ST Your Favorite Callbacks to the Saga

A common instance in a LOT of the reviews is that the movie borrowed a lot from the previous films. Though with a lot of this, it was a clever nod without being too obvious. What are some of your favorite references to previous Star Wars films in The Force Awakens?

Rey's backstory heavily mirrors that of Anakin Skywalker on Tattooine. Despite not being a slave, she was basically allowed the same freedom where she worked for a greedy boss at a junk yard (Rey was a scavenger, Anakin sorted and repaired machines) and lived in a small quarters. The most profound difference was that Anakin had his mother, which kept him optimistic throughout his harsh upbringing, but Rey had no one.

A lot of the cinematography during battle sequences comes from Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. The shaky camera adds a lot more of a raw effect to the battle scenes.

There was an obvious Han vs. Greedo scene were Han tries to talk his way out of his overdue payments, having about as much success. Honestly, Han taking out his blaster and shooting first would completely ruin the scene, but I'm glad they took the more... unexpected approach.

Snoke

Okay, this one may have been a little TOO obvious, but it was nice to see.

At one point, Anakin's lightsaber is thrown and ends up sticking into the snow

The pivotal scene on Hoth is mirrored, but once again, to an unexpected outcome.

Finn worked in sanitation, which is not only funny, but comes full circle in his knowledge of garbage chutes.

We see a third generation of Porkins. God, I was happy to see that. This time, he even survives.

 

Balance to the Force and Clone Army references were my faves. Not enough prequel-era shoutouts for my taste.

 

Yip...I really missed people sitting around in circles talking about taxation and trade embargos

 

Even including prequel aliens in the background would have sufficed for me

 

The Star Wars staple line: "I have a bad feeling about this."

 

I noticed several things, but can't remember them all right now. There were several times when the story was obviously tipping a reference and going a different way with it, like BB-8 following Rey instead of leaving her like when R2-D2 and C-3PO separated. My favorite was the hyperspace jump shot. I went into each prequel hoping to see that.
The Wilhelm scream was in there, if that can be considered a callback.

 

The best callback was when Rey reached out for the lightsaber and took it from Ben's force-grasp. The music at that moment was right on. The right callback to Episode IV when Luke decides to leave Tatooine and learn the ways of the Force. That was Rey's moment. That was her homestead. That was her embracing her destiny.

 

Pretty much all the scenes set on Jakku because although there were clear nods to ANH, there was enough originality in the setting in terms of dialogue and action for Jakku not to feel like a direct nod, wink or throwback to ANH. Whereas once we get to the bar scene, the trench run, or the death of Han, the shape of the "stanzas" (sorry - but it is a good analogy) are a little too consistent with previous verses.

 

I loved Finn looking for stuff on the Falcon and finds the remote that Luke practices his lightsaber techniques with. It was pretty quick but it was there.

 

I had tears when that happened. It was just the peak of the emotions I was feeling at that time.

Music when the Resistance was getting ready for battle had touches of the music for the Trade Federation in Episode One.

 

Forgot about that, but I definitely loved that. That, and the chess board, as well as the breathing masks from Empire.

 

Maybe not "THE best" nod to the prior films, but who wasn't smiling when, aboard the Falcon, the holographic-alien-creature chess board lit up (like in A New Hope)?!

 

Seeing dejarik and Chewie light-up when the board turned on was delightful. One of many delightful moments from the great walking carpet. I loved his shrug when Finn asks him about Han's status as a war hero. Classic.

 

I like Finn introducing himself with his designation, and it being revealed that he was conditioned since he was young. It referenced the clone army and the troopers being identified as numbers and adopting names. (though the details were from the animated stuff rather than the movies)

The officer standing uncomfortably while Kylo raged = officer standing uncomfortably while Vader choked their colleague

Finn all uncomfortable in the Falcon's swiveling gun chair was amusing too.

I agree about the Anakin/Rey similarities. On Jakku, Rey was reminiscent of TPM Anakin in personality. She was wise about her situation, but she lent a helping hand and was wide-eyed about the galaxy's fighters (in this case the resistance while for Anakin the Jedi.)

 

The flags on maz castle.

 

Not a callback as such, but a nice detail: I like how the enemy ship and base interiors felt like slightly modernized versions of the 1977 sets. They looked great and felt very well within continuity.

 

I like how it felt appropriately modernized. Even something as 70s as the targeting system on the Falcon looked great in the context of this film.

 

Mute90 wrote: "The officer standing uncomfortably while Kylo raged = officer standing uncomfortably while Vader choked their colleague"

I was expecting Kylo to Froce-choke the heck outta that officer, right? But, I tip my hat to whoever decided to have Kyloe rage against the ship's control panel in front of him, while the scared officer watched from behind. NOT Force-choking there was great b/c....

First, a Dark Side Force-choke would've been so clearly copying ANH, which would give the haters another thing to gripe about & induce some eye-rolling among fans.

Second, Kylo's reaction was appropriate for the plot-- it was a tantrum that emphasized his immaturity. At the movie's end, Snook says he needs to complete Kylo's training.

Third, it might suggest he's not at the ruthless point Vader was, to kill his own men. [Or, possibly, it just showed there's less need for a disciplinary Force-choke when the officer & Kylo were alone--- when Vader did it, there were other Empire guys around to witness the act].

 

Personally,I dug it when Kylo told Hux that the First Order might be better off using cloned troops.

 

Yes, that targeting screen was a nice touch!

 

Leia's insistence that there is light in Ben matching Padme and Luke insisting there is still light in Anakin

Storing important information in a droid (DS plans in R2, map to Luke in BB)

The main character starting off as a nobody on a desert planet just barely getting along and embracing the Force

Thank you for this post! I've been thinking for the past day how out of place that seemed, but that makes sense. Much like Luke seeing his home destroyed, he knew then he was going to learn the ways of the Force. Just like how then Rey chose to follow that path herself

I really do wonder if she is secretly a Skywalker....

 

Kylo's rage was indicative of, as they said, "too much Vader in him" but more specifically prequel Anakin and Vader. He was basically a more menacing version.
Also the movie did the thing of having no dialogue in the last scene(s).
I also heard a lot of sounds that I could remember, but I can't think of them. Does anyone remember exactly what that tinkling of music was at the end of the credits? I can't remember if it was from the Imperial March or just from the main theme or the Luke's theme.

 

Even including OT aliens would have sufficed for me because seriously they were all new aliens except for wookies and Sullustans!

 

The subtle ones, like the stormtroopers discussing the new "whatever" when Rey is sneaking around the ship, like when Obi-Wan was sneaking around on the Death Star.
Also the Ren/Snoke side shot. That was amazing

 

"This isn't the droid you're looking for"

To the parts guy on Jakku

Smiled when I heard her say that