The Star Wars Thread v2 - *NO SPOILERS*

[Hexx]

[Tafdolphin]

strawberry floating mecha palpatine

I cannot overstate my lack of anticipation for this, at least compared to the previous 2 films. There're one or two dramatic looking shots there but the rest of it looks like a Return of the Jedi remake.

[Rex Kramer]

Started watching it but about a minute from the end it seemed like it was getting a bit spoilery so I stopped. It looks lush but then don't they always, I'm just expecting it to be very safe and a little dull.

[Godzilla]

I suspect like the last 2 I'll love it on release and then over the course of repeat viewings grow to think it's just average.

[Return_of_the_STAR]

Looks excellent, can’t believe they didn’t Abrams back for the last one. He should have made the trilogy.

[abcd]

We've all come this far, we may as well end it now.

Tickets have been booked.

[Return_of_the_STAR]

strawberry floating mecha palpatine

I cannot overstate my lack of anticipation for this, at least compared to the previous 2 films. There're one or two dramatic looking shots there but the rest of it looks like a Return of the Jedi remake.

Are you talking about the thing that both Kylo and Rey destroy together? If so what makes you think that’s a mecha palpatine?

[Godzilla]

Booked for opening night at 7pm. Going 2D and will see again on the weekend before Christmas too.

[Tafdolphin]

strawberry floating mecha palpatine

I cannot overstate my lack of anticipation for this, at least compared to the previous 2 films. There're one or two dramatic looking shots there but the rest of it looks like a Return of the Jedi remake.

Are you talking about the thing that both Kylo and Rey destroy together? If so what makes you think that’s a mecha palpatine?

1.58-1.60

Palpatine is laughing as we see a huge figure looming over Rey. The figure is wearing Palpatine's hood but is clearly mechanical as well, and is about 13 feet tall while seemingly walking towards her.

[Rax]

Im not hyped for this at all, the last 2 have just been a disjointed mess. If theyre gonna push ahead with a new trilogy after this then at least write the thing as a trilogy. This movie by movie approach just doesnt work.

[Tafdolphin]

Im not hyped for this at all, the last 2 have just been a disjointed mess. If theyre gonna push ahead with a new trilogy after this then at least write the thing as a trilogy. This movie by movie approach just doesnt work.

This I agree with. Abrams more familiar take and Johnson's attempt to push the series forward don't work together.

[Tafdolphin]

I think the single most disappointing thing about the trailer to me was the latter there: the return to another strawberry floating sand world. R1 showed how a simple change of palette can make a SW film feel fresh and, even though Johnson repeated the Hoth battle for TLJ, he made it his own and Crait was one of the best looking, and most evocative, locations in the entire series. Even strawberry floating Lucas varied things up in the prequels. But for the very first shot of the new teaser: sand. You could argue this is a push towards the notion of the circle closing, of emphasising the changes the characters have gone through by forcing them against familiar surroundings. To me, it just seems lazy and another example of Abrams' unflinching devotion to the original films.

Reading back through the thread, found this from myself about the first Rise of Skywalker trailer.

How does this trailer open?

Forest planet.

There isn't an eye roll big enough.

[Lime]

I think the single most disappointing thing about the trailer to me was the latter there: the return to another strawberry floating sand world. R1 showed how a simple change of palette can make a SW film feel fresh and, even though Johnson repeated the Hoth battle for TLJ, he made it his own and Crait was one of the best looking, and most evocative, locations in the entire series. Even strawberry floating Lucas varied things up in the prequels. But for the very first shot of the new teaser: sand. You could argue this is a push towards the notion of the circle closing, of emphasising the changes the characters have gone through by forcing them against familiar surroundings. To me, it just seems lazy and another example of Abrams' unflinching devotion to the original films.

Reading back through the thread, found this from myself about the first Rise of Skywalker trailer.

How does this trailer open?

Forest planet

There isn't an eye roll big enough.

We have been through all the standard videogame fodder though, haven't we?

Sand world, Ice world, Lava world, Forest world, City world...

Perhaps it's time for a 'Candyland' level.

[Parksey]

I'll spoil my thoughts as I know some didn't want to know anything.

Yeah I'm with you on this, it just seems quite flat and soulless. I fail to see how that trailer is exciting, as it's just a bunch of vistas and visuals. I just don't really expect anything new or interesting to come from it.

Contrasted to The Force Awakens trailers, which tonne fair, were able to heavily trade off nostalgia and revisiting the universe after 10 years away, and TLJ which had quite a lot of voiceovers from Luke, Rey and Kylo hinting at some of the character stuff going on in that movie. Listen to what the voiceovers are saying in this trailer, banal quotes like "your coming together is your undoing". Just sort of generic, dull lines that don't really excite me.

The visuals are great, admittedly. I think that's actually one thing that has been consistent over the trilogy. It's looked great. Sort of a bit like the Prequel trilogy, which I always felt had good design work and was sort of a great "playground" and setting for other stuff like games, the Sequel Trilogy aesthetically has felt right. If anything they should really have pushed it further away from the OT, like we still have stormtroopers, Star Destroyers and, oh, we now have an Emperor again too.

That's my big bugbear with these movies. I like TFA as the new characters worked and it was satisfying in a junk food sort of way, even if I did ultimately feel like they it was a little hollow. I liked the character-driven stuff in TLJ led by Rey, Luke and Kylo (the other stuff with Finn and Poe was not as compelling, but I can understand what they were trying to do with all of them).

But ultimately, my big gripe with the sequels is: I'm not convinced they needed to exist. I'm not convinced they've added to the originals at all. At least the Prequels had a clear story and a clear MO. Lucas didn't stick the execution which is a crying shame, as they could - should - have been excellent.

Whereas with these, I think they've largely done alright with the execution aspect, in terms of the acting being good, the characters being decent, the visuals being on point. But they've not had the satisfying overarching structure and momentum that the Prequels had. You knew at least that they were building to something with some forward momentum.

The Sequels have been jerked all over the place, and if anything, have probably detracted a little from the OT and soured the natural storyline that ending in ROTJ (I imagine the ending feels particularly flat now). They have yet to convince me they needed to exist, that there was a story to tell and that the universe post ROTJ was sufficiently interesting enough to revisit. It's just been Empire versus Rebels again. As I said, the Prequels, with their focus on a lazy, blind ruling democracy, slowly usurped by a more active, aggressive shadowy conspiracy, was much more fertile dramatic ground.

And of course, they really should have set everything out before hand, and stuck to one director and creative team.

[Tafdolphin]

I think the single most disappointing thing about the trailer to me was the latter there: the return to another strawberry floating sand world. R1 showed how a simple change of palette can make a SW film feel fresh and, even though Johnson repeated the Hoth battle for TLJ, he made it his own and Crait was one of the best looking, and most evocative, locations in the entire series. Even strawberry floating Lucas varied things up in the prequels. But for the very first shot of the new teaser: sand. You could argue this is a push towards the notion of the circle closing, of emphasising the changes the characters have gone through by forcing them against familiar surroundings. To me, it just seems lazy and another example of Abrams' unflinching devotion to the original films.

Reading back through the thread, found this from myself about the first Rise of Skywalker trailer.

How does this trailer open?

Forest planet

There isn't an eye roll big enough.

We have been through all the standard videogame fodder though, haven't we?

Sand world, Ice world, Lava world, Forest world, City world...

Perhaps it's time for a 'Candyland' level.

It's not so much about the biomes but the way they're presented. The forest planet in this trailer is clearly meant to invoke Endor, the sand planet from the first trailer was the same for Tatooine (and obviously there was Jakku doing the same). Abrams is constantly referencing the past (the quick shot of the ruined Death Star throne room make me strawberry floating grooooooan) whereas Johnson, even when he was playing with the familiar as with Crait, put his own spin on it (it was salt not ice, it was colourful rather than empty).

Abrams' entire movie oeuvre has been backwards facing. Star Trek, Super-8, The Force Awakens... they're all nostalgia pieces. I didn't expect anything different from this since his announcement as director.

[Parksey]

We have been through all the standard videogame fodder though, haven't we?

Sand world, Ice world, Lava world, Forest world, City world...

Perhaps it's time for a 'Candyland' level.

Bringing the Emperor back is basically like a Boss Rush.

[Tomous]

Think this may be the first Star Wars film released in my lifetime that I don’t go see in the cinema.

[Tafdolphin]

Think this may be the first Star Wars film released in my lifetime that I don’t go see in the cinema.

Let's not get crazy

Folks on ResetEra saying this new trailer basically confirms that the leaked plot outline*, which was almost universally hated, is legit.

Nice.

Oh and

twitter.com/PhilSzostak/status/1186462480500834304

Keep draining that particular well Abrams. You keep going.

*Which I have and will not read obviously.

[OrangeRKN]

I think someone could take this new trilogy and make a really good hour long film of sweeping vistas and standout visuals, with little to no dialogue. So far they have consistently nailed the look and sound of Star Wars, much better than the prequels did, but everything else has been lacking.

So while I can't say I'm excited for the final part of the trilogy, I'm definitely going to be seeing it in the cinema - because that's what will best play to the trilogy's strengths.

[Denster]

That's clearly Palpatine sat on the throne. So I may be joining Tomous. Sad but necessary.


Im happy to read it Taf. Can you send it to me?