We saw a Star War! Last Jedi spoiler thread

[Maxperson]

There’s a lot of selective memory going on here, though. Her first attempt to use the Force takes multiple attempts like Luke’s attempt to move his lightsaber. And she does struggle in the fight with Kylo Ren in TFA. She never competes with anyone as overpowered as Vader, but that hardly makes her a Mary Sue.

Ultimately, all Jedi protagonists are somewhat akin to Mary Sue characters, but it only gets saddled on Rey when Anakin was multiple times worse in his trilogy.

He got slammed hard for being a whiny brat all the time. The movies got slammed hard for sucking so badly. He got tons of training starting from when he was like 6. How was he worse than Rey again?

 

[Ryujin]

The Wushu stuff looked pretty good, but was different from what she was doing which were sword techniques.

You're missing the point. After a certain point fighting is fighting and only the weapon's parameters differ. Some techniques are almost universal. Others translate. Some you can't use. Look at that Wushu demonstration and you'll see many moves that are "lightsaber-like" or "sword-like." The same applies to Rey's staff use in Episode 7.

 

[Maxperson]

You're missing the point. After a certain point fighting is fighting and only the weapon's parameters differ. Some techniques are almost universal. Others translate. Some you can't use. Look at that Wushu demonstration and you'll see many moves that are "lightsaber-like" or "sword-like." The same applies to Rey's staff use in Episode 7.

I get the point. My point is that she wasn't using those. She was using sword techniques. The actress even had a sword instructor on set to help her learn those moves.

 

[Erekose]

A reason why I would have thought that just going with Luke successfully establishing a new, young Jedi Order between RotJ and TFA would have been better. No need for super-Jedi, just regular ones, but they are still much rarer than in the old Republic, so we can focus on the journey of a newly discovered Force Sensitive (and I very much like the idea of a female Jedi) on his way to become a Jedi, that might be getting in over his head at first but manages to save the day and find his path.

I wonder if this is a problem some people have with Luke in TLJ? We see Luke grow as a Jedi in the original trilogy to where, after facing Darth Vader again, he is a Jedi Knight. But being a Jedi Knight is still quite a step away from being a Jedi Master. And I’m not sure TLJ really showed us how whoop ass Luke is as a Jedi Master ... I suppose given the film’s back story may be he never progressed much beyong RotJ? But again I can see why that’s less than satisfying for some fans of the original trilogy.

I agree that if Star Wars is to progress beyond the “best ever” Jedi stories to include more typical jedis, establishing Luke’s school would’ve been the most efficient way to go. Feels a much bigger leap for Ray to do it - if for no other reason that presumably they’ll not be such a big jump in time between the next film and the next trilogy.

 

[pukunui]

I get the point. My point is that she wasn't using those. She was using sword techniques. The actress even had a sword instructor on set to help her learn those moves.

Yes, but as I pointed out above, he states on camera that she picked up the techniques in hours instead of days. If Daisy Ridley can learn fake swordfighting that quickly, why can't Rey, who has the ability to tap into a magical power, do so as well?

 

[Maxperson]

Yes, but as I pointed out above, he states on camera that she picked up the techniques in hours instead of days. If Daisy Ridley can learn fake swordfighting that quickly, why can't Rey, who has the ability to tap into a magical power, do so as well?

Sure. So where's the sword trainer that trained Rey? Luke didn't do it.

 

[hawkeyefan]

Sure. So where's the sword trainer that trained Rey? Luke didn't do it.

Rey’s sword trainer is in that same scene as Luke’s.

 

[Maxperson]

Rey’s sword trainer is in that same scene as Luke’s.

I didn't see her with Ob-Wan and Yoda.

 

[hawkeyefan]

I didn't see her with Ob-Wan and Yoda.

That’s because neither of those guys taught Luke how to use a sword.

Or you could look at it as the Force is guiding each of them.

Or, if you prefer, the Force Ghosts of Obi-Wan, Yoda, and other fallen Jedi trained Rey off screen.

Or Rey’s ability with a staff translated to grasping the lightsaber more quickly. I suppose this would only work if you were willing to accept the idea that skill with one weapon might inform skill with another. But no, you seem to have dug your heels in that someone skilled with one weapon has as much chance of learning a second as a person unskilled with any weapons.

Or any other rationalization you want to make. Ultimately though, I don’t think anything will counter your determination to not accept the new films, when really what’s happening is that your opinion of the Original Trilogy was formed by a younger, less critical and more open version of yourself, so its flaws don’t matter as much.

Your adult mind accepts your younger self’s appraisal of the earlier films, and actively works to support that opinion. The new films don’t have such a powerful hook, and so they don’t get a pass. They are subjected to the full criticism of your adult mind.

Under any serious critical evaluation, all of these films can be picked apart and torn down. But the original trilogy doesn’t often face that because at the time we first saw them, all we expected from them was fun.

 

[Water Bob]

Sure. So where's the sword trainer that trained Rey? Luke didn't do it.

It's simple. Rey went up a level. She picked up the Lightsaber Feat.