Star Wars VII The Force Awakens

[Fortmax2020]

Hmm... down is easy...

[browny87]

lol! I just like the little things like how they made a point of that, im a simple being at heart!

[Stomski]

BB8 is great and really comes off as R2's little brother.

Shame about the ball design. It's a lazy way of making the droid able to negotiate tough terrain quickly and impress people with supposed ingenuity when there's actually a lack of it in the design. I'd have preferred something more traditional and use better writing as a way for him to avoid the Stormtroopers.

But not an R2 unit with super jets or extra caterpillar tracks from nowhere as Lucas would have put in.

[Stomski]

Congrats on pop quiz #1.

SPOILER: Click to show

I asked that based on the use and discussion of the bowcaster in EpVII, which seemed to be referencing it's lack of use previously.

It may also be used off shot taking out some Mynocks in EpV.

Pop quiz #2: Name the other droid Anthony Daniels is in costume as in EpIV. Bonus points if you can say where else in the OT this costume is seen.

[Fortmax2020]

Jan 8, 2016 11:09:13 GMT Stomski said:

BB8 is great and really comes off as R2's little brother.

Shame about the ball design. It's a lazy way of making the droid able to negotiate tough terrain quickly and impress people with supposed ingenuity when there's actually a lack of it in the design. I'd have preferred something more traditional and use better writing as a way for him to avoid the Stormtroopers.

But not an R2 unit with super jets or extra caterpillar tracks from nowhere as Lucas would have put in.

I didn't notice a lack of design. I thought BB8 was extremely innovative compared to both what we have seen in SW before and also contemporary robotic systems.

[The Doctor]

BB8 amazes me. I just cannot work how the head stays on when attached to a rolling ball. I was also quite amazed by how it stayed in shot and kept up with actors when they were running around on Jakku in the sand while pyrotechnics were going off. I just don't know how that thing works!

-Ralph

[browny87]

the bits I like are when they are running (in the forest for example) and he just appears at their feet from off screen!

[Bogatan]

In the Clone wars they were able to make R2 a little more loose allowing him a greater range of expression. It seems that they took that onboard with BB8 design as well as addressing all the how does he move around forests or up and down stairs. I also like that hes smaller than R2 which makes sense, tech advances things get smaller, but also because it does make him look like R2s little brother.

[Stomski]

You misunderstand me. It's as if they wrote in that the droid traverses outdoor terrain quickly and then had to come up with a design to do it. Design should not be an afterthought done to solve plot/setting issues, they should be considered as a whole.

Although you could argue factoring in an exhaust port weakness to the Death Star falls under this same logic, but in that case the weakness is a story point not design.

[Fortmax2020]

I'd say the ability to traverse a wide variety of terrains (as C3PO and BB8 can do more 'naturally' than R2 can) is something that most companion robots should do so I'm not particularly bothered that they make good use of that functionality in the story.

[Bogatan]

But from an in story POV the same thing happen?

"Wow R2 units are great!"
"I know right!"
"I mean they have some problems with the stairs.."
"Yeah, mine used its rockets and nearly burned the house down"
"Oh, wow thats bad. Mine sometimes gets stuck when it goes in the back garden, but it never burned anything down"
"Believe me you got real lucky, we took ours on a walking holiday, yeesh!"

Only a matter of time before astrodroids got at least an external upgrade. A good time would be in a period of relative peace when engineers arent as busy making war stuff.

[Stomski]

I agree, but think about the maintenance cost on these things. BB8 droids must take so much external damage rolling like that everywhere.

I really am arguing the toss because there are no major points for me to complain about in EpVII.

Coming next - one character's accent and the side another character's hair is parted on.

[browny87]

lol I also thought the lass who played Rey was surprisingly good,

[Baron B of Triple B]

Jan 8, 2016 15:56:54 GMT browny87 said:

lol I also thought the lass who played Rey was surprisingly good,

Nothing involving her in the trailers filled me with confidence, everything seemed forced. She does a fine job though.

John Boyega is a standout. If he avoids the curse of Star Wars he'll go on to big things.

[Baron B of Triple B]

Jan 8, 2016 15:25:53 GMT Stomski said:

I agree, but think about the maintenance cost on these things. BB8 droids must take so much external damage rolling like that everywhere.

I really am arguing the toss because there are no major points for me to complain about in EpVII.

Coming next - one character's accent and the side another character's hair is parted on.

Talking about accents... That Glaswegian gangster was terrible. Awful attempt at smartening up the accent and terrible acting.

[The Doctor]

Jan 8, 2016 15:25:53 GMT Stomski said:

I agree, but think about the maintenance cost on these things. BB8 droids must take so much external damage rolling like that everywhere.

I really am arguing the toss because there are no major points for me to complain about in EpVII.

Coming next - one character's accent and the side another character's hair is parted on.

Kylo Ren has such bad hair. No wonder he was so angry. How does he fit it under that helmet?

-Ralph

[The Doctor]

Jan 8, 2016 17:34:26 GMT Baron B of Triple B said:

Jan 8, 2016 15:25:53 GMT Stomski said:

I agree, but think about the maintenance cost on these things. BB8 droids must take so much external damage rolling like that everywhere.

I really am arguing the toss because there are no major points for me to complain about in EpVII.

Coming next - one character's accent and the side another character's hair is parted on.

Talking about accents... That Glaswegian gangster was terrible. Awful attempt at smartening up the accent and terrible acting.

Oh he was so bad he was great. Glaswegian X-Wing pilot was my favourite though. "Good luck, pal!"

-Ralph

[The Doctor]

Jan 8, 2016 17:32:13 GMT Baron B of Triple B said:

Jan 8, 2016 15:56:54 GMT browny87 said:

lol I also thought the lass who played Rey was surprisingly good,

Nothing involving her in the trailers filled me with confidence, everything seemed forced. She does a fine job though.

John Boyega is a standout. If he avoids the curse of Star Wars he'll go on to big things.

I recall as I watched 'Attack the Block' that I thought he could be a big star if he got a good break.

I wasn't familiar with Daisey Ridley before Ep VII but thought she was excellent. Real star potential if she had a good agent.

-Ralph

[browny87]

yeah I had no idea who either were and yet I was very very impressed that they weren't massively overshadowed by the big name stars!

Ren's hair is funny

[Stomski]

I was referring to Leia's accent. Rey is great, but a lot of her early scenes aren't that well delivered.

[Bogatan]

Yeah Boyega in attack the block was impressive, deserved a chance at something big.

I think Ridley had a role in Downton Abbey or something, but was apparently working as awaitress when she got this role.

The only thing that kept throwing me was that her facial features when shes being expressive are exactly the same as Kiera Knightley. Throw in a similar voice and distracting. Its odd because when her face is at rest she looks nothing like Knightley.

[browny87]

my missus said the exact same thing, just kept saying she was the spitting image of Keira

[Jim]

Oh, Boyega was Moses in Attack the Block?!? I loved that film, had no idea!

That said, haven't seen the film since it came out almost 5 years ago. The OST is always to hand.

-Jim

[Stomski]

But can Kiera Dead Lift 176lb?

[The Doctor]

I've been tempted by the novel in Asdaland but it looks like a thin read and I can feel the strongest time of SW fever slowly leaving me. I have reserved it at the library. I am 5th in the queue.

-Ralph

[Andy Turnbull]

Jan 9, 2016 20:09:26 GMT The Doctor said:

I've been tempted by the novel in Asdaland but it looks like a thin read and I can feel the strongest time of SW fever slowly leaving me. I have reserved it at the library. I am 5th in the queue.

-Ralph

Having had one of the worst nights in memory I needed to pick myself up.

So I purchased it. I don't have the wherewithal to read it at the moment.

Andy

[Dave]

Force Awakens VFX reel:
vimeo.com/151728142

[Stomski]

Jan 14, 2016 17:08:07 GMT Dave said:

Force Awakens VFX reel:
vimeo.com/151728142

Disney have had the video removed.

[Dave]

Bar stewards.

Alternate link - not sure how long it'll be up.

[The Doctor]

It becomes much more obvious on rewatching TFA just how many chunks of sets are green screen cgi and how often characters have been replaced by CGI People and a fair few pyrotechnic effects are CG too. There's just as much unrequired fakery* as the Prequels but I think the difference here is that the virtual stuff is much better integrated and the camera has more life to it. Just an observation. It only pulls me out of the story a few times.

-Ralph

*There are an awful lot of stormtroopers veing blasted and blown up who are CG people rather than stunt people doing stunts. Don't even start me on Solo's exit.