ST Finn/John Boyega Discussion Thread

I actually would have agreed yesterday that he helped in a significant way to drag her into the overall conflict. I kind of thought of him as at least the herald of her journey if nothing else. Until I started thinking about it today...the FO and stormtroopers on Jakku are primarily after the droid and not Finn. Rey’s protection of BB8 is what marks her, not Finn’s fugitive status. Finn helps her escape with the droid, but he does not in any way drag her into the mess. Regardless of how much or how little the FO might have been looking for Finn, BB8 was the prime target because it had the map.

I agree completely that he provided one of her emotional climaxes by coming to her rescue, it makes him an important main character, yes. But I would also say the emotional climax of Rey coming to his rescue at the end of TLJ makes him no less of a main character in that movie. I felt that their embrace at the end meant much much more than just being glad the Resistance was saved.

 

Well its very much like ESB. and to be like ESB they needed Rey and Luke on some planet alone to do alot of that Yoda and Luke stuff. while elsewhere Finn and Poe were doing other stuff. although chances are that was set up on JJ abrams side of things.

Also Rian apparently felt Finn and poe were not different enough to create an interesting dynamic. so it ended up being split into more side ideas that Rian came up with.

But then in all fairness. what was Han and Leia doing in ESB while Luke was off being trained? escaping the empire in the falcon. nothing particularly spectacular for the Rebels. just more lets not die.

 

Yeah. Doing nothing. Like falling in love.

The Rebels are all fleeing in different directions. The falcon is hopping around one hiding spot to another, and are being chased because Vader is looking for Luke or trying to trap him. Then they get to Bespin and everything collides.

Once through the ordeal, they meet back up with the fleet, with more Rebels joining the cause, all ready for the final battle coming.

None of their adventures were useless though. And thinking that Finn and Poe were too similar to cause interesting conflict is baffling. And lazy. And uncreative. And I wouldn't doubt if that's just 11th hour reasoning for his decisions to place both in different spots in his script because he didn't want to say so.

 

It comes down to opinion on whats important and what isn't. them falling in love certainly wouldn't be seen as important. its just a little side thing going on. them getting together does nothing for the Rebels.

 

Probably because they got on too well without any conflict.

 

Sounds like a perfect spot to add some conflict.

Or just don't have any. Not every single relationship pairing has to have conflict for there to be drama or ... interest.

 

Jeez, if only there were someone magical being, let's call it a writer, who could create conflict between two characters if needed.

 

Ok, I just watched that scene again and he has that line “it started with me. You’re marked.” So we can both agree that he heralded her adventure. Still, she had already committed to protecting BB8 when she refused to sell him, so her targeting was inevitable either way. Finn sped it up.


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It's really not that hard to come up with a conflict between a guy who was traumatized in his very first battle by witnessing his comrade's death and a guy fighting for the other side who took the shot. If it's too much to ask to get Finn to learn that information then it's pretty easy to set some similar situation up, especially with the "only thinks with his trigger finger" characterization they gave to Poe in Episode 8. But alas, BL-D3 was never meant to be a real person under that helmet who was no different than Finn, he was just a convenient device to mark Finn's helmet so the audience could tell him apart and nothing more. Honestly I'm starting to think the only reason Finn was ever made a Storm trooper in the first place was for the trailer because the entire story is pretty much the same if he was literally just a janitor.

 

I was just gonna mention that. Plus, the Troopers were operating on orders to destroy the droid if it couldn't be captured, so their trigger fingers would likely be itchy.

Taking all that into account, Rey's options were:
1) Get shot and killed on sight;
2) Get beaten into a pulp trying to defend BB-8 because fighting armed Stormtroopers isn't the same as fighting a pair of malnourished thugs, or;
3) Escape initially, but be shot down when the TIE Fighters show up.

Finn saved her and BB-8 by spotting the Troopers (he knew what they were looking for and what they'd do to get it, Rey didn't) and acting quickly to break line-of-sight. He got her out of the village when he heard the TIEs about to bomb it, then he told her how to scramble their targeting once the pair became airborne in the Falcon.

Rey would've died like a hundred deaths on Jakku without Finn, and that's the one scene in the ST I'll defend no matter what because it's the only scene where Finn is allowed to be halfway competent around Rey, know things she doesn't, and work together with her to succeed. A dynamic we never really saw again afterwards.

 

Has anyone read Resistance Reborn btw? There’s a nice Finn/Poe adventure there, with the two going undercover at a party.

 

Phasma knocks him down and would have killed him but Rose shouts and distracts her. Watch that scene again. It's not a cool moment at all, it's the third fight melee fight he loses in two movies.

Lost to the random trooper in TFA
Lost to Kylo in TFA
Lost to Phasma in TLJ

 

Saying Finn is equal to Han now? Seriously lol.

Han had the iconic ship and cool sidekick. The Falcon is literally the most iconic ship in the entire. He didn't get beat up by a random trooper in ANH either.

In ESB he saves Luke from dying. He also has the iconic romance with the princess Leia. Leia is the one who says 'I love you" and Han replied with the iconic "I know".

Literally everything about Han is iconic. You seriously cannot say Finn is as cool and iconic as Han. That is just false. Finn doesn't even have a name, Poe gave it to him. He can't fly ships, he has no unique weapon or a sidekick like Chewbacca. Finn doesn't get to romance the main girl.

Han has the iconic ship, the cool sidekick and gets a freaking princess. He had cool lines. He's literally the coolest non-force user character.

Finn is more like Padme. But even Padme could fly a ship. And Padme atleast romances the main hero character. Padme also lead the assault and took back the Naboo palace. She was also a queen at 14.

Sorry but Finn turns out to be the worst main character. Even Padme is better than him!

Lol are you seriously comparing Luke and Finn? Luke is the main hero of his trilogy and one of the most legendary jedi in history. Fought and defeated Vader, the most powerful dark sider.

Finn is not a jedi nor the main hero. Nor is he a cool side character like Han was.

 

I dunno. You're the one who insists that Finn is not a main character and uncool because he loses his fights. Apparently other people can lose fights and still be cool. But not Finn. Not according to you. Seems like a double standard. For some reason. Han is a main character. So is Finn. Neither one is a side character.

Oh, but here's some other uncool 'side character' running away comically, losing their fights, falling asleep.

 

Luke Skywalker was a whiny, wimpy little twerp throughout most of ANH and half of ESB. Therefore, he is not the protagonist of the OT.

I have spoken.

 

I thought that this wasn't an appreciation thread?

 

it’s not, and no one is advocating for it to be that, in fact many of the people here regularly critique how the character was written and presented in the ST

you’re confusing not being able to bash the character/actor with not being able to share opinions about what you didn’t like about the character or how he was written, the second thing is perfectly fine, it’s the first thing that doesn’t go over well

 

Yes they do, but only because those people form a clique of avid Finn fans who are perennially disgruntled because he wasn't written the way they deem he ought to have been.

I'm not confused at all. I think I see exactly what has happened here, sadly. Rigged and unsporting behaviour. That up there is a pretty forthright if honest appraisal of why the poster thinks the character is no good from an abilities aspect and Han comparison only, and it is certainly no worse than the endless 'bashing' that Kylo "lip wibble" Ren, Rey, The Last Jedi and Rian Johnson get on a daily basis from the same people.

 

no, people sharing opinions about what they would have liked to see in regards to the character of Finn, people criticizing the writing, the directing, the marketing, that’s all part of people having a discussion, that’s the purpose of this place, to have a discussion, and of course that includes people voicing what they did like about the character, plenty of people do that as well

just saying Finn is the Jar Jar, or C-3PO of the ST is bashing

it’s an easy enough distinction to make

 

That post up there which has attracted a ban for that poster doesn't mention Jar Jar or C-3PO once. As said, the clique here is only too happy to join in with collective group bashings of the elements and characters they don't like. One rule for one I guess. MTFBWY