Angstspawn |
Like many I saw the official trailer of the upcoming Star Wars movie, like many I have (too) high expectations and I'm afraid to revive the awful experience of Episode I...
In the trailer everything seems great, everything but this new lightsaber concept. J. J. Abrams is very creative but sometimes "less is more" and I'm afraid this new lightsaber is much too much.
I know you have to trust the movie director the way you trust your DM, but I'm afraid that J. J. Abrams will fail the Sith the same way he failed Khan, making them more visual while removing all substance from them.
I wish I'm wrong, I wish you'll convince me, I wish I won't be disappointed next year by Episode VII.
Vhayjen |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Star Trek has always appealed to me more than Star Wars. And no, J.J. Abrams did no justice whatsoever to Khan. He butchered it, really. I do watch Star Wars but not with the same anticipation as Star Trek.
His mind is a wonderful thing but I agree with your assessment that less is more. To answer your question, yes, the new lightsaber's crossguard is stupid. Grey said it best and no need to repeat what he said.
Antimony |
I'm no expert on...well, anything, really. But it seems to me that if you had a weapon on which you could impale yourself, you'd have to be a total master to use it and not do so. Maybe the idea is the guy's SO good, he can use a dangerous weapon and do it effectively, defying the odds (and giving him an additional resource in combat).
Some people can juggle. Some of them can juggle chainsaws.
Electric Wizard |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |
The new cross-guard is stupid. It represents yet another Elitist's
hatred for Star Wars Fans, because we all know *what* a light saber can
do and showing this cross-guard to us is basically the same as flipping
us the bird, and yelling, "F.U. Star Wars Fans, I can do whatever I want
to your icons, and I know you'll still pay me off handsomely, with ca$h, in the end... b1tches."
Yep.
.
Readerbreeder |
3 people marked this as a favorite. |
I think the sword is great, visually. I'm not really concerned with how its owner would avoid hurting himself, because he's fighting with a freaking plasma sword. I've always classified Star Wars as science fantasy in my own mind; as long as it remains internally consistent, I'm good. Honestly, Abrams could phone this in and he couldn't do worse than Lucas himself already gave us with midichlorians and Jar-Jar Binks.
I'm more excited about the interior shot of the X-Wing, and seeing that the future isn't entirely the chrome-plated shiny the prequels seemed to be shooting for.
Cyrad RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16 |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Both. I always thought lightsabers needed a guard of some sort. I'm happy there's finally a lightsaber that has one, but the design looks silly. How about a selectively-permeable lightsaber-proof energy field around the hilt as a guard? Ya know, exactly like the ones those "roller" droids had in Phantom Menace?
DM_aka_Dudemeister |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I've wanted a lightsaber with a cross-guard since I was like 10. Look at all the jerks who get their hands cut off because there isn't a blocking mechanism, There's enough of the hilt there that you won't get your fingers burned off, and it implies a very different fighting style than we've seen so far.
Remember when you were 8 and light sabers were just the coolest thing ever.
Logically they make no sense, and a sweaty palm would be enough to cause you to slip and lose like... all of your fingers.
Relax, it's Star Wars. They're childrens movies.
That's what makes them great.
Kthulhu |
The new cross-guard is stupid. It represents yet another Elitist's
hatred for Star Wars Fans, because we all know *what* a light saber can
do and showing this cross-guard to us is basically the same as flipping
us the bird, and yelling, "F.U. Star Wars Fans, I can do whatever I want
to your icons, and I know you'll still pay me off handsomely, with ca$h, in the end... b1tches."Yep.
.
So Lucas designed it?
Sissyl |
5 people marked this as a favorite. |
Put me in the "stupid" camp. I REALLY don't understand why a lightsaber can't be cool enough on its own. From Darth Maul's double lightsaber, to General Grievous' four, the logical next step is eight blades. If they can't do that, of course they have to fill in the "three" slot. Guh. "Five" is easy, just a glove with a lightsaber on every finger. "Six" would be a pair of Wolverine light claws.
Bruunwald |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |
1. I loved both Star Trek flicks.
2. Lucas "chromed up" the prequels to show the galaxy before it had fallen into "used car lot" status as it looked it the originals (everything is new at SOME point). That doesn't mean I liked them, though: I am not a big fan of the prequels at all.
3. My first thought at that lightsaber was "crossguard stupid - wrists lacerated and hands chopped off the minute he twirls it (as all Jedi/Sith MUST eventually do!" And I said so to my wife. However, I still thought it LOOKED cool. And I am really not that bothered by it in the long run.
4. I was a bit annoyed that the trailer doesn't give us any real idea what anything is about.
5. I was also distracted by the fact that everybody is in a big hurry to get somewhere in the trailer. Which got old before the first viewing was done, and was even older during the second.
6. That droid was Jar Jar Binks and I know I will hate him (there's already a "they see me rollin', they hatin'" meme out there for it - and I do). But I also am trying to reserve judgment for seeing it in-context. I want to keep an open mind.
7. On a weird personal note, the thing that DID bother me, were the red X-Wing uniforms. I have always been fond of the orange. Somehow, this little change really bugged me. I am sure that's just me, and I realize how petty it is. It's just that I wanted to feel connected to the whole thing, and that... "disconnected" me, somehow. Plus, the X-Wings look slightly different, which was a bit distracting, but somehow more understandable to me.
Pan |
This,
"Five" is easy, just a glove with a lightsaber on every finger.
and this,
That droid was Jar Jar Binks and I know I will hate him (there's already a "they see me rollin', they hatin'" meme out there for it - and I do). But I also am trying to reserve judgment for seeing it in-context. I want to keep an open mind.
are very amusing.
Lord Fyre RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32 |
3 people marked this as a favorite. |
The new cross-guard is stupid. It represents yet another Elitist's
hatred for Star Wars Fans, because we all know *what* a light saber can
do and showing this cross-guard to us is basically the same as flipping
us the bird, and yelling, "F.U. Star Wars Fans, I can do whatever I want
to your icons, and I know you'll still pay me off handsomely, with ca$h, in the end... b1tches."Yep.
Given what J.J. Abrams has done to Star Trek, why should Star Wars fans miss out on the pain?
Benchak the Nightstalker Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 8 |
BigNorseWolf |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |
I would say that the whole cross-guard thing takes away from the original concept of lightsabers as an homage to the katana. A cross-guard seems very Western and out of place.
-Matt
So wait, not only accross an entire planet but accross an entire GALAXY there's only one design for a light saber?
No way. that thing looked awesome. If only western sword fighting styles get some love... (though i think count douku was getting some fencing on)
Jail House Rock |
Mattastrophic wrote:I would say that the whole cross-guard thing takes away from the original concept of lightsabers as an homage to the katana. A cross-guard seems very Western and out of place.
-Matt
So wait, not only accross an entire planet but accross an entire GALAXY there's only one design for a light saber?
No way. that thing looked awesome. If only western sword fighting styles get some love... (though i think count douku was getting some fencing on)
Well, we have to remember Lucas captured the Star Wars idea from a Japanese move. I think it was called The Hidden Fortress, or something like that. So, the asian influence on the original movies is strong. But, other influence can be inferred, like The Force can be viewed as Christianity. With this influence, pulling in western cross-guards makes sense. There could be a whole undiscovered sect of Jedi Templar Knights, and they get in fights the asian Jedi Knights. Then the Jedi Jihad Knights get involved, and it becomes a giant battle of light sabre designs.
LazarX |
Given what J.J. Abrams has done to Star Trek, why should Star Wars fans miss out on the pain?
I'm of mixed feelings. I feel that Abrams Enterprise is the ugliest ship since Style's Excalibur.
But that scene of it rising from the ocean? A moment of pure awesome that none of the preceding non-Abrams films ever managed to evoke.
LazarX |
Mattastrophic wrote:I would say that the whole cross-guard thing takes away from the original concept of lightsabers as an homage to the katana. A cross-guard seems very Western and out of place.
-Matt
So wait, not only accross an entire planet but accross an entire GALAXY there's only one design for a light saber?
No way. that thing looked awesome. If only western sword fighting styles get some love... (though i think count douku was getting some fencing on)
There should be a reason for such a change. The crossguard great swords were designed for the simple reason of chopping through plate armor. Lighter swords were a later development after heavy armor fell out of favor. There is no such thing in the Star Wars universe that the standard light saber can't go through.
bugleyman |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |
The cross-guard on the weapon as pictured is either pointless (light saber blades don't slide) or useless (they do slide, but oops! gap).
Now that I have made this observation, I'm off to commit ritual suicide in protest.
P.S. The gap could have easily been avoided if the "cross-guard" parts fired in toward (but not quite touching) the main blade and extended past it on either side.
BigNorseWolf |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
There should be a reason for such a change. The crossguard great swords were designed for the simple reason of chopping through plate armor. Lighter swords were a later development after heavy armor fell out of favor. There is no such thing in the Star Wars universe that the standard light saber can't go through.
No, but if you're going to have a laser sword with little/no weight to it having one as long as possible seems like a good idea. If your blades routinely lock in a fight having more leverage from a longer handle seems like a good idea. And if someone is swinging a laser sword that can't be stopped by anything but another laser sword having tiny little laser swords right at your delicate and very important fingers seems like a good idea.
LazarX |
LazarX wrote:No, but if you're going to have a laser sword with little/no weight to it having one as long as possible seems like a good idea. If your blades routinely lock in a fight having more leverage from a longer handle seems like a good idea. And if someone is swinging a laser sword that can't be stopped by anything but another laser sword having tiny little laser swords right at your delicate and very important fingers seems like a good idea.
There should be a reason for such a change. The crossguard great swords were designed for the simple reason of chopping through plate armor. Lighter swords were a later development after heavy armor fell out of favor. There is no such thing in the Star Wars universe that the standard light saber can't go through.
At that point I use my leverage to get your fingers chopped off by your own crossguard. The thing is crossguards weren't monofilament daggers that could effortless go through the hands gripping the hilt, they were solid round pieces simply designed to stop a blade.
BigNorseWolf |
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At that point I use my leverage to get your fingers chopped off by your own crossguard. The thing is crossguards weren't monofilament daggers that could effortless go through the hands gripping the hilt, they were solid round pieces simply designed to stop a blade.
That doesn't make any sense. The fingers are in a fixed position relative to the crossguard no matter how you try to turn it.
carborundum RPG Superstar 2010 Top 32 |
Jail House Rock |
LazarX wrote:That doesn't make any sense. The fingers are in a fixed position relative to the crossguard no matter how you try to turn it.At that point I use my leverage to get your fingers chopped off by your own crossguard. The thing is crossguards weren't monofilament daggers that could effortless go through the hands gripping the hilt, they were solid round pieces simply designed to stop a blade.
But what about your forearms if you spin it really fast, like Jedi's do.
Eben TheQuiet |
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It initially annoyed me. Upon second (and more) viewings ... I dig the visual.
I'm officially over it. And am trying to think of other unique lightsabers I want to see. :)
Have we seen a lightsaber with two parallel blades? That could be cool for a weapon-cathcing/disarming style of lightsaberyness.