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

[gmillerdrake]

I guess this would be the thread where I announce I'm seeing a panel at Fan Expo SF with none other than Mark Hamill...

Will you get to personally meet him? By all accounts he's just a remarkable person.

Nah, it's a large discussion panel where people can line up and ask questions (at least that's how others are, not sure if this will be the same since it's literally the biggest star in the geek community possible).

The prices on photo ops are stupid expensive...like $399 expensive. Autographs are even worse...what I really wanted to do, my kid has an original SW poster signed by Carrie Fisher, and I would've loved to have that signed by Hamill as well. First off I highly doubt she'd part with her most prized possession for even a second much less shipping it across country, and secondly, autographs on larger items like that are $699. I mean holy fuck man.


Also got a panel Saturday night with ALL FOUR MOTHERFUCKING HOBBITS!!!!!!!!! I honestly think I'm more excited about that one.

That's pretty freaking cool!!! I hope it's a blast.....if you take pics you gotta post some.


It's insane how much of a business the autograph or 'fan' experience has become. I get it....for a lot of those actors and actresses it's a major way they're able to make money. Not everyone lands role after role after role and gets paid millions of dollars to act. If anything, this writer and actor strike has exposed just how much they're NOT getting paid and how badly they've been exploited.

[lonestar]

Absolutely, I have no problems with what they charge, I just can't afford it lol... I'll definitely get pics, they'll be on FB.



There's one other panel with Katee Sackhoff, Carl Weathers, and Emily Swallow that's high on my radar. I had planned to catch Katee last year but she dropped out last minute. The lineup for this con is absolutely fucking stacked...

https://fanexpohq.com/fanexposanfrancisco/all-guests/

[lordxizor]

Yeah, I don't know that the recent output from Filoni is terribly reassuring. It's been watchable, but also kind of bad!

Now if they had put the Andor director in charge, we might have something.

Disagree on the Filoni output assessment. S3 of Mandalorian was a trainwreck due to Kennedy insisting 'Grogu' remain a part of the story so he and Favreau had to navigate that BS....along with having to shoe horn some more PC crap by including Lizzo and Jack Black into the story for no reason. She's the one who insisted they fire Gina Carano for holding true to her position and opinions and just because they differed from Kennedy's she was fired....a position by the way looking back on she was pretty spot on with now that the real full picture of Covid and the hysteria behind it keeps coming to light. That's neither here nor there though....Favreau has largely been the one 'behind' the Mandalorian and whatever that Boba Fett series was....with Filoni there to inject SW's lore/backstory etc etc as needed. You can attribute nearly all the misfires in these shows and movies directly to Kennedy and her sticking her nose where it doesn't belong.

Ahsoka being pretty much all Filoni was spot on and for all intents and purposes a success. Outside of some tame choreography (that still was heads and tails better than anything we saw in the sequel series) and a couple other slow parts.....the show filled the gaps for Rebels fans.....allowed Ahsoka to come to grips with her past and losing Anakin in a pretty beautiful manner....AND introduced the best "villain" we've seen since Darth Maul in Baylan (RIP Ray) and brought to screen one of the cooler characters that was introduced in Rebels and book....Thrawn. It set up the upcoming movie(s) and D+ shows....so, I just don't see how what Filoni has been giving us is anything BUT reassuring.

 Remove Kennedy from the equation and let Filoni and Favreau tell the stories and it'll be fine. Keep allowing her to inject that PC crap that South Park has done a terrific job in roasting her for and you'll keep getting some eye roll moments that are completely out of place and not needed that detract from the story.

I don't think Kennedy has made a good contribution to Star Wars since... maybe ever? I hope you're right about her and Favreau being behind S3 and TBOBF's crappiest parts. I have faith in Filoni.. hopefully he lets Favreau do his thing in Mando S4. But I also hope Filoni doesn't inject too much deep SW lore into everything. I'd love to see some standalone Syar Wars movies or shows that focus on fun sci-fi action without worrying about cannon or tie ins to future stories.

[gmillerdrake]

I don't think Kennedy has made a good contribution to Star Wars since... maybe ever? I hope you're right about her and Favreau being behind S3 and TBOBF's crappiest parts. I have faith in Filoni.. hopefully he lets Favreau do his thing in Mando S4. But I also hope Filoni doesn't inject too much deep SW lore into everything. I'd love to see some standalone Syar Wars movies or shows that focus on fun sci-fi action without worrying about cannon or tie ins to future stories.

The info. I base this opinion off of is probably the same stuff you could look up and watch on Youtube or read online. There's just SO many reports and rumors and stories about her and how her ego and what not has driven these decisions for SW's....not for story but for the whole PC and social activism angle.....where there's smoke there's fire so to speak. Is it all true? Who knows....but when you look at the sum of what Favreau and Filoni have produced when seemingly left to their own devices....you can almost pinpoint where it's just not their vision or idea to do some of that stuff.

[lordxizor]

There has clearly been lack of creative vision in the recent movies. That comes from the top. There were several conflicts with potential directors with changes and cancelled projects. That also comes form the top. So I think it's fair to say she is a big part of the problem, if not almost all of the problem. She's still at the top though, so her influence will still be significant. I frankly don't understand how she still has a job, but I guess Lucasfilm has still been successful enough to keep her around.

[gmillerdrake]

There has clearly been lack of creative vision in the recent movies. That comes from the top. There were several conflicts with potential directors with changes and cancelled projects. That also comes form the top. So I think it's fair to say she is a big part of the problem, if not almost all of the problem. She's still at the top though, so her influence will still be significant. I frankly don't understand how she still has a job, but I guess Lucasfilm has still been successful enough to keep her around.

Yeah, she single handedly put the kabosh on Colin Trevorrow's Duel of the Fates script for Ep. 9....one that is out there for all to see now. It was infinitely better than what we got.....we were robbed of a pretty cool story. 

[hefdaddy42]

I definitely think if there's a guy who would steer Star Wars in the direction George Lucas wanted it to go, it would be Filoni.

I don't care about the direction Lucas wanted it to go.  IMO, he's been bad for Star Wars since he decided to screw with the theatrical versions, and make the prequel trilogy.

But I think Filoni will likely do a good job.

[soupytwist]

KK obviously has her issues, but she had nothing to do with prequel trilogy - which contains the two of the worst SW films.  I'd gladly sit though the new trilogy over trying to watch Attack of the Clones ever again.

[hefdaddy42]

KK obviously has her issues, but she had nothing to do with prequel trilogy - which contains the two of the worst SW films.  I'd gladly sit though the new trilogy over trying to watch Attack of the Clones ever again.

Personally, I would vote "neither" on those two outcomes.

[gmillerdrake]

KK obviously has her issues, but she had nothing to do with prequel trilogy - which contains the two of the worst SW films.  I'd gladly sit though the new trilogy over trying to watch Attack of the Clones ever again.

Yeah....they're pretty tough to get through. ROTS is watchable and pretty good....but the other two are cringingly bad.

[Stadler]

All I know is, the original trilogy was SACRED GROUND for me.  It was my child hood.   And I bought into the first three; not really my thing, but enough there to meet the things I was always looking for in Star Wars.  Escapism, a sense of fun, a sense of Saturday morning danger, something you could talk about with someone 10 years old or 80 years old and find something to discuss.   It was, in every sense of the thought, the kind of movie where a legend and Oscar winner (Alec Guiness) could share a stage with a robot (R2), a 19-year-old Hollywood scioness (Fisher), and a veritable unknown (Hamill) and it was still credible.   

With a few exceptions, they have totally lost me in the new world of Star Wars.  I have ZERO interest in bringing the real world into the universe of Star Wars; we've got enough of that, this is a chance to escape.  Where the issues of the day are badly developed trade issues, or whatever, and that's okay because it's not about that anyway.

The few exceptions seem to be the things that Filoni and Favreau are responsible for, though I don't (any longer) pay close enough attention to know if that was true.

(And go back; in real time I said that the Gina Carrano thing was bullshit, and while yes, they have the right to fire whoever they want, when the decision is knee-jerk and based on perception - she didn't say what they said she said - it rarely if ever ends well, and certainly lends credo to the idea that the captain of the ship isn't working in the best interest of said ship.)

[BlackInk]

Yeah, she single handedly put the kabosh on Colin Trevorrow's Duel of the Fates script for Ep. 9....one that is out there for all to see now. It was infinitely better than what we got.....we were robbed of a pretty cool story.

Honestly I don't know if that would have been better. My takaway from reading the Trevorrow script was that Episode 9 is a terrible movie in all possible worlds.

[lightningbolt]

I haven't sifted through the entire thread, but I just thought I'd throw my 2 cent in.  These aren't likely unique thoughts. 

I'm a big fan of the first two movies, New Hope and Empire Strikes Back.  Empire was immediately my favorite when I watched the movies for the first time in middle school and they've generally held up on viewings as an adult.  I don't enjoy Return of the Jedi as much, but the scenes with the Emperor/in the Throne Room are awesome.

When Phantom Menace came out, I was in middle school and thoroughly enjoyed it in the theater.  I have never watched it in full again for fear that it would now be terrible as an adult - I have watched portions of it and found those boring/ridiculous.  I thought Attack of the Clones was dreadful as a high schooler.  I actually fell asleep watching it in the theater for a few minutes from boredom.  Revenge of the Sith was "meh", boring and a little too A+B=C (knowing generally how it was going to end up - Jedi getting their ass kicked and Anakin becoming DV - didn't help). 

The first movie in the sequel trilogy was ok and a thought it was a "fun" reset for the whole franchise, even if it was a rip off of a New Hope.  Last Jedi was so bad that I decided Star Wars is no longer worth my time and that I'll just enjoy the original trilogy from now on without bothering anymore with the franchise.  I appreciate they tried something different, but it didn't work for me.  Although, I did enjoy idea of the good guys being low on fuel.  Fortunately, I didn't specifically pay to see that as I watched it while on a flight. 

To be fair, I'd probably enjoy the entire franchise if I remained an 8th grader forever.  I know a lot of kids who enjoy it. 

[lightningbolt]

Yeah, she single handedly put the kabosh on Colin Trevorrow's Duel of the Fates script for Ep. 9....one that is out there for all to see now. It was infinitely better than what we got.....we were robbed of a pretty cool story.

Honestly I don't know if that would have been better. My takaway from reading the Trevorrow script was that Episode 9 is a terrible movie in all possible worlds.

I agree, it sounds like another mess to me. 

[gmillerdrake]

Yeah, she single handedly put the kabosh on Colin Trevorrow's Duel of the Fates script for Ep. 9....one that is out there for all to see now. It was infinitely better than what we got.....we were robbed of a pretty cool story.

Honestly I don't know if that would have been better. My takaway from reading the Trevorrow script was that Episode 9 is a terrible movie in all possible worlds.

I agree, it sounds like another mess to me.

Maybe....but I still think it'd have been better than what we got.....which was huge pile of uninspired, boring.....poo.


It all boils down to Disney dropping the ball and failing to map out a cohesive trilogy. Zero excuses for an entity with that amount of resources at their fingertips to screw the pooch as badly as they did with that trilogy. Such a waste.

[hefdaddy42]

It all boils down to Disney dropping the ball and failing to map out a cohesive trilogy. Zero excuses for an entity with that amount of resources at their fingertips to screw the pooch as badly as they did with that trilogy. Such a waste.

Bingo.


I have decided that the only Star Wars that exists for me is the original trilogy, Rogue One, and the TV shows that have already come out.  That's it.  I am much happier now lol.

[lightningbolt]

It all boils down to Disney dropping the ball and failing to map out a cohesive trilogy. Zero excuses for an entity with that amount of resources at their fingertips to screw the pooch as badly as they did with that trilogy. Such a waste.

Bingo.


I have decided that the only Star Wars that exists for me is the original trilogy, Rogue One, and the TV shows that have already come out.  That's it.  I am much happier now lol.

I forgot to include Rogue One in my post.  I genuinely enjoyed that movie.  It was fun and I liked the fact that we got to enjoy the Star Wars universe from a non Jedi/Sith perspective.

I've also enjoyed the two Star Wars rides at Disneyland Paris.  Wish I could say the same about the bulk of the Disney movies.

[gmillerdrake]

It all boils down to Disney dropping the ball and failing to map out a cohesive trilogy. Zero excuses for an entity with that amount of resources at their fingertips to screw the pooch as badly as they did with that trilogy. Such a waste.

Bingo.


I have decided that the only Star Wars that exists for me is the original trilogy, Rogue One, and the TV shows that have already come out.  That's it.  I am much happier now lol.

I've enjoyed 'parts' of the D+ shows. Obviously the first season of Mandalorian was pretty cool....and much of the second. But, by the third season it started to suffer from higher ups not letting a story be told....prime example is them forcing Grogu back into a story that he wasn't supposed to be in. The Kenobi show had cool and interesting moments....but a lot of it was just silliness.....so the cool stuff was muted. The Boba Fett show was cringe worthy.....just....ehh....and, I dug the Ahsoka show for what it was, S5 of Rebels.

Bad Batch is neat....not great but I'll take it. It's been a cool little show. As an overall entity I enjoyed TCW's as well but it's a chore to absorb. Dug the heck out of Rebels.

I 'wish' I'd allow myself not to care as much or get into the weeds on it all....but I just 'want' to like it all so badly.

[hefdaddy42]

I just 'want' to like it all so badly.

Why?  That way lies heartache.

I love the MCU, but several of their releases are pretty awful, and I won't rewatch them.  And that's OK, I'm not losing any sleep over it.

[lordxizor]

I personally find something to love in all things Star Wars. Some is obviously much better than others, but I have no plans to revisit some of it. The animated stuff in particular. But now that I'm starting to watch through everything with my oldest son I'm enjoying watching stuff with fresh eyes.

[lightningbolt]

I personally find something to love in all things Star Wars. Some is obviously much better than others, but I have no plans to revisit some of it. The animated stuff in particular. But now that I'm starting to watch through everything with my oldest son I'm enjoying watching stuff with fresh eyes.

I look forward introducing it to my kids one day.  It'll be fun to see their reaction and perhaps it will make some of the stuff I don't currently like enjoyable on some level.

[Stadler]

I personally find something to love in all things Star Wars. Some is obviously much better than others, but I have no plans to revisit some of it. The animated stuff in particular. But now that I'm starting to watch through everything with my oldest son I'm enjoying watching stuff with fresh eyes.

I look forward introducing it to my kids one day.  It'll be fun to see their reaction and perhaps it will make some of the stuff I don't currently like enjoyable on some level.

My daughter and I LOVED to watch the original trilogy.  We both got to be kids for a couple hours.

[lordxizor]

I was surprised to find that my son like Rise of Skywalker the best of the sequel trilogy

[gmillerdrake]

I was surprised to find that my son like Rise of Skywalker the best of the sequel trilogy

Especially when no Skywalker rose.

[HOF]

I think one of the issues I have with the Star Wars movie saga is that it all takes place in the span of three generations (really just two, Anakin and Luke Skywalker's lifetimes). So in the space of 20 years or so you have the Jedi going from stewards of the galaxy to an obscure legend by A New Hope. All the while, you have a Galactic Empire that springs up and somehow controls not just a planet or solar system but [some large swath] of a Galaxy almost overnight? And it lasts about another 20 years before Luke topples it for the first time, and then you have a bunch of people for some reason who are really committed to bringing it back by the time of the sequel movies and spin off shows. There isn't any discernible ideology behind the Empire other than it is run by someone committed to "the dark side" (but the rank and file officers think Vader's "sad devotion to that ancient religion" is a weakness). I think different movies and shows stress different sides of "power," "order," maybe even commerce I guess. But I'm not sure what anyone gets out of it individually (think the guy in Andor who is so devoted to tracking down Andor for killing that dude).

 

[gmillerdrake]

So yeah....I guess Disney is quadrupling down on the feminine empowerment movement based off the news yesterday of who's going to be directing the next batch of Rey movies. Without turning this into some P/R argument....I just want a good Star Wars movie/trilogy.....etc etc. But this move all but guarantees that I'm not going to get it. I suppose they last effort to catapult Rey into the echelon of female torch bearers didn't work because it was a male behind the scenes,. had nothing to do with that it just wasn't a compelling character....if I were Daisey Ridley I'd be pissed because she's once again going to be hamstrung and a story isn't going to be told due to the franchise being hijacked by activists....Kennedy being the top one. I hope there will be an attempt at some sort of story ....but based off this womans past AND recent remarks this has all the makings of yet another lecture for me to find out in some different ways how big a jerk, asshole, oppressor, degenerate and sexist pig I am since I'm a white male.  Will most likely be the first SW movie I don't go see on release date unless something drastic changes.   

[hefdaddy42]

The only past I know is that she directed some episodes of the Ms. Marvel show, which was awesome.

I'm glad they are bringing in new blood to direct, and I don't care if it's a woman.

[gmillerdrake]

The only past I know is that she directed some episodes of the Ms. Marvel show, which was awesome.

I'm glad they are bringing in new blood to direct, and I don't care if it's a woman.

It's not the woman part that concerns me.....it's her past and recent comments that are a little to 'activismy' for me. I get the impression that she's very 'girl power' which is fine but you still have to tell a good story. Disney's recent history with that isn't very good and it's just a huge eye roll from me that instead of being hyped about where they were going to take Rey's story and how they were going to salvage it....it's now going to take a back seat to this womans personal agenda.

[hefdaddy42]

The only past I know is that she directed some episodes of the Ms. Marvel show, which was awesome.

I'm glad they are bringing in new blood to direct, and I don't care if it's a woman.

It's not the woman part that concerns me.....it's her past and recent comments that are a little to 'activismy' for me. I get the impression that she's very 'girl power' which is fine but you still have to tell a good story. Disney's recent history with that isn't very good and it's just a huge eye roll from me that instead of being hyped about where they were going to take Rey's story and how they were going to salvage it....it's now going to take a back seat to this womans personal agenda.

I don't think it will take a "back seat".

A couple of things:

1) I don't care about Rey, and it won't matter that much who directs it, because it's a crappy idea IMO
2) Anything is better than JJ Abrams directing again.

[jingle.boy]

The only past I know is that she directed some episodes of the Ms. Marvel show, which was awesome.

I'm glad they are bringing in new blood to direct, and I don't care if it's a woman.

It's not the woman part that concerns me.....it's her past and recent comments that are a little to 'activismy' for me. I get the impression that she's very 'girl power' which is fine but you still have to tell a good story. Disney's recent history with that isn't very good and it's just a huge eye roll from me that instead of being hyped about where they were going to take Rey's story and how they were going to salvage it....it's now going to take a back seat to this womans personal agenda.

I don't think it will take a "back seat".

A couple of things:

1) I don't care about Rey, and it won't matter that much who directs it, because it's a crappy idea IMO
2) Anything is better than JJ Abrams directing again.

Or Rian Johnson

[gmillerdrake]

The only past I know is that she directed some episodes of the Ms. Marvel show, which was awesome.

I'm glad they are bringing in new blood to direct, and I don't care if it's a woman.

It's not the woman part that concerns me.....it's her past and recent comments that are a little to 'activismy' for me. I get the impression that she's very 'girl power' which is fine but you still have to tell a good story. Disney's recent history with that isn't very good and it's just a huge eye roll from me that instead of being hyped about where they were going to take Rey's story and how they were going to salvage it....it's now going to take a back seat to this womans personal agenda.

I don't think it will take a "back seat".

A couple of things:

1) I don't care about Rey, and it won't matter that much who directs it, because it's a crappy idea IMO
2) Anything is better than JJ Abrams directing again.

Or Rian Johnson

These are tough points to argue

[lordxizor]

I'll wait to draw any conclusions until I've seen the movie.

[hefdaddy42]

The only past I know is that she directed some episodes of the Ms. Marvel show, which was awesome.

I'm glad they are bringing in new blood to direct, and I don't care if it's a woman.

It's not the woman part that concerns me.....it's her past and recent comments that are a little to 'activismy' for me. I get the impression that she's very 'girl power' which is fine but you still have to tell a good story. Disney's recent history with that isn't very good and it's just a huge eye roll from me that instead of being hyped about where they were going to take Rey's story and how they were going to salvage it....it's now going to take a back seat to this womans personal agenda.

I don't think it will take a "back seat".

A couple of things:

1) I don't care about Rey, and it won't matter that much who directs it, because it's a crappy idea IMO
2) Anything is better than JJ Abrams directing again.

Or Rian Johnson

Nah, his film was easily the best of that misbegotten trilogy.

[soupytwist]

The only past I know is that she directed some episodes of the Ms. Marvel show, which was awesome.

I'm glad they are bringing in new blood to direct, and I don't care if it's a woman.

It's not the woman part that concerns me.....it's her past and recent comments that are a little to 'activismy' for me. I get the impression that she's very 'girl power' which is fine but you still have to tell a good story. Disney's recent history with that isn't very good and it's just a huge eye roll from me that instead of being hyped about where they were going to take Rey's story and how they were going to salvage it....it's now going to take a back seat to this womans personal agenda.

I don't think it will take a "back seat".

A couple of things:

1) I don't care about Rey, and it won't matter that much who directs it, because it's a crappy idea IMO
2) Anything is better than JJ Abrams directing again.

Or Rian Johnson

Nah, his film was easily the best of that misbegotten trilogy.

I prefer The Force Awakens, but Last Jedi is still a decent film - much better than the prequels.

[jingle.boy]

The only past I know is that she directed some episodes of the Ms. Marvel show, which was awesome.

I'm glad they are bringing in new blood to direct, and I don't care if it's a woman.

It's not the woman part that concerns me.....it's her past and recent comments that are a little to 'activismy' for me. I get the impression that she's very 'girl power' which is fine but you still have to tell a good story. Disney's recent history with that isn't very good and it's just a huge eye roll from me that instead of being hyped about where they were going to take Rey's story and how they were going to salvage it....it's now going to take a back seat to this womans personal agenda.

I don't think it will take a "back seat".

A couple of things:

1) I don't care about Rey, and it won't matter that much who directs it, because it's a crappy idea IMO
2) Anything is better than JJ Abrams directing again.

Or Rian Johnson

Nah, his film was easily the best of that misbegotten trilogy.

Even if this were true, it's a pretty low bar.

But it's still not true  .  jingle.son and I were just debating this last week... he too mistakenly thinks this is the best of the 3.