Star Wars Episode VII THE SPOILERS Strike Back

[C.T. Phipps]

I think Ren is a good choice.

They couldn't make anyone as cool as Darth Vader so they made a character whose primary source of angst is the fact he'll never be as cool as Darth Vader.

 

[ab aeterno]

I was a big SWEU fan until the very end.

It's interesting how the new movies kind of make fun of the way they went, however unintentionally. The Empire reforms after getting beaten up and surrendering to the Republic.

Here, the Empire surrenders to the Republic and then starts PLOTTING AGAIN!

I'm not sure which is the better option.

Yeah, the EU Imperial Remnant was a real Thrawn in the Republic's side...  

[Corvinus85]

I know this is Star Wars and all, so not all the laws of physics are applicable, but I would think that space ships the size of Star Destroyers aren't really meant to be grounded. The amount of energy to launch them and escape the surface would be massive. I think it's much more likely that these Star Destroyers are launched once and spent the rest of their time in space. Being repaired there and never really returning back to the planet's surface, unless they are shot down like the ones on Jakku.

 

A clone mayhaps? I would like that better than Darth Plagius being a thing  

 

NO! I think the EU had done that, and it was mostly disliked.

On your star destroyer question, the Republic cruisers (Venator-class star destroyers) were shown in the third prequel that they could land in specially made docks on a planet. The Imperial star destroyers are larger, but still, it is the Empire; they had the capability to build any kind of large installation, on or off a planet.

[Tywin et al.]

My experience with this film really feels most similar to how I felt about The Dark Knight Rises. When I left the theater I thought it was amazing, but upon some more reflection it doesn't really hold up in a lot of ways, which I think  PQJ covered perfectly.

I would like that better than Darth Plagius being a thing 

It would be interesting, but I doubt they go that way. He was only referenced once, and I'd guess the writers/directors/producers want to steer clear of anything that feels prequelly. Hence the over the top nostalgia for ANH.

[sifth]

So how did Poe survive again? That's the one thing I just can't understand from this film. He was flung from the ship, yet his jacket was inside it, WTF.

[sifth]

Sorry about the double post. The forum went crazy on me.

[Veltigar]

So how did Poe survive again? That's the one thing I just can't understand from this film. He was flung from the ship, yet his jacket was inside it, WTF.

Stranger things have happened in real life no? 

[Corvinus85]

So how did Poe survive again? That's the one thing I just can't understand from this film. He was flung from the ship, yet his jacket was inside it, WTF.

I know, one of the weaker moments.

Apparently, JJ originally wanted to kill him off, then changed his mind, and the result was this. So yes he was flung out of the fighter, possibly without a parachute, which explains why his jacket got ripped off and got stuck to the window. Of course, that kind of thing should have killed him, but he must have landed on some really soft sand. He did mention that he woke up at night, so after the TIE sank in the sands and Finn left the area. 

Not really sure how he managed to get himself of Jakku. 

[ab aeterno]

I know, one of the weaker moments.

Apparently, JJ originally wanted to kill him off, then changed his mind, and the result was this. So yes he was flung out of the fighter, possibly without a parachute, which explains why his jacket got ripped off and got stuck to the window. Of course, that kind of thing should have killed him, but he must have landed on some really soft sand. He did mention that he woke up at night, so after the TIE sank in the sands and Finn left the area. 

Not really sure how he managed to get himself of Jakku. 

It's far from unprecedented though, in real life: http://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/outdoors/a5045/4344036/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/czechrepublic/9040863/40-years-on-woman-who-survived-33000-foot-fall-still-faces-questions.html

[sifth]

I know, one of the weaker moments.

Apparently, JJ originally wanted to kill him off, then changed his mind, and the result was this. So yes he was flung out of the fighter, possibly without a parachute, which explains why his jacket got ripped off and got stuck to the window. Of course, that kind of thing should have killed him, but he must have landed on some really soft sand. He did mention that he woke up at night, so after the TIE sank in the sands and Finn left the area. 

Not really sure how he managed to get himself of Jakku. 

It's a strange thing too because I really like Poe, yet at the same time wish his revival was done in a more believable way.

I guess it's just one of those things I have to accept as "movie magic", lol

[Mark Antony]

Wasn't there rumors of Benicio Del Toro being cast as a villain in the next one. Cause if that's the case then baby we got a stew going!

[Tywin et al.]

 

It's a strange thing too because I really like Poe, yet at the same time wish his revival was done in a more believable way.

 

I guess it's just one of those things I have to accept as "movie magic", lol

Well to be fair there are a lot of characters in this movie that should be dead but will be in the next movie.

[MerenthaClone]

Man, I could have done without Starkiller Base being in the movie, but other than that, it was great.  The first half of the movie had nice references and echoes of ANH but as soon as the sunlaser thing fires off, ANH mk2 comparisons get way too on the nose and it took me out of the movie.  It wasn't even necessary to the plot at all:  they could have just had the Resistance launch a raid explicitly to try to rescue Rey.  (Or have Finn lie and tell them its a superweapon)

 

e: In the EU, a Super Star Destroyer was at one point on (well, under) a planet's surface.  It was only able to launch with a massive cradle of repulsors that were then abandoned.  Imperial SDs can't enter the atmosphere, iirc, but Venator and Victory class ones can, but its rough.  Mon Calamari cruisers started life as luxury liners, so maybe they can? 

e2:  Also, I could have used a little more political exposition.  A little paragraph to the title crawl that basically says (but not written off the cuff in 10 seconds): "New Republic is desperate for peace, so it signs a peace accord with the Empire.  Then hardliners in the Empire take over and declare it the First Order.  Leia gets mad at the Republic who refuse to see the rising threat and declares the Resistance, which continues to be funded under the table by parts of the Republic."  It'd add just a touch to the movie.  

[HexMachina]

Wasn't there rumors of Benicio Del Toro being cast as a villain in the next one. Cause if that's the case then baby we got a stew going!

Yep

Not just rumours though, seems like that is confirmed 

[Marcus Agrippa]

Yep

Not just rumours though, seems like that is confirmed 

All I hope for in a bounty hunter is someone like cad bane. Good character. I don't want another Boba fett or Jango.

 

 

[ljkeane]

Man, I could have done without Starkiller Base being in the movie, but other than that, it was great.  The first half of the movie had nice references and echoes of ANH but as soon as the sunlaser thing fires off, ANH mk2 comparisons get way too on the nose and it took me out of the movie.  It wasn't even necessary to the plot at all:  they could have just had the Resistance launch a raid explicitly to try to rescue Rey.  (Or have Finn lie and tell them its a superweapon)

Agreed.

I loved the first half or two thirds or so of the film but the more I think about the Star Killer and all the stuff around it the more I don't like it. In fact having Finn lie about it being a super weapon just so they'd go there and rescue Rey would have been a great change of pace.

[Joe Pesci]

All I hope for in a bounty hunter is someone like cad bane. Good character. I don't want another Boba fett or Jango.

 

 

Would be great to see, though I'm hoping for the possibility of Phasma taking on that type role and searching for revenge on Finn. If Phasma is to have a bigger role in Ep VIII, this seems like a logical choice imo. I could see BDT being the political face of the First Order.

[Corvinus85]

Would be great to see, though I'm hoping for the possibility of Phasma taking on that type role and searching for revenge on Finn. If Phasma is to have a bigger role in Ep VIII, this seems like a logical choice imo. I could see BDT being the political face of the First Order.

Based on how TFA ended, it's quite possible that both heroes, Rey and Finn, will have to face off against different villains, separately this time, in which case Phasma may get her fair share of action.

Btw, have you started reading the novel for this? How is it, in terms of writing quality?

[Makk]

I have a feeling Rey might be Han and Leia's daughter and I actually think there are more hints towards that than there are of her being Lukes daughter.

She is thinking like Han. When they meet for the first time and fly out on the Falcon, she is finishing his sentences, at this point in time I was actually convinced she was Hans daughter, although later I would go back and forwth on it several times. In the poster she is right besides Kylo Ren in the same pose. There is obvious imagery in this and although this might simply reflect the fact she is the light while he is the dark, or that they are cousins, having them siblings is much stronger symbolically. In the Leia and Chewie scene at the end, Leia's first thought is to go and hug Rey. Somehow she knows Rey and feels very strongly about her.

The big showstopper is why Han doesn't recognize her. My theory is that he doesn't even know he had a daughter. Han and Leia always had a tumultuous relationship. Although it was Ben's final descent into darkness that finished their relationship, it is implied that they were often arguing and spending time apart before that happened. A lot of this would be down to a disagreement on how their psycho nut of a son was being raised. Leia would have thought he should be sent to uncle Luke for training straight away. Han, seeing the resemblance to Vader in him, thinks it would be better if he is not taught about the force at all, and raised up like Leia was, completely oblivious to it. Although Han initially got his way, they continue to argue, and when he takes off for a break, Leia sends Ben to Luke for training. At this time she is also pregnant and decides she has to send their second child to Luke at a much younger age and so she doesn't tell Han (or Ben for that matter) about her at all. I'm guessing Ben was sent to Luke around the age of 13 while Rey was sent there at 3 or 4. I think it is very obvious that she has had some training.

While the training is going on, behind the scenes Snoke is sabotaging it. Although I have some theories about that, his actual motivations aren't important to this topic. Eventually he succeeds in bringing Ben (and maybe more of Luke's proteges) over to the dark side and they do something truly evil. Most of the other would be Jedi are killed but Luke takes Rey and wipes her mind by planting false memories into it. Why he didn't return her to Leia is hard to say. He might be worried about Snoke going after her again. Or he might have come around to Hans thinking and trying to remove her from the force. Perhaps he decided she needed a period of isolation to balance her for her own training like he had himself. Maybe he intended to return to her but something happened. There is too much we don't know but there are plenty of possibilities to explain it.

Eventually Rey unlocks her mind during the battle with Kylo Ren. At this stage she knows who she is, who her parents are, remembers her training etc. She just doesn't reveal it to the viewers.

[MerenthaClone]

Would be great to see, though I'm hoping for the possibility of Phasma taking on that type role and searching for revenge on Finn. If Phasma is to have a bigger role in Ep VIII, this seems like a logical choice imo. I could see BDT being the political face of the First Order.

Phasma's like the new trilogy's Boba Fett.  Shows up, looks badass, sounds badass, screams badass, "dies" in a completely pathetic, unceremonious manner.  

e:  Rey being Luke's daughter (or Leia's, though less so) is screamingly signposted and I really hope she turns out to just be a random orphan girl completely unrelated to the OT characters.