PT A Thread For Prequel Fans To Discuss New Star Wars Content (spoiler tags required)

For those of you who I might think that The Force Awakens might be another fan-fiction movie and has, therefore, no legitimacy in the official Star Wars universe, I will just put a little reminder here.

Back then, when fans began to construct by themselves and wear their own Star Wars costumes, and also making adaptations, on different formats, of the previous 6 Star Wars movies, especially the originals, Lucas allowed independent Star Wars fan films to use the sound and visuals of the official movies to edit their own creations. He even gave novel writers the freedom to imagine and write their stories for the old EU (whether you can consider that it was a good or bad idea since there wasn't really any continuity in the old EU). He even encourage people to continue their own Star Wars creation. He never sent his lawyers to the 501st legion which makes costumes or pursued those independent film-makers. He even invited the 501st legion in a parade back in 2007, if I remember correctly.

 

GL did indeed invite the 501st to march. "Star Warriors" documentary from 2007. Part of BD saga boxset.

 

I always have a big grin on my face when I see the legion march to the temple in ROTS. Man I wish I could have seen that on the big screen.

 

I was still recovering from the Mace vs Sidious lightsaber fight IIRC. I don't think my brain could process the awesomeness on the first viewing.

 

Hahaha I know right? Like it's sick enough we finally get the legendary Anakin vs Obi Wan duel but we also get the poster boys of the light side and dark side dueling and using the force......in the heart of the former Republic! The Mace vs Palpatine was mind blowing to .......aw curses....all the lightSaber duels were great.

 

My brain can't process the awesomeness. That's often how I feel when I rewatch the PT. They're so packed with amazing detail. My favorite part about watching AOTC at this point is to look for new subtle details that I missed the first 10 times I saw it. BD helps, obviously since I started out with my AOTC VHS tape!
TFA is definitely going with the less is more approach like ANH, which is cool too. (Trailers look that way anyhow)

 

Very early on, I too was a little upset they weren't going to follow Lucas' vision. Then I thought, if Lucas doesn't pass the torch, we'll most likely never get another SW movie.
Whilst I agree with all points made on this topic, to me, having new SW movies (albeit from a different visions), far outweigh the cons.

 

My mom and I watched episode 3 for the first time in 6 years....for her of course She was completely shocked how much detail in the designs and planets were. She said they were gorgeous and especially for 2005, the CGI looks fantastic.

 

Some interesting odds and ends I've learned about:

A figure in Anakin's home on Tatooine has a strong resemblance to Maz Kanata. Possible coincidence or possible connection? Here's a link to an article about it: http://makingstarwars.net/2015/11/funny-coincidence-maz-in-little-anakins-bedroom/

Here's something that might be interesting as back story to TFA and also for people into the SW EU. Disney has released an official map of the SW galaxy. (It's surely incomplete because it leaves out some planets from the Clone Wars and the PT.) Here's the map and the planets that appear in TFA are marked differently: Jakku, Tokodona, D'Qar, Hosnian Prime, and the Starkiller base.




There are a number of interesting things about this map -- even something of a spoiler, so don't look too closely if you're avoiding spoilers.

Spoiler

the starkiller base seems able to move

Apart from this spoiler, this map reveals that the Rakata (aka the Builders) are part of the new Star Wars universe, as the planet Rakata Prime appears on this map, and they're not just an EU thing. The Rakata were introduced in the EU and in KOTOR where they are connected to Darth Revan (possible spin-off?). They were an ancient society that was technologically advanced. They became corrupt and established a galactic empire. They created the 1st hyperdrives and the hyperspace routes. They also created technology that used the Force. In fact, I think the hyperspace routes in some way manipulate the Force and that human beings, after the fall of the Rakata, discovered Rakata hyperspace technology and reverse-engineered it. They got it working, but they don't understand exactly why or how it works, and they're not able to make new hyperspace routes because of this lack knowledge.

The admission that the Rakata are part of the universe may connect to the Starkiller base.

Spoiler

Possibly the 1st Order didn't build the Starkiller base. It may be left-over Rakata technology. They did alter a planet so that it could be used as a weapon in the EU. This may also explain why the Starkiller base can move (which seems pretty silly at first). They're using highly advanced technology that works fundamental differently because it was created by the Rakata.

Another connection, on the map we see Rakata Prime and we also see Hosnian Prime.

Spoiler

That is rumored to be the place where Luke is hiding out. Are these 2 planets related?

Finally, there may be a connection to Snoke.

Spoiler

Probably not, but I guess it is possible that Snoke may be a Rakata (thawed out after eons or something). The Rakata did become war-like and created an Empire that lasted a long time before they were defeated. Snoke may also be after Rakata technology.

One more thing, Rakata is pronounced differently than "ricotta" in ricotta cheese, though I like to think that there was once an empire dominated by ricotta cheese.

 

Exactly. A world without more SW films would be like falling into a sarlaac pit.
I like the EU books and all, but nothing can replace the SW cinematic experience.

 

Lucas has made several statements that the EU was always a separate alternative universe to the universe of the films, that is under Lucas's ownership there was dual Star Wars universes. As long as you didn't mess with his film universe he didn't mind what others did in the EU.

Also fan fiction isn't childish, trying to label it as such to shut down discussion and to shame others is childish. Seems like a few posters are always trying to twist things to use as shaming tactics (looking at Downunder and Jeditraitor). Some here are forgetting that ownership doesn't make one the artist who created the art as Lucas testified to years ago. Work from the original artist and creator is always going to be more official and accurate than anybody else can do, it is simply impossible for somebody else to be Lucas, Fleming, Walt Disney, etc.

 

My only worry about this film is I have a feeling it will be predictable. Empire vs. Rebellion is the most stereotypical space opera setting one could go for. I really hope we have a really cool plot twist or something that flips the conflict around. Something maybe like by Episode 9, the evil faction becomes good and the good faction becomes evil. It would be like how George Lucas subverted the Chosen One trope. I'd wouldn't know how that would work but a cool holy cow! moment is going to be needed and no....please no more I'm your father/uncle/son/knew your sister from the academy type relationships as this trilogy's, "I bet you didn't see that coming" moment of surprise.

 

Alex,

The Force (Awakens) it's calling to you.

Just let it in

 

It's really hard to believe that we are only a few weeks away from the film being released. It's certainly been a wild ride the past 6 months discussing the film on here. I'm praying that despite the terrible marketing TFA turns to be a pleasant surprise.

 

From my POV, why I don't care for Fan Fiction is because what tends to happen is that the characters don't have the same feel to them that they do in the movies. That's usually because a fan will pander to their own likes/dislikes, their own experiences tend to influence how they write a character, plus their own bias as to which characters they hate or love tends to play out in the story. Changes in movie narratives, changes in character narratives etc etc. This is also why I don't care for the EU.

Yes, Lucas does this too, but, when you have Lucas leading the movies, everything funnels through him, and there still is a feeling of consistency from one movie to the next.

That is why Fan Fiction, EU, and even official Canon Material (looking at you Rebels), authorized or not, allowed to use sound effects or not, that isn't Lucas led, doesn't interest me. I still watch Rebels, I really don't like it, but it's only half an hour a week of my time, and it keeps me current on that storyline (sidenote, u don't and won't see me in the tv section ranting and raving about how much I hate it, pointing at all the pt bashers that still want to cry about the pt 15 years later). I would consider Rebels, Fan Fiction as well, even though it's Disney Canon. The fan pandering aspects are palpable, Filoni's pandering to his own favorite characters and making sure they are front and center and influential in the Star Wars mythos is eye rolling, and the sometimes poorly done mimic'ing of the OT themes makes me cringe (look at the crew of the ghost and how it's a rehash of the OT mains). That is why I look at it as more a fan fiction than being in the same vein of the Original Saga. A fan, with a fans influences, nuances, prejudices, bias, is mimic'ing Star Wars. We aren't getting the original sources ideas influences nuances etc etc and to me, I see the difference.

So when I heard Abrams say that they went into to it with the idea of what delighted them, well that's a red flag to me, a big one!. I don't care what delighted Abrams and Kasdan, because what delights them is different than what delighted Lucas, and as of right now, it shows in what we have seen so far in the footage, and confirmed by Lucas.

That's why I can't stand the huge amounts of fan pandering, and what I believe is a story driven by fan pandering, again seemingly confirmed by Lucas. What other fans like about Star Wars is not what I like, and vice versa.

So who's right? Is TFA fan fiction or not? Everybody's right, nobody's right... People have a right to look at it how they want. And people have a right to disagree with them.

Ive had fans tell me that they know TFA is a fan pandering fest! They see it, they recognize it, and they tell me they don't care, that's what they want! I can do nothing but respect their honesty and consistency in their opinions, even though I may disagree with them.

That's why I like reading posts by members like Darth Nerdling, Cryogenic, and Iron_lord (among others as well). I might not always agree with them, in fact a lot of times I don't, but, I feel that when I read their content, it is an honest and consistent showing of their opinion. Not an agenda driven opinion that is influenced by trying to change people's minds and opinions to how they want people to see things.

 

Hello mikeximus. Another legend of this subforum. I found this website over the summer and I must say you, Cryo and of course the whole lot here made me sign up for this forum. Hello Prequel Fam! Let's hope these films get their respect in the Disney Era of Star wars.

 

Thanks, heels! I was actually back, well, as you can see from my posting history, last Thursday.

And that posting history doesn't tell the whole story. There are posts missing.

I pointed out this issue in a "comms" thread. I was told the search module needed rebooting. Looks like that has now been done, but at the expense of failing to log posts that were made while it was faulty. Blegh!

Very flattered by these compliments, Deliveranze! Thank you, indeed!

It's nice that people derive something positive from my presence here.


Now, boy...

This thread has slipped from my grasp -- again. I'm impossibly behind once more.

One thing I would like to comment on, however, is the following link:

http://variety.com/2015/scene/vpage...lbert-star-wars-the-force-awakens-1201646241/

Now, as I said in one of my previous posts (that doesn't appear to be showing in my posting history -- alas! >> this one if you're dying to know: http://boards.theforce.net/threads/...tags-required.50029595/page-171#post-52905755 ), I find it better to first scroll to the bottom of an article, these days, since that generally gives you, not only a sense of the "flavour" of the piece (as I wrote previously), but also, all too often when it comes to Star Wars articles, now, delivers the "punch-line" (which is normally -- *sigh* -- an anti-prequel parting shot).

Sure enough, it concludes with the following:

“It is such a powerful idea. It’s a religion without a god. It’s a nondenominational, powerful idea that was very important to us, in this film, to bring back.”

Well, more fool me, because I didn't immediately scroll to the bottom, but was reading it in linear, trusting order. And I was almost enjoying it and very nearly tricked myself into believing, not for the first time, that J.J. Abrams is a humble, genial, well-meaning guy, instead of the ruthless media mercenary and marketeer he actually seems to be. Therefore, even if I thought there was some simpering falsity to what he was saying about Star Wars being bigger than everyone, and his little stewardship making him just an honest-to-goodness temporary custodian of an iconic film property, I could sort of "rub along" with what he said: squint and pretend there's nothing devious about Abrams, nothing hollow, nothing of the mountebank selling people coloured water while he increases his geek cred and mints his millions. Swallow the Abrams-Aid.

But that last reported remark, even if just on the part of the author (there's me pretending again -- darn that Abrams-Aid!), is the proverbial sting in the tail, and exactly why I have trouble embracing this film or keeping my mouth shut about it. There are those critical words spoken with willful intent: "very important to us" (we're so diligent!), "in this film" (because George botched a whole trilogy and left everyone gasping for sweet Force water; and we get it right in a single film), "to bring back" (because the idea of the Force being "nondenominational" was so horribly abandoned in the prequels, right?). Remarks like that, for me, at least, just make J.J. Abrams into the ******* I think he is. But a shrewd *******. He knows the game he's playing; and he understands the stakes and the potential pay-off. It's all so calculated and calibrated. Every "t" crossed, every "i" dotted, with Coca-Cola-ad precision. He's a wolf in fanboy clothing.

Every time I feel like I might not get insulted, BAM!, another insult to my intelligence. I can see what's happening here and I think it's pretty pathetic. So much of this movie is positioned as a finger to the PT, done under the table. They know they're going to make billions from this endeavour, but they're not impressing me. J.J. and Disney are as treacherous as the Emperor. But so many love their siren song. So be it.

 

This is how I feel in a nutshell.

I think -if anything- I'm just upset that George decided to pass the torch. I'd have liked to see him fight a little more for what he wanted. But it opens a huge can of worms.

He obviously doesn't want to deal with the whole "George has lost his touch/out of touch" bull anymore. He's had his fill and he's getting on in years, so who can blame him? He's got his new family to enjoy, so why take the slings and arrows, when he can sit back without scrutiny over his every little decision made?

I think he had hoped that they would've used his outline/ideas more than they evidently did. And that would have made the decision to back away, easier to take.

I think the best case would've been if George could've had an arrangement like he did with ESB & ROTJ, where he didn't have to be on set every day, but still had a strong say in the way things were being developed. He loves the editing process, so they should've just given him the final cut.

But, it's like oil & water. Lucas doesn't want a studio telling him what to do (nor should he) but the studio wasn't going to let him run the show (even in part) anymore. He shouldn't have sold, but if he didn't, there's really no guarantee these films would've been made.

Everyone needs to make peace with their choice to either embrace a Lucas-less ST, or wash their hands of the franchise here and now. 'Cause the brand is only gonna get more diluted from here on out.....

 

Sometimes the simplest ideas resonate the most. This is from a member in another thread, but I liked it. Cuts through all of the...you know what:

 

Best comment I've read about the movie in ages over here. Think I'll follow the advice of the wise Mr Dalek (& Yoda).

 

And I just want a Star Wars film that aspires to be a Star Wars film -- free of digs at other Star Wars films as an added bonus.

 

To be fair the movie TFA hasnt had a dig at anyone.

 

The attendant marketing campaign has had a fair number of them, however.

Even the title could be construed as a jab at the PT.

 

Yeah like...4 months ago. & marketing isn't the movie.

There was no winking face icon there, so I'm not sure if you were joking Cryo
Just in case you're not I'll point out that the trailers have made it clear the title is very relevant to the story.

Nice new Daisy interview. Impressive young lady! They've struck gold with her & Boyega. They're both key reasons the choices made for this movie are validated IMO. Different story, different characters = no John & Daisy. Screw that.

 

Not so. TFA is a sequel to ROTJ, not ROTS.
Palpatine, Anakin, Obi-Wan and Master Yoda had all passed on by the end of ROTJ. Not to mention all of the Jedi who passed in the PT, including Mace and Qui-Gon.
One is left to believe that Luke and Leia are all that remain "of that ancient religion" at the end of ROTJ.
So this new story arc will describe the emergence of unknown force sensitive individuals and will verify that the unproven stories about the Jedi were "all true" as Han says.
The Force Awakens.