Ooooh, I totally misunderstood that then. I thought you meant the pointing because that's what Harry Potter keeps doing, too
I think this is the first time that we've seen such a direction connection between "The Force" and an inanimate object in the movies. There was the tree in ESB, but that's a biological life form, and "The Force" is created by all living things as Obi-Wan said. The EU (particularly the Dark Horse comics) had the holocrons, which were technological devices that could only be accessed through attenuation with "The Force." But that's all bunk now. Kor
There's some lightsaber crystal content in S5 of The Clone Wars. Holocrons appeared in both The Clone Wars and Rebels, which means that they are still canon.
I really liked the reveal. I went with a few work mates, one of whom was dismayed and thought he should've kept the mask on, but I think he managed to do the angsty self loathing thing a million billion trillion times better than Annikin ever did. Wearing the mask to be more like his idol, whose head he keeps on a table in his room? Awesome. Or maybe I'm just going though a phase where I relate to all this
Don't they have to, through the force, find the crystal as young Jedi and then make it into their lightsaber? That was in Clone Wars. There is definitely a personal force connection to it's creation, perhaps because the holocron crystal is a crystals uhh.. grow? I don't know. It seemed to more of a deal than, say, Anakin building a pod racer.
A kyber crystal was said to be picked by a Jedi to be via the will of the Force (a trail to face their greatest failing trait). A crystal is supposed to be "useless" until the Jedi give them life. It sort of helps a Jedi center themselves through the crystal (though that one is a theory as we don't see that). However giant Kyber crystals are used in Sith designed superweapons, such as the Death Star. I sort of suspect Starkiller base to have one as well.
Clone Wars, especially, really helped add to the overall Star Wars tapestry. Lots of really good stories and characters (even if it does take some time for the series to find its voice, so-to-speak). I'd recommend a chronological viewing of the series, rather than a production-order one.
Is it dramatically different? Perhaps not. But the first three seasons of the show jumped around the timeline quite a bit. Watching it in chronological order not only has the benefit of watching the story unfold chronologically, but also intersperses some of the weaker, earlier episodes with some stronger ones. Hence, my recommendation. However, there's nothing wrong with watching the series in production order, either.
The Clone Wars also makes Anakin Skywalker into a better character. Someone who is the great pilot and cunning warrior we only hear about from Obi-wan to Luke, but don't really see in the Prequels. Also makes use of Jar Jar Binks in a good way. It also allows time over the course of six seasons to show us more of the Force and some of the training involved. Both with padawans and later an arc with younglings on their way to make their first lightsabers (rushed due to the war). Rebels also touches on the Force and training, but there we have what is basically a grown up Padawan who lost his master to Order 66, training a teenager who learn very quickly...with problems.
I've seen it again. He is no longer RUINED. I accept that he's a fuck up and is not the badass whose lightsaber you want on your wall. And yeah, that crossbow blows people across the room! So, he's hugely injured. This time I saw something amazing, as he's on the bridge with his father. He's talking about his choice and as he comes closer to it the light of the star that the starkiller is sucking dry is going out.. it gets darker and darker and Kylo's face has more and more red light in it. It was pretty awesome. I cried when Han died (again). I was in awe of Ford's nuanced facial expressions during many moments. What a fucking tragedy, Leia and Han's son. Those poor people, they did so much for the galaxy and yet their loss is so monstrous to both them personally and the folk they worked so hard for all these years. I love how Driver walks when he's in the mask, he doesn't walk confident like Vader at all. He walks holding himself ram rod straight as if to contain his agitation. It's great to see so much told in a masked performance. I am going to forgive Star Wars for building a bigger ball of death and calling it a death ball, again. There's too much good stuff there not to.
Re: Ren's look under the mask, I found that to be one of the most genius things in the movie: When he takes off the mask, it's at a point in the movie, when you really wonder just how he looks underneath it. Traditionally, you'd expect a hideous and/or deformed face, because as we all know: ugly = evil. (Just look at Snoke.) But whoa, he reveals the face of a handsome, young man! The mask really is just a means to emulate Vader, his idol. What a subversion of the usual trope! Genius, as I said. In a way I found it really cheap to have Rey scar his face in the end. That just serves to bring him in line with the traditional villain look.
It was nice to see a Star Wars villain who was damaged and unsure of themselves for once. All-powerful bad-ass Sith lords have become kind of a tired cliche at this point. And yeah, I do have to say he looked a bit dorky when he first took the mask off. I just chalk that up to bad lighting. He looked much better later. I do think the actor looks better with a goatee though. They should let him grow it back for Episode 8