2 hours ago, Kani Kantai said:

I agree. Rian was a terrible idea. The biggest problem Star Wars has at the moment is a lack of one creative executive with a team of competent advisors guiding the story arc.

The best thing they can do now is just stop mutilating our favourite characters and tell a completely new story. Solo without Lando, Han or Chewie would have been better, and things like Mandalorian seem like a good move. I’d rather risk three standalone movies from three different directors than the current formula of train-wreck trilogies.

Regardless of what everyone may think of the films, Disney probably doesn't see $3 billion for the first two in the new trilogy as a train wreck and probably will keep on doing what they are doing unless there is other incentive to change it..

4 hours ago, Captain Lackwit said:

So nothing means anything and we can say whatever we want? Blocked.

When you’re Disney, you can make up what ever you want. This is why people don’t like over zealous fan boys.

On 4/12/2019 at 7:58 PM, BlueAce said:

Also why doesn't that fighter trying to hit Rey go to hyperspace and smash right through her? Didn't they learn anything from the last movie?

Better question, why isn't it firing at her?

Honestly I have loved the recent movies and definitely got goosebumps from the teaser!

Roll on December!

52 minutes ago, ForceSensitive said:

Better question, why isn't it firing at her?

It’s pretty obvious.

This isn’t a fight scene, they are practising for the Jedi olympics...no one voluntarily turns their back on a threat, and notice her lack of emption, just the same expression of concentration any pre-competition athlete would show.

If the TIE fighter wanted to kill her it would have attack from high up at extreme range, avoiding the chance if accidentally clipping the ground. These are just two friends practising.

6 hours ago, Dwing said:

Meh, it becomes to "Harry Potter", about which trinkets you own. This is the special dudah that does this bla bla. SW was never about that kinda stuff

Yeah, because the emperor’s compass has been decisive & crucial for the plot for awhile...

19 minutes ago, Jehan Menasis said:

Yeah, because the emperor’s compass has been decisive & crucial for the plot for awhile...

Is it mentioned outside Battlefront 2? It can't be expected of movie audience to play poor pc games and read all the comics.

6 hours ago, Archangelspiv said:

Facts? What facts? Disney cut a whole bunch out and called it legends. One days it’s facts, next day it’s made up fan fiction. .

It was _always_ fan fiction that existed in its own sub canon. Lucas never felt beholden to the stories that other people were telling.

Literally nothing about that situation has changed. The only difference is that Disney won't be publishing stories set in a separate canon from the films and shows. You're still free to read and write new legends on sites like AO3.

21 hours ago, TauntaunScout said:

Grim fact: The Rise of Skywalker is statistically unlikely to be above average in quality.

Everything is statistically unlikely to be above average in quality

40 minutes ago, skotothalamos said:

Everything is statistically unlikely to be above average in quality

Exactly.

There will now be 11 major Star Wars films. It is unrealistic to expect all or most of them to be good.

10 minutes ago, TauntaunScout said:

Exactly.

There will now be 11 major Star Wars films. It is unrealistic to expect all or most of them to be good.

The MCU is a wonder of the cinematic world, and I don't think there are 10 "great" movies between them.

But every now and then they give us a Black Panther or a Thor: Ragnarok, and it makes up for the Iron Man 2s.

7 minutes ago, Punning Pundit said:

The MCU is a wonder of the cinematic world, and I don't think there are 10 "great" movies between them.

But every now and then they give us a Black Panther or a Thor: Ragnarok, and it makes up for the Iron Man 2s.

I don't really care which Star Wars movies someone likes re-watching, that's a subjective experience which is informed by more than how good or bad the art is. When I evaluate Star Wars films as art objects, the ones I deem best are not the same as the ones I re-watch most frequently. But I am suspicious that anyone who posits that all 11 are good art is either holding them to a lower standard than other art or a poor judge of art or both. And personally I think things with more or less unlimited budgets should usually be held to a higher standard anyway.

I liked Rey and Rose and the idea of a defected stormtooper I think it's unfortunate how they've managed this trilogy. I assume Harrison Ford wanted out so they had to kill off Han, I doubt he'd have agreed to sign on unless Han died. But it was also a major missed opportunity not to make the movies basically about Luke & Co. even if he has grey hair now. Plain age-ism. One of the great things about Willow is that the final battle is between two old ladies, and the titular character is an average middle-class dad with no fighting skills. They really could have done some amazing stuff with Luke & Leia if they'd only wnated to. I waited 30 years for a new movie about these old characters, and I went in and I plunked down my money and then they spent hours simply going through the introductions of new characters, not even bothering to tell a story about them. Wtf? Then next Christmas they virtually did it again, it was all side dishes with no entree, like a bungled version of ESB. We now have like 4 hours of intros and training montages with no clear storyline. If it was an unabashed 3 parts to a single story like LOTR that might work. But it's not really that either, and SW is not LOTR so it mightn't have worked anyways.

The trailer for TROS looks great. I can reasonably fear that most characters will continue to lack plausible motivation. Or that JJ Abrams will still think it's a good idea to ruin films with sheer astronomical improbabilities that have no place in Star Wars: yes this is Space Opera, but it's not Camp. But picking apart scenes in this trailer for complaint is pointless. Truly cringeworthy lines in the R1 trailers didn't make the final film. TFA's trailer gave me chills and the movie was a letdown. Trailers are commercials. Commercials can't be taken at face value, for good or bad. I am going to see this movie, in the theater, at least once, but not on opening weekend. What other judgements can I make from a trailer?

This franchise is essentially "too big to fail", it doesn't matter what Disney does. It's simply a question of how much profit it will make, not if. So any defense based on ticket sales is problematic for this franchise. We'll probably all live to see a SW movie that loses money if they keep making them every 2 years. But it'll be quite awhile. In the meantime, "too big to fail" probably means we get lots of awesome gaming miniatures licensed out for it, so I am pleased with the overall state of affairs in a galaxy far, far away.

2 hours ago, Punning Pundit said:

It was _always_ fan fiction that existed in its own sub canon. Lucas never felt beholden to the stories that other people were telling.

Literally nothing about that situation has changed. The only difference is that Disney won't be publishing stories set in a separate canon from the films and shows. You're still free to read and write new legends on sites like AO3.

You are officially good in my book because clearly, you pay attention.

7 hours ago, NebulonB said:

I am sure it has been said many times before...Sidious claimed that his master (and in consequence, he himself) acquired mastery over life and death. I honestly wouldnt object to any explanation letting him come back, in whatever form. I think the mantra of Sith not being able to force ghost is totally bs. If the force would really object to them, it would not let them do things that Plagueis did. And if the Force is just to be used and has no say, then why could it block Sith from that if they really look into that, as QG did?

But well, two big disappointments in a row, this movie must do more than bringing Palp back to make me a fan. Admittedly, its a first step, but pls, connect the big arcs we have, from Ezra and Thrawn to the Remnant to Maz and on and on.

Thematically, ressurecting Palpatine does a lot to negate the first three films. Vader/Anakin's sacrifice and everything the Rebellion did was in vain. Instead of a defeat, it was just a setback.

Going by what's said in the movies, the Sith covet life, whereas the Jedi accept that death is part of life. So the Sith are willing to do unnatural acts to prolong their lives, where the Jedi strive to live a good life and then go back to the Force, however that all works. Jedi can learn to "come back" an interact with the physical world to a degree, but when dead, Sith are subsumed into the Force without being able to manifest themselves. Ironic that the Sith obsession with life cuts them off from whatever afterlife exists in the Force.

Of course, that's just my interpretation Disney/Abrams can and will do whatever they want. They don't care about themes or storytelling. They just want to make money. At least Lucas at his worst still seemed to be trying to tell some kind of story, even when he went off the rails.

50 minutes ago, TauntaunScout said:

In the meantime, "too big to fail" probably means we get lots of awesome gaming miniatures licensed out for it, so I am pleased with the overall state of affairs in a galaxy far, far away.

Heh. That's how I approached the Resistance/First Order ships in v1. Good pilots and ships, too bad about the movies they came from. They could have put a potato on the flight stand for all I cared.

4 hours ago, Kani Kantai said:

...notice her lack of emption, just the same expression of concentration any pre-competition athlete would show.

Nah, Daisy Ridley always looks like that!

4 hours ago, TauntaunScout said:

But it was also a major missed opportunity not to make the movies basically about Luke & Co. even if he has grey hair now. Plain age-ism. One of the great things about Willow is that the final battle is between two old ladies, and the titular character is an average middle-class dad with no fighting skills. They really could have done some amazing stuff with Luke & Leia if they'd only wnated to. I waited 30 years for a new movie about these old characters,

Fascinating. I very explicitly _did not want_ movies that take place 30 years in the future that were about how great the Bloodline of Anikan Skywalker is. For me, that's exactly what the Rebellion fought to overcome.

"We are what they must grow beyond" is such a powerful statement, and it sums up what I wanted from the new movies.

Not to say that what you wanted was bad or wrong, or that you shouldn't have wanted these things. Just that you and I had exactly opposite desires.

1 minute ago, Punning Pundit said:

Fascinating. I very explicitly _did not want_ movies that take place 30 years in the future that were about how great the Bloodline of Anikan Skywalker is.

Why does a movie featuring a set of protagonists have to be about how great their dead father's bloodline is? Why assume that's what I wanted for a takeaway? I don't think the old movies are "about" how great Anakin's bloodline is anyway. The prequels, maaaaaybe. It also doesn't do any good to spend a whole movie (or perhaps two) "passing a torch". It doesn't take that long to introduce and establish characters and get them through a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Which is something I wanted even more than having it be about Luke, Leia, Lando, Chewie, the droids, and presumably Han till he dies of Ford's ennui in the fist episode.

6 hours ago, TauntaunScout said:

Why does a movie featuring a set of protagonists have to be about how great their dead father's bloodline is? Why assume that's what I wanted for a takeaway? I don't think the old movies are "about" how great Anakin's bloodline is anyway. The prequels, maaaaaybe. It also doesn't do any good to spend a whole movie (or perhaps two) "passing a torch". It doesn't take that long to introduce and establish characters and get them through a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Which is something I wanted even more than having it be about Luke, Leia, Lando, Chewie, the droids, and presumably Han till he dies of Ford's ennui in the fist episode.

The redemption of a fallen hero was what the original trilogy grew into, as well as a merchandise vehicle (but what classic 80s kid's story didn't become that?) Kershner did a decent job of making ESB a bit more serious, but the movies were always rather simple fairy tales. They were told by people who believed in them, which was part of the magic. The sweeping, operatic setting was the other half.

Many of us hoped the prequel trilogy would show us the fall of this hero. What would make a great warrior and friend become "...more machine now than man; twisted and evil."? Ultimately, it felt like a letdown by the time Vader rose from the ashes of Skywalker. The story seemed more like a faustian bargain where he was damned either way rather than a true fall from the light. Even if there were some high points and interesting characters along the way, 1-3 didn't deliver what had been expected. That's why many older fans like R1. Here was Vader in his prime. The emperor's rage monster and executioner of his will and enemies. That was one clever bit of the prequels, without Padme to drive his ambition and hunger for power, Vader's hate and fury were his motivation. He was the perfect apprentice because he had no reason to kill his master since Palpatine provided him with target to vent his anger on.

That adds to the depth of Luke being his son. Now he has a new goal. "...we can rule the galaxy as father and son". Really, the story was finished in RotJ whether Lucas intended it to be or not. Vader fell because of love, and Luke saved him/protected Leia because of love. Maybe that's my take away, but it works well enough to get me to 'happily ever after'.

The new series was risky as far as story telling goes from the beginning. In this day and age, 'happily ever after' doesn't always stick. How to tell that story without losing the way is tricky. Sure, it was built on the foundation of a world we loved, but where to go next in the 'skywalker saga' is a challenging question. Its similar to what happened in Harry Potter. So to get an ending that really sticks the landing is going to take every bit of skill and craft JJ Abrams and the LUcasfilm team has.

The Clone Wars Revival Arcs Confirmed|

Ahsoka's Journey,
The Bad Batch,
and Siege of Mandalore

New 501st Clone Regiment with helmet designs that resemble Ahsoka.

Ray Park will provide the animation for Darth Maul in The Clone Wars using motion capture

Happy Ahsoka Lives Day!

On 4/14/2019 at 3:37 PM, Kani Kantai said:

It’s pretty obvious.

This isn’t a fight scene, they are practising for the Jedi olympics...no one voluntarily turns their back on a threat, and notice her lack of emption, just the same expression of concentration any pre-competition athlete would show.

If the TIE fighter wanted to kill her it would have attack from high up at extreme range, avoiding the chance if accidentally clipping the ground. These are just two friends practising.

Practicing wouldn't necessarily require igniting the 'saber. I agree that the fighter would only be skimming the surface if it planned to be there - it starts far enough away in the shot that it cannot credibly be 'forced' to come that close to Rey without the pilot deliberately choosing to do so.

I suspect it's a case of the pilot trying to 'collect' Rey.

We don't know who's flying it (the partial red trim suggests a special forces ship, but it could well be stolen). If it's a rescue, or a 'get rey up to a bigger ship so we can escape' or even (I hope not, but possible) a capital ship lightsaber kill*, the point is "get Rey on board, or stood on top" without the TIE slowing down enough to land. Which, if it's either pursuing someone fleeing, or else being chased by more, distinctly unfriendlier TIEs, it might not have time to do.

*See The Art of the Force Awakens:

21 hours ago, Koing907 said:

Thematically, ressurecting Palpatine does a lot to negate the first three films. Vader/Anakin's sacrifice and everything the Rebellion did was in vain. Instead of a defeat, it was just a setback.

I don't know. Part of it will depend what they do. Having palpatine back fully in the flesh would feel odd, I agree, but I'm open to 'other stuff' - for example, the Nightsisters Ghosts in Visions and Voices are within the 'new canon', having appeared in Rebels, and Palpatine has been shown in the same show using the more ritualistic dark-side stuff in the world-between-worlds sequence.

On 4/13/2019 at 6:14 PM, DarthEnderX said:

Palpatine is just going to end up appearing in a vision Rey has when she enters the Death Star ruins. Like the one she had when she found Anakin's lightsaber.

Quite possibly. Again, going back to the Art of the Force Awakens, there were a few concept sketches I feel have been pulled out and dusted off:

On 4/13/2019 at 6:32 AM, Kani Kantai said:

Is Star Wars Battlefront II canon? If so didn’t that 100% confirm the Emperor was still around in some sense with that holo-projector droid? He was still giving orders wasn’t he?

Those were essentially an AI/Recording - part of The Contingency (TM) - which was expanded on more in the Aftermath novels (which are part of the new canon); as I understand it, it was Palpatine's "In the case of my death" plan.

Said plan - which amounted to "ensure neither the Empire nor the Rebellion survives my death" feels a bit petty for a Sith Lord who frankly probably planned to live forever and doesn't therefore care what happened if he dies, and which felt like it was simultaneously contradicted by the " except for this bit of the Empire, which I'll secretly stow away somewhere in the outer rim ". If Palpatine didn't think death was permanent, or at least he had some hopes of coming back in some form, and wanted the proto-first-order to be a seedcorn to grow a new sith empire from, then the combination of scorched earth and hidden reserves makes more sense (essentially replacing the galactic core facilities from the Legends Dark Empire series).

Interestingly, said plan ultimately was supposed to end with the Battle of Jakku with the planet being blown up with assorted sith magic. That's, again, from Aftermath, so is part of current star wars canon. If the desert planet is Jakku, then that could feature.

8 hours ago, IronOx said:

That's why many older fans like R1. Here was Vader in his prime. The emperor's rage monster and executioner of his will and enemies. That was one clever bit of the prequels, without Padme to drive his ambition and hunger for power, Vader's hate and fury were his motivation. He was the perfect apprentice because he had no reason to kill his master since Palpatine provided him with target to vent his anger on.

Very much so. One of the best things about a well-done prequel is that it can improve the original. Watch Rogue One and A New Hope back-to-back and the latter benefits; the opening scene picks up the desperation from the end of Rogue One, and Vader's actions which seem almost out of character fit in with the sequence - he's not making sarcastic comments, he's not using the force, he's angry enough to strangle the commander with his actual hands . And watching the corridor scene, you understand the "oh [censored] it's Vader" feeling that's supposed to underwrite most of the Rebellion era despite him never actually doing all that much on screen prior to, say, Bespin.

It's one of only two times (so far) we get to see Vader being Vader against other-than-jedi - the other being the Rebels episode Siege of Lothal, where his TIE/x1 essentially single-handedly destroys most of Phoenix Squadron and their command ship.

Lol at that art... Rey slicing on an ISD with a lightsaber would be the equivalent of attacking a whale with a pocket knife. That would be a walk out of the cinema moment for me.

They have been opening up the option of Palpatine for quite some time. Ever since Mortis, the Force has been getting weirder and weirder. I would argue Rebels explicitly showed an option of how he could return.

25 minutes ago, Jo Jo said:

Lol at that art... Rey slicing on an ISD with a lightsaber would be the equivalent of attacking a whale with a pocket knife. That would be a walk out of the cinema moment for me.

Agreed. It's one of the more ridiculous things in the art book. Not to say there couldn't be some semblance of it (with a shuttle or at most something more falcon or gozanti sized) but in practice, if you're vulnerable to a lightsaber you should probably be equally vulnerable to the guns on the not-an-interceptor.

8 minutes ago, Sithborg said:

They have been opening up the option of Palpatine for quite some time. Ever since Mortis, the Force has been getting weirder and weirder. I would argue Rebels explicitly showed an option of how he could return.

Rebels time travel/Gap between worlds craziness could also explain something about Luke dying. The fact is the Force is now easy weirder than it was under Lucas. I'd say there's a possibility of a retcon that Luke didn't die, but somehow transcended the physical world. Probably still just dead though.