Re: Star Wars Episode VII
The Ep.VII helmet is another step in the series of trooper helmets, it makes sense, I like it, but it leaves me a bit confused as of yet.
See, the Phase 1 helmet was mean and sleek, straight lines and a stylized mohawk ridge with pointy rear tip. It was simple, a real "bucket". The Phase 2 was a nice cross between the first and the Ep.IV stormtrooper, there were a little more design features, rounder shapes and more details such as the mic tips and ribbed ear pieces. The Ep.IV stormtrooper helmet is edgier with more accentuated cheek tubes and, lacking the vertical visor part in the middle, frown and goggles. It has a distinctive and very mean look to it. I think there's a beautiful and logical evolution in the design of these helmets, even if it was created partially in reverse chronological order. In fact, the retroactive design makes it even more exciting.
Now, the EpVII helmet, as it is presented in this thread, takes a step in another direction. I would have expected it to look grittier, more driven by function than design, perhaps something in the line of this Alex Tavoularis' storyboard illustration (as enclosed), which is based on the MacQuarrie design. This would have been logical thinking about the previous helmets. Even the McQuarrie helmets have crispy details and clues to functionality driven design, for example the very techy looking steely neck joint visible in the production paintings is a wonderful and menacing detail. McQuarrie has been a strong influence in the design of Star Wars VII, as we know, I wonder why they did not apply it here. The new helmet looks as if it is not from a world of technocratic monoculture and a war machine that is the Empire, I don't see why they would bother designing anything for the looks, only efficiency. The new helmet looks as if it was desinged by Jony Ive and I struggle to see the world where this is coming from.
Perhaps there is more to this than we know at the moment.