ST STAR WARS: EPISODE VII CAST ANNOUNCED

Fifteen characters (and you're not counting C-3PO, Artoo and Chewie). That's an extremely high number for two hours of film. The average number of main characters in the OT and PT were 8-10. I'm sure half of the actors in that list will be minor roles or have little screen time.

I think Carrie, Max, Serkis, Nyong'o and Gwendoline will stop by but not for long.

 

The thing is, they don't have to be.

My thing is this. . .do you ever need to call Darth Vader a badass male?

 

Darth Vader is not male, he's a machine.

 

I just call him Darth Vader. His power is implied.

 

Hell (wink at AF): many fans (not me) call Vader/Boba, etc "bad ass males" all the time. Personally, I don't get the "bad ass" = great, myself.

I prefer "real characterization" to blatant tropes/stereotypes, too, but there's this underlying assumption that "strong female roles" are forced into bad-assery. No such assumptions with male roles. Underlying assumption that more than "token" female roles = "forced" and story-convolutions, but if we have a large majority male cast, that's simply natural.

The assumption that the mere presence of multiple females is "forced" and contrary to the story to be told is the underlying institutional sexism.

 

And that only aids their credibility.

I never once sat back and said that Leia is a weakling. She was chilling even after her planet blew up. She's friken Princess Leia.

I'm not saying this at all. I'm simply stating a fact that there are female roles that are forced to look cool specifically for the purpose we stated.This is indisputable.Does that change the fact that there are male characters that "try too hard"? Heck no. There are REAL males that try too hard. And they are called out on it. I can't stand the stupid walk away from an explosion cliche.

That doesn't even imply that every female character written in response to the tropes is like this. Ripley may have been, but who care? She was great.

 

I'm hoping Daisy will be in a badass action role if all the physical training she appears to have done is anything to go by; likewise Gwendoline who will be seriously imposing because of her sheer size as much as anything. I can't see her sitting behind a desk in this movie somehow. I could see Lupita in any of several roles; harder to call I'd say...

 

Sometimes female characters are over the top and it doesn't feel like it fits in the movie. If its an Expendables movie or a super hero movie, its fine, but when the movie is grounded in realism for the first half and then some chick comes in killing people left and right with her bare hands, knocking down 300 lb bodybuilders, etc, its like, "Seriously?" Thats the kind of stuff we see in Arnold movies, it makes the tone of the movie very inconsistent. In sci fi or fantasy though its not a problem. I want to see some female jedi, I think its about time.

 

Agreed, but ironically I could see Gwendoline doing that.

 

Because she's 6'3 lol. Most of the female action stars are like 5 feet tall and 90 lbs

 

So, okay,

Of course that is true. So? I don't get your point, because it's coming across as this insistence on your part that females in this yet-unfilmed movie must be, if "strong Jedi or Sith-like roles" forced into "over the top-assery." (And still, too, there are male roles that are "forced to look cool" but that's okay with you?)

So, to avoid any instances of "bad ass" women ALL women must be the intelligent, behind-the-scenes, not-get-their-hands-dirty leaders like Leia (other than the blaster-shooting scenes)?

Really, women have the right to have roles as badly written as well written, just like men. No "90 pound weakling" of any gender should mope up the floor with 10 body-builders in a fist fight in any realistic movie I can imagine - but that's not female-specific. And in Star Wars we have the Force - it's quite the equalizer.

 

As Yoda proves...

 

Did you even read any of my comments? You're being defensive, from your own admittance, over something that you're reading into, not what I wrote.

My initial comment was in reference to a post some else made. I'm happy to lead you to them. If you want to know what I feel about about Gwendoline and Lupita being in star wars, you'
re welcomed to look at each of their respective threads and find my comments or ask me.

And where the heck did I say a 90 pound woman shouldn't fight? I'd like to think that I'm smarter than that. Yoda is well below 90 pounds.

Geez.


EDIT: And if you want the cliff notes, I wanted Gwendoline to be Mandalorian and Lupita to be the Darth Sidious of the story.

If you're going to argue, at least take the time to get the context.

http://boards.theforce.net/threads/lupita-nyongo-in-episode-vii.50020658/page-6#post-51573868

http://boards.theforce.net/threads/gwendoline-christie-in-episode-vii.50020659/page-4#post-51573297

 

Size matters not.

 

"Sex matters not. Look at me. Think to judge me by my sex, do you? Hmm? Hmm?"

 

Sex matters to those looking to have sex... but in a fight? I agree... it doesn't.

 

Well, let's be honest—size matters to those looking to have sex, too. Ahem.

 

But...but...that's not what my GF told me!

 

A lot of people keep bringing "gender" back into the argument even though they are defending a females characters right to be "over the top" or "too bad ass". It's been said (outside of Star Wars) that a lot of mainstream Hollywood movies create this type of female character. Which for the typical, dense movie goer is totally cool.

However Star Wars fans have enjoyed 6 films of well balanced characters, including females. This was under the Lucas era. My original point is I hope JJ and his new team follow that tradition and not go "over the top" female (or male) character style.

It also worries me that a lot of people are saying "I hope Daisy kicks ass!" Or "I hope the GoT girl kicks ass!"

I don't remember any Star Wars character particularly kicking ass. Even Boba Fett didn't really "kick ass". Think about it: you see Fett talking to Vader. He flies after the Falcon. Watches Han get frozen. Shoots at Luke and misses and flies off. Huh?!?!? Wait? Boba Fett did basically NOTHING BAD ASS. But why was he an awesome character? Because of his dialog (or lack of it). His demeanor. His mystery.

Leia and Padme are the same. Come on folks, don't be simpletons. This isn't your average superhero summer movie where all characters "have to be physically "bad ass". Especially in the original trilogy, Vader, Fett and the rest had to do little physical acting to get the point across that they are awesome.

I don't need all these actors, including the females, doing nonstop Summersaults, firing blasters and throwing sabers to prove something. Sometimes doing LESS is more....

 

Slapping a pregnant woman?!? Well she did get choked out.

I'm sure some folks would want to see her in an all black spandex suit while pregnant running around blasting droids LOL!