in that got much notice were Clone Wars and, seemingly to a lesser degree, TFU.  Can't recall much more.  I seem to recall even reading somewhere he really didn't care for some of the 2D CW toon even.

TOR he's seemingly not taken much interest in...  Maybe it's the era being so far away from "his baby"?  He outright argued with others within LFL when they pushed for the name Coruscant to be adopted for the city planet in the prequals, or so the story goes anyway, because it was established by Timothy Zahn.

He openly criticized the notion of bringing Fett back from the Sarlacc, laughing at it, and saying, "In my vision, Boba Fett died in the Sarlacc and that was that".  I'll never forget how he kinda looked down on the idea even.  I think that was the first time I saw him sort of turn his nose up on EU a bit publicly.

I guess I just haven't seen much to make me think, outside of the new CW toon, that he's hands-on...  I think he has people who are, and I do think it's a more controlled thing NOW, but I think if you look at anything prior to 1999, at the earliest, he really just let things go wherever the $ took them.  I think maybe the Prequals (and thus more and more EU coming out) had him reign that in with a team, and perhaps himself more than he had been.  Still though, even the CW seemingly has pushed some things that Lucas himself seems to have seen no interest in tying to the established EU...  The Y-Wings came to mind instantly really.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: EdSolo on December 17, 2012, 07:02 AM
I would say the whole Mandalorians in the Clone Wars is Lucas's direct hand in the EU.  I have no idea why he went the way he did with it.  It makes little sense to me.  It would have been equivalent to the hippies taking over the US government during the Viet Nam era.  I just don't see how the non-violent Mandalorians take over the government from a warrior race.

While not Lucas directly, his daughter was responsible for the whole Dathomir arc.  While she did change some stuff from established EU the biggest crime is that absolutely zero credit was given to Dave Wolverton who wrote The Courtship of Princess Leia.  That novel created Dathomir and the Nightsisters.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scockery on December 17, 2012, 08:12 AM
He openly criticized the notion of bringing Fett back from the Sarlacc, laughing at it, and saying, "In my vision, Boba Fett died in the Sarlacc and that was that".  I'll never forget how he kinda looked down on the idea even.  I think that was the first time I saw him sort of turn his nose up on EU a bit publicly.

He was right about that one.

But years later he gives the go ahead to bring Maul back.  ::)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on December 17, 2012, 02:44 PM
At the time I agreed with the Fett thing...  the PT actually changed me some.  I played Bounty Hunter and became more a Fett Clan Fan at that point, and wanted the story to continue for Boba not just abruptly end in a chump fashion.

I've drunk the Boba Fett kool-aid.  :-[  I was one of the purists too that loved pointing that out to Fett fans but I've since done a 180.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Brian on December 19, 2012, 02:22 PM
Rumors of possible plot details:

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/JoshWildingNewsAndReviews/news/?a=71540 (http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/JoshWildingNewsAndReviews/news/?a=71540)

Not much, but it mentions Luke possibly restarting the Jedi academy on Yavin.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on December 19, 2012, 08:18 PM
Cool by me.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on December 20, 2012, 01:29 PM
Source looks pretty sketchy to me, but I hope they go this route.  It would make the most sense given the events leading up to E7.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scockery on December 20, 2012, 02:45 PM
Tikal me pink if that happens.

 :D

Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on December 20, 2012, 11:08 PM
The sourcing on a return to Tikal is sketchy.  Even the Reuters report that was the source for the comicbookmovie.com link was pretty vague.  And Reuters is a world-renowned news agency.  But in that part of the article it looked as though they were going on what a Guatemalan Star Wars fan group had stated, and nothing from Disney or Lucasfilm.

Only time will tell!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Qui-Gon Jim on December 21, 2012, 10:18 AM
Quote
Meanwhile, that Reuters report that had everybody thinking Episode VII would return to Yavin and show us a new Jedi Academy has been debunked already. Reporter Michael McDonald tells TheForce.net:

    This was a mistake. I misunderstood what fan clubs had told me and shown me in book plots and that storyline has not been announced by Disney. Perhaps I should have written something along the lines of 'Yavin 4 appears in several Star Wars book plots and while Guatemala fans said they hope film crews return to Tikal, the company has not announced plans for the new episode.'
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Brian on December 21, 2012, 05:38 PM
Yeah, a couple of different sources are saying this was all false now, oh well, we'll have more of these in the coming months I guess.  Can't wait for some solid information though :).
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on December 27, 2012, 04:18 PM
Huge sigh of relief...

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/27/showbiz/movies/jj-abrams-star-wars-ew/index.html?hpt=hp_bn9

Dude has been cashing checks purely on an overhyped rep for years now. All the Alias/Lost/Cloverfield goodwill will only get you so far...
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scott on December 27, 2012, 06:00 PM
Super 8 is one of my favorite movies of the last 5 years and the Star Trek reboot was fantastic...not that I was hoping for him specifically but I think it was at least debating
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Brian on December 27, 2012, 09:05 PM
Like Scott, I wasn't necessarily championing the guy for it, but I would have been happy if he would have got the gig.  I've liked quite a bit of Abrams work (LOST, Trek, Super 8 in particular), but I'm not surprised he passed with his tie to the Trek stuff now.  Had that not been the case, I think he would have been on board.  Still reading rumors of Matthew Vaughn (Kick Ass, X-Men First Class, etc.)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on December 27, 2012, 10:02 PM
Trek reboot is fantastic, so yeah, I wouldn't have been terribly upset.  I think they could do worse.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on December 28, 2012, 12:47 AM
Sad to hear that we won't be witness to how JJ Abrams would try to shoehorn some lens flare into the Star Wars saga.  :(
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Carpeteria3000 on December 28, 2012, 10:39 AM
Abrams does really well with things he has total control over - LOST, Super 8, ST reboot, etc. I think if he had gotten SW, he likely would have either been so closely watched/controlled, or he would have taken it so far in his own direction, that it couldn't have gone very well. I love the stuff he does, but I really hope they don't try to overly stylize/modernize the new SW movies, and that's what Abrams does best, IMO.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on December 28, 2012, 02:49 PM
George Lucas has come out with a teaser for Episode 7!!!

http://youtu.be/XpTwcnA9nYw (http://youtu.be/XpTwcnA9nYw)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jayson on December 28, 2012, 03:33 PM
Sad to hear that we won't be witness to how JJ Abrams would try to shoehorn some lens flare into the Star Wars saga.  :(

You can leave that to Drew Struzan  :P
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Brian on January 4, 2013, 08:56 PM
I was thinking about this a bit over the holidays, with of course family members asking me "did you know they're making more Star Wars?", and it does get me excited for the future of the franchise.  If this next movie is a situation where we see the old actors return, for however large their part, it would be easy/fun to market this movie early on.  Just think of them releasing an official image of Harrison Ford and Peter Mayhew (in costume) sitting in the Falcon cockpit or something.  Or the "big three" of Hamill/Ford/Fisher together on set or something.  Sounds simple, but I could see it really getting the interwebs buzzing. :)  Anyways, just fun to think about.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scott on January 5, 2013, 01:33 AM
No body, therefore possibly not dead:

Darth Maul
Ahsoka Tano
Mace Windu
Emperor Palpatine
Various Jedi Council Members: Shaak Ti and others

Am I missing any?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: TheSon on January 5, 2013, 08:44 AM
No body, therefore possibly not dead:

Darth Maul
Ahsoka Tano
Mace Windu
Emperor Palpatine
Various Jedi Council Members: Shaak Ti and others

Am I missing any?

Ventress, Cad Bane, Rex
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scockery on January 5, 2013, 03:09 PM
Tarkin.
General Veers.
Atha Prime.

Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Mister Skeezler on January 9, 2013, 10:09 AM
I love a lot of Abrams' work (Super8, Star Trek, Fringe), but I have to disagree about LOST. I really thought that show started great, carried that momentum for a few seasons, and ended like a giant turd. The last season consisted of them running from one end of the island to the other, basically filling time until the end church reveal. I found that it totally flew off the tracks, and it felt like they had no idea how to end it. And yeah, I understood what they were doing, they just didn't do it well.

By the way, there's a great LOST reference in Arkham City. (http://youtu.be/OESU1kW2o7c?t=31s)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on January 9, 2013, 11:25 AM
I love a lot of Abrams' work (Super8, Star Trek, Fringe), but I have to disagree about LOST. I really thought that show started great, carried that momentum for a few seasons, and ended like a giant turd. The last season consisted of them running from one end of the island to the other, basically filling time until the end church reveal. I found that it totally flew off the tracks, and it felt like they had no idea how to end it. And yeah, I understood what they were doing, they just didn't do it well.

By the way, there's a great LOST reference in Arkham City. (http://youtu.be/OESU1kW2o7c?t=31s)

Agreed.  I loved that show, but the ending was a major letdown.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on January 9, 2013, 11:46 AM
No body, therefore possibly not dead:

Darth Maul
Ahsoka Tano
Mace Windu
Emperor Palpatine
Various Jedi Council Members: Shaak Ti and others

Am I missing any?

LOL, Shaak Ti has been killed like 3 times now.

In no way do I want to see Maul or Sidious again. They had their chance, time for some fresh blood.

Atha Prime would be over the top-awesome.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on January 9, 2013, 03:02 PM
I just read up on Atha Prime.  No offense, but sounds like a pretty boring character to me.  The whole series has ultimately been about Sith vs. Jedi, so the last thing I want to see is some warlord-type non Sith trying to re-establish the Empire. 

I'd like to see the trilogy focused on:

- Luke working to re-establish the Jedi Order
- Leia and Han trying to restore the Galactic Republic & Senate
- The antagonists  being the One Sith who have been hiding out and training on the Sith home planet of Korriban

If you think about it, this would be the perfect time for a Sith army to mobilize & reveal themselves.  The Empire is broken and leaderless, the rebellion is still small, wounded, and too new to restore the republic, and most worlds are probably feeling isolated and on their own.  The Sith could take a page from the Vong invasion and start conquering outer rim worlds without much retaliation.  Depending on the timing, it could be up to a small restored Jedi Academy to help fend off a massive Sith invasion, which would make for some pretty amazing battle scenes.  Imagine multipe sith vs. multiple jedi at one time or space battles with jedi vs. sith pilots.  Lots of room for new characters there too.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jeff on January 9, 2013, 04:50 PM
- Leia and Han trying to restore the Galactic Republic & Senate

Yes, because if there is one thing the Clone Wars cartoon has shown us it's that people love when they focus on the trials and tribulations of the Republic Senate.   :-X
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on January 9, 2013, 05:28 PM
I just read up on Atha Prime.  No offense, but sounds like a pretty boring character to me.

Maybe, but the double-decker Imperial cruiser? What's not to love about that?  ;)

Really, I guess it comes down to Thrawn/Xizor, Sith redux, Vong or 'something else' as the likeliest options. Just for the sake of curiosity I'm tempted to see what would be behind Door #4, but then part of me thinks it could just as easily turn out to something silly like "cloud Galactus".

I actually think the Sith thing is my least favorite alternative, it just seems sort of played out at this point...I think the proliferation of EU Darths has sort of sapped my enthuiasm there.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on January 9, 2013, 11:23 PM
That's what I liked about Thrawn I guess...  Thrawn is simply smart.  No special powers or anything.  He's just smart, charismatic...  It is as if Hitler had been killed and someone competent, intelligent, and not to be trifled with, took his place.  At least that was how I always viewed the Palps Death/Thrawn Ascension aspect.

It's a way you can still incorporate the struggling New Republic angle (as Zahn did), the NJO coming about is easily mixed into there.  You could also easily take from that, "bad Jedi" and put them on the Thrawn side of the fence...  Bad force users are certainly established in the lore of the Saga at this point.

Not to say I think any of that is coming to fruition of course.  I just like the idea, and doubt it'll ever get even a sniff of happening, aside from the NJO being set up in some way.  I think that'll happen simply because it sort of has to in some way.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on January 10, 2013, 11:23 AM
- Leia and Han trying to restore the Galactic Republic & Senate

Yes, because if there is one thing the Clone Wars cartoon has shown us it's that people love when they focus on the trials and tribulations of the Republic Senate.   :-X

Ha!  To clarify, I'm not thinking that would be a huge plot point - just a way to keep them busy doing something away from the action. 

I love the Thrawn series and the X-Wing books from the EU, and yes I think a double-decker Star Destroyer would be cool.  All that said, for me the real threat throughout the first 6 movies came from the manipulations of the Sith.  The emperor was powerful because he had a huge army behind him, but both he and Vader were A-level threats as individuals as well.  It's just hard for me to imagine some really smart or wicked military leader as a real threat to the new republic after six films with the Sith as the baddies.  That would be like the Avengers taking on Loki and Thanos, then heading off to fight the Chinese military...just doesn't seem like a credible threat without the Sith or some dark jedi leading the charge in my opinion. 

Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Muftak on January 13, 2013, 09:42 PM
As long as Artoo and Threepio are still highly featured, I am on board for whatever they have in mind. Make no mistake, I would love to see a story that leaves room for Thrawn stuff to still fit (and maybe some neat animated versions of the Zahn stuff down the road) and for the timeframe we're looking at I could be on board with a Darth Caedus story, but I am more interested in a great story that adds to the emotional arc of the movies thus far (the fall, the redemption, the casting aside of the material world?) than in following any of the EU.

But, yeah, to count as Episodes VII - IX, it's gotta have the droids right there in the thick of it. That's Star Wars.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Brian on January 24, 2013, 05:11 PM
According to IGN (or actually, the Wrap), it sounds like J.J. Abrams is the director of Star Wars Episode VII:

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/01/24/jj-abrams-to-direct-star-wars-episode-vii (http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/01/24/jj-abrams-to-direct-star-wars-episode-vii)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on January 24, 2013, 05:13 PM
It appears that the reports of JJ Abrams being out of the running to direct Episode VII may have been a bit premature (http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/jj-abrams-set-direct-next-star-wars-film-exclusive-74596).
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scott on January 24, 2013, 05:37 PM
Cool beans...like I said before Star Trek reboot and Super 8 were both fantastic...I can't wait!!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Carpeteria3000 on January 24, 2013, 06:21 PM
Oh boy. Well this will be interesting. I know he's a MAJOR fan, so he likely won't mess too much with the formula the way he did with Trek, which he has noted that he is not as much of a fan of.

I just hope it's not too overly stylized or overdone. Here's hoping he leaves the lens flares at home.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on January 24, 2013, 06:29 PM
Here's hoping he leaves the lens flares at home.

+1
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on January 24, 2013, 06:48 PM
That's about as good a pick as they could have made.

I'm very happy about this.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Darby on January 24, 2013, 08:08 PM
JJ wasn't my first choice (that would have been Del Toro) but after thinking about it, there a lot of pros to this. He is clearly a dynamic and talented director with a flair for big time action movies.

I mean, when you think about... what was the best SW movie of the last decade? It was Star Trek 2009. JJ is an admitted SW fan and he is a lifelong fan about to realize every lifelong fan's dream. It will be a passion project, unlike Trek, which was an AMAZING MOVIE.

People have talked about wanting Speilberg to direct one of the movies. What was the best Speilberg movie of the last decade? Super 8.

It stands to reason that Abrhams will bring along composer Michael Giacchino, who was my #1 choice assuming John Williams does not return.

Abrhams knows how to cast his movies.

When you think about it, he's the logical choice. He is very inspired and informed by Lucas/Spielberg and his movies reflect a lot of what many of us would like to see in SW.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Brian on January 24, 2013, 08:49 PM
I'm pretty happy about this news as well, and hope it is confirmed by Lucasfilm/Disney soon.  I'm a big fan of the new Trek movie, as well as Super 8 (not to mention things like LOST)...and we all know he's a big fan and a talented filmmaker, so it is a great way to kick things off.  I'm excited to hear more about all of this, and where he's going take things.  Now for some story/casting rumors ;).
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jayson on January 24, 2013, 09:22 PM
I've been following this news all day and it has been quite comical. A dozen or so entertainment/news sites (Variety, THR, Jo Blo MTV, etc.) were all posting this as confirmed all while siting anonymous sources and the original sit that broke the story (The Wrap). Then later it evolved into being in final negotiations between Abrams and Disney.

How does multiple sites running the story based on the same source warrant a "confirmation"? I still think it is possible, maybe even probable but until LFL/Disney issues a release it is still a rumor.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on January 24, 2013, 09:59 PM
So I guess in Episode 9 Luke, Leia and Han are all reunited in a church and it turns out they were dead all along?

Jar Jar kicking back with a can of Slusho?

 ;)

Just cast that girl from Alcatraz, she would make a badass Jedi.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scockery on January 24, 2013, 10:35 PM
I was hoping for Ridley Scott. Turns out the midichlorians, which allow lifeforms to use the Force, were created by an ancient race of none-too-friendly pale skinned giants. Then we see Jabba the Hutt's baby burst from Leia's chest.

Or Tim Burton, who'd take the job then say he doesn't like Star Wars or even science-fiction, Depp stars and Helena Bonham Carter appears...aside from a Billy Dee Williams cameo, the only actor from a previous Star Wars film to appear is Christopher Lee as a recording of Count Dooku, who turns out is Johnny Depp's character's dad.

I won't joke about Stephen Sommers or Paul W.S. Anderson...
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Diddly on January 24, 2013, 11:29 PM
Ugh.

I like Cloverfield, probably way more than I should, and liked Star Trek too, but Star Trek wasn't a Star Trek movie. A good sci-fi movie but not a good Star Trek movie. Not a fan of his other work.

I just hope we don't wind up with more of JJ's alternate universe crap. Or this:

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/DiddlySquat/starwarslensflarelogo.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Muftak on January 24, 2013, 11:53 PM
Y'know, that lens flare right at the beginning of AOTC has always bothered me. Likewise the silly overuse of it in Trek. But I'll take a movie that's set on the "lens flare planet" to have a director that is paying attention to what the actors are doing around the FX.

Looks like we might actually get a movie with an involving emotional thread. Super 8 (and for that matter Toy Story 3) was so well done I have a ton of faith here. Lets hope it pans out and all parties can keep this combination together.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jabba the Slug on January 25, 2013, 02:26 AM
Although I would have been more than happy to hear that Del Toro would be directing, I'm pleasantly surprised (and RELIEVED) that Abrams is directing. When rumors came out that the director of whatever Wolverine/X-Men movie that was would possibly directing, I was praying that it wouldn't be so.

Let's be honest, the guy's very talented. He has some very well-done and well-reviewed AND well-received films in his portfolio. Am I afraid he'll mess with a lotta canon like he supposedly did with Trek? Yes. But, being that he's the big fan he's always claim to be, I doubt he'd do anything outrageous, because he'd probably be just as pissed if someone else had done that.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on January 25, 2013, 09:27 AM
I'm hoping that Michael Giacchino does the music for it. Williams has become to stale with his film scores recently. I want to hear some new music not a rehashed Raiders score like Crystal Skull received.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Carpeteria3000 on January 25, 2013, 09:55 AM
Guys - there's been a lens flare in SW since the very beginning:

(http://www.benzilla.com/uploads/2011/12/star-wars-poster.jpg)

IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on January 25, 2013, 10:52 AM
I think this is generally good news.  I agree that Abrams knows how to bring the emotion and get you caring about the characters.  That's the biggest miss from the prequels for me - the only person I found myself really caring about was Obi-Wan, and that's just credit to Ewan's acting.  It's all still going to depend on where he takes the plot, but whatever he does he's going to do in a big way.  I'm sure the budget is wide open for this project, so I'm trusting that this is going to be good.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on January 25, 2013, 01:00 PM
Maybe we can have a Star Wars / Star Trek crossover?

(http://cdn.walyou.com/wp-content/uploads//2012/04/Star-Wars-Star-Trek-Poker-e1334736310428.png)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scott on January 26, 2013, 01:53 AM
SW.com has officially confirmed Abrams as the director
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jabba the Slug on January 26, 2013, 03:29 AM
SW.com has officially confirmed Abrams as the director

I saw that, too!! It's official!! I'm very excited and I think many of us are breathing a sigh of relief.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on January 26, 2013, 04:01 PM
Here's hoping he leaves the lens flares at home.

This is blasphemy.  You point a light source at a camera and that's going to reflect around inside the lens... adding lens flares makes his big visual effects scenes and space scenes feel like they were shot with actual cameras instead of being digitally created - to me at least. 

I LOVE that he does that.

Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on January 26, 2013, 04:08 PM
Sad to hear that we won't be witness to how JJ Abrams would try to shoehorn some lens flare into the Star Wars saga.  :(

You can leave that to Drew Struzan  :P

Struzan....OUT! (http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/01/24/drew-struzan-misunderstood-about-star-wars-posters-not-asked-not-interested/)

The Star Wars one-sheet artist made this statement on his Facebook page: (https://www.facebook.com/drewstruzan/posts/601910069825852)

Quote
Misunderstood…

A couple of friends at Disney were fantasizing about the new STAR WARS movies.

"Disney" has said nothing to me and I expect nothing. That a couple of friends were wishing is only an expression of the hope that many are sharing but says nothing regarding the Studio itself. Even if 'they' did ask, which Disney has not, I'd rather leave the new films to the next generation to interpret. I've had my time and they were exceptional blessings for which I will forever be grateful.

Tomorrow is a new day…drew
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jayson on January 26, 2013, 06:16 PM
I dont care who does the poster as long as its not in the same style as the TDK/Inception/TFKR/ST Into Darkness one sheets.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on January 28, 2013, 01:25 AM
I'm content...  I don't know JJ Abrams and his work all that well, but I loved the Star Trek reboot.  I'm not a big TOS fan, though I like certain TOS movies, but Abrams' reboot of Star Trek was casted perfectly, it was beautiful, it honored the original crew and idea of the series I felt, and it was exciting from the first sequences to the last.

My girlfriend, who thinks ST is for dipshits, loved it.  To me, that says everything about how good it was, that it appealed to people who look at ST nerds like myself and laugh at why we loved it.

It was so good I didn't even realize some people DIDN'T like it.  I had no clue.  I figured it was universal love.

So for me I'm happy to see what he can do.  At this stage I feel the prequals took us to a very low point, and so I can't see nitpicking who's going to be involved with the series going forward.  I'm just along for the ride and if it sucks I'll say so, but what I enjoy, and I'm sure I'll enjoy at least parts, I'm looking forward to.

I had no clue wtf Lens Flare was that everyone was joking about.

If I have a preference, it's to leave it out...  It was part of Star Trek to some degree, and it's not really been part of Star Wars I can think of.  Maybe above Coruscant in some sequences?  Can't think of that much anywhere else, and I'd like to see this blend in with the previous 6 films some.  It's not a series reboot or something, so I am hoping maybe for some familiarity.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on January 28, 2013, 10:04 AM
I dont care who does the poster as long as its not in the same style as the TDK/Inception/TFKR/ST Into Darkness one sheets.

Too late.

(http://geektyrant.com/storage/0999-post-images/starwarsdarksiodeposter.jpeg)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on January 28, 2013, 10:58 AM
Your link is a Red X.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Diddly on January 28, 2013, 01:19 PM
Does Blue Milk get replaced with Slusho?  :'(
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on January 28, 2013, 01:34 PM
I think I fixed it.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on January 28, 2013, 02:09 PM
Too bad they didn't change the Starfleet 'debris' emblem to something Star Wars. 
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Tracy on January 28, 2013, 03:14 PM
My girlfriend, who thinks ST is for dipshits
,+1
loved it.
again, +1
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on January 28, 2013, 11:21 PM
That made this apparant dip****, smile just a little bit.  I'm slightly cooler in the universe now, with yet another woman.  *sigh*
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on January 29, 2013, 06:43 AM
News is coming out that in addition to J.J. Abrams signing on to direct Episode VII, there is no longer a commitment to (presumably) a May 2015 release date.  That is now a soft date that is changeable due to the needs of production.  Check out this Hollywood Reporter article (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/official-jj-abrams-closes-deal-415603) for the details.  And notably this quote:

Quote
Episode VII is set for release in 2015, but sources say Abrams has not committed to that release date, meaning the date could be changed if the development process requires it.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jabba the Slug on January 29, 2013, 02:46 PM
If it means J.J. taking just a *little* longer to create a quality Star Wars film, by all means, that's cool with me! Like many have said, this can go either really right or really wrong. I always did think 2015 was really soon for the film considering the deal was announced in 2012.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Tracy on January 29, 2013, 02:49 PM
That made this apparant dip****, smile just a little bit.  I'm slightly cooler in the universe now, with yet another woman.  *sigh*

 Awwww  :)

Sometimes I feel like Penny to everyone's Leonard, Sheldon, Raj and Howard.   ;)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on January 29, 2013, 04:06 PM
I just feel like the guy that owns the comic shop.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on January 29, 2013, 04:33 PM
I just feel like the guy that owns the comic shop.

Stuart!!  Yeah, the guy can't get any loving...well, except for Raj's pseudo-love relationship.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on January 29, 2013, 05:10 PM
And he's poor as all get out because his business flounders.  Reminds me of the comic shop I hit up all the time as a kid, haha.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Brian on February 15, 2013, 11:36 AM
Just read this article that Latino Review is reporting that Harrison Ford is "in" for Episode 7:

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/JakeLester/news/?a=74331 (http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/JakeLester/news/?a=74331)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on February 15, 2013, 11:43 AM
Just read this article that Latino Review is reporting that Harrison Ford is "in" for Episode 7:

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/JakeLester/news/?a=74331 (http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/JakeLester/news/?a=74331)

Cool!  I don't see how they can avoid getting Luke/Han/Leia into E7 at least, so great to here progress on getting the original actors.  Of course, I'm not sure the "Latino Review" is where I'd expect to find breaking news on Harrison Ford or Star Wars...
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Brian on February 15, 2013, 12:00 PM
Yeah, who knows, there are new rumors nearly every day anymore.  I wasn't aware of them prior to the past five years or so, but Latino Review is actually a fairly reliable rumor source with a lot of the comic book movie-type stuff, so maybe it is true.  We'll see.  SW.com should just post a picture of Ford/Hamill/Fisher together and announce it there that they are returning.  The interwebs would be abuzz :).
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jeff on February 15, 2013, 12:20 PM
If it's true, I'm assuming #1 it means that all the armored cars in the country will be busy for the next two weeks bringing a GIANT pile of cash to Mr. Ford and #2 it means he'll probably get his wish this time around re: the fate of Han Solo.  :'(
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Diddly on February 15, 2013, 02:12 PM
This should own, as he will be able to be an old, grumpy d-bag.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: MistaBinks on February 15, 2013, 07:45 PM
Just read this article that Latino Review is reporting that Harrison Ford is "in" for Episode 7:

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/JakeLester/news/?a=74331 (http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/JakeLester/news/?a=74331)

Cool!  I don't see how they can avoid getting Luke/Han/Leia into E7 at least, so great to here progress on getting the original actors.  Of course, I'm not sure the "Latino Review" is where I'd expect to find breaking news on Harrison Ford or Star Wars...

El Mayimbe is pretty spot on in everything he posts. Latino Review is pretty good at confirming stories before posting. They are well respected.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Ben on February 16, 2013, 12:24 AM
The only reason I don't like this is because I think the only reason it's happening is to kill off Han Solo, and I hate that idea.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: jadesfire on February 20, 2013, 06:11 PM
I just read this article on MSN....I'd like to see all three back.

http://social.entertainment.msn.com/movies/blogs/paralleluniverse-blog.aspx?feat=b65935a8-62fd-4234-aec4-c68d4388dcb7 (http://social.entertainment.msn.com/movies/blogs/paralleluniverse-blog.aspx?feat=b65935a8-62fd-4234-aec4-c68d4388dcb7)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Brian on March 5, 2013, 09:06 PM
According to a recent interview, it sounds like Carrie Fisher has confirmed that she'll be back:

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/notyetamovie/news/?a=75229 (http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/notyetamovie/news/?a=75229)

I really hope we get confirmation pretty soon of the main cast returning, and really get the hype machine started for this.  Some of the most fun of the prequels was the news and speculation in the years leading up to the movies, I'm looking forward to that again.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scott on March 7, 2013, 03:13 PM
Lucas is new Spoiler Source: Big 3 returning (http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/star-wars-stars-reuniting-sequel-lucas-lets-slip-172815308.html)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Darby on March 7, 2013, 07:13 PM
I for one am looking forward to it. As long as it fits the story, I think it will be great.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: EdSolo on March 8, 2013, 06:25 AM
Lucas is new Spoiler Source: Big 3 returning (http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/star-wars-stars-reuniting-sequel-lucas-lets-slip-172815308.html)

If you get the entire quote from the Bloomberg article, Lucas goes from saying they were signed, to they were in final negotiations, to who knows if they would have signed.  He seemed to really backtrack on it after he initially let it slip.  I think the most interesting thing is that Lucas was actually going to go forward with the sequel trilogy on his own as a means to showing the franchise was still profitable for any potential buyers.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Darby on March 8, 2013, 09:15 AM
The whole article is very fascinating. So this seems to have started a couple years ago, and Lucas went fairly far down the garden path before selling to Disney. I wonder if he started this and then thought - wow. I don't want to do this, or he did do it to make the company more attractive to Disney. I'm more curious than ever of the story.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on March 8, 2013, 02:11 PM
The whole article is very fascinating. So this seems to have started a couple years ago, and Lucas went fairly far down the garden path before selling to Disney. I wonder if he started this and then thought - wow. I don't want to do this, or he did do it to make the company more attractive to Disney. I'm more curious than ever of the story.

I took EXACTLY that from the article.  There's a quote where he said he was having a conversation with Kathleen Kennedy about making the company more attractive to a potential buyer.

Quote
Lucas asked if she was interested in taking over Lucasfilm. Kennedy may have been blindsided by the news, but she happily accepted the position. “When Kathy came on, we started talking about starting up the whole franchise again,” he says. “I was pulling away, and I said, ‘Well, I’ve got to build this company up so it functions without me, and we need to do something to make it attractive.’ So I said, ‘Well, let’s just do these movies.’ ”
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on March 8, 2013, 02:40 PM
This was a really fun read.  Interesting to hear about everything that was going on behind the scenes.  I wish there had been some elaboration on the discussions with the original actors.  Would love to have heard Harrison's reponse - did they have to throw a lot of money at him?  Has he come around more to the character?  Were Fisher or Hamill at all hesitent?  Has anyone talked to Billy D?  All in good time I suppose.

What I found most surprising was that Lucas seems to have to put together a storyline for the new trilogy already.  Not sure how I feel about that given what he did with the prequels.   :-\  I'd also love a peak at that Holocron database.  They should publish that for fans.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Darby on March 9, 2013, 12:11 PM
I've been reading some of the reaction to the 'casting' of the big three in mainstream media and in some forums and I have to say I'm shocked at how agist some of it is. There's this idea that the three OT stars are too old to 1) carry the movie and/or 2) be any good. I think it's ignorant. I don't believe they will be the main focus of the ST but let's say they were - all three of them have proven in their own way over the last 30 years to be too talented to be treated this way. I doubt any of them will be running around with blasters like back in the day, but you know, SW over the last 15 years hasn't been so good that it's too good for these guys.

If your thing is you don't want to see them because for you they're frozen in time - you don't want them to come back and die, you don't want to spoil your memory of them - I get that. To me that's separate.

I do think there will be a younger generation of heroes. The more I think about it, the more I'm certain (and therefore will be wrong) that the protagonist will be a Solo. Whether he's a he or a she, they're going to be a rogue like dear old dad and will have rejected their legacy (think Cade Skywalker) because it's you know, filled with genocide. As one of Leia's children, they will probably inherit her POV on Vader, which is not as informed as Luke's. Vader stood there and watched as the Empire destroyed her planet. Luke may have saved him, but he may be beyond redemption for her - and as someone who grew up separated from her true legacy, Leia may be intentionally or unintentionally walling off her kids from their past. What conflict this would be with Luke - I'd pay to see it.

It will be the Solo kid's test and Luke's to realize their destiny and do the final accounting on all this Jedi/Sith business.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Ben on March 9, 2013, 12:31 PM
I was just thinking how incredibly ageist it was of me to not want to see them back. As long as they're not the focus of the action (running around with blasters and lightsabers and such) like Ford in Indy 4, I'd be OK with this. Not like it's up to me anyway, but...

I really don't like the idea of Han being back, since I think it's happening just so he gets killed off. Again a problem of these characters being frozen in time for me, I guess. Even though I read a bunch of the EU novels in the 90s (giving up around NJO) those never really went 30 years later, and if they have recently, I wouldn't know it.

I do find it strange that one of the complaints about TPM was that Anakin was so young, and now before even a frame has been filmed on the ST, there's complaints about actors being too old.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on March 9, 2013, 01:20 PM
I'm not sure it's a case of people thinking that Hammill, Fisher & Ford are all too old for their parts.  We've seen plenty of action / fantasy / sci-fi films over the past decade where some older characters are involved in some intense sequences.  Perhaps modern filmmaking and special effects have made it that much easier to pull that off with an older actor?

I actually think there's a greater potential concern regarding Hammill & Fisher being central parts of the cast when they haven't done a tremendous ammount of feature film work over the past decade plus.  Sure, both have done some television and voice acting.  But I get the sense that both of them may be a little rusty in the on screen acting chops.  I think that concerns about the two of them in that capacity might be a little more well founded.  On that front I suspect that the big three might not be the focus of the sequel trilogy, and a new generation of Skywalkers & Solos may do the heavy lifting in the new trilogy.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Carpeteria3000 on March 11, 2013, 08:36 PM
While Fisher and Hamill haven't been in major movies in recent years, they've both kept up their performance chops, Hamill with his massive amount of amazing voice acting, and Fisher mostly on the stage. I think they'll both be ok - no way Disney would put all of this money into this new venture and allow it to be a flop.

I'm psyched.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on March 11, 2013, 08:56 PM
I'm interested...  psyched, I'm not going that far.  I'm definitely interested.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on March 12, 2013, 11:00 AM
I'm interested...  psyched, I'm not going that far.  I'm definitely interested.

Yeah, I'm reserved.  Kind of a wait-and-see deal.  I guess I'm hoping they don't kill off the heroes, not that they need to be the main focus of the story either.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Carpeteria3000 on March 12, 2013, 11:32 AM
I'm interested...  psyched, I'm not going that far.  I'm definitely interested.

I'm psyched just along the lines of: Hey - we were promised these movies but they were never supposed to happen, and now here we are. When it comes down to it, they're just movies, and with the people who are behind it, even if they're not as good as the originals (how can they be, really?), they'll be fun movies to go and watch. It's nice to have something to look forward to like that.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Brian on April 30, 2013, 08:45 PM
Sounds like Abrams wants/is planning on John Williams returning for Episode VII

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/04/30/abrams-wants-john-williams-back-for-star-wars-episode-vii?abthid=51803ae09d374c866d000024 (http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/04/30/abrams-wants-john-williams-back-for-star-wars-episode-vii?abthid=51803ae09d374c866d000024)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on May 3, 2013, 10:12 AM
Check out J.J. Abrams sitting down for a talk with Simon Pegg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tazmMiuVnro&feature=youtu.be) about Star Wars.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: darth broem 2 on May 24, 2013, 09:55 PM
I like Pegg, but if he ends up in the next Star Wars films I hope his character is limited.  I can only take so much of his antics and then it gets to be enough already.  Kind of like when a kid starts acting up.  It's kind of cute and funny for a little while and then it just crosses a line and you just want the kid to settle down or shut up at once. 

 
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on May 26, 2013, 09:07 PM
I like Pegg, but if he ends up in the next Star Wars films I hope his character is limited.  I can only take so much of his antics and then it gets to be enough already.  Kind of like when a kid starts acting up.  It's kind of cute and funny for a little while and then it just crosses a line and you just want the kid to settle down or shut up at once.   

That's everyday in my house.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: BillCable on May 31, 2013, 08:09 AM
Luke Skywallker - Jedi Knight (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2333096/Star-Wars-star-Mark-Hamill-searches-public-ashtray-used-cigarette-butts--smokes-luxury-BMW.html)

And people wonder why I'm concerned about the original cast returning...
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Qui-Gon Jim on May 31, 2013, 08:31 AM
Bill Cable just raped my childhood.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on May 31, 2013, 09:21 AM
Maybe he was looking for a roach?  ;)


Would explain the fast food...not so much the littering though.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on May 31, 2013, 11:28 AM
Those Jedi cloaks can hide a lot.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on May 31, 2013, 12:27 PM
Maybe he was looking for a roach?  ;)

Watched too much Jay and Silent Bob.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on May 31, 2013, 12:27 PM
Luke Skywallker - Jedi Knight (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2333096/Star-Wars-star-Mark-Hamill-searches-public-ashtray-used-cigarette-butts--smokes-luxury-BMW.html)

And people wonder why I'm concerned about the original cast returning...

Oh my.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on May 31, 2013, 01:26 PM
Eh, if tabloids were like this in 76 imagine what you'd have seen Guiness doing.  He'd probably have been worse.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: EdSolo on May 31, 2013, 01:43 PM
Maybe he has gone method and is going to be playing the crazy old Jedi Master like Yoda in ESB.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scockery on May 31, 2013, 04:08 PM
If I were a celeb and I knew that nutcase tabloids followed me around, I'd probably act as digusting as possible, too.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on May 31, 2013, 04:30 PM
Is he even considered a celeb anymore? Isn't he more of a retired C-list actor?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on May 31, 2013, 04:31 PM
Maybe he has gone method and is going to be playing the crazy old Jedi Master like Yoda in ESB.

As long as he does the Joker laugh at some point in the movie, I'm good with that!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: I Am Sith on May 31, 2013, 06:24 PM
UGH.  So let me get this straight, he has enough money to ride around in a 'luxury BMW' and live in a gated community, but he has to go picking through public ashtrays...

Why do I have a bad feeling that he's going to get cast in the movie and then half way through production, Disney is going to catch wind of some of these sorts of things and pull the plug on him.  Then the story will get rewritten for the n-th time, they'll have to reshoot the scenes he was in, and EP VII won't see the light of day for a year after they were planning on it...
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scockery on May 31, 2013, 10:18 PM
Is he even considered a celeb anymore? Isn't he more of a retired C-list actor?

Tabloids loooove to kick 'em while their down, though. Hell, that's where they get their "best" stuff.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on June 1, 2013, 02:28 PM
Well Disney keeps Robert Downey Jr. in check for Ironman. How hard could it be to keep Hamill and Fisher in check?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on June 1, 2013, 07:18 PM
Something just occurred to me regarding the pics of Mark Hamill pawing through that ash tray.  And it's because of something that just happened to me a couple of weeks ago.  I was going into Starbucks for a cup of coffee first thing in the morning, and I was still a little hazy.  On my way in I was bringing the previous day's coffee cup to throw out, my keys in one hand the dead coffee cup in the other.  Lo and behold, I was so out of it I accidentally threw my keys in the garbage can and NOT the coffee cup!  That led to me digging through the garbage to retrieve my car keys, which looked bizarre to the next guy who was walking in.  Fortunately, it was super early in the morning and the garbage was empty and I got the keys back.

THAT incident makes those pictures of Mark Hamill seem far less outlandish.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on June 4, 2013, 07:05 PM
Except for the fact that what he found he proceeded to smoke.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Ben on June 8, 2013, 07:53 PM
And so it begins...

(https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/941508_606361056055148_1661158639_n.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on June 8, 2013, 11:14 PM
That picture raped my childhood!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on June 19, 2013, 09:20 PM
Casting call time! Since they're looking for talent in the UK, I say take 'em all from a recent wildly successful English franchise:

Late-teen female, independent, good sense of humour, fit.

>>Hermione

Young twenty-something male, witty and smart, fit but not traditionally good looking.

>>Ron

A late twentysomething male, fit, handsome and confident.

>>Harry

Seventy-something male, with strong opinions and tough demeanour. Also doesn’ t need to be particularly fit.

>>Dumbledore

A second young female, also late teens, tough, smart and fit.

Ginny

Forty something male, fit, military type.

>>Snape

Thirtysomething male, intellectual. Apparently doesn’t need to be fit.

>Voldemort


Voila, instant classic.  ;)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on June 20, 2013, 02:03 PM
I think the last one is Hagrid.  The villian will be entirely CGI.   ;)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scockery on June 20, 2013, 04:06 PM
Right. The villain* will be the living personification of the Dark Side itself. I think that would be a way they could totally take another big steaming dump on the whole force concept.

*The big bad, to use that childish-sounding trope term I despise
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on June 20, 2013, 04:09 PM
Right. The villain* will be the living personification of the Dark Side itself. I think that would a way they could totally take another big steaming dump on the whole force concept.

I just hope we get a midiclorian count on whoever the new bad guy is... ;)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Brian on July 24, 2013, 08:42 PM
And the internet explosion starts......now:

Ryan Gosling and Zac Efron Approached for Star Wars Roles? (http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/notyetamovie/news/?a=84133)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on July 25, 2013, 03:57 PM
Gossling's people have already said it's not true.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on July 25, 2013, 09:46 PM
Thank God. Stick with the original playbook and go with lesser known actors.

I still love the idea of John Noble as the villain though.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on July 27, 2013, 05:50 PM
John Williams IS signed to do the score!  :D

http://starwars.com/news/star-wars-celebration-europe-2013-john-williams-to-score-star-wars-episode-vii.html
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on July 29, 2013, 10:46 PM
Thank God. Stick with the original playbook and go with lesser known actors.

I still love the idea of John Noble as the villain though.

Lucas threw that playbook out with Sam Jackson, Liam Neeson, Ewan McGreggor, and Natalie Portman.

I'm with you though, I found all that distracting... hard to look at the guy from Pulp Fiction as this new Jedi Master. 
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt_Fury on July 30, 2013, 04:13 AM
Thank God. Stick with the original playbook and go with lesser known actors.

I still love the idea of John Noble as the villain though.

Lucas threw that playbook out with Sam Jackson, Liam Neeson, Ewan McGreggor, and Natalie Portman.

I'm with you though, I found all that distracting... hard to look at the guy from Pulp Fiction as this new Jedi Master.

And Alec Guinness.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on July 30, 2013, 10:18 AM
I have no problem with the Hammer Horror alum. Those guys are pure gold in anything they do.

I don't mind a few familiar faces sprinkled in here and there, but for the younger leads, go with fresh ones. That's all I'm saying.

And please, I'd rather see quality actors that are homely then a bunch of beautiful robots who cannot emote their way out of a wet paper bag.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on July 30, 2013, 11:12 AM
And Alec Guinness.

That was never a problem for me, since he was Obi-Wan before I was born.  But, yeah, he was big.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt on July 30, 2013, 09:20 PM
And please, I'd rather see quality actors that are homely then a bunch of beautiful robots who cannot emote their way out of a wet paper bag.

Darth Buscemi.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on July 30, 2013, 09:38 PM
His cybernetic eye lets him watch two combatants at once.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Brian on August 16, 2013, 11:34 AM
Some recent rumors are suggesting that both Ian McDiarmid and Ewan McGregor could be returning to their respective roles in Episode VII, likely as force ghosts.  Grain of salt and all that...

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/BatFreak/news/?a=85507 (http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/BatFreak/news/?a=85507)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jeff on August 16, 2013, 12:56 PM
Yeah, I'm sure there will be plenty of rumors over the next few weeks - Liam Neeson Force-Ghost, Hayden Christiansen Force-ghost, Sam Jackson, etc.  I'm expecting anyone who has ever had anything to do with the past six films get rumors going by the end of the year...
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on August 16, 2013, 01:39 PM
The woman who played Yarna is rumored to be on casting lists too.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on August 16, 2013, 10:23 PM
As long as they don't go back and ret-con Sir Alec Guiness from force ghost roles in Empire and Jedi.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on August 23, 2013, 11:24 AM
So....35mm?

Not sure how I feel about that. I generally dig "retro" but I was kinda hoping they would go more the way of the Hobbit in 3D with the enhanced FPS. Or the super-immersive IMAX 3D experience ala Pacific Rim.

I wasn't really missing seeing all those random hairs, pops and other defects marring the image on the screen, y'know?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Darby on August 23, 2013, 01:25 PM
I think it's a great decision and a signal that they are looking towards more of an OT feel and deliberately not a PT one.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on September 8, 2013, 05:27 PM
Today's rumor?  A possible title for Episode VII (http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/notyetamovie/news/?a=86690).
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scockery on September 8, 2013, 06:15 PM
Will Tony Orlando be involved?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on September 8, 2013, 07:07 PM
It could be worse.  It could be called "Breaking Dawn."
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jayson on September 8, 2013, 07:15 PM
With all the rumors thus far that haven't panned out, I'm saying this one is bunk too.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on September 8, 2013, 08:09 PM
Will Tony Orlando be involved?

No, but there will be a heavy "Yellow Ribbon" theme, lightsabers and all!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on September 8, 2013, 09:08 PM
Seems like they could come up with something a little more clever, but we'll see.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on September 9, 2013, 10:32 AM
I'm okay with it.  I thought it would be much worse like "Attack of the Clones" or "The Phantom Menace." 
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on September 9, 2013, 12:19 PM
So is anyone playing on buying the entire AND line of toys?

My grammar checker doesn't like this.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on September 10, 2013, 06:50 PM
With all the rumors thus far that haven't panned out, I'm saying this one is bunk too.

What Jayson said...  I think you basically can't believe jack at this point.  It's worse than the PT rumors that would crop up...  So far, pretty much everything that has come up has been false.  Funny.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scott on October 9, 2013, 02:54 PM
Anyone see the fancy dancy on stream rendering video?  It has to be the only way they think they can still release this movie in 2015

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdsFEMDceNg#t=48

Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scott on October 23, 2013, 04:12 PM
Interweb speculation is point to a Teaser Trailer for Episode VII showing up next week.  The last 3 Wednesdays, the Teaser Trailers for Episodes IV, V an VI have been posted on the SW Facebook page.  Next Wednesday is the 1 year anniversary of the Sale to Disney...we'll see what next Wednesday brings.  They don't even have a cast yet, do they?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jeff on October 24, 2013, 03:32 PM
Arndt is confirmed as script writer

Lawrence Kasdan and director J.J. Abrams have assumed screenwriting duties (http://starwars.com/news/master-filmmaking-team-announced-for-star-wars.html) for Ep7.

Other crew announcements/confirmations in the article...
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Muftak on October 24, 2013, 04:20 PM
Trading up Arndt for Kasdan and the director is fine by me.

I look forward to seeing their movie and later reading the comic based on Arndt's script.  :-*
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scott on October 24, 2013, 06:28 PM
Reading through the making of ROTJ I was amazed at how involved Kasdan was with the story as well as how much Lucas had shaped the prequels already back then.  I'm interested to see how much Sequel talk they may have talked about too...but I'm guessing they left that out of the book.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Muftak on October 24, 2013, 06:57 PM
Honestly I just want to smash my head through a sheet of glass thinking about the fact that folks would have lined up like this to script the prequels for George too. Frank Darabont was supposed to ghost write at one point...why couldn't George have retired before 2012? (Oh yeah, it was 2012 that made it happen.)

Kind of amazing that we don't have a script but we're confident it'll be ready in 2015. Star Wars movies are supposed to take 3 years to make, period. Maybe I'm just too used to the Lucas house style of making the movie in the editing booth.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Darby on October 24, 2013, 07:57 PM
I think the script is probably much further along than we think, though the fact the article mentions filiming in Sping 2014; that's a little further out than I was thinking on the timetable they seem to be on. That being said, this movie has been in pre-production for over a year, closer to two.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on October 24, 2013, 08:30 PM
No big loss really, at least he got the ball rolling. Kasdan has the pedigree that's for sure, I feel better as long as he continues to be an integral part.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on October 24, 2013, 08:39 PM
Same here...  Kasdan is the most interesting name tagged to it I think...  Everyone else, meh.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scott on October 24, 2013, 10:04 PM
I did see my all time favorite asshat (http://www.jedidefender.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=18781.0) is returning for Sound Effects...welcome back to LFL Ben Burtt!  I sure hope you get to edit Episode VII and **** up the score in favor of sound effects!  TWANGGGGGGGG
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on October 24, 2013, 10:59 PM
His ego cannot be kept out...  Just be happy there is a new crew above him who hopefully get that his sound effects are ok to be cut from a film.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on October 25, 2013, 10:18 AM
What? You didn't enjoy all the zany sound effects in Wall*E ?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on October 25, 2013, 10:27 AM
Nice to see Matthew Wood resurfacing after being such a mainstay on the Clone Wars series. Glad he will be involved as well.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on October 27, 2013, 11:19 AM
Nice to see Matthew Wood resurfacing after being such a mainstay on the Clone Wars series. Glad he will be involved as well.

Here's hoping he can keep Ben Burtt in check.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on October 30, 2013, 11:03 PM
Frank Darabont was supposed to ghost write at one point...why couldn't George have retired before 2012? (Oh yeah, it was 2012 that made it happen.)

Darabont's Kingdom of the Crystal Skull script is online... it's worth a read.  It's all of the good stuff and none of the crap that made it into the final piece.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Darby on November 5, 2013, 07:35 PM
Fairly major news:

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/11/05/more-star-wars-episode-vii-plot-and-character-details-open-casting-call-for-young-leads-upcoming/ (http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/11/05/more-star-wars-episode-vii-plot-and-character-details-open-casting-call-for-young-leads-upcoming/)

Lots more to speculate on. This should erase some of the doubts on the film's schedule - these casting sessions typically prelude filming by a few months at most.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scockery on November 5, 2013, 11:53 PM
Thomas is really Khan. LOL.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scott on November 6, 2013, 09:27 AM
Not to sound sexist but I really wonder in a land of SciFi and Comic Movies traditionally dominated by a male lead how a female lead will play?  I know in recent times the Hunger Games has really blown that door wide open and for the most part it might not matter but I remember being a 5 year old boy who wanted nothing to do with buying a Princess Leia action figure.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Darby on November 6, 2013, 02:38 PM
It's a valid concern, at least from the standpoint of someone like hasbro, that traditionally maintains that female action figures don't sell to boys. I think there are very valid story reasons for this, which I applaud, and there are economic realities as well. A female protagonist is not an obstacle to the YA run of films recently (Hunger Games) and that's a fan base that SW does not currently cater to. SW would be insulated against any kind of fan boy resistance to a girl hero, but it does better by expanding its horizons. I'm all for it.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on November 6, 2013, 03:49 PM
I think of it as a concern as well...  Had the same thought you did, Scott.

I think they may try to balance the female and male heroes more than say Luke Han and Leia had any kind of "balance".  By that series ending Luke was the main to most kids I think...  Han was the only one close as far as heroes go.  I think this series will see a little more balance between characters if they're going with a female lead because I can't help but think they've had the same thoughts.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scockery on November 7, 2013, 06:15 PM
Now has a December 18, 2015 release date. Unthinkable!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Darby on November 7, 2013, 06:18 PM
A real surprise. I was expecting it to slip to 2016. The main reason is not so much the time for the film but Disney's economic pressures. Releasing the movie in May allows for a major media push which then extends to the DVD release right at the holidays. Releasing the film in December only catches half of that. Of course you get the DVD, but it's outside the holiday shopping season, and with all the talk and concern with money... still it's great to see an actual date finally, and I am looking forward to standing in line. In the cold.  :-\
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Diddly on November 8, 2013, 03:41 AM
I'm glad they're pushing it away from what is already a crowded Summer 2015, but I mean... May 4, 2016 would have been PERFECT from a marketing standpoint. Oh well. Early start to Christmas Break that year.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Qui-Gon Jim on November 8, 2013, 08:23 AM
Ill go on record now...  This will slip to May 2016. 
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jabba the Slug on November 18, 2013, 03:12 PM
It's really funny and kinda/sorta irrelevant to this topic, but I wrote an analysis paper on how I believed Disney was more about milking out the profits from merchandising Star Wars than putting in any effort into actual creative material… and then hearing about Lucasfilm's struggle to try to get the film out later and Disney saying no because it would make for profitable summer AND holiday merchandising sales for them kinda proved my entire paper right.

That being said, I'm glad it's been pushed back to December. Definitely not liking that a Star Wars film is being released in December and not May, but, hey, I'll take it. Gives them 6 more months to make something more quality - with Star Wars films having gone away so long and now this one coming back basically from the dead, this entire Lucasfilm buyout would be a laughing stock for years to come and Star Wars as a rebooted franchise would be dead in the water if Episode VII was a flop.   
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on November 18, 2013, 09:35 PM
Any worries anyone had about the quality level they're going for here should be entirely put to bed with Kathleen Kennedy, JJ Abrams, and Lawrence Kasdan in charge.

Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on January 12, 2014, 09:54 AM
File this under Casting Rumors (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/star-wars-rumors-who-is-669997), because there are some significant actors under consideration for Episode VII roles:


'Star Wars' Rumors: Who Is J.J. Abrams Eyeing for 'Episode VII'?

 6:14 PM PST 1/11/2014 by Borys Kit

Michael Fassbender, Adam Driver and Hugo Weaving are among the many actors to catch director J.J. Abrams eye – while sources indicate Luke, Leia and Han will have larger roles in the film than originally thought.

The Star Wars: Episode VII casting speculation game continues – and The Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision has a few names to add to the mix: Michael Fassbender, Girls star Adam Driver and Hugo Weaving.

Never has a project attracted so much ink about meetings, but such is the passionate interest in Star Wars.  Last fall, every few weeks there was a breathless reveal of a meeting, with names such as Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael B. Jordan, Jack O’Connell, Alex Pettyfer, Saoirse Ronan and Sullivan Stapleton coming up. And those are only the names that leaked out.

With all the actors being tossed around – including a report this week that Breaking Bad's Jesse Plemons was meeting with director J.J. Abrams about a role – Heat Vision thought it was time to check in on Star Wars in general.

Sources confirm Plemons is on the list to chat with Abrams for Episode VII (and possibly the entire trilogy), with a meeting set to take place this week. But he is only one of a long string of actors on Abrams' meeting list.

As usual, Disney and Lucasfilm are declining to comment, as are the agencies of the respective actors.

PHOTOS: 'Star Wars' Actors: Then and Now

The project has changed significantly since Oscar winner Michael Arndt split as writer on Episode VII in the fall, with duties taken up by Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan, who co-wrote Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark.

According to multiple insiders, the reason for the parting of ways was not due to a timeframe issue, as has been reported, but rather due to a difference in opinion of which characters to emphasize.

Arndt is said to have focused on the offspring of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), with the original trilogy heroes taking on supporting roles. Abrams, however, wanted Episode VII to focus on the classic trio of characters, so audiences could have one more chance to enjoy them before a fitting send-off. The new characters, the offspring, will now be in supporting roles, according to these sources, and take center stage in Episode VIII and IX. Some characters have disappeared from the Arndt script and new ones are being drafted.

Star Wars creator George Lucas, who directed the 1977 original and each of the most recent trilogy, was also involved in the debate, according to insiders. But Lucas, who sold his Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012, acquiesced to Abrams and producer Kathleen Kennedy, who now runs Lucasfilm.

So with Abrams and Kasdan now overhauling the script, that means many of the actors who had met and auditioned have been nixed for various reasons. For example, one actor who met with Abrams in the fall before the overhaul was Mud breakout star Tye Sheridan. But sources say that at this stage, there is no need for such young actors and thus Sheridan will not be involved. In another case, one part that was initially conceived as a 20-year old male is now being rewritten to be a 40-year old.

PHOTOS: The 'Star Wars' Universe: $20 Billion Worth of Toys, Rides, Books and Games

Abrams is, according to many sources, casting a wide, wide net and meeting with "everyone." Even those who have copped to a meeting, such as Ronan, say that.

Abrams has continued meeting with actors while the new script is taking shape. According to sources, he met with Fassbender in December. Girls star Driver is being eyed for a role.

While most names come with no identifying character, Hugo Weaving does. Weaving, according to two sources, met for a part to play an Imperial commander.

The latest bit to surface this week is that Abrams and Lucasfilm are now searching for a 20-something female actress who is either of mixed race or black. The rumor is that Obi-Wan Kenobi had a daughter or granddaughter.

Star Wars: Episode VII hits theaters Dec. 18, 2015.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on January 12, 2014, 01:40 PM
Fassbender - check!
Weaving - check check!
Plemons - mmmm, not so much

I don't want Luke's son to be a creepy neo-Nazi, and let's face it, that's what 99% of us are going to think coming off that chilling performance in Breaking Bad. Nothing against the guy, just need some more distance from that role.

What happened with John Noble? Sleepy Hollow can't be keeping him THAT busy.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on January 12, 2014, 07:24 PM
Hugo Weaving seems like he would be PERFECT as an Imperial commander of some sort.  Just the way he carried himself as Schmidt in Captain America had that sort of arrogance that I think you could associate with a high ranking Imperial officer.  A little over the top, but he definitely could have hung in a scene with someone like Peter Cushing. 

Michael Fassbender seems like he could go either way.  I think he's got the range to play either an Imperial or a new generation of Jedi Knight.

There's also word that Benedict Cumberbatch has been lobbying for a role, too.  I think he'd be fantastic as an Imperial as well.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jabba the Slug on January 14, 2014, 12:50 AM
The latest bit to surface this week is that Abrams and Lucasfilm are now searching for a 20-something female actress who is either of mixed race or black. The rumor is that Obi-Wan Kenobi had a daughter or granddaughter.

PLOT TWIST, Duchess Satine from TCW and Obi had a love child. ;D

Jk, that'd be funny, though. Gotta say I'm loving all these bits and pieces of news we're getting.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on January 14, 2014, 12:34 PM
PLEASE don't give Obi-Wan a kid.  That's so so so out of character with the OT Kenobi.  >:(
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on January 14, 2014, 03:42 PM
PLEASE don't give Obi-Wan a kid.  That's so so so out of character with the OT Kenobi.  >:(

I agree.  If Obi-Wan has a kid then it takes away from Anakin's attachment to Padme and kid that led to his downfall.  I guess if he did have some affair, then I suppose they might say that Obi-Wan 'knew' about it (he seemed to suspect something between them) and didn't say anything to the Council since he went through the same thing.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Darby on January 14, 2014, 08:43 PM
It goes against the PT Obi, who was resolutely chaste, but not the OT one, who is suggested to be something more like the maverick we got in Qui-Gon. I personally wouldn't mind this. It would humanize him a little (Satine did, which was why she was a great addition to the overall story).
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on January 14, 2014, 08:53 PM
I could see what Steve was saying though...  He suspects all along about Ani/Padme, and doesn't say anything because he went that route but ultimately maybe shunned it (and the child)...  Possibly the mother was accepting of that, and he lost contact with his child because of it. 

OWK's a terribly flawed character when you think about it though.  This would/could just be another level of that.

I'd not be against it really depending what the child's role was ultimately.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Muftak on January 14, 2014, 08:58 PM
Why would they need "a 20-something female actress who is either of mixed race or black" to play Ben's daughter/granddaughter? Could the rumor be in place to throw folks off of the more obvious Lando's daughter or more controversial Mace Windu's progeny?  ???
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on January 14, 2014, 10:25 PM
It goes against the PT Obi, who was resolutely chaste, but not the OT one, who is suggested to be something more like the maverick we got in Qui-Gon. I personally wouldn't mind this. It would humanize him a little (Satine did, which was why she was a great addition to the overall story).

In what way is Obi-Wan a maverick?  He seems to be living a very modest, quiet life, watching over Luke from afar just as he set out to do since the twins' birth.  I always took it that he was serving some kind of self-appointed penance for Anakin's fall, living in isolation all those years on Tatooine.  To suggest that he found time for a relationship at some point would mean he abandoned that post for a considerable amount of time - unless he found someone to live with him in his little hovel I suppose.  I certainly can't see Obi as the type to have a one night stand.  Just feels very out of character to me.

As for Satine, I thought that plot point as intended to demonstrate Ob-Wan's restraint and determination to put the Jedi order ahead of his personal wants and feelings in contrast to Anakin's more self-serving behavior.  If he had a relationship with Satine and knows what Anakin is going through with Padme, but never discusses it with Anakin, then he's probably one of the worst mentors of all time.  That again seems out of character for Obi-Wan to hold back an experience that could help guide Anakin.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Pete_Fett on January 14, 2014, 10:56 PM
Not saying that I would welcome the addition, but Obi-wan siring a child during the years of isolation on Tatooine would be a great way to have a flashback scene with Ewan McGregor reprising his role one last time.

I'd welcome the addition for that scene alone.

While I hope it is heavy on the OT influences, they would be foolish not to bring in ties to the PT, for the kids who grew up with the PT.

Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on January 14, 2014, 11:40 PM
Obi-Wan Kenobi having a child can POSSIBLY work.  I think it would have to be from his time on Tatooine.  He may have chided Anakin about attachment in Attack Of The Clones, but his views on attachment may have changed following the events of Revenge Of The Sith.  Obi-Wan failed Anakin, his student and his friend.  And then he had to do the unthinkable, believing that he had mortally wounded his friend and then watched him burn.  Obi-Wan may have been strong, but that kind of failure had to rock him to the core.  And that, along with the destruction of the Jedi Order, very likely made him question a lot of things in his own life.  He also went on to train Luke, despite him knowing all about Anakin turning to the Dark Side.

Obi-Wan is FAR from a perfect character.  And his history following the events of Episode III makes the possibility that he fathered a child at least... plausible.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on January 14, 2014, 11:45 PM
I'd say there's no clear definition of OWK's personality being prim and proper, or a bit of a maverick, in the PT...  The OT, he's tough to gauge, and what happens between is left to go yet, but I got the feeling from his E1 final scenes that he was a little Qui-Gon-ish in behavior...  Yoda even references it as something he doesn't think Obi needs.

In ROTS he confides information in Anakin that maybe the Council didn't want explicitly said to Ani...  At least I got the impression that was the case.  The whole, "We want you to spy on Palps" bit.  He reacted to Anakin by basically telling him he agreed with him on the matter, but it was what the council ultimately wanted...  It almost seemed to me like Obi caved and just told Anakin the whole thing rather than try manipulating the situation.  Bad move ultimately.

Certainly doesn't make him off the wall crazy or anything though.

I could see the mixed-race 20-something being an unknown offspring of Mace too, and considering Windu's ultimate popularity from the PT, he'd be one of few things I think most fans wouldn't mind seeing making an appearance.  Lando makes sense too since barely anything's even mentioned about him.  He doesn't seem to have even been asked to be back on board for this which is kind of insulting.  He's maybe not AS important as the other 3, or even Chewie and the droids, but he's still someone I feel should make the cut.  Plus Williams doesn't look bad for his age.  He could do it I think.

I wonder if Jeremy Bulloch works his way in again?  Or Warwick Davis?

Anyway, I'm still just on this roller coaster hoping it's good and not really caring if it isn't great.  TPM has soured me on expectations.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on January 15, 2014, 04:28 AM
I thought of another reason why Obi-Wan may have sired a child but that was dashed by Yoda's saying that 'there is another (hope)' in reference to Leia.  I always meant that to mean that after Obi-Wan and Yoda, only Luke and Leia were left.  You could think that they (Ben and Yoda) thought that the twins were the only once who could destroy Vader, but in the end only what about the Emperor? 
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scott on January 15, 2014, 09:24 AM
You know...I just thought of something and I had never thought of it before.

Part of the reason Anakin failed as a Jedi is that he started to train as a Jedi way older than a normal Jedi would.  What exactly changed in Yoda and Obi-Wan's belief system that they thought that waiting to train Luke and/or Leia until they were in their late teens was a better idea?  Its just another point that makes kid Anakin so stupid and unnecessary.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Muftak on January 15, 2014, 02:18 PM
My take on that has been that ObiWan waited to train Luke in a bid to prove that Anakin's late training was not the cause of his fall...it was something about him personally. Basically if Luke became a successful Jedi, then Ben wouldn't have to feel like he created Vader anymore.

And Yoda did not want to train Luke. I take his ESB speech at face value on that. He only agreed after it became evident Luke was already on his way and was thus probably a bigger danger half-trained.

I imagine Yoda and Ben communing with Qui-Gon in the Force between ROTS and ANH and having serious debates about what to do with the twins. Yoda thought that hiding them saved them and so that was enough. Ben wanted to use them as weapons against the Emperor. Qui-Gon was probably playing the long game waiting for Anakin to fix everything, and nudging the other two as needed.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Darby on January 15, 2014, 02:19 PM
Obi Wan tells Luke he thought he could train Anakin as well as Yoda - a seriously maverick thing is an organization as rigid as the Jedi Order. Obi Wan affirms that he was once as reckless as Luke. The OT Obi Wan gives the impression he was more against the grain than we ultimately see in the PT. In the PT, you have a young, overmatched knight forced into completing the dying wish of his former master. He doesn't make a conscious choice to train a peer, complicated by the fact that others have pointed out that Anakin's age in TPM is a mistake. Obi Wan becomes even more hard line as the PT goes on, with the exception of the CW, where we finally see his non-Jedi side and history. Even then he denies it. I love a lot of the points in the comments, I think there is a way to make this work, and make it interesting. Obi Wan is a character rife with contradictions and I can see him fathering a child, or entering a relationship, or both, in the aftermath of Vader and the Purge. Obi-Wan lived a lot of life between III and IV and I doubt all of it was spent in his hovel.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on January 15, 2014, 03:57 PM
He's still human...  I can see him looking for something.  That is slightly selfish to the exile and wait concept though.  It could've put Luke in jeopardy if he's off slutting it up.  It'd have to be handled delicately.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on January 15, 2014, 04:23 PM
Well, maybe Obi-Wan finds solace at the Cantina, after 'witnessing' through the Force (and holocam) the slaughter of his brotherhood... everything he's ever known in his life after being taken away as a child.  There, at the Cantina, he meets some lady and in his moment of weakness takes her back to his place to show her the '7 Disciplines of 'Lightsaber' fighting'.  In his drunken stupor trying to impress her (he shows her how to correctly hold the lightsaber), they tumble into bed... (camera pans away)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jeff on January 15, 2014, 05:00 PM
I'll guess it's actually Ahsoka's kid.  Or maybe it's both?  Obi-Wan + Ahsoka = Ahso Kenobi

Nailed it.  #creepyoldben #yeahhehitit

Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on January 15, 2014, 05:19 PM
Here's a thought ... maybe the "20-something female actress who is either of mixed race or black" IS Ahsoka?   :o 

I like Scott's comments on Obi-Wan "waiting to train" Luke.  What exactly was the plan?  I hadn't considered it before, but was Obi-Wan really waiting around to train Luke or was he just watching over him?  If Ben planned to train him, you'd think he would have started sooner - certainly that's what Yoda would have preferred.  If they really thought Luke (or Leia) had a chance of defeating Vader or the Emperor, then why not start sooner?  Heck, Yoda could have taken either of the twins with him to Dagobah to start training after birth.

My take was that Obi-Wan was merely sent to Tatooine with Luke to watch over him.  They (Obi and Yoda) didn't have any plans to stop the Empire - probably feeling defeated and that they would leave it to the rebellion at that point.  There's no evidence that they were planning to do anything to stop the Empire, including training Luke or Leia.  If they did, why not start sooner?  Why not stay in contact with the rebellion?   Luke was hoping to zip off to the academy and wouldn't have even run into Ben had his uncle let him go. 

I think the "plan" was simply to keep the children away from Vader to protect them and let the rebellion run it's course.  When Luke encounters Ben, he then changes his plan and decides to train Luke.  Maybe he could sense the rebellion faltering at that point or sensed the death of Beru & Owen, knowing Luke would need some direction in his life.  Maybe it was just the force calling out to him or off screen guidance from Qui Gon when the opportunity to shepherd Luke presented itself, but I don't think Obi's plan was to sit back all those years, then jump into the training when Luke reached a certain age.

Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on January 15, 2014, 09:55 PM
Wouldn't ahsoka by this point be over 25 years older than the say 15-18 she is in The Clone Wars?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt_Fury on January 16, 2014, 12:04 AM
Perhaps instead of Obi-Wan's granddaughter, it's a niece/grand-niece?

He could've had a brother who wasn't a Jedi yet the gene was passed on.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: EdSolo on January 16, 2014, 06:51 AM
Wouldn't ahsoka by this point be over 25 years older than the say 15-18 she is in The Clone Wars?

It all depends when they set the movie, but in ANH Ashoka would be ~35 years old.  I would think that Episode VII would be at least 20 years beyond that, so Ashoka would be 50+ by then.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on January 16, 2014, 09:22 AM
Maybe Twiks age slower than humans. She could be 50 but look 30.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: EdSolo on January 16, 2014, 10:20 AM
She is actually a togruta and not a twilek.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: I Am Sith on January 20, 2014, 10:10 AM
Abrams confirms the EP7 script is done:

http://movies.yahoo.com/news/j-j--abrams-says--star-wars-episode-vii--script-done--confirms-jesse-plemons-talks-212350048.html
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on January 20, 2014, 04:13 PM
Maybe Twiks age slower than humans. She could be 50 but look 30.

Exactly.  If Yoda's race lives to be 900, there's clearly a wide range in how different aliens age.  Probably just me, but I'd much rather see live action Ahsoka than Obi-Wan's illegitimate love child.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on January 20, 2014, 11:30 PM
I still don't see how this makes it out in 2015...hope I am wrong, but I bet anything that gets pushed back.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Diddly on January 21, 2014, 07:22 AM
Well, the script is done, and I read that shooting begins in May. Shooting will probably wrap up in August/September, and that leaves around 15 months to do all of the special effects and reshoots and such.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Qui-Gon Jim on January 21, 2014, 11:40 AM
I still don't see how this makes it out in 2015...hope I am wrong, but I bet anything that gets pushed back.
I'm with you.  This gets pushed back to May 2016, which should have been the date in the first place.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on January 22, 2014, 09:19 AM
Remember when Lucas use to take three years to make a one movie?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: jedipurge on January 22, 2014, 01:06 PM
Here's a thought ... maybe the "20-something female actress who is either of mixed race or black" IS Ahsoka?   :o 

I like Scott's comments on Obi-Wan "waiting to train" Luke.  What exactly was the plan?  I hadn't considered it before, but was Obi-Wan really waiting around to train Luke or was he just watching over him?  If Ben planned to train him, you'd think he would have started sooner - certainly that's what Yoda would have preferred.  If they really thought Luke (or Leia) had a chance of defeating Vader or the Emperor, then why not start sooner?  Heck, Yoda could have taken either of the twins with him to Dagobah to start training after birth.

My take was that Obi-Wan was merely sent to Tatooine with Luke to watch over him.  They (Obi and Yoda) didn't have any plans to stop the Empire - probably feeling defeated and that they would leave it to the rebellion at that point.  There's no evidence that they were planning to do anything to stop the Empire, including training Luke or Leia.  If they did, why not start sooner?  Why not stay in contact with the rebellion?   Luke was hoping to zip off to the academy and wouldn't have even run into Ben had his uncle let him go. 

I think the "plan" was simply to keep the children away from Vader to protect them and let the rebellion run it's course.  When Luke encounters Ben, he then changes his plan and decides to train Luke.  Maybe he could sense the rebellion faltering at that point or sensed the death of Beru & Owen, knowing Luke would need some direction in his life.  Maybe it was just the force calling out to him or off screen guidance from Qui Gon when the opportunity to shepherd Luke presented itself, but I don't think Obi's plan was to sit back all those years, then jump into the training when Luke reached a certain age.


Personally I think think Yoda/Obi/Jinn basically was leaving it up to the Force to let them know when the time was right to start training. Basically sitting back and waiting till the opportunity came to them and not them taking it upon themselves. Logically it'd seem wiser to start training both of them sooner rather then later, cuz there is a LOT of what if's. Like Luke dying in Empire or falling to the darkside leaving only 1 untrained Leia, and Yoda already at deaths door step cuz of old age and Obi as force ghost. Be pretty hard to start from scratch. Seems like too much risk but thats why i think they're relying on something BIGGER then just themselves to determine what to do. I think that obi/yoda open up  themselves to a bigger part of the force possibly with Jinn's help.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on January 22, 2014, 03:20 PM
Mark Hamill, who is *PROBABLY* reprising his role as Luke Skywalker in Episode VII, will be conducting a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" session (http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/) starting at 4 PM Eastern time.  I imagine the Episode VII questions will be bountiful.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scott on January 22, 2014, 04:13 PM
Fisher spills the beans (again)? (http://www.tvguide.com/News/Carrie-Fisher-Legit-Big-Bang-Theory-1076365.aspx)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jeff on February 11, 2014, 10:19 AM
Ep 7 will start shooting in May, continue through September.  Most principle casting complete (http://www.hitfix.com/motion-captured/confirmed-complete-star-wars-episode-vii-shooting-dates-revealed)


When will they finally start letting cats out of the bag on cast/title?   ???
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on February 11, 2014, 05:57 PM
With how close this is to the Oldman news I wonder if he's not locked in?  Be neat.  Good actor for sure.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: I Am Sith on February 26, 2014, 07:30 PM
Fist Baddie for EP7?!

http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-news/inside-llewyn-davis-co-star-adam-driver-nearing-213716955.html
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on February 26, 2014, 09:14 PM
Fist Baddie for EP7?!

http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-news/inside-llewyn-davis-co-star-adam-driver-nearing-213716955.html

The same story ran in Variety, too.  The Variety piece went on to say that Michael Fassbender and Hugo Weaving had also been under consideration for a villain role as well.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Qui-Gon Jim on February 27, 2014, 10:28 AM
Fist Baddie for EP7?!

http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-news/inside-llewyn-davis-co-star-adam-driver-nearing-213716955.html
Boy is Lena Dunham a douche.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on February 27, 2014, 12:03 PM
Boy is Lena Dunham a douche.

To answer your question, yes!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Diddly on February 28, 2014, 01:01 AM
Welp, looks like I'm already viewing this movie in a negative light. I've only seen one episode of Girls and it was quite possibly the most painful 30 minutes of my life. The dirt worst of shows.

Hopefully by "villain" they mean this guy is playing Stormtrooper #4 or something.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on February 28, 2014, 09:03 AM
Welp, looks like I'm already viewing this movie in a negative light. I've only seen one episode of Girls and it was quite possibly the most painful 30 minutes of my life. The dirt worst of shows.

Hopefully by "villain" they mean this guy is playing Stormtrooper #4 or something.

Agree 100%...hate the show, hate the character, hate the guy. A lightsaber to the face would be an improvement.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: I Am Sith on February 28, 2014, 02:24 PM
At least when this guy comes on the screen he'll be loathed by all based on his body of work.  Thankfully he's not going to be cast on the good side.  We can wish he would die from the second he's introduced!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on February 28, 2014, 10:02 PM
Fist Baddie for EP7?!

http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-news/inside-llewyn-davis-co-star-adam-driver-nearing-213716955.html
Boy is Lena Dunham a douche.

Lena Dunham is too young to appreciate/understand Star Wars.  I'm not going to fault her for that.  It's just not her thing.

As for Adam Driver?  I think he plays his character well on Girls, although I wouldn't say I'm a fan of the series.  His character has been written to be somewhat unlikeable on that show.  Although I think he was alright in Inside Llewyn Davis.  In interviews he seems like a very different guy from the characters he's portrayed.

Anyhow, the leak about his casting seems like it's probably come from his agent rather than the studio.  With that in mind I don't know if this is a done deal. 
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Pete_Fett on March 2, 2014, 10:07 AM
Lena Dunham is too young to appreciate/understand Star Wars.  I'm not going to fault her for that.  It's just not her thing.

According to Wikipedia, Lena Dunham is 28 years old this May.

When Episode 1 came out, she was 13.

Whatever you want to say about the prequel trilogy, kids who were 5-15 when EP1 came out, SAW it.

This is nothing more than an actress/"writer" who thinks her s**t doesn't stink, acting like she is "above" Star Wars - nothing more, nothing less.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on March 2, 2014, 10:18 AM
Defensive much? 

As much as we, the fans who take part in discussions on a Star Wars collecting website, are into Star Wars... NEWS FLASH!  Not the rest of the world is.

I can't help but think of what a complete and utter waste of time it is to give a flying **** what Lena Dunham of all people thinks about Star Wars.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Pete_Fett on March 2, 2014, 12:38 PM
Defensive much? 

As much as we, the fans who take part in discussions on a Star Wars collecting website, are into Star Wars... NEWS FLASH!  Not the rest of the world is.

I can't help but think of what a complete and utter waste of time it is to give a flying **** what Lena Dunham of all people thinks about Star Wars.

If you think it was a waste of time, why did you give a flying **** and defend her?

I'm not the first person on this thread to express a strong dislike for her or her show.

Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on March 2, 2014, 02:03 PM
Girls sucks to me like I'd say Star Wars sucks (in theory) to her.  I've met a lot of women who never saw Star Wars at all do I'm not shocked really.  Her show gets lots of praise so I assume it's just not my cup of tea is all.  Plus call me a pig on this but she's naked in it often and that's something I'm not into witnessing.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Greg on March 2, 2014, 02:38 PM
Girls sucks to me like I'd say Star Wars sucks (in theory) to her.  I've met a lot of women who never saw Star Wars at all do I'm not shocked really.  Her show gets lots of praise so I assume it's just not my cup of tea is all.  Plus call me a pig on this but she's naked in it often and that's something I'm not into witnessing.

I have seen a few episodes of Girls, and like you didn't really care for it. I don't think I'm the target audience though. Anyway, I am curious to see Lena's performance in Episode 7. It should be interesting to say the least.

Wait, she was the one who got cast, right?  :P
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on March 2, 2014, 04:25 PM
Girls sucks to me like I'd say Star Wars sucks (in theory) to her.  I've met a lot of women who never saw Star Wars at all do I'm not shocked really.  Her show gets lots of praise so I assume it's just not my cup of tea is all.  Plus call me a pig on this but she's naked in it often and that's something I'm not into witnessing.

I have seen a few episodes of Girls, and like you didn't really care for it. I don't think I'm the target audience though. Anyway, I am curious to see Lena's performance in Episode 7. It should be interesting to say the least.

Wait, she was the one who got cast, right?  :P

Wait....  so Lena Dunham WASN'T CAST as Leia's Brooklyn dwellling hipster/slacker/ne're-do-well daughter?

It's about RELAVENCE.  And CONTEXT.  If JJ Abrams or Larry Kasdan were making comments like those in her tweet, I might care.  But since Lena Dunham has NOTHING to do with the production of Episode VII, I take her comments for what they are:  MEANINGLESS.

People spend an awful lot of time getting bent out of shape over things that mean absolutely ******* nothing.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on March 2, 2014, 05:38 PM
Didn't she say she's never seen the Star Wars movies before?  BFD is what I say.  She might not be into that kind of thing... but if her co-star is cast and she's happy about it, then great... it even sounds like she might watch the other 6 movies to know the story when she watches E7.  Maybe she'll be come a fan, maybe not, but it sounds like she'll give them a try.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on March 2, 2014, 07:27 PM
Yeah I tried to watch it because I like hbo shows and try to check them out but it was just not my thing.  I'm sure others love it.  Oh well.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on March 2, 2014, 08:29 PM
Yeah I tried to watch it because I like hbo shows and try to check them out but it was just not my thing.  I'm sure others love it.  Oh well.

I did too.  HBO's got such a great track record with their original series.  But I think Girls is just geared towards this Millenial audience that I simply don't identify with.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on March 3, 2014, 12:51 AM
I couldn't get into True Blood either...  I didn't like Breaking Bad on AMC but I love TWD.  It's just a matter of taste.

I don't find the girl annoying but I also don't know much about her, or the guy tasked to play this villain...  I'm still fine with whatever with this trilogy or other new movies at this point.

My mind's clean of guessing/hoping here.  If it sucks, I have the original 3 and ROTS to fall back on.  It may be awesome, who knows. 
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jeff on March 4, 2014, 10:02 AM
Hmmm...  looks like Disney has set their master plan in motion by adding Lando Calrissian to the next season of Dancing with the Stars (http://gma.yahoo.com/dancing-with-the-stars-2014-season-18-celebrity-cast-announced-225318586.html).  That's one way to get the OT actors back in shape and back in the spotlight again. :P
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on March 4, 2014, 10:40 AM
I'll vote for him every week!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on March 4, 2014, 03:03 PM
Gotta work off all that Colt .45
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jeff on March 18, 2014, 03:12 PM
StarWars.com -> Episode VII Set to Roll Cameras May 2014 (http://starwars.com/news/star-wars-episode-vii-set-to-roll-cameras-may-2014.html)

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It has also been confirmed that Star Wars: Episode VII is set about 30 years after the events of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, and will star a trio of new young leads along with some very familiar faces. No further details on casting or plot are available at this time.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on March 18, 2014, 04:10 PM
30 years, eh?  Nice knowing you Han.   :(
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on March 18, 2014, 04:58 PM
30 years, eh?  Nice knowing you Han.   :(

Figuring a hero dies in the first movie of each trilogy (Ben, Qui-Gon), you might be right.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on March 18, 2014, 05:29 PM
IMDB now has actor Adam Driver list on the Episode VII cast as RUMORED.  Also listed as RUMORED cast are...

-Harrison Ford
-Carrie Fisher
-Mark Hamill
-Billy Dee Williams
-Anthony Daniels

And that's all at this time.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on March 19, 2014, 01:24 AM
BDW isn't looking so hot on Dancing with the Stars...  Was kinda hoping he'd get in shape from the show for the movie, but, uh, no.  :-\
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on March 19, 2014, 04:38 AM
I saw him at a Con appearance 2 or 3 years ago.  Maybe longer.  And even then he wasn't looking that great.  If you look tired signing autographs, how are you going to handle a film shoot?  Or Dancing with the stars, for that matter?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on March 19, 2014, 09:16 AM
Yeah, that was painful to watch...I literally was worried he was going to keel over right there on stage. Who thought that was a good idea?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on March 19, 2014, 10:22 AM
His agent.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on March 19, 2014, 02:04 PM
His agent.

Disney.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on March 19, 2014, 05:07 PM
BDW isn't looking so hot on Dancing with the Stars...  Was kinda hoping he'd get in shape from the show for the movie, but, uh, no.  :-\

I mean, the guy's close to 80.  What does anyone really expect?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on March 19, 2014, 08:27 PM
I don't know what I expected I guess, and maybe I should've taken the time to google his age and figure out why he looked so bad...  Google is useful.

I guess I kind of expected what I'd heard about Fisher, Hammil, and Ford (already basically in shape enough I guess) "getting in shape" for the next film...  Then again I hadn't heard that BDW was even being brought back except one mention here just recently...  DWTS seemed to reinforce to me that maybe he isn't being asked back. 

I met Williams just a year or so ago, didn't seem this bad, but yeah, I don't know what he'd do in SW at this point.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on March 19, 2014, 10:42 PM
I met Williams just a year or so ago, didn't seem this bad, but yeah, I don't know what he'd do in SW at this point.

I'm guessing Lando and Han are generals...   They're not running around corridors, they're in meetings... at the helms of ships.  They're your Ackbar for the next films.

Speaking of which, **** I hope Admiral Ackbar shows up in them.  That would make me very happy.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on April 1, 2014, 01:42 PM
Could Peter Mayhew be reprising his role as Chewbacca?  Check out this Jedi Insider posting (http://jediinsider.com/index.php?catid=243&itemid=15285), because Peter's clearing his convention appearance calender.



In other news, three more young actors have been added to the rumored cast list for Episode VII on IMDB (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2488496/?ref_=nv_sr_1).  They include:

Ed Speleers - Eragon, A Lonely Place To Die
John Boyega - Attack The Block
Matthew James Thomas - Billy Elliot, About A Boy


No mention of the previously rumored Jesse Plemons, who some thought might be in the running to play the son of Luke Skywalker.  It looks as though that might be the role filled by Ed Speleers.


Speaking of which, **** I hope Admiral Ackbar shows up in them.  That would make me very happy.

I DEFINITELY would like to see Ackbar return.

Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on April 1, 2014, 09:24 PM
That kid from Attack the Block would actually be pretty dope, that movie ruled.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt on April 17, 2014, 11:57 AM
No updates about AT-ATs on Tatooine, or Ben catching a little jungle fever in the desert?

This thread is slacking.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on April 17, 2014, 02:11 PM
Im not liking the Ben thing if true, I think if he had had a child with anyone it would have been Satine. But more to the point, it just changes his character significantly I feel like. He was always the classic warrior monk, live-by-the-code type guy. I also don't like the idea that he would have abandoned his kid, or even been oblivious about her. Plus how does that fit in the whole timeline? Would have had to have been on Tattooine right?

They should have just made her Lando's daughter and made things simpler.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Darby on April 17, 2014, 08:42 PM
Most of Obi-Wan's life is unaccounted for. The only reason for them to introduce a character like this is to explain where they came from, which suggests (if any of this is true) we'll see Ewan McGregor again as Obi-Wan, likely in a stand alone movie set in the gap between ROTS and ANH. I'd be all for that. I'm also all for an Obi-Wan who is not a cardboard cut-out of himself as we've discussed I think here before. If he had a child, or grandchildren, I don't think that diminishes him in any way. It may compound the tragedy of Obi-Wan Kenobi - does he forego what we can only speculate would have been a chance at a normal life, to adhere to his vows, to his duty to Luke? Does he even know about any offspring? I guess we'll find out. If any of it is true.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on April 17, 2014, 08:54 PM
Obi-Wan having a family or children is an interesting prospect.  Some of the EU had him close with another padawan.  And we also saw the storyline between him and Satine in Clone Wars.  So there's some potential backstory there to show that Obi-Wan may have strayed from the monastic life of the Jedi. 

Another angle?  Obi-Wan was witness to Order 66, and knew that the Empire was hunting down the Jedi.  He was also aware of Anakin and Padme's relationship and that their children could be that potential new hope for the Jedi, or perhaps a new apprentice for the Sith.  With that in mind Obi-Wan may have wanted to make sure that a Force sensitive child might carry on his own legacy.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on April 17, 2014, 08:55 PM
Anyone see the Yahoo story with the set pieces? 

I like all the mass hysteria surrounding it, which could be pretty much anything but its shape has people assuming one thing in particular. :)  Craziness.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: I Am Sith on April 18, 2014, 12:32 AM
Just read it Jesse, thanks for pointing it out.  That tent seems awful small to film what they are saying, but who knows.  Knowing all the secrecy around this film, you don't think they would actually set up a fake location just to draw attention away from actual location shoots do you?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on April 18, 2014, 01:02 AM
Eh, with this thing, anything is possible...  I don't think it's what they think it is, but whatever...  The stories about this are really lame though.  "Hey, I think that round thing may be a new ship!  Or just a thing, that sits there, in the background...  and stuff".

It's kind of funny.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on April 18, 2014, 01:16 AM
Obi-Wan having a family or children is an interesting prospect.  Some of the EU had him close with another padawan.  And we also saw the storyline between him and Satine in Clone Wars.  So there's some potential backstory there to show that Obi-Wan may have strayed from the monastic life of the Jedi. 

Another angle?  Obi-Wan was witness to Order 66, and knew that the Empire was hunting down the Jedi.  He was also aware of Anakin and Padme's relationship and that their children could be that potential new hope for the Jedi, or perhaps a new apprentice for the Sith.  With that in mind Obi-Wan may have wanted to make sure that a Force sensitive child might carry on his own legacy.

So if Obi-Wan does have a kid and she is force sensitive, what's with the dialogue between Obi and Yoda in Empire basically stating Luke or another (Leia) are their only hope?  I'd think mini-Obi might have factored into that conversation.  I just don't see the need to tread down that pre-original-trilogy path.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on April 18, 2014, 08:22 AM
So if Obi-Wan does have a kid and she is force sensitive, what's with the dialogue between Obi and Yoda in Empire basically stating Luke or another (Leia) are their only hope? 

Yeah, I can see that being a problem... But from a different angle, even if the kid is force-sensitive, perhaps Luke and Leia are the only hope for balancing the force.  They are Anakin's offspring so maybe the love of a father for his children and vice-versa (yeah, after maiming one and torturing the other) can win Vader over.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on April 18, 2014, 08:23 AM
So if Obi-Wan does have a kid and she is force sensitive, what's with the dialogue between Obi and Yoda in Empire basically stating Luke or another (Leia) are their only hope? 

Yeah, I can see that being a problem for some fans (and if it happens, we'll have to see how that works out)... But from a different angle, even if the kid is force-sensitive, perhaps Luke and Leia are the only hope for balancing the force.  They are Anakin's offspring so maybe the love of a father for his children and vice-versa (yeah, after maiming one and torturing the other) can win Vader over.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Diddly on April 18, 2014, 01:57 PM
I wonder how many Bothans are going to sacrifice their careers (http://makingstarwars.net/2014/04/youll-never-work-in-this-town-again-bad-robot-abrams-confidentiality-letter-to-new-hires/) to bring us spoilers?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on April 18, 2014, 04:44 PM
"I want to take this opportunity to welcome you to what will inevitably be a lot of fun, but also provide a cautionary.  We take secrecy very serious at BR."

That's either fake, or an idiot wrote it and forged Abrams' signature.  Also, the idea that Abrams would threaten to personally destroy anyone's reputation in a form letter like that is absurd.  Sure, he or others might try to do that to people, but that part is either a joke, or again, fake.

I'm going with fake.

Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on April 18, 2014, 06:29 PM
So if Obi-Wan does have a kid and she is force sensitive, what's with the dialogue between Obi and Yoda in Empire basically stating Luke or another (Leia) are their only hope? 

Yeah, I can see that being a problem for some fans (and if it happens, we'll have to see how that works out)... But from a different angle, even if the kid is force-sensitive, perhaps Luke and Leia are the only hope for balancing the force.  They are Anakin's offspring so maybe the love of a father for his children and vice-versa (yeah, after maiming one and torturing the other) can win Vader over.

A few things come to mind about how this could be written around.  First, Obi-Wan may have been in a relationship but did not know about the existance of a child. 

Also, there's the possibility that Obi-Wan could have known about a child, but kept that information from Yoda.  Could he have been compartmentalizing that information for the purposes of protecting people?  Is it possible defiance on the part of Obi-Wan in the spirit of Qui-Gon?  Remember Yoda admonishing Obi-Wan in TPM:  "Qui-Gon's defiance I sense in you.  Need that you do not".
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on April 18, 2014, 09:05 PM
I wonder how many Bothans are going to sacrifice their careers (http://makingstarwars.net/2014/04/youll-never-work-in-this-town-again-bad-robot-abrams-confidentiality-letter-to-new-hires/) to bring us spoilers?

The site that ran this earlier (http://makingstarwars.net/2014/04/youll-never-work-in-this-town-again-bad-robot-abrams-confidentiality-letter-to-new-hires/) updated the original posting with the following:

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EDIT: Lucasfilm contacted Bad Robot and confirmed this memo is a forgery! Darkness is everywhere! Foul play is afoot!


I would expect anyone working for Bad Robot has signed an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) either upon being hired or for every individual project.  It's a standard business practice for many a media company.  Very likely everyone involved with Episode VII production has already signed an NDA, and that document would look radically different from the forgery on that site.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on April 19, 2014, 03:26 PM
I don't think Obi's child would be unknown to him once he's a spirit.  If he can find Luke on Hoth or Endor it would be silly for him to not know about his kid.  Its just not a good fit for his character or the existing story.  I hope they go another direction.  30 years after ROTJ would give us plenty of time for some cool Solo and Skywalker Jedi along with a number of others from other worlds. I don't see any need to tap into Obi-Wan genes.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt_Fury on April 19, 2014, 07:06 PM
If it's going to be a relative....I hope it's a child or grandchild of a sibling of Obi-Wan's.  It would make more sense and preserve the Obi-Wan character as we know him.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jeff on April 25, 2014, 02:11 PM
Today at StarWars.com -

"In order to give maximum creative freedom to the filmmakers and also preserve an element of surprise and discovery for the audience, Star Wars Episodes VII-IX will not tell the same story told in the post-Return of the Jedi Expanded Universe."


Nice to see that finally officially confirmed.  Back to speculating about the horrible idea of an Obi-Wan love child! :P

Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on April 25, 2014, 04:45 PM
Good.    Glad to see it confirmed.  Forcing the filmmakers to adhere to the post-ROTJ EU would be the equivalent of painting them into a story telling corner.  It was tough enough for George Lucas to make certain that he hit all the notes to set the stage in the prequels for the known backstory of the OT.  Expecting the Sequel Trilogy to do the same with stories that barely got George Lucas's attention would be a terrible thing to do.  It would kill any surprise that could come from these new movies.

In other more pertinent news, the budget for the movie has been roughly set at close to $200 million (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financevideo/10781269/Star-Wars-will-cost-175m-200m-to-make-says-Disneys-Alan-Horn.html).  And 2nd unit photography has begun in Abu Dhabi.  Casting announcements appear to be coming soon, but according to Horn, he wants to leave that announcement to the filmmakers.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on April 25, 2014, 05:15 PM
I like that they're trying to incorporate the little stuff...  Like SFS as a major player in the galaxy (along with KDY I assume), and things that are inconsequential to a degree but the kind of details I like.

I'm sure some post rotj EU will still fit.  I'm betting they'll rework some existing EU to fit too, or at least some characters.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Greg on April 25, 2014, 06:10 PM
I am excited to see how this new continuity lines-up across the movies, novels, comics, etc. I may be more encouraged to read a novel if it links directly to one of the movies.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on April 25, 2014, 10:38 PM
I'm personally disappointed by this move.  I always viewed Star Wars as a level better than other universes because of the work that went into maintaining the continuity across generations of stories.  I think they could have found several EU stories to adapt, and it would have still felt new for the masses.

This said, I plan to view this the same way I view walking dead.  There's an awesome comic universe and a cool alternate TV universe.  I like both and its equally cool to see the differences and parallels.  I will view post ROTJ the same way. 
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jeff on April 26, 2014, 12:01 AM
I did a little cleaning up in here...  let's keep the "RIP EU" talk in the Disney EU Clean-Up thread (http://www.jedidefender.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=23330) and leave this one for Episode 7 specific talk.  Thanks!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scott on April 28, 2014, 11:31 AM
http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/04/27/star-wars-clues-carrie-fisher-harrison-ford-mark-hamill-in-london-as-new-trilogy-is-set-to-begin/

Big 3 in London...I would guess that they announce the cast this Sunday.  Lots of hype leading up to May the 4th
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Greg on April 29, 2014, 01:07 PM
We have a cast!

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Actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker in the new film.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on April 29, 2014, 01:14 PM
Here's a link...

http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/04/29/star-wars-episode-vii-cast-announced
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on April 29, 2014, 01:26 PM
Max Von Sydow FTW!

Brilliant!


Edit: after reading through IMDB, I am pretty impressed with these choices, outside of Driver, who we are stuck with, so whatever.

Great pedigrees for Boyega (Attack the Block) and Gleeson (Deathly Hallows), don't know anything about Oscar or Daisy's prior work though.

Wonder if Serkis will be playing a live action role or some kind of CGI thing?

None of those actors is a young African American female either, so you have to wonder about all that Obi-Wan stuff.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on April 29, 2014, 01:58 PM
No Billy Dee... will we get a holo of him sitting on the Falcon's dash?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: EdSolo on April 29, 2014, 02:39 PM
I wonder about Lando as well.  Does this mean he is out, or is this the major character list and other minor characters are still forthcoming.  Maybe he will get a small part.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt on April 29, 2014, 02:45 PM
Tommy Lee Jones has been recast in that role. Announcement forthcoming.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Diddly on April 29, 2014, 02:51 PM
I have no idea who any of those people are outside of Serkis, so yay?

And maybe Adam Driver is actually a decent actor when not waist deep in **** written by Lena Dunham. Can't be any worse than Hayden as Anakin.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on April 29, 2014, 03:50 PM
Tommy Lee Jones has been recast in that role. Announcement forthcoming.

That would make sense:  the names are kind of similar.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on April 29, 2014, 03:59 PM
Jamie Lee Curtis is rumored to play his love-interest.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on April 29, 2014, 04:01 PM
Wow.  We actually have some young actors with decent acting chops.  Oscar Isaac was great in the recent Coen Brothers film, Inside Llewyn Davis.  He also worked with Adam Driver in that film.

Domnhall Gleason played Bill Weasley in the last 2 films in the Harry Potter series.  He was also in a recent film called About Time in a leading role.

Daisy Ridley is currently in a series called "Mr.Selfridge" that I've heard some good things about, but not much more than that.

Andy Serkis is a fantastic addition to the cast.  I have to wonder if he's been cast for an onscreen part, or if he's going to be playing a motion-capture character.  He's really excelled in that sort of role following all of his work with Peter Jackson on LOTR and King Kong, as well as his work in Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

I had been hoping to see either Hugo Weaving or Benedict Cumberbatch cast as some sort of Imperial.  But damn, Max Von Sydow?!?! He's got that classic sort of gravitas that actors like Sir Alec Guiness, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee brought to prior films.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on April 29, 2014, 04:51 PM
I thought it was Haley Joel Osment was taking over for Billy Dee Williams? 
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: name on April 29, 2014, 05:08 PM
(http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/afiii1prlog0gh2l01qq.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on April 29, 2014, 05:12 PM
so bright.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Darby on April 29, 2014, 08:44 PM
Andy Serkis is tremendous. Can't wait to see what part he plays. I assume its a mo cap part, but who knows. Very excited for all of this. Good choices all around.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: I Am Sith on April 29, 2014, 08:49 PM
I just hope that Abrams learned from EP1 and doesn't use Serkis to do a ****** character like Jar Jar.  I'd love to see him as the 'new' Ackbar done in mo cap instead of a mask.  Love his casting and Von Sydow's, however I think the guy is pushing 85, so if they plan on using him for the entire Trilogy they better film all his parts this year!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jeff on April 29, 2014, 09:09 PM
For some reason I'm less concerned with the actors in this thing and more concerned with the story.    After all, TPM had some actors I really loved and was excited about and well... look how that turned out. :P
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on April 29, 2014, 09:25 PM
Yippeeee!

Other than Serkis I don't know any of those new people.

Who was the redhaired dude from Harry Pothead?  Is that the redheaded kid from those movies, or no?  I never watched any of them.

I'm anxious to see anything from this...  I'm excited again.  I don't think I'm excited where any letdown will be met by denial (like, oh, say TPM did to me), but I'm excited where I really just want to see new Star Wars and want to like it, and if I don't like it I'll just ignore it and go back to liking the 4.5 movies I do like from the Saga.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on April 29, 2014, 09:32 PM
Who was the redhaired dude from Harry Pothead?  Is that the redheaded kid from those movies, or no?  I never watched any of them.
Well, you're probably thinking of Rupert Grint, the red-haired Ron Weasley.  This guy played Ron's oldest brother... Weasleys all have red hair.

That pic has definite lens-flare.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on April 29, 2014, 11:23 PM
Yeah, whoever the main character one was...  I really know nobody in that whole picture who wasn't involved in the original movies or who isn't JJ Abrams.  He looks like Itchy from Dick Tracy.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on April 30, 2014, 08:46 AM
Who was the redhaired dude from Harry Pothead?  Is that the redheaded kid from those movies, or no?  I never watched any of them.
Well, you're probably thinking of Rupert Grint, the red-haired Ron Weasley.  This guy played Ron's oldest brother... Weasleys all have red hair.

That pic has definite lens-flare.

It was a casting requirement for any Weasley in the Harry Potter films to be a Ginger, or at least look like one.

And speaking of Domnhall Gleason?  I know that there's been some rumors floating around about the child or Grandchild of Obi-Wan Kenobi floating around.  Seeing Domnhall Gleason's photo from his IMDB got some wheels spinning because of a very strong resemblance...

(http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMjA5MjI0MzY2MF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMzM3ODM3OA@@._V1_SX214_CR0,0,214,317_AL_.jpg)

(http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMjI4NTY2OTg4NF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDYwNTI4NA@@._V1__SX1541_SY740_.jpg)



And Max Von Sydow?  Looking at some recent pictures of him harkens back to another OT actor...

(http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTI3MDQzOTMwN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMDgyMjM1._V1_SY317_CR2,0,214,317_AL_.jpg)

(http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTY5NDg4NjI1Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDAyMTIyMw@@._V1__SX1541_SY740_.jpg)


The resemblances leave me thinking that both actors could be playing Kenobi's of some sort.

Now was it the lens flare, or was Max Von Sydow not present for the table read?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on April 30, 2014, 09:20 AM
Von Sydow is seated next  to Hamill. They are wearing the same shirt. You can't see Ford because of the trademark Abrams len flare. For the most part, the new kids have very little acting experience. I believe Gleason and Isaac are the only ones with some credits under their belts. Ridley has the least credits.

(http://www.trbimg.com/img-53602ff0/turbine/la-et-mn-star-wars-episode-vii-five-things-dai-001/600)
(http://www.moviemarkers.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/John+Boyega.jpg)
(http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/i/2013/03/12/Adam-Driver.jpg)
(http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2013/5/23/1369334523870/Oscar-Isaac-008.jpg)
(http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/pc/Domhnall+Gleeson+Time+Premieres+London+Part+xia3qNu6kjkl.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jayson on April 30, 2014, 09:29 AM
Von Sydow is seated next  to Hamill. They are wearing the same shirt. You can't see Ford because of the trademark Abrams len flare.

No, that's Anthony Daniels. Sydow wasn't there.

Quote
April 29th, Pinewood Studios, UK - Writer/Director/Producer J.J Abrams (top center right) at the cast read-through of Star Wars Episode VII at Pinewood Studios with (clockwise from right) Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, Producer Bryan Burk, Lucasfilm President and Producer Kathleen Kennedy, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Mark Hamill, Andy Serkis, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Adam Driver and Writer Lawrence Kasdan. Copyright and Photo Credit: David James.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on April 30, 2014, 10:28 AM
For some reason I'm less concerned with the actors in this thing and more concerned with the story.    After all, TPM had some actors I really loved and was excited about and well... look how that turned out. :P

Having lots of big known actors was *part of TPM's problem to me.  I like this formula better and it's very OT in style... actors with some credibility who aren't household names - followed by one incredibly established older actor who may not be as familiar to younger fans.

The other problem with the acting in TPM was George Lucas, plain and simple.  If you can't get a decent performance out of Sam Jackson, Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman... then you're not much of a director.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Brian on April 30, 2014, 10:47 AM
Didn't get a chance to post yesterday, but such exciting news.  I know there have been heavy rumors about the original cast returning, but seeing them all sitting there together is really cool.  It was sort of strange, seeing this yesterday it was sort of a "wow, this is really happening" sort of thing.  I know they are older and everything, but it will still be great - at least to me - to see Harrison, Mark, and Carrie (as well as Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker) all together again in a Star Wars movie.

As far as the new cast, honestly aside from Domhall Gleason and Andy Serkis, I don't know that I've seen them in much of anything, but that doesn't bother me.  I think it was pretty true of the original cast as well, and that turned out great.  Really curious to see who everyone is playing now, so I wonder how long we'll have to wait for more information there.  I'm wondering if maybe Daisy Ridley is playing Han/Leia's kiddo?  I know my daughter would be pretty psyched for that.  I know there are rumors for some of the other roles, but you just never know.  I mean, Andy Serkis?  That was out of nowhere too, it seems, but makes perfect sense.

After primarily following Marvel movie news the past few years, its great to be back in "Star Wars hype" mode again.  Hopefully we won't have to wait this long for another bit of news.  Looking forward to having all the speculative discussions like during the prequel days here on the forums.

(http://starwars.com/img/news/star-wars-episode-7-cast-announce.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scott on April 30, 2014, 10:53 AM
Really Portman and McGregor weren't huge stars at the time, more in line with most of the new cast here.  Jackson and Neeson were though.  I really have no comment on anyone as I don't think I've seen any of their work except Max von Sydow who was fantastic in Strange Brew

(http://www.yourfaceisa.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/StrangeBrewHeadCrush.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on April 30, 2014, 11:10 AM
I'm wondering if maybe Daisy Ridley is playing Han/Leia's kiddo? 

Interesting idea, especially since she's sitting between Harrison and Carrie.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on April 30, 2014, 04:11 PM
I thought Jackson and Neeson were two of the more redeeming qualities of the prequals too.  I don't care for Natalie Portman in general, so her sucking as an actress just fits my thought of her, personally.

I thought McGregor was pretty awesome as well.  He played the part perfectly.  I think as much as it's Lucas' fault, I think some actors also maybe just can't do that kind of work while others can (Ford, McGregor, etc.).
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on April 30, 2014, 06:10 PM
I thought Jackson and Neeson were two of the more redeeming qualities of the prequals too.  I don't care for Natalie Portman in general, so her sucking as an actress just fits my thought of her, personally.

I thought McGregor was pretty awesome as well.  He played the part perfectly.  I think as much as it's Lucas' fault, I think some actors also maybe just can't do that kind of work while others can (Ford, McGregor, etc.).

Sam Jackson is obviously a very popular actor, but he doesn't have much range or ability when it comes to actually acting.  Honestly, in the 9 million movies I've seen him in, Django Unchained is the only one where I thought he actually gave a real performance... where he wasn't just being Sam Jackson in whatever costume they gave him. 

In the Prequels, I thought he was HORRIBLE.  "A Sith, Lord?!"

McGregor was the only one I felt did a decent job, and Ian McDirmind, but he was familiar with his character and still came off as borderline comedic when he started going "no... No... NO!!!" and "Power!!!!!!!!!  Unlimited Power!!!!!!!!!."

Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Darby on April 30, 2014, 08:22 PM
Ewan McGregor is pretty much the only reason the PT works. Liam Neeson was excellent as always, but if McGregor wasn't there throughout imagine how much more tedious the acting and the story would have been. He's the emotional core in a hollow series.

I really like the casting so far. There are big question marks with some of the unknowns, but that's a plus I think here. No expectations or preconceptions. Max Von Sydow however brings a lot with him and I think we all expect a villain out of him. Andy Serkis I think is wonderful so this is a HUGE plus for this movie. There will be a lot of speculation on the characters, but I think we can infer the Daisy Ridley character as Han and Leia's daughter. She looks like she could be their kid, so it makes sense (though she would be young for this; given those two character's age in this movie, really, she could be their grandchild).

I look forward to the eventual rumors on Frank Oz and Ian McDiarmid, and the eventual confirmation. A SW movie without either would beg serious questions and I don't think we've seen the last of either.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Pete_Fett on April 30, 2014, 08:40 PM
In addition to Frank Oz and Ian McDiarmid - I'm also hoping for Ewan McGregor to be announced at some point as well. Like Darby, I feel that one of the best things to come out of the PT was McGregor's portrayal of a young Obi-Wan Kenobi. I would have ZERO problem with him made up to look like "old" Obi-Wan and stepping in to portray the force ghost version of Luke's former mentor.

Doing so would be a great way to tie in all six movies.

I shudder at the possibility of Hayden Christensen showing up though - might as well have a cardboard cut out of him and then have Matt Lanter read the lines - the result would be a million times better.

Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Darby on April 30, 2014, 08:58 PM
I also expect Ewan McGregor, for a lot of reasons. Outside of some trickery, we no longer have Alec Guinness as the elder Obi-Wan. There's no way we go through all of the ST without seeing him, Yoda, and one must assume Anakin (though like Pete, I don't particularly feel strongly about Hayden Christensen, but then Lucas has already replaced Sebastian Shaw...). Ewan McGregor is on the record about being up for returning to the role. Obi Wan is one of the few solo characters who makes sense for one of these solo movies, has a built in and willing star, and would be awesome all over the place. I think this rumor about Obi-Wan's kid/grandkid could lead to some necessary cameos, and ultimately, some Obi Wan movie(s).
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on April 30, 2014, 11:46 PM
I think this rumor about Obi-Wan's kid/grandkid could lead to ...some Obi Wan movie(s).

Obi-Wan's sex tapes???  >:D
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt_Fury on April 30, 2014, 11:54 PM
If there isn't a scene with Max Von Sydow in an Imperial Admiral's uniform on the bridge of a Star Destroyer in this movie, than the entire project is a waste of time.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: I Am Sith on May 1, 2014, 12:43 AM
If there isn't a scene with Max Von Sydow in an Imperial Admiral's uniform on the bridge of a Star Destroyer in this movie, than the entire project is a waste of time.

+1
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Diddly on May 1, 2014, 01:02 AM
That's one of the things I'm kind of digging about the announced cast, they all have an OT "look" to their faces. Throw some makeup and weird plastic ears on horseface Driver and he'll fit right in to the cantina.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on May 1, 2014, 08:53 AM
Adam Driver doesn't need the prosthetic ears.  Have you seen his REAL ears?

Max Von Sydow does seem to be a big question mark here.  He wasn't present for the table read, or at least for the photo.  And I think he could easily fill two different types of roles:  the stern Imperial oligarch or Commander, or that of the Spirit Guide role that we saw in characters like the OT Obi-Wan.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on May 1, 2014, 09:38 AM

Max Von Sydow does seem to be a big question mark here.  He wasn't present for the table read, or at least for the photo.

That's not him down on the bottom left facing away from the camera talking to Mark Hamill?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jayson on May 1, 2014, 10:30 AM
No, it's Anthony Daniels
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on May 1, 2014, 10:34 AM
I made the same mistake as you, Rob, when I first saw that photo.  Poor Anthony Daniels, with people forgetting about him!  Also, no Kenny Baker in the photo.  But what is he going to do at a table read?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt on May 1, 2014, 11:24 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/9SWOCPw.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on May 1, 2014, 11:51 AM
I guess Peter Mayhew gets to grunt and growl, so why not have Kenny whistle?  ;) 

I see they have Carrie Fisher as Leia Solo (also on imdb).  I would think she'd keep Organa since she's the strong heroine and last of the royal family of Alderaan.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on May 1, 2014, 02:41 PM
Saw a rumor about the possible title of E7 being leaked...  Seemed plausible, though what doesn't? This one sorta stuck though, to me.  Anyone else catch it?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on May 1, 2014, 03:15 PM
It makes some sense, and lines up with the whole notion of 'A New Hope' as well as the title of Episode VI.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on May 1, 2014, 03:24 PM
Fun to speculate anyway...  So close to the 4th too, I could see this being it.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt_Fury on May 1, 2014, 09:59 PM
I hope they are making Mark and Carrie's characters completely CGI.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Mikey D on May 2, 2014, 08:01 AM
Also, no Kenny Baker in the photo.  But what is he going to do at a table read?

What are you talking about?  He's in the crate.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: I Am Sith on May 2, 2014, 08:36 AM
Saw a rumor about the possible title of E7 being leaked...  Seemed plausible, though what doesn't? This one sorta stuck though, to me.  Anyone else catch it?

Read an article that had three different working titles, so I'm not sure what to believe at this point.  Another article mentioned that Von Sydow was only being used for his voice and that another Asian actress was signed to play Ventress.  I don't believe either one of those though...  Can't wait for some real news on Sunday!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt on May 2, 2014, 10:02 AM
Also, no Kenny Baker in the photo.  But what is he going to do at a table read?

What are you talking about?  He's in the crate.

I heard that he won't be doing this picture because he's afraid of being typecast.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on May 3, 2014, 10:03 PM
Also, no Kenny Baker in the photo.  But what is he going to do at a table read?

What are you talking about?  He's in the crate.


Oh, Kenny....
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt on May 6, 2014, 08:55 AM
The movie's working title is "The Ancient Fear," says AICN. (http://www.aintitcool.com/node/67205)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scott on May 6, 2014, 09:02 AM
Not that Harry Knowles is plugged in or anything but there have been plenty of title rumors over the years that have never panned out. 
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt on May 6, 2014, 09:32 AM
Legit or not, it's worlds better than "Order of the Jedi."
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on May 6, 2014, 09:43 AM
True dat.  ROTJ wound up having TWO working titles before it was eventually finalized.  And of course the easiest title to figure out was that of Episode III, and that just seemed very obvious. Hell, people thought that this new movie was going to be called A New Dawn, and that wound up being the title for an EU comic or book IIRC.  What I've been seeing is that the title is set to be announced at SDCC this summer.  So we should know in about two months.

The Ewan McGregor talk has been somewhat interesting, as far as him reprising his role as Obi-Wan.  But how to do it in a way that makes sense?  After all, Obi-Wan Kenobi's Force Spirit resembled him at the end of his life, as played by Alex Guiness.  How do you justify Ewan McGregor playing that Spirit Guide to Luke now?  One thing that came to mind is that in his exile on Tatooine Obi-Wan spent time making a holocron about the Jedi Order as a tool for Luke's training.  This is something that could be done with Ewan McGregor, although I think it would work to best effect if he's made up as if he's 10 years older than when we last saw him at the end of ROTS.  And let's face it...where is Luke really going to learn about the history of the Jedi if there is to be a new Jedi Order?  It has the potential to make sense from a plot standpoint.

...Just an idea!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on May 6, 2014, 09:48 AM
I love The Ancient Fear because it evokes images of that rumored plot with all the assassin droids pouring out of the underworld of Coruscant. Cool stuff.

John Boyega showed up in 24 last night...nice.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on May 6, 2014, 11:23 AM
Not a fan... sounds as off-putting to me as "the phantom menace." 
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: EdSolo on May 6, 2014, 12:50 PM
I saw a comment I agree with on another site regarding this title.  Basically they said do you think Disney would allow the word Ancient in the title with ages of Ford et al.?  The title fits the mold of Ep. I and IV that refer to a person or people, so why it might not be legit, it may be something along those lines.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on May 6, 2014, 01:18 PM
The ancient fear has to do with Carrie Fishing in her metal bikini.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Darby on May 6, 2014, 01:20 PM
If it's the title it's a working title and like all the others it will probably change. For me it's not particularly strong, but we'll see.

As far as Obi-Wan, I think there's a couple angles. One is ageing Ewan McGregor via make up or CGI. A combo of the two would probably get close to Alec Guinness. I like the holocron idea, but another option would be just having him 'de-age.' Lucas opened the door on this by having Hayden Christensen appear in ROTJ. The only explanation for this is the Jedi somehow have the power to 'regress' in the Force, or appear as they want to. This would be ok with me.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Pete_Fett on May 6, 2014, 05:08 PM
As far as Obi-Wan, I think there's a couple angles. One is ageing Ewan McGregor via make up or CGI. A combo of the two would probably get close to Alec Guinness. I like the holocron idea, but another option would be just having him 'de-age.' Lucas opened the door on this by having Hayden Christensen appear in ROTJ. The only explanation for this is the Jedi somehow have the power to 'regress' in the Force, or appear as they want to. This would be ok with me.

Wasn't the explanation given that it reflected the Jedi from when they "died" - in the case of Anakin, he actually "died" the moment he turned to the dark side and was defeated by Obi-Wan on Mustafar.

I always thought that explanation was garbage and I think your rationale works much much better. In fact they made fun of this in the "How it Should Have Ended" cartoon for Return of the Jedi - Anakin bounces around appearing even as young as he did in EP1 and the Yoda & Obi-Wan ghosts are like "oh god, please turn back".

So the net-net is that I think if Kasdan and Abrams have a good justification for Obi-Wan speaking with Luke then they will make it work and what better way to make a connection to the PT in addition to already having the obvious OT connections than to have an actor from the PT show up in a cameo.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on May 6, 2014, 07:34 PM
Looking at Bad Grandpa, I'm quite sure they could make McGregor look like Guiness if they wanted to do so...  I'm fine with that.  Alec's dead, so you can't expect a lot more than some good make-up.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt_Fury on May 7, 2014, 03:56 AM
There's going to be so much lens flare, no one's going to know what the Force Ghost looks like.   ;D
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Diddly on May 7, 2014, 06:33 AM
Just as long as they don't hire the guy who did Guy Pearce's makeup in Prometheus. Blech.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: I Am Sith on May 13, 2014, 10:28 PM
You'd be bored... Really?!  Because you have so many other things going on...

No Wedge:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/13/wedge-antilles-star-wars-episode-vii_n_5315402.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on May 13, 2014, 11:49 PM
He's always had a stick up his ass about Star Wars...  I've found that annoying about him.  I'd have liked to have seen him return as some kind of officer, but I'd be fine with them recasting him with someone who resembles him older, honestly. 

Seeing Wedgie still around would be neat to me though.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jeff on May 14, 2014, 10:28 AM
It's too bad that Fake Wedge (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Colin_Higgins) passed away or they could have used him as Ep7 Wedge. :P

Seriously though, I'm glad he's not coming back.  It's neat to have Han/Luke/Leia return, but that's all I need.  I really don't want to see this movie packed with a bunch of 60-70 year old dudes.

Wedge made it through the destruction of two Death Stars, dude has earned retirement on some beach planet.  Give us some new starfighter pilot character that's an offspring of Wedge or something as a nod to him and that's enough for me.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on May 14, 2014, 12:37 PM
Agree with Jeff.

But I do want Admiral Ackbar to be in there somewhere. 
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on May 14, 2014, 01:45 PM
Some characters that are links back to the OT would definitely be welcome.  The Mon Calamari were a big part of the Rebel fleet in ROTJ, and seeing that plot point continue would be interesting to see.  The thing that I'm concerned about?  Incorporating these elements so that they're present and relevant, but not shoehorning them in, thereby bogging down the movie.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt_Fury on May 15, 2014, 02:01 AM
I'm hoping the Ice Cream Maker Guy runs by in a scene.   ;D
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scott on May 15, 2014, 09:31 AM
Pablo Hildago had a rather cryptic tweet back in December that he had good news for Willrow Hood fans but more or less couldn't say anything.  To me that means he is going to be in something coming up...probably just a cameo in Rebels but who knows...Episode VII:Son of Hood
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Morgbug on May 20, 2014, 11:11 PM
Pablo Hildago had a rather cryptic tweet back in December that he had good news for Willrow Hood fans but more or less couldn't say anything.  To me that means he is going to be in something coming up...probably just a cameo in Rebels but who knows...Episode VII:Son of Hood

I still want my signed figure  >:(
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on May 21, 2014, 12:52 PM
Here is a link to the first character to be shown for ep7. It looks like they are going Muppetty!

http://www.superherohype.com/news/302947-j-j-abrams-announces-that-fans-have-a-chance-to-be-in-star-wars-episode-vii#/slide/1 (http://www.superherohype.com/news/302947-j-j-abrams-announces-that-fans-have-a-chance-to-be-in-star-wars-episode-vii#/slide/1)

(http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/q588/411mania1/Star%20Trek%20Game/Star%20Wars%20Episode%20VII/swcontest.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Greg on May 21, 2014, 08:29 PM
So awesome. I totally imagine that alien going to sell his offspring to some vendor, since young bird-looking alien is probably a delicacy at Chalmunn's Legends cantina.  ;D
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on May 22, 2014, 10:44 AM
I'll take Muppets over CGI any day of the week.

That contest sounds like a cool idea, I'll definitely throw them $10.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on May 22, 2014, 11:25 AM
(http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff22/Bothamcity/lucas.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jeff on May 22, 2014, 04:36 PM
I love all the focus on the bird-puppet guy.

All sorts of blogs/sites are breaking down his costume and making grand assumptions about what his appearance in this promo video means for all alien effects/characters planned for the Ep7/8/9 (OMG NO CGI ALIENS!).  People are looking for hints at who/what he might be and talking about how he resembles a certain SW EU Legends character (OMG Kal'Falnl (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Kal'Falnl_C'ndros)!!!).

I cannot imagine how much fun the LFL/Disney/Bad Robot dudes are going to have messing with all of us via these kind of reveals.  Let the misinformation campaigns begin! :P

Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on May 22, 2014, 08:30 PM
Damn near everyone in the background of that video was in costume, so yeah...  Hey, whatever.  I guarantee there will be CGI characters too though.  I feel it's inevitable. 

I don't mind CGI stuff...  Sebulba was pretty extraordinary, especially at the time.  Honestly, even Jar Jar was pretty state of the art at the time.

I liked the weird thing that wandered through the shot, but yeah why read anything into any of it? 

I'm just glad Abrams seems to be attempting to reinforce that he cares about this, and doesn't want to piss people off.  I'm sure he will because if there is something more picky than a Star Trek fan it's a Star Wars fan, but hey I'm just along for the ride no matter how it turns out.

Then again I liked both his Trek films.  I'd love more of those honestly.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: I Am Sith on May 22, 2014, 09:47 PM
I love all the focus on the bird-puppet guy.

And why do I have a feeling we are going to get a 3 second shot of him a la Gragra in EP1 so that Hasbro can release a figure at some point?  I hope I eat my words on this one because it's a cool looking character, but with how hush-hush things are about this movie, I don't see them teasing something that ends up as a major character.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on May 22, 2014, 11:02 PM
I think the muppet was an attempt to show that JJ Abrams & company recognize some of the pitfalls that befell the PT and they're far more interested in capturing the essence of the OT with a more old school approach.  It reminds me of something that was said on Agents of SHIELD:  people often misconstrue the words new and improved.  Just because something is new doesn't make it better.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Greg on May 23, 2014, 02:23 PM
I think there is a fair balance of real/prosthetic and CG aliens in the prequels. None of the CG aliens really take me out of the movie. The most "offensive" use of CG in the prequels were the clone troopers, especially in the scenes where Commander Cody had the helmet removed.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: iFett on May 23, 2014, 03:14 PM
I dig puppet dude and totally welcome more of this.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on June 2, 2014, 09:30 AM
Check out THIS TMZ POSTING (http://www.tmz.com/2014/06/02/star-wars-episode-7-set-photos-secret-pics-new-creature/).  It shows a gallery of over 40 images from the set of the Episode VII shoot in Abu Dhabi.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on June 2, 2014, 10:26 AM
45 photos, 93 advertisements.  Impressive TMZ...
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jeff on June 2, 2014, 12:19 PM
Lupita Nyong'o and GoT's Brienne of Tarth join Ep7 cast (http://starwars.com/star-wars-episode-vii-adds-academy-award-winner-lupita-nyongo-and-game-of-thrones-gwendoline-christie.html)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on June 2, 2014, 01:49 PM
Check out THIS TMZ POSTING (http://www.tmz.com/2014/06/02/star-wars-episode-7-set-photos-secret-pics-new-creature/).  It shows a gallery of over 40 images from the set of the Episode VII shoot in Abu Dhabi.

Guess we're heading back to everyone's favorite desert planet?  I hope JJ edits out all the white trucks and sunglasses or this movie's going to be terrible.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on June 2, 2014, 02:04 PM
I have to wonder if one of those locations might actually be the famed Toche station...

As for the creature?  It looks like a giant hog mated with a dewback.  Uck!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Darby on June 2, 2014, 02:33 PM
Briene.. of Darth! Very cool.

Lupita Nyong'o and GoT's Brienne of Tarth join Ep7 cast (http://starwars.com/star-wars-episode-vii-adds-academy-award-winner-lupita-nyongo-and-game-of-thrones-gwendoline-christie.html)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on June 2, 2014, 04:49 PM
Excellent additions to the cast! This is really getting me optimistic for the flick. I just hope Lupita is not Obi-Wan's daughter as I just don't like that whole basic premise.

Loved seeing the new set photos, but wonder if that isn't some kind of planned leak...seems like JJ would have a tighter lid on that kind of stuff as a notoriously secretive type. Hell of a way to keep stirring up interest though.

So encouraging to hear they're shooting monsters that take 5 people to operate them too...speaks to a departure from the CGI laden effects of the PT, and a great nod to the OT. What's old is new again.

And wow, I think I saw more black people in those 45 photos than the first 3 movies put together. Props for putting together such a diverse cast, even the extras reflect a broad range of ethnicities which only enhances the SW universe that much more, IMHO.

Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on June 2, 2014, 05:58 PM
Excellent additions to the cast! This is really getting me optimistic for the flick. I just hope Lupita is not Obi-Wan's daughter as I just don't like that whole basic premise.

+1
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on June 2, 2014, 07:39 PM
The sign, for the curious, says "WARNING" and then there's a number below it...  Jayson (Yak Jay) had an idea on the number but my phone wasn't getting a clear enough image for me to get it.  That friggin' watermark was walking all over a lot of detail. :(

Seems like some kind of very large holding pen going on there with the set...  Freaky pig thing holding pen?  Perhaps!  A big pen to hold all the Sith, and they escape and there's like 100000000's of Sith running around then?  Perhaps!  Luke lives in a sci-fi barn now?  Perhaps!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Muftak on June 2, 2014, 10:54 PM
I'm not even sold on it being Tatooine yet. All those extras and no Jawas?  Not even one little person? All it would take is a bit of color-tweaking of the sand in post and this could easily be a brand new world.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on June 2, 2014, 11:07 PM
Eh it's possible it's not Tatooine sure...  Unless there's only one desert world in Star Wars, haha.  Or maybe they're all just specific colors, but no two desert planets share the same color.  ;)

Yeah I actually thought the same thing...  Why does this HAVE to be Tatooine?  Though it probably is, but not necessarily.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jayson on June 3, 2014, 12:33 AM
I love the McQuarrie nod in the main gate structure
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on June 3, 2014, 10:34 AM
I'm not even sold on it being Tatooine yet. All those extras and no Jawas?  Not even one little person? All it would take is a bit of color-tweaking of the sand in post and this could easily be a brand new world.

You're definitely overthinking this.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on June 3, 2014, 10:50 AM
I agree on the over-thinking.  If they wanted to go for a different sort of desert location, I imagine they would have sought out a very different sort of landscape.  Geonosis was a desert planet too, but I think it had it's own character that was much more like some of the Southwestern deserts like you would see in places like Arizona or Utah.  But this location very much says Tatooine to me.

Some of the coloring does seem a little different.  But perhaps that's the difference between shooting in Abu Dhabi versus Tunisia?  It's certainly worth noting that JJ Abrams has some history with shooting one of the Mission Impossible films in Abu Dhabi, and it's probably a safe location.  Perhaps safer than Tunisia.  Yeah, Tunisia has been one of the historic locations for most of the Tatooine exteriors.  But following the change in the Tunisian government as a result of the revolution that began there in 2010, I imagine that film production there is more of a dicey proposition.  When you're talking about a production with the scope of Episode VII, I think that the studio wants to make sure that the shoot location is safe.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Muftak on June 3, 2014, 11:17 AM

You're definitely overthinking this.

 ;D

Too true. I'm just saying a Tatooine without Jawas would be such a misstep my confidence in the rest of the decisions being made by this production would be horribly shattered.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Darby on June 3, 2014, 01:33 PM
I agree doesn't have to be Tatooine. More than likely it is, but could be somewhere else.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on June 3, 2014, 01:47 PM
More set pics, featuring an under construction Millenium Falcon (http://www.tmz.com/2014/06/03/star-wars-episode-7-millennium-falcon-set-photos/).  I would guess that these might be from Pinewood in the UK.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jayson on June 3, 2014, 01:50 PM
More set pics, featuring an under construction Millenium Falcon (http://www.tmz.com/2014/06/03/star-wars-episode-7-millennium-falcon-set-photos/).  I would guess that these might be from Pinewood in the UK.

Notice the redesigned/modified X-wing?  :o
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on June 3, 2014, 01:58 PM
Indeed, along with the warthog/dewback creature.  For me, seeing an under construction Falcon makes this seem very real now.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on June 3, 2014, 02:32 PM
Wow wow wow.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on June 3, 2014, 03:14 PM
Got to look more closely at that stuff...

I can tell you the engine's "intake" on the X-Wing is HEAVILY modified (IE: a ****load bigger) but the thrusters in the back look the same, as do the cannons on the wingtips.  The nose is truncated and I'd say the ship has an overall more Z-95 feel to it (IE: it looks more like McQuarrie's X-Wing designs), but with sharp angles.

It almost looks like the two intakes are one now and the wings open on the outside of the intakes rather than the intakes mounted on the wings and separating for each engine.  That means the engines are stationary and the wings move alone with only the guns mounted to them.  Interesting and major change to the ship, but yet still keeping it so distinctly similar.

The ship's definitely an evolutionary design forward, and I have to say I kind of love it.  It shows the type of minor steps the tech of Star Wars seems to take as years go by...  Things don't seem to make big leaps in the Star Wars galaxy, haha.

This looks like an X-Wing designed to be faster, more nimble...  Little things like shortening the nose, bigger engines...  They make sense, and can be explained with lots of tech speak as to why they weren't done before but as time goes on they could be done.  I love seeing stuff like that, unlike say the PT ship designs that were picked simply because they looked cool or because their looks bridged the two trilogies but didn't necessarily make a lot of "tech sense".

I am curious to see Walker technology...  or other Rebel Fighters.  Will Y-Wings even be in service?  Will there maybe be a whole new Y-Wing design like the X-Wing's improved design?  Will A-Wings still be in service?  Or the B-Wing?

I'm excited by stuff like this...  It's just the kind of thing that gets me revved up for the new movies.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on June 4, 2014, 09:24 AM
I'm surprised the New Republic isn't driving around in newer evolved TIE fighters. Didn't the Empire have the new stuff while the rebels had the old outdated stuff? It seems like the X-Wing would have been discontinued by then. I guess ship design never gets discontinued but evolves instead.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scott on June 4, 2014, 11:06 AM
Think that pig thing is a Womprat?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Qui-Gon Jim on June 4, 2014, 12:24 PM
I'm surprised the New Republic isn't driving around in newer evolved TIE fighters. Didn't the Empire have the new stuff while the rebels had the old outdated stuff? It seems like the X-Wing would have been discontinued by then. I guess ship design never gets discontinued but evolves instead.
Perhaps this is Luke's personal ship?

The fact that the Falcon is back AND that they are actually building a full size model for the first time since 1980 make me very happy.  How the Falcon never featured in the prequels still puzzles me.  Obi-Wan should have flown in it, known how fast it was to make his meeting with Han more meaningful.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on June 4, 2014, 12:33 PM
A modified X-Wing... so, will Han have modified the Falcon, too?  Or is that piece of junk rusted a bit more after 30 years?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on June 4, 2014, 09:37 PM
Taking into account the EU, the X-Wing is a ship under development leading up to ANH, and when the Empire tries to nationalize the company making it the designers bail and take the design and prototypes to the Alliance who then begin manufacturing X-Wings.

Y-Wings are old school ships modified and used by the Alliance...  So is the Z-95 and the T-Wing if you delve further into the EU, and probably a number of other fighters are sprinkled around to various cells and squadrons who are part of the Alliance all around the galaxy.

The X-Wing is a pretty purely Alliance ship then, like the A or B-Wing which the A-Wing is prototyped and in pre-production in the immediate events right before ANH (if you again subscribe to EU) with Yavin even having a couple of the prototype design available to them.  The B-Wing is developed years later as something to assist against the capital ships the Empire deploys in great numbers.

The Empire/ALliance tactics are different (again all EU stuff, but some truth from the film POV) in that the Alliance puts a greater value on their pilots and thus try to develop more costly, but more durable craft...  The Empire use swarm tactics more, though they have and further develop ships as the war escalates to more greatly match (or outmatch) one-on-one what the Alliance puts out against them.

I look at the X-Wing as an evolutionary step forward in the plane's design, kind of like taking the Spitfire and making that next step forward to the Mustang...  Similar, lots of the same principles and design elements, but wholly new when ultimately compared to one another.  Similar to the CW3D Fighters looking like evolutionary steps forward of AOTC design.  Ani's 2D fighter looks (and is labeled) a modification though...  The ROTS Jedi Fighter then seems really like a whole new fighter design, not even really of the same family just the same guys flying them.  The V-Wing, to me, seems more like where the AOTC style Jedi fighters went in terms of evolution, and then those and perhaps the ROTS Jedi fighters wind up converging to see the Empire's TIE fleets grow out of that...  But the Jedi Fighters almost seem to go the way of the dinosaur in a way, just elements go from them to the TIE Fighter, but a whole new Fighter style and design is born and grows along with the Empire's birth.

Again dipping into EU, the X-Wing's design is tied to the Z-95 and other ships in the Incom Corp library...  I figure the X-Wing we see is going to be something we see more than one of.  The time elapsed, it makes sense.  It's something I wish we'd seen more of with the Y-Wing, and wish we'd seen Z-95's, but I guess Lucas didn't agree.  ::)  I personally loved seeing the YW show up in CW3D at least though, in one form or another.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on June 4, 2014, 10:46 PM
Wait, what is the EU?  My well-used eraser says if it wasn't in the movies, it didn't happen... ;)

I subscribe to everything you said there Jesse.  I'd also add that in times of war, we often see new vehicle enhancements, so if there is truly peace after ROTJ, development might be a lot slower.  Also, I get the feeling that Palps/Moffs were into new designs and tech given all the revisions to the clones  and their vehicles in just a few short years of war.  I think the New Republic probably would have prioritized reunification and welfare efforts over new ship design.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on June 5, 2014, 12:16 AM
Assuming that by this point it's a new republic, and not just a continuation of the war. ;) 

Yeah I don't even know how to say "EU" at this point without wondering how that gets received then.  Then again some folks always just ignored it anyway.

The way EU fleshed out military hardware was actually pretty solid for the most part though, and something I always liked (in the OT anyway).  Evolution was pretty static...  the Empire, further tied to its "nazi" roots, was trying its hand at "wonder weapons" much like the Germans did...  And so things like the TIE Defender come about and are a big evolutionary step forward (for fighters in the SW galaxy) without being absurdly perfect.

They were working on cloaking technology for larger ships, and stuff, the Darktrooper Project...  or in my little stupid Star Wars universe, they were also working on a biological warfare project with this new freaky alien species they'd recovered. :P

I love the TIE Fighter evolution, but really it doesn't have much pre-ANH you can think of (outside EU again), and I really just don't look at the Prequals as having ships in them that directly tied to the TIE Fighters...  The ROTS Jedi fighter had maybe the closest ties, but they're pretty loose still...  I'm anxious to see how (and I believe we've seen SOME of how) the TIE Fighters evolve or even simply begin as a new branch/style of fighter...  Obviously some simple visual or sound elements don't necessitate that they're related (V-Wing sounds, ROTS JSF cockpit, etc.).  A mower and a car both have an exhaust but obviously they're not closely related.

Rebels has that funky squatter winged TIE that looks more like concept art versions of TIE ships.  It'll be interesting to me to see what they go with.

I'm equally anxious to see what the Rebels have for fighters, assuming we'll see a more organized military for the Rebels at some point in the toon?  The Y-Wing and others are there...  what else though?  I could see Alliance squads using JSF's for interceptors, or V-19's even.  I have a V-19 sitting around with the specific purpose of an Alliance repaint and mods because I just love that ship, and love the idea of the Alliance using them for interceptors if they can get their hands on them.

It's easily up there with the TIE Defender and TIE "Avenger" Advanced for a fav EU ship design of mine.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on June 6, 2014, 10:29 AM
Mark is ready.

(https://i.imgur.com/dok1sw2.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt on June 6, 2014, 10:53 AM
The people that have to be the happiest about the Falcon returning are undoubtedly the folks at Hasbro, who'll get a chance to get some more use out of that BAMF mold for at least one more film.

Serious-time: What happens if JJ blows up the Falcon?

Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on June 6, 2014, 11:22 AM
Serious-time: What happens if JJ blows up the Falcon?

BAMF with Exploding Action Feature.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on June 6, 2014, 11:36 AM
Serious-time: What happens if JJ blows up the Falcon?

BAMF with Exploding Action Feature.

and lens flare bonus feature.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on June 6, 2014, 01:36 PM
It has to either blow up with Han and Chewie, or be handed down like a Subaru to his kids.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on June 6, 2014, 03:18 PM
I bet Han has to go into the sealed Hyperdrive chamber where he will get a lethal does of radiation, but Luke uses his force powers to capture Han's essence into a Jedi ghost before flying the Falcon through a gas cluster and destroying Kaaaahhhhhn. 
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: I Am Sith on June 6, 2014, 04:16 PM
As crazy as this may sound, I think that's the best MH has looked in years.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on June 6, 2014, 04:55 PM
As crazy as this may sound, I think that's the best MH has looked in years.

From what I understand he's been working with a trainer for well over a year.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: iFett on June 6, 2014, 08:10 PM
As crazy as this may sound, I think that's the best MH has looked in years.

Agreed.  I remember seeing pics of him in the 90's and wondered what the hell happened to him.  I'm hoping some badass stuff happens before he turns into a CG ghost for the rest of the 48 Star Wars movies.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on June 9, 2014, 09:22 AM
You mean these pictures:

(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/05/30/article-0-1A0EC7CB000005DC-682_638x714.jpg)
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/05/30/article-2333096-1A0EC7FB000005DC-361_640x659.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on June 9, 2014, 10:36 AM
Not one of Mr. Hamill's finer moments.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on June 12, 2014, 04:32 PM
Harrison Ford hurt his ankle...

http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/12/showbiz/harrison-ford-star-wars-injury/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

As long as none of these guys break a hip I suppose.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on June 12, 2014, 04:36 PM
Harrison Ford hurt his ankle...

http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/12/showbiz/harrison-ford-star-wars-injury/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

As long as none of these guys break a hip I suppose.

He had to go to the hospital?  That should be a good story.  Guessing it's more precautionary than serious injury, but yeah, these guys are getting up there in age.  Unlike the rest of us.   ;)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on June 12, 2014, 04:48 PM
I guess he actually has some action shots instead of just standing around talking to the kid jedis.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: SnTrooper on June 13, 2014, 12:49 PM
Reports are that the door to the Falcon fell open and fractured his ankle.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Greg on June 13, 2014, 04:46 PM
the door to the Falcon fell open

What a piece of junk!  ;D
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on June 13, 2014, 10:42 PM
the door to the Falcon fell open

What a piece of junk!  ;D

Ha! Hahaha!  Well played.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jeff on June 19, 2014, 02:32 PM
Guess the Ford injury was worse than the initial reports -

Harrison Ford Has 'Successful' Surgery Following 'Star Wars' Injury (http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/harrison-ford-successful-surgery-star-wars-injury/story?id=24213839).

Sounds like he's out 6-8 weeks.  Now he's really gonna hate Han Solo. :(
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on June 19, 2014, 04:18 PM
HHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: DSJ™ on June 23, 2014, 10:39 AM
What is this **** that is lens flaring across the internet about Tom give me a ******* break Cruise (http://metro.co.uk/2014/06/23/tom-cruise-in-talks-to-make-cameo-appearance-in-star-wars-episode-7-4772218/) may get a cameo in Star Wars?  (http://www.sherv.net/cm/emo/angry/bang-head-on-desk.gif)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on June 23, 2014, 02:38 PM
Behold, the first figure from Episode 7!!!

(http://atariage.com/forums/uploads/monthly_06_2014/post-997-0-86753600-1403322755.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Muftak on June 23, 2014, 03:53 PM
 ;D Way too much articulation to be a 2015 figure. >:D
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Qui-Gon Jim on June 30, 2014, 11:01 AM
I should have put money on it...
http://io9.com/george-r-r-martin-previews-winds-of-winter-plus-more-1597853643 (http://io9.com/george-r-r-martin-previews-winds-of-winter-plus-more-1597853643)

Quote
We keep hearing that Harrison Ford's injury has left the production scrambling. First, the shooting schedule had to be changed. Then, we heard that the film was looking at changing the script and enlarging Oscar Isaacs role to compensate. Disney denied that. And now the latest rumor is that J.J. Abrams asked to push the release date back to May 4, 2016. Latino Review doesn't directly pin Abrams' request to the break (they instead say that Abrams "thinks that his Star Wars should be released in May like all the other Star Wars movies have been."), but it would still make sense, if the break is anywhere near as bad as the rumors have been saying.

The Latino Review article further states that Kathleen Kennedy of Lucasfilm agrees with Abrams, but it's Bob Iger and Disney who are determined to get this film out in December 2015. As always, beware of stories quoting unnamed sources. [Latino Review via Slashfilm)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: EdSolo on June 30, 2014, 02:40 PM
I really don't like the idea of rewriting the script just to fit a release date.  While a December date works fine, for say, the spin off films, I still don't like the idea for the Episode releases.  I would be happier to see the release date pushed to May with the current script instead of scrambling to do rewrites to fit a December release.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Muftak on July 1, 2014, 08:47 AM
Well this rumor puts the other developments lately in perspective. If Iger and Abrams are going at it already, it's no wonder they've already lined up a different director for 8 and 9. If Abrams gets his way (because as the director, he could slow it down to the point that it just can't recover) he may force Disney to hold off until 2016.

But with so many teams working on these movies (especially the first stand-alone and Ep 8 ) they can keep their December openings for the franchise going forward. If they left Abrams to do all the sequels, then they'd be locked in to him starting 8 only after he finishes 7, but they have sidestepped that by potentially getting 8 up and running before 7 is completed. A shrewd business move, and one that is lending weight to this new rumor for me.

That means 2 movies in 2016, with the standalone landing only six months after episode 7, further "punishing" Abrams by giving his film the least amount of promotional time. Of course that also punishes the profits for everyone, but there is not much that can be done about that if Abrams is determined to see a summer release.

As for changing the script to work around Ford? Yikes. That doesn't sound like good storytelling.

 
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on July 1, 2014, 10:19 AM
If they are having to halt stuff around Ford's injury, then it means we get a lot of Solo in the movie.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt on July 4, 2014, 11:51 AM
Kevin Smith talks Star Wars: Episode VII, confirms Stormtroopers (http://www.flickeringmyth.com/2014/07/kevin-smith-talks-star-wars-vii-confirms-stormtroopers.html)

Quote
If there is one filmmaker who is not hiding his excitement for J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars Episode VII, it’s Kevin Smith. The Clerks director is currently in the UK touring animated film Jay and Silent Bob’s Super Groovy Cartoon Movie along with Jason Mewes and his podcast Hollywood Babble-On with Ralph Garman. Before the show last night in London however, Kevin Smith was invited to the set of Star Wars Episode VII, the details of which he spoke about before the Hollywood Babble-On show.

Smith noted that he had signed a non-disclosure agreement so he couldn’t talk any specifics, but he did say that he saw costumes, characters and sets that took him back to his childhood.

“They had a sign at on the stage – I can’t even say which stage – which had the Imperial Starship logo and it said, ‘loose lips sink starships”.

“I’m really excited and you know, people keep saying that I liked the last trilogy and I did. I liked 1, 2 and 3. But I liked them as an adult, when I watched them they didn’t give me the same feeling I had when I was seven watching them for the first time and that’s fine. This movie though… Dude, I cried four times. The seven year old in me came. [J.J] has ******* captured it, man. He has nailed it.”

Due to the non-disclosure agreement, Smith couldn’t say much more but he gave his co-host Ralph Garman a pad with some words to read out which he then nodded to in agreement. When asked, “did you see Stormtroopers?”, Smith nodded his head with the biggest smile on his face.

Smith also confirmed lightsabres and blasters, but that was pretty much a given.

It'll be so nice to see actual guys in actual suits again.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: DSJ™ on July 6, 2014, 09:16 PM
‘Star Wars: Episode VII’ Adds 2 Cast Members (https://uk.yahoo.com/movies/star-wars-episode-vii-adds-2-cast-members-90972209536.html)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on July 6, 2014, 09:33 PM
So far no Tom Cruise confirmation
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on July 7, 2014, 11:12 AM
So far no Tom Cruise confirmation

And hopefully there never is.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: DSJ™ on July 7, 2014, 03:03 PM
 I would rather see Jar Jar come back than have Cruise in it.   :-X
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on July 21, 2014, 08:21 AM
JJ Abrams was on GMA this morning.  In front of something pretty f***king cool.

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BtELUWYIIAA2Hyk.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on July 21, 2014, 09:36 AM
So what was the "Big Announcement" they were teasing?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on July 21, 2014, 10:08 AM
It's the whole "Force for Change" charity drive.  There's a week remaining for people to donate to UNICEF and enter.  The prize is a trip for 2 to the set of Episode VII.  And you'll also win access to an advanced screening of Episode VII.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jayson on July 21, 2014, 10:49 AM
Link to video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWBGrkc360M#t=16) and whole X-wing reveal
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on July 21, 2014, 11:12 AM
Saw some possible leaked plot points... if the beginning is what they say it is, I'll have to try hard to suspend my disbelief.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on July 21, 2014, 11:49 AM
Is that a Z-95 Headhunter?

and...they are calling it Star Wars Episode  VII: The Search for Luke ?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jayson on July 21, 2014, 01:23 PM
Is that a Z-95 Headhunter?

No, new X-wing (as confirmed by LFL)  ;)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on July 21, 2014, 01:33 PM
Simon Pegg mentioned on his Twitter page that it's actually very much in line with Ralph McQuarrie's original X-Wing designs.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scott on July 21, 2014, 04:05 PM
(http://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/screencrush.com/files/2014/07/ralph-mcquarrie-x-wing.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on July 21, 2014, 06:07 PM
Did we ever get a toy that looked like that?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Muftak on July 21, 2014, 06:55 PM
Did we ever get a toy that looked like that?

Action Fleet Alpha Series.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on July 21, 2014, 07:50 PM
The Z-95 basically looks a lot like that tho Paul so the confusion is understandable.  It just doesn't have "S-Foils" swing-wings...  The Z-95 is based on the concepts for the X-Wing though, which feature the bulky(ier) engines and such.  There's a good Titanium Z-95, and Clone Wars had a different model of Z-95 featured in it as well.  I'm hoping to see some of those in Rebels, repurposed.

I'm just now home and anxious to examine the evolution of the X-Wing in some detail. :)  I love this thing.  I know the pilot sure looked to have a new style helmet on. 
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on July 21, 2014, 08:12 PM
Some interesting thoughts on the new ship...

-It's shorter than the OT ship.  Snubbier in the nose.  Or so it seems anyway, but it definitely looks a little stumpier with a possibly elongated nosecone.  I don't know what level of effort they're putting into this but in the EU the nosecone housed a lot of the sensors for the OT ship so a larger one is kind of neat to see from a techno babble POV.

-The Landing gear on the wing has as little place to go as on the OT ship, haha.

-The ladder has a door for it to swing into the hull somehow it appears (the ladders on the old one have always been a mystery).  There are also hand holds on the hull now, replacing the need for a "full" ladder up to the cockpit.

-The cockpit itself looked incredibly identical...  That's pretty neat.

-No Astromech can be seen, but the shot doesn't pan backwards enough to see if a port exists even.

-The rear of the hull slopes backward...  Sleeker looking for sure, and pretty different from the bulky hexagonal shape of the original ship's rear hull.

-The wing mechanism still looks confusing but the guns at the wing tips show that the top gun fits inside the lower gun's wing mount somehow.  There's a curve there...  It'd limit the thickness of the wings presumably.  Interesting.  It looks more now like it splits at the engine too, but it's still hard to see.

-I love it. :)  I really do...  I'd buy a scale version of that in a heartbeat.  Not to mention that, and I pray this occurs, but that Pilot's suit over the boots is so much cooler looking and I hope that sticks.  Reminds me of pilots in flight suits in our modern military...  I hope that remains, and we get a nice, awesome, cool figure of a pilot.

But yeah, I love it...  I love the updates.  I love the McQuarrie-ish stylings.  I love it all.  Taking what's old and making it what's actually new and improved.  Pretty shrewd and smart of Abrams IMO.

Oh yeah, and the cargo hold under (and behind?) the cockpit seating area is still there ala the OT.  Very cool.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Diddly on July 21, 2014, 08:49 PM
.... I think my favorite part was the Mouse Droid :-X
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jedi Idej on July 21, 2014, 10:20 PM
The landing gear/struts is so f'n yesteryear.

I was so excited in the build-up to TPM, but with these reveals, as much as I'm trying to lower my expectations, I can't help but get that same giddy feeling I had as a kid seeing commercials/previews announcing ESB was "coming soon to theater near you".
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on July 21, 2014, 10:41 PM
I know man, I was just saying that to someone tonight...  These have to be at least as good as 1-3 at this point...  I can't see them being worse somehow.  I'm trying to aim low but it's hard because the stuff they do reveal, it's pretty damn neat.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on July 22, 2014, 09:30 AM

-The wing mechanism still looks confusing but the guns at the wing tips show that the top gun fits inside the lower gun's wing mount somehow.  There's a curve there...  It'd limit the thickness of the wings presumably.  Interesting.  It looks more now like it splits at the engine too, but it's still hard to see.

I don't see how the wings split. There is no line on the actual wing. The back landing gear would have room to go inside the wings if they didn't split.
I don't think the ship takes an astromech. They would have shown a happy R2 unit up there if it did just to take us all freak out.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jayson on July 22, 2014, 10:27 AM

-The wing mechanism still looks confusing but the guns at the wing tips show that the top gun fits inside the lower gun's wing mount somehow.  There's a curve there...  It'd limit the thickness of the wings presumably.  Interesting.  It looks more now like it splits at the engine too, but it's still hard to see.

I don't see how the wings split. There is no line on the actual wing. The back landing gear would have room to go inside the wings if they didn't split.
I don't think the ship takes an astromech. They would have shown a happy R2 unit up there if it did just to take us all freak out.

They split like this:
(http://www.yakfaceforums.com/jayson/xwingsplit.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on July 22, 2014, 04:04 PM
Yeah the curve on the blasters was what tipped me that the wings definitely separate but that's a good graphic Jayson...  Really shows how the wings probably do fold into one another ultimately.  Cuts down on the bulk of the old ship's wing style.

Still wondering where those landing gear are supposed to go, lol.  Then again they didn't make a lot of sense in the old design either.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt on July 25, 2014, 09:36 AM
Mark Hamill at the London premiere of Guardians of the Galaxy the other day:

(http://i.imgur.com/M0CTcHGl.jpg)

Luke has evidently turned into quite the strange old hermit himself. Either that, or Hamill is also shooting a Ted Kaczynski biopic.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scott on August 11, 2014, 11:40 PM
Remember when Tom Hodges leaked all of those images in the Rebelscum chat room for Episode III?  Well he's at it again #cantkeepasecret

http://makingstarwars.net/2014/08/artist-tom-hodges-shares-interprative-sketch-star-wars-episode-vii-stormtrooper/
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on August 12, 2014, 12:31 AM
I like how someone points out that it looks a little like a duck (because it does...), to which Hodges replies that it is a HELMET and therefore looks nothing like a duck.

For an alleged artist, that guy has no imagination.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on August 12, 2014, 01:29 AM
Howard the Duck nod in this new film?  Maybe.  :-*
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Diddly on August 12, 2014, 02:47 AM
That guy sounds like a tool. Is he the same guy who used to post on Rebelscum and then got a big head because he was hired to draw a lame comic on starwars.com?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on August 12, 2014, 03:13 AM
 :-X
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jayson on August 12, 2014, 06:52 AM
Mr. Hodges future access to LFL is about to be severely limited methinks.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scott on August 12, 2014, 07:58 AM
I'm not exactly sure how he didn't get in trouble last time.  That incident also got Chris Berry a call from LFL lawyers...greatest (and scariest) day in JD history!

http://www.jedidefender.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=3555.30

Ps I was in that chatroom the night that doofus shared those pics and saved them all for the site.  Independently this guy Dutch Cattle also sent them to Chris.  We used him as a scapegoat  :P
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on August 12, 2014, 09:51 AM
It's an interesting design, FWIW.  I'd actually been seeing rumblings that the new Stormtrooper design might actually be more in line with the original McQuarrie design.  Tom's sketch seems like it has hints of that as well as being a sleeker evolution of the OT Stormtrooper helmet.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt on August 12, 2014, 11:58 PM
Rayrob has deleted the stormtrooper sketch and all references to it from his Twitter/Instagram account.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt_Fury on August 13, 2014, 12:34 PM
Well, that should be the end of that then - we all know once you delete your post, it leaves the internet for good.

Rob wins the internet today!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scott on August 13, 2014, 06:10 PM
Rayrob has deleted the stormtrooper sketch and all references to it from his Twitter/Instagram account.
That guy may be the biggest oaf I have ever come across on the internet...I forgot and its in the thread above that he came here and registered in a fake name and cried about how the guy who shared them never intended them to be let out into the public and how people's jobs were at stake.

"HEY! LOOK AT ME I KNOW A SECRET!!!"
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on August 13, 2014, 07:27 PM
For the record, if Disney wants me to see anything, I can guarantee them I have no ability to relay accurately what I saw.  Verbal or via my artistic ability.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt on August 13, 2014, 10:15 PM
Everyone's seen the pictures of the Falcon's interior by now, yes, yes?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on August 14, 2014, 12:04 AM
Yes. 

Shocking to see the Falcon hasn't been reupholstered. 
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on August 14, 2014, 08:50 AM
Yes.  Complete with that rich, Corellian leather!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on August 14, 2014, 09:40 AM
"What good is a reward if you aren't around going to use it."
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jayson on August 15, 2014, 09:28 AM
New stormtrooper helmets will take getting used to but I like the freshness of the design.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Brian on August 15, 2014, 10:34 AM
I agree, they will take a little to get used to after having such a memory burned in of the original troopers - but that being said, they do look kind of cool.  Between these pics and the Falcon stuff the other day, I'm really starting to get excited at the prospect of Star Wars on the big screen again.  I hope we start getting some official stuff released, although I know the movie is still well over a year away.  Every time we see a pic like this, I still have to think "wow, this is really happening".
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on August 17, 2014, 12:27 PM
They look like ducks.

Why would there be stormtroopers anyway? I thought the Empire was destroyed. Are we talking about a hold out faction near a certain black hole maw facility?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on August 17, 2014, 02:58 PM
They look like ducks.

Why would there be stormtroopers anyway? I thought the Empire was destroyed. Are we talking about a hold out faction near a certain black hole maw facility?

You need to forget everything you know about the expanded universe.

It's all out the window.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on August 17, 2014, 09:28 PM
I never personally looked at the possibility of one battle wiping out a "galactic empire".  EU aside it still is likely the war would've dragged on.  Han even says there are plenty of command ships when mentioning Vader on the Executor comes up but the executor is the only SSD at Endor.

The EU took the angle that the empire becomes fragmented but I'd think its possible it could actually rally and be stronger as a fighting force. 

The way the movies end everyone's just all giddy and everything is wrapped up nice and neat.  I always looked at the various SE scenes at the end of Jedi as, at the very least, spread over a Lon period of time as the planets were liberated or the majority revolted.   I'd think there are ample systems not happy at the outcome though. 
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on August 18, 2014, 09:07 AM
They look like ducks.

Why would there be stormtroopers anyway? I thought the Empire was destroyed. Are we talking about a hold out faction near a certain black hole maw facility?

I think if you're looking JUST at the movies, it's likely that Coruscant was still a major Imperial stronghold.  And that's despite the little add-on scene from the end of ROTJ.

And with these possible looks for Han Solo being revealed (http://indierevolver.com/2014/08/15/its-not-the-years-its-the-parsecs/), it opens up that old question:  blue or brown?!?!?!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on August 18, 2014, 09:50 AM
I don't know. Thirty years later, are you still wearing the same cloths?

Aaah, never mind. You probably are.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on August 18, 2014, 09:54 AM
New stormtrooper helmets will take getting used to but I like the freshness of the design.

+1
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: RyanMan12 on August 18, 2014, 03:42 PM
I hope the new stormtroopers aren't using the E-11 anymore. Also it would be nice if they hit their target
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on August 18, 2014, 05:33 PM
I hope the new stormtroopers aren't using the E-11 anymore. Also it would be nice if they hit their target

I was thinking the same thing... not so much about the gun, but when I saw the sleeker helmet my first thought was that it would be cool if these weren't your grandfather's Stormtroopers - if they were actually kind of frightening and not so inept.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on August 20, 2014, 09:04 PM
Meh, IMO there shouldn't even be Stormtroopers of any fashion 30 years after the fall of the Empire. (That'd be like having Nazis in full regalia running around in the 70's. Evil Empires disappear quickly) I kinda wish they would go in a different direction, like a Sith Army or something. 

I didn't realize how much spoilerage I had missed already. Luke is now in captivity? His lightsaber floating through space is the opening shot? Huh???
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: RyanMan12 on August 20, 2014, 09:11 PM
Meh, IMO there shouldn't even be Stormtroopers of any fashion 30 years after the fall of the Empire. (That'd be like having Nazis in full regalia running around in the 70's. Evil Empires disappear quickly) I kinda wish they would go in a different direction, like a Sith Army or something. 

I didn't realize how much spoilerage I had missed already. Luke is now in captivity? His lightsaber floating through space is the opening shot? Huh???
WHAT LUKE IS CAPTURED?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on August 20, 2014, 09:21 PM
Meh, IMO there shouldn't even be Stormtroopers of any fashion 30 years after the fall of the Empire. (That'd be like having Nazis in full regalia running around in the 70's. Evil Empires disappear quickly) I kinda wish they would go in a different direction, like a Sith Army or something. 

I didn't realize how much spoilerage I had missed already. Luke is now in captivity? His lightsaber floating through space is the opening shot? Huh???

Given that Disney doesn't care what your EU books say, shouldn't we wait to see the movie before we declare that the Empire's been gone for 30 years?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on August 20, 2014, 09:58 PM
Nazi comparisons within Star Wars have their limits though.  Or at least I've always felt it's something people hold onto too much.  Visually there are some comparisons that are obvious and some subtle...  The term Stormtrooper transcends an SS Stormtrooper from Nazi Germany though, and I've always felt the Empire's Stormtroopers were more akin to the Stormtroopers of World War I and their overall purpose, but with a mix in of some of the German SS Troops of WW2 as well.

In WW2 though, the Germans weren't an empire to start...  The Empire in Star Wars, ultimately it is an Empire already.  It's just rebranded.  The Republic Senate becomes the Imperial Senate, and that isn't even disbanded until ANH and the Death Star's completion.

The Galactic Empire, at its onset, was a welcomed sight to most as well...  Nazism actually wasn't a popular political movement at first though, and didn't take hold right away by any means. 

Regarding the birth of the Galactic Empire though, Like Padme says, "This is how liberty dies, to thunderous applause".  The Third Reich was more born out of the way WWI ended for Germany.

In Star Wars I feel like the Empire's born at the end of ROTS obviously, people seem to want it and it seems to be a popular idea...  The war's over, and the only people who'd be against it would be the losers of the war ultimately, and as the Empire settles in and begins expansion I would assume it's where they expand that really get annoyed by it.

There's cut footage from ANH of Luke/Biggs discussing the nationalization of the planet...  That before long Owen would be another tenant farmer under the Empire's thumb.  Likewise, in TPM Tatooine's established as separate of the Republic and even far worse (they seem like a dangerous place, the Hutts appear to be inherently corrupt and dangerous, and slavery is tolerated here).  By ANH we see the Empire has obviously expanded to this planet, and overtaken it to some degree...  again, for better or worse.  Obviously some would support this, but people like Owen would hate it once he'd basically be farming for the greater good and not for himself.

Add into all that, the galaxy is literally millions of these worlds, if not billions, or more, who knows really, and the Empire seemed to have a VERY firm grip and support just at the end of ROTS...  In galactic terms that's not all that long I'd think really for the Empire to have solidified things by ANH to the point that the Rebellion is small (on galactic terms...  Small could be literally billions of soldiers and maybe hundreds of planets supporting it, and it's still just dinky compared to the Empire's side of things).

Flash forward the time from Jedi to the new trilogy...  The Empire and Alliance could really theoretically just be on more even footing is all. 

One has to assume immediately after Endor there's a certain fragmentation.  Palpatine probably didn't have a solid plan for a successor I'm guessing.  Just prior to and after Hitler's death, there was a lot of jockeying for position as to who was going to be in charge and call the shots...  It was also a crumbling situation though, so it's again not a direct analogy.

I'd think though it's reasonable some higher ranking people people within the Empire looked to take control, but there'd also be a lot more to take control of too.  You lost one fleet (a major one) and a 2nd Death Star, and your supported leader, by this point.  You're hurting, but someone is bound to be competent who could take charge and unite as well.  There are probably tons of people to pick from.  That was always the Thrawn Trilogy angle...  Grand Admiral Thrawn united things, and turned it around.

Evil Empires have disappeared quickly in our past because they've largely been beaten to a pulp by someone else at that point and just disappeared.  Think about the British Empire's decline though...  Far slower, and maybe more of an analogy perhaps?  Fell via rebellion to some degree...  not totally by any means, but some.

Just some thoughts though.  I think a galactic conflict, Galactic Empire, and its obviously galactic scale means it could have a galactic-sized timeline to it too that really transcends most anything in Earth's history...  The Empire could linger on for at least decades in some form or another.

I kind of found the 3 year span of the Clone Wars comical because it's so short.  I wish we'd seen it last somehow from TPM to the end of ROTS's timeline.  Much longer, much more destructive and impactful around the galaxy.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jeff on August 20, 2014, 11:11 PM
shouldn't we wait to see the movie before we declare that the Empire's been gone for 30 years?

What, and be reasonable?  Pfft. 

I heard the NEW EMPIRE is made up of all of Palpatine's illegitimate kids who've teamed up to get revenge on Luke for killing their dad...  Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith's Kids.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on August 21, 2014, 12:06 AM
Wilt the stilt Palpatine?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: GrandMoffNick on August 21, 2014, 12:17 AM
Sorry to break it to you all, but the new trilogy will have nothing but EU/Legends characters in it.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on August 21, 2014, 12:20 AM
Mind blown if they'd remove all EU only to put all EU back in.

People who sold all their EU memorabilia would jump off a cliff.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on August 21, 2014, 10:47 AM
Given that Disney doesn't care what your EU books say, shouldn't we wait to see the movie before we declare that the Empire's been gone for 30 years?

LOL, not MY EU books! I hate that garbage...pure fan fiction, IMO.

I'm not trying to jump to conclusions either, I just always felt like ROTJ was the ultimate happy ending, and that this was the end of the Empire and the new movies would focus on a different kind of threat.

That's not to say it can't be done right, just not what my personal preference would have been.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt on August 21, 2014, 11:09 AM
Maybe the ending of Jedi was like George W. Bush's "Mission Accomplished" aircraft carrier speech. Did we ever have any problems in Iraq after that thing?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: GrandMoffNick on August 21, 2014, 11:16 AM

LOL, not MY EU books! I hate that garbage...pure fan fiction, IMO.


But the CW cartoon stuff was all brilliant!  ???
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Diddly on August 21, 2014, 03:44 PM
Robot Chicken settled the Empire stuff in a sketch that I can't find on YouTube right now. The remaining officers got together and declared that the Emperor was dead, so the fighting HAD to end by the laws of sci-fi. Then they all go to get massages.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on August 21, 2014, 04:14 PM
:)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on August 21, 2014, 04:32 PM

LOL, not MY EU books! I hate that garbage...pure fan fiction, IMO.


But the CW cartoon stuff was all brilliant!  ???

LOL, touche!  :-X
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt_Fury on August 21, 2014, 05:03 PM
Robot Chicken settled the Empire stuff in a sketch that I can't find on YouTube right now. The remaining officers got together and declared that the Emperor was dead, so the fighting HAD to end by the laws of sci-fi. Then they all go to get massages.

Here you go! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAOX_CHU0JY)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Darby on August 21, 2014, 06:20 PM
It seems like the circumstances regarding the Empire in EP7 are leaning towards either A) the Empire is resurgent B) never really went away and now exists in a state of Cold War with the Republic, such as it is or C) the war never really ended. I'm fine with either, but would prefer something along the lines of B. Lucas intended for the Empire to be defeated at the end of ROTJ, as he intended the film to be the last at various points. He also intended for there to be as many as 6 more films beyond Jedi at one point, so it's uncertain if the Empire had been truly defeated. As has been pointed here and elsewhere, the Empire suffers a major defeat at Endor, but not a fatal one. You can look to what's happening in the Middle East right now (to a certain extent) and elsewhere in history to see how this plays out.

The Empire, militarily and politically, remains intact post Endor. The Emperor dissolved the senate, placed command of the galaxy in the hands of regional governors, and supported them with oppressive military that is only slightly represented at Endor. The entire Rebel fleet is present at Endor and suffers more extensive losses, one assumes, than the Imperial Fleet did. That same Rebel fleet is unlikely to have completely liberated the galaxy from an Imperial war machine that is at 97% capacity. No doubt some systems reject the Empire and there is a popular uprising. No doubt the Empire responds. No doubt someone, one of those governors or as yet unknown character (Max Von Sydow?) steps into Palpatine's shoes. The Rebels and Empire settle into a decades battle of attrition that sees a fledging new repbulic constantly under assault by an Empire that is simply too large and too powerful to truly go away.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on August 21, 2014, 08:46 PM
Quote
The entire Rebel fleet is present at Endor

With you to here...

This is debatable.  Again the Alliance is small, on a galactic level...  Are they small on an "Earth" level?  Probably not.  I've always envisioned them to have many fleets themselves, just many less than the Empire.

The battle itself doesn't even convey the scope and scale of what the Alliance brings in because half the ships are barely visible save for shot-by-shot close examination and they're mostly background dots on a matte painting, very distant from the battle but clearly not Imperial looking (assuming all the Empire brings are Destroyers and anything similar).

This is a lot of what you believe, perceive, or just want to believe maybe.

In the EU though, the Alliance was anything but "small", just small comparatively.  That means nothing, nor did it ever really mean anything, at this point of course.

Personally I viewed the Alliance, and the war in general, something like this...

The Alliance is group obviously, but at its core there is a strong central body.  Strong militarily, organized, equipped.  They have "safe worlds", they make use of wild space, the outer rim, etc.  They have support from a wide variety of factions rebelling on their individual planets.  They all attempt coordination, but as with any alliance, there may be friction.  Dresellians would fall under one of those militias to me, Tibrians, etc.

Anyway, again my personal view of how the Alliance is running the war on their end, they're looking to keep mobile so they keep many fleets...  They pull hit and run tactics.  They'll shoot, then scoot, and keep the Imperial fleets broken and chasing.  They'll try drawing them out of the inner worlds as much and into the outer rim (or beyond) to run their supply lines thin.  The Alliance bases (and this is my opinion) are likely set up to be hard to detect, but near enough to these supply lanes where they can harass and inflict the most damage on the Empire that is possible while the Fleets try to keep one step ahead of them.

In some EU that used to be supported as a tactic...  The "first major victory" mentioned in the opening crawl of ANH was actually a series of major ships destroyed.  One sabotaged, one outright destroyed while stranded due to support vessels with repair equipment being destroyed, etc.

The Alliance had come into its own tactically and gotten the attention of the Emperor at that point.

Just a thought.  I enjoy talking the hypotheticals of the war strategies in Star Wars.  The movies obviously don't deal with minutia like that because it bores most people to even think about this stuff.   :-[

Lucas wanted everything a tidy ending at the end of ROTJ but that just doesn't jive to me, and never did.  Even as a kid, it never made any sense.  It was like Matt said.  Lucas showed in a flight suit with his flanneled bulge poking out, he called mission accomplished.  Nope.  :-\  Good for a movie ending.  Bad for a nerd to apply logic to.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt_Fury on August 21, 2014, 10:18 PM
It seems like the circumstances regarding the Empire in EP7 are leaning towards either A) the Empire is resurgent B) never really went away and now exists in a state of Cold War with the Republic, such as it is or C) the war never really ended. I'm fine with either, but would prefer something along the lines of B. Lucas intended for the Empire to be defeated at the end of ROTJ, as he intended the film to be the last at various points. He also intended for there to be as many as 6 more films beyond Jedi at one point, so it's uncertain if the Empire had been truly defeated. As has been pointed here and elsewhere, the Empire suffers a major defeat at Endor, but not a fatal one. You can look to what's happening in the Middle East right now (to a certain extent) and elsewhere in history to see how this plays out.

The Empire, militarily and politically, remains intact post Endor. The Emperor dissolved the senate, placed command of the galaxy in the hands of regional governors, and supported them with oppressive military that is only slightly represented at Endor. The entire Rebel fleet is present at Endor and suffers more extensive losses, one assumes, than the Imperial Fleet did. That same Rebel fleet is unlikely to have completely liberated the galaxy from an Imperial war machine that is at 97% capacity. No doubt some systems reject the Empire and there is a popular uprising. No doubt the Empire responds. No doubt someone, one of those governors or as yet unknown character (Max Von Sydow?) steps into Palpatine's shoes. The Rebels and Empire settle into a decades battle of attrition that sees a fledging new repbulic constantly under assault by an Empire that is simply too large and too powerful to truly go away.

The only flaw with this is that the Emperor was using the dark side of the force to control as many people as he could.  He was influencing much of the Senate in AOTC and with the Jedi pretty much out of the way by the end of ROTS, his control was even more blatant.

With his death in ROTJ, the galaxy was freed from his control, hence the expanded ending scenes in the SE.  There may be pockets of ready to follow imperial loyalists out there, but I doubt there'd be many of them.

I like seeing some of the images that have leaked, but I'll avoid spoilers until I see it with my oldest next December.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Darby on August 21, 2014, 10:49 PM
I enjoy thinking about the potential outcomes and strategies of what occured in the movies, especially now as it seems to be particularly relevant. It's possible there are other Rebel fleets, but in the films at least, there only seems to be any concern of the Empire - 'the' Rebel fleet massing near Sullust. Again it's inference it's the only one.

Palpatine uses the dark side to manipulate circumstances and people, but he doesn't create the corruption or atrophy the Republic exhibits  before its demise. He simply takes advantage of it. The same forces that allowed for its failure still exist during the Empire and one assumes after, and it's fear and brute force that keep any of it together. Absolutely the death of the Emperor and the lifting of that fear would result in what we see at the end of Jedi, and presumably elsewhere. But the Imperial machine still exists, and as we've seen in Egypt, Iraq and Libya, you can take out the dictator, but what follows is not always what you wanted or expected.

But until the lights dim in December of next year, it's all speculation.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on August 21, 2014, 11:36 PM
I agree on the Emperor thing manipulating things, but I don't view him as "controlling large portions of the Senate" or anything.  Manipulating perhaps.  Ability to control an individual, perhaps.  Controlling who groups of people, like telepathically, to get his way?  Eh, I don't agree on that.  I'm with Darb on that, in that the Republic was inherently corrupt from the onset of our introduction to it in E1, on through really to the Imperial Senate of ANH which we only hear mentioned.  I think like all of politics, there's a pretty corrupt nature backing it with good people too, and people who are some of both.   :-X

Quote
'the' Rebel fleet massing near Sullust. Again it's inference it's the only one.

See I disagree with that inferring that there's only one.  I think it's pretty easy to take it either way, similarly to how everyone's called "Commander" but it doesn't denote a specific rank.  It could mean that indeed it's the only one, or it could mean it is just another one that's big enough to get attention.

For instance from the Empire's POV, someone could say, "The fleet has arrived, and will now blockade the Rebels from escaping the Death Star".  That's not the only Imperial Fleet it seems, but "The fleet" is still the appropriate thing to say.  It's an ambiguous thing to say, is I guess what I'm saying.

Likewise how would the Empire know the Alliance, who they're spread out trying to engage since at least the end of ANH, has this one fleet and that's all the ships they have to dub it "the (only) fleet"?  I think the more ambiguous use of the term is more likely then.

Not to say I don't think Lucas' intent was basically this is it, and this is all the Rebels can muster, and to save on models we'll paint 30 quasi-Mon Cal looking ships in background matte paintings, etc..  Like was said, it's the tidy movie ending scenario...  Tidy movie ending scenarios rarely make sense though, and I've always felt like there was more always going on...  From Yavin, to Hoth, to Endor, all the battles feel too small for the gigantic galactic nature of Star Wars. 

EU always backed that notion up but I don't view EU now any different than before.  Honestly I don't view anything Disney's doing as anything than just more EU at this point and Lucas has just bowed out and given up.

Let me also say, why would the Alliance put ALL their eggs in one basket, based on a strategy where their capital ships they're taking are playing a minor role in the mission?

First, what are the plans for those ships?  There are even non-combatant ships there which have unknown purpose (The Hoth Transports).  One theory is they're packed with explosives...  floating bombs.  There is at least one medical ship there which one may assume is relatively limited in armament, but why is it there? 

The fleet arrives at Endor, they're not surprised to show up and see nothing but a half-finished Death Star, and they just start flying towards it.  Again, what is the point of the Alliance fleet being there?  Why not just hyper ships in, let them do their thing, and leave, if you were expecting this?

I feel like the fleet the Alliance takes is there as a screen...  They'll park in an orbit away from the Death Star's range (supposed range), while the fighters go in.  They're likely holding reserve fighters back, ready to go when/if needed, to make sure this DS is destroyed, but they're maybe really only there to set up this basic blockade/screen of the area to make sure nothing gets away perhaps.

Obviously the Empire shows up with their own massive fleet, they pinch the Alliance between the DS and themselves, and "It's a Trap" and all that jazz.  But the Alliance fleet seems built for something other than a ship-to-ship battle taking place at this point.  It's almost like there are ships there for picking up survivors, evacuees, prisoners, extra fighter support, etc.

What it's NOT there to do, and we know this, is to A) engage the Empire's capital ship fleet, and B) engage a fully functional Death Star Super Laser (Bearing in mind Death Stars are also defensively designed against "large scale assault"...  so why try one?  The fighters sneaking in and out are the obvious only plan here).

So all that said, would the Alliance have committed their ENTIRE fleet to an engagement where A) they're not expecting ship-to-ship naval engagement outside of fighters, and B) they're not expecting to engage the Death Star itself in any role besides supporting the fighters going inside it to blow it up?

It seems to me the Alliance probably brought what they felt would get the job done, with a little extra umph for safety's sake, and it would've had its other fleets scattered around wherever they were before to avoid having all their eggs in one basket.

Just some thoughts...  Endor's also probably one of the more poorly thought-out battles in the OT too.  That doesn't help anything.  Yavin and Hoth were much more strategically sound battles it seemed.  ;D
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Darby on August 22, 2014, 08:22 AM
I agree there is some 'movie' logic at work in Jedi.  :)

Absolutely the Rebels, with the plan they had to destroy the Death Star, did not need their entire fleet, or an entire fleet. A small strike force would have sufficed as ultimately the squad led by Lando is what does in the DS. The shield generator is movie logic too, as placing it on the surface and not within the DS itself exposes a crucial security gap. This could be read as simply Imperial hubris or bureaucratic oversight, but still. So it's absolutely that Lucas wanted (and we wanted) the BIG BATTLE so we got the big battle. If the Rebels had extended their idea behind the capture of the Imperial Shuttle to say the capture of a Star Destroyers and its compliment of fighters, then that's a plan that makes more logical and practical sense. I love Jedi and the battle so I don't have huge problems with it, but it's clear from what behind the scenes stuff we've seen Lucas really, really wanted a planet of Ewoks and a Death Star and everything had to fit in from there. The infiltration of the shield generator was unnecessary when your ultimate aim is to launch an attack with the Rebel fleet, which can destroy the generator from orbit (Han destroys the entire forest anyways  ;D).

As for my own personal view of the rebels, and that's all it is, I always pictured the Rebels as very scattered and resource poor. What we see in the OT is them consolidating and marshaling their forces and for me, it is the combined rebel fleet at Endor, though I do agree it would make enormous sense for them to leave behind assets for continuity and support.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jeff on August 22, 2014, 10:15 AM
Not to derail the Ep7 thread further, but...

The infiltration of the shield generator was unnecessary when your ultimate aim is to launch an attack with the Rebel fleet, which can destroy the generator from orbit (Han destroys the entire forest anyways

If the Rebel base at Hoth had an energy shield that was strong enough to deflect bombardment from a Star Destroyer (according to Veers in the film), I'm willing to buy that the Empire's main Death Star Shield Generator had an energy shield that was able to withstand bombardment from a Mon Cal cruiser. ;)


Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on August 22, 2014, 01:00 PM
More Episode VII rumors came out yesterday.  These pertain to the current state of the Empire as well as the Alliance (http://makingstarwars.net/2014/08/rumor-based-speculation-star-wars-episode-vii-two-empires-strike-back/).  For the most part it sounds like there's a lot of speculation going on. 

I'm left wondering if we're going to get any sort of a Behind the Scenes look from JJ Abrams at some point this year.  At least, other than the Force for Change videos.  There was a pretty steady stream of imagery from the Official Site during production of the PT.  But this new trilogy seems to be shrouded in a lot of secrecy.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Darby on August 22, 2014, 01:41 PM
Got me there.

Not to derail the Ep7 thread further, but...

The infiltration of the shield generator was unnecessary when your ultimate aim is to launch an attack with the Rebel fleet, which can destroy the generator from orbit (Han destroys the entire forest anyways

If the Rebel base at Hoth had an energy shield that was strong enough to deflect bombardment from a Star Destroyer (according to Veers in the film), I'm willing to buy that the Empire's main Death Star Shield Generator had an energy shield that was able to withstand bombardment from a Mon Cal cruiser. ;)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on August 22, 2014, 03:05 PM
That could be interesting to have an Imperial Civil War. Basically the Alliance and a good portion of the Empire join forces to defeat the old royal guard Imperials. That way you could still have stormtroopers. But this time we would see Stormtrooper on Stormtrooper action. This could all be resolved in the Good Empire becoming the New Republic.

Wasn't this basically covered in War of Purification or the Imperial Mutany?

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Imperial_Civil_War (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Imperial_Civil_War)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt_Fury on August 22, 2014, 10:06 PM
I agree on the Emperor thing manipulating things, but I don't view him as "controlling large portions of the Senate" or anything.  Manipulating perhaps.  Ability to control an individual, perhaps.  Controlling who groups of people, like telepathically, to get his way?  Eh, I don't agree on that.  I'm with Darb on that, in that the Republic was inherently corrupt from the onset of our introduction to it in E1, on through really to the Imperial Senate of ANH which we only hear mentioned.  I think like all of politics, there's a pretty corrupt nature backing it with good people too, and people who are some of both.   :-X

How quickly they forget. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onhFH7jpq2c)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on August 22, 2014, 11:02 PM
I actually kind of like the idea of an Imperial Civil War, if for no other reason than an excuse to get chrome stormtroopers! But that sort of scenario to me would have made a lot more sense 2-3 years out from Jedi maybe, not 30.

Really, I guess I just feel like it detracts from the "ultimate happy ending" fantasy in my head where the people all rose up right after ROTJ and the Imperial machinery was dismantled overnight. The Republic was restored and their was a golden age of peace and prosperity free of Sith, Imperials, and Vong.  :P Childishly naive maybe, but I was seeing the movie as a kid after all.

I also feel like it's kind of a been there done that type of thing where I was hoping for something less derivative of the first movies. But that's not to say they can't make it all work marvelously. They've hit all the right notes to this point anyway.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Darby on August 23, 2014, 05:32 PM


How quickly they forget. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onhFH7jpq2c)

Fair enough.   ;)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt on September 10, 2014, 11:41 AM
Quote
The Falcon is being constructed at Royal Air Force Station Greenham Common in Berkshire. An X-Wing is on site as well.

From @FlyMAC_Popham:

(http://i.imgur.com/kEYF7hw.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on September 10, 2014, 12:04 PM
They need to keep this one when filming is over and put it in a museum somewhere.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jeff on September 10, 2014, 12:24 PM
I have a place for it in my backyard if they're looking for a place to keep it after filming is done. #ultimatehancollectible
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt_Fury on September 10, 2014, 01:06 PM
We're moving to a new home at the end of the month with three acres for that bad boy to sit on!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on September 10, 2014, 01:22 PM
I have a place for it in my backyard if they're looking for a place to keep it after filming is done. #ultimatehancollectible

+1 Ha!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on September 10, 2014, 06:32 PM
Good thing they put those red arrows in there so we could figure out what part is the Millennium Falcon and which part is just grass.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: GrandMoffNick on September 10, 2014, 07:14 PM
Good thing they put those red arrows in there so we could figure out what part is the Millennium Falcon and which part is just grass.

Glad at least one other person thinks like me.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jayson on September 12, 2014, 01:25 AM
Black X-wing

(http://static.squarespace.com/static/53323bb4e4b0cebc6a28ffa2/t/54124da5e4b018c63ceb253e/1410485670074/black-x-wing-v2.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on September 12, 2014, 04:01 AM
Are they flying drones over the film location to get some of these photos?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on September 12, 2014, 07:29 AM
I can't see the X-Wing - can someone toss in a red arrow where I'm supposed to look?  It could be anywhere.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on September 12, 2014, 09:47 AM
I can't see the X-Wing - can someone toss in a red arrow where I'm supposed to look?  It could be anywhere.

Dammit, you beat me to it.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt on September 12, 2014, 05:58 PM
Begun, the Drone Wars have!

There is a certain JD'er who I predict will lose his **** (in a good way) about this shot:

(http://i.imgur.com/fJHsRif.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: iFett on September 12, 2014, 06:48 PM
Thanks for the red arrow
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Greg on September 12, 2014, 07:56 PM
ZOMG IS THAT CONCRETE?!?!?

I'm liking the looks of these new vehicles.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on September 12, 2014, 11:32 PM
Eh...  Meh.

(As I secretly spank it to the photo.)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt on September 13, 2014, 12:43 AM
I put that giant arrow in there 'cause I figured you might go blind after a while.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on September 13, 2014, 11:06 AM
That will teach them to not build things out in the open.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: DSJ™ on September 18, 2014, 10:58 PM
Get Up Close and Personal with Star Wars: Episode VII’s Millennium Falcon with an Unlikely Surprise (http://www.superherohype.com/news/315663-get-up-close-and-personal-with-star-wars-episode-viis-millennium-falcon-with-an-unlikely-surprise#/slide/1)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Diddly on September 19, 2014, 06:55 AM
Not sure what the point of that was, but it was cool to see the Falcon!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jeff on September 19, 2014, 09:28 AM
Apparently Zack Snyder (Batman V Superman) and JJ Abrams have been having some weird cross-over twitter battle - between the two of them there have been pics posted of superman with a cloak and lightsaber, C-3PO (The C3Ped Crusader) standing watch over Gotham, GCPD officers arresting a stormtrooper, Batman and R2bin, etc. 

Check out the twitter feeds (@ZackSnyder, @bad_robot) for a look at them.  I guess this video was the latest round of Batman vs. Star Wars thing they have going on... 
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt_Fury on September 19, 2014, 07:30 PM
Does this mean that my BMF Falcon is now less accurate?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on September 19, 2014, 11:21 PM
If you decide to part with one over the accuracy issues, I'll give you like $20 for it.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt_Fury on September 20, 2014, 10:43 PM
I was thinking more along the lines lie I might have to try some customizing!   :D
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Matt on September 24, 2014, 11:47 AM
It'll be so nice to see actual guys in actual suits again.

Hundreds of them, apparently. Works for me.

Oscar Isaac talks Patricia Highsmith thriller and 'Star Wars: Episode VII' (http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/09/23/oscar-isaac-star-wars-two-faces-of-january/)

Quote
Have you had much interactions with the original trio of Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, and Mark Hamill on or off-screen?

Yeah, I have. Both. They’re such funny people. Carrie is hilarious and doing such cool work. Harrison is back. He went on hiatus for a little while, but he’s 150 percent back. It’s pretty amazing to see him bounce back. He looks incredible. Everyone’s having a really good time. J.J. sets that tone. There’s a lot of enthusiasm and it’s being done with a lot of heart. There’s nothing cynical about the way we’re doing this. Even in the way he’s shooting it—he’s shooting on film and actually building the sets, so you’ve got hundreds of Stormtroopers or whatever, and hundreds of extras and all the ships. You actually see it. It’s all real. Everyone can interact with the world.

What do you think of this culture of leaked photos from set and this insatiable hunger for specific details about this new installment?

People want to know all those special things and when those iconic moments are going to happen, but if all that gets revealed beforehand I feel like it robs people of that moment when they’re sitting there watching it for the first time.

The original Star Wars, of which you’ve said you’re a big fan, are filled with cheesy lines and dialogue which the actors have not shied away from criticizing over the years. How does this compare?

Yeah. [Laughs] I’m constantly looking for a cheesy line to say to harken back to the old ones. No, what they’re trying to do and what’s really great is J.J.’s been loosening it up a little bit and trying to make it alive and energized. It’s not formal. They’re messy, energized people. We’ve all intentionally tried to do that. Just make it a little more fiery and messy.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jayson on September 24, 2014, 02:20 PM
Does this mean that my BMF Falcon is now less accurate?

Yes, because the Falcon also sports a rectangular sensor dish.  ;)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jeff on September 24, 2014, 03:10 PM
Does this mean that my BMF Falcon is now less accurate?

Yes, because the Falcon also sports a rectangular sensor dish.  ;)

Stupid Lando.  I hope he at least paid for the new dish after smashing the old one.  >:(

That said, the BMF is still perfectly accurate for an OT Falcon...  I'm looking forward to buying the Hasbro Ep7 BMF with updated sensor dish and whatever other "special modifications" Han and Chewie have made since ROTJ.  ;D
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on September 24, 2014, 05:58 PM
I'm looking forward to buying the Hasbro Ep7 BMF with updated sensor dish and whatever other "special modifications" Han and Chewie have made since ROTJ.  ;D

I gotta say, I prefer the original.

(http://mffanrodders.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/millennium-falcon-car-1.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: StBrianOfMinneapolis on September 25, 2014, 09:03 AM
What's this new news about episode 7: Washington vs. Coruscant?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jayson on September 25, 2014, 01:54 PM
Chrome Trooper revealed? (http://indierevolver.com/2014/09/25/indie-revolver-exclusive-first-look-at-star-wars-episode-viis-chrome-trooper/)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on September 25, 2014, 02:25 PM
Someone realized the Emperor's "All plastic and let's just hope it's ok" doctrine was dumb.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jeff on October 2, 2014, 02:26 PM
It sounds like a MAJOR, movie-ruining Episode VII SPOILER has hit the net.  The story (but not the spoiler apparently) can be found HERE (http://badassdigest.com/2014/10/02/the-episode-vii-mystery-box-may-have-imploded/). 

It's making me seriously consider staying out of this thread (and off facebook and the JediDefender Twitter feed) for the next year to do everything I can to avoid having the movie ruined...  :-\
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on October 2, 2014, 03:31 PM
We should probably set this thread to either have, or not have, spoilers perhaps.  Just links if people want to click them maybe.   :-\

I'm avoiding anything major.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: P-Siddy on October 2, 2014, 04:57 PM
I just hope the new movies do not follow the 'formulaic' plot of the first 6 movies (thanks to the prequels that's what it becomes):

Obi-Wan dies in E4, Qui-Gon dies in E1, Luke dies in E7 (since he's the Jedi Master)
Luke loses a hand in E5, Ani loses a hand in E2, someone loses a hand in E8.
etc.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: iFett on October 2, 2014, 06:22 PM
Ya my FB is littered with Ep7 spoilers.  I couldn't resist on clicking on a few but would prefer to come in open minded like I did with Ep1 came out.  Probably too late for that now just sayin...
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: I Am Sith on October 2, 2014, 09:19 PM
I'm with you Jeff, I'm seriously considering going dark over the next year.  I liked seeing some of the footage of the ships and locations and knowing who the cast members are going to be, but I think I'm going to stay away from the plot details from here on out.  I'll catch the trailers once they start to come out, but that will probably be the extent of it.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on October 2, 2014, 10:13 PM
Doesn't bother me one way or the other, I would be curious to know what it is. Then again, I'm not going to go out of my way either.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on October 3, 2014, 03:49 PM
I think that I'm ready to tap out on the spoilers.  The more I hear from the cast about maintaining the element of surprise, the more I think that's the way to go.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Rob on October 3, 2014, 04:42 PM
Time for a non-spoiler thread!

(https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/5808588288/hAAD1EE45/)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: R5Don4 on October 4, 2014, 10:02 PM
I think that I'm ready to tap out on the spoilers.  The more I hear from the cast about maintaining the element of surprise, the more I think that's the way to go.

I mildly paid attention to TPM spoilers, so when I saw the movie, it sucked but I still enjoyed the experience.

For AOTC I stayed completely spoiler free and the shock was so severe when I saw that smoldering pile of ****, it threw me right off EVERYTHING Star Wars for like 2 years.

For ROTS, I mildly paid attention to spoilers and again, while it sucked, I was still able to enjoy the experience.  I am not going to go out of my way to remain spoiler free for Ep7, I'm like a goldfish that way I suppose, I require a bit of time to acclimatize myself.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Diddly on October 7, 2014, 03:14 AM
John Williams to begin composing E7 score in 2 weeks (http://makingstarwars.net/2014/10/john-williams-begins-work-star-wars-episode-vii-2-weeks/)

Pretty cool news to hear, and I'm hoping Williams has some good stuff in store. Outside of Duel of the Fates, the PT soundtracks were far from memorable, and I'm pretty sure he just phoned in Indy 4 like everybody else.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on October 7, 2014, 09:28 AM
Indy 4 OST was just recycled music from ROTLA. Very disappointing.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on October 7, 2014, 02:06 PM
Agreed, the last work he has done for LFL stuff hasn't been memorable really...  I hope he really has some impressive stuff for the new ones. 
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Diddly on October 7, 2014, 02:19 PM
Come to think of it, Battle of the Heroes was really well done for ROTS too... I actually really enjoy the Episode I soundtrack and give it a listen every once in a while when I listen to the OT soundtracks. I thought it was weird that they recycled music from TPM for the other two prequels (examples being podrace music during the scene where Gunships invade the arena and Qui Gon funeral music being reused for Padme's funeral). I wonder if Williams was simply unmotivated because Ben Burtt was drowning his stuff out with goofy sound effects.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jayson on October 7, 2014, 04:54 PM
Come to think of it, Battle of the Heroes was really well done for ROTS too... I actually really enjoy the Episode I soundtrack and give it a listen every once in a while when I listen to the OT soundtracks. I thought it was weird that they recycled music from TPM for the other two prequels (examples being podrace music during the scene where Gunships invade the arena and Qui Gon funeral music being reused for Padme's funeral). I wonder if Williams was simply unmotivated because Ben Burtt was drowning his stuff out with goofy sound effects.

I bet the prequels were a bitch to score with all of the editing and jumpcutting from locale to locale. The songs themselves are great on a CD (Duel of the Fates, Battle of the Heroes, etc.) but in the context of the films they got a bit muddled and lost some of their impact.

Speaking of editing, I hope for VII they do away with a lot of the screen wiping effects when going from scene to scene. They're fine when used sparingly but they got a bit overwrought as the prequel progressed.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: iFett on October 7, 2014, 06:56 PM
Speaking of editing, I hope for VII they do away with a lot of the screen wiping effects when going from scene to scene. They're fine when used sparingly but they got a bit overwrought as the prequel progressed.

Those were some of my favorite parts of the prequels.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on October 7, 2014, 07:12 PM
Agreed, they overdid it with that edit technique.  I get that it's a hallmark of sorts of the films, but for some reason it wasn't nearly as often or jumpy in the OT.  Maybe it was just a lot of location hopping in the PT compared to the OT?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: I Am Sith on October 7, 2014, 08:44 PM
Agreed, they overdid it with that edit technique.  I get that it's a hallmark of sorts of the films, but for some reason it wasn't nearly as often or jumpy in the OT.  Maybe it was just a lot of location hopping in the PT compared to the OT?

I couldn't agree more Jesse.  That was one of the things I hated the most from the PT compared to the OT.  Every wipe had to be a different shape or direction.  Very annoying to watch...
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jesse James on October 7, 2014, 09:57 PM
It wasn't something I thought about much till this discussion but it is indeed annoying and somehow different from the OT to me, for some reason.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on October 8, 2014, 10:33 AM
Instead of screen swipes, we are going to get a very large blinding lens flare right in the middle of the screen.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Nicklab on October 8, 2014, 03:16 PM
Those editing transitions are actually called WIPES.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Qui-Gon Jim on October 14, 2014, 12:19 PM
Instead of screen swipes, we are going to get a very large blinding lens flare right in the middle of the screen.
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jayson on October 15, 2014, 11:45 AM
In case you didn't hear, 32 concept images from EVII leaked onto the web late last night. Very cool stuff - I was blown away when they hit my mailbox.
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: McMetal on October 15, 2014, 12:26 PM
In case you didn't hear, 32 concept images from EVII leaked onto the web late last night. Very cool stuff - I was blown away when they hit my mailbox.

Link?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: JediJman on October 15, 2014, 04:23 PM
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/MarvelFreshman/news/?a=109313 (http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/MarvelFreshman/news/?a=109313)

Pretty cool stuff.  I love the stormtrooper look and hope they stick with that.  Gotta admit though I have reservations about someone digging up Vader's helmet.  Hmmnn...
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Scott on October 15, 2014, 08:36 PM
Funny that concept art was leaked again...anyone seen Dutch Cattle?  How about Tom Hodges?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Phrubruh on October 16, 2014, 01:10 PM
There is a concept art called Daisy Riddly and Darth Knight. Does that "Dark Knight" look like Darth Malgus to you?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Diddly on November 3, 2014, 03:35 AM
JJ's letter to cast and crew after production wraps up (http://i.imgur.com/oEsIA71.png)
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: Jeff on November 6, 2014, 12:08 PM
We have a name?  From StarWars.com Twitter:

Star Wars: The Force Awakens has completed principal photography. #StarWarsVII #TheForceAwakens (https://twitter.com/starwars/status/530404275957293056)

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B1xf4O0IUAAea_3.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Post by: Diddly on November 6, 2014, 02:13 PM
I like it... gives off the vibe that it has been 20 years and now some you-know-what is about to hit the fan.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Post by: EdSolo on November 6, 2014, 02:16 PM
I don't like that they have broken the pattern of the first two trilogies.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Post by: Nicklab on November 6, 2014, 03:12 PM
A title like this seems to imply that we're looking at a much bigger picture type of story.  And it may not be limited to the Jedi VS Sith conflict that we saw in the PT all the way through the OT.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Post by: Jayson on November 6, 2014, 03:15 PM
I don't like that they have broken the pattern of the first two trilogies.

You mean dropping the "Episode" naming convention?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Post by: McMetal on November 6, 2014, 03:24 PM
Not terrible...
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Post by: EdSolo on November 6, 2014, 03:30 PM
I don't like that they have broken the pattern of the first two trilogies.

You mean dropping the "Episode" naming convention?

No the parallels in the names of Ep 1 & IV, Ep II & V, and Ep III and VI.  TPM referred to Palpatine/Sidious and/or the Sith.  ANH referred to Luke.  The Force Awakens does not refer to a person or people.  I would think that they aren't going to drop the episode naming convention.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Post by: Jesse James on November 6, 2014, 03:52 PM
Maybe it refers to new people?  ???  Little early to assume it doesn't refer to someone tho isn't it?

I like it....  It seems to me it could refer to a lot of different possible things or people.  I dunno.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Post by: DSJ™ on November 6, 2014, 05:37 PM
(http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i306/DSJcdn/returnoftheoldfogies_zps84415f5d.jpg)   :P
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Post by: P-Siddy on November 6, 2014, 06:13 PM
I just keep thinking that Han and Leia refer to their love-life as The Force and Han had to ask 2-1B for some Viagra for his ED.  And if the movie is longer than 4 hours... he'll seek medical attention.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Post by: Phrubruh on November 6, 2014, 08:17 PM
Here's some more speculation about Luke.

http://makingstarwars.net/2014/11/star-wars-episode-vii-state-luke-skywalker/ (http://makingstarwars.net/2014/11/star-wars-episode-vii-state-luke-skywalker/)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Post by: EdSolo on November 7, 2014, 10:41 AM
Maybe it refers to new people?  ???  Little early to assume it doesn't refer to someone tho isn't it?

I like it....  It seems to me it could refer to a lot of different possible things or people.  I dunno.

It depends on if it is "The Force Awakens" or "The force Awakens".  Nathan P. Butler speculated that it could be an army that is awakened out of stasis.  If that is the case, then the title would fit the pattern.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Post by: Brian on November 7, 2014, 01:10 PM
I'm ok with the title.  It isn't anything amazing, but it doesn't stink either.  Probably somewhere in the middle in the listing of the titles so far.  That being said, it is just nice to get something "official" about this movie finally.  I know it is over a year away still, but it would be kind of nice to get a set pic here or character name there once in awhile.  There are rumors that a teaser trailer has already been cut and completed, so maybe we'll see something (likely very little) before the end of the year.  Wouldn't mind seeing some official pics of some of the original cast released, since we know they are in the movie (and of course, who they are playing).
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Post by: Diddly on November 9, 2014, 06:23 PM
I've been wondering what the timeline will be for trailers too. When the movies were out in May, we would get teasers in November and full trailers around March. I'm guessing we don't see anything until they attach something to Age of Ultron.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Post by: McMetal on November 18, 2014, 02:28 PM
Why do I keep reading reports that Darth Bane is in this movie? Are they just misidentifying the character or is he completely being reimagined in a more contemporary context?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Post by: Phrubruh on November 19, 2014, 09:43 AM
I think that is from the one leaked shot where the girl jedi is battling a guy that looks like Darth Bane. I think he looks more like Darth Malgus myself.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Post by: Matt on November 23, 2014, 03:21 PM
(http://i.imgur.com/cxpFAs9.gif)

MakingStarWars.net: Update! Is this a GIF shot from the Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser? (http://makingstarwars.net/2014/11/shot-star-wars-force-awakens-teaser/)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Post by: P-Siddy on November 23, 2014, 07:12 PM
Lens flare from blaster fire!
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Post by: Matt on December 5, 2014, 10:34 AM
Is this a GIF shot from the Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser?

Nope!

*******************

Lots of new (potential?) spoilers in this Reddit thread (http://www.reddit.com/r/StarWars/comments/2o4hhp/rumor_potential_4chan_episode_vii_leak_part_2/).

Quote
Max Von Sydow’s character is not Boba Fett, Darth Maul, or Mace Windu.

While Sydow’s identity is a surprise, it’s not necessarily earth-shattering. It’s the sort of thing that hardcore fans would be excited about, but overly casual fans likely won’t realize the significance of. Sydow’s identity does have meaning, but you need to know the context.

Quote
[–]midoriiro 1 point 17 hours ago

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that Max Von Sydow’s Identity is this guy: http://goo.gl/I1TmVV (Lobot from Cloud City)

He is a cyborg from the original trilogy. He was located in Cloud City where Luke lost his lightsaber, and Luke's lightsaber is apparently what causes a massive turn of events. If it is found by Kira and Sydow's character is with Kira then it would make sense for him to be the same person/cyborg/robot or whatever.

Ohhhhhhhhhh ****, y'all.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Post by: Scott on December 5, 2014, 10:50 AM
Holeee ****...imagine how full the Duplex will be after Episode VII swag comes out

http://www.jedidefender.com/lobotsdup/

I think I asked you, what ever happened to the Ritz cracker? 
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Post by: Nicklab on December 5, 2014, 10:52 AM
Is this a GIF shot from the Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser?

Nope!

*******************

Lots of new (potential?) spoilers in this Reddit thread (http://www.reddit.com/r/StarWars/comments/2o4hhp/rumor_potential_4chan_episode_vii_leak_part_2/).

Quote
Max Von Sydow’s character is not Boba Fett, Darth Maul, or Mace Windu.

While Sydow’s identity is a surprise, it’s not necessarily earth-shattering. It’s the sort of thing that hardcore fans would be excited about, but overly casual fans likely won’t realize the significance of. Sydow’s identity does have meaning, but you need to know the context.

Quote
[–]midoriiro 1 point 17 hours ago

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that Max Von Sydow’s Identity is this guy: http://goo.gl/I1TmVV (Lobot from Cloud City)

He is a cyborg from the original trilogy. He was located in Cloud City where Luke lost his lightsaber, and Luke's lightsaber is apparently what causes a massive turn of events. If it is found by Kira and Sydow's character is with Kira then it would make sense for him to be the same person/cyborg/robot or whatever.

Ohhhhhhhhhh ****, y'all.

THIS POST is the very reason why this site needs a LIKE button.  Like, RIGHT NOW. 

;)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Post by: Matt on December 5, 2014, 11:28 AM
Holeee ****...imagine how full the Duplex will be after Episode VII swag comes out

http://www.jedidefender.com/lobotsdup/

I am making contingency plans (http://www.amazon.com/John-Sterling-KT-0148-818WT-8-Inch-18-Inch/dp/B0042U9NQG/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1417796088&sr=8-7&keywords=wall+shelf) as we speak.

Quote
I think I asked you, what ever happened to the Ritz cracker? 

I had it shellacked so I can continue to use it to demonstrate scale whenever I photograph the collection. It's the Duplex's version of the Sideshow apple.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Post by: RyanMan12 on December 5, 2014, 11:47 AM
Is this a GIF shot from the Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser?

Nope!

*******************

Lots of new (potential?) spoilers in this Reddit thread (http://www.reddit.com/r/StarWars/comments/2o4hhp/rumor_potential_4chan_episode_vii_leak_part_2/).

Quote
Max Von Sydow’s character is not Boba Fett, Darth Maul, or Mace Windu.

While Sydow’s identity is a surprise, it’s not necessarily earth-shattering. It’s the sort of thing that hardcore fans would be excited about, but overly casual fans likely won’t realize the significance of. Sydow’s identity does have meaning, but you need to know the context.

Quote
[–]midoriiro 1 point 17 hours ago

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that Max Von Sydow’s Identity is this guy: http://goo.gl/I1TmVV (Lobot from Cloud City)

He is a cyborg from the original trilogy. He was located in Cloud City where Luke lost his lightsaber, and Luke's lightsaber is apparently what causes a massive turn of events. If it is found by Kira and Sydow's character is with Kira then it would make sense for him to be the same person/cyborg/robot or whatever.

Ohhhhhhhhhh ****, y'all.
oh good someone else posted... we can post spoilers?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on December 8, 2014, 10:26 AM
In this thread, yes. Not in the other thread.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jeff on December 11, 2014, 04:46 PM
CHARACTER NAMES!

'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' character names revealed (in coolest way possible) -- exclusive (http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/12/11/star-wars-the-force-awakens-character-names/?linkId=11111048)

Rolly-Ball Droid = BB-8
Oscar Isaacs = Poe Dameron
red lightsaber cross guy = Kylo Ren
Daisy Ridley = Rey
John Boyega = Finn
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on December 11, 2014, 05:24 PM
Very cool way to reveal the character names.  I certainly appreciated it!  The article stated that the card numbering is actually done in a very deliberate way.

Personally, I'm thinking that Kylo Ren may be Adam Driver's character.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jesse James on December 11, 2014, 07:37 PM
Big Balls 8.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: SnTrooper on December 11, 2014, 08:31 PM
red lightsaber cross guy = Kylo Ren
Interesting choice considering: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Kybo_Ren
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: McMetal on December 11, 2014, 09:56 PM
Very cool way to reveal the character names.  I certainly appreciated it!  The article stated that the card numbering is actually done in a very deliberate way.

Personally, I'm thinking that Kylo Ren may be Adam Driver's character.

I agree...Kylo "The Graverobber" Ren.

Max von Sydow as Lobot?! That's crazy.

"Finn Calrissian" has a nice ring to it though!
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on December 12, 2014, 09:30 AM
Very cool way to reveal the character names.  I certainly appreciated it!  The article stated that the card numbering is actually done in a very deliberate way.

Personally, I'm thinking that Kylo Ren may be Adam Driver's character.

I agree...Kylo "The Graverobber" Ren.


Rumors were circulating that Driver's character was searching for Sith artifacts and tombs.  The jagged nature of that lightsaber blade does make it seem like it could be ancient in origin, as if it were taken from the tomb of some long dead Sith.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jayson on December 16, 2014, 11:23 AM
Captain Phasma? (http://www.stitchkingdom.com/disney-star-wars-episode-vii-force-awakens-trademarks-reveal-character-captain-phasma-73740/)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on December 16, 2014, 01:52 PM
George must have named that one. Yikes!
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jayson on December 22, 2014, 11:12 AM
Here is a first look (http://chinese-starwars.com/chineseforum/viewtopic.php?t=19834) at some of the 6" figures.

Plus a new shot of the Kylo Ren helmet (http://indierevolver.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/wpid-bumblebee.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on December 22, 2014, 11:53 AM
It reminds me of a Cobra officer helmet.

(http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/scale_small/9/98410/1792298-cobra_officer.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on December 22, 2014, 01:01 PM
Here is a first look (http://chinese-starwars.com/chineseforum/viewtopic.php?t=19834) at some of the 6" figures.

Plus a new shot of the Kylo Ren helmet (http://indierevolver.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/wpid-bumblebee.jpg)

Very reminiscent of some of the McQuarrie concepts for Darth Vader's helmet.  Much more samurai inspired, IMHO.

(http://www.starwarshelmets.com/2007/RMQconceptvad01.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: McMetal on December 31, 2014, 12:10 PM
So...new Millenium Falcon unveiled. Other than the square radar dish does not seem all that wildly different to me. I was hoping for some flames on the side or a couple of new rear spoilers.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jayson on January 16, 2015, 10:49 AM
Some new concept art  (http://millenniumfalcon.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=2015&t=9576)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Scott on February 10, 2015, 06:13 PM
Domhnall Gleeson Tweeted out that he was the Son of Skywalker today and it has since been removed...hmmm
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on February 10, 2015, 07:39 PM
We can't have a Weasley be a Skywalker. That's just wrong.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: JediJman on February 11, 2015, 04:31 PM
Domhnall Gleeson Tweeted out that he was the Son of Skywalker today and it has since been removed...hmmm

Debunked (http://entertainment.ie/cinema/news/No-idiots-Domhnall-Gleeson-is-NOT-playing-Luke-Skywalkers-son-in-The-Force-Awakens/339638.htm) as a fake twitter handle.  The imposter didn't even spell his name right.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on February 18, 2015, 12:57 PM
A major, *MAJOR* spoiler may have just leaked via Making Star Wars.  I'm not going to say anything more than that.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: McMetal on February 18, 2015, 01:42 PM
A major, *MAJOR* spoiler may have just leaked via Making Star Wars.  I'm not going to say anything more than that.

WHOAAA! And in the very first film no less! Ballsy...
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on February 20, 2015, 10:07 AM
Sounds like The gods must be crazy to me.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on February 20, 2015, 12:41 PM
If it's true it could also be related to some concept art of a particular character's partner in crime / smuggling.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Matt on April 15, 2015, 07:40 PM
(http://i.imgur.com/lRHw873.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: McMetal on April 15, 2015, 07:53 PM
Lol...reminds me of that old MOTU figure TrapJaw.

Good stuff, looking forward to a slew of new spoilers info this week.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jesse James on April 15, 2015, 09:14 PM
Looks "evolved", which was what I was hoping for.  Making joints less clunky and clanky, and uncomfortable for the wearer.  Making essentially more effective armor without radical redesigning from ROTJ to this point...  Star Wars and things evolving tends to be at a glacial pace, and it looks like TFA is taking a similar stance.  I love it.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on April 16, 2015, 09:37 AM
More promo images have leaked out from Celebration, and the doors aren't even open yet.  Check out some of these images of Kylo Ren, what may be Captain Phasma and the new look for the Stormtroopers.  There's even a glimpse of a new type of Imperial Shuttle:

https://twitter.com/bravoINTEL/status/588679109770752000 (https://twitter.com/bravoINTEL/status/588679109770752000)

Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: P-Siddy on April 16, 2015, 09:48 AM
Flame-thrower-trooper
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on April 16, 2015, 10:15 AM
The panel for The Force Awakens with director JJ Abrams and producer Kathleen Kennedy will be streaming live on YouTube at 1:00 pm ET /  10:00 am PT thanks to the Star Wars official YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UY64GfyovE
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: McMetal on April 16, 2015, 10:26 AM
Damn, I'm getting psyched!!
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on April 16, 2015, 10:37 AM
I'm really glad that they decided to livestream the presentation.  And from looking at the program schedule it seems that they're not only holding the presentation in a single hall, but they're also simulcasting it in other event halls throughout the convention center.  So where in past Celebrations maybe only 3000 or so very lucky people who could get into that hall got to see the presentation, now almost everyone will get a chance to see the presentation as it happens.  And streaming it live is fantastic for those of us who couldn't make it to this Celebration.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jeff on April 16, 2015, 12:26 PM
Between listening to local sports radio for #mnwild playoffs coverage and waiting for this JJ Panel to start streaming, I'm essentially 100% ineffective at work today...  :-[
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on April 16, 2015, 12:57 PM
I was trying to sync my iPad with my flatscreen with the YouTube app, but I got a message in the app saying that the Force Awakens event would not be viewable on that device (the flatscreen).  What gives?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: McMetal on April 16, 2015, 02:11 PM
Work, what work??  ::)

That was a kick ass panel to start things off right. Desert planet of Jacoo!

And that new trailer....OMG, I can't wait 8 more months!

Vader's melted helmet is my new wallpaper. Total badassery!
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on April 16, 2015, 02:17 PM
I am so glad that I had today off.  I would have gotten NOTHING done at work today.

It was fantastic to see the cast onstage together.  R2-D2 looks fantastic, but I am really astounded by the fact that they built a functional BB-8.  Just amazing!

And the trailer?  Whoa.  Where to start?  Crashed Star Destroyers?  The new Stormtroopers?  Leia being handed Luke's original lightsaber?  The Falcon in action?  Luke meditating and providing the voiceover?  Kylo Ren?  But the capper was clearly Han Solo and Chewbacca back aboard the Falcon.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Matt on April 16, 2015, 02:35 PM
Leia being handed Luke's original lightsaber?

(http://i.imgur.com/cvN0TYe.gif)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jeff on April 16, 2015, 02:36 PM
R2-D2 looks fantastic, but I am really astounded by the fact that they built a functional BB-8.  Just amazing!

Some crazy Disney tech come to life it sounded like. Amazing that he could roll around like that.  Really, really cool little droid - and much smaller than I was expecting too.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Pete_Fett on April 16, 2015, 02:44 PM
When they brought out BB-8 on stage - that was just amazing. The fact that he can roll around and move his head in such an expressive manner is really amazing.

And the new teaser - WOW. I got misty-eyed when, what was most likely Luke, reached out and put his hand on R2's dome.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Diddly on April 16, 2015, 03:02 PM
The only thing that sucks is that the new trailer means that the leaked script/concept art from last fall WAS real. Gotta stay away from anything new that leaks.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Scott on April 17, 2015, 12:39 PM
Rebels and Empire no more?

http://ap.ign.com/star-wars-episodes-vii/88656/news/star-wars-celebration-the-empire-and-rebels-new-na

Resistance vs First Order
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Scott on April 17, 2015, 12:40 PM
Leia being handed Luke's original lightsaber?

(http://i.imgur.com/cvN0TYe.gif)
Will John Hollis be CGI or do you think they recast the role? 
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on April 17, 2015, 12:42 PM
Why does Kylo Ren look like Darth Revan?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on April 17, 2015, 12:45 PM
What's cool is to see JJ and Kathleen having a good time at SWC. George always looked like he wanted to run away.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Matt on April 17, 2015, 01:04 PM
Will John Hollis be CGI or do you think they recast the role? 

CGI head on a body double, Paul Walker-style.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on April 17, 2015, 02:54 PM
(https://i.imgflip.com/kb6e9.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on April 17, 2015, 04:24 PM
Will John Hollis be CGI or do you think they recast the role? 

CGI head on a body double, Paul Walker-style.

But will he say "Guilty" to an aged Valorum/Terence Stamp?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Matt on May 3, 2015, 01:29 PM
(http://i.imgur.com/Dz29tHE.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on May 3, 2015, 09:30 PM
Vanity Fair is set to release an article in conjunction with that cover tomorrow to commemorate May the 4th be with you.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on May 4, 2015, 09:17 AM
I like the shots of the snowtroopers but could this be a bad omen? Vanity Fair had a similar article and cover for Episode one. We all know how that turned out.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on May 4, 2015, 10:35 AM
Some cool behind the scenes shots in the full VF article (http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/05/star-wars-force-awakens-photos#6), along with some video, too.


(http://photos.vanityfair.com/2015/05/01/5543ca95801ffcbc36b3417b_vanity-fair-star-wars-01.jpg)

(http://photos.vanityfair.com/2015/05/01/5543ca99801ffcbc36b341a7_vanity-fair-star-wars-04.jpg)

(http://photos.vanityfair.com/2015/05/01/5543ca95db753b82389cbd94_vanity-fair-star-wars-02.jpg)

(http://photos.vanityfair.com/2015/05/01/5543ca99db753b82389cbdc0_vanity-fair-star-wars-03.jpg)

(http://photos.vanityfair.com/2015/05/01/5543ca9d801ffcbc36b341d3_vanity-fair-star-wars-06.jpg)

(http://photos.vanityfair.com/2015/05/01/5543d10edb753b82389cbe66_vanity-fair-star-wars-07.jpg)



Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on May 5, 2015, 10:11 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFu_dxwU-sk
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Matt_Fury on May 5, 2015, 07:39 PM
I hope that shot of Adam Driver isn't in the movie.  I just think it would be cool if Kylo Ren keeps his mask on all the time.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jesse James on May 5, 2015, 08:06 PM
So, like, is that morbidly obese Bossk up there?

"Bossk Hogg", per se?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: P-Siddy on May 5, 2015, 10:03 PM
So, like, is that morbidly obese Bossk up there?

"Bossk Hogg", per se?

If it is, you know you have to have a figure of him with your Bossk collection.  :-*
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jesse James on May 5, 2015, 10:45 PM
I want him to have a hover-scooter too, like he would use at a futuristic Wal-Mart.

I like that he's so fat he squints, like that guy I always see shopping here.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Diddly on May 5, 2015, 11:57 PM
Pretty big spoilers dropped by VF, IMO... now we can confirm that the character formerly known as Rose is really Maz Kanata (played by Lupita Nyong'o), has Anakin/Luke's saber, and her castle is attacked at some point by Phasma, played by Gwendoline Christie.

Anyone notice the dude in the picture of the space pirates wearing an old Stormtrooper helmet painted black? Right to the left of the red dude. I kinda wish there were more "classic" aliens, or even PT aliens thrown in, but it's all good. Just from that picture alone, I can tell this castle scene will feel more like the Mos Eisley Cantina than that stupid Coruscant bar from AOTC.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: P-Siddy on May 6, 2015, 09:49 AM
Maybe Hasbro can make a FurBossk that flatulates.  :-X
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on May 6, 2015, 10:22 AM
So, like, is that morbidly obese Bossk up there?

"Bossk Hogg", per se?

I saw that Trandoshan and thought it was Gah Nackht with a pituitary gland problem. 
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Darby on May 6, 2015, 10:54 AM
As cool as the aliens are, I don't expect any of them to be the main attraction or even noticeable in the film. I remember the rollout for TPM was somewhat similar in that we saw a lot of background stuff like Tatooine street aliens before anything substantial and this is somewhat similar. So I expect A LOT more volume and variety. Though I have to say what I really wanted with this movie was some 'new' and the pirates are giving that.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on May 16, 2015, 07:41 AM
Just who is Daniel Craig playing (http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/05/daniel-craig-will-have-a-secret-cameo-as-a-stormtr.html?utm_source=PMNL&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=150515) in THE FORCE AWAKENS?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on May 23, 2015, 10:40 PM
Just who is Daniel Craig playing (http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/05/daniel-craig-will-have-a-secret-cameo-as-a-stormtr.html?utm_source=PMNL&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=150515) in THE FORCE AWAKENS?

Semaj Dnob - A playboy secret agent for the Resistance. Rumored to be in the Specter star cluster. Last seen on planet Skyfall.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on May 28, 2015, 02:12 PM
Check out more from the Vanity Fair article (http://www.starwars.com/news/capturing-a-galaxy-an-interview-with-annie-leibovitz-exclusive) including a look at Andy Serkis in mo-cap gear portraying his newly named character Supreme Leader Snoke. 
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jeff on May 28, 2015, 02:20 PM
Supreme Leader Snoke.

Oh man, I hope he looks like this...

(http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/snorks/images/5/5c/Allstar.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20100607233847)

Oh, wait you said Snoke, not Snork.   :(
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on May 28, 2015, 02:29 PM
The name really could evoke a range of images. Like?

(http://www.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/2010612/300.snooki.lr.071210.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on May 28, 2015, 03:08 PM
Are we sure Lucas has nothing to do with character naming this time?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Diddly on May 28, 2015, 06:01 PM
Hmm... can't say I'm a fan of the name, but at the same time I hated a lot of the Prequel names the first time I heard them too.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jesse James on May 28, 2015, 08:23 PM
That last image seems a tad aggressive for the kids.  I'd be afraid to take little ones to the film.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on June 22, 2015, 08:12 AM
Some pretty awesome images from THE FORCE AWAKENS in this Making Star Wars post (http://makingstarwars.net/2015/06/first-look-pics-of-domhnall-gleesons-the-general-and-han-solo-piloting-the-falcon/).

Oh, and how about the return of Admiral Ackbar and Nien Nunb (http://makingstarwars.net/2015/06/first-look-at-gorwyn-and-a-couple-of-returning-friends-in-star-wars-the-force-awakens/)?!?!?!
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on July 6, 2015, 04:50 PM
Check out this EW article about the Star Wars presentation at SDCC 2015 (http://www.ew.com/article/2015/07/06/star-wars-comic-con-panel).  The panel happens this Friday:


Star Wars: The Force Awakens at Comic-Con: What you'll see … and what you won't

No trailer, but Lucasfilm has other surprises planned for San Diego's geekstravaganza

by Anthony Breznican • @Breznican


Posted July 6 2015 — 4:07 PM EDT


“Your eyes can deceive you. Don’t trust them.” So says Obi-Wan Kenobi, but Entertainment Weekly has learned some details about the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens panel at San Diego Comic-Con that you can count on.

'Star Wars: Uprising' gives first look at post-'Return of the Jedi' period
First of all, the presentation this Friday afternoon will not include a trailer or any new clips of the movie. The next trailer will be coming in the fall, according to sources with knowledge of the project.

But don’t go hurling your cup of blue milk at the wall just yet. There will be other surprises.

Roughly six months before the Dec. 18 release, the Comic-Con panel will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the highly secretive film, which was completely locked down to press during production. (It’s still locked down. Lucasfilm and parent company Disney declined requests for comment.)

Director J.J. Abrams, screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy are already confirmed as part of the panel, which will be moderated by Nerdist impresario and Talking Dead host Chris Hardwick.

Although EW hasn’t learned just which of the cast members will be joining them, our spies say there will be several actors who haven’t yet spoken publicly about their roles venturing onstage in Hall H.

In advance of The Force Awakens panel, there will be two publishing presentations Friday morning about upcoming Star Wars books, but those will also be somewhat restricted in what they can reveal.

Chuck Wendig (Blackbirds, Under the Empyrean Sky), author of the novel Star Wars: Aftermath, will be discussing his personal history with the galaxy far, far away during a Friday morning panel, but won’t be able to dive too deeply into the plot of his book, which explores the battles between the Empire and the Rebellion following the events of Return of the Jedi. Much of that will remain under wraps until closer to the book’s Sept. 4 debut.

A panel for middle-grade books will have more to reveal, since most of their stories are retellings of the original trilogy. Alexandra Bracken (the Darkest Minds series), will discuss The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy—a is series of first-person perspectives from Leia, Luke, and Han about the events from the original Star Wars.

Adam Gidwitz (A Tale Dark and Grim series), will explore retelling The Empire Strikes Back from Luke’s perspective in So You Want To Be a Jedi, and Tom Angleberger (The Star Wars Origami books), will share his quest to bring humor to Return of the Jedi with Beware the Power of the Dark Side.

Finally, Tony Diterlizzi (The Spiderwick Chronicles) will showcase his picture book retelling of the original trilogy, illustrated with artwork by the late Ralph McQuarrie, the concept artist who devised the look for much of George Lucas’s universe.

Before The Force Awakens trailer hits this fall, there will be even more Star Wars at Disney’s D23 fan convention in Anaheim this August. Until then, remember these words of wisdom from The Emperor …






Not really surprised that there won't be another trailer shown at SDCC2015.  We've had the teaser and the first real trailer at SWCA.  The speculation about a trailer being shown at D23 in August is worth noting, though.  I think there's also the possibility that they're holding that final trailer for PERHAPS the fall season premiere of REBELS or something else on the ABC tv network.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jesse James on July 10, 2015, 09:24 PM
Enjoying what's coming in.  :)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Diddly on July 13, 2015, 11:39 AM
Making Star Wars posted a pretty cool article (http://makingstarwars.net/2015/07/star-wars-the-force-awakens-spoilers-from-the-battle-of-endor-to-the-battle-of-jakku-galactic-conflict/) with some possible leaks for the Aftermath book. Sounds like there will be more PT involvement than we've been led to believe so far. I really like the blip about Mas Amedda becoming the default "leader" after Endor.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jeff on August 12, 2015, 09:56 AM
'Star Wars: The Force Awakens': 12 exclusive EW looks at the new galaxy (http://www.ew.com/gallery/star-wars-force-awakens-first-look-gallery/2274288_clone-all-crops-gallery-star-wars-force-awakens-2015-daisy-ridley-and-john-boyega-0?hootPostID=0a5ae418daafa975bebe0f8bcec2e3d6)

How Luke Skywalker lured J.J. Abrams into directing Star Wars: The Force Awakens (http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/12/star-wars-luke-skywalker-hooked-jj-abrams?hootPostID=f94c160c5ac38d0988f1fa6d6b3f2925)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Kylo Ren's shroud is pulled back at last, but... (http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/12/star-wars-force-awakens-kylo-ren)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens: J.J. Abrams explains what's in a name (http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/12/star-wars-force-awakens-character-names?hootPostID=56cc9f30174a8664a8d5cf5afa476b80)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jeff on August 12, 2015, 03:54 PM
Star Wars: The Force Awakens: J.J. Abrams explains what's in a name (http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/12/star-wars-force-awakens-character-names?hootPostID=56cc9f30174a8664a8d5cf5afa476b80)

I read this and was glad that the internet rumor about Edgar Allen Poe wasn't true...  (as in "The ReyFinn" by Edgar Allen Poe). :P

Also neat to get some more info on the little alien guy who has BB-8 in that net in the EW pics. :)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on August 12, 2015, 05:50 PM
Poor 3PO. No one can ever find replacement parts that match the rest of his body. He always has to look like some beater car. How hard is it to find gold parts or at least a spray can?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: P-Siddy on August 12, 2015, 06:31 PM
Poor 3PO. No one can ever find replacement parts that match the rest of his body. He always has to look like some beater car. How hard is it to find gold parts or at least a spray can?

You'd think one of the heroes of the Republic would get some decent parts.  I mean Artoo gets blasted by Vader during the Battle of Yavin and he's all pristine for the awards ceremony.  Who knows what's up with Threepio in the thirty years that he loses an arm and can't get the matching part.  You'd think the Solo/Organa/Skywalker clan would take better care of their family heirloom.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Matt_Fury on August 13, 2015, 04:55 AM
By the end of Episode IX he will be nothing but Bondo and Primer.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on August 13, 2015, 05:43 AM
Poor 3PO. No one can ever find replacement parts that match the rest of his body. He always has to look like some beater car. How hard is it to find gold parts or at least a spray can?

You'd think one of the heroes of the Republic would get some decent parts.  I mean Artoo gets blasted by Vader during the Battle of Yavin and he's all pristine for the awards ceremony.  Who knows what's up with Threepio in the thirty years that he loses an arm and can't get the matching part.  You'd think the Solo/Organa/Skywalker clan would take better care of their family heirloom.

I think C-3PO's status as a walking pile of spare parts shows just how busted ass "The Resistance" is 30 years after the Battle of Endor. 

Call it a theory.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on August 13, 2015, 09:06 AM
I guess parts for 3PO are an arm and a leg.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Darby on August 13, 2015, 11:02 AM
Pure speculation, but I think 3-PO's red arm signifies he is part of the First Order. The FO does a lot of red, especially red markings on the left side of things (the Special Forces TIE, Phasma's cloak) so I think this is in keeping with that. How/why/if he really is of course no idea, and the image of him yesterday with R2 has him among Resistance people, so who's to say. But it would be an interesting way of utilizing a character who has no function in the plot anymore. He could be a spy/plant.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jeff on August 13, 2015, 12:21 PM
My guess is 3PO made a deal with the Robot Devil, like Fry did. 

("The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings" is still my favorite episode of Futurama. ;))
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jeff on August 13, 2015, 12:26 PM
Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Inside Harrison Ford's return as Han Solo (http://Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Inside Harrison Ford's return as Han Solo)

Quote
"The minute Harrison and Chewie walked on board the Millennium Falcon — that was incredible," she tells EW. “Every single person on the set was stunned. I remember turning around, and there must have been 200 people gathered behind me — completely quiet. I didn’t even know they were there. The whole crew had stopped working, staring at the monitor, because it was so iconic.”

I'm totally going to cry when I see this movie...   :'(
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on August 13, 2015, 03:18 PM
So, the Knights of Ren.... Someone really needs to parody that with Ren & Stimpy.

(http://www.irenesinternet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/StarWarsRenStimpy.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: P-Siddy on August 14, 2015, 12:37 PM
So, the Knights of Ren....

Unfortunately the Knights Who Say "Ni" was already taken.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Matt on August 14, 2015, 12:58 PM
Everyone's seen this by now, yeah?

(http://i.imgur.com/3PUr9eY.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Diddly on September 23, 2015, 02:27 PM
The Official Star Wars Facebook Page put up an awesome 360 degree interactive video on Jakku (https://www.facebook.com/StarWars/videos/vb.169299103121699/1030579940326940/?type=2&theater)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jeff on September 24, 2015, 12:30 PM
The Official Star Wars Facebook Page put up an awesome 360 degree interactive video on Jakku (https://www.facebook.com/StarWars/videos/vb.169299103121699/1030579940326940/?type=2&theater)

Lots of interesting things to see in that Facebook Jakku video - liked the dudes in the landspeeder and the little cameo at the end. 
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jesse James on September 24, 2015, 09:31 PM
I enjoyed it despite it running a tad choppy on my admittedly poopy machine.  It was pretty fun to fiddle with and just look around. :)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Diddly on September 27, 2015, 11:23 PM
Interesting to note that the speeder that pops up is the toy that has the jacketless Finn figure, and I guess the goons in it are the guys from the box's artwork. BB-8 cameo at the very end there, and I'm assuming that's Poe's X-Wing flying around there.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on October 18, 2015, 12:03 PM
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CRnIPhQUYAAoupy.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: SnTrooper on October 18, 2015, 12:55 PM
Death Star?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: DSJ™ on October 18, 2015, 01:00 PM
Starkiller base... 
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on October 18, 2015, 01:15 PM
I can't help but think that the way Kylo Ren's lightsaber and Rey's staff are shown so deliberately parallel that there is some measure of relation between the two of them.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: iFett on October 18, 2015, 04:48 PM
Am I missing Luke somewhere ?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: P-Siddy on October 18, 2015, 07:06 PM
Beautiful.  Now, where can I buy that?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jesse James on October 18, 2015, 08:34 PM
Nah Luke noticeably absent.  Hmmm.  Gone all hermit perhaps?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on October 18, 2015, 08:50 PM
I assume this Starkiller base can destroy suns like that little missile did Star Trek:Generations?  I assume they have away to move this planet and keep gravity working after destroying a nearby sun? What's wrong with having a little ship called the Sun Crusher stolen by a crazy dark Jedi?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Diddly on October 19, 2015, 12:18 AM
The absence of Luke confirms that he is Kylo Ren, who will obviously turn out to be Darth Plagueis. :D
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Matt_Fury on October 19, 2015, 01:03 AM
The absence of Luke confirms that he is Kylo Ren, who will obviously turn out to be Darth Plagueis. :D

DAMMIT Diddly!  Spoiler warnings!   >:(
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on October 19, 2015, 11:37 AM
That blows my idea that Kylo Ren is the grandson of Jar Jar Binks.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on October 19, 2015, 11:48 AM
But but but.... THE STAFF!!!  They haven't explained THE STAFF!!!!

;)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on October 23, 2015, 05:57 PM
(http://i.imgur.com/2nwigJ5.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: P-Siddy on November 7, 2015, 10:11 AM
Back to the US trailer, there's a scene of a forest planet burning up (after seeing Poe being tortured).  I wonder if that could be Endor?  It could fit if what I heard about the Knights of Rens' agenda is correct (collecting Vader things and destroying the rest).  Plus the New Order might destroy the planet since it was the home to the decisive victory and the fall of the Emperor, Vader and Empire. 

Of course, pure speculation, but that would be a "whoa" moment.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jayson on December 10, 2015, 11:29 AM
Sick new Chinese trailer. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECYgD7zylrE)  :o :o :o :o
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: McMetal on December 10, 2015, 01:54 PM
That was completely brilliant!
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Matt_Fury on December 11, 2015, 11:41 PM
First two minutes leaked. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2i7i1FvZ2s)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on December 12, 2015, 05:22 PM
Nice!
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Hemish on December 17, 2015, 12:07 AM
Saw it last night and it was all sorts of amazing.

Captain Phasma, so under used, she's the Maul of this series.
She looked all sorts of awesome and then was hardly used in the movie.
So very dissappointed in her use.

Han was great and Kylo certainly looked the part of Solo's son.
Can't wait to see it again.

So many things to talk about, going again tomorrow night with my other 2 kids

Starwars forever !!!
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on December 17, 2015, 06:52 PM
I found Rey's theme from the soundtrack on youtube. The entire soundtrack is there under this guy. The soundtrack sounds incredible. It's mostly all original and some sad parts. John Williams did an incredible job with it. It's not made up of stuff we've heard before like the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTmP0iBQUkA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTmP0iBQUkA)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jesse James on December 17, 2015, 11:33 PM
I'm not going to NOT say spoilerish stuff, so if you're in here, shame on you...  but just incase.
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Just got home...  Diane went with me.  The kids won't be home from college till the weekend and Josh I figure would rather see it with them than alone with me haha.

Very good.  Some questions in my mind though, and some "meh" moments (I won't lie, it has moments that are just devoid of reason, or at least at this point they are...  could be answered shortly, like in 2 years).

I'm with Hemish on Phasma...  She, basically, is Boba Fett would be my analogy...  Hell, he even shoots.  So yeah, that was really odd. 

The humor was a LITTLE much at times, but when Han was in it, it was always good.  Finn's definitely got some future with the humor though.  Nothing is PT level humor though, it's all far better.

I'm perplexed on how Finn knew how to use a lightsaber.  I'm also perplexed on his future/role...

Poe's as well.  He's like Wedge if Wedge had a ****load more to do than in the original 3 films.

Diane and I had actual debate on Rey's heritage since they spill the beans so early on Renn's heritage.

Overall I really enjoyed it, and I really will look forward to seeing it again.  Probably Saturday barring physical probs.

I saw in 2D...  3D Saturday, and I've had some neurological problems since early Summer, and I've had a bad go of it just this last couple weeks, so 3D is kind of scaring me.  I made it through 2D fine but a bad headache at the end.

The pace was fast and felt like it was wanting to get a LOT in.  Like I'm feeling as though there's a good deal more that is cut from this film.  I also felt like they were trying hard to give a lot of OT nods throughout which is fine, but don't try TOO hard, and I'd be ok seeing less of that in the next film.

I had a blast though, lots of fun, and am anxious to watch again.

Hugs to Jeff.  He'll need them, I'm sure.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Scott on December 18, 2015, 12:09 AM
Quote

Hugs to Jeff.  He'll need them, I'm sure.

Sorry Jeff :(

Absolutely loved it...that scene on the catwalk was brutal and you could hear a pin drop in the theater

A few questions that haven't been answered

Han and Leia seem to know Snoke...how?
Who was Max Von Sydow?
Where were any OT aliens outside of Ackbar and Nunb?  No Rodians? 

Agreed on Phasma...she seemed wasted

Loved the first scene with 3PO
loved the medic scene with Chewie
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Dave on December 18, 2015, 12:44 AM
Agreed on all points.  Solid movie.  Very enjoyable.

Phasma was a waste, and I'm just annoyed at how difficult it is to find toys of her when her character is meaningless.  I'm not going to rant here about all the TFA toys released that have nothing to do with the movie.

A couple other things that bug me about the movie:
- The "small universe" issue.  Why does everyone have to be related to everyone and in the same spot in the galaxy?  I'm mostly okay with the Kylo ren relationship, but it really bugged me that Rey and Finn just stumble on the Falcon, that is then just stumbled on by Han and Chewie, who have nothing to do with the Resistance, but Leia happened to have sent Poe/BB-8 on a mission that they all get tangled up in.  Really???
- Han's use of Chewie's bowcaster.  After 40 years together, you think he would have shot it a couple of times, or maybe his humor was just a little too dry.
- Superweapons as a plot device.  I'm soooo tired of all the super weapons / super villains.  Maybe that is why TESB is enjoyable.  No superweapons you've got to destroy.  Why did it have to be Death Star 3?
- Kylo Ren inconsistencies with the Force.  He has the ability to stop a laser blast (very cool), but seems to be fairly weak in battle.  I would have liked it that he was still a novice with the force, but powerful enough to mess with normal people.  Stopping a laser blast seems fairly advanced.

All of those are really nitpicks in an overall really enjoyable movie though. 

Probably my favorite part was the Rey story.  I'll be interested to see what they do with that and how/if Luke gets pulled back in.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Scott on December 18, 2015, 12:51 AM
That battle between Rey and Ren at the end was amazing...people cheered as the saber flew past his head and she ignited it...so bad ass
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jeff on December 18, 2015, 01:11 AM
Hugs to Jeff.  He'll need them, I'm sure.

Sorry Jeff :(

Dammit.   :'(

I had stayed 99% spoiler-free (saw the "Resistance Outfit" Rey figure - while that was a spoiler, it wasn't wholly unexpected I guess).

The Ben/Ren stuff though.  Oof.  Same here - total silence in the theater during that catwalk scene.  Then, gut punch.   :'(

Excuse me while I go process this movie and smash my ******* piece of **** ******bag Kylo Ren action figure repeatedly with a hammer.   >:(


...OK, back now.

Good points Scotty - MVS seemed to be someone with Alderaanian history... maybe Jedi history too or something.  Hope we learn more about him, why he had the missing piece of the map, etc.

Also, Rey - kinda glad they didn't spill all the beans on her and saved some stuff...  technically her mom and dad and the rest of her family are still a bit of a debate.  There are clues and things that point in certain directions, but open enough to leave you wondering for the next 18 months.

Starkiller base was crazy - it was like the DS rescue, the DS bombing runs, Endor bunker raid, and so much more combo'd into one thing.  So much OT recycled into the plot for nostalgia beats, but it was so awesome I don't really care.

Going to go let it sink in and am already looking forward to seeing it again on Saturday morning with my boys.  ;D
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jayson on December 18, 2015, 01:44 AM
I've seen it twice now.. still trying to process.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: McMetal on December 18, 2015, 01:52 AM
Terrific, not perfect, but then none of them really are. I'd love to know how much Mark Hamill got paid for those epic 30 seconds.  :D

I had more than a few questions but still need to let it sink in.

Daisy Ridley was effing amazing!
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: tmanthegreat on December 18, 2015, 02:43 AM
Saw the first 7:00pm showing in my area.  Even waiting in line for a few hours beforehand was fun.  Everyone from the cosplay nerds, young kids, teens, young adults and older people were nice to one another, just having a great time.  Not uncommon for strangers to be sharing a pizza and softdrinks even.  Really, it was very much like a big tailgate party!

But then the movie...  Loved it.  Period ;D

This was the sort of Star Wars movie I had been waiting for since 1983...  It felt like the Star Wars films I grew up with, the fun, the exuberance combined with the dread and terror.  Yeah, the plot was overall similar to ANH but it was still fund and exciting.  It was also very respectful to the original cast and characters.  While aged, Han didn't skip a beat.  Can't believe they killed him off (and I'm sort of left with a sad feeling about that) but that he was killed by his son, Kylo Ren, face to face, really adds a dimension of evil to that character...  Not even Vader stooped that low.  The new characters were great.  I loved Poe, Finn, and especially Rey.  I can't say I liked Kylo Ren in the positive sense like the others, but he will turn out to be a great character.  Captain Phasma seems to be the new Boba Fett, a badass that meets a comically inglorious end getting put down the garbage chute.  In such a hallowed franchise, its difficult to engineer new characters - George Lucas largely failed at that in the prequels - but it was pulled off quite well in TFA and I look forward to seeing how both the good and the bad develop.

But I am left with some questions...  I guess I'm coming from the POV that I grew up with the original SW movies, source materials, EU, etc. so had a since of the history and how everything connected and fit together.   Since Disney has now wiped the slate clean post ROTJ, there's a void to fill.  I'm curious to know more about the how the First Order came about; how the Republic and the Resistance fit together.  Was the First Order born out of the (New) Republic by those seeking a return to order from chaos or was it founded on the remnants of the Empire?  What caused Kylo Ren, son of Han and Leia, and student of Luke, to turn bad (other than simply the seduction of the dark side)?  Lots of those sort of questions...  But I guess over the ensuing years and decades, those will eventually be answered.

Nevertheless, its been a long time since I went to a movie where I walked away with such a sense of enjoyment and desire to see it again and again.  The Force Awakens lived up to the hype in my opinion, and I'm elated to have a new and worthy addition to the Star Wars saga ;D   
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Diddly on December 18, 2015, 03:54 AM
Got back from a 3D "IMAX" showing about an hour ago... overall I loved it. I had a smile on my face the whole time and my goosebumps wouldn't go away nor would my knees stop shaking. 3D added nothing to the film and actually made it look a bit weird, so I would skip that entirely if you want. Seeing it again Sunday in real IMAX with my dad and then I'll work in a regular screening sometime after Christmas.

First, my two biggest gripes:

- The soundtrack. I liked Rey's theme but the rest was lacking. Safe to say Williams has either lost it or his heart wasn't in it. Lots of reused bits and pieces just like in the PT. Stuff like Leia's theme I get, but the rest, nah. Time to get someone else for Episode 8.

- The villains. I liked Ren and Hux and their "competition" with each other but Phasma and Snoke were lame. Phasma is nowhere near Boba Fett, I'd even say she's more worthless than Zam Wesell, and was obviously added for the merchandise factor. Snoke was awful, maybe it was the CGI or the fact that he was literally a 50 foot hologram, but I would peg him as one of the worst villains in Star Wars.

Didn't really care for the final shot either... it just felt out of place is all.

I'll have clearer thoughts after a night of sleep but I loved a lot of it. Rey and her Force growth, Ben/Ren in general and the OT cameos. The Falcon reveal in particular was great. Rey's acid trip with Anakin's saber was very well done. Finn's story was fun too (loved his line asking Rey if she had a boyfriend), and it was cool to see more of a focus on the military side.

Han  :(
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Matt_Fury on December 18, 2015, 04:06 AM
I saw it in IMAX 3-D and there was one shot where I thought the Star Destroyer was going to hit me in the face!  I'm seeing it in 2D tomorrow.

Do you guys thing Phasma is done or did she make it out?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: GrandMoffNick on December 18, 2015, 08:11 AM
The movie could have used a child actor or a a little older actor who had mastered the art of whiny acting.........

Anyone else have a small stroke before they realized Snoke was a hologram and not a giant?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Dave on December 18, 2015, 08:33 AM
Do you guys thing Phasma is done or did she make it out?

Probably makes it out, but who cares?  Other than shiny armor, there wasn't anything interesting about that character.  She had as few lines as Boba Fett, and didn't really have any mistyque about her.

Instead of having a riot control Stormtrooper with electroblade thinger battle Finn, they should have had it be Phasma.  That would have at least made for something unique.

Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Dave on December 18, 2015, 08:34 AM
Anyone else have a small stroke before they realized Snoke was a hologram and not a giant?

That was pretty cool.  Well done special effects.

I'm kinda hoping that Snoke turns out to be the size of Yoda.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: McMetal on December 18, 2015, 09:02 AM
Anyone else have a small stroke before they realized Snoke was a hologram and not a giant?

That was pretty cool.  Well done special effects.

I'm kinda hoping that Snoke turns out to be the size of Yoda.

No, I think he really is THAT big. Holograms are typically the same size as people in the SW Universe, or smaller. We have never seen them bigger but I suppose it is possible. I think it would actually be cool if he was that big.

I get the First Order rising from the ashes of the Empire, but I don't quite grasp the differentiation between the Republic and the Resistance. Once the Republic was re-established, what is there really to resist? It seems as though the FO got chased out to the Outer Rim, which fits with the Aftermath storyline.

WTF was up with the lightsaber "calling" to Rey and the nutty visions she had? That was fascinating. I'm pretty sure they showed Kylo gutting Constable Zuvio in there, but I can't be sure. (Not like the guy popped up anywhere else)

I love that they are still finding weird new ways to use the Force. Stopping the blaster ray was a true Oh Snap moment, and the mind reading stuff was creepy. (Imagine if Darth Vader could have done that, no need to blow up Alderaan he would have known instantly where the Rebel hideout was from Leia)

If they had wanted to kill Phasma they would have just shot her. She will be back. I still cant believe she never took the helmet off.

The Guavians looked cool as hell. I kept wondering if the Asian guy was the dude from The Raid.

I liked the Parkman from Heroes and Miles from LOST cameos. :)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Dave on December 18, 2015, 09:12 AM
I liked the Parkman from Heroes and Miles from LOST cameos. :)

Yes!  Hasn't Matt Parkman had either a real role or a cameo in every single JJ Abrams TV show and movie? 

I don't recall if he got killed in TFA, but I recall he was one of the pilots in the first episode of Lost and was the first person to die/get "eaten" by the smoke monster
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Qui-Gon Jim on December 18, 2015, 09:58 AM
Palpatine's holo was an enormous floating head in ESB...

They never elaborated on how that lightsaber ended up in that box. 

My mind is still swimming with this movie.  Just awesome and completely heartbreaking.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Carpeteria3000 on December 18, 2015, 10:03 AM
Loved loved loved it. Got to troop it with my local 501st guys for a tech company that rented out an entire AMC theater, so we got our own free screening at 7:30, which was great.

Lots of thoughts and notes:

- I felt the scene on the freighter with the giant tentacle monster things was unnecessary, but still fun.

- Phasma is totally a droid, right? I thought she was when the first picture came out and she had C-3PO hands. She certainly acted like one. Like others here, I was also a bit thrown by how small a part it was, and how underdeveloped it was. Why would she give up the shields so easily?

- So many parallels and call backs to the OT, mostly ANH. At times it felt a bit forced, even, but it was a nice way to tie things back and say "we're going back to the old ways" - here's hoping VIII is more of an original story.

- Poe Cameron is a GREAT character - really enjoyed him the most of the new folks, though all of them were great. Hard to believe that was Daisy Ridley's first acting gig.

- Adam Driver nailed it, and made me even more upset about Hayden Christiansen's Anakin - imagine Driver as Anakin? Looks like Kylo is gonna have a nice Anakin-style facial scar now.

- The bit about R2 being shut down voluntarily over Luke legit choked me up in the nerdiest way possible.

- BB8 was fun - I enjoyed him (they said "him" in the movie, so that debate is settled, I guess) more than I thought I would. The little flame thrower thumbs up was great.

- LOTS of comedy spots, more than any of the other movies for sure. I know some people are saying it was a bit distracting, but I thought it was fine. Kasdan's sense of humor is so much better than Lucas'.

- Not sure why 3PO had to mention his new arm, exactly, and then have it replaced by the end of the film. I know it was to show passage of time, but they should have just let it be if they were going that way.

- Was surprised Hamill had no lines at all, but it was a nice tease into the next film. Was also surprised the Knights of Ren were literally shown as much as they were in the trailer - in fact, maybe the trailer showed them even more? Same with that shot of Luke next to R2.

- Was really annoyed that Snoke was apparently fifty feet tall - the hologram reveal was a nice twist. I don't think he's really that big - it was just a way to make him more imposing. Having a giant dude would be too Lord of the Ringsy for me. Hoping we get a lot more backstory on that character. Who is that guy?

- Also hoping for some backstory on Max Von Sydow's character, though that's less likely. He was obviously in the know with the rebels... who is THAT guy? Wookiepedia says he was part of some "Church of the Force" thing, but that doesn't explain why he was so connected or why he was trusted with that part of the map.

- A friend brought up a bit of a weird hole - after the TIE crash, how did Poe get back to the Resistance base, and why didn't he look for BB-8 himself? That was why he went back to Jakku in the first place, right? What's up with that?

- Pretty sure Rey is Rey Skywalker - that flashback (and her crazy force powers) seemed to confirm it for me. I'm surprised anyone is debating it.

Anyway, whatever. It was amazing, and I'm dying to see it again.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Qui-Gon Jim on December 18, 2015, 10:11 AM
All excellent points.  I totally agree about the stuff on the cargo ship.  Entertaining, but extraneous. 

Perhaps Von Sydow plays Kanan Jarrus?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jeff on December 18, 2015, 10:15 AM
Snoke was awful, maybe it was the CGI or the fact that he was literally a 50 foot hologram, but I would peg him as one of the worst villains in Star Wars.

In fairness, Palpatine was pretty lame in 4/5 too.  Snoke was pretty much Palps in ESB = Large/oversized, creepy hologram bossing around the bad guy; badgering bad guy about Skywalker.  Hoping Episode 8 and 9 fills in a little more to explain how/why he's a new Sith leader.  Maybe a lost Palps apprentice or something...
 

The Guavians looked cool as hell. I kept wondering if the Asian guy was the dude from The Raid.

That Kanjiklub gang was totally the guys from The Raid.  Was hoping they have more to do than just show up, but fun cameo thanks to JJ.


Yes!  Hasn't Matt Parkman had either a real role or a cameo in every single JJ Abrams TV show and movie?

Pretty much... being pals with JJ gets him lots of jobs, and in this case, he gets an action figure (http://www.jedidefender.com/image.pl?http://jedidefender.com/news/images/2015_12/hasbro_TFA_mission_snapsnow_boxed.jpg) too.


- Pretty sure Rey is Rey Skywalker - that flashback (and her crazy force powers) seemed to confirm it for me. I'm surprised anyone is debating it.

All signs point to it, but you'll still get folks assuming/arguing it's red herring.  I'm sure someone will want her to be Rey Kenobi somehow.  And if it is true she's a Skywalker too, there is still lots to debate... like the giant "who is Rey's mom" question.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: McMetal on December 18, 2015, 10:16 AM
Palpatine's holo was an enormous floating head in ESB...

Yeah, good point, that occurred to me right after I posted that. I still hope he's big. Nothing hokey about that IMO, it's more of a stretch to imagine every single alien race be the same relative size and proportion IMHO.

I missed that Han called Kylo "Ben" at the scene on the catwalk. I heard him say something but didn't catch it. Interesting.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Dave on December 18, 2015, 10:23 AM
- Pretty sure Rey is Rey Skywalker - that flashback (and her crazy force powers) seemed to confirm it for me. I'm surprised anyone is debating it.

All signs point to it, but you'll still get folks assuming/arguing it's red herring.  I'm sure someone will want her to be Rey Kenobi somehow.  And if it is true she's a Skywalker too, there is still lots to debate... like the giant "who is Rey's mom" question.

I'm really hoping she is not a Skywalker.  Maybe I'm the only one that is bugged by the whole "small universe" thing, but I'm hoping she has her own backstory that isn't intertwined with everyone else. 

But if we're keeping with the pattern, then I'm guess Max von Sydow is the Ben Kenobi watching Rey, and Luke is the unknowing father.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Scott on December 18, 2015, 10:29 AM
All excellent points.  I totally agree about the stuff on the cargo ship.  Entertaining, but extraneous. 

Perhaps Von Sydow plays Kanan Jarrus?
ooh...good one...or Ezra
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Carpeteria3000 on December 18, 2015, 10:59 AM
Oh - also - so this is the first SW movie without a limb being severed or an injury along those lines, right?

And did anyone catch any 1138s?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Matt_Fury on December 18, 2015, 11:00 AM
But if we're keeping with the pattern, then I'm guess Max von Sydow is the Ben Kenobi watching Rey, and Luke is the unknowing father.

I don't think so.  His settlement seemed pretty far away from where Rey was. Hopefully we can find out more next May...but who knows if they'll recap anything about Jakku except why Rey's family hid her there.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Matt_Fury on December 18, 2015, 11:02 AM
Oh - also - so this is the first SW movie without a limb being severed or an injury along those lines, right?

And did anyone catch any 1138s?

No limbs being cut off but two pretty significant impalements!
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jeff on December 18, 2015, 11:15 AM
Oh - also - so this is the first SW movie without a limb being severed or an injury along those lines, right?

There was some debate in my theater - some thought Rey lopped off Kylo's hand, some thought it was just his face that got whacked... I honestly couldn't tell for sure.  Was going to watch that more carefully on the second viewing.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Qui-Gon Jim on December 18, 2015, 11:16 AM
Oh - also - so this is the first SW movie without a limb being severed or an injury along those lines, right?

And did anyone catch any 1138s?

No limbs being cut off but two pretty significant impalements!

I thought for sure that Rey would take Ren's hand in the duel.  Set him further on the path to becoming Vader.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Carpeteria3000 on December 18, 2015, 11:30 AM
Looked like Kylo got sliced up his shoulder and grazed on the face - now he'll have a scar just like Grandpa did.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jayson on December 18, 2015, 11:52 AM
Daniel Craig (http://collider.com/star-wars-7-force-awakens-daniel-craig-stormtrooper/) was the Stormtrooper guard that Rey "mind tricked".
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Dave on December 18, 2015, 11:58 AM
What character did Simon Pegg play?  I've been avoiding spoiler news for so long that I'm sure there are all sorts of interesting nuggets I'm not aware of.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Diddly on December 18, 2015, 11:59 AM
I thought it was pretty much confirmed that Rey is Luke's kid when she popped on his flight helmet. Now we get to find out why Luke is such a ****** dad, but it's JJ so perhaps they throw us a curveball.

I'm almost more interested in learning how Luke's saber made it from the bottom of Cloud City to Maz Kanada's castle.

Oh - also - so this is the first SW movie without a limb being severed or an injury along those lines, right?

There was some debate in my theater - some thought Rey lopped off Kylo's hand, some thought it was just his face that got whacked... I honestly couldn't tell for sure.  Was going to watch that more carefully on the second viewing.

Yeah it looked to me like he lost a hand but then they did the closeup where you saw the scar and to me it looked like she might have just cut off his hood. Guess we'll find out in 18 months.

Snoke was awful, maybe it was the CGI or the fact that he was literally a 50 foot hologram, but I would peg him as one of the worst villains in Star Wars.

In fairness, Palpatine was pretty lame in 4/5 too.  Snoke was pretty much Palps in ESB = Large/oversized, creepy hologram bossing around the bad guy; badgering bad guy about Skywalker.  Hoping Episode 8 and 9 fills in a little more to explain how/why he's a new Sith leader.  Maybe a lost Palps apprentice or something...

I dunno, Episodes 5 made it out immediately that Palps was THE bad guy, considering Vader obviously feared/respected him, and then the talk in 4 of him disbanding the senate. Snoke just felt like the lazy guy who latched on to Hux and Ren's group project. Hoping something else is done with him in the future.

I think it's interesting that we have FIVE villains lined up for Episode 8... Snoke, Ren, Hux, Phasma (Kathleen Kenedy said she's returning) and possibly Benicio del Toro.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jayson on December 18, 2015, 12:09 PM
I thought it was pretty much confirmed that Rey is Luke's kid when she popped on his flight helmet. Now we get to find out why Luke is such a ****** dad, but it's JJ so perhaps they throw us a curveball.

That wasn't Luke's helmet.

(http://www.wired.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sw_prop_35-1024x768.jpg)

Interesting though that the aurebesh translation on the side is "RAEH". Does RAEH=Rey? If so, is that the name she took to stay hidden?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Scott on December 18, 2015, 01:44 PM
Sydows character is named Lor San Tekka according to books released today

It also looks like there was supposed to be much more Republic and Senate than was shown


Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Carpeteria3000 on December 18, 2015, 01:53 PM
YOU MEAN JJ ROBBED US OF MORE POLITICAL SCENES? NOOOOOOOOOOOO
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: McMetal on December 18, 2015, 02:04 PM
Sorry if this is a stupid question, but am I right to assume Coruscant was one of the Republic planets destroyed?

I think the MVS/Kanan theory is brilliant!
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Carpeteria3000 on December 18, 2015, 02:28 PM
No - the back story is that apparently they moved the senate from Coruscant to Chandrilla, and then from Chandrilla to Hosnian Prime - the Hosnian system is the one that got fried, which Poe mentions. Coruscant is safe.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Carpeteria3000 on December 18, 2015, 02:31 PM
Interesting though that the aurebesh translation on the side is "RAEH". Does RAEH=Rey? If so, is that the name she took to stay hidden?

Could be, or it could be that it's just a little Easter egg gag for people to discover (which they did, apparently!).
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: P-Siddy on December 18, 2015, 03:08 PM
An observation I made at the end (Rey/Luke) is that there is a headstone jutting out not far from Luke, just a rock, something you'd see in old cemeteries.  Rey's mother?  Mara Jade?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: McMetal on December 18, 2015, 03:51 PM
No - the back story is that apparently they moved the senate from Coruscant to Chandrilla, and then from Chandrilla to Hosnian Prime - the Hosnian system is the one that got fried, which Poe mentions. Coruscant is safe.

Thank you, I do remember the Chandrilla bit from Aftermath, but wasn't aware it had moved again after that.

Was the Republic/Resistance totally unaware they were building this massive planet sized weapon? One would assume that would take many years to complete. Seems like a hard secret to keep.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: JediMoses on December 18, 2015, 04:01 PM
I may have been so wrapped up in the movie that his presence did little to impress me, but when was Constable Zuvio on screen?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jesse James on December 18, 2015, 04:08 PM
The only time I think I saw him was in Rey's force trip.

Likewise I didn't see any vehicles but xwings tie and falcon.  The Sandspeeder MIGHT have been in the distant background of a scene tho.  No atrt things no snowspeeder. 
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Scott on December 18, 2015, 04:13 PM
In the Visual Dictionary they have pictures of Rey in a Snowspeeder

Also on those shots of the First Order army assembled you can see walkers and transports off in the distance...
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jayson on December 18, 2015, 04:25 PM
The only time I think I saw him was in Rey's force trip.

Likewise I didn't see any vehicles but xwings tie and falcon.  The Sandspeeder MIGHT have been in the distant background of a scene tho.  No atrt things no snowspeeder.

Snowspeeder was behind Finn and Rey went they were pulling that small part/fuse out of the base.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jayson on December 18, 2015, 04:27 PM
Sydows character is named Lor San Tekka according to books released today

It also looks like there was supposed to be much more Republic and Senate than was shown

Lor San Tekka (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Lor_San_Tekka) is part of an underground movement called the "Church of the Force"
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Dave on December 18, 2015, 04:34 PM
I too was surprised at the lack of new vehicles and beasts in this movie.  The cynical side of me thought that it seemed at times GL went out of his way to have new vehicles in a movie just so there could be new toys.

Other than Rey's speeder, Kylo Ren's shuttle, and the First Order landing craft, there really weren't any new vehicles in the movie.  Did we even see more than a flash of the exterior of the freighter thing that Han/Chewie were on?

And of those vehicles, we've already got Rey's speeder.  I'm not sure Kylo Ren's shuttle would make a good toy.  Maybe the only one that could be turned in to a toy would be the First Order landing craft, and that didn't seem all that neat.

About the only even minor beast is the scavenger that grabbed BB-8 (sorry I don't have everyone's names memorized yet) and that hippo/pig/dog thing that was at the watering hole on Jakku.  I can't see them making the hippo/pig/dog thing.

I guess maybe it doesn't matter with the rapid fire nature of these movies.  We don't need a movie to last us for three years from a merchandising perspective.  Probably only 12 months with all the new stuff coming.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: I Am Sith on December 18, 2015, 04:40 PM
What character did Simon Pegg play?  I've been avoiding spoiler news for so long that I'm sure there are all sorts of interesting nuggets I'm not aware of.

He was the one the scavengers where trading with that wanted BB8.  Don't know the name...
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Scott on December 18, 2015, 05:47 PM
http://www.jedidefender.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=23991.msg587055#msg587055

Unkar Plutt
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: JediMoses on December 18, 2015, 05:48 PM
I was just surprised at how so many of the Hasbro toys had so little to do with the plot.  They are pretty uninteresting as toys, so I expected a little more role in the movie. 
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Diddly on December 18, 2015, 07:06 PM
Oh wow, didn't realize that was a different Rebel helmet Rey put on. Thought I saw the "caution" stripes on the front!

And supposedly there are a TON of cut scenes. Hopefully they're on the Blu-Ray
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: P-Siddy on December 18, 2015, 07:28 PM
Poe's escape from Jakku would be nice.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on December 18, 2015, 08:39 PM
I was just surprised at how so many of the Hasbro toys had so little to do with the plot.  They are pretty uninteresting as toys, so I expected a little more role in the movie. 

There's a very subtle indicator of which vehicles from the toy line are in the movie and which ones are not.  That being a single line of text on the toy packaging.  If "THE FORCE AWAKENS" text is on the package, that vehicle appears in the movie.  Vehicles like the speeder bike, assault walkers and the Jakku speeder don't have that "THE FORCE AWAKENS"  text, and it doesn't appear to be a coincidence that they aren't in the film. 
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Pete_Fett on December 18, 2015, 08:42 PM
I had hoped/thought that maybe MVS's character was an old/aged Kanan as well but I realized he wasn't when Kylo Ren dispatched him so quickly, would have been cool if he had been Kanan and right when Ren confronted him, he took out the two separate pieces from different spots on his belt, clicked them together, and ignited a lightsaber - for viewers unaware of the Rebels cartoon, he'd appear as just a Jedi in hiding and it would have been a great easter egg for those of us who watch Rebels.

Oh well...

I think we're going to have to wait til the end of the cartoon to find out what happens to the crew of the Ghost - hopefully they DO actually give us an ending with Rebels...
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on December 18, 2015, 10:57 PM
Wow.  Where to begin?  Like I mentioned in the non spoiler thread, I think there was here was an emotional component to this movie that was  lacking in the PT.  I was able to feel a much greater sense of empathy with these characters.  Now, I've always felt that the Jedi of the PT are not all that interesting as characters go.  They're part of this spiritual/peacekeeping order that's almost monastic in nature.  And I think that made for some dry characters.  That doesn't excuse Natalie Portman, who I think could have delivered stronger performances, but I don't think you should be hanging it on one actor/character to be the emotionally compelling center of the story.

I felt much more in touch with Rey, Finn and Poe as characters.  They were genuinely likable, and I felt a vested interest in what was happening to them.  And the arcs that their stories took were interesting, particularly Rey's.  It seems like she's lived an even harder life trying to get by on Jakku than Luke ever did on Tatooine.  Finn's story is great, too.  We really haven't seen a Stormtrooper explored as a real character before.  And seeing him break out of this very regimented life into something more free had a freshness to it.  Especially when both Han Solo and Maz Kanata called him on his BS.

Maz was an interesting character.  Who knew she was sweet for the Wookiees?  And at a thousand years old or so, it seems like she knows her way around the universe and knows The Force.  Her castle seemed like a mix between Jabba's palace and the Cantina, but a lot less agro.  The highlight of the visit to Maz's castle had to be Rey's Force vision.  I saw some of the hallway on Cloud City from Luke's duel with Vader.  Kylo Ren standing amidst that massacre with his cohorts was incredibly forbidding.  And then that shot of the ship leaving her on Jakku as a child?  That was just heartbreaking.  I did notice that the ship she watches departing Jakku in her vision actually looked quite a bit like Leia's Resistance transport.

I've got to hand it to Adam Driver for the way he portrayed Kylo Ren.  He came across as seriously conflicted, fearful, insecure and angry.  I was glad to see some exposition about how and why he got to where he was.  His take on the Dark Side was really well developed.

As much as this movie was about Rey, it was also about Han Solo.  Who thought that 38 years later it would be Han Solo who was the spirit guide?  The eternal cynic could be swayed to do the right thing and turn away from the easy path of smuggling to try to help a new generation.  But I think his scenes with Leia were incredibly powerful, too.  And that scene on the catwalk?  What is there to say?  It was coming from a place that we've never known from Han before.  But it also seemed like the ultimate evolutionary step in the character of Han Solo.  He started as this guy who was in it just for himself, and nobody else.  Gradually we saw him grow and become more selfless.  He seems to have stumbled between the events of ROTJ and TFA.  But I think his time with Rey and Finn along with his reunion with Leia made him come to terms with the man he had truly become.

The film went to some pretty dark places.  But it also offered up hope of reconciliation, redemption and a new beginning.  And that ending?  I think that was just fantastic.

Oh, and was it me, or does anyone else think that JJ was messing with us?  Because when the Falcon first landed on Starkiller Base, Han's cold weather coat was brown.  And when he put it back on to go outside again it was blue.   WTF?!?!
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: solrac on December 18, 2015, 11:14 PM
I think the 1138 thing was George's an JJ made it his own by not following in his footsteps. I  think those round monsters were pathetic and totally unnecessary.  Rey is way to strong in the Force for someone with no training I mean talk about raw talent, mind control. If the young people didn't know about Jedi's how did she know about the mind trick. How did Finn kick a  Sith's a$$ with a saber?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Scott on December 19, 2015, 01:27 AM
Both Rey and Finn were skilled in hand to hand combat with staffs.  Like the Trooper he faced who used that riot stick against him he would have been trained the same way

Rey shows off her skills with her staff which she brings and uses everywhere

So...I am pretty sure the New Republic is toast...that planet the First Order blew up was Hosnian Prime home of the Chancellor and the Senate, plus 3PO mentions their fleet is gone as well.  Was that a JJ shot across the bow as well?   "I am not going to talk politics at all"
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Matt_Fury on December 19, 2015, 09:04 AM
Oh - also - so this is the first SW movie without a limb being severed or an injury along those lines, right?

And did anyone catch any 1138s?

I almost forgot...but C-3PO had his arm removed...and reattached by the end!
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Carpeteria3000 on December 19, 2015, 09:48 AM
Ha - well I guess that counts.

I saw awhile back someone post that BB-8 might be a subtle 1138 - the line in the first "B" is the "1", the second "B" when separated can be a "1 3", and the "8" (GET A LOAD OF THIS) is the "8".

Who knows - someone did a graphic of it, but I can't find it.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on December 19, 2015, 02:28 PM
I'm really hoping that Rey isn't related to any Skywalker and that Finn isn't one of Lando's love children. When Han said Kylo Ren's true name of Ben, I said "His name isn't Ben! It's Jacen! That's Luke's son's name!" I knew Han was going to get it in the end but when he did there was a collective cry of shock from everyone in the audience. It hit pretty hard even though I could see where that was going.

Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on December 19, 2015, 02:38 PM
I've been wondering about the Starkiller base. Does this planet have the ability to make a hyperspace jump or does it just sit there shooting at long distance tagets? If it uses up all the energy of a near by sun how does it maintain any form of life on it's surface. What happens when all the sun's energy is gone? Does it go find another sun to leech off? What happens to the sun it sucked inside? Does it become a black hole? What happens to gravity around it if the sun is gone?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: StBrianOfMinneapolis on December 19, 2015, 04:18 PM
I just spotted a Hassk thug, a third wave 5poa figure. The camera follows his back as they walk inside of Maz's castle. Now I need to spot Judah Friedlander.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on December 19, 2015, 07:47 PM
I'm fairly sure that I spotted a cameo of Joseph Gordon Levitt as a Resistance pilot. 
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: P-Siddy on December 19, 2015, 08:17 PM
I thought I caught Thomas Brodie-Sangster in cameo as a FO Officer on the hanger control room (has a speaking part), but I didn't get a clear look at his face since there was so much action going on at the time.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Brian on December 19, 2015, 09:00 PM
Little late to the party here, but we saw it yesterday once our daughter was out of school, and loved it.  Now I of course wasn't a fan of losing my all-time favorite character in all of fiction, but at the same time, I sort of thought that it would be coming and I'm sure that is as Harrison Ford wanted it as well.  The movie itself was a lot of fun.  As others have said, very A New Hope-esque, but in a very good way.  It didn't feel repetitive to me.  I thought the new cast was all pretty great, and the ending definitely left me anxious for Episode 8.  My daughter and I are heading to see it again tomorrow.

The best part of this whole Force Awakens experience has been sharing it with our daughter.  She has been, and even more so now, completely obsessed with Rey.  She was so excited watching this movie, and I love that she has a strong role model in Daisy Ridley's Rey.  She is in total Star Wars mode now, and it is a lot of fun.

We were discussing this last night, so are we to assume that Ren, Hux, and Phasma all escaped?  I'm pretty sure that Phasma was already confirmed as returning, and I assumed the other two escaped as well going with the dialog.  My daughter was asking about Maz as well, and I would assume she survived since they didn't show here getting offed in that raid on screen (or mentioned).  So many thoughts to try to put down, but overall, I really enjoyed it a lot.  Can't wait to see it again (and again and again).  We picked up the Visual Dictionary as well, so it is fun to go through that today and also pick out "I want a toy of that, and that..."  I'm glad now I held off on thing like that Speeder Bike and Sand Speeder to see if they were actually in the movie.  There are several characters (like Maz, Luke, Leia, etc.) that I hope we see in both the Black Series and basic scales.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on December 19, 2015, 10:06 PM
I thought I caught Thomas Brodie-Sangster in cameo as a FO Officer on the hanger control room (has a speaking part), but I didn't get a clear look at his face since there was so much action going on at the time.

I thought I recognized him.  He played Jojen Reed on Game of Thrones. 
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: name on December 20, 2015, 10:46 PM
Bugging me...did Poe wake up on Jaku and just decide "meh...screw it. Finn probably has the BB8 situation covered. I'm going home."?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jesse James on December 21, 2015, 12:02 AM
My theory, he makes it to the place Rey was at, hears the FO have left to search for her and the droid, maybe hears about Finn too, finds a way off planet and hopes.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Diddly on December 21, 2015, 10:09 AM
Caught a second showing yesterday, this time in IMAX. It was in 3D (thought I had bought 2D) but overall it was a lot better than the 3D "IMAX" we saw at the AMC theater on Thursday night. The picture was more focused and there were definite layers that I never noticed on Thursday night.

Perhaps it was because the sound was better or it could have been because I've had some time to listen to the soundtrack, but I liked it a lot better on the second showing. Didn't realize it was all original recordings, just not performed by the London Symphony Orchestra.

It also felt like the movie went by MUCH faster on the second viewing. It felt rushed on Thursday too, but I know they crammed a lot in there and JJ has even said something like 30 minutes of stuff was cut out, including Poe's escape from Jakku. I think they did a pretty good job fitting everybody in.

Still interested in how Maz wound up with Anakin/Luke's lightsaber.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jeff on December 21, 2015, 10:45 AM
Still interested in how Maz wound up with Anakin/Luke's lightsaber.

I have so many questions I am looking forward to getting answered...

- how does Max Van Sydow's character fit into Luke/Kylo/Jedi world?

- what happened to Rey in the years before she was dropped on Jakku (I'm guessing she was a padawan at Luke's academy, maybe the sole survivor of Kylo's betrayal)

- how did Maz get the lightsaber?

- what did they film that we didn't see (deleted scenes, stuff that was cut, etc)?

- How/when did Kylo get Vader's helmet/ashes?

- Luke's academy/failure/exile

And so many more...  I see so many complaints about the "plot holes" in the movie.  What some people see as "plot holes", I just assumed were opportunities for future books and movies! :P
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Dave on December 21, 2015, 11:04 AM
I'm with you Jeff.  I just (pre)ordered the novelization to see if there will be more details in there. 

It seems odd that the book isn't being released until Jan 5.  I wonder if they re-edited the book to only have what was in the movie, or if it will have a good amount of the cut scenes etc. to help fill in some of the holes.

Maybe not the right thread, but how the heck did Constable Zuvio get a figure when he is on the screen for 0.3 seconds?  It seems like some of the figure choices were a bit odd, but maybe Hasbro was just given a handful of stills and did their best.  Has anyone had a chance to talk with Hasbro about how that all went down?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on December 21, 2015, 11:11 AM
And so many more...  I see so many complaints about the "plot holes" in the movie.  What some people see as "plot holes", I just assumed were opportunities for future books and movies! :P

+1

Clearly this movie is the beginning of a larger story arc.  A lot of these "plot holes" seem much more like starting points for things that will be addressed in future films. 

I certainly didn't think we were going to get all of the story points handed to us on a silver platter.  There are plenty of plot points that were left open ended in A NEW HOPE.  Hell, it took 25 years for us to begin to really learn what the Clone Wars were about!  And the truth about Luke's father?  Luke had heard one story from Owen Lars.  Then he heard from Obi-Wan in ANH that Vader killed his father.  Then in TESB, Vader reveals himself to be Luke's father.  Luke initially doesn't believe it.  At the time, I didn't either.  And JEJ's commentary about it in some documentaries indicate that he even thought Vader was lying to Luke.  And ultimately the Force Spirit of Obi-Wan confirmed it all for Luke in ROTJ.  If we see the producers of the Sequels hold true to that form, I think the question of who are Rey's parents will be stretched out for some time.

There's actually a good bit about Max Von Sydow's character mentioned in Star Wars: The Force Awakens Visual Dictionary (http://www.amazon.com/dp/1465438165/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2JJZUW651Y5LS&coliid=I1N13D4CS3WSU9).  And I'm pretty sure that text now makes up the bio information for Lor San Tekka on Wookieepedia (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Lor_San_Tekka).  And based on his dialogue where he mentions "Some of us still regard her as Royalty", I have to think that Lor San Tekka was originally from Alderaan.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: P-Siddy on December 21, 2015, 11:12 AM
Zuvio doesn't deserve a collectors 6" SA figure at all.  4" 5 poa is good enough for his character.  I wish that Hasbro would have held off on 6" TFA figures until close to the movie's release and just released another wave from the previous releases.  Still, would Rey have had Luke's lightsaber?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on December 21, 2015, 11:29 AM
Where the heck was Goss Toowers? He played no role in the movie and was a background character for a half second. Where is our Maz figure?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jeff on December 21, 2015, 11:38 AM
Where is our Maz figure?

Stuck in Disney's Mystery Box rules.  She's in there along with our helmetless Kylo figure, our General Leia figure, our Lost Jedi Luke figure, etc, etc.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Diddly on December 21, 2015, 11:39 AM
Where was R2-KT in the movie? I caught most of the astromechs from that Disneyworld 4 pack but not her.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Carpeteria3000 on December 21, 2015, 12:31 PM
At the very end of the movie, after the Starkiller Base explosion, back at the outdoor Rebel hangar, you can see KT on the far right of the screen for maybe an eighth of a second. Real quick.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: P-Siddy on December 21, 2015, 12:33 PM
Where is our Maz figure?

Stuck in Disney's Mystery Box rules.  She's in there along with our helmetless Kylo figure, our General Leia figure, our Lost Jedi Luke figure, etc, etc.

Yakface posted a TFA movie poster made by Hasbro with 6" figures.  Maz and Leia are on there, so it looks like those two are coming.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: StBrianOfMinneapolis on December 21, 2015, 12:42 PM
How did Poe manage to take his jacket off before the TIE crashed into Jakku? Apparently both Finn and Poe and Finn were launched out of ejector seats.

It would make more "sense" that he became a force ghost and the jacket was just laying there. The loose jacket works well on Finn needing normal clothes, but makes no sense.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Dave on December 21, 2015, 12:47 PM
How did Poe manage to take his jacket off before the TIE crashed into Jakku? Apparently both Finn and Poe and Finn were launched out of ejector seats.

It would make more "sense" that he became a force ghost and the jacket was just laying there. The loose jacket works well on Finn needing normal clothes, but makes no sense.

Maybe it was one of the cut scenes.  Poe gets hot and sweaty.  Takes off coat, has a cool drink.  TIE crashes in to the desert.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jeff on December 21, 2015, 02:34 PM
Pretty sure I saw Poe take the jacket off as soon as he got in the TIE Fighter.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Pete_Fett on December 21, 2015, 03:10 PM
Pretty sure I saw Poe take the jacket off as soon as he got in the TIE Fighter.

Yes, he definitely did.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: JediJman on December 21, 2015, 05:46 PM
I needed the weekend to digest and collect my thoughts.  Overall, I think the movie was awesome.  Great pacing, fun new characters, and a great mix of OT and new content.  I saw it Thursday with the whole family.  Nothing quite like the experience of seeing a blockbuster opening weekend with an energized crowd or sharing that experience with your kids.

5 Things I really liked...

#1 - The action and humor.  Han's "What was the second time?", Rey's "You will free me and exit leaving the door open...and drop your blaster!", Chewie's 'modest' reaction to the nurse's praise, and Finn's "We'll just use the force!" were all funny without going over the top. It reminded me a lot of what Disney has done with the Marvel Movies. 

#2  - Great characters with really interesting stories.  I really like the dichotomy of where certain characters started the film versus where they ended up:  Finn as a Stormtrooper with a conscience, Rey as a loner who's desperate for a family, Ren's dark side trying to fight off inclinations of light.  What a difference from the prequels where I really didn't care about anyone except Obi-Wan and Padme. 

#3 - Kylo Ren as Ben/Jacen.  It's not the EU, but they took the best elements of Jacen and crafted them into Ren.  The added force powers of laser bolt freezing and mind reading were great, and I really liked the idea of someone dark being afraid to slip back into the light.  That made Han's death so much more meaningful AND sets up the potential for a redemption story.  In the OT Luke talks about feeling the good inside Vader, but you don't really see it from Vader until the end, whereas Ben is more clearly struggling with his identity.

#4 - Expanded use of Chewie.  The Wookie always seemed like an after thought in the Star Wars sequels.  He's just kind of present in Empire and Jedi, but seemed to have a lot more personality in TFA.  He had some fun comedic dialogue with Han, perks up at the dejarik board starting up, strokes his ego with the nurse, goes into a rage when Han dies, then mourns the loss of his BFF.  All just quick little scenes, but they added a lot of depth to the character IMO.

#5 - The Visuals.  From the design of the Stormtroopers to the swirling space battles this movie is non-stop eye candy.  Daisy Ridley isn't hard to watch either.  I have heard some comlaints about the blasters "throwing" Stormtroopers in the air, but I love that stuff.  A massive laser bolt should throw you into next week, versus just causing someone to crumple and fall down.  The dialogue was so much better than the prequels, but this is another movie that you could thoroughly love just watching it on mute. 
 

5 Things that kind of bugged me...

#1 - I would have liked to see more of the alien races (Trandoshans, Ithorians, Weequay, Aqualish, Rodians, Quarrens, Twileks)  or at least more Wookies, Sullustans, or Mon Calamari.  I know everyone wants to do something new and I really liked some of the new aliens we got, but not seeing any of the original species from Jabba's palace or the Cantina or the various prequel Jedi was a disappointment.  At least they brought back Nunb and Ackbar - those were two of my favorites from pre-Jedi as mail away figures.  I hope they bring some of these more common species back in future movies.

#2 - Finn and Rey's lightsaber mastery.  It would have been nice to have them train a little or even mess up at some point with the sabers.  I get that they each had some kind of combat/survival training and could probably wield a sword if needed, but given that lightsabers are still fairly uncommon, I wouldn't have expected either to hold up long against Ren without some added training.  It would be nice to see a deleted scene with the crew in Hyperspace and either Finn or Rey practicing with the saber. 

#3 - As much as I loved the main characters, I wanted more from the bit characters.  How about a few seconds showcasing the Guavian Enforcer's skills versus just having them gobbled up?  Some kind of dialogue from the Pirates Finn was about to run off with? Maybe a little
push back from the guy who captured BB8 or some smack talk from the thugs attacking Rey to steal BB8?  The original did such a good job of bringing ALL the characters to life.  It just takes a second to show Jawas checking out Luke's ride, Wuher is a robot-bigot, Fett commands respect, etc.  I know they had a lot to cram in, but a few more seconds to bring the extras to life would have been appreciated.

#4 - The action figures versus the movie characters.  Why in the world do I have Leia's protocol droid and multiple sizes of Constipated Zuvio, but no Maz or Snoke? I suppose the original figure line had its share of Snaggletooth and Walrus Man instead of Tarken or Owen, but I was a little let down by some of the characters I had hoped to see more of.  I didn't even catch Zuvio in the first viewing.  And like everyone else, I wish Phasma had been more relevant.  I really wanted to see those Snowtroopers in action too. 

#5 - Adam Driver.  I loved Kylo Ren in his mask almost as much as I hated Driver without it.  He seemed like a whiny, ignorant teen.  Everything about his look and voice irritated me for some reason.  Maybe that's the intent, so you root against him even more, but I just couldn't stand anything about the unmasked Ben for some reason.  In fact, I disliked "Ben" even more than finding out the Empire had yet another giant Super Weapon.  ::) Pretty sure he lost his hand in that battle with Rey as well - at least it looked like it was going to go down that way.


5 Questions I still want answered...
 
#1 - How does Poe get off the planet and why would he leave without BB8?.  I assume he eventually questioned locals and someone reported seeing BB8 board the Falcon.  Locals probably didn't know the ship, but with confirmation that he was off world, Poe would have no choice but to head back to the resistance.  Will be nice to see more in the deleted scenes

#2 - Who is the Republic and why are they different from the Resistance?  Does the Republic publicly recognize the First Order's sovereignty due to some kind of truce and have to fight them more in secret?  I did not want lots of shots of the galactic senate in debate, but it was weird to have the new Republic mentioned without more explanation.  I'd compare it to Alderaan being blown up without knowing much about it, but even there we at least knew it was Leia's homeworld.  Did they even mention the worlds that were blown up by Starkiller Base?

#3 - What happened to Rey and who is she related to?  I think they purposely left this unresolved to gauge fan reaction.  Is she unrelated to the original characters?  Leia didn't seem to react to Rey like a mom or an aunt, so it's certainly possible.  She is clearly waiting for someone though and it would seem equally off if her parents were just some random force-powered people who abandoned her.  Sounds like a lot of people think she is Luke's daughter, which would tie in nicely if he thought she were dead at the hands of his pupil and that drove him into isolation.  He could have abandoned her as well feeling like he wouldn't make a good father, but not at least bringing her to Leia or asking someone to watch over her is pretty cold.  Does Luke blame Han and Leia for Ben's actions?  I like the idea that she's the EU version of Jaina and Ren's twin sister.  The way she interacts with Han would make a nice moment with her dad before losing him, and a final conflict between brother and sister would set up nicely.  I also think its very possible Luke or Han wouldn't know Rey was there's - Vader didn't know Leia was his kid when he was holding her prisoner. 

#4 - What in the world happened to Luke and his Jedi?  Will they set this up as additional flashbacks or a spin off movie?  That's the biggest and most interesting mystery for me coming out of TFA.  Clearly Ben betrayed him and Snoke was likely the driver, but I need more details, especially on Snoke.  Count me among those who hope he is regular sized and breathed a sigh of relief when I found out he was just a hologram.  Totally reminds me of Giant Palpatine Head Hologram from Empire, and fitting for a Sith to want to appear larger and more intimidating than real life.  Giants in the SW universe seem wrong, given all the doorways and ships are designed for human-scaled or smaller life forms. 

#5 - Everyone wants to know why Maz has Luke's saber, so I'll skip that and ask Why was R2 just sitting around with the map to Luke?  What caused him to "wake up?"  I wish there was some significant event tied to this, like BB8 showing up with the missing piece or Han's Death, or the presence of Rey or Finn.  As it is, it seems like R2 just decided to turn back on for no apparent reason, just in time to keep the plot moving.  I hope there's a better answer for this coming in a future film.

The questions and concerns are incredibly minor stacked up to everything I loved about this movie.  Can't wait to see it again, and again, and again...
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Chris M on December 21, 2015, 05:51 PM
Finally got to see the movie today.  First, my dad took me to see the OT and now I'm taking my little girl to see the ST movies.  Thought that was cool as a daddy.

Awesome movie.  I can't say that enough.  I freaking loved it.

Han dies!!!  That hit me in the sad feels.  He's been my second favorite (behind Indiana Jones) movie character for 35+ years.  However, it fit with the mentor dying as we've seen in the first movie of each trilogy.  I loved seeing Chewie get pissed off and open a can of whoop ass on his way out.  It was really sad seeing him in the cockpit of the Millenium Falcon all alone. 

It was great seeing the MF finally do all the tricks we've wanted to see it do since 1977.

I thought the intro of Luke was just really, really cool.

Again, awesome movie.  I'd rank it just below ESB.  I felt it was  great mix action and characterization of the OT, the special FX of the PT, as well as having its own feeling.  Great movie and it sucks I have to wait a year and a half for the next installment.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: GrandMoffNick on December 21, 2015, 06:02 PM
I've been reading a lot of stuff I agree with. Did however want to whole heartedly disagree with Justin's thoughts on Driver. I thought he very much fit the part of "fighting off the light side" when he was helmetless. I didn't take it as whiny but as torn.

I thought casting across the board was brilliant
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Dave on December 21, 2015, 06:50 PM
I've been reading a lot of stuff I agree with. Did however want to whole heartedly disagree with Justin's thoughts on Driver. I thought he very much fit the part of "fighting off the light side" when he was helmetless. I didn't take it as whiny but as torn.

I thought casting across the board was brilliant

Agreed.  And I liked the fact that as a villain he wasn't a super villain.  He was young, torn about his morals, and imperfect in skill and purpose.

When I first heard the casting of Driver I kind of questioned it, but I really like how they wrote the character and how he acted like a powerful, confused, moody teenager. 

I completely agree with the comments that this is the kind of casting / acting / writing that would have been perfect for a young Anakin.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on December 21, 2015, 07:13 PM
I thought Adam Driver did an amazing job with the character.  I wasn't sure about things when he was cast, but I think he made some great choices in playing Kylo Ren.  Kylo is absolutely conflicted about what his path.  And it seems that much of what he does is driven by his own fear.  To me, that makes Kylo Ren a character that has a serious basis in reality.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: StBrianOfMinneapolis on December 22, 2015, 09:48 AM
I'm pretty sure this might be a deleted scene. The snowspeeder is parked in the background as  they run in to place the explosives.

(http://i957.photobucket.com/albums/ae60/stbrianofminneapolis/IMG_20151222_083328478_zpsgc8pnuna.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jeff on December 22, 2015, 11:47 AM
#2 - Who is the Republic and why are they different from the Resistance?  Does the Republic publicly recognize the First Order's sovereignty due to some kind of truce and have to fight them more in secret? 

I saw this (https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CWtlaHJUEAEH9rj.jpg) on Yakface's twitter feed...  good summary.  I also heard the novelization has a bit more about the New Republic and it's homeworld that was obliterated by the Starkiller blast.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Diddly on December 22, 2015, 11:52 AM
On second viewing, it didn't look like Kylo lost any limbs, and the closeup of his upper body confirmed he had both hands. Finn knicked his right shoulder, and then Rey singed his thigh and left shoulder before giving him that gash on his face. So pretty banged up, and now that I think about it I wonder if he'll need any mechanical parts ala grandpa...
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on December 22, 2015, 12:32 PM
...that and the bowcaster shot he took from Chewie had to take a pretty significant physical toll on Kylo Ren!  And that alone was something that made me wince amidst the whole scene on the catwalk.  Chewbacca and Han were about as close as you could imagine.  No doubt Chewie had known Ben Solo from the time he was born.  It was such a painful moment to watch as a fan.  But imagining the pain Chewbacca felt watching this child that he's known since birth do THAT?  It makes the shot he took at Kylo Ren that much more significant.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: JediJman on December 22, 2015, 01:43 PM
#2 - Who is the Republic and why are they different from the Resistance?  Does the Republic publicly recognize the First Order's sovereignty due to some kind of truce and have to fight them more in secret? 

I saw this (https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CWtlaHJUEAEH9rj.jpg) on Yakface's twitter feed...  good summary.  I also heard the novelization has a bit more about the New Republic and it's homeworld that was obliterated by the Starkiller blast.

That was a good read and much more clear for me now.  Thanks!
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jayson on December 22, 2015, 03:52 PM
...that and the bowcaster shot he took from Chewie had to take a pretty significant physical toll on Kylo Ren!  And that alone was something that made me wince amidst the whole scene on the catwalk.  Chewbacca and Han were about as close as you could imagine.  No doubt Chewie had known Ben Solo from the time he was born.  It was such a painful moment to watch as a fan.  But imagining the pain Chewbacca felt watching this child that he's known since birth do THAT?  It makes the shot he took at Kylo Ren that much more significant.

Now that I think about it, Chewie was a crack shot in most of the films, especially after the Kylo scene. I wonder if he shot Kylo to wound, not kill?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: JediJman on December 22, 2015, 04:51 PM
That's a definite possibility.  On the flip side, how does Kylo survive that shot and go on to fight both Finn and Rey?  He took that shot right in the gut, correct?  Single shots knocked out troopers left and right, and they're wearing full body armor.  Chewie himself takes a shot to the arm and is mostly out of commission.  Is Kylo wearing some kind of body armor or could he have minimized the impact using the force?  That's a bit of a plot hole for me.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Dave on December 22, 2015, 05:08 PM
That's a definite possibility.  On the flip side, how does Kylo survive that shot and go on to fight both Finn and Rey?  He took that shot right in the gut, correct?  Single shots knocked out troopers left and right, and they're wearing full body armor.  Chewie himself takes a shot to the arm and is mostly out of commission.  Is Kylo wearing some kind of body armor or could he have minimized the impact using the force?  That's a bit of a plot hole for me.

Agreed.  Looked like a solid shot to the hip that would have left him unable to run or move well.  And it did look like Rey got a solid stab to the shoulder and a slice across the chest that resulted in minimal damage.  Lightsaber kevlar?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: EdSolo on December 22, 2015, 05:12 PM
Where was R2-KT in the movie? I caught most of the astromechs from that Disneyworld 4 pack but not her.

I believe she is in their twice.  In the background when the first come to the resistance base.  Second time is also in the background when they return to the resistance base after taking out Starkiller Base.  I caught the last one on my second viewing and the first one on my third viewing.  By the third viewing, I was just focusing on the background whenever they were at the resistance base.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on December 22, 2015, 05:20 PM
According to the new edition of the Visual Dictionary, Kylo Ren does wear body armor.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jesse James on December 23, 2015, 01:45 AM
I've only seen the film once so I'm shocked how much I missed.

Great to read you guy's thoughts as well, as it gave me some interesting perspective.  That said, I'd still debate Finn's abilities with a sabre. :P  But I like, reflecting back on it, Rey/Ren's battle as it was REALLY clumsy on both accounts.  Neither one powerful.

Diane didn't like Kylo Ren, and I really can't get why...  I loved him.  I thought his acting was epic.  I thought he was a little more sadistic than past baddies... 

I LOVED Hux's speech.  Was I one of the only ones seeing that parallel to the Nazi's in Munich?  The blame, the hate, the vitriolic speech, the insanity brewing...  Hux, as bad as Kylo may be, is worse I think.  The FO are fanatics (having now read that somewhere) hardliners.  It's like WW2 ending, but no repercussions for the Nazi's and its devoted membership. 

The 30 year gap makes me wonder how epic those years were...  Jakku implies massive battles taking place.

It makes me think now, the Resistance and the First Order are much smaller organizations than the Rebellion and the Empire were, militarily speaking.  The FO is still large of course, and so is the Resistance, but neither are "massive" like I felt they were in the OT era and up till this treaty between the Remnant Majority and the New Republic.

And how much of the Remnant Majority would be welcomed open-arms back into the FO, should they decide to?  Destroying the central government of the NR as they did, it seems like there's an element of galactic chaos that has been unleashed.  Remember Tagge's remark on the Death Star; "How shall the Emperor maintain control without the bureaucracy?".  Good question.  Seems like we may find out.  :-X

I am hoping I can see it again.  My oldest went with his gf and her dad to see it.  My youngest has yet to see it so once school's let out we'll see if he wants to catch it some afternoon.  Not sure I can con Diane into a 2nd viewing, though she did say she liked it.

I'm really curious to see the Speep (Impy Snowspeeder) just to see if visually the toy is anything close to scale.  None of the toys jive, so I'm just curious on that one.

I swear I saw the sandspeeder in distant background on Jakku...  It sure looked like it was zipping by back there.

And I'm thoroughly glad the AT-RT was nowhere to be found. :)

I want the ICS book, but I've fallen into that trap before, and will wait for a compendium book or a steeeeeep discount on the current one.  I want one though, desperately.

Saw the FO Landing Craft...  Guess they don't care about their troops still, but man I was surprised how "small" it actually is...  Kinda doable I think.  A relatively simple design.  Wish I had a big ass 3 D printer.   :D

Anyway, really want to see it again.  I want to take in a little bit more.  First showing was a little rough, and I'd like to see it with a fresher perspective and less headache so I can pick things up better.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Matt_Fury on December 23, 2015, 05:28 AM
Finn being able to use a lightsaber was no big deal to me, he's probably had the same hand-to-hand training that other Stormtroopers receive, and I never bought into the idea that only a Jedi could wield a lightsaber.  I'm also wondering if Finn is somehow force sensitive...it would be a good explanation for how the First Order's conditioning never took hold of him.

I read online somewhere that the battle of Jakku broke the back of the Empire and hurt the New Republic as well.  After that, an armistice was signed and the two factions went into a sort of cold war era.  As stated in the opening crawl, the First Order arose from the remains of the Empire and the Resistance was formed to keep them in check without the entire Republic going to war.  The Republic financed the Resistance, but kept it low key...this was alluded to in General Hux's speech.

There's a lot of speculation that Rey is Luke's daughter.  I'm not convinced of this yet...you would think Leia or Han would have recognized her.  I'm hoping that she is not related at all, and she was possibly a survivor of the academy massacre...but it wouldn't surprise me if they go down the "she's a Skywalker" road.

It will be interesting to see just how broken Luke is after what happened to his students.  For him to walk away from everything speaks volumes already!  I half expect to see force ghosts of Anakin, Obi-Wan and Yoda muttering in the background through a portion of Episode VIII.

Where do you think Snoke came from?  I'm guessing that he was one of the inquisitors, and he was able to rise after the Emperor and Vader died.  I really hope that he's not Plagueis.  That would ruin the story for me.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: GrandMoffNick on December 23, 2015, 06:36 AM

I LOVED Hux's speech.  Was I one of the only ones seeing that parallel to the Nazi's in Munich?  The blame, the hate, the vitriolic speech, the insanity brewing...  Hux, as bad as Kylo may be, is worse I think.  The FO are fanatics (having now read that somewhere) hardliners.  It's like WW2 ending, but no repercussions for the Nazi's and its devoted membership. 


I loved the Nazi feel of the FO at Hux's speech. One of my favorite subjects in fiction and non-fiction is when people fight back against the Nazis (whether it's the military or even better individuals) and so this was perfect.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on December 23, 2015, 08:21 AM

I LOVED Hux's speech.  Was I one of the only ones seeing that parallel to the Nazi's in Munich?  The blame, the hate, the vitriolic speech, the insanity brewing...  Hux, as bad as Kylo may be, is worse I think.  The FO are fanatics (having now read that somewhere) hardliners.  It's like WW2 ending, but no repercussions for the Nazi's and its devoted membership. 


I loved the Nazi feel of the FO at Hux's speech. One of my favorite subjects in fiction and non-fiction is when people fight back against the Nazis (whether it's the military or even better individuals) and so this was perfect.

That stylized Nazi imagery was pretty strong.  I recall mentioning that when we saw the shots of the First Order in the trailers.  And the tone of Hux's speech just put it over the top.  That stylization was there in the OT, but never quite this strong.  And compared to the Empire, the First Order seems fanatical.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Muftak on December 26, 2015, 01:11 AM
Really liked the movie. Conflicting because as much as I grew up with the OT I came of age with the EU stuff. These new movies may be more like the pretend stories to me than the books were, at least until I see how this is all meant to come together (which is the one advantage this series could have over the abandoned EU--it may yet congeal into something cohesive in a way the patchwork process of the books never could.)

Enjoyed the humor so much...Threepio's intro as a great example. "You may not recognize me..." it's been so long moviegoing-wise since something he said was genuinely funny from his naiveté and self-involvement and not forced. My favorite moment in the whole movie was probably Finn's desperate thirst driving him over to that dog bowl, and only quitting because the dog chased him off!

Enjoyed the general theme that what we believe about ourselves is what we become. Finn's arc epitomized it--he began as a stormtrooper, lies about being in the resistance as a means to escape, and in the end becomes a resistance fighter so thoroughly he is willing to give his life for the cause. Han and Leia too, you have to figure at some point they were happy together in parental roles, but after the Jedi training tragedy they both reverted to their earlier roles of smuggler and freedom fighter rather than deal with their loss as parents. Luke too, he gives up on the obvious growth of becoming a Master to a new generation to settling for life as the last of the Jedi. And Kylo Ren...the catalyst of everyone else's arc...struggling to believe he can be a fully-realized Vader (Not even Vader was strong enough to "pause" a laserblast!) to the point that he will kill his father to prove the completeness of his fall, even though he hasn't actually made that fall completely yet. It all harkens back to my favorite prequel quote: "Your focus determines your reality." That's the real message of Star Wars, it seems to me.

When I try to plug Rey into the themes, we just don't have enough pieces of her story yet to see what exactly is going on. She resists the lightsaber's call, insists she needs to return to Jakku to find her family, and in the end is the only one who goes to Luke...for training as a Jedi, one must infer. What are the implications of that from a storytelling point of view? I mean, it says something that Leia didn't go to recruit him into helping the Resistance, but Rey went.  Always been more of a Luke fan than a Han fan, so I am very interested in what lies ahead.

Every moment with Chewbacca rang true to the character as we knew him. On the flip side, while I take issue with Luke turning his back on everyone, I can not accept that Artoo just shut off for 20 years. Even if Luke had some grand plan he was in on, Artoo would've been the first one to stop him from such a selfish move. Artoo was always the biggest hero and risk taker of the gang, him sitting in the corner on pause just doesn't ring true.

I liked that it was a Han Solo movie more than anything else as far as tying into the OT. Han dubbing Finn "Big Deal" was great and felt right. Han and Rey--again, we'll be able to look at that better as her mysterious origins are explored. I can see her being his daughter, his son's cousin (if she is Luke's daughter...since I never heard marriage mentioned, I am assuming the galaxy just isn't civil enough to have time for wedding ceremonies anymore) or some random stranger who impressed him with her raw talent and was offered a spot on the crew the same way Luke was in the original. And honestly, I have no preference at this point. I am happy with how it all played out, even if Han's death genuinely tore out my heart.

My wife really liked the movie but couldn't get past the fact that a stormtrooper's lifetime indoctrination ought to make Finn's immediate revulsion at his first deployment not believable. I like the idea that if he is force sensitive then that is what could have enabled this in him (and now that I've mentioned it to her so does she.)

And it blew my 6-year old son away, too. He was at turns laughing, excited, scared, and sad in the end. I was 6 when I saw ESB in the theater, and I could tell he left feeling exactly the same way I did back then. He had to know what happens next! Can't give it a more positive endorsement than that!
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Scockery on December 28, 2015, 04:00 PM
I thought it a mediocre sequel in a  year full of mediocre-to-subpar sequels. Someone said, probably more than one someone, it felt like a movie made by committee to make a mass-appeal sequel. And it succeeded. Can't say it was bad as I was never bored, but the nicest thing I can think of was "hey, that was a movie".

The basic plot with new characters was as safe as it gets (pretty independent  heroine, hotshot pilot, cute upon cute droid,  comic relief, masked-for-no-reason emo villain, mysterious master villain, fascist lackey villain, non-entity female villain). The sequel aspects were bad decision after bad decision. 

Next movie, I expect the reveal that Finn and Rey are also Han's kids.  Maybe General Hux, too. He and Kylo have a brotherly rivalry.  :P
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jesse James on December 28, 2015, 07:02 PM
I'm hearing a lot of the "masked for no reason", and all I wonder is...  Then why are so many other people masked?

It wasn't like Vader was the only guy wearing a mask in Star Wars.  :)

Perhaps Ren's mask helps him tactically like a Stormtrooper helmet?  Why not, ya know?

To me it's like complaining about people wearing capes in Star Wars...  There are quite a few who do, despite the utter impracticality of it.  Why not a mask then?  It could be just for the (at least I felt this way) implied intimidation purposes.  Dicking with people, keeping them from knowing what's underneath.  Who knows.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: GrandMoffNick on December 28, 2015, 07:57 PM
A character in a sci fi/fantasy movie wearing something that looks cool, but doesn't necessarily seem like it serves a specific purpose? How ridiculous.

And instead of a heroine, I'd have gone the no hero at all route. Again, really a heroine? Shouldn't she have been cooking? There wasn't a single male hero either.

And there is no place for comic relief in a movie about galactic war.

But seriously I get that anyone that's watched A New Hope even once saw the parallels but I think you may have been a tad harsh
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Scockery on December 28, 2015, 10:35 PM
A character in a sci fi/fantasy movie wearing something that looks cool, but doesn't necessarily seem like it serves a specific purpose? How ridiculous.
 
"masked no reason thing", okay, I wrote that before I read other people's comments pointing out how insecure Kylo Ren is. So he's hiding behind the mask as much it's for intimidating others. But I also said it was safe, and in expected and good for selling toys. (Ironic thing to say in this message board)


Quote
And instead of a heroine, I'd have gone the no hero at all route. Again, really a heroine? Shouldn't she have been cooking? There wasn't a single male hero either.

There was a scene of her cooking.  ;)

It seemed a bit obligatory in the age of Hunger Games, etc., to make the apparently new  chosen Light Sider female. Rey was a decent character; Daisy Ridley did a good job. But I'll still call it a safe choice for covering demographics.

Quote
And there is no place for comic relief in a movie about galactic war.

Welcome to 1999! (Who knows how much Jar Jar would've been in Episodes 2 and 3 if people had reacted differently?)

I'm mixed about Finn because if we believe the exposition, he should've been trained from youth to fight (later we find out he was in sanitation...what?), but then becomes comic relief because that's what the movie needed. Then he can remember he can fight at some point. Some would call this characterization/inner conflict, but I feel like two characters were shoehorned into one.

Quote
But seriously I get that anyone that's watched A New Hope even once saw the parallels but I think you may have been a tad harsh

Maybe. How is calling it safe and mediocre "harsh"? 

If I could narrow down my general grievances they would be: As nice as it was to see the characters again, I didn't care for the directions they took the original trilogy characters (Ackbar should be ruling the galaxy).  I also dislike "the Republic" thing because it was just an underdeveloped mess, existing only to be destroyed, thus either leveling the playing field or making the good guys underdogs again (as audiences expect?).  Not even gonna speculate too much on Snoke...I figure he's really the size of Meebur Gascon, that why he went unnoticed for decades.

The prequels were picked apart by almost everyone. They made money. This is making tons of money.  Star Wars will keep going for a long time. What does my opinion matter? I barely even collect anything anymore. Just saying I wasn't too satisfied with the film, I wasn't that satisfied with Spectre or Age of Ultron, either. Getting old and cynical, maybe? Or just hoping for better creative directions?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on December 28, 2015, 11:12 PM
Just saying I wasn't too satisfied with the film, I wasn't that satisfied with Spectre or Age of Ultron, either. Getting old and cynical, maybe? Or just hoping for better creative directions?

I can totally see where you are coming from. I think the movie setup some fun new things in the future. I've actually been looking forward to Rogue One more than TFA. It just seems completely new and different. I didn't like AoU and definitely not the Hunger Games series. I haven't seen Spectre but I think it is time for a new Bond there. I still need to see JW but kids make it hard to see new stuff.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: GrandMoffNick on December 29, 2015, 12:11 AM
I was mostly just messing with you Scockery. Obviously not everyone was going to enjoy it as much as it seems most did. Which is why relatively speaking I do think harsh is a fair word. As Phruby said and just as ANH did way back when, I think TFA sets us up very nicely for some great reveals in the next two films.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on December 30, 2015, 08:43 AM
Mashable posted THIS ARTICLE (http://mashable.com/2015/12/29/force-awakens-novel/#KxhyzZcZAPq3) which goes over some story points covered in the novelization of THE FORCE AWAKENS but may have left viewers of the movie wondering.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jabba the Slug on December 31, 2015, 04:24 AM
Has anyone checked out the "Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens" book yet? There's a really exciting page that shows a concept piece of Force Ghost Anakin whose face is half ROTS Ani and half Vader masked. The caption (by the artist) reads something along the lines of the artist having pitched Force Ghost Anakin to be in TFA, but that he's stuck somewhere between the light and dark sides. I think this might be a cool idea to appear in VIII, especially with a lot of reoccurring rumors that Hayden Christensen was supposedly training again for something Star Wars related.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on December 31, 2015, 04:18 PM
Just got back from seeing TFA a second time. I loved it as much as the first time. My nine year old son really enjoyed it but was pretty scared when Han died. His favorite character is BB8. I found a shot of Constable Zuvio. He gets killed by the Knights of Ren during Rey's force vision. I don't know if that is the future or the past since everything she saw was kind of mixed up. Yoda's voice is there and I think Obiwan's but I can't make out either one. Listening to the dialog I do not believe Rey is a Skywalker or a Solo. She might have something to do with Max Von Sydow's character.

We went to the 9:40am show and had the entire theater to ourselves.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on December 31, 2015, 04:33 PM
There's been a good deal of speculation about Rey's family.  Some people think that she's a Skywalker, and possibly Luke's daughter.  And other people think that she's not a Skywalker at all, but possibly the granddaughter of Obi-Wan Kenobi.  Also worth noting?  In Rey's Force vision, two of the voices she hears are dialogue from Obi-Wan Kenobi.  Some of it was cut together from Alec Guiness's dialogue in A NEW HOPE, and Ewan McGregor voiced the same line as well for that part of the film. 

If you go back to the CLONE WARS animated series, Obi-Wan did have a romantic link to Dutchess Satine of Mandalore (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Satine_Kryze).  Could that relationship have yielded a child?  Satine died in the series, but had some family members like Bo-Katan who could have fostered that child.  Or is it possible that Obi-Wan had some sort of relationship during his time on Tatooine?  I think it's all interesting fodder for discussion, because why else would the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi speak to Rey through the Force?

The one big concern I have with this theory is that the new trilogy seems so prepared to divorce itself from the EU in order to open up the story possibilities.  Will all of those CLONE WARS shows be considered canon, and something that could impact the movies?  As annoying as the whole "What's canon?  What's not canon?" issue has become, I think this is one area where it bears some examination.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on December 31, 2015, 05:39 PM
She might be a grandchild of Obiwan but definitely not his child from the clone wars.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on December 31, 2015, 06:08 PM
She might be a grandchild of Obiwan but definitely not his child from the clone wars.

I definitely should have made that more clear, although I did say And other people think that she's not a Skywalker at all, but possibly the granddaughter of Obi-Wan Kenobi

I think if Rey is related to Obi-Wan, that she is his grandchild.  And one of her parents could potentially have been the offspring of Obi-Wan and Satine.  Again, if this is something that they're exploring as a possibility I would be surprised since there's been a very deliberate effort in this new era to have the films stand on their own.  But if this is the case, I'm wondering if there might be a Force sensitive parent of Rey's who might work their way into the mix.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jesse James on December 31, 2015, 07:05 PM
They cut Ewan McGregor (who recorded new stuff) with a clip of Alec Guinness to get the OWK stuff in the flashback/vision sequence.  I read that in some article on Yahoo recently...  Pretty nutty.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: I Am Sith on January 1, 2016, 12:27 PM
The one big concern I have with this theory is that the new trilogy seems so prepared to divorce itself from the EU in order to open up the story possibilities.  Will all of those CLONE WARS shows be considered canon, and something that could impact the movies?  As annoying as the whole "What's canon?  What's not canon?" issue has become, I think this is one area where it bears some examination.

I thought that when they announced what was considered canon that they said The Clone Wars cartoon were considered as part of the new canon now.  As well as Rebels.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: P-Siddy on January 1, 2016, 02:20 PM
Ezra is Rey's dad?  Ick.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Matt_Fury on January 1, 2016, 04:33 PM
Or maybe Kanan.  Although if that were the case, I think Rey would be slightly green and have Lekku.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on January 2, 2016, 08:08 AM
Check out THIS SLASH FILM POSTING (http://www.slashfilm.com/star-wars-the-force-awakens-ending/).  The writer at Slash Film was able to see the screenplay for THE FORCE AWAKENS that was filed with the Writers Guild of America.  And it answers some questions regarding things seen in Rey's Force vision, the aftermath of that scene between Kylo Ren and Han Solo, Rey's state of mind at the end of her duel with Kylo Ren, and a sense of recognition between Luke Skywalker and Rey when she arrives on the planet where he has been in seclusion.  That planet is called Ahch-To.

Some of the article is speculative.  Notably, regarding who left Rey on Jakku in the custody of Unkar Plutt.  The article puts forth the theory that Han Solo may have given Unkar Plutt the Millennium Falcon in exchange for watching over Rey.  That stands in contrast with the story points about the chain of custody of the Falcon having been stolen from Solo by Ducain, and the ship then going to the Irving boys before eventually ending up with Unkar Plutt.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: EdSolo on January 4, 2016, 05:55 AM
I'm hearing a lot of the "masked for no reason", and all I wonder is...  Then why are so many other people masked?

It wasn't like Vader was the only guy wearing a mask in Star Wars.  :)

Perhaps Ren's mask helps him tactically like a Stormtrooper helmet?  Why not, ya know?

To me it's like complaining about people wearing capes in Star Wars...  There are quite a few who do, despite the utter impracticality of it.  Why not a mask then?  It could be just for the (at least I felt this way) implied intimidation purposes.  Dicking with people, keeping them from knowing what's underneath.  Who knows.

My wife came up with a theory that could tie in to his confidence.  Kylo Ren seems to be more powerful when he has the mask on.  He freezes a blaster bolt and Poe in the beginning.  When he captures Rey, he can read her mind that she has seen the map, but can't do it when he takes the mask off when she is in the torture rack.  Without the mask, he gets shot by Chewie, wounded by Finn, and beaten by Rey.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on January 4, 2016, 10:30 AM
I'm hearing a lot of the "masked for no reason", and all I wonder is...  Then why are so many other people masked?

It wasn't like Vader was the only guy wearing a mask in Star Wars.  :)

Perhaps Ren's mask helps him tactically like a Stormtrooper helmet?  Why not, ya know?

To me it's like complaining about people wearing capes in Star Wars...  There are quite a few who do, despite the utter impracticality of it.  Why not a mask then?  It could be just for the (at least I felt this way) implied intimidation purposes.  Dicking with people, keeping them from knowing what's underneath.  Who knows.

My wife came up with a theory that could tie in to his confidence.  Kylo Ren seems to be more powerful when he has the mask on.  He freezes a blaster bolt and Poe in the beginning.  When he captures Rey, he can read her mind that she has seen the map, but can't do it when he takes the mask off when she is in the torture rack.  Without the mask, he gets shot by Chewie, wounded by Finn, and beaten by Rey.

I didn't get that at all.  The mask projects an image to those around him, but I don't think it's tied to his power.

Regarding Kylo Ren at the end of the film?  Snoke told Kylo Ren that in order to complete his training he had to destroy Han Solo.  And that doing so might strenthen him even more with the dark side of The Force.  But in reality, it seems to have had the opposite effect, and Kylo Ren's power was diminished.  He even seemed to recognize it right at that moment, too, that this murder was a completely empty act on his part.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Diddly on January 6, 2016, 04:42 PM
Box Office: The Force Awakens overtakes Avatar to Become No. 1 Film of All Time in North America (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-star-wars-force-852274)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jesse James on January 6, 2016, 07:17 PM
Honestly I never got the appeal of Avatar.  It was horrible.  I was so glad I never paid to see it in a theater.  I almost did, and bought into the hype at the time.  When I finally did see it, good lord.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: 77Skywalker on January 6, 2016, 10:19 PM
I remember when I only first saw the film when we saw just something or someone from the original trilogy (i.e. Han Solo, Chewbacca), there was much applause in the theater.  I also enjoyed the lightsaber duel between Rey and Kylo Ren.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on January 7, 2016, 05:14 PM
I was finally able to catch a second screening of THE FORCE AWAKENS today at a matinee showing.  It was good to have some time to process a lot of what I had seen on opening day and go into this showing being able to watch for some very specific things.  First?  The emotional aspect of the film still rang through very well.  The new cast is really good.  And I think Harrison Ford really delivered.

There's been a bunch of discussion about Carrie Fisher's performance since the movie came out.  Having seen the movie again, it seems that her role was very deliberately focused where it needed to be.  I still got the sense that Leia and Han retreated personally following Ben Solo turning to the Dark Side, and they both came across as damaged people.

The Force vision that Rey has is clearly one of the high points of the movie.  Seeing that hallway from Cloud City still gets me.  And Kylo Ren killing what I presume to be a Jedi, and standing amid the bodies with the other Knights of Ren?  I was paying keen attention this time!  I heard the Obi-Wan voices, but I didn't catch the Yoda voice.

Another thing?  It seems very clear that Kylo Ren, possibly Snoke, Han Solo, Leia and Luke all realize who Rey really is.  I think that there's a strong likelihood that Rey was one of the students at the fallen Jedi Temple from her Force vision.  And it seems that she may have been one of the only survivors.

Last?  I took a good long look when Rey got to Ahch-To and presented the Skywalker lightsaber to Luke.  I was able to see his robotic hand, and his clothes.  And it looks like he's got a white & tan version of the outfit that he wore when he arrived at Jabba's palace in RETURN OF THE JEDI.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: 77Skywalker on January 9, 2016, 09:07 AM
I was finally able to catch a second screening of THE FORCE AWAKENS today at a matinee showing.  It was good to have some time to process a lot of what I had seen on opening day and go into this showing being able to watch for some very specific things.  First?  The emotional aspect of the film still rang through very well.  The new cast is really good.  And I think Harrison Ford really delivered.

There's been a bunch of discussion about Carrie Fisher's performance since the movie came out.  Having seen the movie again, it seems that her role was very deliberately focused where it needed to be.  I still got the sense that Leia and Han retreated personally following Ben Solo turning to the Dark Side, and they both came across as damaged people.

The Force vision that Rey has is clearly one of the high points of the movie.  Seeing that hallway from Cloud City still gets me.  And Kylo Ren killing what I presume to be a Jedi, and standing amid the bodies with the other Knights of Ren?  I was paying keen attention this time!  I heard the Obi-Wan voices, but I didn't catch the Yoda voice.

Another thing?  It seems very clear that Kylo Ren, possibly Snoke, Han Solo, Leia and Luke all realize who Rey really is.  I think that there's a strong likelihood that Rey was one of the students at the fallen Jedi Temple from her Force vision.  And it seems that she may have been one of the only survivors.

Last?  I took a good long look when Rey got to Ahch-To and presented the Skywalker lightsaber to Luke.  I was able to see his robotic hand, and his clothes.  And it looks like he's got a white & tan version of the outfit that he wore when he arrived at Jabba's palace in RETURN OF THE JEDI.

That's what it looked like to me.  Maybe in the next one we'll see Luke's lightsaber from Return of the Jedi.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Sybeck1 on January 13, 2016, 04:09 PM
Guess I'm part of the small minority who really thinks this movie was a swing and a miss. Rehashed plot. Coincidences on top of coincidences. Maybe 8 will be a better more thought out original movie
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: 77Skywalker on January 14, 2016, 07:05 PM
I hope we see more of Luke in Episode 8
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on February 10, 2016, 02:14 PM
(http://i1.wp.com/bitcast-a-sm.bitgravity.com/slashfilm/wp/wp-content/images/star-wars-family-photo.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: JediJman on February 19, 2016, 09:53 AM
Guess I'm part of the small minority who really thinks this movie was a swing and a miss. Rehashed plot. Coincidences on top of coincidences. Maybe 8 will be a better more thought out original movie

You mean like in the original Star Wars with R2 and Threepio somehow ending up on the same Sandcrawler or the Lars family being in the market for two of those types of droids or Obi-Wan happening across a wounded Luke & company in the desert or Threepio turning on his communicator just before the heroes get crushed in the trash compactor or Luke running into his best friend on Yavin or Vader selecting the worst TIE Pilot ever as his trench run wingman or Vader's tie not getting caught in the Death Star explosion?  Do you mean like those types of coincidences on top of coincidences?  ;)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on February 19, 2016, 10:05 AM
Aren't coincidences the hallmark of the entire series? Heck, if those two gunners on the star destroy blew up R2's escape pod like they were suppose to there wouldn't be a story.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on February 19, 2016, 10:45 AM
Aren't coincidences the hallmark of the entire series?

Yes.  It's called The Force.

Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: JediJman on February 19, 2016, 11:46 AM
Yes.  It's called The Force.

"That's now how the force works!"

(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/11/09/20/2E3EFC8C00000578-3310861-image-m-62_1447101007322.jpg)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on February 19, 2016, 03:38 PM
Aren't coincidences the hallmark of the entire series?

Yes.  It's called The Force.

or plot holes.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Rob on February 20, 2016, 02:43 PM
Aren't coincidences the hallmark of the entire series? Heck, if those two gunners on the star destroy blew up R2's escape pod like they were suppose to there wouldn't be a story.

It's not coincidence and it's not plot holes. 

This reminds me of how someone I know was bitching about Rey being good at everything, and my reaction was basically that that's why she's the hero of the story and that there's a reason we don't make Star Wars movies that feature restaurant owners on Coruscant serving food to space tourists or cab drivers on Corellia taking people around some random city. 

Besides, if various characters don't cross paths or end up in certain situations then there's no story.  It isn't called the Force, it's called suspension of disbelief and it's sort of required for almost any big exciting tale to be told.  Anyone who wants to pick huge epic action / sci-fi story that's being told in about 2 hours apart can do so with relative ease, but that doesn't make it a good use of their time.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: GrandMoffNick on February 20, 2016, 03:25 PM
Amen Rob
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: EdSolo on February 20, 2016, 09:37 PM
I too am tired of the "Rey is good at everything, Kylo Ren should have kicked her butt".  Let's ignore the fact that Chewie shot Kylo Ren before the duel or that Finn got a hit on him.  Yes, Finn shouldn't have been able to do it because he doesn't have the Force.  It isn't like he was trained in melee weapons like the ST he faced on at Maz's place.  If people can't stand Rey, then they should hate Luke and ROTJ.  When Luke beat Vader, he had exactly one duel against a live opponent, unless you count the cave on Degobah.  Even on Cloud City, completely unskilled Luke Skywalker scored a hit on Vader, who had infinately more lightsaber dueling experience.  Rey has some experience in melee weapons as shown when she fought off the thugs with her staff.  If Luke can beat Vader in ROTJ, then Rey can beat an injured Kylo Ren.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jesse James on February 21, 2016, 04:54 PM
To be fair, Luke had like 4 years of using a saber under his belt too and Vader isn't Anakin in terms of physical ability.  That said I think all the point about Kylo being shot, inexperienced, etc., are all fair.  Finn supposedly had training in melee combat, and on another viewing he's not "great" with a saber too.  He's slow, unsure, and losing to Tr8r trooper even...  It seems to fit more to me after a 2nd watch though. 
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Keonobi on February 21, 2016, 08:33 PM
Got my third screening this afternoon with my Wife and both of my boys; first for our seven year old. Felt bad for the folks behind us. 7 year old had a little trouble with"quiet mouth", sitting still, etc; he has autism and tends to script things. Anywho. Can i just say that a less engrossing, entertaining movie might have allowed them to be irritated; but they actually refused my apology and $20 to buy their next movie tickets (it was a local 2nd run theater so that wouldve covered it for them, plus snacks). Star Wars is great.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: EdSolo on February 22, 2016, 06:31 AM
To be fair, Luke had like 4 years of using a saber under his belt too and Vader isn't Anakin in terms of physical ability.  That said I think all the point about Kylo being shot, inexperienced, etc., are all fair.  Finn supposedly had training in melee combat, and on another viewing he's not "great" with a saber too.  He's slow, unsure, and losing to Tr8r trooper even...  It seems to fit more to me after a 2nd watch though.

To be fair, when ROTJ came out, while Luke had owned a saber for four years, how much did he use it?  He had very limited training from Obi-Wan, really on the order of ten minutes from what we see on screen.  He uses it to free himself on Hoth.  While the new cannon fleshes things out more, when ROTJ was made, we have no evidence of any saber training between ANH and ESB.  When Luke trains with Yoda, absolutely no training with the lightsaber was shown.  So at best, he has a few months of Jedi training when he meets Vader for the first time and manages to score a hit on him before getting his hand cut off.  Pretty fantastic for fighting someone who killed Dooku and hunted down the Jedi.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on February 22, 2016, 09:17 AM
Some of the new canon books reveal how much Luke has grown in his Force powers.  One of those books is called 'The Weapon Of A Jedi' and revolves around Luke after the events of A New Hope.  And Sarco Plank from The Force Awakens got brought into play in that story which revolves around Luke and the Skywalker lightsaber.  And from what I've heard he does duel with the lightsaber in the course of that story.

As for Vader?  The backstory that I've read with him is that he had hunted down the majority of the Jedi in the first few years following the foundation of the Empire.  By the time of A New Hope it had been a long time since he had dueled anybody.  And the same goes for Obi-Wan.  Both of them were far from their prime, and that's why their dueling capabilities were significantly diminished from the time of the Clone Wars and the events of Revenge Of The Sith.  However, I've also read that Vader had resumed his lightsaber training following his duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi on the Death Star, and that's how he was in much better form when he encountered Luke at Cloud City.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: EdSolo on February 22, 2016, 09:24 AM
Some of the new canon books reveal how much Luke has grown in his Force powers.  One of those books is called 'The Weapon Of A Jedi' and revolves around Luke after the events of A New Hope.  And Sarco Plank from The Force Awakens got brought into play in that story which revolves around Luke and the Skywalker lightsaber.  And from what I've heard he does duel with the lightsaber in the course of that story.

As for Vader?  The backstory that I've read with him is that he had hunted down the majority of the Jedi in the first few years following the foundation of the Empire.  By the time of A New Hope it had been a long time since he had dueled anybody.  And the same goes for Obi-Wan.  Both of them were far from their prime, and that's why their dueling capabilities were significantly diminished from the time of the Clone Wars and the events of Revenge Of The Sith.  However, I've also read that Vader had resumed his lightsaber training following his duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi on the Death Star, and that's how he was in much better form when he encountered Luke at Cloud City.

The problem with that explanation is that it is revisionist history under Disney.  While it is now the official canon, it certainly wasn't when ESB and ROTJ came out.  While we didn't have the internet back then, there isn't any evidence of the amount of whining we see about Rey while giving Luke a pass in a similar situation.

The new comics have also had Luke fight a Rancor pre ROTJ.  ROTJ doesn't give the impression that he had run into a rancor before.  While the new canon may fill in the holes, your average Star Wars "fan" doesn't read it and does not have the knowledge to say "Luke did this between ANH and ESB".  They only know what was in the movies.  The young reader novel does have Finn and his sqaudmates duel with melee weapons, so it is easy to assume that he wouldn't be completely useless with a lightsaber.  However, again, the average fan doesn't know that and just assumes he has never used anything, but a blaster.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on February 22, 2016, 09:48 AM
That 'under Disney' thing completely discounts the Star Wars Story Group.  And that's a group of people who worked for Lucasfilm while George Lucas was still at the helm.  THEY are the ones who made the call over what's canon and what is not canon, with Kathleen Kennedy having the final decision.

As for Luke's development?  You've got to think that between the events of Episodes 4 and 5 that Luke has probably gotten into a scrap or two.  The Rebels have essentially been on the run since the Battle of Yavin.  They weren't just sitting around on Yavin IV, eventually deciding 'Hey, let's go somewhere where we can go skiing year round!'  Also keep in mind that the Empire has been relentlessly trying to identify who exactly destroyed the Death Star.  By TESB we know that Darth Vader has learned the identity of Luke Skywalker well in advance of their duel at Cloud City, and so has the Emporer.  And when Luke summoned his lightsaber and took out the Wampa?  It looked like he's had some practice before that.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Keonobi on February 22, 2016, 09:49 AM
That's the impression I had of Finn; that he had limited experience outside blasters. "I need a weapon!", "You have one." Maz pushing his hand with the lightsaber..
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: EdSolo on February 22, 2016, 01:55 PM
That 'under Disney' thing completely discounts the Star Wars Story Group.  And that's a group of people who worked for Lucasfilm while George Lucas was still at the helm.  THEY are the ones who made the call over what's canon and what is not canon, with Kathleen Kennedy having the final decision.

As for Luke's development?  You've got to think that between the events of Episodes 4 and 5 that Luke has probably gotten into a scrap or two.  The Rebels have essentially been on the run since the Battle of Yavin.  They weren't just sitting around on Yavin IV, eventually deciding 'Hey, let's go somewhere where we can go skiing year round!'  Also keep in mind that the Empire has been relentlessly trying to identify who exactly destroyed the Death Star.  By TESB we know that Darth Vader has learned the identity of Luke Skywalker well in advance of their duel at Cloud City, and so has the Emporer.  And when Luke summoned his lightsaber and took out the Wampa?  It looked like he's had some practice before that.

Who owns the story group and Lucasfilm?  It is Disney.  So, the canon under Disney means that once Disney purchased Star Wars, the Story Group was created and announced that what was known as the EU became Legends, that everything going forward from that point was canon on par with the movies.

As for Luke, again, you are looking at this from 2015/6 eyes.  When the movies came out, they were the only official canon with an EU source to overwritten at Lucas's whim.  While it is easy to assume a bunch of stuff happened in the three years between ANH and ESB, none of it was official, so the only actual training we saw Luke undertake before he met Yoda was the limited time with Ben on the Falcon.  He then goes on to make a strike on a Sith Lord and then outright defeat him another year later with limited training.  Putting any of Luke's training aside, let me quote Han Solo, "Good against remotes is one thing.  Good against the living?  That's something else".  While Luke may have practiced telekinesis, it is highly unlikely he had any one on one saber training, unless we assume Yoda had another lightsaber on Degobah.  While we can take Lucas's limited view on things like how Leia "knew" her mother after seeing her for a few seconds, Obi-Wan stated that Vader betrayed and murdered the Jedi.  This could mean when he destroyed the temple, but I doubt it would be limited to just that act.  Legends had Vader hunting down Jedi during the Purge.  The new canon has not gone there yet, but I would think that at least a few Jedi escaped order 66 and Vader had a hand in hunting them down.  Even as Vader I think it is safe to assume he has had much more dueling experience than Luke ever had.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jesse James on February 22, 2016, 03:57 PM
Here is where "EU" and "Canon" becomes silly to me.

I find Disneys use of "canon" a joke at this point.  So anyone with enough $ could've bought Star Wars and told you what are facts and what are not about a world that doesn't even exist and woikdlnt exist if not for George Lucas?  Donald Trump could've bought it and be dictating to fans what is/isn't "real" in the whole thing?  As far as I'm concerned, even the movies are now just some very nice "EU".  And I say that in the sense that the old EU was always a thing where as a fan, in your own mind, you take or leave and hopefully enjoy it like the original movies entertained you.  I don't get hung up on someone insisting something be a "fact" in a world that doesn't exist. 

You can't be that rigid and inflexible with your own imagination, to me.

So for my $, Luke had 4 years of on film and off film adventures, and he used his saber throughout them, and his skills with a saber grew to where by ROTJ he was fairly confident and competent.  Coupling that with Vader's age and disabilities (definitely slowed down from his days as Anakin), then Luke held his own on their 2nd meeting.

I think Rey is more a warrior than Luke was (he was a good shot and pilot but otherwise a kid), and that aids her against a wounded, cocky, and at the same time emotionally unsure inside, Kylo Ren. 

Now if you're looking at the old movies as if only what is seen on screen matters, regardless of old EU or your own imagination of what took place in that 4 years for Luke, then the point of having a conversation about it is moot from the get go.  I choose not to agree with that.  Just as I may choose old EU over new because I can't say I really care that Disney could afford to "change the facts" at their whim.  I totally understand why they want that flexibility and in general I am cool with their ideas, but at the end of the day, why are they any more important than a Timothy Zahn?  For me, Lucas will always have some "higher" say over everyone else.

But that's just me.  Everyone should just enjoy it how they wish.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on February 22, 2016, 05:58 PM
I get the whole reasoning between the new Canon and the conversion of the previously existing EU into Star Wars Legends.  And I think some of the issues that Lucasfilm was trying to avoid was something that the PT ran into:  being painted into a figurative storytelling corner.

The way I understand it, these are the things that are now canon:
All of the Star Wars Saga films (Episode I - VII)
Clone Wars animated series (The Dave Filoni series, Not the Tartakovsky series)
Star Wars Rebels

As for print?  I'm not sure the date at which that transition was made.  But it certainly seems that the new run of Marvel Comics are canon (the original run is not), and the Dark Horse comics are Legends.


I wouldn't lay too much blame at the feet of the Star Wars Story Group.  They've got a hefty job to do in managing this content for multiple release formats.  But I think that classifying a lot of that EU as Legends material was necessary to clear the way for the new Saga and Anthology films so they wouldn't be beholdant to some novel, comic or game that was written 10 or 20 years ago that the majority of the movie going audience has never heard of and will likely never read.

And don't think that everything was great in this regard when George Lucas was still running things.  There was a really big dustup with author Karen Traviss who had written a number of books about the Mandalorians.  A lot of her work got thrown by the wayside when George Lucas decided to incorporate the Mandalorians into the Clone Wars animated series.  Lucas regarded his story ideas as more important and disregarded all of this backstory that Traviss had established with Lucasfilm approval, and the story arcs with the Mandalorians on the Clone Wars series just plowed over all of that work.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: EdSolo on February 23, 2016, 07:13 AM
Here is how it worked in terms of canon.  The films were the top level and CW (the cartoon, not the comics, or the micro series) was level below that and about the books and comics.  Lucas always reserved the right to overwrite the EU at any time.  While there was a continuity where contradictory items were either retconned or removed from continuity, it was never on the same level as the movies.  Like was mentioned above, the Karen Traviss Mando novels are a prime example.  She detailed the culture and the training of the clones.  Lucasfilm decided that having pacifists ruling Mandalore was a better idea and essentially threw the Traviss stuff out of continuity, hence why she quit writing Star Wars novels.  The Dark Horse comics were similarly run rough shod over.  Dathomir is another case where Lucas's daughter essentially took credit for the whole concept of the Nightsisters without giving any credit to Dave Wolverton.

Fast forward to the Disney purchase.  Disney purchased all the rights to Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Lucasfilm.  Lucasfilm created the Story Group and really did the only thing they could by shoving all that was the EU into what is now Legends.  Regardless of any of us who have read enjoyed many of these novels, the general public has not.  Imagine trying to go into what was the newly announced Episode VII trying to explain to the general public that Han and Leia eventually got married, had a set of twins named Jaina and Jacen and then another son named Anakin.  Much later Luke gets married to a Mara Jade who worked as an assassin for the Emperor and was tasked with killing Luke.  They eventually have a son named Ben.  A group of aliens invade the galaxy and they can't be sensed in the Force and they do a number on the New Republic and the newly formed Jedi.  The essentially destroy Coruscant as it was seen in the prequels.  Anakin dies as a teenager fighting said aliens.  Jacen is captured and tortured, eventually sending him down a dark path, because heaven forbid we would have been smart enough to distinguish Anakin Solo from Anakin Skywalker, hence the mandated killing of said Solo.  Years go by, and Jacen is trained by obscure Marvel comics character Shira Brie aka Dark Lady of the Sith Luymiya, who was trained in secret by Darth Vader.  Jacen takes over the government, kills Mara and becomes Darth Caedus.  His twin sister is then trained by Boba Fett and the Mandalorians.  She eventually suceeds in this task.  Han and Leia are left to raise Jacen's daughter in secret.  Jaina eventually marries Jagged Fel, son of a former Imperial ace pilot and eventually will become Empress of the Imperial Remnant, or so we are to assume because in the future their are Force wielding Fels who are in charge of the Empire.  Oh, and Chewbacca is dead because the aliens mentioned above dropped a moon on him and he sacrificed himself to save Anakin Solo who was then mandated by Lucasfilm to be killed off since they could not have Anakin Skywalker in the prequel movies at the same time their is Anakin Solo in the books.

That is where we would have been this past December (or May if the original date was pushed) if the EU were raised to canon and forced to be followed as the template.  Way too much meta knowledge to please us geeks who read all these books.

When the Story Group was established and they relegated EU to Legends, they said they could pick and choose what to use from Legends.  If the Thrawn in Rebels is true, that does not mean all the Timothy Zahn novels become canon.  The Story Group has said that canon contains all the episodic movies, all the spin-off stand alone movies, the Clone Wars series (but not the Gendi series), the Rebels series, including the unfinished episodes, all novels and young reader novels starting with A New Dawn, all the Marvel comics, all video games going foward.  The Dark Horse series, Son of Dathomir, counts as both in the Legends continuity and the new canon.  It is included in the new canon because it is adapted from unused Clone Wars scripts.  The on-going MMO The Old Republic has been branded Legends and is currently the only on-going Legends series.  That is why Lucasfilm has stated the ST Finn fights was one of his four squadmates from his training days per the short story in the young adult novel Before the Awakening.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jeff on February 23, 2016, 08:50 AM
Nice to see "epic continuity rants" are no longer just for comic book nerds anymore.  :P
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Dave on February 23, 2016, 09:55 AM
Wow.  You guys have read a lot more of the books and comics than I have.  I gave up after about the 25th novel after the Thrawn series, and have only read about 1/2 of the comics. 

Not to poke the bear, but didn't Lucasfilm / Dark Horse ignore most of the story lines from the original Marvel comics at some point?  And weren't some of the original books considered non-canon as well - e.g. Splinter of the Mind's Eye.

I personally like that the new movies will not be forced in to some crazy continuity Twister game. 
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on February 23, 2016, 10:06 AM
I personally like that the new movies will not be forced in to some crazy continuity Twister game. 

THIS.

This is ultimately what the whole CANON vs LEGENDS is all about.  I know that the Zahn-Thrawn trilogy is one of the most beloved story arcs of the EU, but even that is something where if the movie had treated that as part of the backstory, TFA might have lost the audience in serving those story points.  But more likely TFA would have been a completely different movie.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: EdSolo on February 23, 2016, 10:26 AM
Wow.  You guys have read a lot more of the books and comics than I have.  I gave up after about the 25th novel after the Thrawn series, and have only read about 1/2 of the comics. 

Not to poke the bear, but didn't Lucasfilm / Dark Horse ignore most of the story lines from the original Marvel comics at some point?  And weren't some of the original books considered non-canon as well - e.g. Splinter of the Mind's Eye.

I personally like that the new movies will not be forced in to some crazy continuity Twister game.

Initially, the original Marvel stuff was ignored back in the days of the Zahn novels and SOTE.  After Dark Horse got going for a while, the old Marvel stuff was worked into continuity.  I think Dark Horse even got to release omnibus editions of the old Marvel stuff at some point.  Some stuff needed to retconned or shoe horned in since the three years between ANH and ESB were pretty full for the big three.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: EdSolo on February 23, 2016, 10:32 AM
I personally like that the new movies will not be forced in to some crazy continuity Twister game. 

THIS.

This is ultimately what the whole CANON vs LEGENDS is all about.  I know that the Zahn-Thrawn trilogy is one of the most beloved story arcs of the EU, but even that is something where if the movie had treated that as part of the backstory, TFA might have lost the audience in serving those story points.  But more likely TFA would have been a completely different movie.

Yes, that is why I support the whole Legends thing even though I own and have read all the adult novels and a lot the younger reader stuff that has been released since the original ANH novelization.

There would be just too much to have to adhere to if Disney were to follow the old EU and would severely handicap themselves.  Not only would they have to adhere to all the characters that had died, they would also have a far future endpoint to build towards due to the Legacy comics.

The Zahn trilogy is always held up as an EU story that feels the most like Star Wars and many EU fans wanted to see that trilogy as Episodes VII to IX.  While it does well on the page, it would make a really boring trilogy.  There isn't too much in the novels to adapt as an action movie.  Even if it were made at the time of the novels release, it just wouldn't have been that great.  While Thrawn is/was a tactical genius, I don't know how well that would translate to the big screen.  I'm not sure where they are going to go with Snoke, but Snoke could have more potential, especially if he is skilled in the dark side.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jesse James on February 23, 2016, 07:21 PM
Nice to see "epic continuity rants" are no longer just for comic book nerds anymore.  :P

And this is why I take the "hippie" stance on this that I do...  Like what you like, ignore what you don't, and don't let Disney or anyone else tell you that your version of Star Wars is somehow "wrong". :P

I was never a huge EU supporter before...  I liked random things, but not all of it, and so I ignored a lot of it and didn't even read a lot of it once I saw what it was about.

At the same time, I mixed things that didn't even have a place in Star Wars into my Star Wars.  My favorite one I go to was a fan-made level to DF2: Jedi Knight that had Kyle Katarn infiltrating a base supposedly working on a biologic weapon, only to find it's the Aliens from Aliens, and of course Katarn shuts something off he shouldn't have while there, and chaos ensues.  The guy coded new Alien AI (and obviously a skin), he had the Stormtroopers ignoring you to fight the aliens at times, he had facehuggers...  It was awesome, and turned from a cool mission wandering out an elaborately designed base map with all kinds of puzzles to solve, to a map where you just wanted to escape as quickly as possible to your end point.  It's still one of the best things I ever played, and just so much fun, and for me, Aliens are in there somewhere. :)  Predator too (have one in the Cantina, having a beer, with a Trandoshan).

Have fun with it how you want...  And don't put all your hopes and dreams into what Disney does, or doesn't do.  Rebels kinda blows from an adult POV (IMO), but it's part of their new official stuff...  I like some of it, but it's disappointed me personally, but Star Wars didn't end for me because of that.  I still love it.  Just like E1 didn't ruin my childhood, nor did Han shooting first (but man, that was a close one).
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: JediJman on February 26, 2016, 03:49 PM
To be fair, have there EVER been any Hollywood movies that are entirely faithful to the original source material?  Especially when you're talking sci-fi/fantasy stories?  The Avengers movies have a ton of huge differences versus the original stories, from the original lineup (Cap, Hawk, BW were not originals) to character origins (Stark made the suit in Nam, and Stane doesn't take over for 200 issues, Ultron was made by Pym, not Stark, etc.). 

The writers and directors have to have some creative license to mix things up a bit, to take the best of what came before and mold it into something new.  I am a huge believer in maintaining continuity within a medium and get ticked when that doesn't happen, but I view the stories from the comics vs. the novels vs. the movies as just alternate realities of a sort.  I think the Walking Dead TV Show vs. Comic has helped me adjust to this kind of thing over the years.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Diddly on March 3, 2016, 10:19 AM
Time to start deciding where to buy the BR/DVD!

Best Buy gets an exclusive Kylo Ren Steelbook Case (http://makingstarwars.net/2016/03/best-buy-exclusive-star-wars-the-force-awakens-blu-ray-steelbook-features-kylo-ren/)

Target has exclusive packaging (http://makingstarwars.net/2016/03/target-exclusive-star-wars-the-force-awakens-blu-ray-cover-art/) and 20 minutes of bonus content (http://makingstarwars.net/2016/03/star-wars-the-force-awakens-target-exclusive-blu-ray-to-include-20-minutes-of-bonus-content/)

And there's a BB-8 cover rumored to be exclusive to Walmart (http://makingstarwars.net/2016/02/wal-mart-exclusive-star-wars-the-force-awakens-blu-ray-cover/)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on March 3, 2016, 10:30 AM
That BB-8 cover looks nice!  But I think the bonus content on the Target version might be the way to go.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Qui-Gon Jim on March 3, 2016, 11:21 AM
Target pre-order will also nab you a $5 GC right now.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jeff on March 3, 2016, 12:16 PM
Official Announcement from StarWars.com (http://www.starwars.com/news/its-true-all-of-it-star-wars-the-force-awakens-is-coming-home).  Follow the link for all the cover/case pics.

All releases =
Packaged with the film is a galaxy of bonus content that will take fans inside the making of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, including an in-depth documentary, featurettes, and more. Secrets will be revealed through extensive footage, never-before-seen deleted scenes, and exclusive interviews with the actors and filmmakers. Bonus features include*:

- Secrets of The Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey – For the first time, discover the complete story behind the making of The Force Awakens, revealed through in-depth footage and exclusive interviews with the actors and filmmakers in this feature documentary
- The Story Awakens: The Table Read – Cast members familiar and new reflect on the memorable day they all first came together to read the movie’s script
- Building BB-8 – See how the filmmakers brought the newest droid to the screen, creating an instant fan favorite in the Star Wars
- Crafting Creatures – Watch movie magic as the filmmakers bring a cast of new creatures to life
- Blueprint of a Battle: The Snow Fight – Go deeper into the epic, climactic lightsaber battle between Rey and Kylo Ren
- John Williams: The Seventh Symphony – The legendary composer shares personal insights of his work on Star Wars and The Force Awakens
- ILM: The Visual Magic of The Force – An insider’s look into the remarkable digital artistry of the movie’s visual effects.
- Force For Change – Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. See how the Star Wars: Force for Change initiative has united Star Wars fans all over the globe to help others
- Plus Deleted Scenes
* Digital bonus offerings may vary by retailer

Note: The 3D version of Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be available later this year.

TARGET
The Target Star Wars: The Force Awakens Blu-ray Combo Pack comes with exclusive packaging and an added 20 minutes of bonus content, including never-before-seen interviews with Daisy Ridley and John Boyega and a deeper look at the movie’s costumes and weaponry

WALMART
The Walmart Star Wars: The Force Awakens Blu-ray Combo Pack comes with exclusive BB-8 packaging and an exclusive Star Wars Galactic Connexions trading disc

BEST BUY
The Best Buy Star Wars: The Force Awakens Blu-ray Combo Pack features exclusive SteelBook Packaging
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Diddly on March 3, 2016, 12:26 PM
Man, whoever runs StarWars.com is on POINT. Glad to have all of this information in one place.

Sounds like Target is the place to buy.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: EdSolo on March 3, 2016, 01:07 PM
Best Buy has the steelbook up for preorder.  I preordered that one to go with the other steelbooks.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Matt on March 3, 2016, 05:26 PM
Sounds like Target is the place to buy.

Yep. Here's another shot of the Target packaging:

(http://i.imgur.com/l2JwyLo.jpg)

(EDIT: Awww ****, that pic was in the thing you linked to earlier, Travis. Sorry.)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: JediJman on March 4, 2016, 02:20 AM
Target pre-order will also nab you a $5 GC right now.

Is there a promo code for this?  That offer doesn't show up on either version on the site.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: 77Skywalker on March 6, 2016, 04:21 PM
One more month to go here until blu-ray.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Qui-Gon Jim on March 6, 2016, 06:57 PM
Target pre-order will also nab you a $5 GC right now.

Is there a promo code for this?  That offer doesn't show up on either version on the site.
This was on the non-exclusive version, but I'm not sure if it is still active. I got an e-mail from them saying if I wanted the exclusive version I needed to cancel and reorder. Did that and lost my promo.  Did an online chat with a CS rep and he took $5 right off my order.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Scott on March 6, 2016, 07:29 PM
Was going to order today but to get it on release day was $15 for shipping...will just go to the store
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Keonobi on March 10, 2016, 10:00 AM
Hey, just got the soundtrack for the Force Awakens. Why isnt the song that the band is playing, at Maz's on there? Its all the orchestral tracks, just not that one.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: 77Skywalker on March 10, 2016, 10:30 AM
Hey, just got the soundtrack for the Force Awakens. Why isnt the song that the band is playing, at Maz's on there? Its all the orchestral tracks, just not that one.
I have heard the soundtrack just so many times.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Qui-Gon Jim on March 10, 2016, 11:47 AM
Hey, just got the soundtrack for the Force Awakens. Why isnt the song that the band is playing, at Maz's on there? Its all the orchestral tracks, just not that one.
Gotta save something for the inevitable "Special Edition" ST, right?
Title: Re: Star Wars Episode VII
Post by: I Am Sith on March 11, 2016, 08:30 AM
Here's hoping he leaves the lens flares at home.

+1

Well it looks like we can thank Mrs. Abrams for the lack of lens flare in TFA.  Thank you!

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Why-J-J-Abrams-Star-Wars-Had-Lot-Fewer-Lens-Flares-Than-Star-Trek-117317.html
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Matt on March 17, 2016, 01:04 PM
Sounds like Target is the place to buy.

Yep.

So with the news the other day that the exclusive Target content is actually download-only, and not on-disc, I think I'm just gonna buy the standard Blu-Ray at whatever place has it the cheapest:

(http://i.imgur.com/OZWn7Enm.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/1hJaKTjm.jpg)
(Slipcover & keepcase)

I'm a sucker for any packaging that features the original theatrical poster. I could be wrong, but I think this is the first time any official SW DVD or Blu-Ray release has used a theatrical poster for cover art. Would have gone with the Steelbook at Best Buy if it had this art instead of the stupid closeups of Kylo and Phasma.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Diddly on March 20, 2016, 04:32 PM
Yep, really no reason to buy exclusive now unless you really love the packaging. The Target content will be posted to YouTube anyway.

Honestly kind of a ripoff... make all the bonus content available on disc or don't do it at all. I miss the days where all of the discs were the same and all you had to figure out was what store you wanted to get a preorder bonus from.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: EdSolo on March 21, 2016, 06:51 AM
Disney has some exclusive Lithographs if you preorder from their on-line store.  However, their price is $5 more than amazon and they don't have expedited shipping available, so I'm not sure if you would receive it on release day.  Shipping is also $5.  They do give you a $10 off a future order coupon, so it could be a wash if you order stuff from them in the future.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: 77Skywalker on March 21, 2016, 11:42 AM
Sounds like Target is the place to buy.

Yep.

So with the news the other day that the exclusive Target content is actually download-only, and not on-disc, I think I'm just gonna buy the standard Blu-Ray at whatever place has it the cheapest:

(http://i.imgur.com/OZWn7Enm.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/1hJaKTjm.jpg)
(Slipcover & keepcase)

I'm a sucker for any packaging that features the original theatrical poster. I could be wrong, but I think this is the first time any official SW DVD or Blu-Ray release has used a theatrical poster for cover art. Would have gone with the Steelbook at Best Buy if it had this art instead of the stupid closeups of Kylo and Phasma.

That looks awesome.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on March 24, 2016, 10:30 AM
TFA is available via bit torrents.

http://www.engadget.com/2016/03/23/star-wars-the-force-awakens-blu-ray-rip-leaks-to-torrents/ (http://www.engadget.com/2016/03/23/star-wars-the-force-awakens-blu-ray-rip-leaks-to-torrents/)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Diddly on August 10, 2016, 03:51 PM
Get your wallets ready, everyone.

TFA "Collector's Edition" Blu-Ray Set Hitting Stores This Fall (http://www.ew.com/article/2016/08/10/star-wars-force-awakens-new-blu-ray-jj-abrams-commentary)

 ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Dave on August 10, 2016, 03:57 PM
I'll just watch the new deleted scenes on YouTube...
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jeff on August 10, 2016, 04:02 PM
From EW:
Deleted Scenes – While there were a handful of deleted footage on the original Blu-ray, this one promises even more “never-before-shared” scenes.

Does this mean Zuvio finally gets his due?!?  We can only hope... (http://www.jedidefender.com/jsmentek/crossfingers.gif)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: McMetal on August 10, 2016, 07:38 PM
LOL, the first thing I thought of was Zuvio...Jeff beat me to it.

One can hope, poor schmoe is going down in toy infamy otherwise.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on August 10, 2016, 07:55 PM
I could not give a toss about Zuvio. 

I WANNA SEE CHEWIE RIP SOMEONE'S ARM OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: I Am Sith on August 11, 2016, 08:04 AM
I'll just watch the new deleted scenes on YouTube...

I couldn't agree more.  I gave in and bought all the original releases as well as the Special Editions when LOTR were released and said I would never do that again.  Just went the SE route with The Hobbit movies.  Unless they were releasing a SE with 30 more minutes of footage added, I'm not bothering to buy this.  I'll see the deleted stuff eventually.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on September 4, 2016, 02:10 PM
So has this been bothering anyone else?

(http://i.imgur.com/rwJyu39.png)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Dave on September 5, 2016, 04:53 PM
No, but this has.  :P

(http://www.clipartkid.com/images/107/hanapin-marketing-and-the-american-red-cross-hanapin-marketing-GXaIxI-clipart.jpeg)(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/33/Red_Hot_Chili_Peppers_logo.png)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Jeff on October 19, 2016, 11:33 AM
Disney/LFL have started hyping that 3D Bluray release...

Unkar Plutt vs Chewie will be deleted scene on the release (http://www.ew.com/article/2016/10/18/star-wars-force-awakens-deleted-scene-unkar-plutt-chewbacca)

JJ talks 'Han vs Kylo' in commentary (http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2016/10/17/jj-abrams-star-wars-the-force-awakens-exclusive-commentary/92299234/)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: McMetal on October 19, 2016, 11:40 AM
I'm so glad they cut that Unkar Plutt scene. That was highly implausible on a number of different levels.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on October 19, 2016, 04:48 PM
I'm glad they left that out. Plutt's facial expressions were not good. Hopefully that wasn't a completed scene.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on October 19, 2016, 08:13 PM
I've read some other articles about that scene, and the reports stated that the effects shots were not completed when that scene got cut from the movie.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Diddly on November 16, 2016, 11:07 AM
Did anyone pick this new set up? I'm trying to find out if this is worth a purchase, but none of the reviews I've seen online go into any details besides "ZOMG it's awesome and every Star Wars fan must buy it!"
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on February 1, 2017, 10:47 AM
Did anyone pick this new set up? I'm trying to find out if this is worth a purchase, but none of the reviews I've seen online go into any details besides "ZOMG it's awesome and every Star Wars fan must buy it!"

I've held off, even if there is the additional deleted scene between Rey, Unkar Plutt and Chewbacca.  I've seen it on YouTube.

I've actually been re-watching TFA recently and some questions have been popping up for me.  Such as?

Rey's origins and her life on Jakku.  One thing is certain about Rey:  someone very deliberately hid her away on Jakku.  Why they did that and who are both questions that I have. 

Some of the questions that I have are tied up in the Falcon's presence on Jakku, and how Han Solo happens to encounter the Falcon after Rey, Finn and BB-8 escape from Jakku.  Supposedly, the Falcon had changed hands several times.  Somehow it changed hands from Han Solo to Ganner Ducain, then the Irving boys, and eventually it wound up in the possession of Unkar Plutt.  In the course of trying to escape the First Order on Jakku, Rey remarked to Finn that the Falcon had not flown in years.  She also expressed some familiarity with the ship, which tells me that she had done some work on it for Unkar Plutt.  Had she done so working for him?  Clearly she was familiar with the Falcon's systems, and she recognizes that it's a tough ship to operate, requiring almost constant maintenance.

As always, people can argue that it was the will of The Force that the Falcon wound up on Jakku, as did Rey.  But it seemed like Han Solo had some sort of inkling about Rey's identity.  And his current freighter, the Eravana, just happened to be close enough to Jakku to capture the ship.  Han was able to override the controls of the Falcon remotely.  And he was able to get the systems back up and running the with the flip of a switch as he went to the Falcon's cockpit.  So was it The Force, or did Han Solo have a very long play that he was seeing through?

It also seems that Han has plans for Rey when they talk on Takodana.  She's young and naive, and he seems prepared to take her on under this pretext of being part of the crew.  But there does seem to be something more behind this, and that gets reinforced when Maz asks Han "Who's the girl"?

A number of theories also seem to be circulating that SOMETHING aside from Ben Solo/Organa going off to train with Luke caused the rift between Han and Leia.  Was there some other tragedy that befell them before Ben turned on Luke and became Kylo Ren?  It does seem like something like the loss of a child may have driven them apart.  Is it possible that child was Rey?  Did Han or even Luke see signs of darkness and cruelty in Ben as a child, and send Rey away for her own protection?  Because when Kylo Ren Force choked Lt. Mitaka and demand to know "What girl?", it seemed that he might have had insights about Rey before ever even seeing her.

And then, THE HUG.  The hug between Leia and Rey following the destruction of Starkiller base.  Supposedly, Leia and Rey had never met before that.  And JJ Abrams has said that he regrets having let that get into the final cut of TFA.  Did that let on more than should have been revealed?


On a totally different note?  I think I've finally figured out where the Rathtars come from.  Cross a Sarlacc, Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors and a Madball, and you get VOILA!  A Rathtar.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Qui-Gon Jim on February 1, 2017, 11:33 AM
You echo many of my thoughts.  My theory is that Ben took Rey from Han and Leia AND the Falcon and left them on Jakku with Plutt which is part of why Plutt is in contact with the FO to know they are looking for BB-8.  I think this is what caused the wedge between Han and Leia.  Han set out to find Rey and fell back onto smuggling to earn a living in that area of the galaxy.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on February 1, 2017, 02:23 PM
How could Ben Solo take Rey in the Falcon and drop them on Jakku? Why would he do that? Besides, Ben is about the same age as Rey. She wasn't dropped off by the  Falcon. Rey wasn't even part Luke's school because she left long before Ben Solo went nuts and his buddies destroyed the school.  Besides the Falcon was stolen from Han by Duquesne. It was in turn stolen by the Erwin boys and then finally by Plutt.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Dave on February 1, 2017, 02:46 PM
Does anyone know the timeline of Ben Solo's betrayal?  I couldn't find anything online after a few searches. 

According to Wookieepedia Ben Solo is 10 years older than Rey.  Assuming Rey was around 4 when she was left on Jakku, that would make Ben Solo 14 at the time of her abandonment. 

In theory Ben Solo could have taken his little sister Rey and left her on Jakku.  Perhaps to hide her from Snoke since he couldn't bring himself to kill her at the time.  He could have left the Falcon and then left in the ship shown in the flashback of TFA.  Or Han could have left her there too, but that seems like a strange move to make.

Its plausible, but you would think there would have been something more made of it if Leia or Han realized she was their daughter.  I'm guessing they assumed she was dead, but you would think a force sensitive person like Leia would have been able to put it all together. 

Kylo Ren should have had a strong suspicion of who she was if he was the one that left her on Jakku.  Plus you would think that there would have been some different interaction between Kylo Ren and Rey when they were probing each other's minds. 
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: EdSolo on February 1, 2017, 04:02 PM
Rey was dropped off prior to Ben's betrayal.  Ben's betrayal has not had a date set yet.  Rey is 10 years younger.  Ben was born 5 ABY and Rey was born 15 ABY.  With TFA at around 33 ABY and the events of the novel Bloodlines six years prior to TFA, it doesn't seem like the theory (that Ben took Rey to Jakku) could hold up.  The Falcon is gone by Bloodlines, and Han is out and about running a racer team, but Han and Leia are very much in contact.  Han isn't at the point of going back to smuggling yet and Rey would have been on Jakku for around seven years by this time.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Darby on February 1, 2017, 05:04 PM
I've mentioned I've gone back to the Rey = Solo camp in the TLJ thread. A couple things, all circumstantial:

From the SW Databank entry on Han Solo: 'Han and Chewie lost their beloved Falcon amid more personal turmoil, and hunted endlessly for the lost freighter.' If the tragedy is Kylo's fall, that makes no sense as the fall appears to happen in the very brief time between Bloodline and TFA. The Falcon is long gone by Bloodline.

And then from Rey's Survival Guide: 'Great plan until the TIE pilots blew the quad up, forcing us to run for this junky freighter that the Blobfish has kept under a tarp for longer than I can remember.' Rey has been on Jakku from at least 4 years of age.

From the TFA Visual Dictionary, also on Han: 'But the peace of his life was not to last, and after a profound tragedy upended what had become normal for the Corellian, Solo returned to his old life...'

From Bloodline: Leia and Han had “been apart too often in their marriage.”  They live mostly apart. Solo had largely returned to his old life well before Bloodline, when things were somewhat stable for his family.

The Falcon is key. The ship being in the same place as Rey is either the biggest coincidence of all time, or as we've discovered in this series, there are no coincidences. Han and Chewie went their separate ways in Aftermath: Life Debt. Chewbacca is living on Kashyyk in Bloodline. Han and Chewie lost the Falcon together during a period of turmoil previous to the fall of Ben Solo and at least synonymous with Rey's memory of the Falcon on Jakku. Han and Chewie reunited at some point in the past, lost the ship and then disbanded again for reasons that are very, very (purposefully) vague.

So... why doesn't she remember her parents, or they remember her?

From the TFA Visual Dictionary, regarding Rey: 'Her only escapes from the brutal conditions of Jakku are vivid flights of imagination, where she envisions lush, green worlds and fantasizes about a family she has never known.'

Something is up.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Darby on February 1, 2017, 05:13 PM
To follow up on the theory of Kylo abandoning Rey on Jakku - it's very compelling, but I don't think fits in with the narrative as we know it so far. What makes sense to me, from what I outlined above, is that Chewie leaves Rey on the planet with the Falcon. We simply have no context for why he would do this, but consider again: Han and Chewie were together at the time they lost the Falcon. They disband afterwards, it seems. Something terrible has happened around this time.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on February 1, 2017, 05:22 PM
I see no reason for Kylo to abandon Rey on Jakku. Based on the narrative they don't know each other at all. Chewie didn't drop the Falcon on Jakku either. It went through many hands before blobfish got it. The ship that dropped Rey off on Jakku was not the Falcon as seen in her Force vision.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Darby on February 1, 2017, 06:08 PM
All of the hands the ship changed through could have been located on Jakku - Han has reason to think it was in the neighborhood and knew some of the guys by name. The ship Rey saw in her vision doesn't have to be the one she was dropped off in, especially if Chewie (or anyone) left the Falcon there with her. Again, circumstantial but food for thought.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: EdSolo on February 1, 2017, 06:28 PM
It was Han's idea for him and Chewie to split.  He essentially told Chewie to spend time with his family since he has spent so much time away from them.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Darby on February 1, 2017, 06:42 PM
Right, in Aftermath. They are apparently together again when the Falcon is lost, some time later. They subsequently spit again  ??? between then and Bloodline, when Chewie is back on Kashyyk.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Matt_Fury on February 1, 2017, 07:26 PM
Watching TFA, Han looks at Rey like he knows her, but I don't think she's Han and Leia's long lost daughter...they would have talked about losing their children and not just their son.

I'm guessing that she's Luke's daughter, mainly because of her connection to Anakin's lightsaber.  There's a theory floating around the internet that Luke is standing over a grave on Ach-to.  I'm not convinced, but it would be interesting if true.

Honestly, I doubt JJ Abrams knows either...I have little confidence in him as a story teller and Lawrence Kasdan is our only hope the trilogy won't suck because of a JJ mystery box.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: EdSolo on February 1, 2017, 08:25 PM
I think Luke makes the most sense from a story standpoint and the possibility of an episode X - XII trilogy.  While Disney has not announced that they plan any more numbered episodes, I would think it has to be a possibility.  If the numbered episodes are the story of the Skywalker family, then we would need a Skywalker to continue.  If Rey is a Solo, while a Skywalker descendant, she won't have the name.  If she is Rey Skywalker, or "Original Name" Skywalker, then she can carry the name forward.  If they continue the possible Rey/Finn romance, since he doesn't have a name, he can take the Skywalker name if they were to get married.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Darby on February 1, 2017, 08:35 PM
I think the mystery has lost a lot of its heft by being pushed so hard in the movie. Abrams is like you said a huge fan of mysteries but the shock of Vader being Luke's dad wasn't because we were wondering, it's because it overturned what we knew. This has been engineered in a way that any outcome will be disappointing because it's either rote (Luke) or needlessly convoluted (Rey Random). That's why I think Rey Solo makes the most sense; it overturns what we know, which is apparently she is not/cannot be.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: EdSolo on February 2, 2017, 07:04 AM
I think the events of Bloodlines makes the Ben took Rey and the Falcon and dropped them off on Jakku impossible.  Han and Leia are apart, but not the way we see them in TFA.  Rey has already been left on Jakku at this time.  Ben has yet to learn the truth about Anakin, which I think we may see as a turning point for him in his fall.  I also don't see how a pre Kylo Ben Solo could abduct his sister and steal the Falcon and leave them both on Jakku at age 14 or 15 and get away with it without any sort of repercussions from his parents.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on February 2, 2017, 12:00 PM
I also don't see how a pre Kylo Ben Solo could abduct his sister and steal the Falcon and leave them both on Jakku at age 14 or 15 and get away with it without any sort of repercussions from his parents.

Come on 4 year old sister. Let's take dad's car and drive to a different state. Then I'll lose you and the car to criminals.

What would that conversation be like when he gets home without his sister and car?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on February 2, 2017, 12:36 PM
I think it's far more likely that she was hidden away by either Luke or her parents because someone recognized something dangerous in Ben.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on February 3, 2017, 10:34 AM
Hopefully it's not another virgin birth. Plagus/Snoke was busy with those kind of experiments.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: JediJman on February 4, 2017, 04:32 PM
I think Rey has to be Luke's daughter. 

 - She can't be Han & Leia's.  It would be ridiculous for Han and Leia to focus solely on Bringing Ben back to the light while having just found their long lost daughter.  They don't mention losing her and Leia would be force sensitive enough to know she's hugging her own daughter.  There seems to be some kind of connection to each of them, but that seems more befitting a niece than a daughter.

- While I kind of like this concept, it also seems far fetched that she's a Kenobi.  We've skipped a whole character/family/generation between Obi-Wan and Rey, so this would basically be about the same as a "she's not related to anyone" if it turns out to be true.  If Obi had a son/daughter, then they'd almost certainly be force sensitive. Where would that character have been during ESB/ROTJ and why would Luke be their "last hope?"  Seems like a pretty big backstory to conjour up and fairly out of character for Obiwan anyway.

- I don't buy that she's Kanan or Ezra's kid.  I think Disney plans for loose, minimal ties back to the Rebels storylines.  If we had heard more than Easter Egg references to the Rebels cast in Rogue One, then I'd give this more of a chance, but it feels like too big of a leap from the cartoon to the big screen.  Besides, don't Kanan and Hera have something going on?  Rey sure doesn't look Twi'lek to me.   ;)

 - It's certainly possible that she's not related to anyone or was even conceived by the force, similar to Anakin's backstory.  NEight of these would be very satisfying though.  People are too closely related throughout the SW saga for her to just be some random person, and the force just creating a person was hard enough to swallow the first time.  Can't imagine they would go back there again.

Rey clearly has a reaction to touching a blade that's been in both Anakin and Luke's possession.  She's apparently 19, which is the same age Luke was in ANH.  If my math is right, he would have been about 33-34 when Rey would have been conceived, which is a good fit.  She also seems pretty powerful for never having been trained - another trait among Skywalkers. The biggest question mark is how Luke could knowingly leave Rey behind.  But what if he doesn't even know she's alive?  Whoever the mom is, she might not have told Luke.  Or maybe he knew of his child, but thought she also died in the chaos that sent him into exile.  Another consideration is the whole concept of attachment for the Jedi.  We know that attachment leads to fear of loss and fear is the path to the dark side.  Maybe Luke felt that maintaining any kind of attachment to Rey could drive him to the dark side, so the lesser evil was abandoning his daughter and going into exile rather than unleashing another Darth Vader on the galaxy. That might explain Snoke and Kylo's reaction to "the girl," possibly realizing she is the long lost daughter of Luke. 

We talked about the coincidence of the Falcon being on Jakku, but I actually think the bigger coincidence is Lor San Tekka's presence.  What are the odds that a close ally of the New Republic and follower of the Church of the Force is hiding on Jakku as well.  The same guy who has the missing key to Luke's whereabouts.  I think Lor is on Jakku watching over Rey the same way that Obi watched over Luke.  Maybe Luke entrusts Lor with both his kid and his whereabouts, and Lor finally gives up Luke's location because the First Order is poised to become a bigger threat. 
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Darby on February 4, 2017, 04:53 PM
I agree Lor San Tekka's presence is something to consider. I agree with all your points in general - anything outside of Rey Skywalker requires a lot of heavy lifting. Except Rey Solo.  :) We simply don't know if Han and Leia had any other children. There is no reference to Ben being an only child (or not being one). The presumed death or abduction of a child could be the tragedy referred to in some of the canon materials that I mentioned before. Leia's force sensitivity seems to be (sadly) much less than Luke's, and triggered in every onscreen case by something happening to family. As you said, the emphasis on the connection between Leia and Rey (total strangers) is odd at the end of TFA. Could be Leia is her aunt, for sure. Rey also has a very strong, immediate connection to Han (and vice-versa) and at the end of the movie is literally and figuratively sitting in his seat. Rey's connections to the Skywalker/Solo family are ENORMOUS and could go either way, but I lean Solo for now.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on February 6, 2017, 07:58 AM
There's a reference in the Visual Dictionary for The Force Awakens to a "profound tragedy" that was at the heart of breaking up Han and Leia's relationship.  The loss of a child would certainly rank up there in my book.  How did she potentially get separated from her parents?

A more immediate question seems to be how did Rey get to Jakku.  And I also think that Lor San Tekka's presence on Jakku might have something to do with it, too.  I keep thinking more and more that Luke was responsible for placing Rey on Jakku, and that Lor San Tekka was there to watch over her.  And I think that Lor San Tekka having the map segment leading to Luke on Ach-To was given to him BY LUKE.

And there's also something about the First Order that comes to mind, and we learned about it by way of Finn's story:  the First Order Stormtrooper corps was built from children.  Even General Hux seems remarkably young compared to the Imperial Officers we saw in the OT.  So where did these children come from?  While it does seem that the First Order was built from some remnants of the Empire, it seems like it may have built itself up with children who were indoctrinated from birth to serve the First Order.  I'm thinking that Rey may have been taken from Han and Leia as Snoke tried to build the First Order with his ranks of children.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: EdSolo on February 6, 2017, 09:41 AM
The events of Bloodlines does not make it seem like the "profound tragedy" has happened yet.  While Han and Leia are not "together" as being in the same place in Bloodlines, it does not appear that they are apart as we see them in TFA.  I have to think the "profound tragedy" is Ben's transformation into Kylo Ren and his destruction of the Jedi Temple. 

The timing of everything is what seems off.  Initially, one would have thought Rey was abandoned on Jakku in response to the massacre.  However, the massacre occurs a lot closer to TFA than ROTJ.  The huge mystery would be the who and why of leaving Rey on Jakku.  I also have to wonder if Rey is her birth name or not. 

If Rey is Han and Leia's daughter, do they not know it when Han finds her or Leia sees her once back they are at the Resistance base?  If they do know it, it seems pretty cold not to tell her.

If Rey is Luke's daughter, were Han and Leia unaware that he had a child?

If she is another Chosen One, then we just have some poor writing.  If the Sith, as we know them, existed in the shadows for around 1,000 years, and in all that time we only see the Chosen One when Palpatine becomes the Master, why are we seeing another one about 50 years or less later?  I guess we have to wait and see what Snoke is.  He does not seem as powerful as Sidious as of yet so it would seem odd that another Chosen One would be needed to take him out.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: JediJman on February 6, 2017, 12:36 PM
A more immediate question seems to be how did Rey get to Jakku.  And I also think that Lor San Tekka's presence on Jakku might have something to do with it, too.  I keep thinking more and more that Luke was responsible for placing Rey on Jakku, and that Lor San Tekka was there to watch over her.  And I think that Lor San Tekka having the map segment leading to Luke on Ach-To was given to him BY LUKE.

WHAT?!  That's a great theory...

We talked about the coincidence of the Falcon being on Jakku, but I actually think the bigger coincidence is Lor San Tekka's presence.  What are the odds that a close ally of the New Republic and follower of the Church of the Force is hiding on Jakku as well.  The same guy who has the missing key to Luke's whereabouts.  I think Lor is on Jakku watching over Rey the same way that Obi watched over Luke.  Maybe Luke entrusts Lor with both his kid and his whereabouts, and Lor finally gives up Luke's location because the First Order is poised to become a bigger threat.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: McMetal on February 6, 2017, 12:48 PM
How old is Kylo supposed to be in TFA?

I think given what has been presented in TFA, it is an easier leap of logic to Luke being her Dad than Han.

I was thinking it would have been kind of cool if Rey's mom had been an older student at the academy, maybe even someone kylo knew and loved himself, making him all the more bitter and angry when she hooked up with Luke and opening the whole door to the dark side for him. Maybe she gets killed in the massacre and Luke hides Rey away to protect her, letting everyone think she is dead too, even Han and leia, because he couldn't risk reaching out after he was on the run.

for kicks they could still call her mom Mara Jade  :D
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: JediJman on February 6, 2017, 12:53 PM
He is supposedly born quickly following the events of Endor, so about 29 or 30. Heck, it's possible he was conceived in the Ewok Village. 

As for Rey's mom and/or Mara...have we heard anything about who Laura Dern is playing in TLJ yet?   :-X
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: McMetal on February 6, 2017, 01:38 PM
I think she actually plays Leia's political rival. Don't recall the name but she is mentioned in the Aftermath books.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: EdSolo on February 6, 2017, 02:26 PM
Rey is hidden away probably at least 7 years before the massacre.  She is not hidden away due to the massacre occurring.  The events of the Bloodline novel is probably what pushes Ben to the darkside.  Ben was in his early 20's when he finally learns that Anakin became Vader.  In Bloodlines, Leia's political enemies learn the truth and expose it to the galaxy at large via the New Republic Senate, thus destroying Leia's career and pushing her towards the creating of the Resistance.  At the same time, Ben is training with Luke and Han is out running a racing team.  The Solo family had not fallen apart yet.  In TFA Leia laments that sending Ben away to train with Luke is when she lost Ben and Han.  I think this really reinforces the theory that Ben turning and killing the Jedi is what caused the rift between Han and Leia.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on February 6, 2017, 04:44 PM
A more immediate question seems to be how did Rey get to Jakku.  And I also think that Lor San Tekka's presence on Jakku might have something to do with it, too.  I keep thinking more and more that Luke was responsible for placing Rey on Jakku, and that Lor San Tekka was there to watch over her.  And I think that Lor San Tekka having the map segment leading to Luke on Ach-To was given to him BY LUKE.

WHAT?!  That's a great theory...

We talked about the coincidence of the Falcon being on Jakku, but I actually think the bigger coincidence is Lor San Tekka's presence.  What are the odds that a close ally of the New Republic and follower of the Church of the Force is hiding on Jakku as well.  The same guy who has the missing key to Luke's whereabouts.  I think Lor is on Jakku watching over Rey the same way that Obi watched over Luke.  Maybe Luke entrusts Lor with both his kid and his whereabouts, and Lor finally gives up Luke's location because the First Order is poised to become a bigger threat.


I've seen the theory floated elsewhere, too.  So don't break your arm trying to pat yourself on the back.  The "mindful watcher" is yet another parallel from ANH, and there are always parallels and echoes to similar themes throughout the series.

There's also further evidence of a link between Luke and Lor San Tekka.  In his Official Site databank entry (http://www.starwars.com/databank/lor-san-tekka) this much is said about Lor San Tekka:
After the Battle of Endor, San Tekka helped Luke Skywalker recover secret Jedi lore that the Empire had tried to erase

As for the "profound tragedy"?  I think we're getting set up for a big secret reveal in The Last Jedi that might be akin to the Vader reveal in TESB, and it might very well involve that story point.

But I'm also interested in the other points.
-Where did all of the child soldiers for the First Order come from?
-And just what will Kylo Ren finish that Darth Vader started?
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: JediJman on February 9, 2017, 05:01 PM
Less about patting myself on the back and more about you not taking the time to read a post literally two up from yours that said exactly the same thing 2 days earlier.  Fail.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on February 9, 2017, 06:09 PM
Less about patting myself on the back and more about you not taking the time to read a post literally two up from yours that said exactly the same thing 2 days earlier.  Fail.

So, do you have some sort of reading comprehension issue or is it some need to be acknowledged?  Because I DID read your post.  Hence the word...

Quote
And I also think that Lor San Tekka's presence on Jakku might have something to do with it, too.

Get over yourself.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: JediJman on February 10, 2017, 09:46 AM
Cripes you have thin skin.   ::)
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on February 10, 2017, 10:30 AM
Cripes you have thin skin.   ::)

This wasn't an issue until YOU brought it up.  Look in the mirror.  Take some responsibility for flying off the handle like some kind of petulant child when you don't get directly acknowledged.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: JediJman on February 10, 2017, 10:38 AM
If you call this flying off the handle

WHAT?!  That's a great theory...

You need a serious reality check.  Lighten up.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: P-Siddy on February 10, 2017, 10:39 AM
If you call this flying off the handle

WHAT?!  That's a great theory...

You need a serious reality check.  Lighten up.

I know I'm not a mod, but keep it in the Pit, please.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Phrubruh on February 10, 2017, 11:13 AM
Come on guys. We are all friends here.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on February 15, 2017, 09:48 AM
I just came across this article which highlights a piece of dialogue (https://theringer.com/star-wars-kylo-ren-and-rey-8dd975945c92#.wt0iqzib3) that made it into the novelization of THE FORCE AWAKENS, but not the movie.

When Rey summons the Skywalker lightsaber in the snowy forest of Starkiller base, Kylo Ren whispers "It is you".  And that very likely ties in with the question that Kylo Ren asks of a First Order officer on the Finalizer when he demands to know "What girl?"
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: EdSolo on February 15, 2017, 10:52 AM
The novel dialogue may not be canonical.  I have not heard a specific statement on this line, but pre TFA it was stated that movie novelizations are canonical unless they contradict what was on screen.  So things like Blue squadron in ANH and the appearance of Yoda in ESB are not canonical from the novel descriptions.  I think ROTJ novel may have had Owen being Obi-wan's brother as well.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on February 15, 2017, 11:48 AM
The novel dialogue may not be canonical.  I have not heard a specific statement on this line, but pre TFA it was stated that movie novelizations are canonical unless they contradict what was on screen.  So things like Blue squadron in ANH and the appearance of Yoda in ESB are not canonical from the novel descriptions.  I think ROTJ novel may have had Owen being Obi-wan's brother as well.

Yes, but look at the eras you're citing: 
-The George Lucas era, where things were being worked out somewhat on the fly, or where Lucas may on a whim override the work of a contracted author (see the works of Karen Traviss)
-The sequel trilogy era, where the Star Wars story group is coordinating efforts between filmmakers, authors, et al to form a more cohesive Star Wars universe.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: EdSolo on February 15, 2017, 12:48 PM
The novel dialogue may not be canonical.  I have not heard a specific statement on this line, but pre TFA it was stated that movie novelizations are canonical unless they contradict what was on screen.  So things like Blue squadron in ANH and the appearance of Yoda in ESB are not canonical from the novel descriptions.  I think ROTJ novel may have had Owen being Obi-wan's brother as well.

Yes, but look at the eras you're citing: 
-The George Lucas era, where things were being worked out somewhat on the fly, or where Lucas may on a whim override the work of a contracted author (see the works of Karen Traviss)
-The sequel trilogy era, where the Star Wars story group is coordinating efforts between filmmakers, authors, et al to form a more cohesive Star Wars universe.

In the Lucas era, there was no story group.  It was just Lucas stating that if he wants to overwrite something he can.  Once Disney purchased Star Wars et al. they formed the story group which said that novels based on the movies are canonical except where they contradict what was on the screen.  While there is coordination between the author, Lucasfilm and the story group, the novel does not reflect the finished film necessarily.  There is no way it can since it is generally released on the same day as the film.  Therefore, the dialogue could be based on a deleted, altered or unfinished scene and therefore may not be canonical.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on February 15, 2017, 02:28 PM
Exactly.  Lucas exercised control over the material, and it was not in the coordinated way that we're seeing today. 

We saw the first hints of the Star Wars Story Group while George still owned Lucasfilm.  And it started when Lucas Licensing got Leland Chee working on what's now known as "The Holocron", which kept track of all Star Wars stories and characters in a database.  That effort began around the year 2000.  And Chee now serves on the Star Wars Story Group.  Lucas reserved the right to change the direction of stories at will, but that also meant that writers of non-film projects had more leeway to do what they wanted.  See my comment regarding Karen Traviss.  She had written multiple novels while the Clone Wars were being dealt with extensively in novels, comics and the Clone Wars animated series.  And a good deal of her work revolved around building a backstory for the Mandalorians.  But then George Lucas decided that he wanted the Clone Wars animated series to touch on the Mandalorians, and that move blew up almost all of the work Traviss had done on that story arc.   And Traviss quit writing Star Wars following that incident.

But the coordinated effort of the Star Wars Story Group NOW means that material like the novelization of THE FORCE AWAKENS is vetted in a far more coordinated fashion than during the Lucas era.  And you won't wind up with major issues like the situation with the Mandalorian story lines.

Will the movie supersede all other written material?  Very likely that will be the case.  But for a line like "It is you" to be uttered by Kylo Ren directed at Rey in that book?  That's not the sort of thing that the Lucas Licensing book editors would just let an author put out there on their own.  I suspect it was cut from the theatrical release of TFA to build suspense about the connection between the two characters, and further drawn in movie viewers.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: EdSolo on February 15, 2017, 03:31 PM
I am quite aware of the holocron and the Karen Travis saga.  IMO, part of Lucas showing he really couldn't tell a story anymore was his desire to have a warrior race taken over by pacifists.

That aside, the book isn't written based on the final cut of the film.  It just can't be considering it is released the same day as the movie.  That includes the audio version of the book.  Let us assume that Rey and Kylo are brother and sister in the original draft of the script.  It doesn't get revealed in the to the viewer directly, but is hinted at with the "it is you" line.  This first draft script is given to Alan Dean Foster which he uses to write the novel.  The novel gets approved by Lucasfilm/Disney.  After that time, new script drafts are written, changes are made, etc.  By this time it could be easily too late to change the final edit of the novel.  There are things like the Snowspeeder chase and Chewie ripping off Plut's arm in the novel that we have now seen as deleted scenes.  That does not mean they are canon.  The "it is you" line is only canon if Leland Chee or Pablo Hidalgo or someone else from the storybook group confirms that it is.  As of now, it contradicts what is seen in the theatrical release, which would seem it is not canon based on the previous statement from the story group.

Both the TFA novel and the Rogue One novel are closer to the final product than the OT and PT novels, but they are still differences which most likely comes from script edits and final cuts of the film.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Nicklab on February 15, 2017, 05:56 PM
There's just one little problem there.  Because the hardcover version of the TFA novel was not released until 5 months after the theatrical release of the movie. 

The digital download version of the book (released the same day as the movie, BTW), which can be far more easily edited given the means of distribution, may have seen more robust editing at the hands of Lucas Licensing and the Star Wars Story Group.  The same might be said of the audiobook, too.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: Darby on February 15, 2017, 06:01 PM
There isn't so far any indication that the new canon is pick and choose. So everything down to the last line is inclusive. I think it's just more of an emphasis of what is already in the film. Kylo clearly suggest some knowledge of Rey, and the novel cements it in this line.
Title: Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (SPOILERS)
Post by: EdSolo on February 15, 2017, 06:45 PM
There's just one little problem there.  Because the hardcover version of the TFA novel was not released until 5 months after the theatrical release of the movie. 

The digital download version of the book (released the same day as the movie, BTW), which can be far more easily edited given the means of distribution, may have seen more robust editing at the hands of Lucas Licensing and the Star Wars Story Group.  The same might be said of the audiobook, too.

Audio version released same day as the movie.  My hardcover version shipped January 4, 2016 and arrived on January 5, 2016.  Paperback was end of September.