...okay

Oh, and don't make me laugh about Rogue One. Mediocre movie with an excellent final act.

But dark and angsty makes shallow people feel real deep nowadays.

And insulting people for expressing opinions allegedly equals moral and intellectual superiority as well nowadays......

11 minutes ago, 2P51 said:

And insulting people for expressing opinions allegedly equals moral and intellectual superiority as well nowadays......

Yeah, I didn't word that too well did I?

I guess posting things after having a few glasses of wine with my wife isn't the best way of making a point! ?

10 minutes ago, DanteRotterdam said:

Yeah, I didn't word that too well did I?

I would say no.

I don't see TFA as a remake if it makes you feel better. It certainly uses the story outline structure and themes from Ep4, but it isn't a remake.

For those who consider TFA a "rehash" of ANH, check out the first three-five or so minutes this video by John Campea:

I think I'm the only person here who absolutely loved both The Force Awakens and Rogue One.

(oh, and no, I am not a fan of the prequels)

3 hours ago, DanteRotterdam said:

Oh, and don't make me laugh about Rogue One. Mediocre movie with an excellent final act.

But dark and angsty makes shallow people feel real deep nowadays.

You think Star Wars, at any point in the last 40 years, has been deep?

It wasn't "dark and angsty" - it was a war movie, and took a slightly more realistic view of war and what happens to people during war. A view we'd never seen in Star Wars previously because it had always been about the Big **** Heroes, not the spear carriers that died like mayflies in the background. This was one about the mayflies.

Double post

1 hour ago, Daronil said:

You think Star Wars, at any point in the last 40 years, has been deep?

It wasn't "dark and angsty" - it was a war movie, and took a slightly more realistic view of war and what happens to people during war. A view we'd never seen in Star Wars previously because it had always been about the Big **** Heroes, not the spear carriers that died like mayflies in the background. This was one about the mayflies.

Except it really wasn't.

And, no I never thought any of it was deep but oh so many do. That was kind of my point.

1 hour ago, Daronil said:

I think I'm the only person here who absolutely loved both The Force Awakens and Rogue One.

(oh, and no, I am not a fan of the prequels)

No, I did too.

Except I think Rogue One isn't a great movie but it is a nice Star Wars experience.

I did see a great many people who easily stepped over Rogue One's flaws because it is a darker more gritty movie and I believe it would have benefited from a tighter first half.

10 minutes ago, DanteRotterdam said:

I believe it would have benefited from a tighter first half.

You're entitled to believe what you wish, but the first half couldn't have been significantly "tighter" without cutting out important character and story development. There really aren't any scenes that don't contribute in a meaningful way to showing the personality and motivations of each of the important characters. If anything, the movie would have benefited from being even longer. There are bits in the novelization (that were probably in one of the script drafts and/or left on the cutting room floor) that delved deeper into some of the characters.

Without character and story development the movie would just be another action-filled, mindless F/X showcase like so many other movies are today. Watch the pretty lights and things that go boom, and who cares about dialogue and acting.

Yeah... it is a mess either way.

And it could definitely have been tighter without "cutting out important character and story development". Do you think hopping around five planets in 15 to 30 minutes, introducing minor characters that were of no relevance to these developments or exploring half finished ideas (Bor Gullet springs to mind)!is part of that? Because I sure don't.

I could only try to imagine what that first hour must have been like for the casual movie goer.

So this is pure speculation but I have a Prediction (*wish)

When Rey inevitably crafts her own lightsaber, she will wield a Lightsaber Staff/pike. (I suppose they could also have a dual blade, but that's been done)

Like So:

3 hours ago, Daronil said:

I think I'm the only person here who absolutely loved both The Force Awakens and Rogue One.

(oh, and no, I am not a fan of the prequels)

Nah, I enjoy both just fine, as well.

On ‎1‎/‎23‎/‎2017 at 10:50 AM, ShadoWarrior said:

The villains in TFA were laughable. The actor playing Hux is far too young to be a senior general, and totally lacks the gravitas required for the leader of an enormous, evil army. Ren is pathetic and petulant. Vader didn't just have the fear of those around him, he also had their respect. Ren? Just fear of his tantrums. Phasma might as well have been named "Phantasm", given the shallowness of her performance. And then there's Snoke (rhymes with joke).

As for the Sith tradition being dead, not necessarily. It depends on whether the new canon only goes by the old canon's Rule of Two tradition, or the allows for Sith that did not abide by the Rule of Two (which existed in the EU). Snoke could be Sith, just not trained by Plagueis or Sidious. Plus we already have in the new canon, thanks (FWIW) to SW Rebels, Force users who are neither Jedi or Sith.

I think they had to make Ren into a more complex character than just Bad as bad does in order to make the story work. I am not sure why people have such a hard time with his character, I mean was he just supposed to come out and be the terminator? How would that have worked? Is this a case where a Boba Fett was wanted, cool looking but no info? I guess they could have done that but you would have to have his identity revealed in another movie or after he kills Solo. Snoke could still talk to him but they would say less to each other. I guess it would mean more screen time for the heroes, so ok.

But I totally agree with you about Hux, that was a real WTF moment when I saw him in the movie and wondered why he was cast. I also heartily agree about Phasma, man what a rip off. I guess she's the Boba Fett/Maul, whole lot of hype for nothing.

I think Hux was actually perfect for the role actually, all too often the general is this exceedingly senior old man, while you could see as Hux fired his doomsday weapon that he was envisioning the rise of his empire that he spent his entire life training for, from the hilter youth he was cultivated to be this ideal officer that represented the empire's idea of a perfect admiral, brought up on the Tarkin's Doctrine of terror, Thrawns stratergies and so fourth. Given that this is a galaxy that a galaxy that a literal back water of aliens could literally cook up the perfect army within 9 years, the idea that a young man can be conditioned by a fascist order into the perfect leader really isn't all that unbelievable. My only real complaint is that he didn't really do anything, Tarkin's presence on screen exceeded that of Vader, to be honest Vader wasn't a interesting villian to me until empire strikes back, where he actually started to command people instead of being Tarkin's dog.

Phasma is an absolutely repulsive character though and not in a way that would be entertaining. She did worse then nothing, was bagged and screwed the empire in a way that was unbelievable, yet the media sources and star wars media credit her to be an amazing female character. It's that kind of rubbish that gives feminism a bad name and to be honest I think she is worse then Jar Jar binks as a character. At least he lived up to his character archetype of a buffoon and proved to be entertaining to an audience, he for-filled his expectations of a character who was stupid and thoughtless, yet never pretended to be anything else, a bit of light hearted comedy in what was otherwise a bland movie. In contrast Captain Phasma was built up only to betray everything established about her 20 minute introduction. Even Boba Fett in the movies did exactly what he said on the tin, he was a badass minion with a lot of gadgets that was out matched and disposed of quickly in a manner that was funny, but didn't really distract from him (I mean, he was a minor character who happened to be good at what he did). Phasma, couldn't even do that.

I agree on Phasma. Seeing as she will be in TLJ I hope that they give the character a better script and let Gwendolyn Christie go to town with the badass warrior idea. Phasma was a character with a humongous amount of wasted potential.

Side note: I did hear somewhere that Phasma was not actually supposed to be in TFA, but that role was supposed to be some other white stormtrooper. One of the producers supposedly saw some concept art of a silver trooper and said "Put that in."

If that is a real story, it's funny that they didn't change the script for her. Wouldn't have been all that hard, either. The less screentime she would have had, the more mysterious she would have been.

So anyone care to speculate which of Rey's limbs do you think she will loose?

1 hour ago, ThreeAM said:

So anyone care to speculate which of Rey's limbs do you think she will loose?

I think it will be precisely her right arm!

Maybe they will be adventurous, and she loses a leg!

13 hours ago, Vestij Jai Galaar said:

Side note: I did hear somewhere that Phasma was not actually supposed to be in TFA, but that role was supposed to be some other white stormtrooper. One of the producers supposedly saw some concept art of a silver trooper and said "Put that in."

If that is a real story, it's funny that they didn't change the script for her. Wouldn't have been all that hard, either. The less screentime she would have had, the more mysterious she would have been.

The armor was concept art for Kylo Ren, Abrams rejected it for him, but liked the look, so it became Phasma.

It’s mainly the ancillary media that’s built her up beyond what was essentially a side (not even supporting) character. I’m of the opinion that, once a unique look and name was given to the character, an actor with some name recognition was cast to reinforce the unique quality (not necessarily the character’s level of prowess), and also to keep handy for a potential future expanded role.

The Phasma novel paints a picture of her prowess and reputation within the First Order that appears, at a glance, to be at odds with what was shown in TFA. But then, using the example of Boba Fett, it was the ancillary media that did that, too. All he did in ESB was stand around and look cool, and all he did in RotJ was much of the same, then get killed quickly.

I’m willing to see what they do with her in TLJ, especially with the additional detail that LFL has commissioned via the novel and the current comic.

I think it will be precisely her right arm!

Maybe they will be adventurous, and she loses a leg!