Star Wars Discussion Thread v. Rise of Skywalker / Mandalorian (merged)

[HOF]

This has so much potential for disaster, but of course I will watch it anyway. Over under 3.5 episodes until Mando and/or Grogu show up?

Wouldn't Mando/Din Djarin be like 10 years old during the time frame of Obi-Wan Kenobi? I guess he could become friends with 10yo Luke. 

-Marc.

Maybe we get a baby Boba Fett instead.

We had toddler Boba Fett in Episode 2.

You know, I've never seen that movie (or Episodes 8-9).

Still, I wouldn't put them past writing a young Boba Fett into the story somehow. MORE backstory.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

I watched the sequel trilogy from start to finish for the first time recently. Before that, I had seen each film a couple of times, but never as a continuous experience over just a few days. My opinion of it is largely unchanged... I think that Kylo Ren is a phenomenal character, the Rey-Kylo dynamic is fascinating, the sound and visuals are mind blowing, Luke is given a whole new dimension, and certain moments really blow me away. Unfortunately, it also feels messy and the soft ret-conning of VIII by IX hurts my soul a bit.

This is a gross oversimplification, but I'd probably describe the sequel trilogy as "whole is less than the sum of its parts", the prequel trilogy as "whole is greater than the sum of its parts", and the original trilogy as "whole and individual parts are both excellent". As time passes, more and more I find myself thinking that Star Wars is a bit of a mess, but a beautiful and entertaining one at that. I don't have the reverence for it as the hardcore fanbase (except V, which I think is a masterpiece), but in a weird way, I also think that helps me enjoy it more.

[faizoff]

 I did that sometime back and may do it again soon, it's been a while. It's got some excellent moments and yes I absolutely recognize there are issues. The characters are great throughout though them not planning out a proper arc hurt Finn a lot, he was so promising in the Force Awakens.

[lordxizor]

I did that sometime back and may do it again soon, it's been a while. It's got some excellent moments and yes I absolutely recognize there are issues. The characters are great throughout though them not planning out a proper arc hurt Finn a lot, he was so promising in the Force Awakens.

Yeah, the lack of use of Finn was a huge shame. I'd love to see a D+ series focused on him.

[Zook]

I did that sometime back and may do it again soon, it's been a while. It's got some excellent moments and yes I absolutely recognize there are issues. The characters are great throughout though them not planning out a proper arc hurt Finn a lot, he was so promising in the Force Awakens.

Yeah, the lack of use of Finn was a huge shame. I'd love to see a D+ series focused on him.

 “You ain’t going to Disney Plus me!”

[Cool Chris]

This is a gross oversimplification, but I'd probably describe the sequel trilogy as "whole is less than the sum of its parts", the prequel trilogy as "whole is greater than the sum of its parts", and the original trilogy as "whole and individual parts are both excellent".

Never thought of it that way. I didn't care much for the Sequel Trilogy but could agree the "whole is less than the sum of its parts." I just don't think that sum is all that high. I have fond memories of the Prequels, but might contend that those movies could also be a case of the "whole is less than the sum of its parts." There are some fantastic parts of II and III that I don't think the trilogy exceeds when taken as a whole. 

[Orbert]

It kinda depends on how you interpret the expression.  I think the prequels had a lot of ground to cover, and there's a good story buried in there, but too many pieces are missing, and it all feels "off".  So in that sense, the whole is somehow greater than the sum of the parts.  It doesn't add up properly, but it tells the story anyway.  The sequels are the opposite.  Again, some pretty cool parts, but the story they tell across three movies isn't great.  It should have been better, given what they had to work with.  The grand conclusion of a nine-part epic should have been mind-blowing; instead most people are like "well, that happened."

[Stadler]

It kinda depends on how you interpret the expression.  I think the prequels had a lot of ground to cover, and there's a good story buried in there, but too many pieces are missing, and it all feels "off".  So in that sense, the whole is somehow greater than the sum of the parts.  It doesn't add up properly, but it tells the story anyway.  The sequels are the opposite.  Again, some pretty cool parts, but the story they tell across three movies isn't great.  It should have been better, given what they had to work with.  The grand conclusion of a nine-part epic should have been mind-blowing; instead most people are like "well, that happened."

I think this is pretty spot on.  I was (and still am, to some degree) very much an apologist for the Prequels.  They were playing in tight quarters and they did as well as can be expected.  The sky was the limit, so to speak, with the Sequels, and while TFA was a solid start, the rest didn't live up to the promise.  I don't know if it was debunked or not, but I read somewhere that they let whatever director was next plot the "next 2.5 hours" or whatever, and that is epic level stupid. Dare I say, almost negligence level stupid.

[lordxizor]

It kinda depends on how you interpret the expression.  I think the prequels had a lot of ground to cover, and there's a good story buried in there, but too many pieces are missing, and it all feels "off".  So in that sense, the whole is somehow greater than the sum of the parts.  It doesn't add up properly, but it tells the story anyway.  The sequels are the opposite.  Again, some pretty cool parts, but the story they tell across three movies isn't great.  It should have been better, given what they had to work with.  The grand conclusion of a nine-part epic should have been mind-blowing; instead most people are like "well, that happened."

I think this is pretty spot on.  I was (and still am, to some degree) very much an apologist for the Prequels.  They were playing in tight quarters and they did as well as can be expected.  The sky was the limit, so to speak, with the Sequels, and while TFA was a solid start, the rest didn't live up to the promise.  I don't know if it was debunked or not, but I read somewhere that they let whatever director was next plot the "next 2.5 hours" or whatever, and that is epic level stupid. Dare I say, almost negligence level stupid.

That is pretty much what they did. I can't fathom why they thought that was a good idea. I guess it was pretty apparent that George Lucas didn't have a fully fleshed out original trilogy when he started and it turned out great, so why couldn't they follow that same pattern? But at least in the case, the same guy was running the show on all three movies.

[gmillerdrake]

with the Sequels, and while TFA was a solid start, the rest didn't live up to the promise.  I don't know if it was debunked or not, but I read somewhere that they let whatever director was next plot the "next 2.5 hours" or whatever, and that is epic level stupid. Dare I say, almost negligence level stupid.

It's unforgivable how badly they dropped the ball on the sequel trilogy. I personally don't 'hate' the movies.....actually the opposite, I enjoyed each one as a separate entity.....but as a whole they aren't cohesive at all and are a mess. There was a HUGE opportunity to make something great given the resources involved and they failed by having no overarching plan in place.

[kaos2900]

I think they learned from their mistakes. The shows are very aligned. And if you read the novels, there is a ton of planning and collaboration.

[lordxizor]

I think they learned from their mistakes. The shows are very aligned. And if you read the novels, there is a ton of planning and collaboration.

Oh yeah, I agree I think they learned their lesson. It's a shame they had to learn on the core Star Wars saga and not some offshoot. But what's done is done. I'm anxious to see what the future holds in the Star Wars universe.

[The Letter M]

Trailer for ANDOR:
https://youtu.be/j5UX1Adanis

Also revealed today:

The Mandalorian and Grogu continue their journey in Season 3 of #TheMandalorian, streaming February 2023 on Disney+.

And this stunning new announcement as well:

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, an Original series starring Jude Law, from executive producers Jon Watts, Christopher Ford, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, is streaming in 2023 only on Disney+.

-Marc.

[gmillerdrake]

I'm digging that Andor trailer.

[lonestar]

I'm digging that Andor trailer.

Same.. Very excited about that one

[Zantera]

Cautiously excited for the Obi-Wan show, I'm sure they will milk the original characters like Vader as much as possible because they can.

Can't say I'm excited to get a show about the most boring character in one of the worst Star Wars movies (Rogue One) so might pass on that.

[MinistroRaven]

https://www.lg.com/us/starwars

[ProfessorPeart]

Can say I'm excited to get a show about a character in one of the best Star Wars movies (Rogue One).

[lordxizor]

I wonder if Skeleton Crew is replacing the cancelled Rangers of the New Republic show? Sounds like Skeleton Crew is taking place during the Mandalorian timeline, so I'm guessing it'll be a part of the connected Mandoverse.

[hefdaddy42]

Andor looks good, but I am generally not a fan of prequels, and this is a prequel to a prequel.

I don't know.  It does look good.  I may check it out.

[faizoff]

Not sure if we're going to have a dedicated thread for the Obi-Wan Kenobi show, but going by the first two episodes, my guess is that the show is aimed for a much younger crowd. The action scenes and fight choreography seems very ..tame? Though the opening scene was pretty good.

Not sure what to think of it. It's definitely a mixed bag, seems all over the place right now. Who knows another 4 episodes might change my perception, but I get that this Boba Fett tier or lower material right now. The two Mando seasons were miles above this. Heck the two Mando episodes in Boba Fett were miles above this.

[T-ski]

Enjoyed the first two episodes, they kinda threw a curve ball in the storyline but I don’t mind it.

[HOF]

Watched the first episode. A bit of a snooze. Was that Flea? Not a big fan of the inquisitors, especially the woman. Just not a terribly convincing character. I imagine things will pick up in the second episode.

[Melphina]

I'm starting episode 2 now but a couple things stood out in episode 1 and I was not looking for anything to complain about. The dialog at times feels contrived especially for someone as young as Leia, and other characters just seem so clichè in their lines and delivery. I'm not sure if they're aiming for a younger crowd because of the violence we see in episode 1. A direct death at the start, someone gets hanged, someone loses their hand on camera for example.

The other thing is that chase in the woods. Didn't look believable. Reminded me of the bikes in Boba Fett.

Absolutely beautiful visuals though, wow. Paired with the music in that city, that was a gorgeous vibe. I want more of that...

[lonestar]

Nothing spectacular, but it was good fun. Anxious to see where this goes.

[jingle.boy]

Nothing spectacular, but it was good fun. Anxious to see where this goes.

I would agree here.  It was bugging me who Third Sister was.  Thankfully IMDB relieved my curiosity - Queen's Gambit.

And while I never watched Rebels, jingle.son let out a very loud "That's bullshit, he's not dead".  Wonder if he'll come back in this series at all?

[lordxizor]

Off to a decent start. Nothing jumps out at me as "wow, that was an amazing scene", but the tone of the show is spot on and the pace so far is a little slow. I'm ok with the pace building as it goes on. I just hope it doesn't leave so much for the finale like Bob Fett did and then fail to deliver. I was pleased to see Jimmy Smits return. I felt his character was underutilized in the prequels. Young Leia was an unexpected surprise.

Two criticisms: the Leia chase scene in the forest drug on too long. No was does a small for her age 10 year old girl outrun those guys like that. Also, I didn't like how the third sister knew that Vader is Anakin. I thought that was supposed to be a big secret that very few people knew about. I would have preferred that Anakin learn Vader was Anakin during an in person meeting between them.

[T-ski]

Watched the first episode. A bit of a snooze. Was that Flea? Not a big fan of the inquisitors, especially the woman. Just not a terribly convincing character. I imagine things will pick up in the second episode.

Ya, the woman inquisitor was poorly cast, completely over acting.

[HOF]

Watched the first episode. A bit of a snooze. Was that Flea? Not a big fan of the inquisitors, especially the woman. Just not a terribly convincing character. I imagine things will pick up in the second episode.

Ya, the woman inquisitor was poorly cast, completely over acting.

An absurd amount of the villain development in these TV series has involved a villain standing in the middle of a desert town square threatening frightened onlookers.

[gmillerdrake]

Ya, the woman inquisitor was poorly cast, completely over acting.

Agreed. I mean…..she’s not in the animated shows so there’s nothing to go off of but……just didn’t seem menacing enough. And, there’s no way the Grand Inquisitor is dead. He’s around in the future and something as simple and straight forward as that wouldn’t have caught him off guard. He’s too powerful for that simple a death.

That being said…..I liked the first two episodes and think it’s neat that they’re incorporating Leia into it. McGregor was great…..especially when learning Vader was still alive.

[gmillerdrake]

Also, I didn't like how the third sister knew that Vader is Anakin. I thought that was supposed to be a big secret that very few people knew about.

We don't know her full past yet.....they're hinting she came from 'low' standing.....the Inquisitors are former Jedi.....maybe she knew Vader's story? Maybe Kenobi gave it away in that moment....which is the theory I'm going with. He's been out of the game so long that his mind wasn't ready to battle force users yet. I mean, it took him a bit to fire up the force to grab Leia so he may have just accidentally revealed it to her through his feelings.

[King Postwhore]

All complaining about the villain aspect forget that the main villin had a suit that could keep him alive so he could force choke for information as well to put authority in place.

The Sith do not look as anyone as equils including other Sith.

[Zantera]

That Leia chase through the forest only needed the Benny Hill music to make the scene complete. It felt like a farce. 

[Polarbear]

https://youtu.be/4HLDaBGdnLc

I don't know if this has been posted already, but here is a teaser for Star Wars: Jedi Survivor! Sequel to the 2019 game Jedi Fallen Order.

I really liked the first game, and it's great that Respawn got the chance to make a sequel. More single player SW games please.

Also, this supposedly takes place roughly at the same time as the Obi-Wan show, so could we see some cross over between the two?

Only on next gen consoles though.. So no more PS4 and XB1.

[jingle.boy]

Both chase scenes with Leia were bad.  I mean, any adult would have caught and snatched that little (literally and figuratively) brat in about 6 steps.  She's just got little itty-bitty legs, ffs.