ST Benicio del Toro (DJ) in TLJ

We can byzantinize that matter now, but I won't. There is a broad common consense that for Humans, some of the Star Wars species look more attractive than others. Bluntly spoken, I wanted some Twi'lek, Togruta, Zabraks, Echani, Nautolans, Mirialans in the ST. And a Kaleesh would have been cool too.

 

He's the poor man's Lando of the film. We'll see if he redeems himself, stays with the FO, or is even in the last film. I could have done without the stutter. It is like the unneeded cough given to General Grievous.

 

The cause of Grievous's cough was at least explained in "Clone Wars 2" by Genndy Tartakovsky.

 

Yes, I know. It doesn't make it any less annoying, though.

 

To get back to DJ: stutter had become popular in SW since Bodhi Rook in RO.

 

I agree but Bodhi's felt more realistic and understandable given his nature and backstory (plus probably PTSD). You could already understand why someone like him would have a stutter like that. DJ's felt more like it was done just to seem a tad comedic and not too serious.

I think Benicio had said that the stutter was his idea just to show some sort of quirk. Which is weird because I would've liked had he been more serious all the way through instead of just the creepy sketch who looked like he'd do anything for...well let's just say deathsticks.

 

Grievous coughing never bothered me at all, in fact I hardly ever noticed. It was a nice touch for him, it worked. The stuttering is highly annoying at a few times especially when he’s asking Finn and Rose to get in the ship. But it is what it is, part of the character and all, life goes on. Doesn’t affect how awesome the movie is, but it’s one reason DJ isn’t a favorite of mine. He’s an ok character, sort of interesting, sees the big picture at least. He’s just not a favorite.

Despite thinking TLJ is a masterpiece and loving it just as much as the other SW movies, it has occurred to me as a few people pointed out that I disliked or didn’t care much about the main three new characters, DJ, Holdo, and Rose. At the same time, Holdo ends up being a solid character it’s just you never really are meant to “like” her as the film plays. Even though she is a hero and she’s in the right with arguing Poe. DJ is small dislike. Then Rose is pretty much hate her, but it’s also like there would be a Rose in the Resistance probably and I have no problem seeing a character who would probably exist in that world. So it’s not like I disagree with her inclusion, she just won’t be someone I place on my top characters lists. I love the smaller characters sometimes like Watto for instance is a random favorite of mine. I love how he talks, moves, his sense of humor, etc.

 

I liked the stutter. It made him seem more strange and mysterious to me.

 

DJ strikes me as the closest thing to a Rian Johnson character in this film, in that his moral ambiguity and choice of vocabulary feels in line with the characters of Brick or Looper.

 

Grievous's coughing didn't annoy me. I just asked myself during Rots how he will be able to fight, when some wave of coughing will get on him, for instance when Obi-Wan is running after him. When not fighting, Grievous walked with bowed spine and lame like a broken man aboard the Invisible Hand, and then he is a brave and able fighter? Nonsense! That was just included to make him more despisable.

I must admit that while watching TLJ, I didn't get DJ was stuttering.

 

I like it too - and the character. He's definitely grown on me. Agree about his dialogue feeling pretty RJ

 

Was the stutter written in the script as such...Or was that an idea del Toro and Johnson developed for the character just before filming began or during filming?

Has del Toro commented on it?

It reminds me of Del Toro in The Usual Suspects, not tonally, but his character's unique voice and speech pattern were added by Del Toro during rehearsals and not something that the writer originally intended for the character.

 

I don’t think it’s known yet but we do know BDT changed his final line to “Maybe” from what it was so he has suggested things to RJ that Johnson agreed were interesting and incorporated. Wouldn’t surprise me. Perhaps we’ll find out in the commentary.

 

Benicio was asked about it during an interview and he said that the stutter was his idea. Something about giving DJ a bit of a "quirk."

 

I see you totally missed my point. For Star Wars, it is definitly not enough to give a bigger character to a Hispanic or an Afro-American. That may serve the need of political correctness, not necessarily Star Wars reality as I know from TCW and the Prequels.

For you it may be a wild stretch. But when you would replace all those Alien characters with Afro-Americans, Asians or Hispanics, you and others would feel what I mean with low respect of Rian Johnson for the diversity of the GFFA. Those TFA Aliens aren't but a bunch of meaningless throw away-characters devoid of any impression they could ever leave on the audience of the film.

But maybe Rian Johnson was just afraid of getting bashed by the very same people who already blamed the Prequels to be badly CGI-animated - an accusation I and many others won't share.

 

Well, Dj is not coming back. He died on the way to his home planet. The End.

 

He is not dead. He is with his speech therapist to be able to win the spelling contest against Darth Holliday in Episode X

 

I sure hope so.

 

I hope JJ. Abrams is writing DJ out at the very beginning of SoH the way Phasma was garbaged in TLJ.

 

Wow guys. As a stutterer this thread is breaking my heart. You'd rather a stutterer be dead or not be a stutterer? Thanks for erasing my existence. DJ was such a big moment for me. I felt vindicated being represented without any big deal, it was just a facet to a random character that had no bearing on him as a character or the plot. Apparently some fans think my affliction is comedic and stupid and wrong. Thank you. If this was said about a gay character this thread would be closed down.

It's perfectly fine to not like the character but like Kristen Harlof on Collider Jedi Council does, hating him BECAUSE of the stutter is very hurtful.

 

AFAIR nobody hated DJ because of his stuttering. He just came along as having a quite mean character. Btw. Bodhi Rook in RO, the other SW-stutterer was not wished away like DJ.

Would you had regret Palpatine's death in RotJ too, just in case GL would had made the late Emperor stuttering?

 

There are a lot of insensitive people online. I hope they don’t get to you.

I agree with you. Better to criticize the actions of characters and what’s meant to be inside the characters hearts than exterior qualities like looks or involuntary traits actors brought to the characters by design, or involuntarily as welll, which other people watching may in fact relate to.

Krennic had a lisp. So do many people. I wouldn’t focus on that when discussing Krennic either but many do.

 

Not only did i love the stutter but i loved the character. He provides a gray area that star wars has never touched on before (at least in the films). His entire philosophy is that the first order and resistance is basically the same and one should look out for his/herself. The movie of course rejects this notion but the fact that it even considers it is pretty great in my opinion.

He also has some very funny moments like when bb8 accuses him of stealing the ship and he corrects him saying “WE stole it”. His look he gives finn when he sells them out is priceless.

The first time seeing the movie i felt like he wasn’t in it enough but that is just because so many things going on it is hard to keep it all straight. After multilple viewings i think the brief time he has on screen was brilliant and i am looking forward to his possible return in 9.

 

I liked DJ. Just wish he was better integrated into the film.

 

DJ really was an absurd addition to the cast. I have no idea what he was doing in the movie. Pointless.