ST John Boyega (Finn) in Episode IX

So I'm wondering if this says something about Rian's time management and ability to write and direct in a way that's effective. He made a three and a half hour movie and if Adept is right about his James Bond stuff hitting the cutting room floor despite this time, then that may speak to his experience with writing and directing on this scale. He pretty much bricked a co-lead by being hyper focused on making three other characters more 'complex'. This trilogy could use a time jump, fresh blood behind the camera and perhaps an additional episode.

 

I think Finn will get the lesson.

Otherwise it would be just like the people saying Finn's not going to become a Jedi because he'll just be copying Rey's arc.

 

Can you elaborate on the second part a little bit, I'm a little confused?

 

I'm saying that Finn in IX, won't repeat Poe's arc from TLJ.

It's the same reason we won't see Finn do a repeat of Rey's arc from TFA -TLJ in IX about becoming a Jedi.

It's repetitive.

 

This is Johnson's first big budget blockbuster film, and he was left with a lot of things to straighten out.

As much as I love TFA, I can admit that it's use of mystery boxes with no planned payoff, proved a significant obstacle in the writing process. RJ's idea for Finn and the others was good. Have Finn (and thus the audience) see just how pervasive tyranny has become. All those people were playing and living it up off the backs of others (Including children) and it's really just another facet of the First Orders corruption. Canto Bight is the villainy of indifference, when you don't care who you hurt so long as you live well. With more time this could've been more clearly tied into Finn's growth. In essence he goes from fighting for himself, his friends and to 'hurt' the people who wronged him....to fighting for an ideal...of a galaxy where this kind of suffering isn't tolerated. You could even have that play into Finn's final fate, becoming an agent of Justice after the FO is gone. It's not hard to see Finn going from Trooper to 'Republic Marshall' if you will...being implied by trilogies end, to be traveling around the galaxy ending corruption and bringing those who prey on others to justice. It could even be tied in with Rey's story since the Jedi once functioned as Marshall's in the old Republic (Lucas's words), the two working closely together to help rebuild the galaxy and the Jedi. This could set things up so that future Jedi work WITH people. more often than they did in the past.

 

JJ's threads didn't all need to be addressed or closed by Rian--he had the 2nd movie not the last. My post was more about his execution of Finn's arc given a movie with a 3.5 hr. runtime, not what he intended the arc to be. 'His first' excuse goes to my previous post. Directors like Jenkins and Coogler (who cowrote the BP screenplay) were able to execute without getting too far over their skis.

 

Do you think he will return to Canto Bight and free the children?

I would like him to convince the stormtroopers that there is another way. I am hoping he is instrumental in helping to end the FO.

 

That i am sure will happen.

But i dont think we will return to CB.
Maybe a new planet.

 

I think RJ felt he needed to address those issues since they could play into the motivations of our characters.

As for Jenkins and Coogler. Jenkins was there to tell the tale of Wonder Woman's first forays into a larger world. She did a good job but she did not have the audience expectation about answers and other issues that RJ with 'The Last Jedi'. Coogler's got to play with a fairly unexplored aspect of the Marvel Universe and thus didn't face the same issues that Johnson did. I am not denigrating the accomplishments of Coogler and Jenkins, but they did not face a situation similar to that of Johnson.

 

Thats my take too.

I like the idea of Finn bringing justice to that kind of people like in Canto Bight.

Am i the only one who wants Finn to lead the Resistance?

 

Actually, I don't want Finn leading the Resistance, as I feel he'd be stuck on a command ship like Leia. It's a fine way for Poe to go since he's so used to fighting that forcing him out of the cockpit and into the big chair is a challenge and a chance for personal growth.

 

I suppose it all depends on how much time has passed between TLJ and the next film. If the next film opens with Finn and Rey spear heading the liberation of a world from FO control, you could kills two birds with one stone. Show how they've both learned and grown after TLJ while firmly establishing them as a 'Battle Couple' with the films opening action scene.

 

Very true, the neither was working to continue a story started by another writer in the same way (although WW began from TMoS, and BP from CACW) a lot was left open to explore. I also feel that JJ left a lot open for Rian as well. Finn's origin story could have been written in TLJ, yet his main contributions to the Resistance again seemed to be to simply give credibility to cloudy theories about FO technology. I'm still not convinced JJ is at fault for Rian not using his running time properly for the story threads he created--at least as they apply to Finn's story. I hope JJ has thought about whether he wants Finn to treat all members of the FO as enemies, or if he wants to target the upper leadership responsible for conscripting Stormtroopers. I hope he also believes that Finn is a warrior (as he penned Maz's final assessment of him) and gives him a meaningful arc that shows he can rise to the occasion without being guided/chaperoned by others. As written, I don't believe his character has yet risen to the level of some of the photos you've posted as inspiration.

 

I can't find it rn, but was anyone else a little shocked when TLJ novelisation description focused on it being about Rey and Finn's journeys? That just...it kinda...I just wasn't really expecting to see that

 

RJ has admitted some of FInn's motivation scenes were left on the cutting room floor. It's possible that with those scenes added back in, that description makes more sense. A film can change a lot in the editing afterall. For example, if the Scene of Rey busting in on the Native Celebration had been left in that would've seriously changed the tone of her later actions. It's not just a matter of her being lost without her parents...it's that plus having Luke shatter her view of him with an audible crash.

 

Yeah. The additional scenes could hopefully add some well-needed substance to Finn's role, and make him feel at least more "present" with the rest of the story. JJ's talking about how the newer character's stories expand in an "Exciting" way, but honestly I still can't really think of much for Finn to do rn. He still doesn't really end the story having anything of his own. Then again no one really does anymore, but you know what I mean.

I want so badly for Finn to be anything other than "cooler Resistance soldier." That's the most boring, weak and generic plotline you can give someone with such a unique backstory. It's such a cop out when he could be literally anything.

Of course given the timeskip episode IX will have, anything is possible. If anything, I feel like Finn should have more options than Kylo at this point given Kylo's position as the big bad (in both narrative and literal sense), and considering it's not like Kylo's gonna be running around taking orders from anyone.

I mean, I guess one thing that helps Finn still stand out is that he still has insider knowledge that no one else in the Resistance possesses. And so far his information has always come in handy when they need it.

But so far the only cool things I could see Finn doing in Episode IX, to both have a major effect on the story, and stand out further in a way that no one else could, would to be either a) help save the day with a Stormtrooper Uprising, or b) help Rey by taking down the KoR.

 

I don't like how his knowledge has executed in film to this point. It's more of a device used to inform the audience about an FO widget, not necessarily Finn's ability to command a portion of the solution.

Whether it was the oscillator or hyperspace tracker, it would have been nice to see Leia and/or Poe ask him about what he knows about the device, and what he would need to sabotage it. "Yeah, I can get us to it, but I'll need a team of five..." enumerating personnel and skills he required to pull off the task. He could still be worried for his life and put himself there. Boyega showed that convincingly in Attack the Block more than once. It would just be nice to see the Finn from Before the Awakening emerge in IX. I'm not sure that's what LFL has in store for him though.

 

@afrojedi Yeah I believe in TFA Leia told him "We're desperate for anything you know." after calling him brave and stuff. It's something small but it was nice at least.

 

Yes I agree 100% about Leia's trusting and consulting with him. That was great. I guess I've been really waiting for Finn to have a plan and execute it on a larger scale as a skilled stormtrooper redirected against the FO. But there's been little growth, little confidence gained from his raid on SKB, and he still neededs to be chaperoned and directed by others. I'm not looking for Tak from Altered Carbon (although their CTACs would have been an interesting way to redo the FO stormtroopers under Hux), just a trained soldier that figures it out as he goes, right or wrong. Too often his agency as a 'co-lead' seems diluted by the characters that accompany him (Rey, Han, Rose) not enhanced.

 

@afrojedi Yeah I'm hoping Finn gets to do something profound in this one to help save the day (especially since the OTT isn't able to back them up this time). Rian really screwed over the Resistance heroes this time around and pretty much made their efforts useless.

Finn almost helped destroy the cannon (would've been nice if he perhaps planned to jump out at the last second?) but was stopped by Rose, and then for some reason silenced by Poe when he wanted to help Luke fight Kylo.

Rose (sorry) would've pretty much damned the Resistance (and could've killed herself and Finn) with her stunt.

Poe, for the third time in the movie, enacts a plan with the speeders that doesn't work out and gets more people killed before they have to retreat.

Rey and Chewie help with air support to take out the TIEs, but even that proves to be useless because the speeders still get blown to bits moments later.

And Rey is only able to help the Resistance escape the cave because Luke shows up and sacrifices himself (after she, oops, inadvertently helps Kylo take over the galaxy because of her irrational thinking).

I just hope Episode IX shows that the new generation is able to work together and save the galaxy with each other, while choosing their own paths and not just preserving a legacy because they feel obligated to.

 

You are so right.
Finn is actually a very unique character in star wars.

I really hope they show something unique with him.
I want Finn to plan and execute his plans on his own.

I dont want him to do what Rey and Poe tell him to do like in TFA and TLJ.

Let him be the focus of his own story.

 

I wish they'd make more use out of him being a ex-Stormtrooper than him just somehow knowing how every First Order weapon works

 

Not to get too off topic , but I hope JJ and Lucasfilm , especially Kathleen Kennedy see the untapped audience they're missing out on in Black Panther and just how dynamic a character like Finn could be if they just let the character's development soar as opposed to pigeon holding him to stereotypes of the past , and focusing too heavily on bucking gender expectations,

Because if this movie can teach us anything it's that it's very possible to have smart, brave, strong capable female characters without demasculating the male characters or compromising their integrity.