Time Magazine Article Reveals Interesting New Facts About The Force Awakens
Time magazine goes behind the scenes of the making of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in their latest issue. Several new interesting facts and one new question raised in the article will probably keep us busy for the next 10 days, until the movie hit theaters on December 18th. Read on to find out what they are.
Although this is an official release, be careful of POTENTIAL SPOILERS!
One interesting new fact is, that the Stormtrooper armor evolved since we saw it in Return of the Jedi. Time magazine joined an audio session at Fox Studio.
They pause on a moment when a Stormtrooper named Finn, played by the English actor John Boyega, takes off his helmet. As he does so there’s a quiet whoosh sound, as of a vacuum seal being broken.
“I know,” he says finally. “But this is the future of the past.” In the future of the past, Stormtrooper armor seals tight.
Time has already seen the 20 minutes of The Force Awakens, so if you don’t want to be spoiled you better stop here.
SPOILERS
In that 20 minutes–mild spoilers follow–a young woman named Rey, played by Daisy Ridley, sits disconsolately on a dead-end desert planet in the shade of a wrecked AT-AT, waiting for her life to happen. (“I know all about waiting,” she says.) Her only companion is a friendly droid named BB-8. At the same time Poe Dameron, a captured rebel pilot played by Oscar Isaac, is being tortured by the sinister masked dark-sider Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) aboard a Star Destroyer belonging to the evil First Order, a military faction inspired by the Empire. Finn, the Stormtrooper, having realized that he wants to be one of the good guys, busts Poe out and together they steal a TIE fighter (“I’ve always wanted to fly one of these things,” says Poe).
So far, nothing we don’t know yet, but there as new twist for all those who followed the rumors. The reason why the First Order is looking for BB 8.
They crash-land on the desert planet where Rey lives. Poe is presumed dead in the crash, but Finn meets up with Rey and BB-8, who turns out to be carrying information vital to the resistance. The First Order is hot on their heels. They need to escape. There’s a ship, Rey says, but it’s “garbage”–a clapped-out old rust bucket. Pan over to the garbage ship. It is the Millennium Falcon.
OK, Rey isn’t the first one who never heard of the Millenium Falcon.
Carrie Fisher compares the directors, Lucas and Abrams.
“George doesn’t really talk,” says Carrie Fisher, who reprises the role of Princess Leia in The Force Awakens. “We were going to make a sign for him when he got sick at one point, saying faster and more intense, because those were his directions. J.J. is a very good communicator, so really in that sense he’s the opposite.”
In 1977 when Star Wars hit the theaters, people saw a nobody become somebody. Leia, Luke and Darth Vader, had to stand on their own feet.
To Abrams that’s one of the bedrock themes of the whole movie: “This is a story of disparate orphans who discover each other, and who discover that they can trust each other.” (…)
“The idea that there would be a new generation of young people, a new generation of nobodies. That was what Star Wars was for me, so wonderfully: a story of desperate nobodies who became somebodies.”
This is something to chew on, since so many fans speculated about the offspring of the Skywalker family. The quote doesn’t rule out a Skywalker offspring, but expands the story to new opportunities. So, who are the orphans of the Sequel Trilogy?
For the full article subscribe at Time Magazine.
For Time Magazine’s special photo shoot with the cast from The Force Awakens click here.
“What a piece of junk” “garbage” Clearly the only way people know how to describe the fastest hunk-of-junk in the galaxy.
The Falcon is presumed to be around 80 years old so it’s a sleeper rat rod.
I think the orphans J.J. speaks of are obviously Finn and Rey. Finn is an orphan taken in by (or just flat out taken by) the First Order and raised as a warrior. Rey’s parents may still be living but she has effectively lived her life as an orphan.
I think the orphans are Rey, Kylo Ren and Finn. The trio of this sequel trilogy is those three guys
I think Kylo Ren’s parents are alive and well and very familiar to the audience. 😉 But on Rey and Finn I agree.
“I’ve always wanted to fly one of these things,” says Poe
Darth Plagueis confirmed.
ROFL!
I totally missed that. I’m glad you pointed it out. Plagueis! Plagueis! Plagueis!
I love people who say Luke was a “nobody” everyman that any one of us could have been and who wasn’t special. Because any one of us can inherit our father’s sword, which he used when he was a knight who guarded peace and justice in the galaxy. Any one of us can be guarded from a distance by our father’s old friend who uses psychic powers and who has been waiting to be able to train us as a knight who can use psychic powers too in order to defeat the fallen knight who betrayed and murdered our father…
He was an Everyman to the audience when we meet him. A young guy trying to get out of the house and make something of himself is pretty universal.
But the prequels kind of destroyed that notion – which is a big reason why a lot of fans don’t like them.
That was never Lucas’ intention, to make him a complete nobody. I’m sure you’ve heard of ‘The Son of the Suns’.
Right. But neither was Frodo.
Its a fine line, but ‘midichlorians’ made it unbearable.
What do they have to do with this? Anyway, it’s been explained a gazillion times how the midi-chlorians don’t change anything. The concept of Force-sensitivity has been present since the first film.
Because it made Anakin into a super-man, rather than a relatable kid.
Force-sensitivity as a genetic trait wasn’t introduced until ROTJ….”my father has it” – first mention of any sort of genetic marker. Luke wanted to become a Jedi because his father was one.
Lucas always had the family lineage even in the earliest drafts.
Obviously. But ‘chosen one’ by ‘virgin birth’ and ‘conceived by midichlorians’ is very different from “become a Jedi, like my father” and “I am a Jedi, like my father, before me”
That second paragraph makes no sense as even with the PT backstory he’s still an Everyman based on how he was raised the 1st 19 years of his life, but go ahead and continue being a part of the irrational and delusional, vocal and loud minority as various stats/data have shown (despite of what you like to think due to seeing comments from loudmouth haters with stupid amounts of nerdrage on the Internet).
The PT is rightfully looked down upon. There were MAJOR flaws.
1. No Lawrence Kasdan
2. Lucas wrote the script
3. Dialogue was horrendous
4. Far too many cheesy moments & quotes
5. Everything was green screened
The story was solid underneath all of those flaws but they were there.and they were obviously apparent as they stood out like sore thumbs throughout the entire trilogy, hence why so many fans hate them. If the execution on those films would have been done right, the movies could have been so much better, but alas, the execution was bad and bad movies is what we got.
script is different from story
2-4 on your list apply to much of the OT as well. Just saying…
This Time Magazine article is not about the prequels. Prequel-bashers are SO intent on constantly trashing, they’ll keep doing it — even if they have to go totally off-topic to do so.
Again, Dude: THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE PREQUELS!
What’s irrational is your inability to address actual complaints about three movies that didn’t measure up.
Your constant need to turn fight fire with fire about 3 movies that will soon be in the past makes zero sense and makes this board more immature and cynical – almost worse than the useless Marvel vs. DC internet rage. It also validates that you are no more than a Sith lord feeding on division rather than being a fan that listens, learns and fights to be inclusive and inviting to a fanbase that has been here before, and will be here after.
The sooner you drop your useless crusade, the better off we all are for it.
” It also validates that you are no more than a Sith lord”
Um…
I try to keep it light and airy.
If Jar-Jar can be a possibility for a Sith lord…..anybody can!!!!!!!
I specifically stuck to the first film in the description. He was a “nobody” because he didn’t know he was special. Once we learn about his father and Vader, that changes things. He wasn’t a random farm kid who was randomly picked to have a lightsaber and fight the Empire. Anakin was in a similar situation until he found out he was special too.
He’s a nobody in the sense that almost nodboy, including himself, really knows who he is and he leads a poor, nondescript life. Frankly I think that’s rather obvious.
It is obvious. But I was talking about people who act as if he didn’t have a special background at all and that anyone could have been him.
“…carrying information vital to the resistance”? Now where did I hear that before?
J.J. Abrams: “You never heard that before.” *swings hand*
Let´s see:
– “Nobody” on a sand planet – Check
– Cute Droid with enemy’s plan – Check
– Good guy captured and tortured at the beggining – Check
– Good guys find a garbage ship after 1/3rd of the movie – Check
AND HOW IS THIS NOT A REBOOT?
A reboot is when a film is a newer version of an already existing film(s), like Planet of the Apes, for instance. This isn’t a reboot; it’s a rehash of ANH.
Same crap, This is a reboot in disguise.
Perhaps, but even crap deserves to be named right 😉
Agreed!
Can’t wait to see who plays Darth Vader and if he turns to the good to overthrow the Emperor. This is not a reboot, it is a SEQUEL.
Then don’t see it, and stop bitching
Except Luke doesn’t push the action, he’s along for the ride until he decides to rescue the princess.
Appears here that the protagonists are actually a bit more proactive before meeting their would-be mentor. Also, does the mentor die in this?
Rumor has it that a certain mentor figure does die here, yep.
Which one?
That’s what’s so awesome – they haven’t given that one away yet.
10 more days……
Well, it’s pretty much the most talked about leaked “rumour” out there so shouldn’t be hard to find…
Rumors are rumors.
They both have a 70 year old Han Solo and no Luke..oh wait. Its a sequel we both looked stupid there for a second.
It’s rhyming, you goofball. Now that J.J. Abrams is doing it, every fanboy likes it.
YEAH! I forgot it is all about rhyming, not rebooting…
At least it looks better than Dawn of Justice. I literally laughed out loud during that trailer the other day.
What is Dawn of Justice? D.C. shitty heroes?
I just cringed and got a little sick to my stomach.
“Is she with you?”
ufdsjakfdjlsajifdsoiuf
Man that was a bad trailer. As a boyhood Superman fan these Synder movies really make me sad.
Excuse me?
“Rhyming,” the way Lucas is it, refers to repeating small subplots (out inversions thereof) or shots across different characters. It doesn’t mean repeating entire plot points.
I was being sarcastic.
Not every fanboy likes a lack of originality, especially when you consider how different Empire and Jedi were to their predecessors. So don’t assume every fan will enjoy this when they see it. The jury is still out on that.
I think sometimes this notion of “rhyming” is taken a little too literally. I don’t think when George said it he meant “copy almost everything again”. I think fans are taking that too much at face value.
I was sarcastic. I don’t like the direction J.J. is going with this (the exact same direction as ANH), but everywhere I look, fanboys blinded by nostalgia jerk each other off to it.
Yup
The same way you jerk yourself off to the horrendous Dawn of Justice trailer.
Uh huh.
Because it is a sequel. Do you even know what a reboot is?
So I’m guessing that – in your mind – “A New Hope” must be a remake of “the Hidden Fortress”, “RotJ” must be a reboot of “ANH” and, say, every psychological thriller ever directed by Brian De Palma is, obviously, a reboot of “Psycho”?
No. What I am saying is that JJ/Disney managed to get the same “template” from ANH, changed characters’ gender/names/colors, but the main plot is the same.
I can´t believe people refrains to see this.
I can’t believe people can be so ignorant. The basic template uses exactly the same plot points that every, single, “coming of age”/”hero journey” kind of tale is based on – and it does so pairing said plot points with imagery, characterization and situational narrative which are iconic in the SW mythology and THAT is all we know so far.
Does it mean that you are not going to watch the movie now that you think it is essentially ANH reboot? If that is the case, do give your ticket to someone else then just stay at home to rewatch ANH. Don’t waste your time with TFA. Don’t worry! We won’t stop you.
No way! I wanna see the dogfights, they look awesome!
So you’ve seen the movie already? Troll…
you are so right…the knights of Ren must be replicas of the cantina band in a new hope, and snoke is just another version of the asteroid monster…..I think you are on to something…..on your way to the bus stop to take a ride on the short bus that is.
Surely “remake” is the word you are looking for?
If the Millenium Falcon was already a piece of junk 30 years ago, I wonder what it is now. Quasi-reboots like TFA look silly sometime.
It is not a Quasi-reboot, it is a Reboot-in-desguise.
It’s not a reboot in any form, it’s a sequel.
Just because sometime ago they talked about a “Episode 7”? Ah, come on, don´t be so stupid to believe it is a sequel just because they have the original trlogy actors and characters. It is the exactly same plot as A New Hope.
Half of the SW movies have the same plot point you are referring to. So, really, cut this crap: you are embarassing yourself.
Embarassing for what? A sci-fi movie discussion? Dude, really…
No, not for the sci-fi movie discussion; because you clearly show a lack of knowledge in what you are trying to talk about.
You don’t even have the slightest clue of what a reboot is. You really are embarrassing yourself. If as you say this “reboot” is just for money, you further embarrass yourself because the fact the sequel is what is making Disney money. Nobody wants to see ANH with different actors, which is what a reboot would be, with likely a completely different plot, hence the word reboot. You must be proud of yourself. Childish acts of trolling comments that make no sense at all because you know you are wrong and just want to stir the pot. Go ahead with your reboot if you think it will be soo bad. Stop coming to this site, and don’t watch the movie. A therapist may come in handy to.
Dude, I bought the tickets for the midnight opening.
Liar……if you got tickets for the midnight showing..then why all of a sudden are you now posting that you are worried about the clippers game…lmao..you are such a tool,
coz I bought the tickets on the first day (oct 19th wasnt it?), and only this week I noticed the game is at the same time. But I will watch the game on League Pass right after the movie.
As Beavis would say: “TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT!”
If his posts are embarrassing then so is this. A totally OTT reaction.
The difference is I want to see the movie. I support what I have seen so far. This is Episode 7, which follows Episodes 1-6. It is a continuation of the Skywalker Saga as a sequel and not a reboot. You’re right about one thing wasting time on trolls like yourself is more than I should have done. It does feel embarrassing that such simple things have to be explained to such an extent. People like yourself, come to this website, post comments on how you don’t really care and mock the new movie. You’re life must be so pathetic that you come here to troll others that actually do want to see the movie. Do yourself a favor and not come back to this site and not watch the movie. Pretty simple. You would be able to move on in your life and experience things in the world that do interest you.
“Trolls like yourself”? You’re calling me a troll are you? Based on one post?
Wow, just wow. I think you have done more to advance yourself as a troll in just a few minutes than I have by posting yet another over the top comment, littered with seething hate and insecurity.
Nobody has seen this movie yet. Universal love for it is as mindbogglingly stupid as the kind of hate agenda you are accusing others of.
People here are all fans. They just have different ideas of what they want to see. There are the uber-positive ones for whom Lucasfilm can do not wrong (and you seem to have decided to become of them). There are the haters who will oppose it “just because”…and then there are those who simply comment on what they have seen so far who feel no need to tow either line (and I am very much one of these people).
I have been consistent throughout the build up to this that while I am looking forward to the film and expect I will prefer it to the prequels, I have been frustrated by the fact that (based on what we have seen so far) the whole thing seems extremely derivative of the original trilogy, from plot similarities to design (even down to the huge mining of McQuarrie and EU designs). It very much feels like paint by numbers Star Wars that is doing it’s best to cater for worshipers like you who or people who hated the prequels and want more OT style films (the thirty and forthy-something man children in their Star Wars jammies). Well, that’s fine – but that’s it’s also playing it safe – and one thing neither Empire, Jedi or the prequels did was play it safe. Personally, unless there are some super secret spoilers in store for us that aren’t out there, I suspect that what will be in cinemas in a fortnight will very much confirm this to be the case. If you can’t handle my opinion on that, tough.
I like SW, but I am not an obsessive who treats it like a religion and cannot look at it objectively. It’s just an entertainment product to me. I’m sorry if the faint hint of criticism makes you hysterical and throw your toys out of the pram. Not a lot I can do about that I’m afraid. Perhaps you need to see that therapist you were recommending to others…..
Yes, you are a troll. Sorry to break it to you. You’re welcome. You need to look up the word troll like the guy I was responding to you needs to look up the word reboot. Anyways. I’m not reading all that because trolls aren’t worth the time it takes to respond. Consider yourself lucky. Good luck with your pessimism, it likely won’t help you much with life.
Pathetic.
Interesting at least we agree on something. You are quite pathetic. You and Ainnem should go see the movie together. That would be cute.
What is pathetic is someone accusing complete strangers of being trolls and then refusing to listen to to any kind of rebuttal. That’s the very definition of trolling, deliberately making inflammatory accusations with no interest in whether or not the accusations are true. You’re clearly trying to cause trouble and it’s laughable that you’re pretending it’s others.
You’ve been well and truly found out matey.
I loved that part in ANH where the stormtrooper defected and became a Jedi. Can’t wait to see the new spin on it.
That’s a sub-plot. Plot and sub-plot aren’t the same thing.
Disney’s agenda was to create a black and a woman heroes. Rey is the female Luke, and so they/JJ had to justify the other hero’s motivation. Pretty dumb, really, specially coz troopers couldn´t use sabers.
Ohhhh, you are one of those “agenda” guys. Ok, that explains a lot: you are not talking because you know anything about movies, storytelling and/or moviemaking, you are talking because you are basically paranoid.
All right, got it.
Of couse, agenda: everyone has its own. Disney´s agenda is to profit as much as they can, and what better way doing this by mimicking ANH´s so beloved elements with updated cinematography and demographics?
“to profit as much as they can” is pretty much every company’s job description.
That said, following your logic, your agenda must be “showing the world how eager you are to judge a movie you haven’t even seen yet” which is something that…doesn’t really make you look all that good…
My agenda is to rant and complain about Disney spoiling the original Star Wars Expanded Universe content, offering an inferior product, and having fun by doing so.
Oh, my bad: so your agenda actually is “trolling”.
Okay, good to know 🙂
What is trolling? This is internet, how can you take it so seriously? Just cruise by and have some fun…
really? because up until two weeks before full rehearsal began Finn was going to be played by a white guy….stfu tool
I think there’s enough differences in this movie to make it genuine sequel.
Thrawn Trilogy is a hundred times more a sequel in my point of view. Much more original.
Ohhhh, THERE you have it: you are complaining because they didn’t made a SW movie out of you favorite fan-fiction.
Fair enough, but stop pretending you somehow know what TFA is about (and, actually, what’s the difference between reboot/remake/rehash/spins and sequels).
ok dud i didnt want to make u mad luv ya
well that is because you are retarded….The Thrawn Trilogy was a fucking joke and I jumped for Joy when they threw that in the trash can where it belonged…the only thing the expanded Universe did was limit what they could do if they ever made a sequel…it stopped them from writing original and BETTER stories…killing the EU was not only the best thing that they could have done…but it was a no brainer…I wipe my ass with your precious Thrawn trilogy…no matter how much you cry and whine about it it….it will always be DEAD and trashed and forgotten about. 🙂 have a good day sugartits.
In serial fiction, to reboot means to discard all continuity in an established series in order to recreate its characters, timeline and backstory from the beginning.
To me it means “spoil the original story by mimicking it, but in a lamer and shitty way”.
Do not waste your time man.
“…Poe is presumed dead in the crash…”
Only presumed, and cannot mean dead, because we see him later even them together later in the rebel base.
Should we accept that they fly the same TIE fighter?
May be they pick injured Poe with the M. Falcon in their scape of Jakku?
May be they are just the writer conjectures.
If youre not sure that they fit one TIE being two people, remember that now there are two-seated TIEs too
Yeah… Just so that plot-gimmick of them both escaping can work it out…
You do realize that the classic TIE fighters could accomodate two people as well, right?
Crew: Pilot (1)
Passengers: None
And yet, there was space enough inside for two people, thus making your previous point invalid.
Who sat on each other´s lap?
Nope.
I would not waste time trying to reason with someone like this. Just because he has no life does not mean you should squander your time trying to explain stuff to him.
You are perfectly right, indeed. It’s just that I happen to have some free time on my hands and this is a good way to practice my (otherwise pretty rusty) english, is all 🙂
So do I. Now you understand me.
Your English is pretty rusty. Look up the word reboot.
Nice.
Don´t need. To “reboot” is to press this button:
I’ll help you then… In serial fiction, to reboot means to discard all continuity in an established series in order to recreate its characters, timeline and backstory from the beginning. The term is used with respect to various different forms of fictional media such as comic books, television series, video games, and films among others. What part of this do you not understand?
That´s exactly what Disney is doing but on a desguised way:
– Discarded the Expanded Universe;
– TFA story is 30 years from ROTJ, enought time so all the characters can “forget” about the past stories;
– Recreated 2 new factions (which there would be no reason to be created if there was indeed continuity);
– Created a new “black” villain from scratch;
– JJ even said that “he won´t mention the prequels”;
I see all this as a reboot in desguise. “Oh, but they have the original heroes!” Yeah, that would be the best random hook to make the old fans spend money on this.
Thrawn Trilogy is the true sequel to me. The continuity is there and intact.
Well you picked a good dummy to practice on. Yeah just ignore people like this dude.
Yup, right again 🙂 Anyway, it’s dinner time for me, so I’ll have to find some other way to practice 🙂
(oh, and thanks for trying to talk some sense)
At least you have sense unlike someone I know 🙂
Well, what I was wondering is if that is the writer conjecture or a true spoiler.
I guess a TIE F. can fly 2 people, I had no doubt about that.
I personally don´t see they scaping in the same Fighter.
The fact is that Finn end wearing Poe´s jacket in the desert, but just after landing seems that he is wearing the stormtrooper uniform.
Somehow Poe flies from Jakku to the Resistance Base, most likely in his now burnt X-Wing.
Most likely on that taking off ship Rey stares to.
Perhaps. If that’s the case then someone else would have to fly his X-Wing back to the Resistance Base.
Is he captured from the black rebooted-X-Wing? I thought he escaped Jakku and THEN, on the Rebelion, oops, Resistance, he got it.
My understanding is he was ordered by Leia to visit Max Von Sydows’s character on Jakku. He flies there in his X-Wing with BB-8. The First Order arrive, Poe is captured, and taken aboard the Star Destroyer. His X-Wing is torched (most likely by a flame-thrower) hence why it’s now black. BB-8 escapes. We later see him flying the now torched X-Wing. Somehow, his X-Wing must get back to the Resistance Base.
Thanks for the input. I thought that his X-Wing was black becuz it is his favorite fighting color. Mine would be purple.
A X-Wing pilot in a secret mision with a droid always is regarding me Luke and Obi Wan. He could be a Jedi may be trained by Luke, although there is no clue of a lightsaber for him.
Not necessarily. Poe could easily use the commotion created by Rey’s and Finn’s escape to find his way out of Jakku on his own and undetected by the 1st. Order.
It’s like poetry, it rhymes…
it’s so dense
Thankfully Time didn’t see the whole movie or they would have spoiled everything
Just a thought and will probably get slated for this but I am starting to think we will get no Skywalker solo offspring! Looks like all new characters that are separate
Kathleen Kennedy stated a while back that there would be a new character/s continuing the Skywalker lineage. 99% certain Kylo Ren is Han’s and Leia’s son.
Hope so I just have a bad feeling
Luke adopts Rey. Rey takes the Skywalker name. But she’s not blood related. We may never know who Rey’s real parents are.
It could go that way.
That wouldn’t be a continuation of the Skywalker lineage. The whole point of the Skywalker family is the amount of power they have in The Force. Her being adopted would be pointless to the Skywalkers.
So only Skywalkers have strong force abilities? What about Yoda? Yoda is a Skywalker? haha.
Yes, but not even Yoda was as strong in the Force as the Skywalkers. Strength in the Force doesn’t translate to wisdom and the intelligence to know how to use your Force powers. This is what made Yoda such a powerful Jedi.
Midiclorians will be debunked in TFA… I hope.
Ok, notice I didn’t mention Midichlorians. I said strength in the Force.
I didn’t come here to argue about whether this or that Lucas concept is good or based based on personal preference. All I know is that scientific progress does happen in real life. I don’t see why this shouldn’t be the case in the GFFA, a universe that for all intents and purposes is supposed to be more advanced than the real world.
I know for a fact that many a religious person would’ve preferred that the God particle theory had never been proven right. Yet it has been proven. So I don’t see anything wrong with a rational, scientific explanation behind a being’s ability to feel and use the Force.
J.J. Abrams can say anything that he likes. Personally, I can’t stand the guy and I would’ve NEVER chosen him to direct ANY film if it were up to me. Alas this decision was obviously not mine to take. But that doesn’t mean that I care for his opinion, much less that I share it.
Star Wars isn’t science fiction it is fantastical mythology. It is not Star Trek.
Midi-chlorians were part of the Jedi’s ignorance of the Force. That’s why the Jedi lost. Kenobi told Luke the truth about the Force and how it “binds us all”. Hopefully TFA continues the more interesting aspects of the Force. Mysteries of the unknown.
Even in science once one thing is explained it creates more questions to be answered. The universe can be explained by science but the soul of it remains a mystery.
Actually, SW is a fantasy/sci-fi mash-up. But don’t worry, I know it’s more fantasy than sci-fi. And I also know that in order for “Magic Systems” to work in fantasy, they must have rules that make sense to the viewer/reader.
Now, I didn’t say if I liked the concept of Midichlorians or not. I merely said that it made sense to me. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Belloq described the Ark to Indy as a transmitter to talk to God. That’s exactly how I see Midichlorians, as a transmitter to talk to the Force.
A Force user still has to believe in his/her ability to use the Force. And the mystery of the Force itself is not revealed through this transmitter, anymore than God’s mysterious ways weren’t revealed by the Ark of the Covenant in Raiders. So in the end, I believe this goes hand in hand with what you said: the soul of the Force itself remains a mystery.
We totally agree then. 🙂
We do. And for the record, I also wish that the ST focuses on the more esoteric, mystical aspects of the Force. No need for any more scientific explanations at this point!
Yes! And why not. There’s way more interesting things that can happen when the mysteries become thicker. If Midi-chlorians are final explanation then where do we go from here?
Well, as I understand them, Midichlorians are just like another sense that allows you to feel the Force, exactly as our eyes allow us to see. You still have to learn how to use the Force and control it consciously though, just like we had to learn how to read, for instance.
I believe that we may see Rey and/or Finn use the Force on instinct alone (hence the film’s title, as in the Force awakening in him, her or both) at least till they get proper training. And I think this would make things interesting.
The old schools of the Jedi and the Sith may be gone by now. So I guess the fun will be to see how new Force users develop their powers without following any kind of previously established dogma and doctrines.
Can i just say to both you, and Truther that it was really refreshing to see two rational people have a good indepth conversation without resulting to trolling each other. Awesome stuff, the internet needs more people like you!
Its was a useless complication of a beautifully simple concept.
Not to me it wasn’t. I know the PT is guilty of many sins, but I’ve never considered Midichlorians or the stiff Jedi Code part of those sins. That’s a matter of personal understanding and preference.
Depends on what a person’s personal understanding was.
James Luceno, in Darth Plageuis defined them as organisms that are drawn to one strong in the Force, which was different from what much of the audience understood – but like a lot in the prequels, it wasn’t communicated fully enough. But Luceno’s book isn’t canon anymore, so we’re still in the dark about how accessible the Force is for the Everyman, which was the whole beauty of it in the first place.
To me, the concept of Midichlorians was perfectly communicated in the films. Force potential depends on an individual’s Midichlorian count, just like a person’s intelligence depends on IQ. That’s simple common sense.
Obviously, a person with an avg. IQ will never be as intelligent as someone with a genius level IQ. This doesn’t seem to bother anyone in real life, so I fail to see why the fact that some people will never be Force-sensitive in the GFFA should be considered a terrible sin on Lucas’ part.
Because Star Wars was a space fantasy that was and remains more fantasy than science fiction. The introduction of a pseudo-scientific explanation pushes the series away from the fantasy genre and more into the science fiction genre – and that was the ‘sin’ or betrayal that midichlorians represents – and its indicated by your own explanation.
Everybody immediately understood the Force when Obi-Wan explains it in 1977. It was universally accessible to people who weren’t science fiction fans. When it starts to feel more like science fiction, then it loses that universality and accessibility , which was a strength of the original trilogy.
Even Yoda’s vision quest in Clone Wars was something simple. It was simple meditation, it was dream, it was a contemplation – but nowhere is a scientific explanation needed.
I have no problem with Lucas using archetypes and tropes from fantasy and sci-fi alike, b/c I think this is part of what makes SW so unique and original. I also have no problem with Midichlorians, because as I’ve already said they’re just the means to an end, not the end itself.
Funny how different we all are. The midichlorians make me want to vomit as badly as the horrible love story between anakin and padme. Otherwise i am better than most with the PT overall.
Which is a great thing, IMO. Again, I’m not defending Midichlorians. I just don’t mind the concept. Anakin-Padmé or Jar Jar Binks on the other hand…well, I guess that’s just universal common sense in us all doing the talking.
http://www.slashfilm.com/jj-abrams-midi-chlorians/
Just remembered. The second teaser trailer has the Luke “The Force runs strong in my family” dialogue in it. Luke was talking to Rey in some capacity. Either as her father or uncle.
That was extracted from Luke’s speech to Leia in RotJ. Not saying that Rey isn’t related to him, but it’s unlikely that he’ll say the same exact words to her as he did to his sister.
Not saying that dialogue is in the movie, but it’s inclusion is implying there is an additional Skywalker in this movie. Most likely a reference to Rey.
Yep. I also thought that the line was included to infer that Rey is Luke’s daughter or niece. But the more I think about it, this could be a red herring. Maybe Rey is the key to finding the true Skywalker offspring in the next film(s) and not the “heir” herself.
Hmmm that’s an interesting thought.
Perhaps Kylo Ren is the only Skywalker, via Leia, in the movie and Rey is the first new Jedi that Luke trains? She finds the chosen one, or becomes the Obi-Wan perhaps to Luke’s actual offspring who we have not yet seen?
That said, if there is one key Skywalker on whom the three films turns and we don’t see them in the first film that would be a bold and bizarre choice.
Personally, I think in an effort to be different the point of this is going to be two Skywalker (Rey and Kylo) on either side of the light at the same time, with the point being that the audience doesn’t know who ends up being “the one”. Just my theory.
Yeah, the possibilities are endless right now and I can see any of these scenarios playing themselves out in the entire ST.
The search for a new Skywalker (if it’s neither Rey nor Kylo) would make for a bold plot, no doubt, but then again I don’t think it’s all that different to the rumored search for Luke…and showing Luke to the audience for just a couple of mins. is very bold, too. Maybe there’s more than one new Skywalker and they’re all forced to go into hiding to protect themselves from the 1st. Order, beginning with Luke?
The safest choice, IMO, would be to have Rey and Kylo related to Luke and Leia (whether they’re siblings or cousins) because it’s also predictable given what little we already know about the characters so far. That said, this is not to say that it wouldn’t work if done well. It’s just a little too similar to what happened to the Solo twins in the EU for my taste, tbh. And I’m hoping for something a little more original.
Well, I dare say that if there’s one red flag about what we’ve seen so far it’s that there is not a lot of true originality here. Plus they did say that the films would in some ways borrow ideas from the EU.
Yeah, I’d be lying if I said that I’m not concerned with the many similarities between TFA and ANH. As for borrowing ideas from the EU, I know KK said this, but I really thought she was being political so as not to offend any fans of the EU.
I don’t think any self-respecting artist would prefer to borrow ideas from other people’s work when you’ve been given free rein to do something completely new. I thought this was why Kasdan was brought in, precisely. And I really hope that Ep. VIII doesn’t revolve around Rey training with Luke in some secluded place like TESB. That would be too much, IMO.
Yup
“I don’t think any self-respecting artist would prefer to borrow ideas from other people’s work when you’ve been given free rein to do something completely new”
Um…like borrowing from Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, Princess of Mars and Kurosawa?
And The Lord of the Rings, too. But that’s not the same as using say the Solo twins and just giving them new names, traits and personalities.
The problem with these thoughts that you two are discussing is that both of you do the typical thing b trying to make Finn irrelevant. You know who doesn’t do that? JJ. Not in an of his actual interviews has he ever indicated that Rey was that more important than Finn or that she alone had a hero’s journey. JJ has given us clues or outright statements indicating that this story that he and Kasdan have set up is about Rey and Finn and Kylo as the guy on the other side. But so many of you fans don’t pay attention and keep dismissing Finn as some red herring or a walking misdirection. Hard to be a misdirection though if EVERYONE is predicting you to be a misdirection.
No, that’s not a problem because Finn hasn’t been the topic of this particular discussion anymore than Kylo, Poe, Hux, Phasma or Threepio, for that matter.
Can’t speak for anyone else, but for my part I’ve been specifically discussing Rey’s potential role in TFA and beyond. It’s ironic that you accuse me of dismissing Finn’s importance when you’re clearly overlooking the fact that he isn’t the subject that’s been discussed here.
It could, that’s not a bad theory. I always thought Rey being Luke’s daughter was a little too obvious. At this point though, leading up to the movie’s release, I really don’t know whose daughter she is, which is kind of cool.
Yeah, me too. Especially given Daisy Ridley’s remarkable resemblance to Natalie Portman. Personally, I think the backstories of Rey and Finn both are very intriguing. Interesting new characters, no doubt, regardless on whether they’re related to anyone from the OT or not, IMO.
It’s about the impolication, not the words, and it’s definitely meant ti imply definitely saying it to one of Rey, Finn or Kylo Ren- and with the focus on Rey in that trailer one would assume he’s talking about Rey.
Yeah, I know. But it could also be misdirection or a red herring. I think it’d be much more interesting if Rey was the key to finding the true new Skywalker than if she were related to Luke and Leia. That’s just too predictable, IMO. Ditto for Kylo Ren.
I think the red herring is Finn with the saber.
Oh, definitely. I think the scene where Finn fights the stormtrooper carrying that electric baton (or whatever it’s called) speaks volumes in this sense.
My speculation is that the First Order has trained their troops to face lightsaber wielding Jedi and that’s why Finn has an idea on how to use it. But I think the true awakening of the Force happens in Rey, not Finn.
If Rey is no relation to Padme, why cast a girl who looks alike?
A New Hope was an introduction. There are two more movies to offer revelations.
Someone help me here. Rey knows how to fly a starship, and she knows where one is. For me, this completely verifies that she is not a stranded orphan, but was purposely hidden on Jakku. I can’t come up with any other logical explanation.
I think Time is leaving out alot of details because despite the warning of spoilers, Disney would not want the whole story plot to be leaked out. We’ll still need to wait for the movie for 9 DAYS! Can’t wait!
We literally have no info on her history.
Which is kind what makes this exciting!
Agreed. It’ll be very interesting to see how Rey became an ace pilot and more importantly, IMO, how the hell did the Falcon end in Jakku (based on Han’s “Chewie, we’re home” it seems like they haven’t seen their beloved old hunk of junk in a while).
But we do keep hearing orphan and I don’t buy it.
Yeah, her ability to pilot the Falcon well, well enough to evade TIE Fighter pilots, needs to be explained — but I’m afraid the story may just quickly say it’s because she learned to drive other freighter craft on Jaaku throughout her young life. Meh.
I can’t see how Rey can be a solo. Not really the story of orphans if rey meets both her parents in the second act. I think she will be a orphan, hidden by choice on jakku and will meet her father at the end when she returns his lightsaber
I was actually thinking of the same thing as you till i saw JJ’s quote of nobodies becoming somebodies. Now i am not so sure that Rey is related to anybody significant.
Poe could be a nobody and Finn could be a nobody.
Could have said the same about Luke Skywalker, though. He was a nobody who was definitely related to a somebody.
Luke hides her away and uses the force to cloud her mind so she doesn’t know who she is because of Kylo, her twin brother turning. Kylo recognizes her in the trailer which is why he doesn’t kill her.
I know its a dumb theory, don’t correct with spoilers please.
I;d buy it. Though I don’t think they are twins, just due to the age difference, but Driver doesn’t really look that much older so I wouldn’t complain. I do lean toward them both being Solo kids, though.
So, someone of importance hidden away on a desert planet, living as a nobody, with a droid carrying important information for the good guys.
Where have I seen that before?
I think JJ may have taken George’s word about “rhyming” a little too literally.
I can’t read this, but I WANT TO
The struggle is real…
READ IT! It is so good. The best, most informative article there has been in weeks. Not too many spoilers, but this article definitely helps put together some separate scenes.
That’s the thing, I don’t really WANT to put together scenes. the only reason that the first half of this movie hasn’t been spoiled for a lot of us is that most of us don’t go around watching all of those “chronological order supercut” videos that have become so popular. If we find out where to place scenes, that gives them context, and they BECOME spoilery. i think I’ll just have to bookmark this one and come back later.
You have watched ANH, so you are already spoiled to the max…
Don’t read it – you don’t need to, and it gives away the most of any article I’ve read so far.
I read the comments only.
So I can get overreactions and likely nothing that resembles what (a) was actually confirmed and (b) ideas that throw all of us so far from what will actually happen that we aren’t even spoiled because our brains had run amok.
BB-8 has information vital to the Rebel err Resistance. A lone hero on a desert planet, a droid needing to get to the resistance because its carrying vital information, an old mentor character played by a well established actor guiding the characters forward, a large planet/galaxy destruction machine, a huge battle involving, possibly, the destruction of said device with a giant trench, though hopefully not a trench run.
We haven’t seen hardly anything, and I’m still excited for me movie. I haven’t read the big spoilers so I don’t know how different the movie could be. I’m just pointing out how similar this movie feels. I really hope there are several different areas where the plot takes what we expect based on whats come before and twists it upside down.
Episode VII: A New New Hope
Cool. It’s episode VII: a newer hope
Reboot…
At least its not episode I: an even phantomer menace
Crash landing on a desert after escaping the empire.
A droid with secret information belongs to a young nobody waiting for life to happen.
Bad guys show up.
Good guys flee in millenium falcon.
Episode VII: A new hope awakens
couldn’t be more wrong
What I don’t get is the marketing scheme of releasing imagery from the first act only. So if you wanna buy a Force Awakens 2016 calendar, you only get photos from the first half of the movie [laughs.] /:
The forest planet and the snow planet aren’t in the first act.
Neither are they on the calendar
stuff thats very a new hope like :
– object gets placed in a droid , bad guys really looking for it
– main protagonist lives on a desert planet and longs to spread her wings and escape her life
– old mentor guy, confronts bad guy in bad guy’s secret superweapon base and dies protecting younger generation protagonists
– bad guys have secret super weapon that can destroy whole planets
– daring rescue inside bad guys super weapon base to save one of our heroes
– cantina sequence where our gang is looking for a person
– bad guys get alerted to good guys being in cantina, good guys have to escape
– briefing room inside resistance base
– General Hux is very confident and will go down with starkiller base moments before it can fire
– Kylo Ren and General Hux have same dynamic as Vador/Tarkin
– Chess sequence on board the Falcon
– Newbie protagonist mans falcons quad guns while escaping some TIE fighters, turns out he not a bad shot
– Main Protagonist drives a speeder in desert
The only new spoiler I’m interested in this close to the actual release is confirmation or denial of the lightsaber floating in space thing. If it’s not there, tell me so that I can stop worrying about it. If it is, tell me so that I can start trying to accept it and not get a pit in my stomach when I see it sail past after the crawl next Thursday night.
Gah, hopefully this is strongly implying that Rey has the Falcon for some (meaningful) reason or another and they don’t have to go jack it from some used ship dealer somewhere cause Han and Chewie missed a title pawn payment a decade back
I skipped past when they started describing the story.
I kind of thought they were gonna talk about “Making Of” facts, like, the movie as it exists in our world, i.e. non-plot facts about the process.
I would have thought “tidbits and comments about the first 20 minutes” would be more suitable for what this appears to be.
I wish i was strong enough to resist the spoilers. I know too much now.
Didnt read. Done with spoilers! Hope the rest of your enjoyed the article though!
I think they are mostly just showing us the similar moments from a new hope so that we think we know where they are going with it.. it’s “safe” stuff to show.. it’s all of what we don’t know that will be interesting to finally see.