Hmm.
I adore Star Wars.
Like everyone I just love the first three and can't stand the other three.
I also like what J.J. Abraham did with Star Trek.
So I hold high hopes.
But being an old fashioned stick in the mud, watching that trailer, I can spot a snag - at least for me.
As a kid I was raised to prefer the knight in shining armour saving the princess, rather than the other way around...
I know, I know. I'm a sexist anachronism, etc, etc.
But to quote Popeye: I ams what I ams.
Oh well, you'll get over it.
Quote: DaButt @ 16th April 2015, 9:56 PM BSTI enjoyed the trailer for Tarantino's new movie, even though it doesn't feature any scenes from the film. Mainly, I enjoyed hearing the Stooges tune.
That is also rather exciting.
Quote: zooo @ 16th April 2015, 11:44 PM BSTOh well, you'll get over it.
Doubtful.
When you are raised on a diet of Sir Walter Scott and John Wayne, then Buffy the Vampire Slayer will never quite cut the mustard. 
So yes, I'm no longer of the time. New Star Wars is.
It happens to all of us. Just give it a few years. 
Quote: Gussie Fink Nottle @ 16th April 2015, 11:37 PM BSTAs a kid I was raised to prefer the knight in shining armour saving the princess, rather than the other way around...
I know, I know. I'm a sexist anachronism, etc, etc.
On a related subject, I can relate that when The Island with Bear Grylls was first broadcast, a then-twelve year old (girl) I know said it would be funny to do a new series with just women being stranded there. She said they would just sit around and moan, and not be able to do anything useful. At the time, I was worried about her low opinion of her own sex, but now that exact programme has been made, and it looks like her prediction has (so far) come to pass.
To be fair, that does describe the men's one too.
Quote: zooo @ 17th April 2015, 10:02 AM BSTTo be fair, that does describe the men's one too.
To a certain extent, but the men didn't spend 3 days lost in the jungle, and managed to build, hunt and keep a fire going relatively early on. However, I wonder if Channel 4 might have set the women up to fail, because none of them have any strong practical or organisational skills. There are several women that I know personally who would have got things on track.
Quote: Nogget @ 17th April 2015, 10:08 AM BSTTo a certain extent, but the men didn't spend 3 days lost in the jungle, and managed to build, hunt and keep a fire going relatively early on. However, I wonder if Channel 4 might have set the women up to fail, because none of them have any strong practical or organisational skills. There are several women that I know personally who would have got things on track.
Same here. It's all in the casting. Most women I know would have been very capable and handled anything. And I guess that would be boring to watch? I don't know, I haven't bothered watching any of it since they were all so annoying after 5 minutes.
Here's why I'd prefer a Jedi knight to a Jedi dame.
(I don't actually think I'm alone in that.)
The role reversal switcheroo may be an interesting device, but once it becomes standard fare it becomes rather dreary. It's effectively a standard film trope these days.
In that regard, I think there is an element of patronisation which has taken hold and which goes way further than in the days of the unchallenged patriarchy.
So just as the men taking off their tops is sexy and enthralling, whereas the women doing the same is sleazy and exploitative, so now no girl needs James Bond or - in this case - a Jedi to come to her rescue anymore. What once was playing with an audience's expectation, has now become the default setting.
Whatever the number of women people know who might be able to set up island habitats, the proportion of ass-kicking action ladies in the real world is actually very small. Tiny.
Sure, the proportion of he-men among the male population also has its limits, but it is fairly sizeable.
Having been called into standing up for the odd damsel in distress myself once in a while, I know that there are not too many women who'll fight their way out of trouble with some Matrix slow-mo karate moves.
The ubiquitous film trope of high kicking teenage girl is rather scarce on the ground.
So yes, following recent trends, I obviously expected the ladies in the new Star Wars 'not to need saving anymore', as that has fallen from current favour.
But the main protagonist in what is essentially a sword wielding epic being yet another slip of a girl I find tedious.
Fair enough, you don't personally find capable / ass kicking women 'realistic'. You do of course find all the other elements of the fantasy film Star Wars completely true to life?
(By the way, I assume you're getting all this plot info from somewhere other than the trailer? All I saw was a few seconds of various people running around.)
Quote: zooo @ 17th April 2015, 12:32 PM BSTFair enough, you don't personally find capable / ass kicking women 'realistic'. You do of course find all the other elements of the fantasy film Star Wars completely true to life?
(By the way, I assume you're getting all this plot info from somewhere other than the trailer? All I saw was a few seconds of various people running around.)
To me the trailer came across as a big 'reveal'. Am I the only one to read it that way??? Would be glad to hear people's opinions there.
Perhaps I read too much into it.
As far as finding sci-fi realistic, Zooo, we both know the answer to that.
With butt-kicking babes; what once was a refreshing break from the rule, has to my mind become a painful overstretch.
And yes, no matter that one is in outer space.
Watching Vin Diesel headbutting people into the day after tomorrow, is not necessarily my idea of fun. But at least suspension of disbelief is maintained. Whereas when it's Angelina Jolie I'm afraid it goes crashing to the ground with me.
I really don't see why. Angelina Jolie could probably kick all our arses. It's not some unbelievable, mad concept that women can fight in real life. You don't have to be big or even that strong to do it, just correctly trained.
But I expect we can agree to disagree.
Quote: zooo @ 17th April 2015, 1:47 PM BSTI really don't see why. Angelina Jolie could probably kick all our arses. It's not some unbelievable, mad concept that women can fight in real life. You don't have to be big or even that strong to do it, just correctly trained.
But I expect we can agree to disagree.
Yep, I think we'll have to.
Meanwhile, I'll look forward to seeing Jessica Hynes take an England prop forward anytime soon.
But on the other hand I'm still intrigued regarding the Star Wars trailer.
You didn't see it as a reveal that the female figure was to be the lead?
That's how it came across to me.
Nope! I only watched it once. All I can now remember seeing is a woman running for about one second. A black guy in a space suit type thing, and Chewie and Han Solo. And some flying space ships.
Seemed to me like the black guy was going to be the lead, if anyone.
Quote: zooo @ 17th April 2015, 2:02 PM BSTNope! I only watched it once. All I can now remember seeing is a woman running for about one second. A black guy in a space suit type thing, and Chewie and Han Solo. And some flying space ships.
Seemed to me like the black guy was going to be the lead, if anyone.
Just watched it again.
The girl appears in it three times, following Luke Skywalker's
'You have that power too.'
To me it looks like a pretty clear indication that she's the lead character.
I'm sure everything will be okay.
Maybe she'll have a scene where she's tied up and wearing a bikini and you can feel that the world is making sense again.