Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Pre-release)

[jme3]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

I don't think the midichlorians changed anything. They are just like antennae for the Force. The more you have the more power you have. I still think they should have let it be, but they would have had to have some way to test someone on their ability. It also makes more sense in how exactly the Empire hunted down the Jedi. Surely you don't think Vader just wandered around the galaxy hoping to sense another Jedi? Maybe they just waited for one to whip out his lightsaber or something.

^This.

There's plenty to dislike about the prequels but I never really thought the midichlorian thing mattered much, if at all. The force is still the force, the midichlorian factor only served to describe how some beings were more capable with it and in tune to it than others. There had to be some thing or other that gave the Jedi a natural advantage as opposed to their simply trying harder...

 

[Jeyl]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

Than why can't we inject people with more midi-chlorians?

 

[Vivek]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

Drew Struzan approached by Disney to illustrate new posters for the upcoming Star Wars Trilogy - Ain't It Cool News

I am glad he hasn't totally retired from doing movies posters. Besides doing posters for some classic movies for Mondo, I didn't think he would ever return to do posters for modern films. But that is probably more to do with the fact that no studios go for painted posters these days.

 

[jme3]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

Than why can't we inject people with more midi-chlorians?

I don't know; I suppose perhaps there'd be the factor of rejection, sort of like transplanted organs...

 

[jme3]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

Drew Struzan approached by Disney to illustrate new posters for the upcoming Star Wars Trilogy - Ain't It Cool News

I am glad he hasn't totally retired from doing movies posters. Besides doing posters for some classic movies for Mondo, I didn't think he would ever return to do posters for modern films. But that is probably more to do with the fact that no studios go for painted posters these days.

Good choice. I've always liked his work.

 

[Solo4114]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

^This.

There's plenty to dislike about the prequels but I never really thought the midichlorian thing mattered much, if at all. The force is still the force, the midichlorian factor only served to describe how some beings were more capable with it and in tune to it than others. There had to be some thing or other that gave the Jedi a natural advantage as opposed to their simply trying harder...

Yeah, but at the same time, it put a scientific spin on what was essentially a mystical concept. It muddied the waters, and it was largely unnecessary.

Think of it this way. In the OT, it's established that Jedi can sense each others' presence through the Force. Even to the point where they can guess at who it is. Vader does this on the Death Star when he senses Obi-Wan Kenobi.

So, if the reason for including it was to provide a mechanism by which Qui-Gon could discover Anakin's potential as a Force user...it's totally extraneous. He could've just said "I've never felt such raw power in a Jedi candidate" or whatever. No need for anything further, no need to leave people saying "LOLWUT" or anything of the sort. It accomplishes the same narrative task without simultaneously messing with the audience by introducing pseudo-science into mystical concepts.


Of course, you could've just skipped Episode 1 ENTIRELY and significantly helped the PT. The whole film is totally pointless and could be summed up in dialogue in about 10-20 minutes spread out over the trilogy. Example: Why does Han want to leave the Hoth base? Because the bounty hunter he ran into on Ord Mantell made him think he needed to finally pay off Jabba. Did we need a film devoted to that? NO. We didn't even need 10-20 minutes of film devoted to the encounter. It's referenced, we get it, we move on. Same thing could've been done while Anakin and Obi-Wan ride the elevator and Anakin talks about digging Padme.

"You know it's forbidden."

"Yes, but I've always felt a connection with her. I can't explain it. Ever since I met her ten years ago..."

"You mean when I first discovered you and brought you on as my Padawan? Even if it weren't forbidden, a relationship evolving from a trade dispute is hardly what I'd consider romantic."

"You're just jealous of my medal."

"The one for taking out the droid control ship? I am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"*blooplebleep?*"

"No, not you."

 

[Jeyl]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

I don't know; I suppose perhaps there'd be the factor of rejection, sort of like transplanted organs...

Except organs aren't life forms.

 

[jme3]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

I don't see it as having muddied the waters; just an attempt, perhaps not the most ideal one, to give insight into why the Jedi wield the force-powers that they do, and why some do so more than others.

Yeah, but at the same time, it put a scientific spin on what was essentially a mystical concept. It muddied the waters, and it was largely unnecessary.

Think of it this way. In the OT, it's established that Jedi can sense each others' presence through the Force. Even to the point where they can guess at who it is. Vader does this on the Death Star when he senses Obi-Wan Kenobi.

So, if the reason for including it was to provide a mechanism by which Qui-Gon could discover Anakin's potential as a Force user...it's totally extraneous. He could've just said "I've never felt such raw power in a Jedi candidate" or whatever. No need for anything further, no need to leave people saying "LOLWUT" or anything of the sort. It accomplishes the same narrative task without simultaneously messing with the audience by introducing pseudo-science into mystical concepts.


Of course, you could've just skipped Episode 1 ENTIRELY and significantly helped the PT. The whole film is totally pointless and could be summed up in dialogue in about 10-20 minutes spread out over the trilogy. Example: Why does Han want to leave the Hoth base? Because the bounty hunter he ran into on Ord Mantell made him think he needed to finally pay off Jabba. Did we need a film devoted to that? NO. We didn't even need 10-20 minutes of film devoted to the encounter. It's referenced, we get it, we move on. Same thing could've been done while Anakin and Obi-Wan ride the elevator and Anakin talks about digging Padme.

"You know it's forbidden."

"Yes, but I've always felt a connection with her. I can't explain it. Ever since I met her ten years ago..."

"You mean when I first discovered you and brought you on as my Padawan? Even if it weren't forbidden, a relationship evolving from a trade dispute is hardly what I'd consider romantic."

"You're just jealous of my medal."

"The one for taking out the droid control ship? I am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"*blooplebleep?*"

"No, not you."

 

[jme3]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

Except organs aren't life forms.

I guess we'll have to ask GL about all this since none of us can but conjecture the why/why not of it all, but I would guess that these "life forms" would still be of the specific biological makeup of the individual they inhabit. They would be an in-born part of the genetic makeup of the individual as opposed to some thing that invaded the body later on...

 

[Reelo]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

I always thought of the midichlorians as something like mitochondrian DNA. Even the name sounds alike... Of course I'd still have prefered they were never mentioned...

Edit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endosymbiotic_theory
Galaxy Note / CM10.1

 

[jme3]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

I always thought of the midichlorians as something like mitochondrian DNA. Even the name sounds alike...

Galaxy Note / CM10.1

That was always my take on it as well.

 

[rodneyfaile]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

Why didn't they pick someone with a high midichlorian count to create the clone army from instead of Jango?

 

[rodneyfaile]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

You mean cloning technology exists in the Star Wars universe, but not midichlorian altering technology? There has to be a company out there somewhere trying to make money offering to increase your force potential.

I always thought midichlorians were invented because Lucas couldn't write anything better to describe Anakin being stronger with the force than Yoda.

 

[jme3]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

You mean cloning technology exists in the Star Wars universe, but not midichlorian altering technology? There has to be a company out there somewhere trying to make money offering to increase your force potential.

I always thought midichlorians were invented because Lucas couldn't write anything better to describe Anakin being stronger with the force than Yoda.

And why make Vader a cyborg when he could've just grown new limbs...?

'Cause that's the way Lucas wanted it.

 

[Solo4114]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

I don't see it as having muddied the waters; just an attempt, perhaps not the most ideal one, to give insight into why the Jedi wield the force-powers that they do, and why some do so more than others.

Maybe "muddied the waters" isn't the right way, but I think it was a sort of jarring, unnecessary additional layer of info. You have to question why it was there. Was it just to explain stuff? Was it to accomplish something in the plot?

If it was just to explain "Why is this guy stronger in the Force than that guy?" it answers the question, but...it wasn't really a question people were seriously answering. Were people really sitting around agonizing for years over why Yoda was so strong in the force but Luke wasn't? I don't think so. And it also raises additional unnecessary questions that never would've been asked if they'd just kept it mystical. So, if it's based on a certain content of organisms in your blood stream...why do you need to train to feel it? How's that all work? Can you inject someone with extra midichlorians? Can you clone them? Where'd they come from?

As a pure "Well, we wanted to answer a question" bit of info, it causes more problems than it solves, and it isn't exactly solving a burning question in the first place. I suppose that's what I mean by "muddies the waters." It's a clear answer to a question nobody asked which raises additional questions that then go unanswered.


If it was just to help move the plot along so that Qui Gon could point out how strong the boy is in the Force, why not just stick with the mystical stuff and report "He's really strong. I sensed it. We need to train him." Why bother with the "look at his power levels! It's OVER 9000!!!!!" when all it does is raise further questions, if all you're doing is trying to say "Ok, so that's how and why Qui-Gon takes him back to the Jedi academy." It's totally unnecessary.

 

[jme3]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

...it wasn't really a question people were seriously answering.

I can't speak for others but it never crossed my mind.

 

[jme3]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

why not just stick with the mystical stuff

And, a thing is only "mystical" when science fails to explain it...:lol

 

[Bigdaddy]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

And, a thing is only "mystical" when science fails to explain it...:lol

Like the force :lol

This is a cool book that uses real science to explore the SW universe

 

[seelsa73]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

And it also raises additional unnecessary questions that never would've been asked if they'd just kept it mystical. So, if it's based on a certain content of organisms in your blood stream...[*1] why do you need to train to feel it? How's that all work? [*2] Can you inject someone with extra midichlorians? [*3]Can you clone them? [*4] Where'd they come from?

All these questions and others, I'm sure, can be answered through common sense according to the SW universe.

****
1. I assume you are referring to Jedi and not regular folk, since regular folk don't feel them at all. Force-sensitives don't need to train to feel them, they can feel them whether they are aware of it or not. They just need to be trained to "hear" them and to use the Force through them.

2 & 3. Probably possible if you can isolate them from an entire cell and duplicate them (or clone them) but it doesn't even occur to the jedi because they don't generally quest for more, otherwise they would be dark Jedi or sith. And in one of the EU books set a few months to a year after ROTS, there is one substance out there that can increase a Force-users power. Doesn't really say whether or not midi-chlorians are involved though.

4. They are a natural organism similar to mitochondria in this galaxy's life-forms. Qui-Gon comes right out and says that.

Was the introduction of midi-chlorians in Star Wars necessary? Absolutely not. But they certainly were not intended to, nor did they, diminish the mystical aspect of the Force as many claim they do.

 

[Riceball]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

Maybe "muddied the waters" isn't the right way, but I think it was a sort of jarring, unnecessary additional layer of info. You have to question why it was there. Was it just to explain stuff? Was it to accomplish something in the plot?

If it was just to explain "Why is this guy stronger in the Force than that guy?" it answers the question, but...it wasn't really a question people were seriously answering. Were people really sitting around agonizing for years over why Yoda was so strong in the force but Luke wasn't? I don't think so. And it also raises additional unnecessary questions that never would've been asked if they'd just kept it mystical. So, if it's based on a certain content of organisms in your blood stream...why do you need to train to feel it? How's that all work? Can you inject someone with extra midichlorians? Can you clone them? Where'd they come from?

As a pure "Well, we wanted to answer a question" bit of info, it causes more problems than it solves, and it isn't exactly solving a burning question in the first place. I suppose that's what I mean by "muddies the waters." It's a clear answer to a question nobody asked which raises additional questions that then go unanswered.


If it was just to help move the plot along so that Qui Gon could point out how strong the boy is in the Force, why not just stick with the mystical stuff and report "He's really strong. I sensed it. We need to train him." Why bother with the "look at his power levels! It's OVER 9000!!!!!" when all it does is raise further questions, if all you're doing is trying to say "Ok, so that's how and why Qui-Gon takes him back to the Jedi academy." It's totally unnecessary.

I agree, I never once had any question on what the source of a Force user's power was or why Yoda was more powerful in the ways of the Force than Luke was. It would have been one thing if it had been introduced to use with a bit of scientific background but since it was introduced to us as sort of a mystical power adding a scientific explanation behind it was really unnecessary and sort of ruined things. If Lucas really wanted a quantifiable way of defining someone's sensitivity towards or power with the Force I'm sure that if he thought about it long and hard enough he could have come up with some sort of simple field test involving the candidate/student doing something simple with the Force or comparing him (in terms how much power is sensed) to a known Jedi or something along those lines.