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[eyeball_kid]

Rey is a better melee fighter than Luke pre-Jedi. Luke gets easily knocked out by a Tusken Raider, Rey takes out two street thugs with her staff.

Being proficient with a staff and hand-to-hand combat is not the same as swinging a lightsaber with the skill of a samurai. If Rey actually somehow has massive sword skills, maybe they should've given her a sword instead of a staff so the audience isn't forced make a big assumption about her training.

 

[Blargonaut]

She literally says she's a pilot.

But in the movie, how?

I really wish I didn't have to go into Expanded Universe stuff to figure out that she became a competent pilot from flight-sims. I know that this is ultimately a super minor thing to be antsy about, but is it too much to ask for this multi-million-currencies narrative to run smoothly once without the need for me to think and make stuff up as I go?

Because I care so much, must I really have to correct myself later through some time-wasting independent research, or else be corrected by friends, internet people, etc. who know the lore better than me? I want better-executed lore.

I just want to be spoonfed once and that's it

I don't want this career in fictional dot-connecting

 

[OricWindstar]

OT3 | That's not how The Force works!

Haha! It 100% needs to be this.

But in the movie, how?

I really wish I didn't have to go into Expanded Universe stuff to figure out that she became a competent pilot from flight-sims. I know that this is ultimately a super minor thing to be antsy about, but is it too much to ask for this multi-million-currencies narrative to run smoothly once without the need for me to think and make stuff up as I go?

Because I care so much, must I really have to correct myself later through some time-wasting independent research, or else be corrected by friends, internet people, etc. who know the lore better than me? I want better-executed lore.

I just want to be spoonfed once and that's it

I don't want this career in fictional dot-connecting

How did Luke become a good pilot? People just mention it, you never see him in anything other than a speeder.

 

[Kinsei]

Easy for her to do when the people she's worried about are either dead or almost dead!

*shakes fist*

That's like the best time though. At that point she had nothing left and was going to die so in a last ditch effort she let the force guide her.

Or am I just not understanding sarcasm again?

 

[Bobby Roberts]

Just dropping in so I don't know the thread consensus, am I the only one who found Rey not very likable?

This is one of those moments, I think, where someone deploying the creaky-ass "am I the only one" line is, actually, the only one.

 

[Atlas157]

I'm sure this has been discussed a millions times already, but how did Kylo and Finn both take direct light saber blows and seem to have no real damage? I'm talking about missing limbs or worse. Finn gets slashed across his back and seems to be in one piece and all Kylo has to show for it is a scar on this face.

The lightsaber tips grazed the skin.

 

[-griffy-]

Why you gotta articulate what I'm trying to communicate so much more efficiently than me, man?

Lore master status.

 

[Ragnorok64]

I guess, but I thought it was pretty funny when Mark Waid tweeted this to Max Landis:

"If you're letting your cynicism outweigh how important it is for adolescent girls to have a brave hero, your heart is made of broken glass."

I kinda had a feeling it might end up like this, coming out of the movie. I'm glad to have a girl as the main hero of a big blockbuster, but that doesn't mean she's above criticism. Like I don't even recall her failing at anything throughout the whole movie, and she pulled some high level Force tricks out of seemingly nowhere. The thought Mary Sue was actually in my mind leaving the theater, but I had a feeling that would be the reaction to that idea on forums.

 

[Opto]

Being proficient with a staff and hand-to-hand combat is not the same as swinging a lightsaber with the skill of a samurai. If Rey actually somehow has massive sword skills, maybe they should've given her a sword instead of a staff so the audience isn't forced make a big assumption about her training.

So shooting a turret is close enough to shooting a blaster, but hand to hand and staff fighting isn't close enough to swordfighting.

 

[Sorcerer]

wow

just zero hope already

I mean where else can this go? I am sure Disney, spurred on by this massive success will want to stick to playing it safe. I can already deduce what happens with Kylo Ren and Snoke. Can you feel it?

I get it. I am just saying I am looking forward to the next trilogy.

 

[diaspora]

Just dropping in so I don't know the thread consensus, am I the only one who found Rey not very likable? She seems like somebody working on the script watched The Hunger Games, saw JLaw as Katniss, and said "YES! I want her with a lightsaber and a British accent". Her deliveries were often emotionless, and I already find myself not really caring about her subplot.

Finn, on the other hand, was super charming with a lot of heart. A non-Force user going up against a Sith with only a lightsaber? You go, dude.

No. Paper thin character. Maybe the sequels will be better.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

Haha! It 100% needs to be this.

I like it.

We'll see what happens in a week, I guess, if the first thread's rate of speed is anything to go by.

Then again, that first thread had a legitimate leak happen within it.

 

[lybertyboy]

Luke never actually tried to calm his ass down and listen to the Force during that fight, either.

In fact, he wasn't even supposed to have gone there in the first fuckin place.

Who knows if he'd actually managed to compose himself with the amount of control Rey had during her fight with a much weaker Force user. He managed to get over on Vader a couple times (kicked him off a ledge, caught him on the shoulder - like Finn!) even in that heightened, semi-panicked state. It's hard to say Luke didn't have a hidden power-up, because Luke never tried. He ran headlong into that fight with not much more than a bunch of eager self-righteousness and an underlying thirst for revenge (which is not the Jedi way, of course) and caught an asswhipping when he didn't chill out and listen to the Force.

Which is really all Yoda was trying to teach him to do anyway. Chill out and LISTEN to what the Force is telling you. Don't fight it. Just let it in.

Which is what Rey did.

I actually agree with you, but the last time I remember seeing a force user calm himself in the middle of a fight Darth Maul killed him shortly thereafter.

 

[bananafactory]

But in the movie, how?

I really wish I didn't have to go into Expanded Universe stuff to figure out that she became a competent pilot from flight-sims. I know that this is ultimately a super minor thing to be antsy about, but is it too much to ask for this multi-million-currencies narrative to run smoothly once without the need for me to think and make stuff up as I go?

Because I care so much, must I really have to correct myself later through some time-wasting independent research, or else be corrected by friends, internet people, etc. who know the lore better than me? I want better-executed lore.

I just want to be spoonfed once and that's it

I don't want this career in fictional dot-connecting

When they're running away, Finn says "we need a pilot" and she says "we've got one", implying herself. That's really all that needs to be communicated at that time - that she can fly ships.

I don't know why people are so hung up on it.

 

[ReadingRambo]

This is one of those moments, I thin, where someone deploying the creaky-ass "am I the only one" line is, actually, the only one.

The way this shit's been going he probably isn't the only one.

 

[aliengmr]

Literally everything in canon up until that point suggests that she shouldn't have been able to do the things she was doing. That's why it stands out as a glaring problem for so many. To myself and many others, Rey learned how to sprint before she could walk.

Ren committed to the Dark Side by killing Han. If there was a moment of weakness, it was when Chewie shot him - which was something he should have been able to defend himself against. After that, he wasted no time in hunting down Rey and Finn and confronting them. The fanciful choreography he maintains even then suggests that he wasn't compromised mentally. He was still capable of fighting, and did so deliberately with Finn, and with enough patience to hold back against Rey to recruit her. I am sure Ren will be processing killing Han in the sequels, but he had it bottled away at that point.

Vader, Palpatine, Dooku and Maul are all powerful Dark Side users and they didn't need to stay angry. They just needed to channel their hate. Ren was angry when he confronted Finn and Rey, he didn't need to make himself any angrier. He was already pissed off.

You are wrongly assuming that just by killing Han that seals the deal. And again all those Sith lords had far more train and were 100% committed dicks, they weren't fighting the light side.

But we are going to have to agree to disagree on this point.

 

[pringles]

Being proficient with a staff and hand-to-hand combat is not the same as swinging a lightsaber with the skill of a samurai. If Rey actually somehow has massive sword skills, maybe they should've given her a sword instead of a staff so the audience isn't forced make a big assumption about her training.

She doesn't look very skilled with the saber.

 

[AniHawk]

That's not how The Force works!

my favorite line from the movie

 

[LookAtMeGo]

Yo Bobby, did you guys do a spoiler podcast for TFA? And whats the name the podcast again? I forget.

 

[OricWindstar]

The way this shit's been going he probably isn't the only one.

It seems like most people like her too much and are pissed about it.

 

[CrichtonKicks]

Could have been avoided had they made Finn just slightly more competent!

Being great is one thing, but when juxtaposed against Mr. Clean it become annoying.

Finn is plenty competent and did well for himself the entire film.

I say if there's a chance to weave in the expanded lore into the movie, then take it

No sense in holding it back for no reason and leaving the majority of the audience who won't delve into that stuff, wondering what's going on and thus forcing them to futilely invent their own explanations

You know as a kid some of my favorite parts of the OT were the gaps. My friends and I would spend hours speculating about Biggs' relationship to Luke, what happened with the bounty hunter on Ord Mantell, what's the Kessel Run, the back story of the Falcon, etc. Then the EU hit in full force in the early '90s and literally every single throwaway line in the OT got long detailed explanations and a lot of the mystery died.

With TFA it seems like Abrams and Kasdan went out of their way to return the storytelling style to that of the OT. Yet now we get a barrage of complaints that the movie didn't answer every detail presented.

It's disheartening.

 

[injurai]

I don't know what I'm more excited for in Ep.8

Sage Luke

or Rey and Finn

But really, It's probably Luke at this point.

 

[Dice]

The lightsaber tips grazed the skin.

Screw that, I hope Finn got it in the spine and next film we get badass Robocop Finn.

 

[Lunar15]

Even disregarding the final fight, which I think was explained pretty well, Rey did have some Mary Sue stuff going on. No real discernible flaws and her "refusal of the call" was really just kinda out of nowhere. Not badly handled, but not great either.

But at the same time, these were my exact problems with Luke in A New Hope. So it makes sense. I think the problem is that this time, she split screen time with Finn. Having two protagonists made her stand out a bit.

But I digress, it's hardly the big deal people are making of it. There's a conversation there, but it's really nothing different than the first films.

This is one of those moments, I think, where someone deploying the creaky-ass "am I the only one" line is, actually, the only one.

Compared to the rest of the cast, I found her to be a weird weak link. Too manic for my tastes, something about her was just unrelatable. I think this might change on subsequent viewings. Ultimately, she was just overshadowed by Boyega.

 

[FlashbladeGAF]

Being proficient with a staff and hand-to-hand combat is not the same as swinging a lightsaber with the skill of a samurai. If Rey actually somehow has massive sword skills, maybe they should've given her a sword instead of a staff so the audience isn't forced make a big assumption about her training.

While Kylo was training and basically in god mode in battle, Rey was fighting for her life every single day.

Mentally, she is a master compared to Kylo

 

[ExpressGalaxy]

I kinda had a feeling it might end up like this, coming out of the movie. I'm glad to have a girl as the main hero of a big blockbuster, but that doesn't mean she's above criticism. Like I don't even recall her failing at anything throughout the whole movie, and she pulled some high level Force tricks out of seemingly nowhere. The thought Mary Sue was actually in my mind leaving the theater, but I had a feeling that would be the reaction to that idea on forums.

It took her a couple seconds to work out the safety of her gun. She also saved Han and Chewie from the gang by accidentally releasing those tentacle aliens. That's about it.

 

[Toa TAK]

Just dropping in so I don't know the thread consensus, am I the only one who found Rey not very likable? She seems like somebody working on the script watched The Hunger Games, saw JLaw as Katniss, and said "YES! I want her with a lightsaber and a British accent". Her deliveries were often emotionless, and I already find myself not really caring about her subplot.

No way. I absolutely loathe Katniss, Rey's got a lot more going on and has some fun moments of triumph (like when she and Finn escape and geek out at the end). Katniss is fucking miserable even before the Hunger Games and by extension I feel bored watching her.

 

[NetMapel]

Alright, calling out all Chinese here. This guy is apparently a famous Taiwanese guy who basically explains movies in a very condensed manner while being extremely funny. He did a lot of different such thing for other movie series but he also did one for Star Wars Episode 1- 6 in 12 minutes. I highly recommend it if you are Chinese, can understand Chinese and its humour:

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

Have fun watching it

 

[Opto]

Kylo's literally bleeding out of his abdomen and is unstable after killing his own father (and well before that).

 

[Bobby Roberts]

Yo Bobby, did you guys do a spoiler podcast for TFA? And whats the name the podcast again? I forget.

Yup. Big 2hr giant-size episode. Went up last night at http://fullofsith.com - last episode I'm on as a regular, last episode I produced.

 

[BudokaiMR2]

Wait, so are people claiming sexism because some have alleged that Rey is a Mary Sue?

Nope, just ignore most of those or at least don't engage directly.

If their main argument for anything is referencing a TV Tropes page, then I really don't hold much faith that they can hold a nuanced discussion about narrative.

It is easy to disprove something if your entire logic base is centered around generalizing things as widely as possibly.

 

[Mozz-eyes]

Possibly explained earlier, but Han comments on Chewie's Bowcaster a lot about it being powerful.

Is this a play on the fact that Chewie never fired it in the OT?

 

[aparisi2274]

Am I the only one hoping that when we see Snoke live and in person, he is actually smaller than Yoda...

That would be pretty funny,

 

[CreepingFear]

Yup. Big 2hr giant-size episode. Went up last night at http://fullofsith.com - last episode I'm on as a regular, last episode I produced.

Be my Unsullied buddy. No spoilers or trailers for Episode 8.

 

[OricWindstar]

Even if you do think Rey is too perfect, she's fucking fun. Most characters that are (god, I'm so sick of this term) Mary Sues have boring personalities. Most true Mary Sues suck because you're told everyone likes them, but they come off as flat. Rey has a personality and is genuinely fun to watch.

That dorky smile she gives after Han tells her Chewie likes her is delightful.

Yup. Big 2hr giant-size episode. Went up last night at http://fullofsith.com - last episode I'm on as a regular, last episode I produced.

Oh awesome. Definitely going to check this out.

 

[MisterHero]

That's like the best time though. At that point she had nothing left and was going to die so in a last ditch effort she let the force guide her.

Or am I just not understanding sarcasm again?

Yeah I was being sarcastic. But Luke did have it harder and he got his ass kicked in both ESB and RotJ.

 

[JeTmAn81]

Possibly explained earlier, but Han comments on Chewie's Bowcaster a lot about it being powerful.

Is this a play on the fact that Chewie never fired it in the OT?

I'm pretty sure he does fire it in the OT.

 

[ReadingRambo]

Possibly explained earlier, but Han comments on Chewie's Bowcaster a lot about it being powerful.

Is this a play on the fact that Chewie never fired it in the OT?

No its done to set up and explain Kylo's performance in the climax.

 

[injurai]

I'm pretty sure I've seen every worthwhile conversation that can be had on this film at this point.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

So many folks both here, my FB and in RLM were so focused with Rey and Kylo and I just feel nobody is really talking about Finn. I don't know if it's just because people didn't care about him or that he was enjoyable as comic relief and they didn't see him as more.

 

[LookAtMeGo]

Yup. Big 2hr giant-size episode. Went up last night at http://fullofsith.com - last episode I'm on as a regular, last episode I produced.

Word. Thanks man I'll check it out. You guna do anything elsewhere?

 

[rekameohs]

Possibly explained earlier, but Han comments on Chewie's Bowcaster a lot about it being powerful.

Is this a play on the fact that Chewie never fired it in the OT?

He does one time in ROTJ. I had forgotten until I did my OT rewatch last week.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

Be my Unsullied buddy. No spoilers or trailers for Episode 8.

I'm probably not gonna go out of my way to ingest any/all spoilers like I did for 7 (and 3. And 2. And 1) but there's no way I'm going completely spoiler-free, either.

Word. Thanks man I'll check it out. You guna do anything elsewhere?

nah. That's my last podcast as a regular. I might guest on one or two as old radio/podcast friends ask me, but I had a good 11 year run professionaly talking shit, and this is a pretty nice exit.

 

[FlashbladeGAF]

Possibly explained earlier, but Han comments on Chewie's Bowcaster a lot about it being powerful.

Is this a play on the fact that Chewie never fired it in the OT?

Chewie fired it, but it was never that powerful(or it didn't come across that way)

Chewie did some upgrades

 

[Lunar15]

Kylo's literally bleeding out of his abdomen and is unstable after killing his own father (and well before that).

The bigger thing is that he's not some super, all powerful Sith like we've come to expect out of someone like Darth Vader. The movie makes his weaknesses quite clear, and while he's powerful, it's clear he's always one step behind his idol.

Also, people forget that Darth Vader was Anakin Skywalker, one of the best pilots in the galaxy, and he got taken out from a cheap shot by a smuggler and his wookie in the first movie.

 

[Professor Lich]

I'm excited to see Finn again because I have a hope he's part cyborg or something because of his spinal wound.

 

[OricWindstar]

So many folks both here, my FB and in RLM were so focused with Rey and Kylo and I just feel nobody is really talking about Finn. I don't know if it's just because people didn't care about him or that he was enjoyable as comic relief and they didn't see him as more.

Yeah, I found this odd. I came out of the movie so jazzed about Finn, but I haven't met anyone else that liked him as much as me. I mean, everyone likes him, but I don't know many people that loved him.

 

[Scientist Supreme!]

So many folks both here, my FB and in RLM were so focused with Rey and Kylo and I just feel nobody is really talking about Finn. I don't know if it's just because people didn't care about him or that he was enjoyable as comic relief and they didn't see him as more.

I wish him and Poe had more to do. Absolutely loved them.

 

[Biggest-Geek-Ever]

Am I the only one hoping that when we see Snoke live and in person, he is actually smaller than Yoda...

That would be pretty funny,

Want Luke to do something like this?

 

[SixMachine]

Yeah, I found this odd. I came out of the movie so jazzed about Finn, but I haven't met anyone else that liked him as much as me. I mean, everyone likes him, but I don't know many people that loved him.

He was my favorite character in the whole movie. I love the underdog vibe he has going on and I think the best action in the movie was him vs. the storm trooper. I want to see more stuff like that, because I thought that weapon was pretty slick, since it rotates and seems to have a lot of weight behind it.