I sense something. Something I've not felt since...

[Nemo]

It has begun. New Star Wars trailer is out. Let the second guessing begin.




Ok, seriously? Lightclaymore?

[Arioch]

This is going to be a total disaster.

Seeing the X-wings again is cool. But you just know it's going to be god-awful.

[discord]

but but but, swords got those pointy things therefor they should be on lightsabers....ouch.
silly clunky speeder was silly.
the whack rolling droid was kinda cool though, not much more to say.
except, non-clone storm troopers is good.

[Arioch]

except, non-clone storm troopers is good.

I almost have to think that may not be a stormtrooper, but rather someone masquerading as one. A la Luke & Han in Ep.IV.

[fredgiblet]

I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel anything when I watched that. But I haven't really been into Star Wars for over a decade. I'm not certain it will be a disaster, Lucas isn't involved so that's a huge plus. I'm certain it will make a lot of money, but I will reserve judgement on if it will resurrect the franchise.

[JQBogus]

It would be more fitting for this one to be titled "A New Hope" given how most of the fans feel about the last three.

As to the actual trailer, there's no telling from what we've seen, really.

Yeah, the speeder was clunky, but it could be a cargo hauling model disconnected from its load for all we know. Or the tech of the star wars universe could still be declining as a result of instability caused by the fall of the 1st Republic and the fall of the Empire. "yeah, we can still make speeders, but they're bigger than they used to be because it is cost prohibitive to import top quality components..."

The Storm Troopers were all clones back in the day, but that was what, 40, 50 years ago? Maybe they started inducting non-clones to fill the ranks at some point? The cloning facilities on Kamino were probably either shut down or destroyed after the Republic was restored. In any case, Imperial remnant forces wouldn't have access to them. Or maybe storm trooper armor has become a surplus item that mercenaries, bounty hunters, and anyone else interested in second hand military equipment can get their hands on pretty easily.

As I said, without any story clues, we just don't know.

[Arioch]

I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel anything when I watched that. But I haven't really been into Star Wars for over a decade. I'm not certain it will be a disaster, Lucas isn't involved so that's a huge plus. I'm certain it will make a lot of money, but I will reserve judgement on if it will resurrect the franchise.

There is certainly a good point there -- I have no doubt that JJ will do a better job than Darth Lucas would have. I just don't think that's saying much.

I don't want the "franchise" resurrected. I think science fiction would be better off if it were able to cut off the dead weight of Star Wars and Star Trek and move on to (gasp) new territory. To quote Kirk, "Let them die!"

[NOMAD]

I don't know, I like the trailer and it makes me interested in seeing the full trailer. as for if it will success yes/no. i'll wait until I see the final product, JjJ Abrams did and good job with the revamped Star Trek so I'm willing to give a movie a chance.

although I like the new spilt wing for the X-wings

[discord]

lesse, a few years after the empire fell seems about right, that puts it at 25-30 years after the fall of the republic, and the clones have a accelerated aging problem....
there were some carbon copy crap cloning going on too, but the result of those were....not very good.
which leaves us with recruiting new blood into the corps, entirely within established EU.

[fredgiblet]

I don't want the "franchise" resurrected. I think science fiction would be better off if it were able to cut off the dead weight of Star Wars and Star Trek and move on to (gasp) new territory. To quote Kirk, "Let them die!"

I won't argue with that. Star Wars was great when it came out, but they really should probably let it die at this point.

entirely within established EU.

Disney has stated that the EU is non-canon unless they feel like using a part of it. So nothing in the EU is valid unless it's confirmed in the new movies.

[Nemo]

I'm Protestant, that is, a believer in the individual priesthood. Cannon is whatever I say it is, and Disney and Lucas can go get Force Choked. I'll be the first to point out there was some garbage in the EU, and that I stopped caring altogether during the Vong series, but if its a choice between keeping the EU and the prequels? I'll take my head cannon, thanks.

I have seen the first of the new Star Trek films and thought it was good sci-fi, but it wasn't Star Trek. They had to paper over a few plot points that jarred but the pacing was there and everything worked, fair enough. I expect a similar treatment here, plot thin enough to see through, which distracts from the gaping holes, but it moves fast enough you aren't supposed to notice.


What irks me about almost every shot in the trailer is the mindset I perceive guiding everything from art to direction. "Wouldn't it be cool if...!" Try it. There was a description of Star Wars I picked up somewhere, space opera. I think I'm looking for just that, a drama with sci-fi trappings. As opposed to a "cool" sci-fi set in that universe I used to like.

[discord]

Fred: if i recall correctly they outright stated it was all bullshitium, and i call them stupid for that move, so much material, so much history...tossing out the baby with the bath water is sub optimal imho.

although i see where they are coming from, they do not want to be 'bound' by previously established verse since it can negatively impact the new.....it is the 'new way', it will probably take a decade or two more before they figure out that keeping true to the old does not, in fact, mean it will flop nor that you have to do it as a carbon copy.

me? i would have loved to see some kotor era or even earlier on the big screen.

[icekatze]

hi hi

If you'll permit a bit of semantics. I would very much like to see a movie that is set in the Star Wars universe, or even the Star Trek universe. I am not terribly interested in seeing "a Star Wars movie."

It seems that often times, people will say, "I have this story to tell, and so I should use this fictional setting as a medium to tell it." But eventually, the motive switches from the story to the setting, and people start going. "I need to use this setting, I better try to come up with some kind of story for it."

[fredgiblet]

The real issue is that the EU is mostly very tightly packed with stuff happening all over the galaxy with all the main characters (even some of the dead ones), so they basically have three choices. Make movies based exclusively off of the EU, completely ignore the EU, or ignore the EU for the most part but cherry pick stories/characters that they think are really good.

[Arioch]

It seems that often times, people will say, "I have this story to tell, and so I should use this fictional setting as a medium to tell it." But eventually, the motive switches from the story to the setting, and people start going. "I need to use this setting, I better try to come up with some kind of story for it."

That's what happens when it stops being a story and starts being a "franchise."

[Nemo]

Good news!!! Master Lucas felt the distrubance in the Force, as millions of fans cried out in terror, and has set about to remake the Awakening with a new special edition.

[icekatze]

hi hi

It honestly looks like a tech demo. There's no real substance, which is understandable for a teaser, but it is over a minute's worth of little else but shiny gadgets and toys. Pretty much the only emotion in the whole thing is the scared guy at the beginning.

[Arioch]

As Mr. Plinkett (who has the best explanation I've seen of what was wrong with the prequels) rightly points out, the trailer appears to be intended to do two things: generate buzz, and subvert expectations. I think it does both of those things reasonably well. The scenes are familiar yet deliberately confusing.

[CaptainChaos]

The real issue is that the EU is mostly very tightly packed with stuff happening all over the galaxy with all the main characters (even some of the dead ones), so they basically have three choices. Make movies based exclusively off of the EU, completely ignore the EU, or ignore the EU for the most part but cherry pick stories/characters that they think are really good.

Well Disney / Abrams have already said that they are completely ignoring the EU and making all of the expanded universe discontinuity (basically, if it was in the original 6 movies or the new rebels cartoon, it's out. *sigh* goodbye Thrawn trilogy). They've said this is it give them freedom while making this film, but the actual reason is that while Disney now owns the star wars universe; the EU characters, EU storylines, etc... were created by the individual writers so if Disney/Abrams wanted to use them they'd have to credit the individual writer (and probably royalties as well, but this would be chump change for a big budget Hollywood film)

[RedDwarfIV]

The real issue is that the EU is mostly very tightly packed with stuff happening all over the galaxy with all the main characters (even some of the dead ones), so they basically have three choices. Make movies based exclusively off of the EU, completely ignore the EU, or ignore the EU for the most part but cherry pick stories/characters that they think are really good.

Well Disney / Abrams have already said that they are completely ignoring the EU and making all of the expanded universe discontinuity (basically, if it was in the original 6 movies or the new rebels cartoon, it's out. *sigh* goodbye Thrawn trilogy). They've said this is it give them freedom while making this film, but the actual reason is that while Disney now owns the star wars universe; the EU characters, EU storylines, etc... were created by the individual writers so if Disney/Abrams wanted to use them they'd have to credit the individual writer (and probably royalties as well, but this would be chump change for a big budget Hollywood film)

Actually... you see, those writers have to sign a waiver that says for the honour of having a character be in the Star Wars setting, whoever owns Star Wars can do whatever they want with that character or the plots the writer comes up with, and they don't have to give the writer a thing for it.

Or at least, that's what someone on a forum I frequent said.

Part of the contract for writers of Star Wars material is that they sign all the rights of the material over to Lucasfilm. They get paid for sales of their book, but no one has to pay them - or even ask them - to use their characters or creations. Even if they do a direct page-to-screen port of a Star Wars novel, they don't have to involve the author or pay him/her a dime.