|
Post by thwhtguardian on Dec 27, 2020 19:07:22 GMT -5
I was rooting for Rey being the daughter of Obi-Wan and the Queen of Mandalore myself. Being corrected to Ezra would have been my 2nd choice That's not the story I was looking for, but definitely better than what we got, that's for sure. I have slight hope they're going to contradict the new movies with the Mandalorian (or one of the spin offs) and send them off to be 'LEgends' and redo the whole shooting match. I don't think you have to do anything messy like contradict them or tell the audience they aren't in continuity anymore...you simply just move on to an era in the future of the sequels and don't reference anything from them and go about like business as usual.
|
|
|
Post by Slam_Bradley on Dec 27, 2020 20:48:36 GMT -5
The idea that Rey was just “some person” that was Force sensitive was by far the most interesting part of the new trilogy. I’m less than completely uninterested in everybody having to be a part of a handful of families.
|
|
|
Post by wildfire2099 on Dec 27, 2020 22:26:39 GMT -5
The idea that Rey was just “some person” that was Force sensitive was by far the most interesting part of the new trilogy. I’m less than completely uninterested in everybody having to be a part of a handful of families. I feel like to make her just some person, there should have been more of a journey... she was too good at everything for that.
|
|
Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 9,419
|
Post by Confessor on Dec 28, 2020 6:08:14 GMT -5
I know I'm way behind, but a friend of mine gave me series 1 of The Mandalorian on a memory stick and I've been watching it over the past couple of weeks. I've watched the first 5 episodes so far and I really like it.
That said, I wasn't sure after episode 1 and 2 (too much cringey fan service for my tastes), but as the series has progressed I think it's got better and better. I like that it focuses on the seedy underbelly of the Star Wars universe, which we first glimpsed in the Mos Eisley sequences of the original film and was expanded upon in things like the Shadows of the Empire book/comic/video game. I'm not convinced that it really *feels* very Star Wars-y; like, if you took the familiar alien species and droids away it could just be any sci-if show about a spacefaring bounty hunter. But overall, it's a really interesting blend of Star Wars and '60s spaghetti western, which is a very enjoyable blend. I'm looking forward to finishing season 1 and maybe obtaining season 2 from this same friend.
|
|
|
Post by thwhtguardian on Dec 28, 2020 8:13:09 GMT -5
I know I'm way behind, but a friend of mine gave me series 1 of The Mandalorian on a memory stick and I've been watching it over the past couple of weeks. I've watched the first 5 episodes so far and I really like it. That said, I wasn't sure after episode 1 and 2 (too much cringey fan service for my tastes), but as the series has progressed I think it's got better and better. I like that it focuses on the seedy underbelly of the Star Wars universe, which we first glimpsed in the Mos Eisley sequences of the original film and was expanded upon in things like the Shadows of the Empire book/comic/video game. I'm not convinced that it really *feels* very Star Wars-y; like, if you took the familiar alien species and droids away it could just be any sci-if show about a spacefaring bounty hunter. But overall, it's a really interesting blend of Star Wars and '60s spaghetti western, which is a very enjoyable blend. I'm looking forward to finishing season 1 and maybe obtaining season 2 from this same friend. It's definitely a little uneven at the start but it's a fun ride and I loved the ending. Hopefully you can get the second season too, because it's even better than the first.
|
|
|
Post by Roquefort Raider on Dec 28, 2020 17:39:11 GMT -5
The idea that Rey was just “some person” that was Force sensitive was by far the most interesting part of the new trilogy. I’m less than completely uninterested in everybody having to be a part of a handful of families. I feel like to make her just some person, there should have been more of a journey... she was too good at everything for that. Absolutely. Plus, Luke's sabre called to her, which didn't seem to be a normal happenstance, suggesting a link between the two. And she could hear the voices of the Jedi, talking to her, as if it were meaningful. Plus Rey knew that you could mind-control a stormtrooper using the force, although she was supposed to have had no training whatsoever and did not even know what the Force was. Making her just some random force-sensitive person would have been a good idea initially, but it's definitely not the way she was written in Episode VII. (Personally, I liked how the very first film presented the Force as contacting all of us, meaning that most everybody could be a Jedi, the same way most anyone could learn karate; no midichlorian $#& in those days). Rey being Palpatine's grandkid gave Episode IX a new dimension as far as saga-capping episodes go, too. While Star Wars (the first one) was just about an unknown young farmer becoming a hero, and while the first six films were overall remade into "the fall and redemption of Anakin Skywalker", the whole nine movies were in the end about "the rise and fall of Emperor Palpatine". Satisfying or not, that gives the whole saga a sense of unity which I appreciated from a storytelling point of view. Should there be any more sequels, though, I'd place them centuries into the future, and create a whole new political structure. The "Empire vs Rebels" storyline has run its course.
|
|
|
Post by wildfire2099 on Dec 30, 2020 8:29:31 GMT -5
I agree 100%... unless they scrap Rey and company all together and do a new time line with the Mandalorian and with the characters in Rebels and other extended media being more important... I'd be totally OK with that After reading the Thrawn books... I'm wanting the end of Rebels to be a plot by Thrawn to bring Ezra to the Chiss, where he marries a Navigator and they have a new Chiss Jedi Order
|
|
|
Post by Randle-El on Jan 13, 2021 0:02:03 GMT -5
I feel like to make her just some person, there should have been more of a journey... she was too good at everything for that. Absolutely. Plus, Luke's sabre called to her, which didn't seem to be a normal happenstance, suggesting a link between the two. And she could hear the voices of the Jedi, talking to her, as if it were meaningful. Plus Rey knew that you could mind-control a stormtrooper using the force, although she was supposed to have had no training whatsoever and did not even know what the Force was. Making her just some random force-sensitive person would have been a good idea initially, but it's definitely not the way she was written in Episode VII. (Personally, I liked how the very first film presented the Force as contacting all of us, meaning that most everybody could be a Jedi, the same way most anyone could learn karate; no midichlorian $#& in those days). Rey being Palpatine's grandkid gave Episode IX a new dimension as far as saga-capping episodes go, too. While Star Wars (the first one) was just about an unknown young farmer becoming a hero, and while the first six films were overall remade into "the fall and redemption of Anakin Skywalker", the whole nine movies were in the end about "the rise and fall of Emperor Palpatine". Satisfying or not, that gives the whole saga a sense of unity which I appreciated from a storytelling point of view. Should there be any more sequels, though, I'd place them centuries into the future, and create a whole new political structure. The "Empire vs Rebels" storyline has run its course.
I never thought that they presented Force-sensitivity as a strict binary. I always understood the midichlorians as providing the justification for anyone to potentially have at least a minimal amount of Force-sensitivity. I seem to recall a line in Episode I where Qui Gon Jinn tells Anakin that they are present in all living cells, so the audience is meant to infer that Jedi simply have the largest concentrations of them. If that's the case, then Force-sensitivity is more of a continuum. This makes sense of characters like Maz Kanata or Donnie Yen's character in Rogue One, neither of whom were Jedi or seen performing typical Force-sensitive feats, but appeared to have some connection to the Force.
Personally, the idea of a continuum appeals to me a little more, and is more like most skill you pick up in real life. An untalented person can be trained and given practice, can become competent. But they will always be outmatched by someone with talent who trained and practiced with discipline.
|
|
|
Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 26, 2021 8:37:47 GMT -5
I was initially excited for the High Republic project but the first novel really has me scratching my head.
In the world of Star Wars Charles Soule is a writer that's delivered some truly amazing characterization, both in Darth Vader comic and the main Star Wars book, and come up with some fantastic plots...but though not as decompressed as Gillen, Soule does have a habit of creating stories that are stretched out beyond their necessary confines. He's one of those writers that has a certain knack for turning plots that could have worked much better as three issue stories into eight part monstrosities for no other reason than to fill an entire trade. I had hoped that when broken free from the constraints of the medium of monthly comic books his over all writing would come to match the highs he's exhibited before...however even when given an entire novel to tell a story his pacing is terrible.
This novel is written to launch an entire new era of Star Wars fiction, and it feels like it. There's a lot of world building here...that's almost interesting. There are new characters introduced...but then shelved. And new worlds to explore...which are the strongest element as they really do give you a real sense of exploration that is fun and exciting. That opening makes it sound worse than it is I suppose, and don't get me wrong I was disappointed but when the book gets out of its own way, there are truly poignant moments and characters. Soule sets up a tragedy that instantly recalls to me the feelings I felt during 9/11...only set in the Star Wars landscape. The initial deaths in the earliest chapters land perfectly, and the way you see the story from multiple levels from Jedi and political leaders to humble Republic officers and farmers makes it all feel very real...but then the plot moves on to something else leaving you cold.
Ultimately, this book was not ready yet, and it’s saddening to see. For every scene of high-speed action or a grounded moment of humanity in a galaxy slipping out of control, there’s a new problem that breaks you out of the flow of reading. It’s such a shame as, if you trimmed all the excessive details, retooled some wording, chose one of the two plots to focus on, and honed in on the truly touching parts of the story, there would be a worthwhile read here.
|
|
|
Post by Randle-El on Jan 26, 2021 11:12:42 GMT -5
I was initially excited for the High Republic project but the first novel really has me scratching my head. In the world of Star Wars Charles Soule is a writer that's delivered some truly amazing characterization, both in Darth Vader comic and the main Star Wars book, and come up with some fantastic plots...but though not as decompressed as Gillen, Soule does have a habit of creating stories that are stretched out beyond their necessary confines. He's one of those writers that has a certain knack for turning plots that could have worked much better as three issue stories into eight part monstrosities for no other reason than to fill an entire trade. I had hoped that when broken free from the constraints of the medium of monthly comic books his over all writing would come to match the highs he's exhibited before...however even when given an entire novel to tell a story his pacing is terrible. This novel is written to launch an entire new era of Star Wars fiction, and it feels like it. There's a lot of world building here...that's almost interesting. There are new characters introduced...but then shelved. And new worlds to explore...which are the strongest element as they really do give you a real sense of exploration that is fun and exciting. That opening makes it sound worse than it is I suppose, and don't get me wrong I was disappointed but when the book gets out of its own way, there are truly poignant moments and characters. Soule sets up a tragedy that instantly recalls to me the feelings I felt during 9/11...only set in the Star Wars landscape. The initial deaths in the earliest chapters land perfectly, and the way you see the story from multiple levels from Jedi and political leaders to humble Republic officers and farmers makes it all feel very real...but then the plot moves on to something else leaving you cold. Ultimately, this book was not ready yet, and it’s saddening to see. For every scene of high-speed action or a grounded moment of humanity in a galaxy slipping out of control, there’s a new problem that breaks you out of the flow of reading. It’s such a shame as, if you trimmed all the excessive details, retooled some wording, chose one of the two plots to focus on, and honed in on the truly touching parts of the story, there would be a worthwhile read here.
I enjoy Soule's writing as well. I wonder if the problem is editorial. I was never a big EU consumer, but my understanding of it was that creators were generally allowed to do what they wanted to so long as the Lucasfilm gatekeepers felt it didn't stray too far from established lore. But the current High Republic publishing initiative seems like it has a lot more editorial oversight -- understandable, since it's not a small-scale novel series by one author like most EU stuff in the past, but a big, cross-platform franchise. Maybe being that it's the first big book and has to establish a lot of the rules for this era of Star Wars gives it a burden that gets in the way of the storytelling?
|
|
|
Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 27, 2021 7:24:02 GMT -5
I was initially excited for the High Republic project but the first novel really has me scratching my head. In the world of Star Wars Charles Soule is a writer that's delivered some truly amazing characterization, both in Darth Vader comic and the main Star Wars book, and come up with some fantastic plots...but though not as decompressed as Gillen, Soule does have a habit of creating stories that are stretched out beyond their necessary confines. He's one of those writers that has a certain knack for turning plots that could have worked much better as three issue stories into eight part monstrosities for no other reason than to fill an entire trade. I had hoped that when broken free from the constraints of the medium of monthly comic books his over all writing would come to match the highs he's exhibited before...however even when given an entire novel to tell a story his pacing is terrible. This novel is written to launch an entire new era of Star Wars fiction, and it feels like it. There's a lot of world building here...that's almost interesting. There are new characters introduced...but then shelved. And new worlds to explore...which are the strongest element as they really do give you a real sense of exploration that is fun and exciting. That opening makes it sound worse than it is I suppose, and don't get me wrong I was disappointed but when the book gets out of its own way, there are truly poignant moments and characters. Soule sets up a tragedy that instantly recalls to me the feelings I felt during 9/11...only set in the Star Wars landscape. The initial deaths in the earliest chapters land perfectly, and the way you see the story from multiple levels from Jedi and political leaders to humble Republic officers and farmers makes it all feel very real...but then the plot moves on to something else leaving you cold. Ultimately, this book was not ready yet, and it’s saddening to see. For every scene of high-speed action or a grounded moment of humanity in a galaxy slipping out of control, there’s a new problem that breaks you out of the flow of reading. It’s such a shame as, if you trimmed all the excessive details, retooled some wording, chose one of the two plots to focus on, and honed in on the truly touching parts of the story, there would be a worthwhile read here.
I enjoy Soule's writing as well. I wonder if the problem is editorial. I was never a big EU consumer, but my understanding of it was that creators were generally allowed to do what they wanted to so long as the Lucasfilm gatekeepers felt it didn't stray too far from established lore. But the current High Republic publishing initiative seems like it has a lot more editorial oversight -- understandable, since it's not a small-scale novel series by one author like most EU stuff in the past, but a big, cross-platform franchise. Maybe being that it's the first big book and has to establish a lot of the rules for this era of Star Wars gives it a burden that gets in the way of the storytelling?
That would certainly explain the feeling that there were too many plates spinning in the air to form a cohesive narrative.
|
|
|
Post by wildfire2099 on Jan 28, 2021 20:32:08 GMT -5
That's disappointing, I was really hoping they were going to hit the mark better with High Republic, and the first comic was quite good. Where there any overlap/tie-ins?
|
|
|
Post by berkley on Jan 29, 2021 0:58:39 GMT -5
I know I'm way behind, but a friend of mine gave me series 1 of The Mandalorian on a memory stick and I've been watching it over the past couple of weeks. I've watched the first 5 episodes so far and I really like it. That said, I wasn't sure after episode 1 and 2 (too much cringey fan service for my tastes), but as the series has progressed I think it's got better and better. I like that it focuses on the seedy underbelly of the Star Wars universe, which we first glimpsed in the Mos Eisley sequences of the original film and was expanded upon in things like the Shadows of the Empire book/comic/video game. I'm not convinced that it really *feels* very Star Wars-y; like, if you took the familiar alien species and droids away it could just be any sci-if show about a spacefaring bounty hunter. But overall, it's a really interesting blend of Star Wars and '60s spaghetti western, which is a very enjoyable blend. I'm looking forward to finishing season 1 and maybe obtaining season 2 from this same friend. It's definitely a little uneven at the start but it's a fun ride and I loved the ending. Hopefully you can get the second season too, because it's even better than the first. I just finished the 2nd season and I'd go along with that. The 1st season did feel a bit wobbly early on - though possibly that feeling was partly due to my doubts about its quality, based on how bad most recent SW movies have seemed to me - but I was won over pretty quickly. And the 2nd series builds on that.
It isn't perfect: they sometimes come close to overplaying the cuteness card with the kid in a Disney-at-its-worst kind of way, and the Mandalorian's delivery is often a bit too everyday and mundane for me, like a suburban dad ordering a coffee at the mall or something.
But the good stuff far outweighs the bad, and even the bad points aren't deal-killers. The cuteness often works and effectively evokes the basic instinct to protect the young and helpless; and Mando's speech ... well, it's a really tough job to get that across with your face covered by an expressionless visor the whole time - and I noticed a big difference in the rare moments when the visor and helmet are removed. I think it might have been a good idea to have his voice modified in some way when the helmet was on - not to Darth Vader levels, but just enough to match the impassive, menacing impression the armour conveys.
I agree that it often feels like it doesn't really need to be part of the greater Star Wars universe, or whatever the correct term is, and I see that as both a strength and a weakness: a weakness, because it is meant to be a Star Wars story and doesn't quite feel like one at times; but a strength in that it feels like it's just a good show and would be a good show even if you never heard of Star Wars.
|
|
Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 9,419
|
Post by Confessor on Jan 30, 2021 0:59:55 GMT -5
Again, I'm really late to the party (fashionably late?), but I finally finished watching season 1 of The Mandolorian. Excellent stuff! The last two episodes in particular were fantastic. It's so good to be enthused by something Star Wars-related again, after being utterly turned off by the sequel trilogy and completely uninterested in Solo. This TV show and Rogue One are SW done right IMHO.
Need to find a source for Season 2 now.
|
|
|
Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 30, 2021 5:46:41 GMT -5
Again, I'm really late to the party (fashionably late?), but I finally finished watching season 1 of The Mandolorian. Excellent stuff! The last two episodes in particular were fantastic. It's so good to be enthused by something Star Wars-related again, after being utterly turned off by the sequel trilogy and completely uninterested in Solo. This TV show and Rogue One are SW done right IMHO. Need to find a source for Season 2 now. The finale was pretty awesome, when a creative team can make you feel for a fairly un-anthropomorphized robot you know their story telling chops are really strong.
|
|