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[SPOILERS] Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Thread #3) - That's Not How the Force Works

I'm pretty sure the guy Finn saw die wasn't trying to kill him, and he was freaking out for more reasons than just "whoa that guy died" since his partner died because they were raiding a village.

I mean, you might as well say that Luke has dark side in him.

Oh I mean, Finn was visibly shocked by death. When commanded to kill the villagers, he didn't.

I think it was more who was being killed that stopped Finn from pulling the trigger. Rey very much is acting in self defense against trained soldiers who will kill you on orders.

She fired on the soldier before he spotted her IIRC >_>

She lives on a dangerous planet with dangerous people. Perhaps she's already killed. She could be a serial killer for all we know. JeffREY Dahmer

I believe it

I'm not so sure of that. When she first blast that stormtrooper she has a look on her face as if it dawns on her what she's done. I don't believe she really killed before and the action stuck with her a moment before she heard the others and instinct to fight and flee took over.

Yeah, there is a look on her face but to compare her with Finn, he is visibly shocked despite wearing a mask that covers his face.

I don't understand why so many male Star Wars fans — at least here — seem so intent on Rey having this horrible bad side to her.

Who says I'm male? That's besides the point, but having the main character have dark side would be more interesting than going the straight messiah route they did with Luke.
 

Sephzilla

Member
Ray Park (Darth Maul) showing off some skills.. dude should be in another movie. With make up he could easily play another character..

Qq8lgRw.gif

Take away the completely pointless twirls and I'm okay with this lightsaber swinging
 
Oh I mean, Finn was visibly shocked by death. When commanded to kill the villagers, he didn't.

Finn was visibly shocked by the deaths of 1) one of his squadmates and 2) innocent villagers. Bonus points when he puts the two together and realizes that inevitably being a Stormtrooper means he risks dying for a cause that's objectively horrific.

Rey was not shocked by the death of the dude who would have pulled a gun on her without blinking.
 
Finn was visibly shocked by the deaths of 1) one of his squadmates and 2) innocent villagers. Bonus points when he puts the two together and realizes that inevitably being a Stormtrooper means he risks dying for a cause that's objectively horrific.

Rey was not shocked by the death of the dude who would have pulled a gun on her without blinking.

True. It is an action film, so killing off dudes is expected, like if this was the Expendables I wouldn't have noticed it because they're just killing people left and right. But they broke that rule in the movie, maybe as a plot device for Finn, but to show him visibly shocked and almost as if he's getting PTSD, and then have Rey later just do it without qualms after she's just had an emotional experience seemed a bit odd to me. Granted I'm probably looking too much into it and trying to delve into a characters psychology in a star wars >_>;
 

-griffy-

Banned
She fired on the soldier before he spotted her IIRC >_>

I believe it went like this:

Rey spots trooper
Rey attempts to fire blaster but safety is on, fiddles with safety
Trooper notices Rey and fires
Rey shoots once and misses, fires again and hits
Rey's face is like "Oh damn, I guess I'm doing this," and shoots at more troopers
A group of troopers take notice and start firing at her, Rey and BB-8 fall back into the forest

Remember before this scene, she was attempting to run away after being overcome with emotion from the Force vision and the realization that no one is coming back to Jakku for her. When BB-8 finds her in the woods and she then sees the First Order is arriving, her first instinct is to run back to help her friends. She gets to Maz's castle and sees the devastation unfolding, and instinctively pulls her blaster to shoot the assholes who are doing it. After she takes out the first trooper, I think her face is communicating several things. It's a realization that she isn't running, that she wants to stay and help her friends, and that she is actually capable of doing all of this. It's essentially "I can't run from this."

It's really her first step towards the eventual culmination of her character arc in the film, when she grabs the lightsaber at the end. It also mirrors Finn's own arc and change of heart during the very same attack. He is about to leave everyone on a ship, to continue to run from the First Order, but the attack on the Hosnian system by Starkiller, that he sees in the sky, gets him to turn around and come back to help his friends.

Finn's moment that matches Rey's realization after firing on the trooper is when he spots Kylo carrying Rey, and he runs after the ship as it's taking off. At that moment he knows he is going help his friend, even when it means running head first into the First Order rather than away from them.
 

GhaleonEB

Member
FWIW, I do think Rey using her blaster for the first time is a significant moment. She has this moment of surprise when she kills the trooper, and a bit of awe as she looks to the weapon in her hand, at what she's done. But that immediately turns to anger.

This is how she looks when firing at the second trooper, who has not spotted her yet:

reypissed_zpsi1bjjezg.png


(taken from the final trailer)

She's firing out of angry impulse, and her first shot goes wide just as it did with the first trooper she fired on. Had she 1) simply stayed hidden in the woods, she would not have been marked and stayed safe. Or 2) stayed calm and lined up shots from cover, she would have more likely landed all her shots. But instead she gets pissed and starts firing angrily at other troopers, with disastrous consequences (she gets marked and then captured). I do think it's an important character beat for Rey.
 

Sephzilla

Member
I disagree. I think Palpatine was a step above Vader and the lightning was a display of that. "Do not underestimate the powers of the Emperor."

Dooku kinda contradicts that but fuck AOTC

Yeah, the way it's used in ROTJ is supposed to show that the Emperor is straight up on a completely different level than Vader. Yoda's warning about not underestimating him is the giant hook for that.
 
FWIW, I do think Rey using her blaster for the first time is a significant moment. She has this moment of surprise when she kills the trooper, and a bit of awe as she looks to the weapon in her hand, at what she's done. But that immediately turns to anger.

This is how she looks when firing at the second trooper, who has not spotted her yet:
(taken from the final trailer)

She's firing out of angry impulse, and her first shot goes wide just as it did with the first trooper she fired on. Had she 1) simply stayed hidden in the woods, she would not have been marked. Or 2) stayed calm and lined up shots from cover, she would have more likely landed all her shots. But instead she gets pissed and starts firing angrily at other troopers, with disastrous consequences (she gets marked and then captured). I do think it's an important character beat for Rey.

Thanks for the screencap.

Yeah, between this and she almost killing Kylo Ren at the end...she definitely displays anger in a way that Luke didn't in the original trilogy. If she's supposed to be the 'Luke' of the new trilogy, then there are definitely marked differences and one of them is being that she displays her anger quite visibly. Compared to Finn, who's either always running away or trying to defend himself in a warzone(That is, not that she's not defending herself, but like Ghaleon said she could've stayed hidden)

This isn't a matter of making her a bad guy-of her HAVING to be dark side, but that it would be interesting if she explored that Side in the movies and using it to empower herself even further.
 

Savitar

Member
Anyone wondering what might happen to Phasma? She turned off the shields. You know once the First Order realizes/finds out her ass has to be punished if not executed. Maybe she'll end up on the run and turn bounty hunter chasing Finn for ruining her life. Speaking of which yeah like one poster on the previous page wondering if he'll end up with any any enhancements. Where exactly did he get sliced on the back? If it connected with somewhere around the spine it could be something he deals with.

Don't forget Jedi do get mad and strike out, doesn't mean they turn dark side exactly. Look at when Obi Wan goes at Maul when Qui Gon gets ran through. Or Luke blasting away with fury once Obi Wan dies. Hmmm, hey Luke, you may want to watch it.....
 
Yeah, between this and she almost killing Kylo Ren at the end...she definitely displays anger in a way that Luke didn't in the original trilogy. If she's supposed to be the 'Luke' of the new trilogy, then there are definitely marked differences and one of them is being that she displays her anger quite visibly.

NaCSkIK.gif


"I dare you to mention my sister again!"
 
But they broke that rule in the movie, maybe as a plot device for Finn, but to show him visibly shocked and almost as if he's getting PTSD

"What did I get myself into? Putting my life on the line to kill civilians?"

vs.

and then have Rey later just do it without qualms after she's just had an emotional experience

"Oh shit! Stormtroopers! Oh wait! I have a gun!"

Yeah, between this and she almost killing Kylo Ren at the end...she definitely displays anger in a way that Luke didn't in the original trilogy. If she's supposed to be the 'Luke' of the new trilogy, then there are definitely marked differences and one of them is being that she displays her anger quite visibly.

I see it wildly differently.

She consistently gets herself in trouble when she's acting out of anger, i.e. opening herself up to pursuit by Stormtroopers by firing into the crowd, firing wildly at Kylo, the first half of her lightsaber duel; it's only in the moment where she centers in the Force and realizes that she could kill Kylo but doesn't that she successfully shows restraint.

And as she does this, the film places her on the literal right side of the forming chasm between her and Kylo before having the manifestation of the dark side (Starkiller Base) crumble to reveal a massive manifestation of light (the sun) within.
 

HStallion

Now what's the next step in your master plan?
I do hope if they bring actual martial artists on for the next film they let them do something interesting. Felt like such a huge waste to have all those bad ass dudes from the Raid films and then do nothing with them but let them getting eaten by tentacle monsters.

Then again most of the fights would have been pretty laughable in the movie if they allowed Rama and crew to whoop wholesale ass. Would be funny seeing someone like Mad Dog type character taking on a Jedi with a light saber with his bare hands.
 

GhaleonEB

Member
She did, but she tried to take a moment to process what she had done, before the other troops opened fire on her.

"I..I... just ki~" [BLASTER whizzes by her head] "...oh right [runs for cover] this is waaaaar!!!!"

That happens after she fires on the second trooper.

1) She fires on the nearby trooper in the woods, but the safety is on.
2) She fixes the safety, then misses her first shot. Rey's second shot lands.
3) Rey takes a moment to realize she just shot someone.
4) She turns and fires on another pair of troopers who are outside of Maz's castle.
5) Her first shot misses, but she lands the second. But by that point the other trooper has opened fire and she's running back into the woods, chased by him.
6) We later see Rey kill this trooper from behind cover.

My read on this moment is that Rey can be impulsive and over confident, and possibly quick to anger. It's the second time she gets herself in trouble due to over confidence (the other being the "wrong fuses" moment on Han's freighter).
 
I do hope if they bring actual martial artists on for the next film they let them do something interesting. Felt like such a huge waste to have all those bad ass dudes from the Raid films and then do nothing with them but let them getting eaten by tentacle monsters.

Then again most of the fights would have been pretty laughable in the movie if they allowed Rama and crew to whoop wholesale ass. Would be funny seeing someone like Mad Dog type character taking on a Jedi with a light saber with his bare hands.

If the english dude survived to tell the FO that Han solo had the fugitives, then Rama and Mad Dog made it out alive as well. Especially ince I didn't see there deaths on screen. Plus they were a different gang, so there was no need to show them all together during that "snitch" moment.
 
That happens after she fires on the second trooper.

1) She fires on the nearby trooper in the woods, but the safety is on.
2) She fixes the safety, then misses her first shot. Rey's second shot lands.
3) Rey takes a moment to realize she just shot someone.
4) She turns and fires on another pair of troopers who are outside of Maz's castle.
5) Her first shot misses, but she lands the second. But by that point the other trooper has opened fire and she's running back into the woods, chased by him.
6) We later see Rey kill this trooper from behind cover.

You're right.

"I..I... just ki~Oh shit there's more" [Insert 4-5] [runs for cover] "War and peaceeee out!"
 
I disagree. I think Palpatine was a step above Vader and the lightning was a display of that. "Do not underestimate the powers of the Emperor."

Dooku kinda contradicts that but fuck AOTC

Yeah, the way it's used in ROTJ is supposed to show that the Emperor is straight up on a completely different level than Vader. Yoda's warning about not underestimating him is the giant hook for that.

I know that Ian Mcdiarmid has playfully jabbed at Chris Lee for his character's use of force lightning, saying that it's supposed to be exclusively the Emperors power and Tyranus shouldn't be using it.

Doesn't really add anything to this conversation but it's a fun fact. The Emperor feels the same way.
 

Sephzilla

Member
Thanks for the screencap.

Yeah, between this and she almost killing Kylo Ren at the end...she definitely displays anger in a way that Luke didn't in the original trilogy. If she's supposed to be the 'Luke' of the new trilogy, then there are definitely marked differences and one of them is being that she displays her anger quite visibly. Compared to Finn, who's either always running away or trying to defend himself in a warzone(That is, not that she's not defending herself, but like Ghaleon said she could've stayed hidden)

This isn't a matter of making her a bad guy-of her HAVING to be dark side, but that it would be interesting if she explored that Side in the movies and using it to empower herself even further.

After Obi-Wan dies Luke's immediate reaction is to start shooting at Stormtroopers. Luke shows flashes of anger as well.
 

-griffy-

Banned
That was the 3rd movie, after being through alot of shit. Reys showing her anger in the 1st movie. And that was Lukes dad! And he felt sorry afterwards when Vader saved him.

Luke got pretty pissed when Obi Wan was killed in ANH and started shooting at storm troopers angrily. In fact him yelling out alerts the stormtroopers that him, Han and Leia are escaping, and he stands in the open shooting at them. It takes Han and Leia both yelling at him repeatedly for him to snap out of it and get out of there.
 
That was the 3rd movie, after being through alot of shit. Reys showing her anger in the 1st movie. And that was Lukes dad! And he felt sorry afterwards when Vader saved him.

Luke decided to follow Ben and become a Jedi pretty much because the Empire killed his Uncle and Aunt.
I mean how much more Darkside can you get than Revenge being the reason to study the force?
 
I have a question that hopefully someone can answer (maybe Bobby Roberts knows). I thought about this a while ago, but the Samuel L. Jackson comments made me remember. While, SLJ is probably off-base by saying only a Jedi can use a lightsaber, one thing that always confused me is why a lightsaber always (ALWAYS!) shuts off automatically when a Jedi or Sith is defeated, especially if the hand holding the saber is chopped off. I mean, it's not like they would have the time (or wherewithal) to turn it off. Luke's lightsaber turned off immediately when his hand was severed in TESB and Darth Maul's turned off when he was chopped in half. If a lightsaber is turned on with a button, shouldn't that same button need to be used to turn it off? Is this just a movie "cheat". Or is there some canonical explanation like if there is a biometric sensor that can sense no one is holding the saber (thus becoming a safety feature of sorts)?
 

Sephzilla

Member
Luke decided to follow Ben and become a Jedi pretty much because the Empire killed his Uncle and Aunt.
I mean how much more Darkside can you get than Revenge being the reason to study the force?

lol, I never thought of it like that.

I have a question that hopefully someone can answer (maybe Bobby Roberts knows). I thought about this a while ago, but the Samuel L. Jackson comments made me remember. While, SLJ is probably off-base by saying only a Jedi can use a lightsaber, one thing that always confused me is why a lightsaber always (ALWAYS!) shuts off automatically when a Jedi or Sith is defeated, especially if the hand holding the saber is chopped off. I mean, it's not like they would have the time (or wherewithal) to turn it off. Luke's lightsaber turned off immediately when his hand was severed in TESB and Darth Maul's turned off when he was chopped in half. If a lightsaber is turned on with a button, shouldn't that same button need to be used to turn it off? Is this just a movie "cheat". Or is there some canonical explanation like if there is a biometric sensor that can sense no one is holding the saber (thus becoming a safety feature of sorts)?

I'm pretty sure it's just a movie cheat.
 

Christine

Member
I have a question that hopefully someone can answer (maybe Bobby Roberts knows). I thought about this a while ago, but the Samuel L. Jackson comments made me remember. While, SLJ is probably off-base by saying only a Jedi can use a lightsaber, one thing that always confused me is why a lightsaber always (ALWAYS!) shuts off automatically when a Jedi or Sith is defeated, especially if the hand holding the saber is chopped off. I mean, it's not like they would have the time (or wherewithal) to turn it off. Luke's lightsaber turned off immediately when his hand was severed in TESB and Darth Maul's turned off when he was chopped in half. If a lightsaber is turned on with a button, shouldn't that same button need to be used to turn it off? Is this just a movie "cheat". Or is there some canonical explanation like if there is a biometric sensor that can sense no one is holding the saber (thus becoming a safety feature of sorts)?

You've got to hold the button down the whole time you're using the saber. It's really quite annoying.
 
Luke decided to follow Ben and become a Jedi pretty much because the Empire killed his Uncle and Aunt.
I mean how much more Darkside can you get than Revenge being the reason to study the force?

And yet people still say "Wow, Luke really didn't care about his Uncle and Aunt dying."

smh
 
Luke decided to follow Ben and become a Jedi pretty much because the Empire killed his Uncle and Aunt.
I mean how much more Darkside can you get than Revenge being the reason to study the force?

Luke already wanted to leave Tatooine and join the Rebellion before his Uncle and Aunt died.
 
He literally says "there's nothing left for me here." Not "I've got to take revenge!"

Given that he always wanted to leave anyway, just not necessarily as a resistance fighter but as an Imperial academy cadet (any direct hints that he wanted to join the Rebellion were scrubbed from the final film, and as far as I know the old novelizations are no longer canon), their deaths being the trigger to suddenly want to become anti-Empire seems like more than just "I have no home to go back to."
 
I have a question that hopefully someone can answer (maybe Bobby Roberts knows). I thought about this a while ago, but the Samuel L. Jackson comments made me remember. While, SLJ is probably off-base by saying only a Jedi can use a lightsaber, one thing that always confused me is why a lightsaber always (ALWAYS!) shuts off automatically when a Jedi or Sith is defeated, especially if the hand holding the saber is chopped off. I mean, it's not like they would have the time (or wherewithal) to turn it off. Luke's lightsaber turned off immediately when his hand was severed in TESB and Darth Maul's turned off when he was chopped in half. If a lightsaber is turned on with a button, shouldn't that same button need to be used to turn it off? Is this just a movie "cheat". Or is there some canonical explanation like if there is a biometric sensor that can sense no one is holding the saber (thus becoming a safety feature of sorts)?

I've seen this question come up many times and have never seen a definitive canon answer (though maybe one has been provided since then that I dont know about). The best explanation agreed upon is that lightsabers have a sort of deadman switch where it somehow knows when it has been let go or dropped.

How it would work is unknown, my best guess is something like body capacitance while touching the metal of the saber, like one of those touch lamps I'm sure you've seen. Simply by holding it you're completing a circuit. And when throwing the saber like Vader liked to do, he not only uses the force to guide the saber but also to keep the deadman switch from activating.

But then again, a lot of characters like to wear gloves...

The real reason of course is that it's just a movie convenience.
 

Sylas

Member
I have a question that hopefully someone can answer (maybe Bobby Roberts knows). I thought about this a while ago, but the Samuel L. Jackson comments made me remember. While, SLJ is probably off-base by saying only a Jedi can use a lightsaber, one thing that always confused me is why a lightsaber always (ALWAYS!) shuts off automatically when a Jedi or Sith is defeated, especially if the hand holding the saber is chopped off. I mean, it's not like they would have the time (or wherewithal) to turn it off. Luke's lightsaber turned off immediately when his hand was severed in TESB and Darth Maul's turned off when he was chopped in half. If a lightsaber is turned on with a button, shouldn't that same button need to be used to turn it off? Is this just a movie "cheat". Or is there some canonical explanation like if there is a biometric sensor that can sense no one is holding the saber (thus becoming a safety feature of sorts)?

There are several different switches for lightsabers. Some are like a light switch while others are pressure-sensitive grips. I think the general idea is that most of the lightsabers we've seen have those pressure-sensitive grips.
 

Arthea

Member
In the movie I was sure she's going to kill Kylo, or at least try.
But that's not necessary anger issues, everybody gets angry when attacked, tortured and people are killed.
Although seeing as it's SW, it definitely is the darkside pull, I just don't see her reaction as strange.
 
Anyone wondering what might happen to Phasma? She turned off the shields. You know once the First Order realizes/finds out her ass has to be punished if not executed. Maybe she'll end up on the run and turn bounty hunter chasing Finn for ruining her life. Speaking of which yeah like one poster on the previous page wondering if he'll end up with any any enhancements. Where exactly did he get sliced on the back? If it connected with somewhere around the spine it could be something he deals with.

Don't forget Jedi do get mad and strike out, doesn't mean they turn dark side exactly. Look at when Obi Wan goes at Maul when Qui Gon gets ran through. Or Luke blasting away with fury once Obi Wan dies. Hmmm, hey Luke, you may want to watch it.....


Since the planet got worked I doubt anyone has any idea what she did. I could see her honor compelling her to admit what she did, but otherwise I think she will just come back pissed as fuck and hunt them down, as a member of the FO or not.
 

Toxi

Banned
Since the planet got worked I doubt anyone has any idea what she did. I could see her honor compelling her to admit what she did, but otherwise I think she will just come back pissed as fuck and hunt them down, as a member of the FO or not.
Honor? She betrayed the First Order to save her own skin, I don't think she's a particularly honorable character.
 
What are your thoughts on seeing Phasma's face? Gwen Christie is cute and all, but I wouldn't mind if the character remains faceless like Boba was in the OT.
 

Fliesen

Member
Saw it again in 2D IMAX (at the Air and Space's very last screening with 70mm film), and though the movie was still great, I vastly preferred it in 3D. It just adds so much more depth and scope that you lose in 2D.



Remember when that lightsaber was revealed and everyone was like "There's no way to effectively use a lightsaber with cross guards like that without chopping your own hand off!".

to be fair, we can't really tell from the GIF whether and - if so - how often he totally had the crossguard touch his wrists :p
 
What are your thoughts on seeing Phasma's face? Gwen Christie is cute and all, but I wouldn't mind if the character remains faceless like Boba was in the OT.

It wouldn't surprise me if we see her face (it would call back to the "who gave you permission" moment and Finn's "I'll blow that bucket off your head" comment), but yeah, I'm fine with her stayed helmeted.

Actually, if there is a standoff, seeing her de-helmeted could give Finn a moment of compassion or something.

They could really do a lot with the whole "Storm Troopers are brainwashed murderers but I was almost one of them" angle if they wanted to. Finn understands them like no one else in the Resistance.
 

prag16

Banned
I disagree. I think Palpatine was a step above Vader and the lightning was a display of that. "Do not underestimate the powers of the Emperor."

Dooku kinda contradicts that but fuck AOTC

Anakin was the chosen one. It is implied that he had a higher ceiling than anyone. In-universe it's extremely likely he could have mastered force lightning if not for his disabilities. Vader is like a world class sprinter with a piano strapped to his back.

You can say that you disagree and that you feel something so extreme should be saved for one character, but in universe, there's no reason to assume nobody else have done it (and Dooku is obviously proof of that... and no you don't just get to say "that doesn't count because fuck the prequels").
 
Honor? She betrayed the First Order to save her own skin, I don't think she's a particularly honorable character.

If you pay attention to what she says - it isn't lack of honor - its arrogance. She essentially says "lol I disabled the shields but theres an army otw to kill you so lol"
 
For one thing, a Force user who was never tempted by the dark side would be pretty uninteresting. And given the nuance they gave Ren, I have to imagine Rey's journey will involve some measure of doubt and temptation.

Are you saying that conflicted characters are interesting?
 
For one thing, a Force user who was never tempted by the dark side would be pretty uninteresting. And given the nuance they gave Ren, I have to imagine Rey's journey will involve some measure of doubt and temptation.
Sure. I guess in this instance I was conflating temptation with full-on "she should go dark!"

Sometimes it's hard to tell what is what, especially with so many seemingly so set on the idea for Rey to go dark.
 
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