Star Wars News Thread

[jellydonut25]

[canofhumdingers]

Wow, this sold me. I've been cautiously optimistic about this based on the news and rumors (real sets, puppets, teaser trailers, etc.) but this new trailer definitely solidified my genuine excitement.

There was (and still is, really) a part of me that really wanted this to LOOK like it was shot in the late seventies (like Star Wars and Empire) but I always knew it wouldn't and would instead look like a modern blockbuster. But it occurred to me that the original trilogy were all SUPER modern, trend setting, in-your-face action sequenced spectacles at their times of release and this film should be no different. If this film really follows the Star Wars tradition faithfully, it too should be very modern with cutting edge effects and mind blowing action sequences. It SHOULD look modern. More modern than anything else in the theater. And it shouldn't ape the cinematography/look of any of the previous films. All three of the OT have their own distinct look and feel when it comes to cinematography, lighting, etc. but the common thread they have running throughout them that ties them together visually is the art direction, sets, costumes, creatures, etc all look like they're from the same universe. And the snippets I've seen of this film fit that bill too. A new look/visual style for a very familiar universe. I can't wait!

[DannyBeane]

I dug it. This trailer hit the right notes for me and maybe because I'm not the biggest Star Wars fan in the world, I won't be disappointed if this isn't the best Star Wars film. I just want some fun Sci-fi/Fantasy that doesn't have Jar Jar Binks. On Facebook I've been seeing a lot of people trash the trailer which disappoints me more than anything because everyone now is so cynical about everything whether its Godzilla, Star Wars or whatever childhood franchise is making a comeback.

[XvGojira]

[jellydonut25]

[Dr Kain]

I don't know how you can think ID was a bad movie. Sure, it wasn't as good as the first one, but it has a great villain played by a phenomenal actor, awesome action scene and effects, witty banter between Spock and Kirk, perfect comedy from Simon Pegg, and most importantly, it was just an entertaining film.

Anyway, I still haven't watched the new trailer because I'm not sure I need to be spoiled.

[jellydonut25]

[klen7]

[Dr Kain]

The only thing I agree on was the dying of Kirk just to bring him back 5 minutes later. That was pretty stupid and pointless.

I only know of Khan by being the name of the second movie, so I have no attachment to the character. As such, I don't have any problem with the villain being Khan hear as he seemed pretty badass to me.

[O.Supreme]

[klen7]

[MekaGojira3k]

I always felt that it would have been cooler to have John Harrison be one of Khan's men who woke up. Different universe may as well have that happen.

As for The Force Wakes Up, I have my tickets.
I am ready.

[Dr Kain]

Well I ended up seeing the trailer since one of my friends started to spoil it and it was freaking awesome. It didn't tell me about the movie, which was nice, but it showed some truly impressive shots with really great dialog thrown in. I am definitely excited for this movie a lot more than I was before. Not just that, but oh my god Kylo looks so damn badass in the scenes he was in. I pray to the gods he is not Luke in disguise because that would be the biggest cop out since DC making Barbara walk again. The effects looked great and the music was just amazing. I am hyped!!

[jellydonut25]

[Henry88]

[canofhumdingers]

It's sad to see how few IMAX theaters there are left that actually show 70mm prints anymore. But at the same time...AWESOME! They're actually making and screening 70mm IMAX prints of the new Star Wars movie!!! I was not expecting this at all! I may have to make a special Christmas trip to one of these theaters just for the experience...

[tbeasley]

[Henry88]

[canofhumdingers]

YYYEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I just got my plans settled and tickets bought for The Force Awakens opening weekend! Gonna be seeing it via 70mm IMAX on a proper, non-dome, 6 story tall flat screen in Indianapolis!! Super duper excited!!!

[jellydonut25]

With the majority of the EU being lopped off into "Legends" and the new canon being SIGNIFICANTLY smaller, I figured I could give a go at checking it all out.

Thus far, as stated in my "recently watched movies" posts, I've watched the three prequels (bleh) and the Clone Wars movie (meh) and most of the TV show (not bad).

Also, though, I've read Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir (which I know is not actually OFFICIALLY canon, but was adapted from scripts for some unproduced Clone Wars episodes). It's decent. I've never really understood the fascination with Maul aside from people wanting something that looks as cool as Maul to actually live up to the hype and thus fan-fictioning things to keep him alive, so I don't much care for Maul side-stories, but for what it is and does, it's fine.

I've also read Dark Disciple, which follows a Jedi named Quinlan Vos (who I think is in like one episode of Clone Wars as a heavily Native-American-inspired tracking kind of character), who is asked to take on a mission to assassinate Count Dooku and as such seeks out Asajj Ventress and ultimately falls in love with her. It's actually decent for a while, and even though a lot of what Quinlan goes through is basically just a mirror of what happens to Anakin throughout Revenge of the Sith, it's a better version of that because Quinlan starts out as likable and we get to feel more of the rationale and complex nature of relenting to the dark side, being depressed by NEEDING to use it, and craving its power. It's a much more sympathetic take on something Lucas sucked quite a bit of life out of in Episode III. Unfortunately, the resolution is pretty poor. It feels like it takes its time building and getting to a place and then a character whose perspective we're currently seeing gets knocked out and then we jump ahead to "and then Dooku got away." It's pretty lazy in that regard, but I guess maybe they just assumed everyone would obviously know Dooku got away so we wouldn't really care about HOW...whatever. It wraps up a little too quick, but it was a brisk read overall and provides some closure on a few characters from the series.

Everything prequels though has me thinking though...
...by and large, the Jedi are rather often compromising their core values throughout the prequel timeline. Often, these compromises and contradictions are actually pointed out by one of the characters, and another one is like, "Well, it's war and these are dark times, we have to do this to get through to a more peaceful time." It's a little frustrating, but at least somewhat justified and a way of showing how the Jedi, suffering from some internal corruption, could have missed such obvious markers for Sidious' true identity and Anakin's misgivings and a host of other things we wouldn't expect Jedi to overlook and perhaps even justifies their near extinction as a just-punishment and a way to force them to get back to their roots...
...this makes me desire to see SOMETHING, even if it is just ONE story, where the Jedi as an entire order are everything we were led to believe and told they were during the original trilogy, instead of the prequel stories, which show us a Jedi order that is faltering, failing, and falling apart (and one that actively participates in WAR, no less). I want to see Yoda the sage, the great Jedi master whose knowledge of the FORCE is his greatest ally, not his ability to chuck a light saber through the air and cut off a bunch of dude's heads like a boomerang. I want to see the Jedi restoring order to a situation and using brute force only when first attacked, instead of the war-mongering TIE-fighter-piloting swash-buckling maniacs they are in the prequels. I want to see that "Jedi Seven Samurai" movie that was rumored, I guess is what I'm getting at.

[Henry88]

[canofhumdingers]

Well, as far as I know, the film (like any of the Hollywood films shot on IMAX) wasn't formatted for the dome screens so it will be all distorted when viewed on one.

They have special fish eye lenses for the IMAX cameras designed specifically for shooting film that is intended to be projected on the dome screens. See

And I know that many if not all of the dome screens can be raised to reveal a normal flat screen behind it, but I've talked to too many people who've complained that a movie they went to see was projected on the dome despite being formatted for the flat screen. Since I'm traveling to see this anyway, I didn't want to risk it and made sure I'm going to a theater that ONLY has a flat screen.

[O.Supreme]

[jellydonut25]

I never cared about the original EU because it was SO huge, it seemed like a burden to even attempt it. I'm actually glad Disney did what they did, to make it easier for filmmakers to make new stories and for new fans (which I'm decidedly not, but I know there will be a lot of young kids who will become fans for the first time soon) to dive in if they so desire.

[canofhumdingers]