Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII I don't see why something should be called "completely abitrary" just because it isn't the way you might want it to be. The balance is between the light side and the dark side in terms of relative strength. It's not complicated. The introduction of midichlorians only illuminates the reason for differential innate Force sensitivity. Are you sure? You said the only way to do so was to subscribe to the fanon revision of what "balance of the Force" means. But Lucas does not do this. So has he in fact done the impossible? It's the same Force, though. So whatever you liked about the OT Force is still true of the PT Force. Yes... it seems worthy of note that in the ( now decanonized ) EU it was shown that the Sith had grown powerful enough to influence the balance of the Force directly and shift it in favor of the dark side.
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII I wholeheartedly agree. The Force was a fantastically simple concept with just enough mysticism to make it interesting. "An energy field created by all living things" "Life creates, it makes it grow" It has a Light side and a Dark side. Some people can understand it's ways, and manipulate it's power for good or for evil. When you are especially in tune with the Force, you become part of it when you die. Done. What more was needed?
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII Mark Hamill is playing Luke Skywalker in a brand new Star Wars movie. Hard to believe sometimes. 32 years. Thank you, complete and irreversible senility, for waiting a little bit longer before turning me into Abe Simpson.
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII I wouldn't say the shift was an act of sheer will, as in they *forcibly* shifted the balance of the force. The way I see it, it was through their actions, machinations, the extent of their influence, fostering corruption and fear across the galaxy that turned it towards darkness by increments over the course of a thousand years. Palpatine and his predecessors were a spider in a web, spreading subtle influence far and wide, tugging on little strings making whole systems dance to their tune, mostly without ever realising it. Nobody can be forced to become evil. It's an act of free will. All the Sith did was provide ample opportunity and fostered an environment in which such people could flourish....and ultimately serve their ends in the process. What they couldn't take by force, the Sith co-opted through subversion. The Separatists, the Republic military and even the Jedi all walked into this trap willingly. Another thing to consider is that when Darth Bane effectively removed the Sith from the Jedis' path, they were left with nothing to hone themselves against. Without an enemy to fight they became soft, stagnant and perhaps a little apathetic. Mired in the bureaucratic quagmire that the Republic became. I'm not saying this is a cause and effect situation, so much as a thematic parallel. Specifically: how can light define itself without darkness? The Jedi may have lost their way because they lost sight of what they truly opposed. "When I left you I was but the learner. Now I am the Master!"
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII That is definitely the coolest shot of him so far. And I like that he's got the longer 70s-style hair again as well. Can't wait to see him swinging around a green lightsaber again (and yes, it better be green dammit).
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII Wow, really love that first Stormtrooper design. http://indierevolver.com/2014/08/14...the-stormtroopers-from-star-wars-episode-vii/
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII Well, they did... but as I said that book is now no longer canon. Sad face.
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII It's kinda disturbing, which suggests to me the possibility that we'll get at least some hard-edged stuff.
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII Mate, that book was never canon in the first place. Besides, that's a really boring way interpret the Sith's rise to power. It's akin to saying the evil wizard Palpatine cast a spell that made everyone in the kingdom "evil". I mean sure Star Wars has always been quasi-fantasy, but it's never been quite *that* far into fairy tail land. Even in the OT, the emperor' evil was always portrayed as seductive, not some crazy form of super-mind control. He didn't cast a spell on Anakin to turn him into Vader, he subtly nudged him here and there, whispered in his ear, fed his ego and sewed doubt in his mind, but he never made him doing anything truly against his will. In a way that relationship is a microcosm for the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Empire. Now don't get me wrong, the execution of this story in the films could have been better, but the basic point stands regardless. Indeed, in a very literal way, Vader in the living embodiment of the Empire, even more so than the Emperor himself. Something that was once good and pure, (Anakin = the Republic) scared and mutilated into something monstrous. "More machine than man" also fits in nicely with the stark uniformity of the Imperial military. The monochrome colours. The legions of faceless soldiers with numbers instead of name. All very mechanised and impersonal (shades of the society from 'THX-1138'.) Yet, dispute all that, thee was always something deep down that the Emperor could never fully eliminate (the good in Anakin = the Rebellion) and it eventually turned on him and overcame him , though at great cost. Where this allegorical interpretation gets interesting is in the implication that with the death of the Empire (Vader) the Old Republic (Anakin) dies with it and it's up to a new generation to build a new world. So perhaps this implies that the ST won't have a "New Republic"; not a recreation of a system that ultimately failed but something entirely new and different. An decentralised Alliance of free worlds perhaps?
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII Based on unconfirmed but very likely spoilers... Spoiler: Ep7 It's starting to sound like Luke has been held captive for THIRTY YEARS by the bad guys. I really don't like this. A) I'm ready to let go of the EU but I absolutely can't stand the fact that Luke hasn't created at least SOME new Jedi Order in the 30 years since ROTJ. B) this completely gimps Luke as a character. Not only that he was captured, but that he doesn't escape in 30 years and has to be rescued by the new characters. C) it also gimps Han and Leia and everyone else that for 30 years they couldn't find the Hero of the Rebellion. D) why the hell would the villains keep their most dangerous enemy alive for 30 years? It basically sounds like either he was held captive or he willingly exiled himself from civilization for 30 years. Which is almost even worse because then he voluntarily abandoned all his friends and the galaxy and his duty to recreate the Jedi Order.
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII I'm really doubting he's been gone that long. Because you're right, it's hard to imagine Han or Leia not catching on much sooner and launching some kind of rescue mission.
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII That long? I very much doubt it. That would just open up a hundred cans of worms and the concept alone could sink the film. I don't think J.J. and Lawrence Kasdan would pull that kind of stunt, especially not Kasdan. That guy is intimately familiar with what makes the best Star Wars screenplays work and I doubt he'd agree to a concept that outlandish.
Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII The books used to be canon. Some of the plot choices in that one were allegedly dictated by the Grand Poo-bah himself. No, it isn't. Just watch the movies. Is everyone evil? I don't see how you get from "shift the balance" to "some crazy form of super-mind control". And I don't believe I said that he did.