Author Topic: Star Wars VII trailer and an interesting speeder - CHARACTER NAMES 12/12 (Read 35549 times)

Westfalia Chris · « **Reply #120 on:** December 01, 2014, 07:05:28 PM »

Quote from: FramFramson on December 01, 2014, 06:48:06 PM

THE BLASTER IS GOOD

THE LIGHTSABRE IS BAD

Well, thank you very much. Now I have an image of Alec Guiness in a red belt-and-diaper outfit in my head.

And no, this is NOT an invitation to anyone to engage in image-posting.

FramFramson · « **Reply #121 on:** December 01, 2014, 07:15:59 PM »

Well, they do call Obi-Wan a wizard at one point...

zemjw · « **Reply #122 on:** December 02, 2014, 09:40:43 AM »

BBC article on the guy who built the original light saber

POP Sci article on "six Star Wars technologies that may not be so far, far away"

Not a fan of the new light saber design - seems more likely to kill the person using it, and the new landspeeder looks like they were told to come up with something that would be easy and cheap to make and sell as a toy. Nice flat design that will not take up too much room on the shelves

former user · « **Reply #123 on:** December 02, 2014, 10:09:03 AM »

"So there has to be a reason coming for this laser sword. J J Abrams would have considered every visual in this first teaser."
as I said before...

ShortscaleDave · « **Reply #124 on:** December 02, 2014, 02:14:14 PM »

I hope there's some reason, it still feels like cheap fan-service to me. Don't get me wrong, we all fell for the Phantom Menace trailer and the awesome Maul shot - that design seemed eminently logical and cool in a 'why didn't I ever think that up, it makes sense' way. This however, without some fluff to explain the logical and practical discrepancies, it really isn't sufficient to fall back on 'badassness' if only because the same look and impact could be used with at least some nod to preserving one's own arm! What I'm trying to get at is I HOPE something is cleared up or it really becomes lazy and for the kinds of fans who lap up everything post-OT without any critical eye whatsoever!

I absolutely HATE Jar Jar Droid, for the goofy horrible design, and for it's blatant fourth wall violating gaze, and it's slapstick careering and bobbly head. Some credulous Lucasian tried to fob me off with a 'it's based on early R2D2 designs by Ralph McQuarrie there fore you are an idiot' to which I simply posted this self explanatory discrepancy in his logic illustrating the difference between a McQuarrrie design and that offensively twee creation:

ShortscaleDave · « **Reply #125 on:** December 02, 2014, 02:18:45 PM »

Connectamabob · « **Reply #126 on:** December 02, 2014, 02:41:55 PM »

I like the way this guy thinks:
https://storify.com/PhilKahn/lightsaber-thoughts

ShortscaleDave · « **Reply #127 on:** December 02, 2014, 03:02:56 PM »

Interesting thoughts, however it ers into philosophy over real world practicality to my eyes! I'm also for LESS lightsabres. There was marked awesomeness in the OT precisely because the Jedi didn't flash it out at the drop of a hat, the screen wasn't filled with them. I further say that much of the implicit mysticism (of a very eastern style) was completely destroyed by the prequels. Essentially in *my* star wars (derived from filling in the ambiguities of the originals) *my* Jedi make much more sense to me, and they are not what George came up with post-OT. No need for the Sith hokum, you become a vader or emporer by falling for the darkside, and becoming the best at that...that's it. It retains the inner struggle to 'know thyself'. Likely the 'realness' of the OT Jedi feel was largely due to the actual long list of people who advised and wholesale re-wrote his scripts and ideas (uncredited on Star Wars). It went from awesome zen monks avoiding the darkside to weird dichotomy Sith (ONLY2! How logical!)/Jedi (who are basically police). HATE that concept. This kind of thing is what I mean (to once again reference Zen teachings

Quote

The Gates of Paradise

A soldier named Nobushige came to Hakuin, and asked: "Is there really a paradise and a hell?"

"Who are you?" inquired Hakuin.

"I am a samurai," the warrior replied.

"You, a soldier!" exclaimed Hakuin. "What kind of ruler would have you as his guard? Your face looks like that of a beggar."

Nobushige became so angry that he began to draw his sword, but Hakuin continued: "So you have a sword! Your weapon is probably much too dull to cut off my head."

As Nobushige drew his sword Hakuin remarked: "Here open the gates of hell!"

At these words the samurai, perceiving the master's discipline, sheathed his sword and bowed.

"Here open the gates of paradise," said Hakuin.

Everything said by Yoda in Empire becomes retro-actively farcicle because of the horrible prequels. What i really find offensive is that I cannot watch the OT anymore without flash-forwards to images and extrapolations that lessened the words and actions of beloved characters. Obi Wan telling luke about his friend Ani, their involvement in clone wars.... everything Yoda said being thrown into the toilet with the completely opposite way of behaving, and his piddly lazor sword (quote: george lucas).

I admit, I'm one of perhaps a few that really struggle to retain my SW love anymore and not for want of trying and rationalising things. It's a wound that wont heal it seems. So infected is every aspect that was great, I cannot forget or unsee. Cry for me, Argen-Cantina scene ;_;

Connectamabob · « **Reply #128 on:** December 02, 2014, 03:38:23 PM »

I partly agree. I mean, I prefer the old Tao-ish concept of the force over the new God-ish concept of the force, and I always felt like niether Yoda nor Palpatine should even have lightsabers (saw them both as old masters who have long outgrown the need for such unsubtle methods).

...But at the same time, the Sith are all about letting your emotions go nuts (ostensibly to harness them for strength, though the Jedi would be quick to point out that's a bit like an addict saying they're totes in control of their habit), and they do have a stance of rebellious disdain for the Jedi. It wouldn't surprise me at all if they experiment a bit wildly to try and distinguish themselves from both the Jedi and each other. I mean, I feel like they're still a lot more ascetic than most of the EU likes to play them, but they're still monomaniacally ambitious and all about proving themselves superior, so there would be a certain stripe of the MMORPG "look at meeeee" tryhard about them.

I don't feel the vehemence though. Star Wars got dumb, then overplayed, so I stopped caring. And ironically, the fact that I stopped caring means if something sparks me back up again, its a bit of a clean restart.

Let your disappointment pass over you and through you, and when it is gone, only you will remain.

Vermis · « **Reply #129 on:** December 02, 2014, 05:54:25 PM »

Quote from: ShortscaleDave on December 02, 2014, 03:02:56 PM

Interesting thoughts, however it ers into philosophy over real world practicality to my eyes! I'm also for LESS lightsabres. There was marked awesomeness in the OT precisely because the Jedi didn't flash it out at the drop of a hat, the screen wasn't filled with them.

I don't go for the modern SW toons much, but I gave the pilot of Rebels a go when I saw it was on TV.

[SPOILERS!]

Near the end, when the leader of the rebel cell saw that all their options were used up, and this happened, I thought, 'yisss! They get it.'

[/SPOILERS!]

And yeah, I'm not happy with the altered role and character of the Jedi and Sith in the prequels, either. With Yoda in particular, he went from tiny green Stuart Freeborn with Einstein eyes to a perma-scowling goblin (seriously, he didn't have the same face...). Similarly, part of me tried to cheer along with with the popular badassness of that first duel with Dooku, but deeper down I felt a sinking feeling that he'd transformed from a wise old master to a performing monkey. Like someone had forgotten some of his first words to Luke: "Great warrior, huh! Wars not make one great."

I'm with you guys: I feel the most that Yoda would stoop to involve himself in a lightsabre duel would be to take his opponent's lightsabre apart in seconds, like Doctor Manhattan.

Too Bo Coo · « **Reply #130 on:** December 02, 2014, 06:45:50 PM »

Quote from: FramFramson on November 28, 2014, 06:48:50 PM

That girl is the new protagonist, FYI. I've been getting my news feeds from the friends I have in the obsessive crowd and it's interesting. This could go either way, but it'll be better than the prequels at least. I'll spare you guys any spoilers and instead just say