Star Wars Episode IX, The Rise of Skywalker, available on home video

[kajnrig]

1 hour ago, jenius said:

super speed Jedi,

Force powers. /shrug

1 hour ago, jenius said:

incompetent villains

I dunno man, Darth Maul was pretty super competent... until he wasn't.

1 hour ago, jenius said:

, unlikable characters, awful acting,

I dunno man, Darth Maul was pretty super likable and well-acted... until he wasn't.

46 minutes ago, mcfly50 said:

TPM was awesome. I needed a solid 3 more hours of Galactic Senate CSPAN.

Come to think of it, I would probably watch that if it did exist. 

Look, if that's what it takes to get more Ray Park Darth Maul...

Sorry, just watched me that Phantom Menace fight again. Got the double blade on the brain.

55 minutes ago, Bolt said:

Because it wasn't a gritty war drama with Destroids

My first lightsaber build circa 2011 . Running an Igniter driver with an RGBW LED. 9  separate saber types (9 separate main blade colors) with each one having about 10 sound fonts per saber type. Each saber has programmed flash on clash colors separate from the main blade color,etc. i had endless fun designing and building and color programming.

 

Yeah, we all remember fondly that gritty Destroid war drama, Robotech.

Nice build. It's always cool to see the thousands of ways people jerry rig up their own sabers. Speaking of lightsabers, though, I wasn't too hot on the lightsaber combat in this movie... or in the sequels in general, really. I know the one big fight scene in TLJ gets a lot of flak, but it's legitimately the one interesting fight scene out of all three movies. But anyway, in this movie in particular, something about how the characters swing their sabers a lot of the time... It happened too often to not notice, where instead of following through swings (or making it look like they're trying to, at any rate), characters would angle their grips/props/batons/etc. to make a lightsaber clash as shallow as possible.

I dunno what it was. Maybe they just weren't given time to really work through each fight scene. From what I hear, the TLJ throne room fight is just as bad, where the actors didn't have enough time to get the timing of the choreography down right, so you'll see the stuntmen Praetorians doing "filler" maneuvers in the background meanwhile.

Anyway.

[Bolt]

Darth Maul Vs Mace Windu. Dream duel

[azrael]

27 minutes ago, Bolt said:

My take on that was Palpatine's Connection. He was the representative of Naboo and had the most advantageous position to pull strings on that planet for his ultimate end game..

That was my take on it too. The current ruler (Padme) was fresh and could be swayed with the right strings pulled.

10 minutes ago, kajnrig said:

 From what I hear, the TLJ throne room fight is just as bad, where the actors didn't have enough time to get the timing of the choreography down right, so you'll see the stuntmen Praetorians doing "filler" maneuvers in the background meanwhile.

Not only was the choreography off, but weapons disappeared. Rey and Kylo should have been hit repeatedly but thanks to the magic of editing, weapons magically disappeared. That fight was just 100% cow poop.

[kalvasflam]

1 hour ago, Bolt said:

I find  her saber to be a bit unsightly and crude. It has a more KOTOR look. And so, looks out of place.Obviously she used parts from her staff..

Leia's lightsaber, on the other hand, is beautiful..

Well, perhaps she was feeling adventurous and wanted to go for a rougher feel.   Having experienced the smoothness from Skywalker, she probably wanted a different feel.

[azrael]

Better or worst?

https://chroniclecollectibles.com/collections/featured/products/star-wars-dark-side-rey-lightsaber

[Bolt]

3 hours ago, kalvasflam said:

Having experienced the smoothness from Skywalker, she probably wanted a different feel.

Well she certainly got it!

[Dobber]

Speaking of Maul, I’ve recently opened Pandora’s Box by starting to collect 1/6 scale figures from Sideshow/Hot Toys. Just got Darth Maul,Anakin/Darth Vader, Ep 3 Obi Wan and a few others. They are all incredible figures with so many pose options and accessories...heck even Mauls eyes can be moved! Here is Maul holding this stance without a stand!

Chris

[Dynaman]

THAT is an impressive collectible. 

[Bolt]

19 hours ago, azrael said:

Better or worst?

https://chroniclecollectibles.com/collections/featured/products/star-wars-dark-side-rey-lightsaber

Dark Rey's dual sabers were very cool indeed ..

[sh9000]

I haven’t bought many figures from the sequel trilogy but I will most likely buy a Black Series Dark Side Rey.

[kajnrig]

19 hours ago, Dobber said:

Speaking of Maul, I’ve recently opened Pandora’s Box by starting to collect 1/6 scale figures from Sideshow/Hot Toys. Just got Darth Maul,Anakin/Darth Vader, Ep 3 Obi Wan and a few others. They are all incredible figures with so many pose options and accessories...heck even Mauls eyes can be moved! Here is Maul holding this stance without a stand!

Chris

Now give him derp eyes. Do it!

[Thom]

On 12/25/2019 at 2:39 PM, Bolt said:

I find  her saber to be a bit unsightly and crude. It has a more KOTOR look. And so, looks out of place.Obviously she used parts from her staff..

Leia's lightsaber, on the other hand, is beautiful..

It's look could be fitting if Rey is at the low point of the fall of the Jedi. There is no grand order of Knights around anymore to teach her and influence her style. If she is the beginning of a new Jedi Order then I imagine, as times goes on, that they will progress back to the more polished look of the Jedi just a few decades earlier. Plus, if we do see her again that lightsaber might become more 'polished' as she grows in her understanding of the Force. 

Or perhaps she was simply limited to the materials on hand. Apparently she used pieces of her staff in its construction so that is part of the look there, and that too is a fitting to have an 'old' scavenger scavenge parts in order to make her first lightsaber.

And looking at it, I think it is a double-ended lightsaber. The way the bottom part mirrors the top would seem to suggest that to me, even if they only showed one end lit.

Edited December 27, 2019 by Thom

[Dobber]

4 hours ago, kajnrig said:

Now give him derp eyes. Do it!

I actually did that to show a friend 

 

Chris

[kalvasflam]

9 hours ago, Bolt said:

Dark Rey's dual sabers were very cool indeed ..

But I would venture the dual folding saber was probably a bridge too far for Rey.  She probably isn’t into that kind of thing, I figure her for a more meat and potatoes kinda Jedi, a standard version would be enough for her.  She might not be able to handle a dual folding type.

[Bolt]

On 12/25/2019 at 6:31 PM, Dobber said:

Speaking of Maul, I’ve recently opened Pandora’s Box by starting to collect 1/6 scale figures from Sideshow/Hot Toys. Just got Darth Maul,Anakin/Darth Vader, Ep 3 Obi Wan and a few others. They are all incredible figures with so many pose options and accessories...heck even Mauls eyes can be moved! Here is Maul holding this stance without a stand!

Chris

I normally don't go for figures, but that Darth Maul is awesome!

 

54 minutes ago, Thom said:

It's look could be fitting if Rey is at the low point of the fall of the Jedi. There is no grand order of Knights around anymore to teach her and influence her style. If she is the beginning of a new Jedi Order then I imagine, as times goes on, that they will progress back to the more polished look of the Jedi just a few decades earlier. Plus, if we do see her again that lightsaber might become more 'polished' as she grows in her understanding of the Force. 

Or perhaps she was simply limited to the materials on hand. Apparently she used pieces of her staff in its construction so that is part of the look there, and that too is a fitting to have an 'old' scavenger scavenge parts in order to make her first lightsaber.

And looking at it, I think it is a double-ended lightsaber. The way the bottom part mirrors the top would seem to suggest that to me, even if they only showed one end lit.

I agree with you. But I feel that , considering the sabers she was handling, there was a certain influence and style she could have drawn upon. I guess it certainly shows her scavenger back round and can be refined over time. And yes, I'm just waiting for the comics to reveal her saber to actually be a double ended ..

Edited December 27, 2019 by Bolt

[peter]

On 12/25/2019 at 11:39 AM, Bolt said:

I find  her saber to be a bit unsightly and crude. It has a more KOTOR look. And so, looks out of place.Obviously she used parts from her staff..

Leia's lightsaber, on the other hand, is beautiful..

Her staff looked like recycled bits from Maul's saber.

[Bolt]

2 hours ago, peter said:

Her staff looked like recycled bits from Maul's saber.

Very well could be.. I'm hoping we get to see the live action version of Maul's final duel with Obi Wan in the forthcoming series..

[M'Kyuun]

It never occurred to me to critique the style or design of Rey's saber, except to acknowledge that, in Jedi tradition, she'd made her own. I thought it a cool and fitting scene where she took the sabers of her two mentors back to Luke's old homestead. It was a nice tribute, I thought, and if she ever needs them again, she has a good landmark to guide her.

Someone mentioned a double-bladed saber not fitting Rey's style, and I respectfully disagree, considering she used a staff as a weapon long before she ever picked up a lightsaber. A double-bladed saber would be an extension of her original weapon, in my mind. Or, better yet, if the non-blade end had a mechanical extension, much like police batons, which would give her a staff and a lightsaber all in one. And a walking stick for those arduous climbs to find old gruff Jedi masters.

Now that the main trilogies are done, and it seems like we'll just get offshoots and interim stories to flesh out the Star Wars Universe, I hope at some point there'll be another movie, or series, about Rey, whether it be live-action or animated. I'd love to see Gendy Tartakovsky get a chance to do Rey's continuing story, similar to what he did with his awesome Clone Wars shorts, which, IMHO, were far better than the Prequels that inspired them. Hers is a story I'd like to see more of. As for Poe and Finn, there's just nothing about either character that makes me want to see more, although I think Finn could have some potential in the right writer's capable hands. It's kind of a wasted opportunity that they didn't make his character more savvy, as he'd have made an excellent spy to infiltrate and disrupt First Order operations with his insider's knowledge. That could be a natural extension of his character in future chronicles of the Final Trilogy characters, as they work to further decimate an already fragmented First (Final) Order. If not Genndy, then I hope Filoni and Co will continue the story. They should have let him do all three of the Final Trilogy films, as he has demonstrated again and again, a very deft ability to capture the look and feel of Star Wars in a way that makes it an enjoyable ride with great characters, plots, and writing.

[peter]

I'd be totally fine if Poe and Finn got separate stories...yeah, I see them as pals, but the existing bromance and anything potentially beyond all seems forced to me.  

It'd be cool to see Rey off to do her own films, maybe Poe and Zorii Bliss, there's definitely some potential there.  

As for the conflict/antagonist, well, I really hope they don't feel the need to one up the fleet of Death Star powered Star Destroyers.  

[CoryHolmes]

4 hours ago, Bolt said:

Very well could be.. I'm hoping we get to see the live action version of Maul's final duel with Obi Wan in the forthcoming series..

I hope it gets a serious upgrade.  Yes, the version presented is a "more realistic" duel, where it's more posturing than showy...  But that ain't Star Wars duels.  There needs to be a certain amount of twirls, flares, dramatic pauses to glare at each other, etc. to be a Star Wars duel.

[Mog]

Nope.

It was short, but told a very good story with great callbacks to a previous fight.

And it showed how much more skilled Obi became while in the desert.

[Tking22]

4 minutes ago, Mog said:

Nope.

It was short, but told a very good story with great callbacks to a previous fight.

And it showed how much more skilled Obi became while in the desert.

This. It was absolutely spot on perfect as-is in Rebels, it doesn't need a live action version, and it doesn't need any upgrades or extended choreography. 

[kajnrig]

Rey's saber made me immediately think of Hindu/Buddhist vajra ceremonial weapons. I thought it made for neat religious imagery, though I doubt that the similarity is intentional.

[peter]

1 minute ago, CoryHolmes said:

I hope it gets a serious upgrade.  Yes, the version presented is a "more realistic" duel, where it's more posturing than showy...  But that ain't Star Wars duels.  There needs to be a certain amount of twirls, flares, dramatic pauses to glare at each other, etc. to be a Star Wars duel.

I fukking hate the twirls. 

Having studied Wushu for 15 years, I accepted the Maul fight in Phantom Menace was fun to watch when it first came out, a nice change compared to anything we'd seen before.  By the time it got to Revenge of the Sith, I felt like they went a little overboard.  That last fight between Obi Wan and Anikin was just silly.  There seemed to be more twirling than actually attempting to strike the opponent.

I liked wushu, I enjoyed it at the time, and still appreciate it for being excellent exercise and difficult to perform to the standards set by China.  But after studying Iaido for nearly the same amount of time (with maybe 5 years overlapping), I was of the opinion that Wushu is gymnastics with weapons....and not very realistic weapons.  The sword forms were just a sword dance, with the floppy swords, with which the primary goal was to make as much noise as possible and be as flashy as can be.  

Actual combat techniques using many of the weapons used in Wushu died with the cultural revolution.  I felt that the Japanese sword arts on the other hand, specifically Kenjutsu and Iaijutsu, preserved the fundamentals better.  There was more focus on the effectiveness of the cuts, rather than focus on making the biggest noise and looking good.

Before I left wushu completely, I tried some of the forms with some of live blades from Hanwei/Paul Chen.  If you didn't cut yourself trying to do some of the forms, you developed tennis elbow very quickly because live blades are A LOT heavier than the toys we trained with.

The Star Wars Rebels fight between older Obi Wan and Maul was done exceptionally well.  There are a few good reviews of that fight, but it was done very well and it helped bridge the HUGE gap between Clone Wars era Obi Wan and ANH Obi Wan.

[CoryHolmes]

3 minutes ago, peter said:

Having studied Wushu for 15 years, I accepted the Maul fight in Phantom Menace was fun to watch when it first came out, a nice change compared to anything we'd seen before.  By the time it got to Revenge of the Sith, I felt like they went a little overboard.  That last fight between Obi Wan and Anikin was just silly.  There seemed to be more twirling than actually attempting to strike the opponent.

 

On this, we agree.  Duel of the Fates struck the right cord, and everything else has been trying to copy and improve on it but failing at it.

[Bolt]

1 minute ago, kajnrig said:

Rey's saber made me immediately think of Hindu/Buddhist vajra ceremonial weapons. I thought it made for neat religious imagery, though I doubt that the similarity is intentional.

Yes the Dorge or also called Vajra (that's right Kawamori san, I'm sure knows that!)

5 minutes ago, peter said:

I fukking hate the twirls. 

Having studied Wushu for 15 years, I accepted the Maul fight in Phantom Menace was fun to watch when it first came out, a nice change compared to anything we'd seen before.

For Mauls character it felt appropriate. He was so impressed with himself and was itching all over to take on the Jedi's best of the best. For everyone else it felt overdone.

8 minutes ago, peter said:

The Star Wars Rebels fight between older Obi Wan and Maul was done exceptionally well.  There are a few good reviews of that fight, but it was done very well and it helped bridge the HUGE gap between Clone Wars era Obi Wan and ANH Obi Wan.

I thought so too, but it could still be a great season finale for the live action.

[Dobber]

33 minutes ago, Mog said:

Nope.

It was short, but told a very good story with great callbacks to a previous fight.

And it showed how much more skilled Obi became while in the desert.

Wholeheartedly agree. There is so much more going on in that fight. Love the trap that Obi-Wan set for Maul, and he fell right in it. 

Playing around with the amazing Maul figure again  

The last thing you’ll see....

Chris

Edited December 27, 2019 by Dobber

[peter]

13 minutes ago, Bolt said:

Yes the Dorge or also called Vajra (that's right Kawamori san, I'm sure knows that!)

For Mauls character it felt appropriate. He was so impressed with himself and was itching all over to take on the Jedi's best of the best. For everyone else it felt overdone.

I thought so too, but it could still be a great season finale for the live action.

I have a few friends from class that actually met Ray Park at a few wushu events (before he did Star Wars).  He was good (the actor), there's no doubt about it.  And for anyone reading my post, I didn't mean to come across as ragging on wushu.  I really did enjoy it when I studied it.  I was never good enough to compete, but some of my classmates definitely did at the international level (hence seeing Ray Park at those events), but it was fun at the time.  

Not for the old though....it will fuk up your knees and your back, and a big problem with some of the weapons is disproportionate muscle developement, especially when it comes to the one-handed weapons like dao or jian.

 

[TehPW]

Long Live the Macho Man...

[electric indigo]

Interesting insight from author Chris Terrio:

https://www.indiewire.com/2019/12/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-chris-terrio-spoilers-1202198680/

[ErikElvis]

Not seeing a ton of hate for this movie. I’ve been there opening night on thursdays the last 2 movies but decided to wait for this one. Hopefully go this weekend. 

[derex3592]

I saw it Sunday with the wife. Honestly, I screwed up and got 3D tickets which I freakin hate (so does she) and my ears were stopped up from a cold I've been fighting, BUT, I still enjoyed it.  Thumbs up for me.  It's entertaining, it has some heart, some laughs, some good moments between old and new cast and wraps up the Skywalker saga with a nice bow tied on it.  Some say it's better than than the two previous ones and I would have to agree. Some say it's better than ROTJ, I might agree with that as well. Honestly for me it's kinda up there with ROTS.  It's really not a bad SW movie if you shut your brain off and just enjoy it for what it is.  JJ took the flaming pile of s*it he was left with and did the best he could with what he had, and I think he brought it in for a pretty good landing all things considered. 

 

I have spoken. 

 

Next Trilogy please.  NO Skywalker. Cameo from Ray  maybe, ok, cool, whatevs, but NEW STORY. 

 

This is the way.

 

 

Edited December 31, 2019 by derex3592

[Bolt]

25 minutes ago, derex3592 said:

JJ took the flaming pile of s*it he was left with and did the best he could with what he had, and I think he brought it in for a pretty good landing all things considered. 

Agreed. And now i hope he stays away from SW and leaves it alone. Maybe he can go do robotech  now

Gonna try to catch TROS again on the big screen this week. 

Word

Edited December 31, 2019 by Bolt

[azrael]

3 hours ago, ErikElvis said:

Not seeing a ton of hate for this movie. I’ve been there opening night on thursdays the last 2 movies but decided to wait for this one. Hopefully go this weekend. 

I'm seeing about the same for this as I did with TFA. Lowered expectations and JJ's style of moving at breakneck speed to keep the audience from asking questions changes one's perspective.

[myk]

10 minutes ago, azrael said:

I'm seeing about the same for this as I did with TFA. Lowered expectations and JJ's style of moving at breakneck speed to keep the audience from asking questions changes one's perspective.

Don't know if it's been posted already, but this video attests to JJ's style of moving at breakneck speeds and just seemingly, or purposefully, just letting stuff happen.  Are we still doing spoiler alerts?

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 31, 2019 by myk