ST The Rathtars

This scene accomplishes several things though I don't think it does them particularly well except as comic relief, and gives some really funny Han/Chewie moments. First it reestablishes Han's scoundrel/smuggler persona. Second it makes it clear that his life in the criminal underworld is at an end which is emphasized by the line: "There is no one left in the galaxy for you to swindle." It also foreshadows Han's impending doom, and gives the idea that the only place left for him to go is "back into the mess" to paraphrase Maz. As well as to give Rey an opportunity to make a big mistake. So while it is important to the story the scene is so crowded that much of the storytelling going on gets lost in everything that is going on. So while I personally love the scene and think it is funny as hell, I can definitely see why people complain about the scene.

 

The rathtars were not Star Wars. The tone was off. Picking up Finn and dragging him around the ship at 200 mph, banging his head against metal walls and such, but not hurting him. Then Rey just closes a door by pushing a button from the other side of a ship she's never been on before, cutting the tentacles and freeing Finn without hurting him ... it's just ridiculous. Compare against the scene in the trash compactor which was realistic enough (despite being fantasy) and had Luke nearly drown, getting his hair dirty, spitting grime out of his mouth, and the monster running away for a legitimate reason.

The tone of the rathtars scene was just ... off. Wrong. Not Star Wars. It was way too silly and self conscious. Felt like something out of a Pirates of the Caribbean movie where Jack Sparrow gets hit by a cannonball, looks at the camera, and then starts flying through the air like Peter Pan to board another ship. I mean it's just stupid and dumb and not Star Wars.

 

The rathtars felt new, but they also were sort of a fun combination of the rancor, the sarlacc pit and mynocks. I thought they were great, and perfectly "Star Wars."

Though JJ seems damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. Create something new, and it's "not Star Warsy enough." Create something familiar, and it's too much of a rehash.

Ah well.

 

Three things:

1. The tone of the scene was the problem. Not trying something new. Star Wars has always been fun and had some humor and levity, but it goes off the rails when it turns silly. The silliness and preposterous nature of the scene was its biggest problem.

2. The CGI didn't fit with the rest of the film. What happened to JJ wanting more practical effects?

3. If the rest of the sequence is so boring that they felt they needed to add in the rathtar chase nonsense, they should have just cut the entire sequence to begin with. It was the most boring part of the entire film.

Trying something new was not one of this scenes problems. It was a direct ripoff of the trash compactor scene in ANH -- and a very poor ripoff I might add.

 

I found the exchange between Han and the two gangs to be one of the most enjoyable parts of the film. If anything, I wish it went on a little longer, and that the rathtars were dispatched quicker. That said, I thought the rathtars were well-lit, as CGI creations, and blended into the practical environment quite well. I think they seem too CGI for a lot of people because they had a lot of movement.

Look, they're not my favorite element of TFA. But I do think they are appropriately Star Warsian. Luke's confrontation with the rancor was almost as silly, IMO.

 

The rancor itself has still aged well visually. It's the composited shots with Luke that look bad over 30 years later. I don't think the rathtars look good visually, but I suppose that's a matter of taste. Nevertheless my point still stands about the tone of the scenes. The rathtar/Finn/Rey stuff is just so ridiculous that it's not Star Wars-y.

 

I do wish that after the rathtar grabbed Finn, Rey immediately hit a door switch that dropped on its tentacles. What was slightly unbelievable to me was that fact that the rathtar carried Finn for so long without just...eating him, as they seemed to do with the other gang members.

That said, I enjoyed it for some reason, even though I usually don't like this sort of thing. Something about it just felt like Star Wars to me.

 

Finn not getting immediately gobbled stuck out to me as well, but I like to justify it by thinking the Rathtar that grabbed him was the one Han just force-fed the gang member to. It was taking him someplace for later consumption, having just ate a guy 2 minutes previous.

 

Yeah but that doesn't excuse him getting dragged around the ship and banging against metal at that speed like nothing happened to him at all. Again, for me it's just too silly.

 

It was OK, I feel it was needed even if it could have been better, I would be disappointed without some kind of encounter. And I actually think rathtars as a action figure is going to be pretty darn cool, the tentacles could be bendy plastic, could be very cool. It would be funny if the reason they are so valuable is that they are used in underground fighting on some world, rathtars vs rancors. lol...

My problem was with the rather earth like worlds and lack of creatures, nothing really great at all. You think back to all the other Star Wars and every movie had a handful of awesome creatures and great encounters. This movie blows when it comes to that.

A New Hope had the trash compactor monster, Empire had Wampa attack, mynock and the huge space slug encounter. Jedi had Rancor and sarlacc encounters... Creatures and new worlds play a large part in Star Wars and I think TFA was kinda weak in this area.

 

I didn't like them. They were like something out of the Rocky Horror Picture show tbh ... too .. theatrical.

Having said that, I loved it when Rey puts her hand up to her mouth when she finally sees one

 

TFA did have the rathtars, the Happabore (the pig/rhino-like creature drinking from the water trough on Jakku), and a luggabeast (the one Teedo's riding). Not too shabby compared to the others, really.

 

Are Rathtars any milkable like Moofs???

 

I like the scene, Han finally pissing off enough bad people that it sort of converged on him. How's he gonna get out of this one??

The CGI'd rathtars I too didn't really care for. I think a testament to getting spoiled by so much of the film before it. Agree with comments of it feeling Trekkie.

 

Not my favourite scene if I'm being honest, but I was fine with it. Initially I didn't like the design of the Rathtars, but on further viewings I thought they were in keeping with some other SW Universe creatures (Mynocks, Sarlaac). I'll personally take Rathtars any day of the week over Goober Fish or Murray the Mantis.

 

They didn't bother me but I would like to see a Rancor in one of the upcoming films. It's my favorite SW monster

 

It was my probably my least favorite scene of the movie, but it could still grow on me. I didn't dislike it as much the 2nd or 3rd time.

 

i'm so glad we got our sw monster scene.

 

The monster scenes have never been my favorite part of any SW film. I liked seeing Han and Chewie in their "day job" though.
As much as AOTC gets on my nerves sometimes, the arena is probably my favorite monster moment in SW.

 

I still haven't delved into a lot of the production/behind-the-scenes material, but I think it's possible that parts of the rathars scenes were trimmed down. I mean, why cast Yayan Ruhian and Iko Uwais, and then have them basically do absolutely nothing? I think everyone's assumption when they were announced as part of the cast was that they would at least have one cool scene taking advantage of their physical and martial arts talents. Perhaps something was filmed during the rathars attack, but ultimately left out of the film?


I don't really have a problem with these scenes. I loved the design and look of the freighter, and I loved Han and Chewie in these scenes. I wasn't thrilled with the creature design, but it was ok, I suppose.

 

I would have gladly taken a scene expanding on the current state galactic affairs over this one.

 

This has turned into my 'toilet break' scene each time I've been to see the movie again - it's good for something, at least!