ST Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) in Episode VII

Luke has zero interaction or screentime with the new heroes in this film, which makes his cameo seem like merely a plot device. All his relationships are with characters who are either dead (Han) or too busy to check in (his sister). If it was Leia finding him at the end, I think that would at least gives us a relationship we know and care about. Rey doesn't even know or remember him. Finn and Poe sure as hell don't know him.

 

Right, we have different preferences on what is important. I feel that reducing the main hero of the SW saga to an end cameo is not a good idea.

I agree that an elder sage role in TFA is more age appropriate than an action hero role. Unfortunately, if the cameo rumor is true, Luke is neither in TFA. Also, why would it be ok for Han to be an action hero when he is older than Luke?

It also made sense because LotR wasn't written as a direct sequel to the Hobbit per se. The ring was retroactively assigned the importance it had in LotR.

EDIT - Page 1000 woo hoo!!!

 

1000 pages for the master of confusion Luke Skywalker!!!

 

Congratulations, 1,000 pages

Because Luke isn't the most popular character and that appears in a scene

 

There's a lot of contradictions here though ; does Luke have an arc in this ST? If it was truly that his arc was over and he had accomplished everything he was meant to in his story, then a small cameo totally works. If we had Luke presiding over his Academy or whatever, then sure, throw in a tiny cameo and that's enough. He can spew some wise dialogue to the new heroes. That's essentially Bilbo in LOTR. But if you're erasing the accomplishment of his original destiny, then you're just screwing over an old characters arc to serve a new one.

 

T-R: It may not seem like a good idea and in general I agree but that seems to imply Luke's worth is somehow diminished if his time is. This is NOT a matter of course like so many are treating it. It depends how he's used and what he does.

 

idk I think it works better with new people 'cause it adds to the whole 'woah character reveal' thing. even though we're familiar with him from their eyes it's like we're meeting him for the first time again, and it'll make it more impactful as we see how he develops with the new characters.

and as for your newer post I'm pretty sure Luke is going to have a proper 'arc' in this but it won't erase the accomplishments of the OT.

also I know people are tired of this debate but I don't see how appearing just at the end diminishes his importance. usually when they do the 'epic reveal at end of movie' trope that signifies that the character is very important, indicating that a) this character has been hugely influential off screen and we are just meeting him/her for a variety of reasons one being to create a sense of mysticism and b) they are being played up for a more direct role in a sequel. in this case it's both. I'll just say what's been said for like 800 pages: Luke is not being 'screwed over' with his role in TFA.

 

Luke and Yoda had no prior relationship, and that turned out to be a turning point in the saga.

 

Well, if his academy is destroyed, he has no family, he exiled himself for 10+ years, and only shows up as an end cameo, he is diminished because he's not used and does nothing. If what I underlined all happens but he shows up at the end of the 2nd act and is used/does something, I would agree that he isn't diminished just because his time was limited. It's when you add in the no time and no action with everything else that he becomes diminished.

 

it also happened to be a focal point of the movie and wasn't a cameo.

 

I think we've reached roughly 10 pages per second of Luke's screentime. This fact combined the poll at the top of the page makes the whole thing pretty funny.

 

Yoda wasn't used as a cameo hook into Episode 5 at the end of ANH. As a scene, that would've been tacky and random if it had been in ANH in which Luke destroys the Death Star already and then goes to meet a random dude?

 

T-R: You choose to believe that, cool, not me.

 

Luke is as important as Han and Leia.

Nobody freely express for fear, fear of being wrong.

1,000 pages wow

 

Funny thing is it was the we love the Luke cameo people on the thread that got this started today.

 

tbh I can understand both sides of the argument but not in a "WE NEED MORE LUKE" way. the 'cameo hook' (idk if cameo is really the right term here is it?) at the end of the film trope is pretty corny in most cases probably in this case to at least to an extent. but to me in the context of the trilogy it's a logical place for the film to conclude. with the lightsaber being so important and leading to Luke, having the 'cameo' at the end makes sense for the film to end as a standalone story that way the next film can just fully dive into the next stage. like, if Yoda was there at the death star ceremony thing that would be dumb not just 'cause of inconsistencies but because that'd be the dumbest way possible to introduce Yoda. but what they probably have in TFA is much different I thing.

kind of hard to explain what I'm trying to say lol.

 

Especially if Rey has always longed for a mother and then she finally gets to be with Leia at the end.. only to bounce a few moments later to meet up with a cameo Luke whom she has no close bond or memory of. Regardless of how beautiful they film this cameo, it certainly had the potential to feel very tacked on after Rey finally sees her mom.

 

wasn't me. >_>

no big deal people are discussing it for different reasons this time around and actually bringing up valid points so life is good yeah?

 

Oh life is great lol.

 

Had the viewer seen the prequels first, and was already familiar with Yoda, and had ANH ended with Luke meeting Yoda, I think that would have been a pretty powerful ending and would get people excited for ep 6

 

Exciting maybe but still tacky and out of place in the movie, which is how this ending could play. Will people be pumped for 8? Totally but that doesn't mean the scene makes sense in the film. That's why Marvel has after credits scenes. Audiences seem a bit tired of movies that are just hooks for the next one.

 

Again: "This thing that hasn't been done in these movies before is guaranteed to not go over well because it's never been done in these movies before."

How would that be "tacky" and "random?" I don't understand this. Random, specifically: How can it be random when the storyline has built hooks into the storytelling throughout that point to that ending? That's the opposite of random. The film starts with his saber, and ends with it being returned to him. The movie stops down in the middle to tell you about that saber, and tell you why he's gone. Nothing about any of that is random, least of all his appearance at the end, especially following the movie's story to that point.

How are you arriving at "tacky" at all? I don't get it.

 

We've answered that before - because the whole point is (or might be) that Rey needs to step up and save the day. If Luke Skywalker swoops in she can't do that and she is the lead, not Luke, who is clearly being set up as her mentor and guide for the next movie.

You have to accept that this is act one of a three act story. Luke Skywalker is showing up at the end of Act 1 and is clearly a figure of reverence and significance though he has been in the shadows until Rey meets with him.

 

starocean90 missed the 1000th page of the Luke Thread... Sad day.