Star Wars: The Force Awakens (OFFICIAL THREAD)

[Pifferry]

I should clarify though I think I made it clear, that I understand the importance of minority representation in the media/in real world fields in terms of motivation and instilling self worth in kids.
I've argued for the validity of programs directly aimed at instilling these values in black boys/girls and females of other races in discussions with white men who didn't understand their importance, and scientific studies back this up.
So I'm not saying that black people young and old shouldn't look at this movie and be excited for Finn (I am), or that this isn't a big opportunity.
But chilling out until the movie comes out would be ideal, and considering that this is a trilogy not everything that will happen to Finn will be in this first one.

How ? I've seen him all over the place

He was just on Sway, most people I see love him (and Boyega) already.

 

[Box Cutta]

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[Swiggy]

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[Box Cutta]

This shyt might be legit.

Dat Disney cross-marketing....

Spoiler

Should have gotten Daisy to do this instead though....

 

[Supa]

Spoiler

I'm hoping Finn awakens the force after getting that work from Kylo. Maybe he grows to hate him for nearly killing or maming him and Finn gets tempted by the dark side the same way Luke was when he was on the verge of killing Vader.

I wanted my nieces and nephews to see black excellence and get a movie hero that I didn't get to see as a kid

 

[Box Cutta]

http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/7/9860294/star-wars-force-awakens-john-boyega-interview

Some choice quotes :

One thing that’s generated a lot of conversation has been the casting of the film. It’s much more diverse and representative of the world we live in. The original movies, as much as they’re loved, were largely just a bunch of white American dudes fighting a bunch of white British dudes. Was changing that expectation something you were focusing on when you were making the film?

Yeah, you are aware of it to a certain extent, but it quickly becomes so natural, because that’s our [real] world. It just works. So it’s not something that you go, "Gosh, leading female and black male." It feels like an ensemble of people that work [cohesively]. Obviously everybody’s been chosen based on their skills and based on their ability. But the fact that also, we’re reflective of the world we live in today is fantastic. Apart from the Wookiees and the green people. We’re giving them attention just in case that happens. You never know where the melanin is gonna go. It could go pink. You never know.

It’s such an interesting proposition because you know there will be kids that will see this movie, and they’ll think they’ll be able to do something because Rey did it, or Finn did it. That’s an awesome power.

It’s so funny because I’ve watched the movie, and I related to Rey a lot. A lot. It actually surprised me how much I related to her story and who she is, and the tones and process that she goes through. So for me, that’s so good that we’re able to get different versions of relationships between audience and the cast.

 

[CarltonJunior]

Exactly. It's baffling my mind that there are actually BLACK posters on this site claiming that they don't see any issue with the BLATANT misdirection of marketing that's gone since this movie's casting was announced.

Like there isn't a HISTORY of the metaphorical castration of black characters (especially black MALE characters) when not comes to representation in Hollywood media.

If this were a typical Star Wars movie with two white leads then it would be par for the course, there wouldn't be any reason to get up in arms it would just be another "White Man saves the Galaxy" that we've seen ad nauseum since forever.

HOWEVER

Since the beginning of the casting leaks it's been marketed that John Boyega was the LEAD of the movie



'Star Wars Episode VII': Actors Battle for Lead Role (EXCLUSIVE)


THEN we get the first trailer. With the words spoken "there been an awakening...have you felt it?"

Whose the FIRST persons face you see? BOYEGA!

ok this in itself doesn't truly mean anything, but it could be directly implied that the awakening in question would be the BOYEGA's "male lead" who you are seeing I'm character for the first time.

Then we get the Twitter teaser confirming BOYEGA's Finn with the lightsaber, about to battle Kylo Ren, again this could be construed as the MALE LEAD battling the known antagonist.

Then we get the third trailer. All types of allusions and symbols pointing towards Finn. Han's voice speaking on the existence of the "The Jedi" while a close up of Finn walking is displayed. The entire trailer is focused HEAVILY on Finn from showing the beginning of his desertion from the storm troopers, meeting with Rey, and traveling with Han Solo. Then you get the final clip confirming AGAIN Finn's battle with Kylo with the closing dialogue of "the force is calling you...just let it in..."

As I stated earlier NO character in the Star Wars movies besides General Grevious has gone to BATTLE with a lightsaber and not turned out to be Force Sensitive. After that trailer we've got Finn not just battling Kylo, but a Storm Trooper as well.

So now we've got marketing pointing towards Finn as the Lead and Finn battling multiple times with a lightsaber. An actual BLACK lead who WASNT a stereotypically dumb, unheroic brute, or gets his ass kicked and killed (Windu) or is a treacherous coward (Lando).


But NOW we're at the home stretch and their turning the tables? Finn is now the sidekick to Rey? (Not co-star) Finn is scared and running for half the movie and needs the calm, heroic Cac bytch to continually save him? Finn carries a lightsaber, battles with it, only to get his ass kicked and have the Cac bytch step up and use the force? We're right back to square fukking one? Naw fukk that shyt I ain't got time to sit through another "White Man/Woman's Journey" of self discovery and inner heroism...


I will, of course, reserve full judgement until I've seen the movie and/or I decide to read a leaked plot synopsis when the movie premieres, but if any nerfing of Finn's character goes down to prop up the White Hero dynamic then I'm not fukking with Star Wars anymore. And that's entirely MY decision I'm not trying to shame any die hard Star Wars fans on here to boycott the film, but I find it shameful, and downright c00nish to even attempt to deny the absolute repulsive bullshyt that this type of bait and switch would imply.

I can't argue with any of this, this is exactly how I feel

 

[CHL]

I honestly don't care about that or them, it aint like every other role that's not going to white male actors aint going to them first

Point is Kathleen Kennedy's making this new star wars series White female centric, Finn's a male character, the role was written before John Boyega was cast, he will be undercut for Rey, the main white female, at the end.

Just read up how she talks about the female characters and their importance, meanwhile I don't think she's said a damn thing about Finn or Poe or attributed the same amount of importance to them


Connect the dots.

It seems you are struggling to connect the dots of reality and gender discrimination.

 

[CHL]

Preview from the book Before the Awakening, sheds some light on Finn's backstory

Spoiler: SPOILERS

FN-2187 seems really weak and incompetent, like he is always needing to be saved.

 

[CHL]

Spoiler: MASSIVE SPOILERS

As far as her abilities go:

INT DAY - 234 - STARKILLER BASE - DUNGEON • Kylo Ren tries to learn all he can from Rey. She turns the tables
INT DAY - 253 - STARKILLER BASE - DUNGEON • Rey uses some special skills to convince Stormtroopers to leave
INT DAY - 275 - STARKILLER BASE - CORRIDOR #2 • Rey goes on a walk-a-around, avoids some Stormtroopers
INT DAY - 276 - STARKILLER BASE - CORRIDOR #3 • Rey uses her fight skills to take out a Stormtrooper, get his gun
EXT EVE - 327 - ENCHANTED FOREST NEAR STARKILLER BASE • Finn and Rey dance with Kylo Ren, Rey's special.

How and why does a scavenger who is unaware of the Force have the ability to do this? She should be at Farmboy Luke's level at this point, yet she has force powers and can go toe-to-toe with a powerful trained darksider like Kylo Ren with a lightsaber, a weapon she has never used before.

She needs Han to confirm that the Force/Darkside/Jedi are real, but uses Force abilities left and right when she needs to.

Why is Rey special? Why is she so skilled? Again, think about Luke in ANH. That's where she is at in this film, and yet Luke couldn't do any of that stuff in his first film. To quote another forum: "There's being related to a Jedi, and then there's having all the Jedi skills... do you inherit that shyt without having to learn how to do it? Why did Luke have it so hard?"

As far as Solo/Skywalker stuff goes, the guy who posted the shooting schedule says that various scenes were withheld/detail were intentionally left vague on said shooting schedule for secrecy (preventing it from leaking out with the rest). We won't know for sure until release.

Spoiler

How do we know Rey did'nt recieve training before the Jedi Academy attack?

Also how would ANH Luke (Finn) have gone in a lightsaber duel with Kylo Ren?

 

[rantanamo]

As much as I hate to say it, yall are right . Should we be boycotting this? I guess I've just been blinded by the force. I still don't think he's bumbling, but I've been looking at the marketing and maybe this is not worthy of my audience? Damn, dude is going to be the comic relief.

 

[CHL]

Waaaah
Anyone who regularly screams cac/fakkit doesn't have any grounds for complaining about racial representation.
You're a grown man whining about representation in a fukking movie made by white people when from your posts you're on that typical coli militant tip and wouldn't even associate with one in real life.
So it's absolutely absurd that you're supporting something that's going to make millions for white people in real life or any American media really.
Finn is going to be a fantastic character with heart who'll do badass things and will inspire black children everywhere, not a badasss character cut out like it seems you all want.
So fukking fragile.
Actually your entire mentality goes against the foundation of Star Wars and what Boyega and Finn are pushing.
This was never just Finns journey, it's Reys and Poe's as well.
You're acting like he doesn't even have an arc.

lol at @Ziggiy completely mischaracterising Mace (2nd most powerful and influential Jedi Master and one of the few who saw the danger with Anakin and Sidious) and Lando (redeemed hero who blew up the Second Death Star)

 

[Ziggiy]

As much as I hate to say it, yall are right . Should we be boycotting this? I guess I've just been blinded by the force. I still don't think he's bumbling, but I've been looking at the marketing and maybe this is not worthy of my audience? Damn, dude is going to be the comic relief.

Like I said I'm going to wait until full plot spoilers leak (within the week I'd suppose) and if it turns out that Finn is merely a side kick to Rey with no force abilities I won't be seeing the movie and I'll simply be done with Star Wars. They should've simply cast a Cac male in that role and kept it moving. All the marketing and misdirection surrounding Finn's character would be outrageous and offensive...

 

[rantanamo]

What's interesting about Finn though

Spoiler

They are already casting a female lead who interacts with Finn for Episode VIII. Interesting list of actresses. Really wonder what the ultimate plan is with him. Perhaps we ultimately get lineage, love story, etc.

 

[Ziggiy]

lol at @Ziggiy completely mischaracterising Mace (2nd most powerful and influential Jedi Master and one of the few who saw the danger with Anakin and Sidious) and Lando (redeemed hero who blew up the Second Death Star)

Mace Windu in the movies was killed in 2.5 seconds by whiny ass Anakin and the Emperor.

Lando betrayed Han Solo out of fear and cowardice in Empire Strikes Back, felt guilty and had to suffer from Chewie choking him and Leia insulting him to "redeem" his character.


And you know what, it is what it is. Those movies weren't marketed around either character and there was no misdirection around who the true heroes of the saga were.


But THIS time around. There was CLEAR marketing surrounding John BOYEGA's character as the lead, who wielded a Lightsaber and was (assumedly) going to end up force sensitive. I already posted all the examples and allusions to such in my previous post, including the fact that NO human character in the movies has ever weilded a Saber in battle and not turned out Force Sensitive. It's down right insulting to turn around and have the black character, the black LEAD be nothing more than the side kick to the white female. And you can miss me with that "female representation" argument because I could care less about another white woman being a hero just as less as another white man, I simply don't care, there's no debate for me regarding that.