tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post9003549123408523414..comments2024-03-28T18:50:37.055-07:00Comments on B/X BLACKRAZOR: Star Wars 7: Geezers and Abandonment IssuesJBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-18274958686280665002015-12-28T08:39:28.313-08:002015-12-28T08:39:28.313-08:00@ Anthony:
What about Owen and Beru? Sure, it wa...@ Anthony: <br /><br />What about Owen and Beru? Sure, it was cut short by gunfire, but it appeared to be stable while it lasted.JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-59413675981475574382015-12-28T07:40:18.913-08:002015-12-28T07:40:18.913-08:00Of course, apparently the only person is the entir...Of course, apparently the only person is the entire (film) universe of Star Wars with a normal, happy marriage is Jimmy Smits (Bail Organa).Anthony N. Emmelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14017952532295866111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-92071466331638124762015-12-22T11:52:35.471-08:002015-12-22T11:52:35.471-08:00Fin can use a lightsaber. He may actually be a kni...Fin can use a lightsaber. He may actually be a knight of ren or a knight of the old republic.Sean Robert Meaneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16273566549106707316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-32821663348809308402015-12-22T11:49:25.328-08:002015-12-22T11:49:25.328-08:00On the upside...Chewie gets the falcon.On the upside...Chewie gets the falcon.Sean Robert Meaneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16273566549106707316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-48759197247984111732015-12-22T09:54:53.700-08:002015-12-22T09:54:53.700-08:00JB & Jack, you guys are clearly more Force Sen...JB & Jack, you guys are clearly more Force Sensitive than I am. Maybe the Force is with Finn because he's the son of Lando and Leia. In the establishing scene, I couldn't figure out why the Empire would bother to train stormtroopers to fence--aren't Jedis and light sabers vanishingly rare? Wouldn't that be like training World War II GIs in saber fighting? I also wondered why the stormtrooper didn't at least shoot at Finn once with his blaster before leveling the playing field by fencing him.Brian MacKenziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12752842049666489041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-25182736232607683082015-12-21T11:42:18.510-08:002015-12-21T11:42:18.510-08:00Yeah, there was a line in the trailer, Rey's v...Yeah, there was a line in the trailer, Rey's voice talking about "letting the Force in", that didn't make it into the movie, so I came into the movie expecting Finn to be revealed as a Force Sensitive and was extremely surprised when they didn't establish that he was. Especially seeing as how he was so not-crappy with the lightsaber, a weapon that is supposed to be -really hard- to wield.<br /><br />Another thing to keep in mind vis-a-vis Ren is that he's not a Sith Lord (or whatever the Dark Jedi equivalent would be). I mean he's clearly no slouch, as established in the opening scene, but he's also not "fully trained," as it were. Emperor Gollum makes this clear at the end of the movie.<br /><br />Finally, there's the establishing scene with Finn and the tonfa-wielding Stormtrooper. It's pretty heavily implied that the First Order got wise about the whole lightsaber thing, since that Stormtrooper was good to go with a melee weapon, and Finn, as a Stormtrooper, would have probably gotten the same kind of training. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16094014880813779766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-547256587696259712015-12-21T10:36:55.211-08:002015-12-21T10:36:55.211-08:00@ Bryan:
Pretty sure Fin is also a force sensitiv...@ Bryan:<br /><br />Pretty sure Fin is also a force sensitive (note the scene in the Falcon when he and Rey are in the same "zone, " completing each other's sentences, etc)... he just has more baggage he needs to clear from his mind. But I think it's his connection with living things that helped him break the stormtrooper indoctrination. JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-41267625639813076542015-12-21T07:08:55.167-08:002015-12-21T07:08:55.167-08:00I remember being puzzled by the statement about Fi...I remember being puzzled by the statement about Finn getting taken from his family. It would be interesting to learn why the Empire abandoned cloning in favor of conscripting infants.<br /><br />If the franchise wants to convince us that stormtroopers are not clowns but terrifying death machines, then they need to show more footage of stormtroopers shooting straight. I would appreciate it if an anonymous stormtrooper would wound or kill a major character at some point. At this point, there is zero suspense when our heroes are in a firefight with stormtroopers.<br /><br />I bought the wound to Kylo as an explanation for leveling the playing field in the light saber duel with a Force-powered novice, but he should have made short work of the other novice, who (as far as we know) has no Force powers.Brian MacKenziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12752842049666489041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-40081979890612410692015-12-21T05:23:23.543-08:002015-12-21T05:23:23.543-08:00: )
I will have to read some of your fiction some...: )<br /><br />I will have to read some of your fiction some time.JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-88596750508119135052015-12-21T05:22:19.345-08:002015-12-21T05:22:19.345-08:00@ Brian:
My understanding is that the stormtroope...@ Brian:<br /><br />My understanding is that the stormtroopers having been clones since before the events of Episode IV...by the time of the Rebellion, the Empire is drafting normal folks into their ranks. <br /><br />What Jack says is correct: the script from the original film states that stormtroopers are accurate marksmen and highly trained: Fin should be GOOD with a blaster (hence, his complaining that he can't get his hands on one through half of the film). Protagonists have plot immunity to being snuffed by faceless mooks.<br /><br />RE Novice lightsaber users:<br /><br />Remember that Kylo was fighting while badly wounded from Chewie's bowcaster (which the script takes pains to show as one buff weapon throughout the film). This is an old trope...the person who has no business with the master duelist being able to hold their own because of some wound or other disadvantage that holds back the master. See a good example of this in the Chris Lambert film, The Hunted.JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-8216845877023576112015-12-21T05:14:46.031-08:002015-12-21T05:14:46.031-08:00@ Knob:
Yeah, I don't know. The characters in...@ Knob:<br /><br />Yeah, I don't know. The characters in the original films didn't have any parental angst, and having your family TAKEN from you (Luke's uncle/aunt, Leia's home world, Anakin's mother) is different from being left behind/neglected. One breeds a desire for vengeance/justice and the other breeds resentment.<br /><br />Even Fin might feel this due to his stormtrooper "family" gunning for him as a traitor...though I think he probably feels more resentment to his parent for not doing enough to keep him from being stolen. This is because (having been taken so young) he has no fond, loving memories...or ANY memories...of his parents. He just knows they failed to protect him.JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-74208534577453943772015-12-21T05:04:56.621-08:002015-12-21T05:04:56.621-08:00@ Jack:
Re "Girl Power"
Not in terms o...@ Jack:<br /><br />Re "Girl Power"<br /><br />Not in terms of screen time. Or plot development.<br /><br />RE Remake vs. Homage<br /><br />Yeah, I can see how the combo film might seem like a reboot, but there are enough new elements (there's no equivalent of Fin in the original trilogy, for example) and twists to make it "masterfully done," IMO.JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-49248576017979337852015-12-21T00:11:07.280-08:002015-12-21T00:11:07.280-08:00It's made explicit through dialogue that the F...It's made explicit through dialogue that the First Order stormtroopers aren't clones -- they're taken from their families and conditioned from birth. Though I agree with you that Finn's facility with overcoming his training stretches credulity.<br /><br />Another point is that the "stormtroopers can't shoot" thing isn't part of the in-universe fantasy. Stormtroopers are terrifying death machines, that's supposed to be their entire deal. The only reason they miss so often is the heroes' plot armor.<br /><br />I don't get why people liked Ford's performance so much. To me he really seemed to be phoning it in the entire time, and awkwardly at that.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16094014880813779766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-20761462111191302642015-12-21T00:07:57.951-08:002015-12-21T00:07:57.951-08:00There's paying homage and then there's rem...There's paying homage and then there's remaking. If the entire plot of the movie hadn't been lifted virtually word-for-word from ANH I'd be hailing the homages and callbacks. As it is, though, it's a remake. Not that it's not a damn good one. ;)<br /><br />I don't care about physics in space opera except when they transition to the absurd. Planet-killing supergun? Sure, why not. Planet-killing supergun made out of a planet that eats suns? Crosses the line into farce, if only because you'll only get to fire the weapon once. =P<br /><br />There was a lot of "girl power" in the original trilogy as well -- Leia was a badass from start to finish, and the other female character, Mon Mothma, was a Big Deal in the Rebellion. So Rey's competence and self-assurance is entirely in keeping with that history, Skywalker or no.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16094014880813779766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-36004227353045450562015-12-20T18:22:09.656-08:002015-12-20T18:22:09.656-08:00I tend to whack the parents of characters in my st...I tend to whack the parents of characters in my stories because I don't particularly like my parents and I feel more comfortable with characters who stand on their own merits rather than feeling beholden to anyone. Killing off the parents of characters achieves that.<br /><br />Perhaps Abrams just doesn't like his parents.Alexis Smolenskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-62159967494526923812015-12-20T12:52:56.035-08:002015-12-20T12:52:56.035-08:00Padme was ornamental. She was the Queen of naboo....Padme was ornamental. She was the Queen of naboo. That's fifty percent ornament, fifty percent diplomat. It's only after we see her going all raygun sally that she is action hero, and then in the third film she becomes senator Amidala turning her back into an ornament and baby factory for the most petulant child-man it has ever been our displeasure to hate.Sean Robert Meaneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16273566549106707316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-66268752258691972192015-12-20T10:38:56.389-08:002015-12-20T10:38:56.389-08:00I like the new characters, but Han Solo & Chew...I like the new characters, but Han Solo & Chewie stole the show thanks to great writing and good acting. Ford's limitations as an actor appeared only at the film's climax, where he failed to sell the emotional attachment that presumably overrode his character's otherwise sound strategic sensibilities.)<br /><br />As in Lost, the story really starts in the middle. Sure, I look forward to the sequels to find out what happens next, but I'm even more interested to learn more what happened between RotJ and #7.<br /><br />Of course, I hope that original trilogy characters that had limited or nonexistent roles here get opportunities as meaty as those enjoyed by Ford and the Chewbacca collective. (Mayhew is credited as Chewie, and I'm sure that it is he in the suit sometimes, but there are also scenes where the wookiee is clearly not moving like a septuagenarian human with two artificial knees. I credit Mayhew with Chewie's adorable body language, but the other part of the equation is the character's voice, and Mayhew isn't responsible for that, either.)<br /><br />I am officially tired of 1) novices picking up blasters for the first time and shooting more accurately than stormtroopers; and 2) the same novices picking up light sabers and holding their own against presumed experts.<br /><br />I want to like Fin. As a confirmed antimonarchist, I'm ready to root for anyone not related by blood to the original characters. However, until we learn more about stormtrooper production and training, I find it hard to buy the Fin character. Presumably, they're still clones, so there are other Fins out there. That should be fun.<br /><br />Since Fin was a stormtrooper, how is it that he can shoot with some accuracy?<br /><br />If Fin was trained all his life to be an obedient killer, why do we see so few vestiges of that training? Why is it relatively easy for him to flip the switch and turn into a standup guy? If the writers were to study some real-life analogs (e.g., child soldiers), they would learn that the path to recovery is rarely a short straight line.Brian MacKenziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12752842049666489041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-15848106393388940322015-12-20T09:00:05.412-08:002015-12-20T09:00:05.412-08:00I agree that Han Solo/Ford was a highlight of the ...I agree that Han Solo/Ford was a highlight of the movie... and Chewbacca, stangely enough, appealed to me more than ever. <br />The renegade storm trooper is still a bit of a blank to me... kind of like an ordinary guy who suddenly found himself in a Star Wars movie. I liked him for NOT being another 'big damn hero'... just a hero. <br />Didn't the original have a bit of orphan/abandonment issues as well? Luke's parents dead, Leia's entire homeworld destroyed right in front of her... and of course Disney also has that reputation of killing off characters' parents. Timmy Crabcakeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14737954661234574830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-39462921787850602572015-12-20T06:13:36.267-08:002015-12-20T06:13:36.267-08:00@ Jack:
I'm sure my point wasn't articula...@ Jack:<br /><br />I'm sure my point wasn't articulated well enough regarding the race/sex thing. It WAS noticeably different, to the point that my wife commented there was a lot of "girl power" in the movie compared to earlier ones (she pretty much despises Padme as ornamental throughout E3 for example). For me, BEFORE I entered the movie, I had a momentary "check my privilege" instant, where I wondered "Am I going to enjoy watching these two characters (Fin and Rey) take the roles of the main protagonists for the new film series? I'm just admitting to some ingrained insecurities here...subconscious bias on my part. <br /><br />Then I told myself that was stupid considering we've had almost 40 of Star Wars heroes that look like myself. That's me telling my subconscious bias to shut up. And after I actually WATCHED the film, I see that it was a stupid thought on my part...because it's a great movie with great characters and I want to watch MORE of Fin's and Rey's adventures...it honestly doesn't matter (to me) what they look like, they're very cool characters. The other diversity observation was more a side note (comparing the film to the earlier ones).<br /><br />The movie happily stole a ton from both SW and Empire, but it was well done..."good pastiche" as opposed to "bad pastiche" (like the 4th Indiana Jones film that seemed to simply want to cash in on what made the first three popular). Felt like more of an homage than a rip-off.<br /><br />Physics don't bother me terribly in the space opera genre.<br />; )JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-57236940683912688702015-12-20T02:42:38.284-08:002015-12-20T02:42:38.284-08:00I uh. Is the race and gender of the main characte...I uh. Is the race and gender of the main character of any movie really something you think about/notice? To the point where the main reason you're okay with it is because the six extant films are all pretty lily-white? Cus that's kinda how your opening paragraph comes across, here.<br /><br />Myself I thought Ford's performance was terrible (though your analysis of the character himself is spot-on). To me he was the low point of the film -- him, and JJ Abrams' active, virulent contempt for the laws of physics once again on display. <br /><br />My biggest takeaway from the movie is that it's a reboot disguised as a sequel. And it's an extremely well-made reboot. Making Star Trek into Star Wars was uncool, but making Star Wars into even more Star Wars? Hell yes.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16094014880813779766noreply@blogger.com