Predictions for Star Wars Episode 9

[Jeivar]

I just want to ask real quick: Just WHY is it so important that Rey's parents be special? Why? Honestly why? I don't get it. I LIKED that she's a nobody who then becomes a big deal. The Star Wars galaxy is a huge place. Why do people insist that one or two bloodlines should always decide its fate?

Also, "big revelation about parents" was already the biggest deal about The Empire Strikes Back. Repeating it in The Last Jedi would just have been lame in my opinion.

[Metahuman1]

I just want to ask real quick: Just WHY is it so important that Rey's parents be special? Why? Honestly why? I don't get it. I LIKED that she's a nobody who then becomes a big deal. The Star Wars galaxy is a huge place. Why do people insist that one or two bloodlines should always decide its fate?

Also, "big revelation about parents" was already the biggest deal about The Empire Strikes Back. Repeating it in The Last Jedi would just have been lame in my opinion.

In a competently written and directed movie, not even a good one, just a competent one, it wouldn't have been.


But, because it was in a bad movie, that came after a movie that was given a lot of slack that we now know was not deserved for a lot of thing, and it was actively doing it to take a dump on the audience of not just this movie but anyone who liked the previous movies and especially the first 3 movies, it is now a big deal.

Had we had a time skip and Luke actually had time elapse were in we know for a fact that he got down to serious training with her on how to fight and use the force, and him mentioning something about various things that came together for her last time that had to have been will of the living force or something, or Snoke mentioning he explicitly was mucking with Ren through the force to keep him from killing her last movie because he wanted to test her to confirm she was what he suspected, it wouldn't be. Hell, if that effort had been put it, it would be welcome.


Instead, it's revealed, because it was done to appease the critics and to give the middle finger at the fans and to try and be a cheap and easy way to deflect actually legitimate criticism's of the rest of the franchise.

[Jayngfet]

I just want to ask real quick: Just WHY is it so important that Rey's parents be special? Why? Honestly why? I don't get it. I LIKED that she's a nobody who then becomes a big deal. The Star Wars galaxy is a huge place. Why do people insist that one or two bloodlines should always decide its fate?

Also, "big revelation about parents" was already the biggest deal about The Empire Strikes Back. Repeating it in The Last Jedi would just have been lame in my opinion.

Because 7 makes it a big deal. Abrams built up that whole movie based on that mystery. He included the only flashback sequence in the entire saga just to underscore it. He had Han and Maz have a cryptic conversation about Rey's identity to imply there's more than we see. He worked very hard to sell that not only is this a big deal to Rey, but that her parents were a big deal to other people, including main characters who treated her with greater importance than they otherwise should(such as sending her off alone with Chewie and not even a full crew for the Falcon, like someone else who knew Luke or was more involved with the Resistance).

8 isn't any better. When Luke tries to ask who Rey is, it's brushed aside as a joke even though the dialogue makes it clear Rey has things going on that are not normal for a force user, but by that dialogue implicitly somehow connected to her origins since they're the only two topics of that conversation.

Rey didn't need to be a Skywalker. Her parents didn't need to be Jedi or warlords or whatever. But you can't just build up a plot thread for two films and then decide it was never important. You already established it was. They had to be somebody to someone besides Rey, otherwise none of that previous narrative or it's implications make any sense.

[khadgar567]

you know there is a couple of ways to save the star wars series from the rut it's in and its lot lot more simple
first give guys build the cartoon series green light for animated adaptation of first and second trilogy . with this at least younger generation have some reason to watch series. and you have the f ing chance to fix the dangling plot holes in the plot.
second give some good gaming company rites to create the new republic era game so there is reason and material to expend the story with out robbing graves.
if we look in recent past before the third trilogy started we have the whole kotor I and kotor II as well as the old republic mmo to create our stories. you know the whole sith order can worth couple of trilogies just to introduce the inner workings as how and why they fight with jedi. give us some datomeer witches and Darth lord as hero and watch the ratings sky rocket again like when the series day viewed. people are sick of Luke idiot walkers story give us the ezra brigger and his marry band of rebels instead snoke and his imperial troopers.

[Clertar]

I hope it keeps the spirit of TLJ. Wrap up the Jedi-themed trilogy of trilogies, and move on to the new one with the Force taking the back seat and exploring the galaxy without the focus on sci-fi samurai and sci-fi fencing academies.

[Sapphire Guard]

I just want to ask real quick: Just WHY is it so important that Rey's parents be special? Why? Honestly why? I don't get it. I LIKED that she's a nobody who then becomes a big deal. The Star Wars galaxy is a huge place. Why do people insist that one or two bloodlines should always decide its fate?

Also, "big revelation about parents" was already the biggest deal about The Empire Strikes Back. Repeating it in The Last Jedi would just have been lame in my opinion.

It isn't. But pretending that Force sensitivity not requiring a lineage is new or revolutionary is misrepresenting the previous Star Wars films. It's calling out the previous films for something that wasn't in them.

[khadgar567]

I hope it keeps the spirit of TLJ. Wrap up the Jedi-themed trilogy of trilogies, and move on to the new one with the Force taking the back seat and exploring the galaxy without the focus on sci-fi samurai and sci-fi fencing academies.

though luck mate though luck. with ideas likes TLJ we might get space kunoichi love story with dash angsty teen melodrama then trilogy about space exploration to next galaxy.

[Metahuman1]

So apparently Abrams is now also on record stating that the horrible reactions people had and negative criticism of The Last Jedi will have precisely 0 bearing on anything to do with episode 9 what so ever.





I am beginning to question weather I will even go see this movie.

[zimmerwald1915]

So apparently Abrams is now also on record stating that the horrible reactions people had and negative criticism of The Last Jedi will have precisely 0 bearing on anything to do with episode 9 what so ever.

Good. Let him follow his vision, such as it is, and let the product succeed or fail.

[Wookieetank]

So apparently Abrams is now also on record stating that the horrible reactions people had and negative criticism of The Last Jedi will have precisely 0 bearing on anything to do with episode 9 what so ever.

Its not like burning the past to the ground will doom you to repeat it or anything, oh wait...

[Scowling Dragon]

Its not like burning the past to the ground will doom you to repeat it or anything, oh wait...

Well we forgot it in 8. Killed it if we had too.

Ultimatly I would be more respectful of JJs vision if he wasn't such a derivative hack.

[Jayngfet]

I hope it keeps the spirit of TLJ. Wrap up the Jedi-themed trilogy of trilogies, and move on to the new one with the Force taking the back seat and exploring the galaxy without the focus on sci-fi samurai and sci-fi fencing academies.

...so make it like basically every other space opera?

I'm always confused when people want to see Star Wars become what basically every show after Star Wars is. You have that story in about ten billion incarnations. You have that story already in anthology format. You're about to have it twice.

[Peelee]

Kashyyke (spelled wrong because I'm too lazy to look it up)

3 Y's. Kashyyyk. It's Shyriiwook that always gets me. I either put double Y instead of I, or get them right but switch their placement before I invariably google it.

[Jeivar]

So apparently Abrams is now also on record stating that the horrible reactions people had and negative criticism of The Last Jedi will have precisely 0 bearing on anything to do with episode 9 what so ever.

Horrible reactions? Negative criticism? The group I went to the theatre with absolutely loved The Last Jedi. Everyone in my social circle loved it. Most reviews I've seen are very positive. From what I can tell the loudness of the negativity comes from a particular kind of fan entitlement at TLJ's messing with the SW formula, and the direction they decided to take Luke.

[Jeivar]

Because 7 makes it a big deal. Abrams built up that whole movie based on that mystery.

Did he, though?

He included the only flashback sequence in the entire saga just to underscore it.

Rey flashbacked to her worst memory: Being abandoned. It underscored her issues, and loneliness, and how much it hurt her. And just made it clear that she had indeed been abandoned. At no point during that scene did I think "Oh man, this will be important later!"

He had Han and Maz have a cryptic conversation about Rey's identity to imply there's more than we see.

Cryptic? Maz asked who she was, and then the movie cuts away rather than bother having Han tell us things we already know. It's natural to ask about people you're just getting to know, especially given that Maz could sense she had Force potential.

like someone else who knew Luke or was more involved with the Resistance).

Leia was kind of busy running things.

Your disappointment is a result of you reading to much into simple things, because "No Luke, I AM your father" has made us expect dramatic twists from Star Wars movies.

[Scowling Dragon]

Did he, though?

Yes. He literally makes ted talks about how mysteries are his thing.

It was pretty intentional.

Maybe you didn't, but if a ton of other people did, that speaks to most likely YOU not getting the implication of mystery.

From what I can tell the loudness of the negativity comes from a particular kind of fan entitlement at TLJ's messing with the SW formula, and the direction they decided to take Luke.

That's a great way to just brush off any criticism. The security that anybody who dislikes what you like is just one of those entitled fanboys. Very snug, and comforting.

[zimmerwald1915]

Rey flashbacked to her worst memory: Being abandoned. It underscored her issues, and loneliness, and how much it hurt her. And just made it clear that she had indeed been abandoned. At no point during that scene did I think "Oh man, this will be important later!"

The content of the flashback is almost beside the point. What's exceptional about the flashback is that it's a flashback. Up until that point, Star Wars had hewed to a directing style wherein everything we saw was present in the world of the film, not memories, thoughts, or visions (obviously film is a shadow play that deals in visions and illusions, but put that aside for now).

That automatically sets the flashback apart, and makes it significant. That significance is then transferred onto the scene's content.

[Wookieetank]

The content of the flashback is almost beside the point. What's exceptional about the flashback is that it's a flashback. Up until that point, Star Wars had hewed to a directing style wherein everything we saw was present in the world of the film, not memories, thoughts, or visions (obviously film is a shadow play that deals in visions and illusions, but put that aside for now).

That automatically sets the flashback apart, and makes it significant. That significance is then transferred onto the scene's content.

Well part of the significance of it was that it was Luke's lightsaber (and not just his, the one he inherited from Anakin), that set off the flashback. If her history wasn't important, then why use a lightsaber with so much history behind it?

Also, RotS uses flashfowards, so this wasn't the first time that a non-current time was shown.

[Peelee]

Well part of the significance of it was that it was Luke's lightsaber (and not just his, the one he inherited from Anakin), that set off the flashback. If her history wasn't important, then why use a lightsaber with so much history behind it?

Why did Luke not have a similar sensation?

[Wookieetank]

Why did Luke not have a similar sensation?

Well Luke had cut himself completely off from the force at the time (according to Luke anyways) so that seems a legit enough reason to me.

[Peelee]

Well Luke had cut himself completely off from the force at the time (according to Luke anyways) so that seems a legit enough reason to me.

I mean when he was 18, and visited Old Ben's home.

[Wookieetank]

I mean when he was 18, and visited Old Ben's home.

George Lucas was young and dumb and didn't know he'd eventually have a 6 movie series actually made?

[Peelee]

George Lucas was young and dumb and didn't know he'd eventually have a 6 movie series actually made?

Imean, yeah, but in-universe it doesn't make much sense.

[Wookieetank]

Imean, yeah, but in-universe it doesn't make much sense.

Well he did manage to not kill himself or Obi-wan when igniting and then proceeding to play with it, so maybe the force was too busy on damage control to be concerned with prophetic false leads.

[Zevox]

I just want to ask real quick: Just WHY is it so important that Rey's parents be special? Why? Honestly why? I don't get it. I LIKED that she's a nobody who then becomes a big deal. The Star Wars galaxy is a huge place. Why do people insist that one or two bloodlines should always decide its fate?

Also, "big revelation about parents" was already the biggest deal about The Empire Strikes Back. Repeating it in The Last Jedi would just have been lame in my opinion.

I agree with you, personally. That's on the very short list of things that I think The Last Jedi did perfectly right, and I would hope it isn't undone going forward.

But it's something that upset a lot of the people who were very happy with The Force Awakens and, apparently, wanted to see its plot threads taken to their logical conclusions even though that would just lead to the ST continuing to be a total rehash of the originals. Since I'd expect Abrams to be more sympathetic to their criticisms than to that of those who feel there are much bigger, more fundamental problems with the films, I won't be too surprised if it does get undone.

I am beginning to question weather I will even go see this movie.

I decided right after seeing TLJ that I won't, unless it gets surprisingly good word-of-mouth reactions from others who felt as I do about TFA and TLJ, personally. Why bother otherwise? I don't want to see more of these villains, and while I don't have major problems with the new heroes they keep not giving them anything interesting to do or developing them much.

Horrible reactions? Negative criticism? The group I went to the theatre with absolutely loved The Last Jedi. Everyone in my social circle loved it. Most reviews I've seen are very positive. From what I can tell the loudness of the negativity comes from a particular kind of fan entitlement at TLJ's messing with the SW formula, and the direction they decided to take Luke.

Luke being completely out-of-character is one major element of it, yes, but there's plenty more. A friend of mine considers it on the same level of quality as the prequels due to all of the logical problems with the plot and presentation (such as the whole chase setup not making sense on a basic level because, among other things, nothing prevented the First Order from surrounding the Resistance ships by having some of theirs micro-jump in front of and otherwise around it), in addition to how they treated Luke. I've also seen several fan reviews from people who say they still liked it on the whole, but would consider it among the weakest Star Wars films, often citing things like Snoke being unceremoniously offed with little explanation who he was or the Rey's parents thing among their reasons for that, and often also agree with harsher critics about some (though not all) of their criticisms. Personally, I'd largely agree with stronger critics like my friend, but would also cite as my biggest issue at this point that the sequels have no good villains - everybody but Snoke comes across as incompetent and incapable of being a real threat to the heroes (and that despite the fact that TLJ ends with the heroes devastated!), and Snoke was killed off. And honestly, I don't even really want him back, since I don't want the films to rehash the OT, and Snoke was blatantly just a Palpatine rip-off.

It's definitely gotten a much worse reception than The Force Awakens or Rogue One did, no question there. Probably not quite as badly received as the prequels, but that's a low bar.

[Anonymouswizard]

...so make it like basically every other space opera?

As a big reader of Space Opera, this isn't quite true. There's large differences between a force-less Star Wars story and Lensman or Foundation, let alone more modern stuff like Revelation Space or the Commonwealth Saga.

Now I get that the Force is essentially the big 'unique' thing about Star Wars, but claiming every other space opera is essentially 'Star Wars, but without the Force' it's massively simplifying a diverse genre.

I'm always confused when people want to see Star Wars become what basically every show after Star Wars is. You have that story in about ten billion incarnations. You have that story already in anthology format. You're about to have it twice.

Honestly? I don't get the point from another direction. I don't get why people want to change Star Wars, when there's almost certainly a story out there that does exactly what they want.

We have dark, bleak space opera. We have happy utopian space opera. We have 'the fall of the Roman Empire in space' space opera. We have communist hippie space opera. We have space opera lacking FTL anything. We have militaristic space opera. We have space opera almost every colour of the rainbow.

Why does Star Wars have to grow up? It's fun. I go to Start Wars for fun, not deep political commentary or a dark depressing story.

I'm reading a book where only one human culture has the ability to build starships. It's a plot point that they stopped doing so a century ago, and have only started building new ones at the beginning of the book. For everybody else starships are a rate and irreplaceable commodity. It's a great setting, and one I want Star Wars to be completely different to. Because Star Wars tells a different kind of story.

[Friv]

That's a great way to just brush off any criticism. The security that anybody who dislikes what you like is just one of those entitled fanboys. Very snug, and comforting.

I mean, when the entitled fanboys are screaming in rage that Abrams isn't going to take their opinions to heart and totally restore the series to its pristine levels, yeah, that's a pretty great way to brush off those critiques.

I mean, The Last Jedi wasn't perfect, and it had a lot of issues. But it was never going to be Empire Strikes Back. And for all the people ranting about the franchise being driven straight into the ground (often, but not always, with complaints about identity politics and the supposed left-wing propaganda of Disney, which you can see in this very thread) it still made literally over a billion dollars.

Did it make TFA money? Hell, no. It was never going to make TFA money. TFA was making money based on being the first new Star Wars in ages, and being heralded as the first good Star Wars in our generation. But this doomsaying, frankly, is ridiculous.

[Scowling Dragon]

I mean, when the entitled fanboys are screaming in rage that Abrams isn't going to take their opinions to heart and totally restore the series to its pristine levels, yeah, that's a pretty great way to brush off those critiques.

You know its funny. George Lucas had so much ire pushed towards him for isolating his opinions and ignoring others feedback, for years and years and years.
And suddenly those very same people that called George Lucas out for his narcissism are suddenly all evil ungrateful undeserving fanboys the second Star Wars is purchased by Disney.

And using money as an example of a good franchise is a terrible idea. Resident Evil Ran for 6 movies, and was generally always hated by the fans and only grew worse and worse with evermoreso BASIC and gigantic flaws in it over and over, plot holes became pits, became chasms and became fractures in the crust of the films (A Neutral Force gets retconned into an evil force and gets retconned into a Good force in the span of 3 movies with no explanation and nobody even remembering). And it made a TON of money right until the very end.

[Mechalich]

I mean, The Last Jedi wasn't perfect, and it had a lot of issues. But it was never going to be Empire Strikes Back. And for all the people ranting about the franchise being driven straight into the ground (often, but not always, with complaints about identity politics and the supposed left-wing propaganda of Disney, which you can see in this very thread) it still made literally over a billion dollars.

Did it make TFA money? Hell, no. It was never going to make TFA money. TFA was making money based on being the first new Star Wars in ages, and being heralded as the first good Star Wars in our generation. But this doomsaying, frankly, is ridiculous.

The Last Jedi made less than it was projected to make to the tune of around 200 million dollars. This can mostly be attributed to its failure to hold at the box office over the long term. Between the release of TLJ and this past weekend's release of Black Panther there was no traditional blockbuster in place to challenge TLJ at the box office. Despite this, it rapidly dropped out of the top five and even the top ten domestically. In particular it got absolutely walloped down the stretch by Jumanji.

This is a key crack in the wall that has protected Star Wars films from competition. Subsequent to TLJ's failure to hold Deadpool 2 had it's released date moved to be one week before the release of Solo. That's a blatant gauntlet thrown down against Star Wars as a franchise.

There are other issues too. There's growing issues of a fall in the all-important toy sales numbers for Star Wars (the toys make more money than the films overall, making them the single most important part of the franchise). Also, there are issues in the video game arena. Battlefront 2 was a disaster, SWTOR is slowly dying, and there's been pretty much nothing else. This has led speculation that Disney is considering pulling the license from EA. That might be the right move but having to even contemplate that step shows that recent years have been a disaster in a critically important market sphere. Even Rebels, one of the real recent bright spots, is coming to an end.

If Solo is bad or does badly, and there's a distinct possibility of both those things happening, then 2018 is going to go down as a disastrous year for the Star Wars franchise.

[Jayngfet]

Jumanji is a factor you can't overstate at this juncture. TFA and RO were both blockbusters who busted every block in the universe. Every single other major film got the hell out of the way by premiering well before or well after. The only movies that dared to compete were either fundamentally different(usually an animated kids film done on a low budget), or so minor they're barely worth noting.

Jumanji was like the third or fourth Dwayne Johnson movie of the year. It was basically a big budget reboot nobody had faith in. But now it's basically confirmed to get a sequel and the studio wants it to compete directly against 9, and is visibly throwing down that gauntlet. And why shouldn't they? It was a movie that got better reviews from the audience and had better legs. The Last Jedi basically died after the opening once you factor out long weekends.

And if Sony is confident their movie can face them head on you bet your ass WB, Columbia, and Paramount will be thinking the same thing now. Star Wars went from this big impressive thing nobody wanted to challenge to just another franchise overnight.

Having to directly compete like a normal movie will shear hundreds of millions off the final take. 9 could be the best of the trilogy, or even the best SW movie ever, and it could still have the lowest revenue of the three.