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Here's some thoughts about the rebellion from me, and feel free to correct me if I'm up in the night. The First Republic has to control worlds to be viable, so the rebellion stems from people out of those worlds and probably a Flying Tigers type of group from Republic citizens.
I would imagine the next movie is going to be honest to goodness Star Wars, since you can't get a much more emphatic declaration of war than blowing up the enemy's Capitol.
Why did Harrison Ford want the Han Solo character to die?

Yeah, did they ever say the name of the system?

Since spoilers seem to be a wasted thing at this point. Warning Spoilers ahead, although nothing you haven't already read in previous non-spoiler tagged posts.

The impression I have is based on what one of the writers of one of the novels leaked to me and they aren't given the whole story. I did enjoy seeing one of the characters from that writer's book having an actual speaking line in the movie . Disney and JJ pick and chose parts of the EU they liked and changed names here and there. The (New)Republic controls most of the galaxy. The First Order(Imperial Remnant) controls a small sector of the galaxy and some planets within the First Order territory are rebelling and are being aided by the Republic who sent ships and advisor staff(sound familiar?). One of those systems was the one they test fired on during the Hitler speech.

Some further questions, did lightspeed improve greatly since the last movie. Seemed like a quick 5 minute jump through lightspeed gets them everywhere. Furthermore, you cant simply wait in lightspeed. Its point a to point b and you are there, not hang out in lightspeed waiting for word from base to pop out.

Lightsabers can cut through almost anything that's not a lightsaber. In the first movie they cut through blast doors like they were nothing and those are designed to stop even thermal detonators. So how was Kung-Fu Stormtrooper able to fight and use a riot control stick to deflect and stop a lightsaber? Even my wife was wondering that, in the movie she looked over and asked "Wasn't the saber supposed to go through that staff like butter?"

I understand how Kylo got beaten, and he didn't really get his butt kicked, he lost but it wasn't by a lot. Once you start losing a fight in real life, you tend to start losing worse as you keep fighting. He had a blaster hit on his abdomen which had to be painful and was bleeding like a stuck pig. Finn got a lucky hit on him and he was already tired by the time he got to Rey and he did well for awhile and blood loss started to get to him.

Did anyone notice Daniel Craig the Storm trooper?

Theory on Rey's parentage. Luke is the father. What are the odds they might include Mara Jade as a deceased mother or someone like her? Perhaps Kylo killed her?

Relapse wrote:
Why did Harrison Ford want the Han Solo character to die?

I think he was sick of doing them, so he wanted it to end in Jedi (just in case there were more). Now 30 years later, with (no doubt) a stipulation in his contract that Han would die in this movie, he was more than happy to come back.

Col. Dash wrote:
Some further questions, did lightspeed improve greatly since the last movie. Seemed like a quick 5 minute jump through lightspeed gets them everywhere. Furthermore, you cant simply wait in lightspeed. Its point a to point b and you are there, not hang out in lightspeed waiting for word from base to pop out.

SW light speeds has never been "the speed of light". Hyperspace is almost like an alternate dimension, and crossing the galaxy takes about a week.

Col. Dash wrote:
Lightsabers can cut through almost anything that's not a lightsaber. In the first movie they cut through blast doors like they were nothing and those are designed to stop even thermal detonators. So how was Kung-Fu Stormtrooper able to fight and use a riot control stick to deflect and stop a lightsaber? Even my wife was wondering that, in the movie she looked over and asked "Wasn't the saber supposed to go through that staff like butter?"

It had some sort of energy field around it. That'll do I 'spose.

Col. Dash wrote:
I understand how Kylo got beaten, and he didn't really get his butt kicked, he lost but it wasn't by a lot. Once you start losing a fight in real life, you tend to start losing worse as you keep fighting. He had a blaster hit on his abdomen which had to be painful and was bleeding like a stuck pig. Finn got a lucky hit on him and he was already tired by the time he got to Rey and he did well for awhile and blood loss started to get to him.

You're right. Ren's defeat was equal parts existing injury (thanks to Chewie) and the combination of "semi-trained" vs "raw Force power". Rey has no training, but what is clearly an immense connection to the Force. Her ability to calm herself is incredible, and she can just brute force her way past Ren's training.

Consider what Obi-wan and Yoda were always banging on about: Letting go and just letting the Force flow through you. Rey appears to do this innately. The way she fixes technology, or is somehow an expert pilot, especially under pressure. This, to me at least, seems to be the manifestation of her letting the Force operate through her giving her incredible levels of control ("Control! Control! You must learn control!" - Yoda) despite having no training.

Personally I find that fascinating, and it's why Rey was my fav character (alongside Poe!).

It appears my impressions might be pretty close to the mark. I was also wondering the same thing about the light saber vs. close combat weapon. Perhaps because it wasn't wielded by someone able to channel the force?

Col. Dash wrote:
Some further questions, did lightspeed improve greatly since the last movie. Seemed like a quick 5 minute jump through lightspeed gets them everywhere. Furthermore, you cant simply wait in lightspeed. Its point a to point b and you are there, not hang out in lightspeed waiting for word from base to pop out.

Lol, let's not get there

Hyperspace was "Helluva fast" in the originals, went up to "Absurd" in the prequels and TFA has raised the bar to "Laughable". That's not to mention that even light itself seems to be travelling faster than light these days...

Lightsabers can cut through almost anything that's not a lightsaber. In the first movie they cut through blast doors like they were nothing and those are designed to stop even thermal detonators. So how was Kung-Fu Stormtrooper able to fight and use a riot control stick to deflect and stop a lightsaber? Even my wife was wondering that, in the movie she looked over and asked "Wasn't the saber supposed to go through that staff like butter?"

Cortosis. It's a semi-canon (I think) substance that is impervious to lightsabers. The CIS' elite droids wielded electrostaves made of it.

I understand how Kylo got beaten, and he didn't really get his butt kicked, he lost but it wasn't by a lot. Once you start losing a fight in real life, you tend to start losing worse as you keep fighting. He had a blaster hit on his abdomen which had to be painful and was bleeding like a stuck pig. Finn got a lucky hit on him and he was already tired by the time he got to Rey and he did well for awhile and blood loss started to get to him.

True that. Also, I'm starting to think there's far more to both Rey and Kylo than this movie lets out. Kylo -who had confessed before to be tempted by the light side- seemed to LOSE power as his anger built. Don't get me wrong, I think the character's great, but it looks like there's something wrong with his sith-ness. It's like the Dark Side escapes him. He tries, and fails.

Rey's uncanny skills with the lightsaber hint at some prior experience as a Jedi. She's probably got some training behind their back.

Col. Dash wrote:


Lightsabers can cut through almost anything that's not a lightsaber. In the first movie they cut through blast doors like they were nothing and those are designed to stop even thermal detonators. So how was Kung-Fu Stormtrooper able to fight and use a riot control stick to deflect and stop a lightsaber? Even my wife was wondering that, in the movie she looked over and asked "Wasn't the saber supposed to go through that staff like butter?"

In the EU there were materials which were able to resist lightsabers (such as cortosis weave) which would be used to make swords and armour which are able to withstand combat with lightsabers. A lot of stuff from the Mandalorian Wars and Jedi Civil war period (as seen in KOTOR) was made using cortosis weave due to high likelihood of facing jedi or sith.

Alternatively the energy field generated by the stick which allowed it to shock on impact also protected it from damage from the lightsaber.

She learned street fighting obviously at an earlier point. We saw her fight those two thugs in the village with her staff and took on a trained if reluctant storm trooper so I would venture to say that previous skill simply carried over and she learned how to use it in lightsaber combat. In Western Martial arts you can see the difference between someone who has taken other disciplines and just have come into armed combat. Yeah, they don't have the ability of someone who has been fighting for awhile, but they aren't clueless either like a newbie.

Just saw the movie last night.

Overall I liked it.

I saw it last night and it was pretty good. Feels very A New Hope, which might annoy some people.

I think Ren's biggest issue is that he doesn't seemed to be naturally dark, it's like he's trying to hard to be evil, but it isn't working out. However

Saw it last night.

 welshhoppo wrote:
I think Ren's biggest issue is that he doesn't seemed to be naturally dark, it's like he's trying to hard to be evil, but it isn't working out. However

Spoiler:

I can easily see Rae falling to the dark side, she has abandonment issues and only started kicking Ren's butt once she unleashed her inner Sith by getting really really angry.

I saw it more like she realised how she could use the force to her advantage.

 Matthew wrote:

 welshhoppo wrote:
I think Ren's biggest issue is that he doesn't seemed to be naturally dark, it's like he's trying to hard to be evil, but it isn't working out. However

Spoiler:

I can easily see Rae falling to the dark side, she has abandonment issues and only started kicking Ren's butt once she unleashed her inner Sith by getting really really angry.

I saw it more like she realised how she could use the force to her advantage.

True, but which side?

 welshhoppo wrote:

 Matthew wrote:

 welshhoppo wrote:
I think Ren's biggest issue is that he doesn't seemed to be naturally dark, it's like he's trying to hard to be evil, but it isn't working out. However

Spoiler:

I can easily see Rae falling to the dark side, she has abandonment issues and only started kicking Ren's butt once she unleashed her inner Sith by getting really really angry.

I saw it more like she realised how she could use the force to her advantage.

True, but which side?

I'd say the light side. She didn't seem angry when she closed here eyes, she seemed calm.

Rey taking the light sabre via the force was one of those rare cinema "Ride of Rohan" level goose bump moments for me (which are get few and far between as you get older and have seen it all before).

 Matthew wrote:

 welshhoppo wrote:
I think Ren's biggest issue is that he doesn't seemed to be naturally dark, it's like he's trying to hard to be evil, but it isn't working out. However

Spoiler:

I can easily see Rae falling to the dark side, she has abandonment issues and only started kicking Ren's butt once she unleashed her inner Sith by getting really really angry.

I saw it more like she realised how she could use the force to her advantage.

Huh. So we've got a Dark Jedi, Keylo Ren, being tempted by the Light Side of the force. And a Light Jedi, Rey, being tempted by the Dark Side. Perhaps by the end of the trilogy, Kylo Ren will have been redeemed and Rey will have fallen to the Dark Side. That would be an interesting role reversal.

I see Kylo as a Jedi (he did go to Luke's Jedi thing) that has been turned sort-of dark, but he fights to go back to the light side, but he's been brainwashed to act like a sith, which is why he killed Han.

Other way round, I'm afraid.

He's afraid of being brainwashed by the light side.

That's his struggle, to deny his better nature. For whatever reason, anger, ambition, whatever, he desperately wants to become a true Sith.

When he pleads with Han to help him do what needs to be done, to give him the strength, Han assumes it's redemption he seeks.

Kylo is actually asking for the courage to do the opposite....

Yet he asks Vader (Anakin Skywalker) for guidance. A Jedi gone dark, gone back to light prior to his death? Why not look to a dark sith lord for guidance. If he got training from Luke you figure Luke would have shared his fathers story of temptation and eventual turning back to good.
Movie was pretty good. You just have to wonder how the death star designers keep their job. Why design a planet destroyer that can be taken out by a hand full of Xwings 3 times in a row.
"Sir, Xwings have entered the system right on schedule."
"ok fire all missiles and release 100,000 Tie fighters to clean up"
"hm, they're destroyed"
"carry on"

I m tempted to say that he doesn't believe that Vader went good. Luke is the only person to have seen him redeem himself and Snoke could have convinced him otherwise.

 d-usa wrote:
I m tempted to say that he doesn't believe that Vader went good. Luke is the only person to have seen him redeem himself and Snoke could have convinced him otherwise.

Good point, I would have just figured that in his training with Luke that he would have mentioned his own father could not be turned completely to the dark side. I guess we will see in the following movie...I hope

 H.B.M.C. wrote:

Col. Dash wrote:
Some further questions, did lightspeed improve greatly since the last movie. Seemed like a quick 5 minute jump through lightspeed gets them everywhere. Furthermore, you cant simply wait in lightspeed. Its point a to point b and you are there, not hang out in lightspeed waiting for word from base to pop out.

SW light speeds has never been "the speed of light". Hyperspace is almost like an alternate dimension, and crossing the galaxy takes about a week.

Go back to ANH. Our heroes were in hyperspace for a significant time after leaving Tatooine heading to Alderaan . They were "inside" long enough to have everyone hanging out in the Millennium Falcon's lounge with Luke practicing his light saber skills and Chewbacca threatening the droids when they were beating him at chess. That's more than a quick five minute jump.

Hyperspace traveling takes some time, it's not full FTL just as we know it. It's sort of a parallel dimension, more like...hm...a "tube" ships travel through? It's possible to shoot a ship during its hyperspace flight (with special weapons exclusively designed for said purpose). It's more of a "corridor" system than actual FTL.

Yeah, I'm going to jump in here and point out that Star Wars hyperspace is just a fantasy plot device to move characters between planets - it does what the writers want it do

I think it's been well documented that ships in hyperspace move at ludicrous speed.

 Necros wrote:
I think it's been well documented that ships in hyperspace move at ludicrous speed.

Glad I wasn't the only one thinking of that

"They've gone to plaid!"

 Sigvatr wrote:
It's possible to shoot a ship during its hyperspace flight (with special weapons exclusively designed for said purpose).

When did that ever happen? I don't recall it ever happening in the movies nor Rebels. I might have missed it as I haven't seen all of The Clone Wars.

 Matthew wrote:

 welshhoppo wrote:

 Matthew wrote:

 welshhoppo wrote:
I think Ren's biggest issue is that he doesn't seemed to be naturally dark, it's like he's trying to hard to be evil, but it isn't working out. However

Spoiler:

I can easily see Rae falling to the dark side, she has abandonment issues and only started kicking Ren's butt once she unleashed her inner Sith by getting really really angry.

I saw it more like she realised how she could use the force to her advantage.

True, but which side?

I'd say the light side. She didn't seem angry when she closed here eyes, she seemed calm.

Yeah, it was after that when she seemed to go a bit mad. Maybe she was gathering force energy before using it..... I'm not too sure, it was raw talent Anyway, which often causes bad things if it can't be controlled.

 Ahtman wrote:

 Sigvatr wrote:
It's possible to shoot a ship during its hyperspace flight (with special weapons exclusively designed for said purpose).

When did that ever happen? I don't recall it ever happening in the movies nor Rebels. I might have missed it as I haven't seen all of The Clone Wars.

SG-1, late in the series. I think Babalon 5 also had dogfights in hyperspace.