A/V THE FORCE AWAKENS - The Official Movie Discussion Thread

OK, but that weapon can block lightsabers, yes?

 

Jedi Ben: Interesting thought, but who says it's specifically designed as anti-lightsaber weaponry? Unlike the Clone Wars-era electrostaff, the First Order model looks much more obviously like a riot baton. It's able to deflect a lightsaber, yes, but it might just be meant as a general-purpose melee weapon.

Ninja'd.

 

Maybe phrik is actually cheap and plentiful in the Unknown Regions.

 

True there is that, but in the context of the saga, I find it hard to overlook that it just so happens to be able to block a saber - that's quite a unique ability now cortosis no longer exists. (Or does it?)

 

Dude literally got so emo that he went to school and killed all his classmates.

Once I realized this I was amazed at how perfect it is.

 

You can't truly appreciate the Imperial march until you've heard it on vinyl.

 

That was random too. Usually we've seen lightsabers cut through just about anything- TPM had them cutting through that giant door, if slowly. The Magnaguards' staffs at least glowed, and guess the baton glowed? Its just surprising to see a stormtrooper riot baton stand up to a lightsaber. In KotOR and Clone Wars, there's tons of lightsabers so stuff like cortosis is mentioned as being part of blade weapons that can stop lightsabers.

A regular stormtrooper's riot baton standing up to a lightsaber? Even if it was in the hands of a novice? When the only other person we see with a lightsaber is Kylo Ren? Not to mention that stormtrooper was really stupid (and/or angry), going for melee instead of just shooting Finn. Which came back to bite him, since Han just shot him instead.

Maybe JJ just thinks everyone has superlearning skills. Like how in nuTrek Kirk jumped from academy cadet to Captain of the Flagship in a week. Who needs to climb the ranks? Its time for action!

 

If you play it backwards, it has a hidden message: The EU will die in 2014. Alas, the Bothans failed to decrypt it in time.

 

What scale did that map have and was it 2 or 3D?

 

I thought the electrostaff-wielding stormie was a perfectly plausible extrapolation of tech from the PT. Surprised anyone was surprised at it.

I just wish they'd also given him a riot shield as a nod to the McQuarrie sword-and-board lightsaber stormtroopers.

 

I'd guess one of two options:

1) Preparation against the new Jedi Snoke is obviously concerned Luke might train.

2) The fact it's lightsaber resistant is a useful benefit but not the primary design. That does make one wonder against whom they were planning to use these weapons, but overkill is the name of the First Order game...

ETA: wowwww people are posting fast right now. Like a million people raised point 2) already...

 

Neat. I must have missed it.

 

Note that "Origin Point" was dropped; I assume they toyed with idea of the planet being mobile, à la Zonama Sekot, before dropping it.

 

And then, one day, FX-2371 had an inspiration: "I'll try spinning, that's a good trick!"


[source: @tvaziri on twitter, looks better there]

 

going by the scale and that is a 2D map so could SKB be somewhere above or below Ilum or maybe some planet systems beside it.

 

Double post [editor's note: or not], but Starkiller base is still mobile. Pablo confirmed on Twitter.

 

I agree with you on everything here Jello except about the NJO, where I disagree pretty sharply. Sure it was a very dark direction to take the good guys/gals, but you can't say it denied a happy ending to the heroes after TUF (which in my own personal headcanon is where the story of the old EU ends--I'm in full agreement with you and Hav on the putrid pile that came after the NJO). But what I liked most about the NJO, despite the overall bleakness, was the new twist to the Hero's Journey we got across those books, particularly with Jacen Solo, but in her own way also with Jaina, as well as numerous others of the new generation (Tahiri, anyone?).

Anyway, I definitely agree with you on TFA, and it did a lot for me that much of the best in the EU did too--this despite its various flaws, warts, and wrinkles, which both you and Havac have pointed out. But yeah, I love both NJO and TFA, albeit in quite different ways.

 

How did Poe get from Jakku to D'Qar (or wherever he got the X-Wing from to Takodana in time to sync with events from the book and movie?

 

I like them in pretty similar ways, actually.

 

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. OK....

 

Havac

Great review.

I did enjoy The Force Awakens more than you, but I was annoyed about several things (everything about Starkiller was silly, pointless and rubbed me up the wrong way to be perfectly honest) and overall I remain utterly baffled at how/why this deeply flawed movie is seemingly so popular.

BTW, thanks for noting how Finn's dialogue/humour was completely out of place in a Star Wars movie.

I thought Boyega was quite good with material given, but I didn't like all the Joss Whedon style humour one little bit.

And now I dare you to post your review in TFA Forum...

 

They did. He dropped it and his blaster to fight with the baton.

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