luckydube56

EU Sith Lords remind me of Star Trek Aliens...basically a human with something attached to his face or head.

Anyone who has seen the documentary Empire of Dreams knows what I'm talking about here as it was mentioned several times.

The 1970s political climate was one of social revolution and cynicism towards the government.

Hollywood was mired in anti-heroes and sci fi had a distinctly apocalyptic theme. 

America's economy and the war left people feeling pessimistic.

The time was ripe for something like Star Wars.  

See any similarities to today?  Not saying the new movie is guaranteed to be anything and execution will be key.  But is anyone else seeing a confluence of circumstances gathering enough for lightning to strike twice?

The only thing I would change is in the end when he tosses the old fart into the chasm, I'd have Vader scream "n-n-nooooooooooooooooooooo!"

Mrebo,

I hear you.  I know you're joking and I dont think anyone is cursing me out or attacking me.  What you're speaking of is more or less the same thing I'm saying.  

Perhaps my separate thread was unwarranted.  Sorry.   I'm a noob and all.

Laserschwert said:

Regarding Harrison I think "Crystal Skull" is probably a template for the way they might handle his age (and hopefully not a template for anything else). Although I've gotta say that there were a few too many "bumbling around" moments for Indy, I preferred that they pretty much had comments about his age come from other characters than him (and then have him kick ass to prove them wrong).

The bumbling qualities of Han were only introduced with ROTJ, which was a bit more lighthearted in that regard, but it's hard to say how much of this should be kept. It's kinda like Marcus Brody turning from a smart-yet-too-old-for-adventure character in Raiders to a bumbling idiot in Crusade... just because it happened, doesn't mean it was the right choice for the character.

Oh boy.  I've got my flame suit on for this one but, to me, I see near no difference between Han and Indy.

When we first met both characters, they were shrouded in darkness and dangerous.  As the film(s) progressed we saw their true nature come to light.

Mrebo said:

luckydube56 said:

But ignoring their age would be to ignore the obvious.  That in itself would be a disservice to fans.  There was nothing more ridiculous than seeing Yoda in the prequels fighting Count Dooku (spelling?).

And at the same time, anyone thinking their role in this film would be to sit in the background and give counsel on occasion is ignoring the obvious signs.  They're being asked to get in shape so they can go on the adventures themselves.  And in doing so they will realize they can no longer be tip of the spear.

For those resistant to the idea, I've got more bad news, the Millenium Falcon is going to be really old too and breaking down even more than it was before.

And if the rumoured title is indeed "A New Dawn", it just reinforces my idea it will be about turning the reigns over  to more physically capable heroes.

Nobody advocates hiding their ages and of course they are making new/younger characters the main focus.  The only objection is to making a whole joke out of the thing or making a constant or overt point.

Obi Wan said, "I'm getting too old for this sort of thing." It wasn't supposed to be funny; it wasn't funny. It was a simple statement of truth that wasn't harped on. And he continued on his merry way. Yoda surely showed his age but it wasn't the focus, except for when he was on his deathbed.

What you're saying about the new storyline is surely basically right. It's the comedy and overt recognition of age (as if they've suddenly discovered it when the cameras turned on for E7) you're raising that is objectionable.

Think of King Theoden riding out to war. We didn't need him pointing out how old he is or questions raised about his fighting ability. The audience surely understood as an older man he wouldn't have the strength of a younger man. That is how you handle it. Nobody has suggested hiding their ages or that we believe they are the main focus, continuing their own personal stories.

Well hold on now mrebo.  I'm not suggesting they turn Ep.7 into a comedy. But there will be a sense of nostalgia and I see this next film being much more light hearted than any of the prequels and more light hearted than Empire Strikes Back.  It will very much be in the tone of a New Hope which, if you havent guessed, is my favorite movie.  Sure there will be poignant moments but there will be moments of light heartedness.  And that has been a common contradiciton and change of pace in all the Star Wars movies.  They certainly dont have to change things up and become Lord of the Rings and be unilaterally serious to the point of being mentally draining.

I'm not suggesting or hoping for the line "I'm too old for this" to repeat itself constantly or even be so overt but the fact they are can be used to comic effect.  And there was, whether you admit it or not, a sort of bumbling nature regarding Han Solo.  Its that whole out of the fryer and into the frying pan thing I mentioned and that Lucase himself has mentioned and in fact used again to great effect in the Indy series.  Han cant fix the Falcon?  Han chases a trio of stormtroopers only to run into a battalion of them on the Death Star?  Han say "Hey it's me" as he sneaks up on a scout only to step on a twig and get smacked?  He is admirably fool hardy and it belies the notion that Han Solo is a one dimensional dark and brooding badass that the fans so obsess themselves with when they talk about who shot first. 

But ignoring their age would be to ignore the obvious.  That in itself would be a disservice to fans.  There was nothing more ridiculous than seeing Yoda in the prequels fighting Count Dooku (spelling?).

And at the same time, anyone thinking their role in this film would be to sit in the background and give counsel on occasion is ignoring the obvious signs.  They're being asked to get in shape so they can go on the adventures themselves.  And in doing so they will realize they can no longer be tip of the spear.

For those resistant to the idea, I've got more bad news, the Millenium Falcon is going to be really old too and breaking down even more than it was before.

And if the rumoured title is indeed "A New Dawn", it just reinforces my idea it will be about turning the reigns over  to more physically capable heroes.

Bingowings said:

It's called Star Wars not Star Tea-dance. It can't and shouldn't be a 'feel good' movie though it could have upbeat moments (just hopefully not so many goofy slapstick comedy moments).

I'm not talking slap stick per se but I do think it will very much have that same feel in the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls movie where Indy, at every step, begins to realize he is just getting too old.

There will be action and there will be comedy and depending on how much of each they use, it could be really good and it could be really bad.

I expect this movie (Ep 7 only) to serve two purposes:

1.Service the fans who miss the characters even if they're old.

2.Ween the fans off those characters and onto new ones by playing the 'they're just too old' card.  

Anyone who hasnt paid attention wouldn't realize how much of the comic element there is in the films.  The whole notion of "out of the fryer and into the frying pan" is going to be played out with a crew of geriatrics.  Why do you think they're being asked to get into shape...to watch them sit on their duffs and give counsel?

In fact something tells me the old cast will be in some way directly though inadvertently responsible for the perils the younger cast will face.

Yes.

Bank on it.  

The prequels were so dark and serious and lacked any fun whatsoever.  I completely expect Star Wars 7 to do a complete 180. 

It is becoming a foregone conclusion that the significant cast members from the 4 - 6 will return.  And I dont think theyll be taking a back seat to a bunch of youngsters.  There will be young cast members but I expect episode 7 to center around the original cast.  And it will feel like a reunion.  They'll be older, less mobile, grumpier and they will be comic relief.  They'll stumble around trying to do the things they used to only to realize they're just too old.  IT will be a recurring joke thru the film and it will set up the handoff to 8 and 9 which will feature the kids. 

"I'm too old for this, kid"

-Han Solo.

Could be brilliant.  Could crash and burn.

buddy-x-wing said:

I'm more concerned that Disney will try to balance the old cast with a bunch of obnoxious teens, not looking forward to meeting the children of Solo & Skywalker, really hope they completely disregard the EU

Couldn't agree more.  The Solo/Skywalker offspring story line seems so contrived while simultaneously too predictable. 

I mean, will they all be friends?  Must the children of best friends also be best friends?  I'd rather have completely unrelated characters coming together to become friends.  And any way you cut it, they're going to end up being a re-hash of the original cast of characters.  I have no doubt there will be 3 central human characters, an alien, and two droids.

I dont even want to think of the prospects of them being teenage characters.

TV's Frink said:

luckydube56 said:

Ahhh...the controversy.

Really?

No. Sarcasm.

Ahhh...the controversy.

There's been quite a bit of discussion centering on the direction episodes 7,8,9 will go.  It seems obvious from the rumors and news of the returning cast the new trilogy will feature (or at least include) the original actors reprising their original roles. 

I'm not sure how I feel about this.

What I love about the Star Wars Universe as it pertains to the original trilogy are the 6 central characters....Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, C3PO, and R2D2.

If I had my way, the trilogy would center around them as still fairly young and active; not old and immobile.  Star Wars is about the pacing as much as the characters.  It's also about friendship.  To see new characters or see a more staid plot line would make this a complete failure in my book.  Let's face it re-casting is the way to go.  The characters are what count; not the actors.  Frankly the acting wasnt mind blowing or unachievable. 

And a new set of characters would be what exactly? A sharp witted girl? A hopeful dreamer?  A sarcastic and pragmatic bad ass? Two droids?  Some kind of creature sidekick? Or some variation or combination of the above?

So how exactly would a cast playing new characters with similar personalities/roles be any better than just re-casting the original characters?  Do you not see the irony in a Skywalker/Solo legacy film ending up as nothing more than a de facto re-casting?

Then again, maybe it wont resemble the original trilogy at all and the characters will not have the same light hearted appeal.  Maybe they will go dark and serious.  In which case we're likely looking at something resembling the prequels (with better execution one would hope). 

Han Solo and Bradley Cooper could do the role convincingly.  Set some time just before episode 4.  I dont care for necessarily an origins film....im kind of over the whole origins of sci fi characters movies.  I want to see his troubles with Jabba, the gamble with Lando for the Falcon, his tangles with Boba Fett and the Kessel Run.  Evading bounty hunters and the Empire, the last scene is him and Chewie going into hyperdrive in the Falcon and landing on Tattooine. 

I just want to see extensive use of the Millenium Falcon in a movie again.  And I want to see Han Solo as the Han Solo we know; not as a child.  I dont care how he found Chewbacca but I obviously want him in the movie.  He was a swashbuckler and scoundrel and that's the lasting impression we should have of him. 

A one off action buddy cop flick set in a galaxy far far away using that "out of the frier and into the frying pan" theme and pacing that Lucas used in episode 4 and the Indiana Jones films.  I mean really, that is what a Han Solo flick should be....fun.

Sure I liked Wrath of Kahn.  And I even liked the Star Trek reboot.  

My comment was only in regard to whether Abrams could do a credible Star Wars film that doesnt wreak of something completely different than what we've come to love about the original trilogy.

Like I say, I do like his ST reboot but I know many Trek fans did not appreciate the direction he took it and most importantly that it did not have Star Trek themes if that makes any sense.  Besides, he promised nothing other than a Star Wars movie in Star Trek clothing.  He delivered.

I dont necessarily think this would be a concern with Star Wars...not that the unthinkable is impossible of course.

It was supposed to be tragic but there was nothing tragic about it.  Plot wise, it works but i think the plot was fleshed out into a completely bad direction.  The execution was lousy.

I would have had Anakin leave home because he knows he is an abomination of the Force and a danger to his own family.  Nobody helps him or guides him along which hardens him and makes him bitter.  He encounters a glimmer of hope later in his young adulthood in the form of Ben Kenobi.  They share many adventures and he finally feels he has a course in his life.  Ben makes some kind of mistake which wounds Anakin's psyche.  He feels betrayed and becomes susceptible to the Emperor.    The last film should be about him as Vader heading a genocide against the Jedi.  In many ways this is basically what Lucas put on paper and it had much promise IMO.

Also, no magic or flying around by Jedi.  That stuff was ridiculous.  Saber duels should be brief like I imagine Samurai fights to be.  A determined clash with no long drawn out sword parrys or acrobatics.  And only modest force powers.

JJ Abrams is a fine choice.

There are certain scenes in the Star Trek reboot which had Star Wars written all over it.

Kirk looks forlornly at the construction of the Enterprise at dusk = Luke Skywalker on Tatooine looking forlornly at the twin suns.  In both their minds they imagine what could be out their for themselves.

The scene where Spock is being chased by the bad guys (sorry, I dont know the Star Trek universe well) and another vessel is detected.  Out of nowhere, the Enterprise comes out of warp speed guns blazing.  Tell me that doesnt have Millenium Falcon to the rescue of Luke's X-wing written all over it.

Abrams' main weakness to Trekkies, and it is significant, is that he doesnt know a thing about the Star Trek Universe.  He knows Star Wars.  He also pulls of a heck of a convincing attempt at a Spielberg movie.  He understands the tone of the films and that is what was missing the most in the Prequel Trilogy.  Frankly, Lucas overdid it in the prequels.  I hate that he made the Galaxy so heavily populated to the point that there was a log jam of human and vehicle traffic in every corner.

Hello everyone,

Noob here.  I've been an on again off again fan of star wars since I saw a New Hope in theaters when I was a kid.

A New Hope shaped my imagination of what films could be.  There was nothing like it.  Not just the special effects but the humor, characters, imagery and pacing. 

It's the best film ever made.