Star Wars: The Force Awakens

[Wilhelm]

I must admit, this is damn funny:

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Special Edition
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v93Jh6JNBng

[Ts4EVER]

Apparently people are upset that the one stormtrooper is black. What. So stupid. A universe full of all kinds of silly aliens, but a black guy? Impossible!

[Kelmola]

Blame the most recent Special Editions where all the stormtrooper lines were dubbed by Temuera Morrison (Jango Fett) because muh cloning, and people with only superficial knowledge of Star Wars pretending to be experts.

Even that dubbing is stretching the continuity since the clones aged twice as fast, so the oldest would have been biologically 60 and the youngest 40 at the time of ANH. TFA takes place 30 years after ROTJ - 65 after the start of the cloning program and 55 years after Fett's death, so his 110-130 equivalent years old clones would most certainly not be in active service anymore. (AOTC states the Kaminoans needed fresh samples from Fett all the time for the cloning.)

Plus there is no canon (remembering that the books, comics and games before the Disney acquisition are an alternate universe now; only Clone Wars cartoons remain) indication of cloning used beyond the Clone Wars. All Imperial military personnel without an enclosed helmet we see in the Original Trilogy are clearly already not clones (what with Luke considering joining up and Biggs already being a deserter). Cloned stormtroopers are clearly past their prime by the time of ROTJ because a legion of the Emperor's best troops on Endor are also not clones.

By the time of TFA it is more than reasonable to assume that the Empire - having suffered two major defeats and lost most of its leadership along the way - is fully reliant on recruited freebirth stormtroopers. Even if they had continued cloning (doubtful), they would have had to find other sources because Fett was no longer available.

[Kelmola]

...and apparently, the powers that be agree with me (inb4 another Special Edition on the way) - "Star Wars" tweeted a few days back that stormtroopers are not clones and clones were phased out after the Clone Wars.

[Ts4EVER]

My head canon: They noticed that the guy they originally cloned was allergic to raspberries, leading to the rebels deploying their feared raspberry cannon. After a string of defeats they decided to hire black guys instead.

[Jimi Hendrix]

  Im really looking forward to it.

[VonMudra]

...and apparently, the powers that be agree with me (inb4 another Special Edition on the way) - "Star Wars" tweeted a few days back that stormtroopers are not clones and clones were phased out after the Clone Wars.

Excellent.

[Captain Pyjama Shark]

Blame the most recent Special Editions where all the stormtrooper lines were dubbed by Temuera Morrison (Jango Fett) because muh cloning, and people with only superficial knowledge of Star Wars pretending to be experts.

Even that dubbing is stretching the continuity since the clones aged twice as fast, so the oldest would have been biologically 60 and the youngest 40 at the time of ANH. TFA takes place 30 years after ROTJ - 65 after the start of the cloning program and 55 years after Fett's death, so his 110-130 equivalent years old clones would most certainly not be in active service anymore. (AOTC states the Kaminoans needed fresh samples from Fett all the time for the cloning.)

Plus there is no canon (remembering that the books, comics and games before the Disney acquisition are an alternate universe now; only Clone Wars cartoons remain) indication of cloning used beyond the Clone Wars. All Imperial military personnel without an enclosed helmet we see in the Original Trilogy are clearly already not clones (what with Luke considering joining up and Biggs already being a deserter). Cloned stormtroopers are clearly past their prime by the time of ROTJ because a legion of the Emperor's best troops on Endor are also not clones.

By the time of TFA it is more than reasonable to assume that the Empire - having suffered two major defeats and lost most of its leadership along the way - is fully reliant on recruited freebirth stormtroopers. Even if they had continued cloning (doubtful), they would have had to find other sources because Fett was no longer available.

I always noted the ease with which Luke gave up on his dream of going to the Imperial Academy.  One crazy old man and a hologram and he's decided to join the the Rebel Alliance instead.  Perhaps they shouldn't have cut that scene where he meets Biggs on Tatooine.

[VonMudra]

Blame the most recent Special Editions where all the stormtrooper lines were dubbed by Temuera Morrison (Jango Fett) because muh cloning, and people with only superficial knowledge of Star Wars pretending to be experts.

Even that dubbing is stretching the continuity since the clones aged twice as fast, so the oldest would have been biologically 60 and the youngest 40 at the time of ANH. TFA takes place 30 years after ROTJ - 65 after the start of the cloning program and 55 years after Fett's death, so his 110-130 equivalent years old clones would most certainly not be in active service anymore. (AOTC states the Kaminoans needed fresh samples from Fett all the time for the cloning.)

Plus there is no canon (remembering that the books, comics and games before the Disney acquisition are an alternate universe now; only Clone Wars cartoons remain) indication of cloning used beyond the Clone Wars. All Imperial military personnel without an enclosed helmet we see in the Original Trilogy are clearly already not clones (what with Luke considering joining up and Biggs already being a deserter). Cloned stormtroopers are clearly past their prime by the time of ROTJ because a legion of the Emperor's best troops on Endor are also not clones.

By the time of TFA it is more than reasonable to assume that the Empire - having suffered two major defeats and lost most of its leadership along the way - is fully reliant on recruited freebirth stormtroopers. Even if they had continued cloning (doubtful), they would have had to find other sources because Fett was no longer available.

I always noted the ease with which Luke gave up on his dream of going to the Imperial Academy.  One crazy old man and a hologram and he's decided to join the the Rebel Alliance instead.  Perhaps they shouldn't have cut that scene where he meets Biggs on Tatooine.

I have to agree on them not cutting that scene.  The introduction of Biggs always threw me, because he just is suddenly thrust in and we're supposed to recognize him as Luke's best friend and then feel bad about his death.  Having the meeting scene on Tatooine would have been superior.

[Alakazou]

I'm surprised nobody post this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tyjr178Q8E

[Zoologic]

So we got some names and Lego spoilers.

But one thing bothers me though: Kylo Ren of the Knights of Ren.

Star Wars is never known to be great at naming its characters. But Kylo hits new low. That name rhymes with a dog's name (Milo), or maybe the funny Tourette syndrome suffering transsexual Kaylo from Cranked series. I mean this character is supposed to be the main villain like Darth Vader ever was, but he is named Kylo.

[Korsakov829]

Better than Keith.

[Kelmola]

A lot depends on how you pronounce the name. Finnish/Latin style pnoemic ortography (kyh-loh or something would be the English transcription?), or Anglicized (kai-low?). The former would be - for Anglo-American audience, at least - more "exotic" and "fantasy-like" (cf. Tolkien's Elvish languages that in turn were based on Finnish).

[Zoologic]

I can see how we can call him kyh-loh the way we read it as well. But it doesn't sound menacing. Every Sith lord in the series (even those in the EU-now-Legends) like Revan, Malak, Bandon, Maul, and Vader. Although those appearing after the original trilogy are quite adolescent e.g. Maladi, Krayt, Talon...

[Kelmola]

Alright, time to look alive. Tickets go on sale globally tomorrow (Monday) - there is some ambiguity of the precise time, but the consensus seems to be 00:00 PST, 03:00 EST, 08:00 GMT/BST, 09:00 CET, and 10:00 EET but better check with your local theatre chain just to be sure.

Global premiere is supposed to be simultaneous as in precisely at the same hour and not just the day - Wednesday 16th December, 08:45 GMT according to my local theatre chain (or at least that is the time of the first showing they are selling tickets for and claim that this is mandated by LFL who have also banned any midnight preview showings before said time).

First and only full trailer is also imminent and will debut sometime during the ESPN Monday Night Handegg match starting at 20:15 EST on Monday / 01:15 GMT on Tuesday, and should hit the web shortly after that. (Some sources claimed that even ticket sales would begin only after this, but like I said, better safe than sorry.)