Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

Tag: The Last Jedi

Star Wars: The Subtle, and Brilliant, Connections

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On October 30, 2018

In General Cogitation

For nearly two decades there has been seven new movies and two animated series (with more on the way). There are trivial details that link all of them and the brilliance lies in the minutiae. The subtle, and brilliant, connections Disney brings to the franchise is outstanding and fascinating. Perhaps “connection” might be a misnomer, considering some of these items are so subtle they’re more like “Easter Eggs”. I’ll get into that later. There are quite a few Easter Eggs in all of the movies, but these are my favorites.

Also, if you have not seen Solo or all of Clone Wars, there are mild spoilers ahead from each.

[**Spoilers Ahead**] Darth Maul’s Appearance

Darth Maul with Mechanical LegsAs you watch Solo: A Star Wars Story, they do leave you wondering what happened to Q’ira after her and Han are separated during the escape from Corellia. Her sudden appearance as a gangster’s lieutenant several years later is one of the great mysteries of the film. She’s clearly tormented by the her choices in the past leaving the audience, and Han, completely in the dark.

Her vexing relationship with Dryden Vos had us wondering if she is his mistress or concubine, like Leia was to Jabba (which would be fantastic symmetry). However, we are all stunned when Q’ira contacts Darth Maul (reprised by Ray Park) leaving us all with more questions about her past. What makes this encounter more mysterious is the fact that it’s the version of Darth Maul with his robot legs thus linking Solo to late episodes of Rebels and Clone Wars. This is one of my favorite scenes in the Han Solo movie.

Hera’s Ghost

Ghost among the fleet assaulting Scarif in Rogue One (Click to enlarge)

Before you think I’m exposing another spoiler, I’m not talking about Hera’s spiritual ghost but her ship, the Ghost. If you are unfamiliar with the animated series, Star Wars Rebels, then none of this will make sense. Hera is a Twi’lek rebellion pilot and the Ghost is a Corellian VCX-100 light freighter. She is a central character to the animated series and the formation of the Rebel Alliance.

This little Easter Egg is very similar to the Millennium Falcon Easter Eggs at various spaceports in the prequels and Clone Wars. Granted most of those are merely Corellian Corvettes and not specifically the Millennium Falcon. However, in this particular case the Ghost can be spotted among the ships preparing to attack Scarif in Rogue One. You may even hear a “General Syndulla” on the PA.

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Book Review: Phasma

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On September 19, 2018

In Book Review, Science Fiction, Star Wars

Phasma (Star Wars)Phasma by Delilah S. Dawson
My rating: [rating=4]

Captain Phasma is the Boba Fett of the sequel trilogy. Mysterious. Ruthless. The stomp of her chrome boots and her clipped Imperial accent makes her both menacing and intriguing. There is clearly a story to tell and Delilah Dawson is here to tell it.

Vi Moradi is a Resistance spy, often given tasks by General Organa herself. On her recent mission she is captured by Captain Cardinal, a stormtrooper of the First Order. Instead of turning her over to his superiors, he secretly interrogates her for evidence against his rival, Captain Phasma. Since the day Brendol Hux brought Phasma on board the Absolution all his hard work has been marginalized and his pupils reprogrammed to be heartless killers. He believes that she is responsible for murdering his mentor. He wants Phasma gone and he’ll do what needs to be done to see to it that she is removed from command.

Biggs Review

I really enjoyed this book. I love the austere and ruthlessness of Phasma in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. The thing that I enjoyed most was that the author didn’t just give us a full origin story. We learn about the kind of person Phasma is by second-hand stories. I didn’t want all the secrets revealed to maintain the elusiveness of the character. The use of interrogation of a spy, and friend of someone from Phasma’s past, is a great mechanism for maintaining the enigma.

I like the fact that throughout the whole book you’re never really “rooting” for Phasma but you do develop some revere for the character. You begin to understand the character more from what she has endured before joining the First Order. You even learn why she doesn’t wear the typical plastoid composite stormtrooper armor and where the chrome armor comes from.

Finally, much like Boba Fett in the sarlacc, I do not think she is dead after she is bested by Finn in The Last Jedi. Phasma knows exactly what she needs to do to survive and I think we will see her again in Episode IX.

View all my reviews

diablo3-reading“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
– Dr. Seuss

 

“Manbabies” is an Accurate Description

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On June 11, 2018

In Fulmination, Star Wars

I am still fuming from the news that Kelly Marie Tran was driven off social media because of bullying. Whoever these “manbabies” are have no place among Star Wars fans (or human beings). It’s all right to like or dislike the prequels or the new movies, but it’s utterly despicable to use racist and sexist language to force someone from social media. Especially someone as charming and wonderful as Kelly Marie Tran.

“Manbabies” is an accurate description for these alleged “fans”, a label applied by Rian Johnson in a tweet. Actually there are a few tweets in which Rian Johnson and Mark Hamill shutdown all these awful haters. You can express your disagreement of the new movies without resorting to bigotry and racism.

“Give Us Legends” the Scapegoat

The group of cowards responsible for this atrocious behavior attempted to throw “Give Us Legends” under the bus. I appreciate what GUL wants to do and I am more inclined to believe they were not involved with this act of bullying. A few days after the story broke, the website “Making Star Wars” published an article that implicates “Give Us Legends” as the culprits behind the racist attacks. While I could not find any source to back up the article, I found several sources that exonerated GUL.

If you are unfamiliar with “Give Us Legends”, they are a group of avid Star Wars fans that are respectfully urging Disney to continue the Legends canon. When Disney “debunked” the Expanded Universe, they coined the debunked canon as “Legends”. The article from “Making Star Wars” is successful in skewing your perception of GUL, however, their Facebook page absolves them. I initially thought they were among the group of whiny “manbabies” wishing to stop Disney from rewriting EU canon. However, they are simply asking for Disney to continue expanding the “Legends” canon as well as their new post-Jedi canon. I support that notion!

Kelly Marie Tran is Amazing

In a more recent post I discuss how Star Wars is more gender neutral because of strong female characters. Now I’m not going to preach about gender equality. An actor or character’s gender, race, creed, color or sexual orientation are irrelevant to the story. I don’t know why any of those characteristics need to be singled out in any capacity.

Be that as it may, Kelly Marie Tran’s character is Rose Tico (if you didn’t know). Rose is a mechanic on the Raddus, the cruiser that becomes the flagship for General Leia during the evacuation of D’Qar. While a good mechanic, she stays below the radar until her sister is killed during the bombing of the dreadnaught. Rose rises up to become another strong female character in the Star Wars universe. She is a welcome addition to the likes of Daisy Ridley, Ashley Eckstein and Carrie Fisher.

Since the disgusting display of human indecency, there has been a huge outpouring of support by the actual Star Wars fans. It’s unfortunate that Kelly Marie Tran has left social media because I think she would appreciate it. I hope she sees it eventually, because I look forward to seeing more Rose in the next movie.

/MTFBWY

The Force. It calls to you. Just let it in.

 

Movie Review – Star Wars: The Last Jedi

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On December 16, 2017

In Movies, Reviews, Star Wars

Star Wars The Last Jedi
Star Wars The Last Jedi

Director: Rian Johnson
Starring: Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill

My Rating: [rating=5]

Simply put, I think The Last Jedi is marvelous! I am really confused as to why audiences are not responding well, but that is typical for the middle movie of a trilogy. I admit that this movie is quite different from any other Star Wars movie. It’s dark, with some light humor (often delivered by Oscar Isaac). It has some pretty intense moments; apparently I was, unknowingly, squeezing my wife’s hand throughout most of the film.

It was so awesome to see Mark Hamill reprise his most iconic role and he was spectacular! Luke’s demeanor is exactly as I expected considering what happened to Ben Solo. Daisy Ridley is still amazing as Rey and Adam Driver’s performance is equally as amazing! We also see new ways in which the Force is used, including a dramatic moment when Leia uses the Force.

Carrie Fisher’s Swan Song

I’ll admit that there were a few scenes that were difficult to watch when Leia was the focus. There is a great moment where Luke and R2 share a nostalgic moment that clearly pays homage to “A New Hope”. It’s also a great tribute to Princess Leia.

The last thing Luke says to Leia, in the movie, is perfect (and eerily fitting). Carrie Fisher’s death was unexpected and sudden but this movie is an unexpected tribute to her. Shortly into the credits a line was added (obviously in post-production) in which the film was dedicated to “our beloved princess”.

Star Wars The Last Jedi Opening Night

The last time I saw a Star Wars movie on Opening Night was Revenge of the Sith. When you have a toddler, arranging the night to be toddler-free often becomes difficult. I was very excited to finally see an opening night release and I was rewarded with a couple collectibles.

The AMC theater we went to were selling limited edition, opening night, metal popcorn tins (see picture). Naturally, I had to buy all three as souvenirs to commemorate the occasion.

I cannot wait to see it again, hopefully before its Blu-ray release. There are also quite a few “theory-inducing” plot twists that I will discuss at a later date. More people need to see it before I talk about those. If you can get to a matinee, that seems to be the best option to avoid large crowds. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

/MTFBWY

The Force. It calls to you. Just let it in.

 

‘The Last Jedi’ Second Official Trailer

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On October 9, 2017

In Movies, Star Wars

We have all been waiting, very impatiently, for several weeks now for the next official Episode VIII: The Last Jedi trailer. Then, in late September, the Internet and Star Wars fans everywhere exploded with a tweet from Mark Hamill that alludes to the next trailer. It’s hard to tell if he meant to tell us or if he, inadvertently, let something slip. We don’t know if Disney’s original intention was to release the trailer during tonight’s Monday Night Football but you can’t say something like that and then take it back. The Internet won’t let you. If Disney’s intention was to postpone it, then we heartily thank you Mark Hamill!!

So here it is; in all its fantastic glory!

My hands are shaking. My heart is beating out of my chest. I’m pretty sure I was holding my breath for the entire 2 minutes of that trailer. Now lets go watch it again!

The Force. It calls to you. Just let it in.

 

Star Wars: Are The Jedi Really Ending?!?

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On April 18, 2017

In Geek Canon, Star Wars

Are The Jedi Really EndingSince the trailer for ‘The Last Jedi’ premiered everyone is losing their minds over Luke’s ominous words “… it’s time for the Jedi to end“. Between those words and the title of the movie, I can see how people are drawing that conclusion. Are the Jedi really ending? Has Luke gone to the Dark Side? Maybe Luke has lost his damn mind??! This is what is so much fun about watching the trailer; we will spend the next 240 days coming up with hypothesis after hypothesis. I am going to dive into some of the popular ones which intertwine with some of my theories. If you are reading this then I am going to assume you have seen The Force Awakens. I will mention some of the big spoilers of the movie to help augment my theories.

Theory 1: The Jedi Really Are Ending

Let’s consider the fact that Luke means exactly what he says. The Jedi are ending. No interpolation. No hidden meaning. Honestly this makes sense to me. The Sith have been destroyed. The Empire has been dismantled. What place do the Jedi have in the galaxy now? In 30 years the galaxy hasn’t really needed the Jedi. The Jedi are essentially like the French musketeers of the 1600s who were a private cavalry for the King. They were ineffective against Napoleon and ultimately disbanded. Without a purpose the Jedi have no reason to exist. Perhaps Luke knows this and, while also lamenting Ben Solo’s turn to the Dark Side, feels the Jedi Order is over.

What is the point of training new Jedi if they have no purpose? The New Republic fighters and military leaders prove they are quite capable of defending themselves against the First Order; despite the devastating loss of the Hosnian system. Clearly Luke feels he is not capable of effectively training new Jedi which, in his mind, don’t really serve a purpose anymore.

Theory 2: Luke Thinks He has Failed as a Jedi

After having failed to properly train Ben Solo, now Kylo Ren, he feels he has failed the Jedi Order, Leia and Han, and himself. He’s saying it’s time for the Jedi to end because he’s not going to train more and there is nobody else to carry that mantle. Everyone keeps focusing on the end of the quote but the full quote from the trailer is “I only know one truth; it’s time for the Jedi to end“. We don’t know the context in which he says that line. I imagine it’s something that occurs in a conversation not long after Rey’s arrival. I envision the interaction going something like this:

Rey: “The Resistance needs you. They need to know the truth.”
Luke: “I only know one truth; it’s time for the Jedi to end“

Perhaps Rey has already told Luke that Han is dead, killed by Kylo Ren. Luke feels responsible for his friend’s death because of Ben’s turn to the Dark Side and his obsession with Darth Vader. Perhaps if he hadn’t been so focused on rebuilding the Jedi, he could have prevented Han’s death and the rise of the First Order. However, something or someone, perhaps even Rey, convinces Luke that the Jedi should not end and the New Republic needs their protection once again.

If I were the director this is exactly what I would do. You use a line like “it’s time for the Jedi to end” in the trailer to tease your audience. I would want them all asking the question “are the Jedi really ending”? J.J. Abrams set this up perfectly; since Luke didn’t have any dialog we have no idea what his demeanor is. It creates the perfect enigmatic scenario.

Theory 3: Luke has Become the Elusive Gray Jedi

This is one of the most popular theories, and my favorite. It’s also probably the quintessential riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. This is a theory that dates back to Return of the Jedi. If Luke actually is the one that will bring balance to the Force, a Gray Jedi is how that prophecy will be fulfilled. You cannot have order without chaos, therefore you cannot have balance without the Dark Side and the Light Side. A Gray Jedi can walk the line between both. Mace Windu is widely believed to also be a Gray Jedi as he has training in both the Dark Side and the Light Side of the Force. A Gray Jedi believes that there isn’t a Dark Side or a Light Side, there is just “the Force”.

So when Luke says “it’s time for the Jedi to end“, perhaps he means the traditional Jedi. Perhaps he’s referring to the dawn of the Gray Jedi where peace can only be maintained by embracing both sides of the Force (i.e. “it’s so much bigger”). Maybe it is the fate of the Skywalkers to become the Gray Jedi and it is time for younger blood to build a new Jedi Order. Remember these nine movies are considered the “Skywalker Saga” so the fate of Luke does not necessarily dictate the fate of the Jedi.

/MTFBWY

The Force. It calls to you. Just let it in.

 

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