Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (J.J. Abrams, December 20, 2019) Movie • Page 93

The worst part of TPM is introducing medichlorians.

 

Aside from falling on two different sides with regards to Prometheus, we usually agree a lot, but I can't say I agree with this. Maybe from a storytelling and Star Wars lore perspective, but simply from a human being watching a movie perspective, Jar Jar Binks is the worst thing. He is an active assault upon the senses of the viewer and the viewer's sense of enjoyment. He is that noise Jim Carrey makes in Dumb & Dumber to be annoying made into a character. He is like when you are young and a sibling is actively trying to annoy the ever loving f-ck out of you and really get under your skin made flesh and turned into a character.

 

I still think pod racing is bad ass. Granted, I was 10 when TPM was released and I played the crap out of the N64 pod racing game, but when I think about TPM it's probably my favorite memory of the film.

 

Jar Jar is the most annoying part of the movie but midichlorians are far, far more damaging to both this film (because that scene is stupid and pointless and rage-inducing) and the overall franchise. George clearly did not understand how much harm he was doing to Star Wars when he wrote that concept into the movie.

 

I totally agree with how god awful Jar Jar is in every way. He's horrendous and probably the worst character I've seen in any film.

But, I'd argue introducing medichlorians has an affect on the entire Star Wars universe in that they made the force be something biologic instead of mystical, which I think has worse connotations than Jar Jar making three shitty movies even more shitty, know what I mean?

 

That is very true. I will give you that. As a single character ruining one movie, I think he is probably the best example I can think of. But introducing midichlorians has effects that ripple across the entire Star Wars universe, and actually shake it right to its core.

 

I actually love the midichlorians. I don’t feel like explaining why because it would be such a long thing ill just say that I have more of an interpretation than “midichlorians ARE the Force.” The Jedi Order is a religion in Star Wars and all religions have beliefs. That doesn’t make them true.

 

This was directed at @Brother Beck haha

 

If you have the time to explain, I'd love to hear your interpretation in full, especially since you love TLJ so much and that extends what the force is and could be, etc...

 

I laughed so hard at this. This was awesome.

I know this kind of stuff would just get me fired immediately, but I feel like if I were the editor working on The Phantom Menace I would just constantly be cutting the shit out of all of Jar Jar's scenes in addition to whatever else George Lucas and anyone who had input said during the meetings.

 

Tying Force sensitivity to biology has a lot of really negative connotations that totally undermines the magic of this world and also just feels gross. It’s so incredibly destructive that it boggles the mind how George could have possibly thought it was necessary to put in the movie.

 

I would also really love to hear / read all of this if you had time. That is such a unique take - I don't think I have ever heard anyone be so pro-midichlorian. I guess everyone I've talked to has ranged from like neutral on them to flat out hating them.

 

I don't full-on hate midiclorians, the OT does hint at how some people are stronger in the force than others, this more or less just puts a name to it. But it definitely feels like something that doesn't need a "scientific" explanation. It does hurt the mythic feel of it all though.

 

My main thought is that basing anything of the force on something related to biology, high counts, etc... is closer to putting the force into a box, but leaving it as mystical and Yoda's "...it surrounds us..." speech leaves it to be something inexplicable and ever-reaching.

 

I never really thought about it before this, but it is kind of odd how much I love Qui-Gon Jinn as a character - and I really, really do - when he is the one who delivers the midichlorian speech to young Anakin, which is something that I strongly dislike. Also, him leaving her mom behind as a slave always struck me as a dick move. His explanation never made sense to me.

 

Doesn't she have that node or something in her head or neck or whatever that all slaves had? And if they run or are stolen, they blow up?

 

I don't remember that, but it has been a long time since I watched the whole movie. I feel like I would have bought that. I thought it was something along the lines of he couldn't free all of the slaves or end all slavery, he could only help Anakin.

 

Watto wouldn’t give Qui-Gon both of them so he chose Anakin and made the die roll on the blue side. If he could have freed her as well then he would have.

 

So it just boiled down to Watto wouldn't give both of them away...?

 

Yeah. Qui-Gon made an offer for both but Watto wouldn’t do it.

 

I suppose that makes sense... I don't really know what I would have expected Qui-Gon to do in that situation, but I do know it never sat right with me.

 

Nick from Bayside is at SWC all weekend and is posting on IG story and it looks fucking awesome

 

I appreciate that y’all want my take. I actually have a bunch of stuff i just wrote out but to get a lil personal I’ve been dealing with bad anxiety and panic attacks and deep thinking type stuff ends up fucking me up lol as silly as it sounds writing about midichlorians made my symptoms started to flare up so I gotta pass for now. Ya I’m that messed up lol

Not that my opinion is a big deal or anything but I’ll for sure finish it and post it randomly in the future after celebration sometime.

 

Okay, I know I am thinking way too much about this, but still: I realize Qui-Gon didn't want to drag the Jedi Order into an intergalactic incident, but to me I feel like slavery is bad enough that he could have just busted her out so she could come with Anakin. #FreeShmi

 

Anxiety and panic attacks are brutal. Not silly at all whatever it is that sets it/them off. Forget midichlorians, focus on the fun stuff and take care of yiourself.