ST John Boyega (Finn) in Episode VII [v 2.0 Read Opening Post BEFORE Posting]

Finn is very popular, this thread just attracts people who really don't like him - it's not representative of the way he's seen in a wider context at all

 

Quite sad that Finn isn't really popular. He's the co-lead character like Han who generally ends up being the most popular...but Finn is quite far behind Rey.

Can't really ignore facts- his toys sold less than Rey and Kylo even though their toys were more expensive. It all comes down to his poor characterisation. He wasn't given a big cool moment. Hopefully Ep8 can fix that.

 

Presumably you can link to sales figures for Finn, Rey and Kylo figures, as well as evidence of price differentials?

 

I read Finn's backstory and found it quite interesting. Interesting points about Finn that I noted from the backstory and from TFA, most of which I think pertain to these questions:

• Finn is highly (and unusually) resistant to the First Order's psychological conditioning. This is obvious in that he is the only one it seems who is able to make independent decisions and question his reality (of the stormtroopers). His personality is very loud and individual. For someone raised by the First Order and subjected to all of its programming, I think this is incredible. Whether strong in the Force or not, he is incredibly "strong minded."

• Finn was always pro-team in training operations, unwilling to leave anyone on his team behind to die. He would find a way to complete the mission objectives and save his team. Captain Phasma was displeased with him expending effort on weak soldiers who she thought should be left to die. But the other point here is that Finn is kind of an impulsive savior. He flies into action to help people in trouble, like he was about to do when he saw those thugs attacking Rey. Even though he's afraid, his impulses are heroic, and it creates this weird nature where he is both trying to run towards danger and away from it at the same time. I think his character arc is that he has to learn to accept this is who he is. Since his impulses always compel him towards heroic deeds, there is no point in trying to run anymore.

• The mission at the beginning of TFA is not his first after completing training but his second, if I remember correctly. In his first mission he was unable to kill unarmed people (he didn't kill anyone). Phasma noticed but didn't do anything about it because he was so talented, she thought if she could just get him to start killing that he would be really valuable as a soldier. The stormtrooper who dies at the beginning of TFA is one he has saved in training missions before (one of Phasma's weak links), but who saved him in his first real mission when his hesitation almost cost him his life. His experiences in the First Order especially lately are things he can't stand. He can't kill for them, he can't live that way. But he also knows how much power the First Order has, and how everywhere they go they just slaughter everyone. He's terrified of them as a whole, and I can see why he wants to run. Underneath that he is afraid of his "destiny."

• Finn reads people incredibly well and tells them what they want to hear or acts as though he has the sorts of values or allegiances that they do. He easily finds what to claim of himself and his motivations so others will like him and will work with him. Poe didn't fall for it (when Finn says lamely he's breaking him out because it's the right thing to do) but Rey does at first. He can tell she thinks the Resistance is cool and so he says he is Resistance. This gains him her trust. He's very good at winning people over to him in general I think. But even though Finn is warm and truly is quite compassionate, he is also a bit calculating in his manipulations towards his own ends. In the beginning he is self-serving (more so than he might appear to be as his pro-social tendencies kind of mask it) was my take. His fear (of the First Order) is the thing he of course has to overcome to realize his heroism and embrace his selfless action.

• I really think Finn is Force Sensitive due to his high resistance of the FO's brainwashing and because of that scene where he seemed to hear the screams of Hosnian before the blast hit. He perceived an event before it happened. (Unless that was just an editing thing to reference Obi-Wan in ANH; but still Obi-Wan says it was as though billions of voices cried out and were suddenly silenced because he feels it in the Force. It seems silly to put Finn in this reference if Finn doesn't have ability with the Force.) Oh, and also Finn says he'll just use the Force on Starkiller, almost like he assumes anyone can use it. It kind of reminds me of Luke in ANH before he learned some are stronger with it than others. Maybe it's not that Finn doesn't understand "how the Force works" lol, but he actually can use it which gives this automatic attitude of anyone can use it. (I know that's reaching.)

• Although the novelization might suggest otherwise, I agree that Kylo Ren sees Finn as significant. I seem to remember in the novelization he likes to make a point about how insignificant Finn is (but why bother with mentioning him so much if he's so insignificant to Ren). Finn has defied the FO and Kylo Ren takes it personally but it seems there is more going on than this. I thought that Kylo Ren noticed Finn's unwillingness to kill on Jakku, but let him go anyway; a decision he later probably came to regret. I had seen this moment as the Light acting in Kylo because I think he himself can relate to the reluctance to kill (perhaps not as much now as in the past, but I think it's been a struggle turning himself into a mass-murderer). So anyway, I think he relates to Finn in ways maybe he wouldn't admit. But I also feel there is somehow more going on here with this connection.

 

Finn is the character I most relate to in the new movies. While I think Poe is awesome and really admire Rey, at the end of the day, I am probably most like Finn.

I kinda hope he's not force sensitive. Too many Jedi, let the muggles shine!

 

If he was really popular his threads would be filled with a lot fans praising him(like the Rey thread), which is clearly not the case. A character who loses every fight and never gets a cool moment is not going to be very popular.

 

finn didn't lose every fight and he had several great moments. finn is popular but everyone seems to bring in race and other things that don't really matter to the discussion.

 

Have you not used the Internet before?

 

Finn is one of the most relatable characters. He is all heart. People love this.

 

Any of you who know me, know I can come up with some really off-the-wall questions. Here's another.

It just occurred to me that when Finn wears Poe's coat, it fits. I wonder if the actors who play the characters are truly the same size, or did they have to have two identical coats, one in Boyega's size and one in Isaac's size?

 

Unless the script or the director says differently, a production life TFA will tailor all costumes to fit (or ill fit) the actor wearing them. Even if the same item of clothing is passed between two different characters.

 

Hmm

There's never been anything cool about swooping around the hulk of a Star Destroyer, shooting down Tie Fighters from a gun turret on The Millenium Falcon or igniting a lightsaber and challenging someone to combat.

Those are three of the many factors that's held the Star Wars from being a crossover success with boys and/or girls of all ages and from becoming a worldwide cultural phenomenon.

No movie that cannot avoid those pitfalls can ever expect success or acceptance.

 

Huh?

 

"What?!!"

 

Back when I was on the IMDB, I created a thread about Finn being the real hero of The Force Awakens and it's fair to say, caused some controversy.

Here's my rationale:
- He refuses to shoot the villagers
- He renounces the FO
- He rescues Poe
- He leads Rey to safety from the Troopers/TIEs on Jakku
- Its Finn, not Rey who comes back to fight on Takodana
- Finn tells the Resistance how SKB is powered
- Finn tells the Resistance where to find the oscillator

Take Finn out of the story and SKB wipes out the entire Resistance

Can the same be said for Rey?

 

Finn is definitely a hero in TFA. Big time.
He's also a very charming person who's portrayed with excellence by JB, who instantly became one of my favorite actors when I saw this film. He made Finn real to me. His fear, his goofiness, his anger, all of it. He just nailed it!

It doesn't surprise me if Rey and Kylo are more popular, though. They're sort of cooler in a super hero-ish kind of way. Not to mention that Rey is the lead hero and Kylo is the lead villain. They're bound to get people's imagination go wild to a greater extent.
Finn is a bit more grounded and relatable, I think.

Also, him not being the most popular of the bunch doesn't make impopular. That says more about the impact of the other characters. Finn is immensely popular.

...and awesome.

 

I look forward to seeing John's terrific acting going forward. I'd like a nice arc for Finn, as he still piques my interest despite feelings about TFA. If he's Force Sensitive that would be even better, but really I just want to follow this guy on his adventures.

 

Boyega was on the Graham Norton show last night , he always comes across well , still very enthusiastic and upbeat about it all .

 

Personally I like that he's not some Fett style super-badass, he's just a guy who wanted to get away from everything but ended up stuck right in the middle of it - because of his loyalty to his friends and his negative personal experiences of the First Order. He can't use the Force, he isn't an ace pilot, he's a decent but not exceptional shot, yet surrounded by people who have one or more of these qualities he has his place and he keeps going even when he knows he is fighting well above his weight. And he does it for his friends, and because it's the right thing to do. Star Wars is full of legendary heroes and villains and incredible feats but having someone who is basically a stormtrooper find a place amongst them is probably the freshest thing TFA bought to the saga for me.

 

Yeah, I see people speak against Rey calling her a "Mary Sue", mostly because that is a term they suddenly heard for the first time, more than Finn. Why does someone who "wins" fights become more popular anyway?

 

Is this a serious question?

 

Come again?

 

Link to discussion of the hero's Journeys between Finn and Rey.

http://fangirlblog.com/2017/07/finn-and-the-heros-journey-in-the-force-awakens/

 

I'm sure it's been asked, but Finn's name is derived from "FN-2817"...so what happens if other stormtroopers decide to defect from the First Order? They've all got "FN" in their designations as well.