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The Saga Ends (*spoiler-free* discussion)


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The Saga Ends (*spoiler-free* discussion)
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kieran
@kk@pennytucker.social
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
 
2019-08-27, 17:02

Mandalorian looks awesome, in a Rogue One type of way.

I feel like they filmed the stand alone movies with a different visual style and it works really well.

Kind of sad they are stopping the stand alone movies, but it seems like they've turned any plans for a stand alone movie into a TV series, I'm ok with that.

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kscherer
Which way is up?
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boyzeee
 
2019-08-27, 18:18

Disney has announced an as of yet unnamed trilogy of feature films that will follow a new set of characters. Plus, all of the made for Disney+ stuff in the pipes, and we will have lots of Star Wars on the small screen and the big screen for many years to come.

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addabox
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: oaktown
 
2019-08-30, 12:17

While I'm sure Disney will produce a number of "meanwhile over there" type properties (Mandalorian et al), I'm pretty sure the next trilogy will lean heavily on the existing mythology, and even if it doesn't explicitly concern the Skywalkers, the old legends will weigh heavily on the proceedings. There will be new mysteries and ambiguous identities and intimations that there are things about the Jedi and the Force and the Sith and the various historical figures thereof that aren't exactly what we've been led to believe. I just hope they don't focus on a new chosen one because that front loads the proceedings to follow the original saga's beats and they really need to let that go. Also, maybe we can try a dynamic other than space Nazis and rebels.

That which doesn't kill you weakens you slightly and makes you less able to cope until you're completely incapacitated
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turtle
Lord of the Rant.
Formerly turtle2472
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Upstate South Carolina
 
2019-08-30, 12:53

But... how can there be Sith and not be tied to the Skywalkers? I mean, "Two there should be. No more, no less."

Surely they have to tie in the Skywalkers unless it happens on a totally different time line before or after the Skywalkers.

Louis L'Amour, “To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.”
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2019-11-15, 14:07

Well this is just sad. We're just over 30 days from the conclusion/wrap-up of the Skywalker saga(!), and it appears that nobody gives a flaming rip.

About what I'd expect. Thanks, Rian!

Seriously, four years ago we had about a 7,000 page thread leading up to the opening of The Force Awakens...lively discussion, trailer analysis, predictions, debates, etc. Granted, that was before we all knew it would be such an uninspired, soulless "reimagining" of a movie done right the first time, 38 years prior (and before Kennedy turned the second installment over to a demented gnome who was obviously lying about his love of the property).

Would any of you had guessed, 4-5 years ago, that it would be so hard to care about Star Wars? I am on record as being concerned about the rushed trilogy releases and the "something every year" output. As it turns out, even Disney/Lucasfilm finally realized that maybe too much of anything is too much? Just a shame they couldn't have realized all this in 2014 or so, planned out a coherent, three-movie arc, took their time on the story/characters before one inch of film rolled, maybe even *gasp* listened to George a little (he kinda came up with all this stuff, after all), etc.

And then maybe this thread would be 7,000 pages too.

Just sad...

How do you goof up/mishandle Star Wars?!? With the established characters, backstories, fan goodwill/enthusiasm, it seems anyone could almost accidentally make a thrilling, enjoyable sequel trilogy. How hard could it possibly be?! The only other media entity I can think of that shit the bed to such a degree in recent years is DC/Warner brothers. People ask "how does one mess up Star Wars?" Gosh, I don't know...maybe go ask the people who managed to screw up the first live action appearance of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman together on the big screen? How do you mess that up (and then make a follow-up that is actually worse?! I don't know, but they certainly did. I suffered through both of those turds-on-a-bisuit and I can't believe the amount of time and money spent to create such an unwatchable pair of movies.

These people - Hollywood movie execs, producers, movers-and-shakers, etc. - are going to learn, one way or another, that all the fan-service, three-point-landings, fast-food tie-ins, social media driven "hype", stunt-casting, CGI, geek cred, etc. will never - never - beat a good, solid story. They seem to put all that other stuff in first, and then hire 22 monkeys to sit in a room and try to hammer out some sort of story to hang it all on.

They're doing it backwards.

There is no way Palpatine was destined to be in this trilogy back in 2014-2015. I'll never be convinced that was the overall plan all along. There's no way.

Good grief, I could type a novel on all this. But what does it matter at this point, right?

Yeah, I'll see Rise of Skywalker, of course. But it'll be the first SW flick since 1999 that I've not seen on the Thursday night advance screenings (and the first since 1980 that I've not seen on opening weekend). Because I know what awaits, and I only deem it worthy of week-later, Tuesday matinee outlay. I'll throw $6 at this. Those other two got my full money in 2015 and 2017, but not again. If I want to blow money on something derivative, soulless and unasked for, I'll go see The Knack at the county fair (but two of them are dead, so it wouldn't be the real thing anyway).

I would love to be proven wrong, and have my mind changed. But, above all, I'm a realist. Painfully, at times. And I don't see how the people who started all this nonsense are going to suddenly "get it", pull it together and tie all this up in two hours in a way that doesn't seem desperate, slammed-together and "hail mary".

Palpatine? Seriously? Snoke was just a pit-stop along the way, huh? Okay...whatever you say, Kathleen/J.J.

I'm staying spoiler-free, but I did see where a certain character is returning (a pilot). So when you factor that in, plus Palpatine, Lando, the presence of the second Death Star (and, I assume Endor and, since it's a law that no Star Wars movie can be made without Warwick Davis, I'm sure we'll see a greying, cane-using Wickett)...it seems this movie is looking to repeat some of those 1983 ROTJ beats in the way that The Force Awakens so strongly cribbed from the 1977 original. I get the feeling that they're going to lose their minds and go all-out on this one in a desperate effort to right the ship on their one remaining opportunity. The means we're probably going to get a Boba Fett cameo (at the very least, Slave I in that armada of ships accompanying the Falcon in the second trailer; whether it's still owned/flown by Fett isn't the point; the fact that unhinged fan-service will be implemented will be the reason it appears. I don't even know if Boba Fett is alive or not in this particular canon...I can't keep up with that craziness anymore. People say the ship from that Rebels TV show is next to the Falcon, so that tells me that any ship/vehicle we've seen or thought was cool since 1977 has a solid chance of showing up.

It's all a little easier to swallow/process when you just take a "okay, whatever..." stance.

What I'm looking forward to, 15+ years from now (after Kennedy and Lucas and some others have passed) is the hardcore exposé on the how/who/why all this stuff got so idiotic. All the producer notes, mandates from Kennedy, disastrous test-screenings, the arguments, the resistance (hey!) to trying anything truly new/original, the green-lighting of various "less than" characters, sequences, dialogue, etc. It'll be a great book, whoever writes it. I want names named, reputations sullied, etc.

Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2019-11-15 at 14:32.
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turtle
Lord of the Rant.
Formerly turtle2472
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Upstate South Carolina
 
2019-11-15, 14:12

Good to see you again Paul!

I'll do you one better, I'm waiting until the home release to see it.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2019-11-15, 14:49

Ha...yeah, based on what I hear on opening weekend, my plans may get changed too. Although I don't want to stay off the Internet for six-plus months, avoiding spoilers, so I'll probably just hold my nose and see it that Tuesday after it opens ($5!) and then I can just finally be done with it all.

I saw The Force Awakens two-and-a-half times (and then once on Netflix, a year or so later). I saw The Last Jedi once (more than enough) at the theater, and then, 18 months later, I watched it on Netflix this past summer, just to see if maybe I had it all wrong (I didn't) and was imagining things (I wasn't).

So if this pattern continues, I'll see Rise of Skywalker in the theater once and anything beyond that is up in the air at this point. I won't know until I see it. If it's a one-and-done, so be it. If it's the greatest thing since 1980, then they'll get another $5 from me. But I'm really not expecting that at this point.

And in case I'm sounding harsh/negative about the property, please know this. The one thing that has come out of all this lunacy the past four years is that I treasure and cherish the original trilogy more than ever. In my mind, that's the Star Wars saga...a solid, well-made beginning, middle and end. For years, even before The Force Awakens came out, I just consider those three the "saga". I don't even really acknowledge the prequel at this point, as they really bring nothing to the proceedings. They're just filler/backstory that I never really needed (or asked for, frankly). The fact that they're so weak, story-wise (those Red Letter Reviews nailed it), makes them not "repeat viewing" for me. Everything is so heavy-handed and ridiculous, I just don't enjoy them.

But the originals? They do not age. Why? Because the story and characters were priority, and came first. I never get tired of them. It would've happened b now.

So, yeah...I'm 50 now, but I will still tear up when Yoda says "luminous beings are we, not this crude matter". I still grin when Han says "I know". I still clutch the arm on my couch during Luke's trench run. And I do all three when Lando and the Falcon come roaring out of the second Death Star...such pure joy/triumph. None of those have ever dissipated or weakened. In fact, the older I've gotten, the more sentimental and schmaltzy I can be about things like that.

And there are no genuine moments like those in any of these new ones. I'm sorry, there's not. I feel the strings being pulled. I see the moments/scenes where they wanted to be like that, but they fall flat because I don't give a damn about anyone involved. Rey? Finn? Poe? Holdo? Rose? Kylo? Snoke? Maz? Snap? BB8? Nope. They're may as well be cosplayers, and that's about how I see them. They could've done right by all of them, way back in 2014 when writing/preparing it all. But they put other things first.

I love Star Wars. Always have, always will. But it's specific and focused...as in 1977-1983. Everything outside of that, theatrically anyway, is, to me, just a glorified fan film (with an amazing budget). But that's just my take on it. YMMV.

Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2019-11-15 at 15:00.
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kscherer
Which way is up?
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boyzeee
 
2019-11-15, 15:32

Episode 4 started this all off with a bang. It immediately found its stride with a host of fans who went back over and over again, and then built a legacy around character dolls and plastic models.

Episode 5 demonstrated to us that George Lucas was a serious story guy, that he hired good writers to get his thoughts out there, and brilliant directors who knew what the hell they were doing. The best sequel in movie history was built and all of us were Star Wars fans for life.

Episode 6 followed up with yet another brilliantly conceived story, but muddied that up with a bit too much cuteness. Still, across three movies Star Wars built upon successful characters with yet more incredible directing and music production. These characters were now part of something larger than life itself, and they carried their weight to conclusion in a nearly flawless manner.

Episode 1 was Lucas living in a fantasy world where his brain had put way too much thought into his creation. He seemed more concerned with selling toys than selling stories. It was rushed and overly flashy, the lines were poorly conceived, Jar Jar was … Jar Jar, and the whole thing felt like mush, with midiclorians tossed in for good measure. Suddenly the Force wasn’t the Force, it was the Farce.

Episode 2 was a story about an out of control padawan with too much horny. The lines were stupid, the CGI was idiotic, the flying droid was flying, and the eyes were rolling. But, hey, at least the battle droids were all smart asses. The great Jedi were all too human, and their enemies were a bunch of clowns that somehow always seemed to get the upper hand. Blech!

Episode 3 Brought the art of character chemistry to a grinding halt. Never before had a romance between two people been less believable, and never before had the reason for slaughtering children been more blatantly unrealistic and stupid. Fortunately, Frankenstein saved the day. However, the one saving grace was that the battle between “Darth Vader” and Obi Wan was excellent. Wish they could have had that passion through all three of the prequel movies. Save Padmé! The transformation of Darth Vader from bad-ass villain to whiny-ass bitch is complete!

Episode 7 was the rebirth of Episode 4, but better, and not in the “better story” kind of way. Nothing in Star Wars is better than Episode 4, but Episode 7 was just as exciting for me. The old characters (save Luke) were all there, and the new kids seemed to fit right in (excepting a little too much goofiness from Fin). I honestly thought that Episode 7 was going to completely reignite the entire saga. It was awesome.

Rogue One was the best Star Wars movie made to date. The characters are believable, fun, and focused. The effects are amazing, the story is well conceived, the music is Star Wars. This rag-tag team has a mission and they got it done, with the most unlikely, improbable, yet totally perfect segue in movie history. And, not only does everyone die, but Vader is back, and boy is he back!

Episode 8 is garbage. Absolute garbage. From the politics, the dig at rich people, the slaves and animal abuse, the side-tracked BS adventure to nowhere, the purple-haired wench, the insubordination, the “gravity” bombs in outer space, the absolute destruction of the rebellion. And don’t even get me started on the dedicated, hero Jedi that was Luke Skywalker who became some jaded old scab who attempted to murder his student. Good grief, what a pile of crap!

Solo was good entertainment, if perhaps not the finest Star Wars moment. Still, it was fun, although they flat out ruined my idea of the Kessel Run thing, which turned out to be a pile of turds. Other than that, it was a good movie.

Episode 9? Well, the whole idea of Palpatine returning is both fun and lazy in the same stroke. The visuals look good, but I am concerned about the direction Disney went with Episode 8, and I am concerned about the recovery, or lack thereof.

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zippy
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Unknown
 
2019-11-15, 16:05

Wow, it’s like you read my brain but put the thoughts into a cohesive narration.

Well done.

The only thing I might add is that Poe Dameron is a bit too cheesy/goofy for my tastes. He and Finn seem like 12 year olds in adult costumes at times.

Do you know where children get all of their energy? - They suck it right out of their parents!
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kscherer
Which way is up?
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boyzeee
 
2019-11-15, 17:05

All that stuff said, I suppose Disney is going to bring Palpatine back to draw a complete circle, that it was him—and has always been him—directing the dark side of the force. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that, but I do think it is the lazy approach. However, there is also something interesting and fun about it, that Palpatine survived his fall into the bottomless pit (using the force or whatever) and has been influencing everything that has happened, or perhaps just sitting back and letting it all play out whilst only directing the details.

I don't know.

At the same time, it has been recently revealed that George Lucas' original ideas for Episodes 7-9 involved another dimension of force-sensitive beings who controlled the midichlorians from their side of the dimension wall or whatever (I believe they were used in an episode of Clone Wars) and the entire series was set inside that dimension.

Sounds dumb as hell to me.

So, maybe some of the crap sloshing around inside George's head was good (Episodes 4-6 and maybe some other stuff) and the rest was all crap. Perhaps Disney recognized that George was full of crap and set out to rewrite Star Wars without really knowing where it was going. Basically, they had a grand scheme for the Avengers folks, but their ideas for Star Wars were basically incomplete junk with no true direction. Thus, they're just randomly flinging this stuff at the wall trying to find something sticky.

So far, I would say that Rogue One has been their crowning achievement in terms of the quality of the story and the fan support it has gotten. And I think that's the formula: build up the pieces of Star Wars lore that were briefly mentioned in the original trilogy but never went further than a brief mention (this is where Solo messed up, since the Kessel Run was so mind bogglingly bad). Other areas could be the Bothan spies securing plans to Death Star II, Vader hunting down random Jedi, Obi Wan adventures (Disney has committed to this with Ewan McGregor), or for me (and outside the original series) absolutely anything to do with Ahsoka Tano!

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
Well this is just sad. We're just over 30 days from the conclusion/wrap-up of the Skywalker saga(!), and it appears that nobody gives a flaming rip.

About what I'd expect. Thanks, Rian!

Seriously, four years ago we had about a 7,000 page thread leading up to the opening of The Force Awakens...lively discussion, trailer analysis, predictions, debates, etc. Granted, that was before we all knew it would be such an uninspired, soulless "reimagining" of a movie done right the first time, 38 years prior (and before Kennedy turned the second installment over to a demented gnome who was obviously lying about his love of the property).

Would any of you had guessed, 4-5 years ago, that it would be so hard to care about Star Wars? I am on record as being concerned about the rushed trilogy releases and the "something every year" output. As it turns out, even Disney/Lucasfilm finally realized that maybe too much of anything is too much? Just a shame they couldn't have realized all this in 2014 or so, planned out a coherent, three-movie arc, took their time on the story/characters before one inch of film rolled, maybe even *gasp* listened to George a little (he kinda came up with all this stuff, after all), etc.

And then maybe this thread would be 7,000 pages too.

Just sad...
Well, yeah, but you have to remember something very important (and don't take this too personally):

You were a big driving force behind those conversations, and you've been "busy". You added a lot to the conversation in this place and when you aren't here with your long-ass, well-thought-out posts driving discussion, well, it stalled. That's it. Take it for what it's worth. You pop back in, shout a bit, and people start talking. It's a thing you have.

- AppleNova is the best Mac-users forum on the internet. We are smart, educated, capable, and helpful. We are also loaded with smart-alecks! :)
- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Mat 5:9)
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2019-11-15, 19:11

Nah, my presence/input isn't required for anything. If folks like you, 709, Robo, turtle, Capella, drewprops and a dozen or more others who've always participated heavily in Star Wars-related threads had interesting, exciting stuff to discuss - and look forward to - this thread wouldn't have been dormant for two-and-a-half months, leading up to what should be the most talked-about, hyped and anticipated Star Wars movie ever.

Which means my initial point stands: I just don't think anyone really gives a rip at this point. Not in the volume (both kinds) and fervor you'd expect to see, 35 days out. And that's going to translate into some eye-opening (and head-rolling) numbers come December 20 (and the weeks following).

People simply are not talking about this the way they were four years ago (or even, to a point, two years ago...you know, back when everyone thought that The Last Jedi might've been the Empire of this trilogy).

It wasn't even the Holiday Special.

The Last Jedi didn't earn what it should've/could've. And I think this thing is on the same sort of course. I'm sure it'll do a bit better simply because people want to see how it all ends. But I think it'll come in far below what it would have had several things been done differently the past 3-4 years.

And there will always be a scapegoat or three when the dust settles. They just can't do this kind of thing right now, on the eve of the movie's release. That would send the wrong kind of signal, big time. But, come the new year, I do think some folks will be packing their desks at Disney/Lucasfilm. Or, at the very least, shuffled over to non-Star Wars-related projects/duties. I think "clean slate" will be the thinking/buzzword.

If this Mandalorian show pans out, perhaps the future of Star Wars will be in long-form, episodic TV? Both live action and animation? The world has changed; maybe two-hour movies every 2-3 years just isn't how people want to experience this property anymore? I don't know. I'm always up for a good SW movie but I don't think it's possible from this current bunch. If Rise of Skywalker craps the bed, and The Mandalorian turns out to be a genuine, enjoyable thing, then yeah...maybe Disney/Lucasfilm look down that road? Isn't Ewan McGregor on board for some Obi-Wan show? That sounds cool to me. Get good, likable actors, write good stuff for them to say and do...and so much of the rest kinda takes care of itself. People will tune in and support a solid, well-written show. That's never changed. Maybe they're laying some sort of future groundwork with this Disney+ thing? They control the production, but also the release and how/where it goes out into the world. Like the Post Office, I can see the traditional multiplex, as we know it, going bye-bye in my lifetime. Certainly within the lifetime of my teenaged niece and nephew.

Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2019-11-15 at 19:31.
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709
¡Damned!
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Purgatory
 
2019-11-15, 20:43

Yeah, I'm just not excited at all for this one. The single* thing that even has my interest piqued is the return of Lando, and if I don't get at least a good hug between him and Chewie over the loss of Han I'll just fucking flip. I tried liking Poe, I don't. I tried liking Finn, I don't. I barely even like Rey. Kylo's the most interesting to me only because he's the most conflicted. Plus nice abs mang.

*wrt the pilot mentioned upthread, I thought that actor had said he wasn't interested?

So it goes.
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709
¡Damned!
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Purgatory
 
2019-11-15, 20:58

Also, that 'purple-haired chick' was the best part about Episode 8. Finally someone calls Poe out on his childish, pushy bullshit. And she delivers the absolute best scene in that movie by going full-on kamikaze at hyperspeed and slicing Snoke's mega-ship in half while also taking out half of the accompanying fleet. Badass as fuck.

So it goes.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2019-11-15, 21:15

I was thrilled to see her go, however it happened. And I love Laura Derm. Just not in this movie.

Yeah, the botched opportunities and weird lack of connection throughout (Leia hugging Rey, and ignoring Chewie, after Hans death in TFA). Nobody in these movies acts like normal, sane people do in real life. And it’s one of those movies where you “see the script”, if that makes any sense. Nothing about it felt natural, grounded or believable. When characters weren’t speechifying they were cracking wise, at all the wrong times. And when they weren’t doing either of those, then they were doing exposition as though the audience were second graders.

45 minutes in, I was looking around to see if maybe I was on Candid Camera or something. “There’s no way this is the final cut...We’re being pranked.”
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709
¡Damned!
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Purgatory
 
2019-11-15, 21:34

You know, as a little side note, I'm actually excited about this Disney thing and having all-things-SW at my fingertips. Oddly, I'm looking forward to watching the prequels again. I've seen them all exactly once, at the theatre, and never rewatched them.

So it goes.

Last edited by 709 : 2019-11-16 at 14:19. Reason: old story
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PB PM
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Vancouver, BC
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2019-11-16, 16:04

I think everyone here has covered how I feel about the Disney version of Star Wars very well, but I'll join in anyway. I have repeatedly forgot this movie was even coming out this year. Hard to believe that I watched at least one movie from the original Trilogy every weekend for at least 6 months when I was a kid, and now I don't even remember what year a new movie is coming out.

I kind of lost any interest in what Disney was going to do after episode 7 came out. I've watched them all, really enjoyed Rouge One, watched it a few times, and didn't mind Solo, but the main series is kind of meh. I waited for episode 8 to come out on Blu-ray and picked it up super cheap (less than a movie ticket) before even watching it. I watched it once, and don't know if I ever will again. Uh, so sad to see what Star Wars has become.
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kscherer
Which way is up?
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boyzeee
 
2019-11-19, 15:20

I know that Scates has a good point that Disney has screwed things up pretty well and a lot of us have lost hope in the franchise. That said, I'm excited for The Last Jedi, it's just that my hope in it to fix the series is strained at best. I know that Disney wants to kill off the heroes of the original franchise, to shoosh them away in undramatic, ungratifying, and unsatisfying fashion. I can only speculate why, but that would just cause trouble.

A dearly beloved franchise is swirling down the toilet. With 1.1 exceptions (IMO), the last five saga movies have sucked eggs, badly. It started with George Lucas' hopelessly out of touch prequel trilogy, then took a flaming spiral into land that has left it mired in the muck so deeply that JJ Abrams will not likely be able to rescue it. The side-movies have been good (Solo), and best yet (Rogue One), and I think the formula going forward is side-shows.

I think the people involved, being old holdouts from LucasFilm and the remains of George Lucas' cadre of "yes-men" just don't really know how to think for themselves, understand the vision, or truly have any imagination beyond what George told them to imagine. Now at Disney, they really don't know what to do, cannot see the direction of the characters, nor imagine how to bring them to an end other than to mire them down in the political fiasco that Lucas became trapped in. The best JJ Abrams could do was to reimagine Episode 4, and the best Kathleen Kennedy/Rian Johnson could do was shovel a politically loaded pile of dog crap down our throats whereby everything we knew/loved about Star Wars was a lie. I don't think Episode 9 can fix this.

However, once the leftovers of LucasFilm get the scud out of their eyes I think there is great potential in Disney's story-telling capacity.

- AppleNova is the best Mac-users forum on the internet. We are smart, educated, capable, and helpful. We are also loaded with smart-alecks! :)
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2019-11-21, 10:05

It dawned on me last night that the only Star Wars toys that will be selling around Christmas this year will be anything Baby Yoda-related from the TV show.

Good news is, you Rose Tico completists will be able to round out your collection for pennies on the dollar, before everything TROS-related heads to the recycling facilities come mid-January (if it hasn't already). So there's that (always look for the silver lining in every cloud, folks).

When I think of all the hoops - logistical, storytelling, hole-filling, geeksplaining, etc. - Episode IX will have to jump through to both 1) account for the discrepancies and various WTF?!-isms between TFA and TLJ and, more importantly, 2) to wrap up a nine-part, 42-year-old saga in some coherent, satisfying way, I just can't figure out how they're going to do it. This movie almost needs to be a trilogy itself. Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker - Chapter 1, Bear With Us, followed six months later by Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker - Chapter 2, We're Getting There, etc.
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kscherer
Which way is up?
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boyzeee
 
2019-11-21, 11:00

Ain't that the truth!

In actuality, though, it really has a lot more to cover than that, because Episodes 1-3 also drug out up a crapload of timeline issues and dialogue-crushing crap that made half of 4-6 sound like twisted facts and lies. Episode 9 might actually need to be three separate trilogies in order to get this whole thing on track. Good thing there's time travel in the SW universe!

You can fix anything with time travel!

- AppleNova is the best Mac-users forum on the internet. We are smart, educated, capable, and helpful. We are also loaded with smart-alecks! :)
- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Mat 5:9)
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kscherer
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boyzeee
 
2019-11-21, 18:33

I really want to do a trailer breakdown for TROS, but my cute little TinyPic website shut down and I no longer have a photo hosting service to use (I only post images on AN and literally nowhere else, so I can't be bothered to rent storage space for the five or so images I would post here on any kind of regular basis.

- AppleNova is the best Mac-users forum on the internet. We are smart, educated, capable, and helpful. We are also loaded with smart-alecks! :)
- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Mat 5:9)
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2019-11-21, 21:23

There's nothing to breakdown/analyze, so don't worry about it. I actually kinda started one the other evening, for old time's sake, then realized after about 5-10 minutes a) I was pissing up a rope, and b) that I honestly didn't care enough to put in the work.

Changed guitar strings instead.
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Kickaha
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2019-11-23, 00:05

The Mandalorian is pretty slick.

I particularly like the Baby Yoda.

I have named him MacGuffin.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2019-11-23, 06:42

It was him in the Pulp Fiction briefcase. “Is that what I think it is?”, etc.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2019-11-23, 11:45

I'm not watching the show but I'll skim a recap article occasionally. Did anyone see this angle coming? All the promo/marketing positioned this as a "old west"/bad-ass bounty hunter type of thing, but the twist of having a "heart of gold" and the "hard-case does the right thing to protect/befriend a child" (a la The Professional and a half-dozen others that spring to mind). Feels like it may have been a "from the top" mandate to soften the character. Disney+, after all, isn't about to have a show focusing on a complete tough-guy with no redeeming qualities and who's only concerned with collecting his reward. Not sure that would fly?

"We need to make him a 'good guy' in the eyes of viewers! Oh, and we need to make sure the infant bounty is revealed to definitely be a female at some crucial point...are we allowed to show a vagina on Disney+? Get Iger on the phone..." - K. Kennedy

Not even saying that's a bad thing (the softened, noble tough-guy thing), but it definitely wasn't how the thing was promoted. I guess they wanted to keep the cute baby under wraps until the show actually aired. But do any of you feel like it changes the overall tone of what you expected/bought into? I know he's still a "bad-ass", but it appears those moments will now be more in the protecting of this baby than anything (someone cheating at cards, knocking his helmet off, etc.). Which means, whenever this show wraps up, he'll likely make the Ultimate Sacrifice™ to see that through, and, with his dying breath, telling Baby Yoda to "earn this" as his bounty hunter soul floats up to space heaven.

Serious question follow-up: considering the timing of the release of this TV show, just over a month or so prior to the opening of Episode IX, is anyone expecting/assuming something will appear in this show that somehow has a connection or payoff in the upcoming trilogy wrap-up? Some sort of character or motivation, tech, location, alliance/partnership, vehicle, weapon, group, etc. that will all make sense when seen in the bigger picture, come December 20? I know the timelines are different, but so was that of Palpatine in ROTJ and this upcoming movie, so that sort of thing obviously matters little in all this (they've established that things happening 30 years ago either mean nothing at all, OR, when convenient, still bear heavily on the events taking place in the sequel trilogy). I just find the timing interesting, two SW releases practically on top of each other, with the first one given a 35-day or so run-up to the big theatrical release, perhaps to set up "something big" (and kinda reward folks who chose to give Disney+ a shot). Chronologically this show does take place prior to Episode IX, so the idea of some holdover event, character, nugget of information, "the reason why/how", etc. isn't out of the realm of possibility. According to IMDb, there are eight installments in this first season/run. Three have aired and #7 is set to air on December 18, two days prior to the opening of Episode IX, and the season finale, #8, on December 27, one week exactly after TROS opens. Episode #7 is certainly positioned nicely to drop something interesting that could pay off in the multiplex just two days later...

Or was the timing of the release of The Mandalorian nothing more than good ol' fashioned marketing/PR, helping stir up interest in Star Wars as December approaches, and that this is a totally self-contained TV show with no ties whatsoever to anything else? Just something I was wondering about...I can see it going either way, really. Your gut (and history) tells you that nothing regarding this property is done by accident and that everything is planned down to the nth degree, effort is made to ensure all these things "live together", etc.

...but then you also watch the sequel trilogy and realize everyone involved is on dope, working alone in their own offices for months/years at a time, and that none of it hangs/works together.

Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2019-11-23 at 12:44.
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drewprops
Space Pirate
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta
 
2019-11-23, 22:44

I don't have much to say other than The Mandalorian is righteous.



...
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2019-11-23, 23:29

Seems to be the word.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2019-11-24, 18:40

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
It dawned on me last night that the only Star Wars toys that will be selling around Christmas this year will be anything Baby Yoda-related from the TV show.
There you go. He's so cute...I don't watch the show, but I'd possibly spring a few bucks for a little stuffed plushie to set on my desk or bookcase.
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_Ω_
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Send a message via AIM to _Ω_  
2019-11-25, 04:25

Star Wars plushies?
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2019-11-25, 06:44

Quote:
Originally Posted by _Ω_ View Post
Star Wars plushies?
That might not be the right word. Those little stuffed, soft figures you see...animals, pop culture characters, etc.

EDIT: Wish I’d never visited Urban Dictionary. Let’s just call it a stuffed animal, because no...I’m not looking to bang it, marry it, etc.

Why does the world insist on being so damn weird at every opportunity...

Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2019-11-25 at 11:51.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2019-11-25, 14:01

I see where Abrams appeared on Good Morning America this...well, morning, for an early round of contractually-obligated turd-polishing.

While I'm staying spoiler-free (I'm not digging around for leaks, rumors, spoilers, visiting known "leak" sites, watching spoiler/leak videos on YouTube, etc.), I do consider officially-released trailers and clips/footage fair game because I assume(?) Disney isn't going to show or give away anything truly "big" or earth-shattering.

So here is Abrams' appearance, and, starting at the 2:00 mark there is a "sneak peak" in the form of a 30-second action sequence from the movie.

So if you're trying to remaining completely "spoiler-free", then please skip/ignore the link above and definitely don't click on the spoiler-tagged bit of analysis/thoughts below. And if that spoiler-tag feature is still hit-or-miss on iOS devices, then stop reading right here!!

**THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING**






Spoiler (click to toggle):
Interesting/funny how "flying stormtroopers" are only now making an appearance, in the ninth and final installment of the saga.

My initial reaction was "well, it's been 30+ years since the Battle of Endor, so in that time, that particular tech/hardware was developed and perfected, and eventually issued to the various "rocketeer" Stormtrooper squadrons. Then it hit me that this sort of thing existed well before now, having been used by both Jango and Boba Fett in two distinct eras of the saga...Jango on two occasions in Attack of the Clones, and Boba during the whole Jabba sail barge/Sarlaac execution sequence in Return of the Jedi.

So are we to believe that prior to the events of Episode IX, the Empire/First Order never had a need for such tech/hardware? Off the top of my head, not even trying, I can think of 8-10 places in the previous eight movies where such gear would've come in really handy...searching the dunes around the droids' escape pod, patrolling the mean streets of Mos Eisley, getting a better shot at the Falcon as it lifted out of docking bay 94, the skirmish on Endor with the Ewoks and Rebels, any of the Clone Trooper action sequences in the prequel trilogy, the pursuit of Finn and Rey through the Jakku marketplace and the lakefront battle on Takodana in The Force Awakens, etc. And, I imagine, a few sequences in Rogue One and Solo as well.

Nine movies (11 counting the two standalones), 42 years, at least 60-65 years of "in-story" time across the saga from The Phantom Menace to The Rise of Skywalker...and the bad guys are just now getting the ability to fly like this? Just out of the blue (no pun), and not even hinted at in 7 or 8? Who's the inept, no-vision-having sad-sack overseeing the First Order's military/tactical program? Nobody in a staff meeting said "hey, a few decades ago there were a couple of bounty hunters who were able to fly around a bit when situations required...maybe we should look into that for our guys? Having platoons of armed, flying Skytroopers may be something we want? We can probably get something drawn up and prototyped by the weekend!"

Also, after the same amount of time establishing that vehicles in this universe/saga float - landspeeders, speeder bikes, probe droids, interrogation droids, Cliegg Lars' chair, the little training remote Luke sparred with on the Falcon, Darth Maul's Sith Harley, the battle droid troop carriers on Naboo, Yoda's little chair in the Jedi temple, etc. - why are those chase vehicles used by the Stormtroopers using treaded wheels, like some WWII snowmobile? It looks like pretty rough terrain (rocky desert, shocking), where the ability to float smoothly over the surface might be quite an advantage (the skiff our heroes are on is floating, very similar to the thing Luke was supposed to plank-walk from in ROTJ).

I'm telling you...nobody's writing this stuff. They're just sitting in a room with spreadsheets, reshoot schedules, focus group polling data, dartboards and interns saying "hey, wouldn't it be cool if...".

This is one of those obvious "we gotta have some new toys!". There's a word for that sort of thing - writing movies/sequences for the sole purpose of toy merchandising - but it's escaping me right now. And I realize that's always been a part of Star Wars...believe me, I owned a significant chunk of them back in my youth. But, for the most part, they made sense and adhered to established, sensible parameters. Seeing the speeder bikes in ROTJ made perfect sense for getting around such an environment, and since the two previous movies had already established levitating vehicles/tech, you're just like "oh, cool...a neat, motorcycle take on a landspeeder!"

Here, they're pulling flying jet-packs and wheel-based vehicles, out of nowhere. No precedent, no reason why they were never used in previous movies, etc. Just odd stuff like that, no sort of grounded, practical connection from one installment to the other...which has been the hallmark of the sequel trilogy so far, top to bottom (and I'm certain Episode IX will be swimming in even further examples).

I can't wait for this movie to open!

Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2019-11-25 at 14:57.
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