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First Star War Episode 7 Trailer Released

Midnight Thunder writes: The first trailer for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens has been released. (YouTube link.) This is the first real opportunity to get a feeling for whether childhood dreams will be crushed or Disney, with the help of JJ Abrams, will be able to breath new life into the story without making it feel like a merchandising excuse.

75 of 390 comments (clear)

  1. Can Abrams correct slashdot grammar too? by damn_registrars · · Score: 4, Funny

    will be able to breath new life

    --
    Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
    1. Re:Can Abrams correct slashdot grammar too? by Jason+Levine · · Score: 5, Funny

      will be able to breath new life

      It actually does say "breathe." It's just hard to see that last "e" due to the lens flare.

      --
      My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
    2. Re:Can Abrams correct slashdot grammar too? by gstoddart · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Maybe they should ask frequent Slashdot contributor Bennett Haselton

      Nobody needs to ask Bennet what he thinks.

      When he decides the world needs another of his missives, it simply happens ... and the pearls of wisdom appear, like semen dribbling out of a discarded condom in a dirty alley.

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      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    3. Re:Can Abrams correct slashdot grammar too? by Em+Adespoton · · Score: 5, Insightful

      will be able to breath new life

      It actually does say "breathe." It's just hard to see that last "e" due to the lens flare.

      Ah; that explains the "Star War" title then too!

    4. Re:Can Abrams correct slashdot grammar too? by Cito · · Score: 2

      Someone call APK
      This problem requires a good HOSTS file!!!

  2. Apparently it's not for kids... by Eyeballs · · Score: 2

    ...YouTube's Safety Mode won't show the video in the direct link to me unless I turn the 'safe for viewing' mode off...

    1. Re:Apparently it's not for kids... by i+kan+reed · · Score: 4, Funny

      Well, Star Wars has been known to have serious consequences for youth with side effects such as lifelong virginity.

    2. Re:Apparently it's not for kids... by pr0fessor · · Score: 2

      That's not why... because if every dope in the company was watching cats videos on youtube it would cause to lag when IT is playing it on their lunch hour.

  3. It's all about the merchandising. by SuricouRaven · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "without making it feel like a merchandising excuse."

    But if it doesn't feel like a merchandising excuse, it just won't feel like star wars. Even the original trilogy had that feel. Every alien, ship and droid seems to whisper 'action figure in stores soon.'

    1. Re:It's all about the merchandising. by ArcadeMan · · Score: 4, Funny

      I still haven't received my "Spaceballs: The Flamethrower".

    2. Re:It's all about the merchandising. by physicsphairy · · Score: 2, Interesting

      To be fair, a lot of those things actually were action figures because that's how the effects were done. And puppets probably translate fairly well. But at least they didn't come off as specifically designed to be turned into a McDonald's toy. I suppose I didn't really get that impression in the new trilogy either, although part of that may be simply because I wasn't made to care about any of the characters and am not sure why I would want them as figurines. . . .

  4. You should never watch trailers from this decade by bitflusher · · Score: 4, Insightful

    They also should also rename them to spoilers!

  5. It Reminds me of by Dartz-IRL · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Sitting here, watching it, I'm reminded of how awesome the trailer was for Episode 1 a long time ago and the reaction it got.

    --
    So there I was, scribbling down some notes off the PC screen by hand, when I reached for the keyboard and Ctrl-S'd.
    1. Re:It Reminds me of by JMJimmy · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I was referring to the group of Stormtroopers - with the closeups, floor angles, etc. There's a very distinct difference in the shooting style of the originals, whether intentional or not, the shots with the empire tended to be wide/mid shots and very few closeups or low shots, with the exception of Darth Vader and the Emperor. They were also often in larger sets/environments. The rebel shots on the other hand tended to be mid/close shots on smaller sets or low shots. They were often in smaller sets. This gave contrast and really supported the david vs goliath feel. When you apply "gritty" mid/close shots in a small environment with Stormtroopers then it obliterates that contrast and just doesn't feel right.

      You can go off about SW nerds all you want but there's a reason they exist. They may not be able to illiterate why or go too far in trying to do so but there are reasons why those films stand the test of time and have such a fanbase.

  6. Well, let's face it ... by gstoddart · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is the first real opportunity to get a feeling for whether childhood dreams will be crushed or Disney, with the help of JJ Abrams, will be able to breath new life into the story without making it feel like a merchandising excuse.

    Let's face it, it is a merchandising excuse.

    Di$ney will have fresh Star Wars everything on sale.

    The movie will be guaranteed to have some cloyingly cute character which can be marketed to kids.

    Taco Bell and McDonalds will have special toys.

    They'l re-re-re-re-release extended cuts or special editions of the damned movies.

    Little children will have R2D2 pyjamas and underpants. And diapers. And sippy cups. And hats. And halloween costumes.

    Disney will eventually put out 9 more movies, of ever diminishing artistic merit.

    There will be friggin' Ewok porn.

    I'm nostalgic about the first series. I mostly liked the second series but it had some issues.

    But I tried to watch Episode I with my wife, and within five minutes of Jar Jar Binks appearing on screen she said "if he's in the rest of this film I'm leaving". So now if I want to watch it I'm on my own, and the pod racer scene is mostly how I calibrate my home theater.

    I honestly can't decide if I will see this or not.

    But let's not for a minute pretend this is being done for any reason besides the zillions of dollars Disney expects to wring from this franchise.

    If they were doing a billion a year in merchandising for Cars years after it was released, you won't believe the marketing blitz which will accompany this.

    --
    Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    1. Re:Well, let's face it ... by doconnor · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Unlike most media companies, Disney takes the long view of merchandising. Anyone was can make a movie that sells merchandising for a year or so, but Disney knows that for a movie to be able to keep selling merchandise for 70+ years, like Snow White has, the movie has to have a very appealing and timeless story to it. The original trilogy has that long term appeal. That is something Disney is going to try to recapture.

  7. Remarkably little lens flare. by jpellino · · Score: 2

    Nice work on the contrails. No Jar Jar. Hey, it's a teaser but I like what I see so far.

    --
    "Win treats sysadmins better than users. Mac treats users better than sysadmins. Linux treats everyone like sysadmins."
    1. Re:Remarkably little lens flare. by GameboyRMH · · Score: 4, Funny

      It would be the greatest act of trolling in history if he popped on screen early into the movie yelling "Surprise! Yousa think meesa not in this movie! Yousa wrong! Hahahahaha!" and then there was a long Bollywood-style dance scene with dozens of Jar Jars singing and dancing on screen XD

      --
      "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
    2. Re:Remarkably little lens flare. by jfengel · · Score: 3

      The lens flare that was there was actually well used, when the Falcon went up into the sun. It helped highlight a dramatic moment. I thought that was good work.

      Once. The problem is that he over-uses the trick.

  8. Summary of Trailer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    1. Aren't you a little black to be a stormtrooper?
    2. A beach ball droid?
    3. Oooo! Nice X-Wing shot. Okay I might go and watch this.
    4. That sword's a bit silly. You're still going to lose a hand if the light-sabre slices through the metal bit!
    5. Millenium Falcon! Woohoo!

    1. Re:Summary of Trailer by Immerman · · Score: 4, Funny

      4) That sword *almost* makes sense. I mean what else are you going to make an anti-lightsaber hilt guard out of except more lightsaber? Only problem is that instead of catching your opponent's blade like a traditional guard, this one just guides it directly towards your emmitter (and hands), which it will then presumably slice through without problems.

      Oh, wait, Wookipedia says they do have a lightsaber-shorting material in the universe, so wrap the mechanical bits in that and it would be a formidable weapon for lightsaber dueling, though a simple cortosis guard would make even more sense. But hey, he's presumably a Sith, and when have they ever chosen practicality over looking badass?

      --
      --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
    2. Re:Summary of Trailer by Crudely_Indecent · · Score: 2

      So what's Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker's excuse? Anakin was supposedly this technical wizard, why doesn't he have a freaking 12 bladed light saber sphere? Did Vader opt for a plain light saber because he has the cool suit? Did Anakin lose the fine motor control required to construct light saber bad-assery when he was put into the life support suit? Did he just say "fuck it" because - who's he gonna fight?

      --


      "Lame" - Galaxar
    3. Re:Summary of Trailer by quantaman · · Score: 3, Interesting

      1. Aren't you a little black to be a stormtrooper?

      This seems like canon, I thought all the stormtroopers were clones of Jango Fett.

      --
      I stole this Sig
    4. Re:Summary of Trailer by Imagix · · Score: 4, Informative

      The original clone troopers were... but somewhere between Ep III and IV, it was opened up to conscripts.

    5. Re:Summary of Trailer by Immerman · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Hey, he's at least middle age by the time we meet him as Vader - he probably reached the point where he realized his awesome saber-sphere was more dangerous to himself than his enemies and got back to the basics. Besides, his master is clearly a fan of the "tear them apart with the force" school of combat, which has obviously rubbed off on him. Lots of force-choking after all, but did you ever see him threatening anyone with his saber?

      I suspect he kept it around as a primarily as a ceremonial piece, maybe some nostalgia from the good old days. And possibly because Force users apparently have some sort of Highlander-esque attachment to ritualized sword fighting. I mean sure it's great that your sword can reflect bullets, and maybe the Force will let you sense the incoming shot at your back, but all it takes is one idiot with a shotgun and you've had it.

      --
      --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
    6. Re:Summary of Trailer by matbury · · Score: 2

      1. Aren't you a little black to be a stormtrooper?

      Disney Inc.'s market research team found that American viewers found killing black storm troopers less disturbing than white ones.

      That sword *almost* makes sense.

      Especially if it's by crusty old white guys in long robes with burning crosses.

      Here's Darth Vader trying out his new suit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    7. Re:Summary of Trailer by sexconker · · Score: 3, Funny

      - Unintentionally comical Sudden Black Man
      - Comical Soccer Ball Bot
      - Unintentionally comical Desert Box Cycle
      - Hilarious "trying to hard to be edgy" Cross Saber
      - Shitty voice over

      + X-Wings
      + Millenium Falcon

      On a scale of Midi-chlorians to Yoda, this trailer is a Jar Jar Binks.

    8. Re:Summary of Trailer by Crudely_Indecent · · Score: 2

      It doesn't reflect bullets

      Haha, right. Jedi/Sith attempts to deflect a bullet - and the light saber wielding bad-ass gets a face full of melted lead and copper jacket.

      --


      "Lame" - Galaxar
    9. Re:Summary of Trailer by funwithBSD · · Score: 2

      Nah, they will just pull a Neo and stop them mid air with the Force.

      --
      Never answer an anonymous letter. - Yogi Berra
    10. Re:Summary of Trailer by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      Seems reasonable to assume that, like the characters in A New Hope, the armour is stolen.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  9. I see nothing exciting here by damn_registrars · · Score: 4, Informative

    This trailer is getting lots of hype but has very little content. I know, it's only 88 seconds long but really what is in it? Not much. Yeah. we see the Millenium Falcon again. We see a spiffy new kind of multi-blade light sabre. We see some other clever method of moving around faster than the best that us poor feeble humans can walk. We see some other nifty little robot. But none of that really tells us much about the movie itself; it could just as well be a teaser for Disney's toy catalog for next Christmas.

    --
    Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
    1. Re:I see nothing exciting here by Jason+Levine · · Score: 2

      Actually, this isn't even a trailer. This is a teaser. A trailer is supposed to give you some idea of the movie's plot to get you interested enough to want to see the movie. (Ideally, this should be done without giving away the ending. I'm looking at you, Iron Giant trailer.) A teaser, however, can have a bunch of quick-shot scenes or even one mysterious, short, "what can this be" scene. A teaser is best done if it reveals nothing about the plot but shows you just enough to pique your interest.

      Thus, as a teaser, I think this succeeds. It doesn't tell us much about what is in the movie, but that wasn't its job. Instead, it shows us a bunch of cool stuff and whets our appetite for Star Wars. If they work it right, the first trailer will be released in a few months which will give some idea of the plot and will build on the excitement and anticipation. Then, more trailers and media releases will build more until opening day.

      --
      My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
  10. Lightsaber crossguard wtf by kruach+aum · · Score: 3, Insightful

    That's not something you can do to a lightsaber goddammit. And why to the crossguard beams look like they're on fire?

    1. Re:Lightsaber crossguard wtf by Piata · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The stupid part is it's not even an effective crossguard. There's a metal section close to the hilt so you can easily cut the crossguard off. Congrats on making a (most likely) primary antagonist look like an idiot. Unless they intented Luke Skywalker to show a juvenille Sith how moronic his added bling is in an actual fight...

    2. Re:Lightsaber crossguard wtf by Baloroth · · Score: 5, Interesting

      That's not something you can do to a lightsaber goddammit.

      Ahem. Actually, it makes a kind of sense: it always bothered me how Star Wars lightsabers didn't have any kind of hilt/crossguard, which should have made it almost trivially easy for their opponent's to simply slide their lightsaber down the blade and slice off their opponents hand. Maybe someone in the universe finally realized that with a crossguard every lightsaber duel wouldn't end with someone loosing a hand?

      --
      "None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license." --John Milton
    3. Re:Lightsaber crossguard wtf by TheRaven64 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Which is exactly WHY having a group of religious nuts running around 'guarding' the universe by wielding energy swords with no hilts was completely ridiculous in the first place, especially when that very same universe was also populated by people wielding weapons with both physical and energy based ammo that simply would beat the reaction time of any human, force or no force

      I wondered why no one ever came up with the idea of a blaster that fired three bolts in a slightly spreading triangle. The lightsaber is a line - it can only block two of them, no matter who fast its wielder is.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    4. Re:Lightsaber crossguard wtf by LordLucless · · Score: 2

      I wondered why no one ever came up with the idea of a blaster that fired three bolts in a slightly spreading triangle. The lightsaber is a line - it can only block two of them, no matter who fast its wielder is.

      I imagine there were three reasons:

      1. You could intercept all three if you inclined the blade forward so you intercepted one in advance of the other two, then caught the others closer in. Alternatively, just sidestep one and deflect the other 2.
      2. Items with mass could be controlled by force telekinesis
      3. Nobody was particularly interested in killing Jedi when the only ones around were a mountain hermit and a swamp rat
      --
      Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face
  11. CGI by Dan+East · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Most of the trailer is CGI, which makes sense at this point. The movie won't be released for another year, so this early on most of the finished shots would be fairly generic CGI stuff that was being worked on in parallel to the main shooting. The hard part is all the editing and incorporating CGI into the shots with the actors, and they've only just wrapped up the shooting this month. That's what they'll be working on for the next several months.

    One thing about the lightsaber scene, at first I was like "that's a lame gimmicky lightsaber", but then looking at it more closely, it doesn't have a pure even glow like a normal lightsaber. It looks more like fire and less refined. So my hunch is that sith guy had to figure out how to fabricate the weapon on his own without any guidance, so it's this crude, barely controlled weapon that has to vent extra energy so it doesn't blow up or melt or something. Yeah, that was a pretty geeky analysis.

    --
    Better known as 318230.
    1. Re:CGI by jd · · Score: 2

      Plausible. Also, since it's an amateur rig, the force field may well extend well beyond the blade and not just envelop it. If that's the case, the cross guard's projectors cannot be sliced off as the force field would be protecting them as well.

      Since they filmed some of the movie in Puzzle Wood and since I'm damn sure I recognize the trail, I'm going to say that's the likely location for this scene. If so, expect some seriously gnarled and twisted trees in the background. Those won't be CGI, that's really what the place looks like.

      --
      It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
  12. Star war: Backstroke of the West by tepples · · Score: 2

    First Star War Episode 7 Trailer Released

    Wasn't singular "Star war" one of the subtitles in the infamous "Backstroke of the West" bootleg? (Pic)

  13. TIE-Fighters flying in Atmosphere?!?!?!?! by l0ungeb0y · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Doesn't JJ know that Ion Engines don't generate enough thrust to propel so much as a paper airplane through atmosphere, much less an entire TIE-Fighter And even if those Twin Ion Engines could generate enough thrust, TIE-Fighers don't have control surfaces or the proper aerodynamics to fly?!?!?! Is he that big of a moron or is he purposely out to make the sequels worse than the prequels? And don't get me started on the sheer stupidity and uselessness of the crossguard on that Sith's lightsaber UTTER IDIOCY!

    1. Re:TIE-Fighters flying in Atmosphere?!?!?!?! by Feral+Nerd · · Score: 2

      ...And don't get me started on the sheer stupidity and uselessness of the crossguard on that Sith's lightsaber UTTER IDIOCY!

      Why? In a no holds barred sword fight with medieval weapons you learn pretty quickly that the blade is not the only part of a sword that can kill you. You can do some pretty nasty damage with the cross guard of a European bastard sword (which is presumably the inspiration of that new lightsaber) and you can crack a person's scull with the pommel if it is heavy enough and the right shape. The hand guard of a Scottish broadsword makes for the mother of all knuckle dusters, you can crush somebody's larynx with the edge of your shield and you can slide your spear through your hand as you thrust it to surprise an opponent or use a spear to slash his throat. Very few people think of a spear as a slashing or cutting weapon. In a fight against a person with a regular Katana type lightsaber where they seem to spend a lot of time with their lightsabers locked together you could for example use the cross guard to slice the other guy's hand off. You have to think out of the box. That being said I'd prefer to add a second cross guard below the light-guards to keep my hands out of the beams.

    2. Re:TIE-Fighters flying in Atmosphere?!?!?!?! by QilessQi · · Score: 5, Funny

      I read your entire post in Comic Book Guy's voice.

    3. Re:TIE-Fighters flying in Atmosphere?!?!?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Nothing in Star Wars has ever been aerodynamic, and any realistic application of physics (without assumptions of unknown technology compensating for our perceived errors) would cause the entire universe to fall apart. Did you know that lasers are invisible and definitely don't fire in pulses that move slowly enough to be seen? If you claim that the "lasers" are actually bolts of plasma or something, why don't you allow a similar rationalization for other phenomena such as TIEs or other in atmosphere?

      Regarding TIE fighters in the atmosphere, you may refer to Episodes 5 and 6 (iirc wrt the special editions, TIEs are shown to operate around Cloud City on Bespin and the forest moon of Endor). At the very least, atmospheric flight has been featured prominently in the video games, especially Rogue Squadron.

      Regarding the lightsaber, why is a crossguard automatically stupid? They are practical and exist in real life, and what else is going to stop a lightsaber besides another? Also note that said lightsaber looks unstable. There may be more to it than appears.

  14. Re:I agree, except: by tompaulco · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Millenium Falcon shot: I hope he's got a new pilot, because I think Han's getting too old for this. Also: 25+ years later and they're still using original TIE fighters?

    Harrison Ford still has a valid pilot's license.
    As far as technology goes, what I observed from the episodes 1-3 is that they had better technology available than they did in 4-6, like double bladed light sabers, unlike the paltry one bladed ones available in the future. It's almost like their society is failing and their technology is limited to only what has already been produced and hasn't been destroyed yet. They should count themselves lucky to have TIE fighters.

    --
    If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.
  15. Re:The Star Wars universe has always been impracti by osu-neko · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It's called "space cheese", and you can't ruin the Star Wars universe by adding more cheese, because the entire thing was made of cheese to begin with! It's kinda its whole schtick.

    --
    "Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies."
  16. Is it just me ... by quax · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ... or is all the whining about a *black* stormtrooper on the youtube comment thread beyond embarrassing.

  17. No sign of Admiral Thrawn by caseih · · Score: 2

    Lame!

    1. Re:No sign of Admiral Thrawn by hattable · · Score: 2

      They have already stated a complete abandonment of the accepted post-ROTJ canon. New stories, and I would assume a completely different storyline for any of the movies to be released by Disney.

      More to how Disney is 're-imaging' the EU rights as they acquired it with Lucasarts ILM, they just re-branded all of the previously accepted EU under a different banner and now are running forward like they own the place...which they do. This move is unfortunate for everyone that is familiar with the expanded universe but probably won't affect sales of tickets or merchandise in a significant enough way.

      --
      OMG facts!
  18. Re:It worked in blazing saddles by gstoddart · · Score: 4, Funny

    the "D" is silent.

    Hmmm ... but ouchebag just doesn't have the same ring to it.

    --
    Lost at C:>. Found at C.
  19. Re:I agree, except: by doconnor · · Score: 2

    Light saber technology is not the best example, since that is a Jedi weapon and the Jedi are all but extinct during this period.

    The Death Star is an impressive example of technology that did not exist in the first episodes.

  20. Re:I agree, except: by lgw · · Score: 2

    X-wing shot: 'Hey I thought it wasn't safe for x-wings to fly in an atmosphere with the s-foils deployed.'
    Millenium Falcon shot: I hope he's got a new pilot, because I think Han's getting too old for this. Also: 25+ years later and they're still using original TIE fighters?

    I noticed these and several other "no longer even pretending consistency" moments. I guess my reaction to the trailer is: "I've got a bad feeling about this."

    --
    Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
  21. oh yes by hackertourist · · Score: 4, Funny

    50 seconds worth of film in the trailer and it includes a bloody lens flare.

  22. Re:I agree, except: by Maxwell · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Because you cant see the back of it, where the rooster tail is?

    My though is why do the TIE's fire? blasters go straight. If you aren't lined up, what's the point of firing?

  23. Weird lightsabre design by joelholdsworth · · Score: 2

    Why does he gave a lightsabre with a cross-guard made out of two mini lightsabres? The cross-guard is to protect the fingers, not amputate them

  24. Re:Sad... by doconnor · · Score: 2

    The have shown TIE fighters in the atmosphere on Star Wars: Rebels, which is canon.

  25. Re:Sad... by Rinikusu · · Score: 2

    (and didn't Luke fly his x-wing in Dagoba's atmosphere?)

    --
    If you were me, you'd be good lookin'. - six string samurai
  26. Re:Another case of you're holding it wrong by Minwee · · Score: 2

    You're not looking at scenes carefully chosen to build anticipation. You're looking at the only two minutes of the movie that didn't have lens flares in them.

  27. Re:I agree, except: by Noah+Haders · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Also: 25+ years later and they're still using original TIE fighters?

    The US and many other countries are still flying the top gun f16s, and that was 20 years ago.

  28. Re:I agree, except: by Anonymous+Brave+Guy · · Score: 3, Funny

    I guess my reaction to the trailer is: "I've got a bad feeling about this."

    Indeed. A new JJ Abrams trailer often seems to be followed by millions of voices crying out in terror. I guess time will tell whether they will suddenly be silenced on release day.

    --
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  29. Re:Had a realization by Njorthbiatr · · Score: 2

    Abram's Star Trek? Intellectual? Plot twists? ...

    Uhhhhh....

  30. Re:I agree, except: by Longjmp · · Score: 4, Funny

    Light saber technology is not the best example, ...

    Obi Wan Gilette: "Heck, we'll make one with 5 blades!"
    (or was it Wilkinson?)

    --
    There are fewer illiterates than people who can't read.
  31. Early opinions seem positive to me .... by King_TJ · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I've seen this trailer shared around Facebook all morning and many of my friends who are long time Star Wars fans are optimistic, based on the little bit shown.

    Personally, I feel like part of the reason the original 3 movies were viewed as so superior to episodes 1-3 had a lot to do with the limitations of the technology of the time preventing everything from being "overdone".

    Starr Wars featured enough visually amazing things (from the Imperial Star Destroyer coming on the screen and viewers slowly realizing just how massive it was, to each one of the interesting robots) that appreciating them fully required not cluttering the scenes up with too much other eye candy or content. Back in 1977, that wasn't an issue because it was difficult and time-consuming enough to create these things that nobody would make the mistake of putting too many of them in one scene.

    The computer CGI capabilities of today made it too easy to make scenes too "busy" and cheapen the value of individual creatures, backdrops, weapons, spaceships or robots. The prequel movies felt like they were trying to see how many thousands of objects they could render at the same time in some of the battle scenes. (EG. Jedi knights chopping and hacking away at robots in wave after wave.) Believability suffered.

    If they go back to simple sets like the desert of Tatooine and stop going "CGI crazy" with every single background, I think there's a good chance they'll achieve the original Star Wars feel we all know and love. (And yeah, no insipid characters like Jar Jar either.)

  32. Re:I agree, except: by kylemonger · · Score: 2

    F-14's, and they are from a single planet's defense industry. You'd expect a whole galaxy full of designers to come up with something better in 25+ years. When a beat-up freighter is both faster and more agile than your top-of-the-line fighters, then maybe killing all the aerospace engineers in a tiff wasn't such a great idea.

  33. Re:I agree, except: by Culture20 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Infinite ammo, and the ship might jink into the shots. Why not fire?

  34. Re:There may REALLY be A New Hope after all- by 0123456 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I don't give a rats ass about piddly crap like light saber hilts, I just want a movie that has actual dialogue, plot and acting.

    In a JJ Abrams movie?

    This will have explosions, lens flare, and time travel. And the ending will suck.

  35. Re:I agree, except: by TheRaven64 · · Score: 2

    You'd expect a whole galaxy full of designers to come up with something better in 25+ years.

    Sure. And I'd expect that they'd be able to get them into mass production, shipped, and deployed in... well under 100 years. Probably. If everything goes smoothly.

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  36. Re:I agree, except: by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

    Seems unlikely it can be saved now. Filming is finished, it's going to look like that. Crappy CG, shakey camera, extremely fast cuts and flashing lights so you can't see anything... Even had the lens flare in there, although not as bad as Star Trek. In other words a standard J.J. Abrams film.

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  37. Re:I agree, except: by operagost · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Not infinite ammo! You have to press F9 to recharge them, and then your MGLT drops. Don't even have shield from which to redirect charge, dang widow makers.

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  38. It's only plausible... by denzacar · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...until bastards go to four blades.

    Now we're standing around with our cocks in our hands, selling three blades and a strip.
    Moisture or no, suddenly we're the chumps. Well, fuck it. We're going to five blades.

    Sure, we could go to four blades next, like the competition. That seems like the logical thing to do.
    After all, three worked out pretty well, and four is the next number after three. So let's play it safe.
    Let's make a thicker aloe strip and call it the Mach3SuperTurbo. Why innovate when we can follow?
    Oh, I know why: Because we're a business, that's why!

    You think it's crazy? It is crazy. But I don't give a shit. From now on, we're the ones who have the edge in the multi-blade game.
    Are they the best a man can get? Fuck, no. Sith is the best a man can get.

    What part of this don't you understand? If two blades is good, and three blades is better, obviously five blades would make us the best fucking saber that ever existed. Comprende?
    We didn't claw our way out of a sarlacc pit to the top of the saber game by clinging to the two-blade industry standard.
    We got here by taking chances. Well, five blades is the biggest chance of all.

    Here's the report from Engineering. Someone put it in the bathroom: I want to wipe my ass with it.
    They don't tell me what to inventâ"I tell them. And I'm telling them to stick two more blades in there.
    I don't care how. Make the blades so thin they're invisible. Put some on the handle.
    I don't care if they have to cram the fifth blade in perpendicular to the other four, just do it!

    You're taking the "light" part of "light saber" too literally, grandma. Cut the strings and soar. Let's hit it.
    Let's roll. This is our chance to make saber history. Let's dream big. All you have to do is say that five blades can happen, and it will happen.
    If you aren't on board, then fuck you. And if you're on the board, then fuck you and your father.
    Hey, if I'm the only one who'll take risks, I'm sure as hell happy to hog all the glory when the five-blade saber becomes the fencing tool for the Gal-a- "this is how we cut the hands off now"-xay.

    People said we couldn't go to three. It'll cost a fortune to manufacture, they said. Well, we did it.
    Now some egghead in a lab is screaming "Five's crazy?"
    Well, perhaps he'd be more comfortable in the labs at Coruscant, working on fucking electrics. Rotary blades, my white ass!

    Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe we should just ride in Empire's wake and make blasters. Ha!
    Not on your fucking life! The day I shadow a penny-ante outfit like the Empire is the day I leave the saber game for good, and that won't happen until the day I die!

    The market? Listen, we make the market. All we have to do is put her out there with a little jingle.
    It's as easy as, "Hey, cutting with anything less than five blades is like scraping your beard off with a dull hatchet."
    Or "You'll be so smooth, you'll make the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs."
    Try "Your neck is going to be so friggin' soft, someone's gonna walk up and tie a goddamn Medal of Bravery under it."

    I know what you're thinking now: What'll people say? Mew mew mew. Oh, no, what will people say?!
    Grow the fuck up. When you're on top, people talk. That's the price you pay for being on top.
    Which Sith is, always has been, and forever shall be, Amen, five blades, sweet Jesus in heaven.

    Stop. I just had a stroke of genius.
    Are you ready? Open your mouth, baby birds, cause Mama's about to drop you one sweet, fat nightcrawler.
    Here she comes: Put another aloe strip on that fucker, too. That's right.
    Five blades, two strips, and make the second one lather. You heard meâ"the second strip lathers.
    It's a whole new way to think about swords. Don't question it. Don't say a word.
    Just key the music, and call the chorus girls, because we're on the edgeâ"the saber's edgeâ"and I feel like dancing.

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  39. Re:I agree, except: by ChrisMaple · · Score: 2

    I thought the new light saber version was Christian symbolism.

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  40. Re: I agree, except: by Stickerboy · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Nah, you're overthinking it. Episodes 4-6 are about the rebels living on the ragtag fringe of galactic society. Think of what cars tend to look like in the poorer sections of Mexico. Shade tree mechanics and barely running junk. Episodes 1-3 were most of the time centered on the heart of the Republic when not in battle. Shiny, ergonomic, aesthetically pleasing. And when the Sith and the Empire took power the newest tech became blunt instruments of power.

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  41. Re: I agree, except: by sexconker · · Score: 3, Insightful

    not really there are lightsaber resistant metals

    That's "expanded universe" bullshit, which is less valid canonically than the fucking Star Wars ride at Disneyland.
    Canon hierarchy goes:

    Original Trilogy
    Original Trilogy toy line
    Original Trilogy Pez dispensers
    Holiday Special
    Second Trilogy
    Second Trilogy toy line
    Disneyland ride
    Third Trilogy
    Third Trilogy toy line
    -------------------
    CANON ABOVE
    FANFICTION BELOW
    -------------------
    "Expanded universe" "novels"
    Comic books
    Video games
    Shitty cartoon series
    Pogs

  42. Re:The Original Trilogy by MagickalMyst · · Score: 2

    The other problem is that Lucas wrote them.

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  43. Re:I agree, except: by Notabadguy · · Score: 2

    As far as technology goes, what I observed from the episodes 1-3 is that they had better technology available than they did in 4-6, like double bladed light sabers, unlike the paltry one bladed ones available in the future. It's almost like their society is failing and their technology is limited to only what has already been produced and hasn't been destroyed yet. They should count themselves lucky to have TIE fighters.

    Give it time. Disney won't kill the franchise, so look forward to:

    Star Wars Episode 10: Jedi facing a crisis of lightsaber shortages. Lightsabers handed down generationally.
    Star Wars Episode 15: Re-introduction of kinetic weaponry. Jedi learn to their horror that when a lightsaber blocks a kinetic round, they get splashed with plasma and liquified metal.
    Star Wars Episode 18: Droids across the galaxy are falling into disrepair without the technology to repair them, and people with the ability to calculate the logistics and plotting for hyperspace routes grow fewer - they form into a guild called "Navigators."
    Star Wars Episode 22: Droids are gone, kinetic weaponry and explosives dominate, Jedi lightsabers are a thing of legend, and interstellar travel requires the help of the navigators, whom no one actually ever sees.
    Star Wars Episode 24: A boy with unprecedented midiclorian levels is born on the planet Calidan. Legend foretells that he will save or destroy the Universe.
    Star Wars Episode 25: A New, New Hope: The spice.....must flow....