1/6 Hot Toys - Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Luke Skywalker-CRAIT (Force Projection) -

[xipotec]

Good points all. Though in my mind at least, the x-wing thing got solved with your idea. It was like a band-aid that stretches right over that aspect/part.

These are kind of fascinating discussions because it brings up questions of what defines Star Wars - like do you need a young Luke-type hero, and a dastardly black-clad villain with red saber, and a bearded old wise man, a superweapon, and a wider war with underdogs vs the massive army... in order for it to be SW (even beyond the expected basics of interplanetary locales, SW tech, etc. etc)? I guess you do. Maybe there's a fear if you don't you lose that essence - or audience expectation. And at what point does "homage" or "nods" turn into a rip-off - like the ROTJ throne room vs Snoke ship part you mention?

I really hope they do another Rogue One-type story, because that idea of grafting onto the OT (the BTTF2 idea of characters on an adventure in close proximity to story we know well) seems to have worked out the very best out of EVERYTHING post-OT. RO "felt" more like a SW movie than the ST and the PT combined, but the failure of Solo has likely sunk the prospect of a "adventure set in the week before ESB" type movie, and it also creates the "lack of recognizable/repeatable main characters" issue.



It's amazing how much HT messed up the TFA Luke boots - I think all of them are supposed to be some variation on his ANH boots, yet the ones they did for the TFA fig looked awful.



Cmon - not really fair. Hamill isn't Ford. He doesn't have a fleet of planes and a likely half a billion in the bank. Hamill needs acting work, or... work... and Luke is his only shot at a major payday. If he was close to Ford, in terms of wealth and/or career, I'd buy your argument. But it's just lame to suggest a guy who doesn't have a career and presumably has a bank balance that reflects that would just give the middle finger to Disney and walk away.

RJ had a pretty wide range of options to operate under for TLJ and he created what he did. To say that one of the actors who was brought into bring it to life should share the blame is kinda out there in terms of logic. Hamill may be an asset to the SW brand, but he's not someone whose word Disney would listen to.

This is complete nonsense.

What the??? What? I have no fathomable idea what logic you're applying to your argument?

You profess to know Hamill personally, which leads me to believe you work in the industry in some way? If you do, you must be working in a different industry than me, because nothing you've stated makes any sense whatsoever. Hamill is no Ford, regardless of how much money he makes "off these films." Ford is one of the biggest super-stars that has ever lived - AND - he wouldn't have done it (TFA) if they hadn't have let him (Solo) die. Hamill disagreed with RJ's depiction of Luke, stated it, but moved forward as a professional, trusting the director to make it work. Unless the actors are rookies, desperate for a "break," they will always question the director to ensure they are in good hands, and have their full trust in their abilities and vision. And sometimes they don't get the vision, but trust the director to pull it off. Sometimes that pays off, and sometimes it doesn't - particularly if you are trying something different (which is exactly what RJ did).

Also, the whole system works on a tier basis. There's basically an unwritten equation that is used based on what they think the actor, directed, etc is worth (dollar value return). And I can tell you, Hamill isn't worth squat to a distributor (as anything other than Skywalker). Ford, however... and even then, his value isn't what it once was.

Furthermore, no one needs to "attack" everyone else involved in the film - as you said, they are just doing a job. RJ wrote and directed it. The buck stops with him, and the producers. Poor Kelly Marie Tran isn't a bad actor, she just had a poorly written character (as did everyone else in the film). Domhnall Gleeson is a masterful actor, but a complete embarrassment in TLJ - but that's not his fault, clearly it was the script, and the way he was directed.

As RJ stated in his own defense, it's his story, his film. So he needs to grow up and wear the criticism, because if you want to play in this arena, this is what happens. Not everyone will not like a film; look at Avatar, the highest grossing film worldwide (nearly 3 billion) and there's many people that don't like it.

I do not know him personally, but I have met him.

Hamill is not an innocent here...no mater what the fans think. He got paid for TLJ, and had a hand in creating it good or bad. He got paid for that part...and (IMO) did a great job. But no film is a one person show. Granted the writer and director are the main showmen, but the actors do have power, especially Hamill. If anyone could have used his influence and power to change things , Hamill would have been it. Disney would not have gone forward with these films without him. The COULD have done it without Ford or even Fischer, but not Hamill.

This puts him in a unique position to have influenced the film in any way he would have wanted, but he accepted the script, and did a fine job acting what it said.

If he HAD real concerns about what was being done, he could have easily flexed his muscles and had influence. He did not.

Again, my main point is Hamill is not the victim here, as people profess....he is part of the film, and therefore should be a focus of all the nerd rage also. The fact is , even if he had written TLJ, the fans would never crucify him at they have with RJ. Its all part of the "Hero Worship" he gets as an actor. I am just as guilty as most. But Hamill could have used his influence to change things, probably more that Ford did....

But the payday was too good for him, and he didn't want to blow it. And again, I do not blame him.

Perhaps this conversation should move to the IX thread? Its clogging up this one....

 

[TaliBane]

Hamill is not poor. He makes tons of money off these films...he told me himself...

I do not agree, as an actor you can take a role or not. Many female actors will not do nude scenes and have that written in their contracts. Hamill , had a choice to leave the role when he read the script, but he stuck with it (as would I ). Its a payday for him and his family and he is an actor and not what some people think (that he's their childhood hero).

Let me be clear, I , personally don't hold anyone responsible (mainly because I like the film) But if people are going to rip apart the director, then they should hold the actors that brought the story alive in some way.

Unfortunately, what we have here is a whole lot of hero worship...and people who will attack the director , while leaving the principal players as "Innocent little lambs" taken advantage of by the mean old "Disney Corporation". Especially with Ford, he must have made it part of his contract to have Han die...forcing ANY director to write that in.....yet Ford gets a pass for that. The amount of monies paid make no difference in the actors chice to take part in the story. Any of they could have walked if it offended them. In reality, money is what they wanted....and screw the story.....that the "hero's" people need to wake up to...




What a stunning , logical response...

This is not plugged into the reality of the way the entertainment industry works.

And "Hamill is not poor"? The point is, he's a guy who hasn't (and for decades) worked much as an actor, even in smaller roles. He's neither a power player nor someone who's pulled in multi-million paydays for years. And his deals would date back to the 1970's and 80's. Luke is his one and ONLY chance for a star turn in a major film, and a major-star payday (as in multiple millions.)

And I don't think anyone has any real issue with the way Han was portrayed in TFA, or the fact that he died (and 99% of fans know/knew that HF wanted Han to die in ROTJ.) I was actually amazed they even got him for the movie, but hey - $34 million and I would have done it too. Well, maybe.

The way Luke was portrayed seems to have been highly devisive/polarizing from the get-go.

The amount of monies paid make no difference in the actors choice to take part in the story.

You will go far as a talent agent.

The face sculpt actually looks pretty good IMO minus the beard being kinda narrow on the sides. It's mostly the hair that distracts me. I guess if you have him in an action pose it's alright, but even when he's moving around in the movie it's not slicked back like that. Would be curious to see someone attempt a photoshop of the sculpt with better hair.

It looks much better tilted down, even the hair to some degree.

 

[ajp4mgs]

It's that the puttees ("socks" part) are about 10% undersized and the boots are about 10% oversized (and additionally, the HT sole also being proportionately about 10% too tall, giving it a tad more "70s platform shoes" look than the costume has,) combined with a very odd overall shortened body proportion of the HT figure that makes it look like an adult with an obese child's body wearing XXL size boots but with child's socks.

1/6 is weird - where it only takes 10% here or there on both sides to throw things out, even if at a glance it all seems roughly correct.

I believe what the core problem was is that there are very few ref pics of Luke in his TFA outfit that show the boots, and the common one you have used there is actually somewhat distorted (partly due to his foot being so far forward and partly due to lens/low angle.) In the wider, more neutral studio shot (taken with a longer lens, so less distortion) - the only other pic I've seen that shows the whole outfit and boots - shows the boots as more in proportion to the body than the common pic.

Thank you for clarifying. I've learned that I have to accept proportion problems in a lot of cases with HT figures because it's been such a persistent issue time after time. The TFA Luke is so flawed in a multitude of ways when it comes to proportions that the boots don't even bother me (though it'll be hard to maintain that after you constructed imagery of a fat man-child with giant boots and short socks ).

I'll get the whole figure looking more like Luke in lots of ways, and now might just go with fabric leg wraps (the "puttees" as you put it) instead of the plastic HT ones. Thanks again for providing your insight on the boots.

 

[SilverStar17]

I hate many things about the HT TFA Luke, but the boots hadn't been one of those things. There's a ton of work I have to do to this figure, and I was hoping boots would at least be the one thing I wouldn't have to modify. What is it about them that you think make them look awful? Your word is pretty much gold with me, so I'm really curious what it is about these boots that needs to improve.

View attachment 430299

That’s a really cool pose you have him in. Looks spot on to the reference photo.

I like TFA Luke’s Jedi Master outfit, but I just can’t pose the figure in any other pose than with the hood of his poncho up. The hair on the sculpt is just too hideous to me. However, that’s fine with me because I have TLJ Luke on PO and the sculpt on that looks a lot better, so that’s the one I’ll have with the sculpt showing and TFA Luke will keep his hood on.

 

[TurdFurgusonsHat]

I do not know him personally, but I have met him.

Hamill is not an innocent here...no mater what the fans think. He got paid for TLJ, and had a hand in creating it good or bad. He got paid for that part...and (IMO) did a great job. But no film is a one person show. Granted the writer and director are the main showmen, but the actors do have power, especially Hamill. If anyone could have used his influence and power to change things , Hamill would have been it. Disney would not have gone forward with these films without him. The COULD have done it without Ford or even Fischer, but not Hamill.

This puts him in a unique position to have influenced the film in any way he would have wanted, but he accepted the script, and did a fine job acting what it said.

If he HAD real concerns about what was being done, he could have easily flexed his muscles and had influence. He did not.

Again, my main point is Hamill is not the victim here, as people profess....he is part of the film, and therefore should be a focus of all the nerd rage also. The fact is , even if he had written TLJ, the fans would never crucify him at they have with RJ. Its all part of the "Hero Worship" he gets as an actor. I am just as guilty as most. But Hamill could have used his influence to change things, probably more that Ford did....

But the payday was too good for him, and he didn't want to blow it. And again, I do not blame him.

Perhaps this conversation should move to the IX thread? Its clogging up this one....

More nonsense.

Hamill doesn't really seem to be a buck the system type of guy. Also how many people has Johnson's enabler had fired to forward her agenda again? I have lost count.

 

[Cicada17]

https://i.gifer.com/zJ9.gif

 

[Luke_911]

Oh god... Why is it that for any TLJ figure thread, no matter how hard collectors want to talk about the figure itself, it will end up being about the movie or RJ or the actors...

 

[rayeknor]

Because unlike say Infinity war, TLJ was a movie that took a for many beloved franchise down the drain rather then shooting upwards when trying to be bold and unexpected.

Best Luke so far imo, I wish there was a 2nd sculpt for the RotJ figure

 

[vito81]

Hot Toys - Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Luke Skywalker-CRAIT (Force Projection)

I need to refresh my english... Now, that title means "throw your s*** about TLJ here, please".

 

[devilof76]

Oh god... Why is it that for any TLJ figure thread, no matter how hard collectors want to talk about the figure itself, it will end up being about the movie or RJ or the actors...

Because people are allergic to stfu-ing.

 

[TaliBane]

...and a compulsion for non sequitur rants.

Technically, some might view TLJ itself as a non sequitur rant.

 

[Khev]

Interesting stuff. These are matters that GL, Disney and all the ST filmmakers have struggled with, and presumably continue to struggle with.

At the end of the day I wonder how many people agree with me on that though. Lucas himself said a few years ago that he considers the OT aesthetic to be too "retro" and not something that he would have adhered to were he still in charge. Solo's box office also suggest that many movie goers might be ambivalent toward it as well.

 

[rayeknor]

The prequels are not that different in design to the originals. Mainly it is where they take place ie. people in the upper Coruscant social standings over some backwater Tatooine, and special effects from 2000 rather then early 80s. Design wise I think the two trilogies blend very well.

Still prefer the OT, prequels skitter close to the shiny scifi trap but never quite tumble in.

 

[Hoody999]

Because unlike say Infinity war, TLJ was a movie that took a for many beloved franchise down the drain rather then shooting upwards when trying to be bold and unexpected.

Yep totally agree.

If anything, all this debate and divide shows just how much Star Wars fans care. For many it stems from sheer disappointment.

The thought that there was no through plan for the biggest Pop-culture franchise in the world is unthinkable for a 3 movie trilogy. And this shows in the disconnects between 7 & 8.

So I guess, get used to it. It's not Sharknado 6 where people can say well that was no good and go on about their day.

 

[D.R.37]

There are 6 Sharknadoes?!

 

[TaliBane]

At the end of the day I wonder how many people agree with me on that though. Lucas himself said a few years ago that he considers the OT aesthetic to be too "retro" and not something that he would have adhered to were he still in charge. Solo's box office also suggest that many movie goers might be ambivalent toward it as well.

My feeling is Solo only really failed because of the recasting and lack of larger/urgent story stakes. It was just too tricky casting-wise - it technically should have been a new rising star, not a nobody, but it would have been tricky no matter what because of Ford's shoes. And the movie just didn't have any sense of Han being up against anything larger, kind of more like getting scr*wed over by a somewhat meh crime boss.

For me, the other "SW" issues with Solo were it was dark (lighting wise) most of the time, so literally hard to see, and also it lacked enough cool creatures and worlds. The caterpillar in the water was no Jabba, and the "ragged beach world," "Hoth with train track" and mining planet were missed opportunities for cool new worlds.

That being said, I enjoyed it (second fave new movie behind RO), and it did feel SW, just not SW "enough."

 

[Hoody999]

There are 6 Sharknadoes?!

Haha. Yep !

That being said, I enjoyed it (second fave new movie behind RO), and it did feel SW, just not SW "enough."

I enjoyed Solo too. Also second fav behind Rogue One.

 

[jedibear]

Back to the figure...

Almost forgot what thread this was.....

 

[darth toffeeman]

Yep totally agree.

If anything, all this debate and divide shows just how much Star Wars fans care. For many it stems from sheer disappointment.

The thought that there was no through plan for the biggest Pop-culture franchise in the world is unthinkable for a 3 movie trilogy. And this shows in the disconnects between 7 & 8.

So I guess, get used to it. It's not Sharknado 6 where people can say well that was no good and go on about their day.

Agree fully.

I finally got my HT Luke Jedi today. Wonderful figure of a timeless character.

Cements my feelings that I do not need this version. His cannon story ended on Endor.

I am saving for more OT goodness (and hopefully a few RO figures should Hot Toys realise there is a demand for them!).

 

[Saintv1]

The worst thing about this sequel was the way it changed everything established in the first film. Suddenly Luke is Vader's son even though Obi-Wan said Vader killed his father? Suddenly there's this new bad guy and Vader is just his lapdog? Suddenly Jedi can see the future? That's not how the force works! They completely threw everything from the first film away! And then there's this terrible ending where Luke just runs away!

Wait, I think I got confused about what movie we're talking about...