Star Wars Discussion Thread contains spoilers (and may contain nuts)

[celedhring]

Leia and Han seem to know who Snoke is just fine, so he isn't a "secret leader" behind the First Order.

[celedhring]

Snoke, in addition to having a stupid name, looks like Gollum or something. Why would anyone follow him?

And Yoda looks like a muppet. Some people feel like following him, nonetheless.

Yoda was not the emperor, or supreme leader, or really any position that required massed followers to believe that he was their "leader". In fact, I always assumed that the reason he was really only a leader for Jedi was very much that his stature and weirdness would make it not likely that he could be a popular leader.

He was not particularly charismatic to the masses.

Charisma is important when it comes to populist leaders.

Yet in the prequels he leads the Republic Army 

How I hate those films.

Again, not the same thing at all. You can be assigned to lead an army without being particularly charismatic, and if it is a professional army, they will likely follow just fine.

But the idea that the "Supreme Leader" of a Nazi-like fascist political organization is this weird ass fucked up little/big troll thing is just silly.

He still felt utterly out of place commanding troops in the field.

Snoke was a weak character, though, I agree with that. It's also strange that an obviously racist organization (there's not a single alien in the First Order ranks) would follow a non-human.

[Berkut]

Yeah, he is referenced, IIRC, as the "Supreme Leader". That suggests that there is some awareness of him amongst the masses.

[FunkMonk]

I think criticism of Snoke's character is warranted but I also like the fact that Abrams just plopped us into the middle of this "new" galaxy without much of an explanation of what the hell is going on and who is what and why. They could have probably had just a few lines explaining this or that but there is a danger in having too much expository dialogue (the prequels). Yeah,  there was no equivalent scene to the opening of A New Hope, but that is a pretty tall order to emulate.

It's worth remembering that this is only just part one of a new trilogy and I'm sure Disney has a bazillion star wars spinoffs in the meat grinder.

[celedhring]

I think criticism of Snoke's character is warranted but I also like the fact that Abrams just plopped us into the middle of this "new" galaxy without much of an explanation of what the hell is going on and who is what and why. They could have probably had just a few lines explaining this or that but there is a danger in having too much expository dialogue (the prequels). Yeah,  there was no equivalent scene to the opening of A New Hope, but that is a pretty tall order to emulate.

It's worth remembering that this is only just part one of a new trilogy and I'm sure Disney has a bazillion star wars spinoffs in the meat grinder.

A major Spanish newspaper carries a very apt headline today: "There's gonna be a Star Wars film every year until we all die".

[Liep]

I think there need to be at least 3 4 consecutive horrible Star Wars movie before I abandon the franchise.

[celedhring]

at least 3 4 consecutive horrible Star Wars movie

I see what you did there.

I'm just afraid they will dilute the story. But well, I'll go with it for now. It's going to be the EU, but in film. We need somebody to adapt KOTOR.

[Barrister]

I think criticism of Snoke's character is warranted but I also like the fact that Abrams just plopped us into the middle of this "new" galaxy without much of an explanation of what the hell is going on and who is what and why. They could have probably had just a few lines explaining this or that but there is a danger in having too much expository dialogue (the prequels). Yeah,  there was no equivalent scene to the opening of A New Hope, but that is a pretty tall order to emulate.

It's worth remembering that this is only just part one of a new trilogy and I'm sure Disney has a bazillion star wars spinoffs in the meat grinder.

There was an article I recall reading about Abrams working with Kasdan - that Kasdan was very much a proponent of "show, don't tell", and less exposition in general.  And it definitely tells in the movie - and I think it's a move for the better.

Yeah, Snoke doesn't really make any sense.  But we haven't really been given enough information about him.  Remember we weren't even told of the Emperor's existence until Empire, and then his involvement was about the same as Snoke's was in this movie.  We'll learn more about him soon enough - Episode 8 is due out May 2017.

[Barrister]

I think criticism of Snoke's character is warranted but I also like the fact that Abrams just plopped us into the middle of this "new" galaxy without much of an explanation of what the hell is going on and who is what and why. They could have probably had just a few lines explaining this or that but there is a danger in having too much expository dialogue (the prequels). Yeah,  there was no equivalent scene to the opening of A New Hope, but that is a pretty tall order to emulate.

It's worth remembering that this is only just part one of a new trilogy and I'm sure Disney has a bazillion star wars spinoffs in the meat grinder.

A major Spanish newspaper carries a very apt headline today: "There's gonna be a Star Wars film every year until we all die".

I have to say though - while this movie has me pumped for the major Star Wars Episodes, the new Rogue One, or the upcoming Han Solo prequel, sound very much like "wait till it comes out on streaming video" to me...

[celedhring]

Apparently Poe Dameron was set to die in the original draft of the script, which would explain the really clumsy way in which he "reappears".

http://www.gq.com/story/star-wars-the-force-awakens-character-death

[Pedrito]

I saw it yesterday with the kids.

I liked it a lot, they loved it, and loved even all the quoting of episodes 4-6 (from the lightsaber force-gripped from the snow mound, to the manoeuvre the Falcon does when entering the hulk of the Empire's shipwreck, without pointing out the more obvious).

My thoughts:
- how many million (or billion) workers were needed to build the Starkiller? Is it possible that no one in the galaxy had a clue about the construction going on on the planet?
- Rey is Han and Leia's daughter. And she's a badass and I love her character.
- E.T. is running a tavern? And how did s/he/it get Luke's lightsaber?

More to come

L.

[Razgovory]

He was not particularly charismatic to the masses.

Charisma is important when it comes to populist leaders.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away dressing in burlap and looking like a misshapen prune gave you real star power.

[Berkut]

- Rey is Han and Leia's daughter. And she's a badass and I love her character.

That would be super lame. How could she be their daughter without them knowing they had a daughter?

[derspiess]

My daughter seemed to like the Rey character.  I'm generally okay with her but the instant-expert at swordfighting thing bugged me.

[Barrister]

My daughter seemed to like the Rey character.  I'm generally okay with her but the instant-expert at swordfighting thing bugged me.

She wasn't an "instant expert" though.  She had already proven herself as a more than capable melee fighter with her staff.  Plus Rey had, at that point, had been shot by Chewie, had already had a gruelling fight with Finn (whose instant fighting skills are much more suspect, even though he ultimately lost), and had his confidence shaken by Rey when she resisted him / could out-force-pull the lightsabre.

The lightsabre duel actually kind of impressed me.  Again after the prequels, where Lucas just tried to out-do each prior lightsabre battle with more blades, more spinning, and more jumping, this battle actually seemed much more realistic and not just delibertaely hitting the blades against each other.