Star Wars

[Gremer]

Lucas is a very bitter person. The only original movie he didn't direct was V, which is also the only OT or PT movie he hates.

[legosamsonite]

Lucas is a very bitter person. The only original movie he didn't direct was V, which is also the only OT or PT movie he hates.

He also didn't direct VI

[Gremer]

He also didn't direct VI

Er, yeah. My bad. It's the only one he didn't write the screenplay for. He wrote IV, Kasdan wrote V, and Lucas and Kasdan co-wrote VI.

[rollermonkey]

While I recognize that creating the Star Wars universe is pretty incredible, Lucas really hasn't done much else, apart from Indiana Jones with Spielberg. I've never understood the pedestal he's been placed on, and he's been grumpy and bitter for a long, LONG time.

Then again, at this point, the questions he's bing asked in interviews boil down to: "Wow, the people you sold your life's work to have made a better received movie than you have in decades, making more money than you ever did. Tell us how that makes you feeeel."

He's probably just trying to not tell people to go megablox themselves.

[Ultron]

He made $4 billion off it!!! If you sell your love child for that much money, I don't think you should ever be allowed to speak out against it at all. No one put a gun to his head, he made the conscious decision like a grown adult and now he acts like a rude child. The guy is washed up and bitter other people tell better star wars stories than him.

[N-4K0]

I think Star Killer Base and Death Stars are the only major weapons the Empire I mean First Order know how to build, I myself really enjoyed the movie, there where somethings that were just "OK" like Captain Phasma, who wasn't very threatening at all and Kylo Ren a Sith who's been trained in the jedi arts for years being beaten by Rey who just started learning about the force a day ago, but for the most part the movie was enjoyable.

I don't remember if it's been said in this thread, but I think it would have been cool if Phasma was the one who fought Finn with the lightsaber-countering weapon on Takodana instead of some random Stormtrooper. That could have been a good way of showing off Phasma's skills better, showing why she's a captain and in charge of the Stormtroopers.

As for Kylo Ren, he was injured and perhaps unstable during the duel, and perhaps felt despair when he saw how powerful Rey became when she let the Force flow through her. She is obviously strong with the Force and if she gets trained by Luke, she could become a powerful Jedi.

[HawkLord]

Lucas has become a fallen, tragic hero. He was on top of the world when the original trilogy and the prequels came out and in both of those runs the fan base loved him. But unfortunately he has done very little other than Star Wars, so it's become his full focus.

And I'm sure most of you remember that Lucas is a tinkerer. He had the idea for Star Wars crafted in '73, but re-wrote it several times until it was the version seen in '77. Then he went back and tinkered in the '90s, 2004 for the DVDs, and 2011 for the Blu-Rays. It's like he just found one thing that worked and want the fanbase to buy in to it over and over again. Granted, Disney is making Star Wars and its respective products more and more expensive for the fanbase than ever, but it's not far off from Lucas' handling.

If Lucas wants to call Disney slavers, it's a lot like the pot calling the kettle black.

Edited December 31, 2015 by HawkLord

[xboxtravis7992]

Besides, when Lucas sold Star Wars to Disney he had a lot of background with them. Disney had worked on Star Tours, Indianna Jones rides, a segment based on Indianna Jones in The Great Movie Ride, George and Disney also worked on Captain EO with Michael Jackson, and he also worked with them on ExtraTERRORrestrial. Back in Disneyland guide books even as far as the late 90's Disney was already speaking of George as a modern day visionary.

Besides talks about selling Lucasfilm to Disney started on the day of the premier of Star Tours: The Adventures Continue in Florida. Public statements at the time suggest George was receptive to the idea and due to all the experience with Disney found them to be the best fit for Star Wars. Besides Lucas always said he was going to retire after he finished "Red Tails" anyway...

Now Disney has had roaring success with the new Star Wars. George should have seen it coming, but right now he seems bitter about it. We don't even really know if he actually enjoyed the film since he seems to be focused in the fact it is Star Wars and he wasn't involved. Other than how he was invited to the premier. Or how his name was in the credits as the guy who created the story. Or his near 30 years of involvement with Disney now. Or the fact JJ Abrams is such a fanboy, that even the Star Trek reboots look like auditions for JJ's role as director. Or ignore the fact the original cast got together for Episode 7.

Yeah, white slaver jerks! How dare they make a fun movie! ;)

In other opinions: I suggest that Lawrance Kasdan must write all future Star Wars films.

Edited December 31, 2015 by xboxtravis7992

[Tariq j]

Lucas was without question a great producer and director. But it seems to me like an attempt for a fading star trying to get back into the public eye.

[rollermonkey]

What's interesting to me about the "white slaver" remarks is that it seems that he made the comment a while ago, but a different comment from the interview was focused on at the time. An article I saw that did discuss this comment was dated November 30th, before the film had even been released.

.

I don't remember if it's been said in this thread, but I think it would have been cool if Phasma was the one who fought Finn with the lightsaber-countering weapon on Takodana instead of some random Stormtrooper. That could have been a good way of showing off Phasma's skills better, showing why she's a captain and in charge of the Stormtroopers.

There is discussion that the dying trooper who streaked blood across Finn's helmet and the trooper who caught with the electrostaff were both in Finn's training unit. I'm pretty sure it's a fan theory, but it works pretty well. Google TR-8R for more detail than I can remember.

[Starrocks923]

White Slavers...why on Earth would anyone equate a company like Disney(Or any legitimate company for that matter!) to that?

I mean, I have issues with Disney, but that's seriously taking it pretty far.

There is discussion that the dying trooper who streaked blood across Finn's helmet and the trooper who caught with the electrostaff were both in Finn's training unit. I'm pretty sure it's a fan theory, but it works pretty well. Google TR-8R for more detail than I can remember.

You are correct. In fact, it's the same Stormtrooper who always fell behind in combat training, and that's why Phasma couldn't fully recommend Finn for Officer Corps. "TR-8R" is rumored to be one of the other two. http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/FN-2003

(Side note, "TR-8R" is basically bantha fodder for Buzzfeed to make a ridiculous article with. )

[Marvelfan120]

I'm not entirely sure Lukas is playing with a full deck anymore... He was thoroughly convinced the world was going to end back in 2012 when the Myan calendar ended. He sold star wars thinking, "what the heck, there's no future anyway." Now he's mouthing off cause he was wrong.

It is really sad to see him acting like this. I mean, as a writer, I'd like to think I'd welcome someone continuing a legacy that I'd created.

[d-delay]

I'm pretty sure Kylo was "defeated so easily" by Rey in the end because he didn't want to kill her. He was holding back, trying to make her submit without major injury. When he had her more or less beaten before she conjured the force, he seemed to be offering to teach her. After his experience with her in the interrogation where he delved into personal stuff before failing to get the info he wanted, it was obvious there was sexual tension and I believe this was only heightened when she was able to resist him. Kylo dealt quickly and dismissively with Poe in the interrogation, and with Finn in their duel. With Rey it was different. He first removed his mask for her, his tantrums reached new heights upon realising her escape, his duel with her was not about victory - it was about submission, perhaps even seduction? She resisted him again. But it was purely because he was not interested in hurting her. She went on a force fuelled attack, he fought in self-defence. One does not need to believe that the experienced and trained Kylo was defeated by someone who was so suddenly powerful in the force that training was irrelevant. Rather, Kylo never planned to "win" this duel in any final fatal way, but rather to convince Rey to join him a la Episode V. That is why when she surges, he merely withdraws defensively into defeat, overcome not by raw force power, but by the decision he had already made in his heart not to kill her :)

Edited January 1, 2016 by d-delay

[Jbricks]

Anyone feel a little awkward when you see Phasma being credited as Star Wars's first female villain, even though there has already been the movie Zam Wessal and multiple TV show villains? I'm no big fan of AoTC, but does Zam Wessall not count? I guess it's all probably marketing just to hype up a character that

has no real memorable role.

. Heck, even Greedo and the Emperor were originally played by (or in Greedo's case, worn by) women.

[Ultron]

Zam Wessal is a throwaway character most people forget and also don't know by name. She's a hired hand and can hardly be counted as a true villain. That is also getting into the "are bounty hunters really villains" argument, which I've already been in and most people agree bounty hunters aren't really villains, they just go where the money is unless they have some ulterior motive. Also, a generally smaller portion of star wars fans/the general public have watched Clone Wars/Rebels with characters like Bariss Offee, Ventress, and Aurra Sing. So for all intensive purposes, Phasma is our first real "female villain" even if they completely screwed her over and gave her nothing cool other than her armor, just like Boba Fett. I'm hopeful she'll be awesome in ep. 8 though; Gwendoline Christie deserved better.

[ChiefPie]

After seeing it for first time today I thought it was good. I enjoyed the funny parts and the emotional ones. I liked all the new actors but I'm not that happy with how kylo ren was done. His mask voice could have been better and without his mad he could have had more emotion. The part when Rey was trying to mind trick the stormtrooper was weird because how does she know how to do that. I'm interested in snoke now that I've seen him. Also I just hope they don't make another super weapon.

[Darth Lurtz]

Zam Wessal is a throwaway character most people forget and also don't know by name. She's a hired hand and can hardly be counted as a true villain. That is also getting into the "are bounty hunters really villains" argument, which I've already been in and most people agree bounty hunters aren't really villains, they just go where the money is unless they have some ulterior motive. Also, a generally smaller portion of star wars fans/the general public have watched Clone Wars/Rebels with characters like Bariss Offee, Ventress, and Aurra Sing. So for all intensive purposes, Phasma is our first real "female villain" even if they completely screwed her over and gave her nothing cool other than her armor, just like Boba Fett. I'm hopeful she'll be awesome in ep. 8 though; Gwendoline Christie deserved better.

I don't really see how antagonistic bounty hunters can't be seen as "true villains". They serve as an opposition to the protagonist and can affect the course of a film. Whether they are motivated or not by money shouldn't really matter. This can be seen with Boba Fett who is responsible for everything that goes wrong for the protagonists in Empire Strikes Back. He tracks down Han Solo which causes Luke to prematurely confront Darth Vader. He did it solely for the money, but at least he's given motivation. Hans Gruber is often seen as one of the greatest villains In film and his motivation was also for money. This is because he serves as a great foil to John McClane. This brings me to Captain Phasma, why should she be seen as more of a villain than Zam? Zam Is by no means a high bar of villainy, but she actually offered resistance to the Jedi. Conversely, Phasma literally walks around and is responsible for the destruction of the Death Star knock-off. They could have easily made Phasma the one that fights Finn instead of the storm trooper. Instead, they heavily marketed her with nothing to show for it. Anything they do with Phasma from here on out will come across as awkward backpedaling.

[N-4K0]

"True villains" to me is the main bad guy. Zam Wesell was a villain, but not a "true" villain the way I see it, since she was hired by others and didn't act on her own accord.

If I recall correctly, she was hired by Jango Fett who was in turn hired by Dooku who kinda was the "true" villain of AOTC, although he too acted on someone else's accord by doing Sidious' bidding.

[Starrocks923]

Captain Phasma was simply a Stormtrooper Captain with cool armor. Nothing wrong with that, and at the end of the day, she's a very likable character when you don't let the hype raise your expectations.

Speaking of which, does anyone think that perhaps she turned the shields off on purpose, so she could someone gain from the destruction of Starkiller Base? TFA has proven that not everyone is as they seem, and thanks to Lor San Tekka, I'm instantly suspicious of any character who has dialogue in the movie.

[Marvelfan120]

Captain Phasma was simply a Stormtrooper Captain with cool armor. Nothing wrong with that, and at the end of the day, she's a very likable character when you don't let the hype raise your expectations.

This is exactly the problem I have is that they gave huge build up for a character that is, as you say, a stormtrooper commander with cool armor. She has almost no baring on the story and that which she does have could easily have been served by many other characters. I'm not even sure that I care what they do with her in future films because to this point she's a throwaway character at best and at worst a distraction from the many wonderful aspects of the film.

[Starrocks923]

This is exactly the problem I have is that they gave huge build up for a character that is, as you say, a stormtrooper commander with cool armor. She has almost no baring on the story and that which she does have could easily have been served by many other characters. I'm not even sure that I care what they do with her in future films because to this point she's a throwaway character at best and at worst a distraction from the many wonderful aspects of the film.

They made more money because some people probably bought tickets to see Captain Phasma in action. I'd say that they heavily promoted her for commercial and political reasons, though I won't expound on the latter here.

I feel like Captain Phasma would be a very popular character if she hadn't been hyped. The shock of hearing a female Stormtrooper would have been quite effective, and no one would have been too upset that she didn't do much.

Edited January 4, 2016 by Starrocks923

[HawkLord]

I'm ok with Phasma not doing much, I'm just not ok with her getting kidnapped without a fight. It would have been a good chance to give Chewie some melee action and make Phasma more exciting.

As for bounty hunters, most Star Wars games (miniature games, RPGs, etc) refer to them as "fringe" characters willing to fight for anyone. I don't see that as a villain because they can turn at any point.

[Jbricks]

One other problem I had with the movie was the X wing pilots. In Star Wars, most pilots have something memorable about them (Red Leader, Wedge, Porkins, "Stay on Target" guy) but I think TFA went the Phantom Menace route, where where pilots look diverse (woman, alien) but lack enough screen time to have personality.

[VBBN]

One other problem I had with the movie was the X wing pilots. In Star Wars, most pilots have something memorable about them (Red Leader, Wedge, Porkins, "Stay on Target" guy) but I think TFA went the Phantom Menace route, where where pilots look diverse (woman, alien) but lack enough screen time to have personality.

The only pilot besides Poe that I even recall from TFA was Greg Grunberg's character because I knew the actor. To be fair though I personally didn't find the original X-wings pilots were really all that memorable either, certainly not enough to make me feel one way or another about how TFA's pilots were portrayed.

[Artanis I]

Why does C3PO have a red arm? Except for merchandising purposes...