Star Wars: Episode VIII ***Speculation & Spoilers***

[Making Chimichangas]

On 1/8/2018 at 10:33 PM, Mavric said:

 

 

Pretty sure this was a nod to the fuzzy dice in one of the shots of the Falcon in the original trilogy.

 

I did not know that.  In fairness though, it has been at least 10 years since I've seen A New Hope.  I should probably re-watch the original trilogy at some point.

[Moiraine]

On 1/8/2018 at 11:25 PM, Making Chimichangas said:

2) After Holdo jumped to lightspeed and split Snoke's ship in half, how did Finn and Rose survive? (Because clearly that went right through where they were.)

 

3) We see Captain Phasma marching towards Finn after the ship split.  I feel like there is a least one, possibly two scenes missing there.

 

 

Ya, this part was pretty silly. Them surviving is *sort of* okay. They were the only people laying flat on the ground. Everyone standing up got wiped out (minus Phasma & co). So we can pretend the deathy stuff when right over them.

The really silly part was that Phasma was standing right there, maybe a yard away from them. The next time we see them they're still laying on the ground, she's nowhere near, and then suddenly she appears from a completely different area.

Edited January 12, 2018 by Moiraine

[knapplc]

On 1/8/2018 at 11:25 PM, Making Chimichangas said:

1) How did Hux get the Resistance "tied to a string?"  How did that occur?

 

I watched the movie twice and had no idea what he was talking about. I paid special attention the second time to see what I had (apparently) missed the first time, and there was no explanation.  "You can't track a ship through light speed" was what we were told. Then the Empire does it, and the Rebels were all like, "Well, I guess you can do that now."  All we're really shown is that the flux capacitor looking thing on one ship has the ability to track them, but then we're told if they destroy that particular thing that they'll switch tracking to another ship.  So that means it's something built into each ship, not a new, unique thing to that ship. 

 

Wookieepedia's "Hyperspace Tracker" entry makes it sound like it's just new technology.  Which is super boring.

 

"A hyperspace tracker was a technology with the ability to detect starships travelling through hyperspace, a feat not thought possible until the First Order utilized it against the Resistance^[2] in 34 ABY.^[3] The science behind hyperspace tracking was studied by the Tarkin Initiative during the reign of the Galactic Empire,^[1] and files about these studies were discovered by Jyn Erso during the Battle of Scarif^[4] in 0 BBY.^[5] The science was not perfected for several more decades when a team assembled by General Armitage Hux discovered how to implement the technology.^[1] "

[Redux]

Mentioned before I think, it's a nod to Rouge One I believe.  When searching the database they come across a Hyoerspace Tracker file.

[Making Chimichangas]

On ‎1‎/‎12‎/‎2018 at 7:14 AM, knapplc said:

...the flux capacitor looking thing...

 

 

Now that you mention it, it really does remind me of Doc Brown's "Flux Capacitor" from Back To The Future.    

 

[Making Chimichangas]

And, I found this...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1M95njhovw

 

It's a terrific video that discusses the science and physics behind what the video calls, "The coolest scene" in The Last Jedi.

 

Disclaimer: I know that actual science and physics get tossed aside in making Star Wars films, I thought the video was great nonetheless.

 

Also, how do you embed YouTube videos, instead of just having the link?

[knapplc]

The problem with Hondo's suicide run (although I'm hearing maybe she somehow survived the attack) is that it ruins warfare forever in the Star Wars universe.

 

It's no longer believable that you have giant battleships, or planet-killing superweapons like the Death Star or whatever Death Star clone planet thing they had in TFA.

 

We know ships as small as X-Wings can travel at >light speed.  So now, if the Empire trundles out their battle fleet, we just dummy up 37 X-wing sized objects, equip them with lightspeed engines, aim and POW! no more fleet. Got a planet that's giving you trouble?  Get a bigger object. The Death Star had supralight engines, but that's probably overkill for a planet. You'd just need a couple of super star destroyer sized things.

 

And the cool thing is, there's no need to actually build a ship.  Use a meteor, or a small, unused moon.  Any space debris will do.  Any society that can develop lightspeed technology can easily figure out the logistics of strapping such an engine on a hunk of metallic asteroid.

 

This is just another of the myriad problems with this film.  They didn't think anything through. 

 

 

[Moiraine]

You've had some good points knapp, but I don't think this is one of them. This is the first time anyone thought of doing this. That happens in real life, and people adjust. It doesn't at all ruin warfare in the Star Wars universe. Any movie that takes place before this movie, where it happened for the first time, is just fine, because no one had thought of doing it before. We know that a character thought of doing it in this movie, but the characters before this don't. Also, it seems pretty obvious that this would work the way that it did. But never before did I think a character should do it to save the day because it didn't enter my mind. That makes it seem realistic to me that this character thought it up for the first time.

 

As for films taking place after, there likely isn't enough time between this movie and the final Skywalker film for other people to implement this fancy new idea.

Edited January 13, 2018 by Moiraine

[Redux]

I hoenstly don't know why I wander into this thread anymore.

[Landlord]

Blasters and lightsabers and Star Destroyers and Death Stars all should've ruined all warfare in Star Wars if you follow the natural logic of what they're really capable of. But they didn't, because it's movies, and because you write your way around it.

 

For instance, Storm Troopers are supposed to be elite trained soldiers, taken from their families from birth and trained their entire lives. Yet they can't ever seem to get within 5 feet of their targets. Why? Because that would make for some big problems for trying to tell a story.

 

Hell, even guns should ruin most movies. Yet somehow protagonists can always outrun machine gun fire or stand in the middle of a firefight unharmed.

[Redux]

Well, let's use "logic".  The resistance does not have the funding to simply "buy a bigger boat" and equip it with the necessary means to kamikaze any First Order ship they want.  Nor do they have enough people, or even droids, to power said ship on said suicide mission.

 

There, movie saved.

Edited January 14, 2018 by Redux

[Cdog923]

On 1/6/2018 at 3:43 PM, zoogs said:

One thing I really liked about that sequence is it was Luke finally being able to re-emerge. This whole time, he was crushed by this burden of what he felt he needed to be for the galaxy, and for Rey. In Rey's case, he felt he needed to convince her that she shouldn't pursue being a Jedi, so he very forcefully adopts this posture of authority and conviction. It's similar to other masters such as Yoda who knew what they wanted to pass on, and were mysterious as needed to allow the pupil to go on the journey. In front of Rey, Luke can't be a guy that admits he has no clue. It weighs him down, unnecessarily.

 

In front of Yoda, though, this changes. It's probably the first time in ages he has ever been allowed to be vulnerable and human to anyone else. When Yoda first finds him, he's worked up and about to torch the place. Yoda dares him to do it, and Luke is like, "yeah? I'll really do it. You don't believe me?" ... but he hesitates, as Yoda knew he would, because his convictions aren't nearly as strong as he tries to let on. When Yoda torches the tree himself, this is what really crumbles Luke's facade. Gone is his brave front as he runs towards the tree in a panic, shrieking "....but the sacred Jedi texts!" in anguish. The same texts he has spent the film up to that point convincing the audience, and himself, that he'd be glad to be rid of. I love that Yoda points out that Luke hasn't even read them, so what is he even doing?

 

It's a really touching moment -- Luke and Yoda, pupil and master again, reflecting on the fate of the galaxy, Yoda thwomping him on the nose when he doesn't get it. It's the one chance Luke gets to chat with someone who isn't looking to him for salvation, and the burden visibly lifts from his shoulders. He becomes recognizable again as the fresh-faced boy from Tatooine in this moment, and we see that there's a lot of Luke that never really left, in spite of all he's gone through. And it sets up his marvelous final act. 

 

Luke lost his way, but finds it again in the end, with a little help from his friends. 

 

(Love this depiction of Yoda, by the way. It didn't even occur to me that it was the OT version of Yoda, not the prequels one, until Redux pointed it out here. Definitely like this one better, but the prequels version fit the story they were telling there, I suppose)

 

This is my favorite part of the movie, by far. It's also my second favorite part of any Star Wars canon since RotJ. 

[Enhance]

Something also worth pointing out about Hondo's suicide scene is the impact of ripping the lightsaber in two.

 

Hondo flew through one ship but, if you watch closely, every other First Order star destroyer in the area was also ripped in half during this moment. I think this was a chain reaction result of Hondo flying through the ship at the same time Rey/Kylo ripped apart the lightsaber. Had Hondo just flown through Snoke's ship, it may not have caused near the same amount of damage.

 

Otherwise, I agree with @Landlord.

[zoogs]

I hadn't thought about the ship thing. It's interesting. The Force is actually a bit more problematic for me. If these guys can just fling their enemies through the air at will, why do they bother with lightsaber battle? 

 

I say 'problematic' -- it's not that much of a problem.

Edited January 14, 2018 by zoogs

[Cdog923]

2 hours ago, zoogs said:

I hadn't thought about the ship thing. It's interesting. The Force is actually a bit more problematic for me. If these guys can just fling their enemies through the air at will, why do they bother with lightsaber battle? 

 

I say 'problematic' -- it's not that much of a problem.

 

I've always thought that the Force can be used both offensively and defensively; if a Sith has a Jedi's full attention, the Jedi can use the Force to prevent things such as a Force Throw, Push or Choke. In regards to lightsaber battles, I also think that Jedi and Sith can use the Force as a sort of sixth sense to predict or see where their opponent is striking. 

 

I also have too much time on my hands some days.