Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens—non-spoiler discussion

[Primula Baggins]

That shattered Imperial Star Destroyer stretched out on a mountain-sized dune will probably be some other kid like me's version of the dirt and dings on Luke's landspeeder. A future where people live, and nobody wipes the fingerprints (or the blaster scorch) off the robots.

[Jude]

Second teaser. Took the opposite approach this time; complete nostalgia. I must admit it works for me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngElkyQ6Rhs#t=109

I finally figured out why I couldn't see it. You linked to the last ten seconds of the trailer.

[yovargas]

This is great:




Let the meme-ing begin!

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Awesome!

[Frelga]

So upon review of the first couple trailers, I've concluded that John Boyega's character is going to be doing a whole lot of time breathing hard and looking terrified. I wonder if he'll be filling the damsel-in-distress role in the upcoming installment of our favorite space-opera? After all, it's the 21st century. Who says the damsel needs to be a skinny white chick?

Thing is, I knew it was a black guy before I clicked on the trailer.

[Primula Baggins]

I can't believe that's really where they're going with this character. He's one of the two leads—the old characters don't have that much to do, I'm guessing. But if I were John Boyega I'd be telling people at Lucasfilm, okay, that's it—next trailer, I kick butt all the way through.

ETA: Chris Hayes of MSNBC apparently did almost nine minutes on the trailer on his Thursday show, including an extended analysis of the trailer done MST3K style with two other geeks, silhouetted against the screen and freezing and backing the trailer up, etc.

So of course I watched it on the MSNBC website. The most interesting bit they pointed out that I'd missed is that the battle with Tie fighters and storm troopers is between the Tie fighters and the storm troopers. But there they were, in freeze frame.

A thing I didn't know: that desert planet is not Tatooine. (The SF writer in me is hoping what it is is a desert area of a planet that actually has jungles and mountains and oceans, too. Please? Finally?)

<goes back to working on her novel set on an ocean planet>

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I can't believe that's really where they're going with this character.

Classic case of misdirection.

[Primula Baggins]

I'm 100% confident that that is the case.

Oh, and yov? the Matthew McConaughey thing?

Brilliant. Because when I saw Han and Chewie, I about plotzed. And Lutherans don't plotz. Just sayin'.

[Túrin Turambar]

So of course I watched it on the MSNBC website. The most interesting bit they pointed out that I'd missed is that the battle with Tie fighters and storm troopers is between the Tie fighters and the storm troopers. But there they were, in freeze frame.

I actually think that this makes perfect sense. The Galaxy after the fall of the Empire could easily be divided between competing factions, a la the rival Diadochi (Successors) of Alexander the Great, or the different states that followed the fall of Rome.

If that's the case, I think it has the potential to make for a fascinating backdrop to whatever story they want to tell.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I'm 100% confident that that is the case.

As am I.

[River]

On another note, there's something...eerie about that shot of Luke's light saber being placed in a someone's (context suggests Leia's) hands. Like someone is pulling it from wreckage.

[axordil]

The single most significant moment for me was seeing Luke touching R2-D2 with an undisguised cyborg hand. Does it point towards a larger acceptance, and if so, of what? That his father's grievances with the Jedi, although they went horribly, disastrously overboard, had a basis? That the passivity of the old Jedi order was as flawed and self-defeating as the aggression of the Sith?

[Primula Baggins]

Interesting speculation, Ax. I'd wonder if it might just be that the realistic hand was too fragile for the life Luke's been leading. But, yes, it would be great to see some ambiguity about the saintly Jedi and the disaster their noble traditions caused. If I were crawling out from under the ruins of that war (or suffering because it was still dragging on decades later), my feeling would probably be "a plague on both your houses."

[River]

It might be a sign that he's come to terms with everything that happened to him during the rebellion. Or that his personal finances forced him to choose between cosmetics and fabulous new upgrades. An iHand 689705623045 vs a Handroid if you will. But there was a lot in that moment, the cybernetic hand touching the ancient droid.

[Passdagas the Brown]

In case anyone missed it, the new droid BB-8 became an instant classic by rolling out on stage at Star Wars Celebration. It's a real, practical robot. And it's adorable. Gives R2D2 a real run for his money.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_K10fX9DSY

Something tells me the filmmakers are doing something very right this time around.

[yovargas]

Capture.JPG (32.52 KiB) Viewed 7108 times

[Voronwë the Faithful]

In case anyone missed it, the new droid BB-8 became an instant classic by rolling out on stage at Star Wars Celebration. It's a real, practical robot. And it's adorable. Gives R2D2 a real run for his money.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_K10fX9DSY

Something tells me the filmmakers are doing something very right this time around.

I wasn't very impressed by the droid in the first trailer, but that doesn't look pretty good. As for it being a real, practical robot instead of CGI, that doesn't make it automatically better as far as I am concerned.

[Passdagas the Brown]

If anyone is interested in being majorly spoiled, a very detailed account of the entire film has been put together, which builds off of both official information and details leaked to the website Making Star Wars, which derive from official call sheets, shooting schedules, shooting logs, and production schedules (Making Star Wars inside information has been validated by official info at nearly every turn, making them very reliable as sources). If you don't like to be spoiled, don't click on the link below. But if you don't mind being spoiled, go for it. To me, it sounds like a rip-roaring Star Wars film, with mystery and depth.

The synopsis is contained within the last two posts in this thread at the Jedi Council Forums:

http://boards.theforce.net/threads/curr ... .50028227/

[Passdagas the Brown]

In case anyone missed it, the new droid BB-8 became an instant classic by rolling out on stage at Star Wars Celebration. It's a real, practical robot. And it's adorable. Gives R2D2 a real run for his money.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_K10fX9DSY

Something tells me the filmmakers are doing something very right this time around.

I wasn't very impressed by the droid in the first trailer, but that doesn't look pretty good. As for it being a real, practical robot instead of CGI, that doesn't make it automatically better as far as I am concerned.

Assuming you meant to write "that does look pretty good." IMO, it's just a perfect blend of design and character. Instantly iconic. The new main villain also looks destined for unforgettable status, at least visually (below, 1st link) as does the evil "Chrome Stormtrooper" being played by Gwendoline Christie (below, 2nd link).

https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-93XYa ... ylo2.0.jpg

http://images-cdn.moviepilot.com/images ... 361295.jpg

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Yes, "does" not "doesn't".

Your first link (the one to the "new main villain") doesn't work.