ST Are there too many implausible coincidences in TFA?

fate.

 

And a beacon.

 

1. Unkar Plutt stole the ship and brought to Jakku. On top of that, I'm pretty sure that Jakku is in the Outer Rim, which seems to be the main place Han did his smuggling work, per A New Hope. So, it would make sense that the ship would stay in the Outer Rim area. Besides, Rey originally wanted the quadjumper. The only reason they took the Falcon was because the other ship was blasted. Besides, Rey had been inside the Falcon before (per clues in the movie and the Force Awakens novelization), which had been on Jakku for years.

2. We don't know how much of the base is actual user space and how much is machinery. Since Finn had been stationed there before, he would know his way around and where the cells were located, thus would know where to start looking for Rey. Rey herself was specifically trying to find a hanger with a ship she could escape in, so she was going to specific locations, not just wandering around at random. And once they saw where she was, Finn would likely know the route to reacher her corridor.

3. Given that the Force is heavily involved with the lightsaber, this could be an instance of predestination, of sorts. As I understand it, the story of how Maz got the lightsaber is told in the short story "The Perfect Weapon." I never read it, but since Maz is connected with the Force, I could see her being prompted to find and save the saber for a future need (while not in the movie, and thus of questionable canoncity, Rey's Story does introduce the idea that she wouldn't have been allowed to find the saber unless she was supposed to). Anyways, Han specifically went to Maz specifically since she could help them get a clean ship, so they had a good reason for being there in the first place.

4. The planet was already falling apart (remember how Rey found herself backed to a cliff when the ground crumbled behind her?). I don't see the problem.

5. Not a coincidence: before starting the fight, Nines/"TR-8R" drops his blaster and shield before starting the fight with the baton. Whether it was a good idea or not, Nines chose not to use his blaster.

I honestly don't see how TFA has that many more coincidences than the previous movies, which weren't that bad, in the first place place. Star Wars has always played with the ideas of destiny, how chance encounters can forever change the future, for good or bad, and what people chose to do when faced with these circumstances.

Given that, of the five examples, only numbers one and three are true coincidences (with the first happening in act one, when coincidences are supposed to happen to get the ball rolling) and the third has a great deal of logic behind it (plus traces of the Force directly interceding), I don't think the argument stands.

 

Yep. Really, TFA is pure old school entertainment. I roll with the fun.

 

While I didn't consider any of this in nearly as much depth as you, I agree. As enjoyable as TFA was, it didn't feel very...organic, for lack of a better word. Obviously, all movies are written by people, but as far as the plot was concerned, it was far more noticeable in this than in other movies.

 

No, you're an implausible coincidence!

 

That for me is just as if not more of an issue than whether plot mechanics actually have a reasonable explanation.

With ANH for example whilst yes there is a good explanation for Luke, Obi Wan and the Droids to be on Tatooine I don't feel that the film is actually demanding an answer to this because each of these elements is well introduced over a decent amount of time. With TFA though plot elements tend to fly at your so think and fast as well as a lot of nudge nudge wink wink references that it does I think naturally make me wonder about the whys and the hows.

 

Yeah. It felt like the moviemakers were sitting right next to me, going "See what I just did?".

 

YES, there are way too many coincidences in TFA...No doubt!

I understand why TFA wanted to commercialize it as a film that resonates with ORIGINAL-TRILOGY fans & I am fine with them making TFA feel more like the original trilogy. No complaints from me here, I expected that & I fully accepted it!

BUT.......They could've made The Force Awakens feel and look like the original trilogy without completely ripping off the plot and shredding out iconic imagery/certain segments from the original trilogy and embedding it into their "new" story.

The ships resembled Original Trilogy, the weight of the lightsaber and the usage of it in combat resembled the original trilogy, the REAL sets & PRACTICAL effects resembled the original trilogy. They did perfect in that and TFA could've been SO MUCH MORE than a mainstream-blockbuster if they would've created their own story instead of pressing the "Reset" button and ripping off the original trilogy, just with new actors and characters and instead of calling the sand-planet "Tatooine", let's call it "Jakku"

They could've brought back the fans who exclusively enjoy the originals and they could've recharged the passion for Star Wars WITHOUT stealing & recycling ideas,imagery,and the plot from the original trilogy! It could have felt like the classic-films of ANH,TESB,& ROTJ without playing it safe & creating a new story that advances the saga instead of undermining the Rebellion's victory over the Empire.....now thirty years later, Han hasn't matured(like in the arc in the original trilogy, in which he did in Return Of The Jedi) instead he went back to being a smuggler. Leia is back being a commander in the Rebellion(I mean the Resistance, who looks just like the Rebellion) and Luke goes into exile to hideout just like Yoda&Obi-Wan did. Why is he standing alone on an island? He could be helping the Rebellion again and he could easily kick Kylo Ren's "you-know-what"! .......I mean the triumphant ending that the Rebellion clawed and fought for that we finally get in Return Of The Jedi is TOTALLY undermined, as 30 years later the Republic is now blown up and the Empire is back (I mean the FIRST ORDER is in control, same thing right? They got a old-wizard calling the shots, a black-robed man with a mask and a red-saber, and a bunch of Stormtroopers running around wreaking havoc) .......Ugh, I digress. This could've had the original-trilogy AURA to it without undermining the past and ripping off the classic movies. It could've FELT like the originals WITH a new story that advances us with a new plot instead of disrespecting tribulations the Rebels went through& dissing the Rebllion's glorious victory over the Empire! Now the victory over the Empire in Episode 4/5/6 is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Yeah, it was great for a minute but fast-forward 30 years and we're back to square-one. REAL CREATIVE, Disney. I get wanting to play it safe, but you didn't "PLAY" anything. Disney, you took your ball & went home to the originals. You didn't allow new stories to play!

I like how they made the movie and I love how they gave TFA the feel of the Original Trilogy. But the amount of coincidences that happen are just extremely un-creative and rip-offs of moments / scenes / planets in the Originals. They could've made it feel like the Originals but with their own story,and they chose not to create their own story that advances the saga. Instead of trying to advance the saga, they chose to rehash the saga. And even though I loved the film my first few views, after the 5th or 6th time I left the theater utterly disappointed with the blatant rip-off, I watched......

Here's to Episodes 8&9. HOPEFULLY not ripping off Empire& Return of the Jedi!

 

Pro Scoundrel I apologize if it seems as if I "blasted TFA". And I would never bash a person who likes/loves TFA. But I was responding with an in-depth analysis to the question posted at the title of this thread. I feel as if, the freedom of expression and our 'attempt at making a point' on this site is limited from time-to-time, because we are told to "stay on topic" when we are indeed staying on topic. Sure, I may have ventured a little off-course and I may have gone a little too hard on TFA but I wanted to make it CLEAR why I thought the coincidences in TFA are just too much(therefore my post still stayed relative to the thread's discussion) . What I typed out may ridicule TFA but it does stay on topic with the question and it is my opinion on the "coincidences" in the film. And if what I posted truly did "BLAST TFA FOR EVERYTHING I DIDN'T LIKE" than why is that a bad thing if I was responding to the question? Everything I didn't like about TFA were the implausible coincidences!

I understand you're trying to stop a big debate from occurring by pointing my post out but I did stay on topic.

I'm just as excited as any TFA-lover or any Star Wars-fan for Episode 8/9, just hoping we don't see anymore coincidences.