Star Wars: Episode VII: The Nerd Rage Awakens

[B.J.]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

I'd agree about Vader thinking that Threepio "looks similar" to a droid he once made, but he did have that distinctive silver leg. Probably not too many that match that description. But with his memory wiped, Vader probably wouldn't care anymore.

The silver leg isn't present in the PT, so it wouldn't be a distinguishing mark that Vader could recognize.

Really? Well, there goes that theory. In any case, physically he's probably indistinguishable from most protocol droids anyway, no real reason to pick him out from the many Vader's probably seen.

 

[Set Harth]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

Really?

Yes, really.

TPM: 3PO has no outer shell.
AOTC: 3PO is all gray.
ROTS: 3PO is all gold.

 

[Kelthaz]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

For me the larger storytelling issues with ROTJ are with the dumbed down characters, and the general lack of depth and complexity compared to ESB. The re-use of the Death Star doesn't really bother me at all.

The re-use of the Death Star was a symptom of the writing problems of ROTJ, but it wasn't a problem in and of itself.

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

When did Vader ever meet the droids in the the classic trilogy anyway?
The closes instance I can think of was him shooting R2 in the trench run...

 

[davejames]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

For me the larger storytelling issues with ROTJ are with the dumbed down characters, and the general lack of depth and complexity compared to ESB. The re-use of the Death Star doesn't really bother me at all.

The re-use of the Death Star was a symptom of the writing problems of ROTJ, but it wasn't a problem in and of itself.

Agreed. Although for the record, I still love the hell out of ROTJ (and find it lightyears better than all the prequels put together). It's just clearly not at the same high level as ANH or ESB.

 

[Ithekro]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

In the Carbonite Freezing Room, when Chewie goes crazy on the stormtroopers, Vader stops Boba Fett from just shooting the Wookie. Why?

One reason is so there are more alive for Luke to sense are in danger and come to save them. But there is a possible other reason. What is on Chewie's back? C-3PO. Could the Dark Lord recognize the old droid and decide not to take out Chewbacca because of the droid? Maybe.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

The theory that Vader stops Chewie from being shot because he's carrying Theepio has been around The Phantom Menace came out.. My only problem with it is it occurs in Empire when Vader is portrayed as most evil, self serving, and least sentimental.

 

[Ithekro]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

Considering the number of people that consider 3PO annoying, Vader letting him stay functional may not have been a kindness for those the droid would remain with.

 

[AgentCoop]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

Personally, I think the idea of Vader recognizing either of the droids is a little silly. Droids are everywhere in the SW universe, often with little more than color to distinguish one from another. Add to that the passage of a couple of decades and the fact that Vader is barely even human anymore and it strikes me as incredibly unlikely that he'd give Artoo or Threepio a second glance.

 

[cooleddie74]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

Although Vader might easily have overheard Han and/or Leia calling the droid strapped to Chewie's back "Threepio" or "See-Threepio" and that was the name he already had (or that boy Anakin actually gave him) decades earlier on Tatooine. I'm of the opinion that while Vader never came into direct contact with R2-D2 and thus had no chance to recognize him during the Original Trilogy, Threepio's name and distinctive voice and personality were on full display on Cloud City with Vader standing just a few short meters away.

He knew it was his childhood droid and the same one that later served Padmé, but at that point either no longer cared or just didn't betray any lingering feelings or emotions about his old friend. He was now a Sith Lord and the Emperor's enforcer, and his old life was buried in the past.

 

[davejames]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

Heck, even the older Anakin seemed pretty dismissive of 3PO in AOTC and ROTS (and from what I saw didn't seem especially close to him on TCW either). So it's not surprising Vader would be even less interested.

 

[JD]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

I just noticed something. In both generations of the Skywalker family, 3P0 ended up with a woman, while R2 ended up with a guy. In the prequels, 3P0 was with Padme after Anakin got him back from Tatooine, while R2 stayed with him. In the Legends post-OT stories R2 ended up with Luke while 3P0 ended up with the Leia and the Solos.

 

[cooleddie74]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

And in between, both droids spent almost 20 years serving in the royal household of Bail Organa, the adoptive father of Princess Leia, daughter of Anakin and Padmé and the sister of Luke.

 

[DarthTom]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

I was reading an excerpt of Carrie Fisher's book and I wonder if she feels this way regarding episode VII?

When it comes to her role as "Princess Leia" in George Lucas's 1977 uber-blockbuster Star Wars Trilogy, Carrie Fisher puts it frankly in her memoir/one-woman show Wishful Drinking: "George Lucas ruined my life. And I mean that in the nicest possible way... George is a visionary. He has transported audiences the world over, and he's provided Mark [Hamill] and Harrison [Ford] and myself with enough fanmail – and even a small merry band of stalkers – to keep us entertained for the rest of our unnatural lives."

Fisher hated the fact that Lucas sold merchandise with her face on it – from dolls, to shampoo to Pez dispensers – and effectively turned her into a sex symbol. She hated the iconic Leia braids, which she felt made her face look too round. But most of all, Fisher hated the metal bikini from Return of the Jedi, which she felt over-sexualized her: "When I laid down, the metal bikini stayed up... So Boba Fett could see all the way to Florida."

 

[davejames]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

Well from what we heard, she didn't hesitate at all to sign onboard. Whether that's because she's genuinely excited at the idea, or is just looking for more material for her books, or just views the whole thing as a crazy lark, it's hard to say.

But I definitely have no problem with the conflicted feelings the original three have toward SW. Even as proud as they may be of those movies and how beloved they've become, it's understandable why any actor wouldn't want their entire lives to be defined by three movies that were made 30 years ago.

 

[DarthTom]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

^^ Personally I have trouble feeling any pity for celebrities like Fisher who whine about fame and fortune. Or she took a gig on VII because she need the cash.

Either way, I never knew she had so much disdain for her character on Wars. Hamill on the other hand embraced his fame on the films and Ford went on and expanded his acting career in numerous ways.

 

[cooleddie74]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

She probably has mixed feelings at worst about playing Leia in the Original Trilogy. If she hated the role so much she wouldn't turn up at every event honoring George Lucas, make convention appearances and gladly sit down and be interviewed for every Star Wars documentary filmed in the last ten or twenty years. I think she does have issues with the role and the costumes she had to wear at the time (who wouldn't? Look at some of her wardrobe. We like or love it, but I can't imagine most sane actresses of the '70s and '80s drooling with anticipation to get into and wear some of those costumes), and she seems to have good or even fantastic relationships with Hamill, Ford and Lucas after all these decades.

She can't have had the easiest nor most comfortable experience being turned into a PEZ dispenser or a sci-fi nerd's cheesecake bikini poster, but I wouldn't go so far as to call her relationship with the franchise one of utter disdain.

 

[B.J.]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

As for the merchandising, at the time, nothing had really been done on that kind of a scale before. So I'm not really surprised at her reaction on seeing her image *everywhere*.

 

[davejames]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

Just saw this. Appears they just released the full title:

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/11/06/star-wars-episode-vii-breaking/

 

[doubleohfive]

Re: New Casting and Story Rumors re: EPISODE VII

That title is even worse than "Attack of the Clones."