Disney buys LucasFilm! New Star Wars movie in 2015!

I don't know if anyone's posted this yet or not, but it makes a good point about the Star Wars universe:

#1 -- I partly agree. The elements of civilization can still be used to interesting effect, to fill out the universe and provide plot points.

#2 -- An interesting proposition, but ultimately I think it relies on the first point and would depend on the specifics of the plot.

#3 -- Absolutely.

#4 -- Yeah, pretty much.

I liked the video, but I pretty much disagree with point # 1. A major theme in Star Wars is the juxtaposition of corrupt civil society against pure frontier society. You can't do this without both elements. Yes, we never saw the core worlds in the original trilogy, but we did see their corrupting influence. The prequel trilogy gives us the answer to why the core is so rotten, and to do that had to show it to us directly. This is actually a real strength in the PT, and one of the reasons that I like it. That said, most of the action should be focused on outer rim worlds.

Yep. I've always thought the real problem with the trade federation blocking trade routes is that the movie didn't understand what to do with that kind of a premise.

Over half of star wars canon contradicts that....so no. That's just what people want it to be. People stuck in 1977.

Star Wars isn't that. And it isn't good.

So... Star Wars is Firefly with maaagic?

He's merely mimicking what Joseph Campbell has said about myth, that it always takes place on the frontier. Given that Lucas borrowed heavily from Campbell's philosophy I can see where he's coming from.

The real issue is that in the OT, there was movement, the heroes were constantly going from place to place, while in the PT, they tended to stay in the city and blather on. A better writer could have taken the same concepts that Lucas had in the PT and kept the sense of movement that the OT had. Unfortunately, we were stuck with George Freakin' Lucas, so we got a PT that was largely shit.

I've highlighted the real problem for you.

Thank God for that, because for awhile there it looked like Luke retired and became a manager of the Tatooine McDonalds.

So you don't buy the Randoidian idea that the owners of industry would go on strike?

Or maybe that in a universe where you have FTL drives and that space has a 360 x 360 range of angles to vector off to, you'd have actual trade routes to block. Unless the materials being transported require special processing at destination, and in which case black market variants could easily be set up in places out of sight of the TF, then it's a really crap plot point without relying on a load of Zapp Brannigans heading up the other side.

"Oh no Kif, look, the spaceport is blocked!"
"Uhm, we could land anywhere. We have landers. And there are other spaceports on other continents. And plenty of land to, well, land."
"Kif, it's thinking like that that means you will never be a Captain. Men, turn around, we've a long slog of 70000 light years. We've been... blockaded."

Although this is the franchise that felt the most effective way to leave Hoth was to fly straight at the big bastard warship, so I kind of guess they do have a lot of Zapp Brannigans...

But that's not what's happening.

The trade federation is enacting a blockade--in our world, an act of war--on Naboo. It is claimed that this blockade is perfectly legal and is because of something, something, taxation of trade routes in dispute.

But is the trade federation's imposition of a blockade remotely legal? The trade federation is not an agency of the Republic. Ah, but they do have a "franchise" now, don't they? Recall, Captain Panaka says they can kiss it goodbye at the end of the TPM. This implies the Republic has ceded certain aspects of trade--including ENFORCEMENT OF LAWS AND TAXATION--to this monopoly. If the conflict with Naboo is over trade route taxation, and the Trade Federation controls regulation of the trade routes, then Naboo's stand can be seen as a tax revolt against a state-sponsored monopoly. But, as the Trade Federation has license from the Republic and the Republic is the legitimate government, their blockade must indeed be legal.

For there to be a dispute, Naboo must not only disagree with the Trade Federation's position, but--in order to justify enforcement--must be ACTING against it. Naboo must be opposed to the taxation that the Trade Federation is applying (it doesn't make sense that the Trade Federation would blockade a planet that wanted HIGHER taxation). Since enforcement proceedings have started, either Naboo is NOT PAYING the tax, or is CIRCUMVENTING it by using non-regulated trade routes.

So what actually do the people of Naboo get for paying taxes to the Trade Federation? It's friggin' outer space, it's not like there are highways to be maintained. Security? From what? No one seems to be scared about venturing out alone in one-man ships to all corners of the Republic. In any event, it couldn't be much 'cause they can't catch Queen Amidala's ship once it leaves Naboo. Does the Trade Federation handle all interplanetary shipping? Why/how would that be the case in a galaxy where spaceships are plentiful and even owned by individuals?

I can only come to the conclusion that the Trade Federation and its powers are the products of a corrupt Republic. Obviously, some powerful senators have doled out monopoly power to this monstrosity and its only purpose is to extract money from peaceful worlds by going around saying "Nice planet you got here. Shame if anything happened to it." The Naboo are just trying to go about their business with other worlds, but this big government leech is sucking them dry and so they've explored other (illegal) means to conduct trade.

So, if you see the trade federation as some element of capitalism, I suggest that makes no sense. The Trade Federation is--must be!--the creation of a corrupt Republican Senate.

Paladin, your analysis matches my recollection of what the novelization and some EU novels have to say on the question. I was seeing We Are Borg's statement as meaning, "why would the traders blockade themselves?" which I answered by suggesting they might go on strike. That may or may not be what happened, but it does satisfy the question.

No, my question was why the gawddamn fuck did George Lucas come up with some convoluted boring story about trade federations, taxation disputes and blockades.

Did he not realize he was making a Star Wars movie?

Star Wars opening crawl:

It is a period of civil war.
Rebel spaceships, striking
from a hidden base, have
won their first victory
against the evil Galactic Empire.

The Empire Strikes Back opening crawl:

It is a dark time for the
Rebellion. Although the Death
Star has been destroyed,
Imperial troops have driven the
Rebel forces from their hidden
base and pursued them across
the galaxy.

Return of the Jedi opening crawl:

Luke Skywalker has returned
to his home planet of Tatooine in
an attempt to rescue his
friend Han Solo from the
clutches of the vile gangster
Jabba the Hutt.

Aaaaaaand now....

The Phantom Menace opening crawl:

Turmoil has engulfed the
Galactic Republic. The taxation
of trade routes to outlying
star systems is in dispute.

I think the whole thing would've been less offensive if the title crawl had been a little less blah.

The original:

How about this instead?

Why even MENTION the taxation, as it is completely irrelevant to the story?

We never saw a single scene of people filling out their 1040 forms with a calculator, and sighing with frustration.

We also never saw anyone dying from starvation.
Amidala sure beat home repeatedly that these people existed, but we didn't see a one.
Where were the food lines?
Where were the grocery store riots?
Hell, Amidala's lackeys looked well fed, where were the angry protests at the capital?

Hell, the Gungans looked like they had plenty of seaweed and kelp to eat, why weren't they helping?
And if they weren't, why weren't there hungry Naboo-ans hopping into submarines?
Were the guard monsters eating them?
If so, that should have been as big an outrage as the fucking blockade, and the stupid taxes.

Tch, fuggin' TPM....

Lucas violated a basic rule: if a concept is important to the story, SHOW US, don't tell us. If it isn't important, don't waste our time even talking about it.

Imagine if we didn't see the light saber duel at the end. But Obi-Wan shows up afterward and says "We lost Qui-Gon, but I killed the Sith." Not...very...satisfying. Gotta see it if you want it to resonate. Don't tell me about hungry peasants, goddammit, show me hungry peasants.

Screenplay malpractice.

It begins filming in May apparently. Remarkable how little we know, given that.

I wonder if the NSA have any more info...

Let's ask Edward Snowden.

Episode VII will focus on new characters, who are helped by the original cast, it seems. http://www.theverge.com/2014/3/18/5...-take-place-30-years-after-return-of-the-jedi

With the behind-the-camera talent involved, I have no doubt this will be a highly competent movie. I will even expect it to be entertaining, as all of JJ's movies have been, despite their flaws.

But whether these new films can capture any of the old magic, even with all the originals returning......I have serious doubts.

The mystique of Star Wars has as much to do with the time period in which the original films were made as anything else, and that's a variable that can't be recreated. And spectacle can't be counted on to attract an audience that's grown spoiled by cgi-driven spectacle over the 15 years.

Actually, its filming now.

Peter Mayhew is going to be Chewbacca again!

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/star-wars-episode-vii-adds-694151

Wonder how they're going to do it, since Peter has such trouble walking these days.

Chewbacca can't be that young either, considering he was in the new trilogy.

Wookies are supposed to age slow, so, 200 is their 20, so the 60 years from TPM to Episode 7 should have been nothing to him.

Yes, but all that canon was thrown out the window, remember?

They will likely shoot him from the waist up mainly, perhaps throw in some CGI, like they did for Palps and Dokoo in light saber scenes, and from what I can tell, Mayhew can still get around some, despite his preference for a cane that looks like a light saber.

Anyway, awesome news, Chewie for all three trilogies is winning!

Episode 7 cast announced.

http://www.superherohype.com/news/300559-breaking-the-star-wars-episode-vii-cast-announced

Max Von Sydow!! Yay! No Lando! Booo!