JJ Abrams Returning To Director’s Chair On ‘Star Wars: Episode IX’

[Deleted]

It's smart marketing really.

People will see it just because his name is on the poster, regardless of how poop it will be.

[GennGreymane]

Threads like these make me glad my dad failed at making me like starwars. The comments are gold.

[Shibito]

Eh...the fight scenes with Maul are the best ever in star wars films.

I like Darth Vader, Luke etc but those fights are not exactly impressive.

Maul, done by a real martial artist

Vader, Luke, done by people who have never held a sword before n did basic swings that if movies weren't as kewl as they were, would not be memorable in the slightest. There's nothing "epic" there..

Also Maul held his own against two Jedi, nearly killing both, Kylo Ren (lol) well after Rey he better hope he doesn't run into an actual Jedi...

Just cuz Ep1 was shit, doesn't mean everything in it was..


Maul is the reason I didn't eat my Ep1 ticket after the movie..

Only problem is Darth is a sith title not something you call everyone my main problem with the new movies

[derpkitteh]

Grats? It's still absurd to slap SJW an similar epithets at the new trilogy because (OMG!) there is more than just white dudes in it and (OMG!) it's not like the original trilogy pushed boundaries back in it's day at all or anything.

i don't care about the race or gender of the characters, and my hate for the changes goes beyond the political ideology being pushed in it.

characters like that purple haired chick and the horrid asian chick. those are the problems with ideology being a driving factor in the movie.

and then there's the wretched story changes they've made. making the force more religious-y, they should have moved away from prophecy, became much more clinical with the force. with swtor, you just go out and find saber crystals, they come in colors naturally. whole planet where they're mined. in nu-canon, you do some stupid bullshit with your feelings or whatever to change the crystal's color.

[tyrlaan]

characters like that purple haired chick and the horrid asian chick. those are the problems with ideology being a driving factor in the movie.

How does the existence of either in the movie qualify as "ideology being a driving factor"??

and then there's the wretched story changes they've made. making the force more religious-y, they should have moved away from prophecy, became much more clinical with the force. with swtor, you just go out and find saber crystals, they come in colors naturally. whole planet where they're mined. in nu-canon, you do some stupid bullshit with your feelings or whatever to change the crystal's color.

Except that's how the force always worked until...shudder...midichlorians were introduced in the prequel trilogy. Obi-Wan and Vader can't stop talking about feelings.

Is SWTOR part of the movie universe canon?

Where are you getting this crystal color changing stuff? I don't remember that in any of the movies.

I feel like you are tearing the films down because they disagree with your headcanon rather than actual problems with the movie.

[derpkitteh]

How does the existence of either in the movie qualify as "ideology being a driving factor"??



Except that's how the force always worked until...shudder...midichlorians were introduced in the prequel trilogy. Obi-Wan and Vader can't stop talking about feelings.

Is SWTOR part of the movie universe canon?

Where are you getting this crystal color changing stuff? I don't remember that in any of the movies.

I feel like you are tearing the films down because they disagree with your headcanon rather than actual problems with the movie.

those two only exist for one things. the strong woman putting the man in his place, the purple haired chick. asian chick's kinda the same thing(i'm also annoyed they didn't have him and the pilot guy be a thing)

midichlorians were a good addition. i know the force is magic, and i want it to continue being magic. BUT, i don't want it to get more mystical. i want it to be more clinical, the force just being a power that some people can tap into. leave it at that. disney canon has it moving more towards religious crap. this stems from even back during the clone wars series.

[tyrlaan]

those two only exist for one things. the strong woman putting the man in his place, the purple haired chick. asian chick's kinda the same thing(i'm also annoyed they didn't have him and the pilot guy be a thing)

The man who got a bunch of rebels killed and disobeyed Leia? The man who tried to start a mutiny and got more people killed? I mean sure, if you want to only see the situation as man vs woman, then you're going to have trouble seeing it as anything but that. Or you could look at it and realize it was about a brash and insubordinate member of the rebellion getting taught a lesson (and being treated pretty generously considering his actions).

midichlorians were a good addition. i know the force is magic, and i want it to continue being magic. BUT, i don't want it to get more mystical. i want it to be more clinical, the force just being a power that some people can tap into. leave it at that. disney canon has it moving more towards religious crap. this stems from even back during the clone wars series.

This is all opinion about where you want to see things go. Those aren't "wretched story changes" those are "things that don't jive with where I hoped they would go with things". And personally I'm not sure how the new films are making the Force any more religious than it's already been.

[Katchii]

The one in Star Wars perhaps. Not the one in Empire.

I disagree, but that's a personal aesthetic thing. I just personally like the more over the top, acrobatic, flashy fights in this universe over the more based in reality type fights. This isn't reality, the fights shouldn't look realistic/ historically accurate IMO.

[Yvaelle]

Blah. I way preferred Rian's TLJ over JJ's TFA.

[Uoyredrum]

If you want to go watch fencing watch 3 musketeers.

if you want to see people twirl go watch ice skating

[Mormolyce]

If you want to go watch fencing watch 3 musketeers.

I don't want to watch fencing, that's a sport.

[Darkeon]

According to him, I'm threatened by and hate women. He sounds smart. Yet wrong.

[omfgreally]

This just in, the last star wars movie is going to be shit... News at 11.

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I'm sure the character Rey will just stuff the lightsaber into her hairy vag and start screaming patriarchy at kylo and free bleed him down about his mansplaining the force to her.

And all the media will tell you that it's the best movie of the year.

[frogger237]

Blah. I way preferred Rian's TLJ over JJ's TFA.

I agree. I might not like the way they handled some of the things in TLJ and there were a couple retarded parts like when Rose stops Finn from sacrificing himself because "they are going to win with love" even tho the only reason any of them are alive is because Holdo sacrificed herself 10 seconds earlier, but I was entertained thru the whole thing.


I kept being brought out of the moment in TFA because anytime anything new showed up it was an "improved" version of something from the originals. And everything is a mystery that never gets explained like all of crap he does or if it does it gets done so poorly. I guess he's prob pretty happy getting to do Starwars since he can just use "The Force" for any mystery he can't think of a way of solving.


Rian had to work with the shit JJ left him and make sure a third movie could be made while all JJ had to do was add a ton of Memberberries and not kill everyone by the end of the film.

[Yvaelle]

Rian had to work with the shit JJ left him and make sure a third movie could be made while all JJ had to do was add a ton of Memberberries and not kill everyone by the end of the film.

Yea I think this is the biggest understated point out of the two directors. The handicap Rian was working from where he has to preserve and use all the characters JJ handed him, my god - Rian is the better director off that merit alone.

The worst bit of TLJ is the Poe/Finn/Rose stuff (particularly Finn/Rose). That was clearly the result of JJ building up this side character, and Rian having no use for him, but having to keep him around and give him something to do. Rose is a pretty textbook sidekick for Finn - so she only really exists because Finn needed a side-story - which is why she's irrelevant to the rest of the characters and movie.

I think TLJ's Poe is Rian subtly shitting on the JJ-TFA. I mean he uses Poe as this sort of tragic character who thinks he's helping and is constantly fucking shit up: trying to show all the ways Poe really doesn't function well in the Resistance, or why his degree of braggadocio is self-harming. It's a solid character arc that throws his archetype on its head - which is clever - and Poe grows over the course of the movie - but it's a very different character IMO from what JJ portrayed in TFA.

Holdo was an alright addition - but if the goal was to build her up for the final sacrifice to reflect the opposite sort of dedication to duty, level-headedness, etc - to Poe - she only existed because Poe needed to be put in his place. They went too on-the-nose here - a subtler approach would have made it a much more cerebral movie without making it a women-in-power thing, when that doesn't really matter in Star Wars because women are already in power all over the universe: including their general Leia. So Holdo as a character, while pretty good in herself, is really only in the movie at all because she's Poe's Rose: she exists for Poe's sideplot.

Meanwhile, it only took my second viewing (same weekend) to realize they made a MASSIVE blunder by not using Admiral Akbar in Holdo's spot. Akbar became an Admiral sometime around the Clone Wars, which is about 3250 LY, the events of TLJ occur in 3311 LY: Akbar has been an Admiral through multiple wars and resistance movements for over 60 years. Even ignoring him being a decorated soldier and venerated captain on Mon Cala (in clone wars) before his Admiralcy - there probably aren't many people in the entire galaxy who have been serving at that high a rank that long.

Akbar may well have been an Admiral longer than Holdo has been alive (and she's not yet an Admiral). Also, as soon as I realized it was odd to include Akbar in the resistance fleet, but not make him the acting leader - this scene appeared in my brain - and I was immediately disappointed at the lost opportunity (@3:10):



(and apparently I wasn't the only one who thought of it)

What I would have preferred to see from TLJ - would have been more progression and detail in the main storyline, the Kylo/Rey/Snoke/Luke stuff - interspersed with more short snippets of the Resistance/First Order stuff.

The best example of the short scenes was the opening scene with Paige on the bomber - do like 3-4 of those scenes throughout the entire movie, cut from a decision made by someone in the main story (ex. Leia, Akbar, Hux, etc) - to the ramification that has on ~nameless soldiers and people in the universe at the ground level: make us cry or cheer or feel the world. Show us the battle or devastation or salvation through their eyes.

Then they could have taken a character like Poe or Akbar or even have kept Holdo for the part - and explained why they fight for the side they do - why the other side's position is unreasonable - why compromise is not possible - why they must win. Then they could have done the same thing from a sympathetic First Order side - you can still do the whole Space Nazi's thing (the Hux speech in TFA is a good scene trying too hard to make Nazis, where it could have still gone with the aesthetic, by tried to explain why the First Order thinks blowing up a star system is ever the right move - beyond "because we're the bad guys"). Phasma was underused and ideal for that role - show us why she believes in the First Order. Show us why Rebels/Resistance are scum.

If you cut out all the bullshit and extraneous characters - you could have done more main story, and more impactful short stories. That'd be a masterpiece.


Edit: Also, there is this bizarre obsession with making Finn, a janitor, fight people who should be far more qualified than him in melee combat, and win. There is no shortage of opportunity for melee combat in a Star Wars movie - you put in some Jedi/Sith - they do your melee combat for you - everyone loves all those scenes. Lightsabre duels never get old.

Finn vs. Random Stormtrooper Sergeant? Ridiculously dumb scene. He wins? How? Why? It was a dumb premise, a waste of time, added nothing to the character - and made no sense. The other guy is a First Order sergeant, Finn's a janitor who saw no combat action on his first combat mission (opening of TFA). It's worse than that even - because since he was assigned to janitorial duty - we know he's been tested for combat performance and was recognized as being shit at combat - or he'd have been a stormtrooper years ago.

Finn vs. Kylo Ren - another dumb scene - why even have this in here at all? Granted Kylo is clearly toying with him - but what's this about putting Finn in melee situations at all? Why would Kylo force throw Rey 50' in the air, but even bother crossing blades with Finn? Should have been:

*Finn ignites lightsabre*
Kylo: That lightsabre, it belongs to me.
Finn: Come and get it.
*Kylo force pulls the lightsabre out of his hand and slaps him in the face with the blade along the way*

Finn vs. Phasma - seriously another dumb melee Finn scene? Has this movie forgotten it has Space Knights for this stuff? Finn has fought more people in melee combat so far in the sequel trilogy than Kylo, or Rey, or Luke, or Snoke. The audience instantly knew Phasma was a badass - they knew it from the chrome plating, from the stature, from the walk, and because they cast Brienne of f--king Tarth for the role. They knew they were setting the audience up for the expectations of her being something here. So far she's submitted under gunpoint without any opposition or treachery, and then got her ass kicked - inexplicably in melee - by a janitor.


Edit 2: A much better extension of the Finn & Rey vs. Kylo scene - Kylo blade-slaps Finn who falls to the ground scarred and unconscious. Kylo is now dual wielding blue/red lightsabres. Rey stands up. Rey has to avoid/evade his attacks, and try to use force powers to throw him off guard. Eventually she disarms the blue lightsabre, that's when you have the big 'blue lightsabre ignition scene' they had where she out-pulls the sabre to herself.

That's your big, "okay, shit is really going on now" moment. Audience cheers, etc. Kylo is done playing around - we get some force throws and force lightning and sabre throws that chop down half the forest - he's mimicking Vader to the best of his capability - he's even playing up the theatrics of the moment (see Vader in Rogue One scene, we want that atmosphere here). Then you get a moment where Rey is on the ground, getting force lightning'd - and can suddenly absorb it - and her eyes light up in fury - and it's Kylo who is suddenly caught by a twinge of fear. (A side effect of Snoke connecting their minds, Kylo using powers on Rey is only teaching her how to use those powers herself). So force powers are out - now you get a proper lightsabre duel.

Sorry for the giant rant/post.

[Deleted]

I just wish they had not used the old characters again.

I never understood why the orginal author(s) to Macross (Robotech) refuse to write about the two main caracter again, after the triangle drama was solved and the war was won (for this time) they have a very short note how the two main caracter leading a colonization fleet, but contact is lost and they are never heard from again, despite Macross did get many sequels/spin-offs.

But after seen the TLJ I totaly understand.....

[Low Hanging Fruit]

I never understood why the orginal author(s) to Macross (Robotech) refuse to write about the two main caracter again, after the triangle drama was solved and the war was won (for this time) they have a very short note how the two main caracter leading a colonization fleet, but contact is lost and they are never heard from again, despite Macross did get many sequels/spin-offs.

But after seen the TLJ I totaly understand.....

Right. Like I said I was pretty happy to see Ford as Solo and Hammel as Luke and all the rest. But when you do that it more or less means half the people out there are going to be pissed. Some will bitch and moan they are to different and others will bitch and moan that they are to the same. Depending on what direction you take it. Which sums up the split fan base after TLJ pretty well.

[craigw]

they need to move far far away from the skywalker storyline. to another distant galaxy, in the past or future. never to return to the skywalker storyline and much less rarely speaking of them in any future endevours.

[Deleted]

So a generic seen before 1000 times story with lensflares. Lots of lensflares. Ugh

[caervek]

Will be interesting to see how this trilogy ends, so far it's the weakest of the three and there's no chance of it matching the original trilogy whatever happens in the next film, but it could still pull level with the prequel trilogy if it's good.

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Finn vs. Phasma - seriously another dumb melee Finn scene? Has this movie forgotten it has Space Knights for this stuff? Finn has fought more people in melee combat so far in the sequel trilogy than Kylo, or Rey, or Luke, or Snoke. The audience instantly knew Phasma was a badass - they knew it from the chrome plating, from the stature, from the walk, and because they cast Brienne of f--king Tarth for the role. They knew they were setting the audience up for the expectations of her being something here. So far she's submitted under gunpoint without any opposition or treachery, and then got her ass kicked - inexplicably in melee - by a janitor.

In fairness, high ranking officer doesn't = good at melee or even better at melee than a janitor. In most militaries the officers are not trained as well as soldiers for combat or required to practice as much if at all (because they have the soldiers to do it for them).