Was there anything that JJ really messed up on? (Spoilers)

[DWMarch]

As a fan of Star Trek I found myself in an interesting position when it comes to this latest movie in the Star Wars franchise. I don't have a great deal of attachment to the source material or the franchise in general so nothing major stood out to me as being incorrect. However, I know that when I watched JJ Abrams' Star Trek, several things jumped out at me as being just plain wrong. It's all nitpicky stuff (like the leading zero on the Kelvin's registry, the origin of Bones as a nickname, etc) but it stood out to me as a certain lack of attention to detail. I wonder if any Star Wars fans had the same experience with this movie?

I don't consider myself well-versed enough in the Star Wars verse to say if I caught anything but a couple small things made me wonder. One was how Finn got hit by the bad guy's lightsaber a few to several times and didn't lose a limb or die altogether. I think of a lightsaber as being somewhat of a chainsaw made of energy. And if a person had a chainsaw cut right up their spine I'd assume that person was in some serious trouble. But perhaps the medical science is good enough that unless one suffers extreme trauma anything is basically survivable. The other potential issue was the blasters the Stormtroopers were using. I don't recall them doing much damage in the previous films but in this movie a few Stormtroopers blow up an X-Wing just by dumping on it for a few seconds. And perhaps it might inspire some dismay that there was a planet identical to Tattoine but it was called Jakku for no readily apparent reason. Last but not least, we had to have the obligatory shot (which was also in Trek 2009) of a distant planet exploding and people being able to see it with the naked eye even though that should not have been possible. But I feel like there might be more details that were overlooked. What little things (because I'm sure no one was clamoring for the death of a major character so I'll assume that's covered) about JJ Abrams' Star Wars didn't work for you?

 

[Ithekro]

The planets being destroyed and being able to see it half a galaxy away was a slight....problem. The Story Group explained it away as a the hyperlaser was ripping through hyperspace so that everyone in the galaxy could see that shot and at least somewhat what happened at the end of the beams. That is some real terror right there. Totally impossible, but it is space fantasy.

The rest were not problems, just style. A lightsaber cauterizes the wound and Kylo only got Finn with the tip across the back. It might do serious damage to him, but it might be repairable with their medical science. Luke got a new hand after getting it cut off by a lightsaber. Vader got four new limbs after getting them all chopped off by lightsabers, and a portable iron lung suit after being burned by lava. Finn was in a coma last we saw him If Bacta can't treat it (I'd be surprised if it can't) than he might get some sort of decide, or suit to help him walk and the like, assuming his has spinal damage. Rey slashing one across Kylo's face, so he'll have a nice reminder of his failure for life.

As for the X-wing, it seems to not have gotten its shields up in time, and took damage so it wouldn't fly. The rest of it seem to be just plastering the engine hub to blow it up. I don't recall, but I thought they had one heavier weapon with them for that.

As for Jakku, there are only so many locations you can film on Earth and most have been done at least once by Lucas, so there is bound to be a repeat now. Desolate and sand are familiar, plus after that many Star Destroyers crash, I would think there were only be sand left.

 

[TRON JA307020]

The planets being destroyed and being able to see it half a galaxy away was a slight....problem. The Story Group explained it away as a the hyperlaser was ripping through hyperspace so that everyone in the galaxy could see that shot and at least somewhat what happened at the end of the beams. That is some real terror right there. Totally impossible, but it is space fantasy.

The rest were not problems, just style. A lightsaber cauterizes the wound and Kylo only got Finn with the tip across the back. It might do serious damage to him, but it might be repairable with their medical science. Luke got a new hand after getting it cut off by a lightsaber. Vader got four new limbs after getting them all chopped off by lightsabers, and a portable iron lung suit after being burned by lava. Finn was in a coma last we saw him If Bacta can't treat it (I'd be surprised if it can't) than he might get some sort of decide, or suit to help him walk and the like, assuming his has spinal damage. Rey slashing one across Kylo's face, so he'll have a nice reminder of his failure for life.

As for the X-wing, it seems to not have gotten its shields up in time, and took damage so it wouldn't fly. The rest of it seem to be just plastering the engine hub to blow it up. I don't recall, but I thought they had one heavier weapon with them for that.

As for Jakku, there are only so many locations you can film on Earth and most have been done at least once by Lucas, so there is bound to be a repeat now. Desolate and sand are familiar, plus after that many Star Destroyers crash, I would think there were only be sand left.

Jakku bothered me. I agree that there aren't many types of locales left on earth for them to film at by why need world build for the movie like Lucas did in the prequels. Also why make another desert planet? Why not use Tatooine? I'm guessing they worried that people would link her to Luke if it was on Tatooine or that Abrams wanted to throw another of his famous dumb red herrings to make us think Rey was or wasn't Lukes daughter. Still Jakku makes Tatooine a less unique planet now.

 

[Ithekro]

Why would Tatooine be unique at all. Should be lots of sandy dirt balls out there.

 

[TRON JA307020]

Why would Tatooine be unique at all. Should be lots of sandy dirt balls out there.

In the context of the movies. Tatooine was unique because it was a total desert planet. It was set up in the first movies as such. Jakku take away from that now.

 

[Ithekro]

Jakku is an aftermath of war junkyard/fallout planet.

 

[-Brett-]

Does the Sahara take away from the Mojave?
Honestly I think it's a little ridiculous that there can only be one desert in the whole galaxy.

The loopy JJ physics annoyed me, same as it did in 2009. Maybe a bit less, since I don't expect as much out of Wars when it comes to scientific literacy. Still, would it kill JJ to crack open a textbook? Even just a middle school level one? Maybe watch an episode of Cosmos?

 

[Ithekro]

What would Carl Sagan do?

 

[Set Harth]

Why would Tatooine be unique at all. Should be lots of sandy dirt balls out there.

Tatooine was unique because it was a total desert planet.

Uh... two suns? Anyone? Bueller?

 

[fireproof78]

In the context of the movies. Tatooine was unique because it was a total desert planet. It was set up in the first movies as such. Jakku take away from that now.

It wasn't established as a unique world, though. Just that it was a desert planet. Also, Geonosis was a similar dustbowl, just red rather than yellow.

My main problem with TFA was the fact that the Senate was destroyed with nary a comment from anyone. Just gigantic explosion and reaction that "It's the Republic!" Um, how do you know that?

I guess it's in the vein of Alderaan, which gets little as well. But, it still seems like a weird thing to toss out there.

 

[Kor]

There has been some inconsistency in the depiction of lightsabers' cutting ability. In ESB, the blades hit various surfaces, sparks fly, and no marks are left whatsoever. Luke strikes Vader's upper arm with all his might and barely makes a scratch. Then vader immediately chops three metal constructions in half.

As to the general question, I don't think JJ messed up anything in a SW sense. In fact, maybe he stuck a little too closely to the existing lore, and didn't take quite enough risk with TFA.

The odd depiction of astrophysics seems to be something that he just likes to do.

But I don't really get the "lack of attention to detail" in relation to ST09, seeing as how they dug deep into the well of Trek lore, including the animated series and even the novels for some of the background stuff. And it's about time that they finally replaced the obsolete 19th-century "sawbones" nomenclature with something more immediate and personal.

Kor

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Well there's that whole problem with the dirty windows in the Falcon.

 

[Reverend]

The only things that actively bothers me are the really nit-picky spacey stuff. For a start there's the thing with the Republic being blown up. Both the fact that it was somehow visible from a star system that was probably half a galaxy (i.e. *thousands* of light years away) and also the total lack of context.

The way it's presented in the movie, you could be forgiven for interpreting what you saw as *the whole Republic* being blown up and that it's all right next door (a few light seconds at most) to that frontier world.

I know Star Wars was massively influenced by Flash Gordon, but I don't think they should be adopting that IP's grasp of astrophysics.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Luke strikes Vader's upper arm with all his might and barely makes a scratch.

Vader also blocks three or four shots from Han's blaster with his hand, so that could indicate that he had some form of superior energy absorbing or ablating armor. It didn't behave in the same way as Yoda absorbing Dooku's or Palpatine's Force lightning with his hands or Kylo Ren stopping a blaster bolt in mid-air. The blaster bolt actually hit the glove and exploded in a burst of sparks, so I think it's armor-related rather than a Force power.

 

[dahj]

Was there anything that JJ really messed up on?

He gave Palpatine emergency powers.

Oh, you meant other JJ...

 

[Set Harth]

Vader also blocks three or four shots from Han's blaster with his hand, so that could indicate that he had some form of superior energy absorbing or ablating armor. It didn't behave in the same way as Yoda absorbing Dooku's or Palpatine's Force lightning with his hands or Kylo Ren stopping a blaster bolt in mid-air. The blaster bolt actually hit the glove and exploded in a burst of sparks, so I think it's armor-related rather than a Force power.

It's not canon anymore, but Plagueis did the same thing with his bare hand.

 

[fireproof78]

There has been some inconsistency in the depiction of lightsabers' cutting ability. In ESB, the blades hit various surfaces, sparks fly, and no marks are left whatsoever. Luke strikes Vader's upper arm with all his might and barely makes a scratch. Then vader immediately chops three metal constructions in half.

As to the general question, I don't think JJ messed up anything in a SW sense. In fact, maybe he stuck a little too closely to the existing lore, and didn't take quite enough risk with TFA.

The odd depiction of astrophysics seems to be something that he just likes to do.

But I don't really get the "lack of attention to detail" in relation to ST09, seeing as how they dug deep into the well of Trek lore, including the animated series and even the novels for some of the background stuff. And it's about time that they finally replaced the obsolete 19th-century "sawbones" nomenclature with something more immediate and personal.

Kor

I agree with most of your post, but I love the ST09 description. Can I quote that?

The only things that actively bothers me are the really nit-picky spacey stuff. For a start there's the thing with the Republic being blown up. Both the fact that it was somehow visible from a star system that was probably half a galaxy (i.e. *thousands* of light years away) and also the total lack of context.

The way it's presented in the movie, you could be forgiven for interpreting what you saw as *the whole Republic* being blown up and that it's all right next door (a few light seconds at most) to that frontier world.

I know Star Wars was massively influenced by Flash Gordon, but I don't think they should be adopting that IP's grasp of astrophysics.

Indeed. The whole "destruction of the Republic" or "Senate" or whatever was such a weird scene because of the physics. Also, it really frustrated me that thinks just carry on from there. Never mind that the First Order declared war on the Republic by attacking the government. Seems rather dumb to create a war on two fronts.

Politics! How do they work?

 

[Reverend]

^What's really odd is that in reading the novelization, it turns out the whole point of disabling the Republic was to remove the support for the Resistance and make it easier to eradicate them. The strange part is that it's said that the Resistance basically consists of just that one base we saw, two x-wing squadrons and a droid spy network (spymastered by Threepio no less.) While the Republic on the other hand accounts for most of the know galaxy and has a massive fleet...

Seems like they have their priorities a bit backwards. I mean it'd be like the Nazis nuking London specifically so it'd allow them to deal with the French resistance, or some other partisan guerilla forces. Now obviously given the means and opportunity, they would have nuked London, but not for *that* reason is what I'm getting at.

 

[TremblingBluStar]

The only thing that really bothered me about the film was Vader's mask. Not only do I find it odd that someone would leave the Vader suit sitting around to be taken, but... was his helmet made out of plastic? I mean, I know the mask used in filming was plastic, but in the actual Star Wars universe, did Vader really wear a helmet made out of plastic??? I figured it would be something a bit more protective, and not something Tupperwear is made out of.

Silly, I now. But my mind picks up on a lot of irrelevant crap.

 

[dahj]

Not only do I find it odd that someone would leave the Vader suit sitting around to be taken

They didn't just leave him lying around in the open, they probably buried the remains.
And then Kylo dug them up. Which makes the whole thing even more creepier.