quote:
Vader didn't become a great character until Empire.
Hell, we didn't even see Palpatine until ESB, and not even in person until RotJ.
Here's some things that should have pissed you off about "A New Hope," if you're really upset about TFA:
- In a new hope, we were never introduced to how the Empire/Emporer got it's power. All we're told is that the galaxy is in a state of civil war. We also know nothing about Storm Troopers or who the hell they are. (Insert being mad about who the First Order is)
- We don't have a clue how or why Kenobi can speak to Luke after death, but he can, and it's literally the only thing that guides Luke's ability to use the force, which he uses to aim and guide a set of proton torpedoes down a 2m shaft - something that all of the seasoned pilots believed to be impossible. (Insert - Rey's feelings leading her to the lightsaber, Rey using the force without much training)
- Leia is being chased by the empire because they apparently know that the Death Star plans were transported to her ship and they don't want her to get the plans back to the rebels. THE PLANS WERE TRANSMITTED TO HER, YET THE EMPIRE ENDS UP CHASING AROUND A HARD COPY. I mean holy crap, if they were transmitted to her then there's no way that the copy on R2 is the only copy of the plans in rebel hands. Are you telling me that they couldn't send it to multiple people to hand deliver to the rebel base, or transmit it to 50 different moons/planets to obscure the location of the rebel base? I mean hell, were they worried the empire would intercept a copy of the plans that it already has? (By comparison, TFA's use of the "plans in the droid" plot actually makes sense, as the empire is chasing after something THEY NEVER HAD)
- The Storm Troopers on Tatooine figure out there were droids in the pod because of a tiny metal ring on the ground. A tiny piece of metal, sitting in the middle of the desert, close to where a big ass space pod just crashed into the surface.... (And you think Han/Chewy being right there to greet Rey/Finn was a stretch?)
- Also, why did the Storm Troopers kill Luke's Aunt/Uncle? Why were none of them waiting for Luke to get home? "Well, guess we've gotta call of this search, boys. We were this close to finding those damned droids, but let's pack it in and setup checkpoints around a big ass spaceport filled with criminals/thugs/liars/vagabonds. We'll get these guys soon!"
- Vader can read thoughts, yet some torture/drug robot is required for Leia to give up any information about the rebel base - presumably because she is a force user. Of course he reads Luke's thoughts in later movies, but since we're sticking to ANH, I'll just point this out for it's clear analog to Kylo Ren having trouble with Rey.
- Ending: It's mentioned early in the movie that holding Leia prisoner was a bad move, as it would create sympathy for the rebellion. Meanwhile, the Empire uses it's ultimate weapon to commit genocide in an effort to send a message to deter the rest of the galaxy from joining the rebellion. One walks out of the movie thinking "damn, the Empire is screwed," and rightfully so. They presumably enraged an entire galaxy, lost their deterrent, and lost God only knows how many resources when the Death Star blew. Yet they return as strong and influential as ever in ESB, and find a way to start construction on a 2nd Death Star before RotJ. (So, yeah. Within the context of the Star Wars Universe, I can buy that the First Order could gain strength in the outer rim with little interference from the New Republic)