1. To blow up the 120-km “Death Star” in Star Wars, the rebels needed detailed plans for the base and a full-scale invasion force — as well as the supernatural targeting skills of the most powerful Force-user in the galaxy. To destroy the exponentially larger and better-protected “Starkiller Base” in The Force Awakens, all that was needed was a janitor with no special skills, a few run-of-the-mill handheld explosives, a couple not very difficult X-wing blaster strikes, and some moxie. It also helped that the Millennium Falcon was able to “fly low.”
I’m really starting to take umbrage with the regular use of the word “janitor” in this article. Finn was not a janitor. Finn worked in Sanitation on Starkiller Base. Why you went right to him emptying trash cans is a little concerning, considering HuffPo’s traditional social commentary. Finn was a well trained Stormtrooper.
1. To blow up the 120-km “Death Star” in Star Wars, the rebels needed detailed plans for the base and a full-scale invasion force — as well as the supernatural targeting skills of the most powerful Force-user in the galaxy. To destroy the exponentially larger and better-protected “Starkiller Base” in The Force Awakens, all that was needed was…
…detailed plans for the base and a smaller invasion force–as well as the supernatural flying skills of the “best pilot in the fleet”, as they repeatedly reminded and demonstrated to us. As much as you guys are intent on calling this “A New Hope” re-visited, this isn’t the same kind of target. You can throw everything you have at a well-fortified large space station and maybe get lucky (or require The Force to be with you.) You can’t do that with a planet. Why would you need to? You can land on a planet. Infiltrate a planet. Set explosives on a planet. Giant guns tend to be very explode-y, especially in science fiction. You didn’t think blowing up the core of an entire world retrofitted to destroy solar systems wouldn’t be more explode-y? Why you think this is plot hole is beyond me, as it’s a logical consistency within at least three other Star Wars films. Destroy the core. The core blows up. That’s all that was done here.
You don’t get to pretend that Poe wasn’t the singular most awesome pilot the saga has ever seen. His piloting skills might as well have been supernatural, and maybe later on the trilogy we’ll find out they are Force-enhanced. It won’t matter, because he’s been established as someone who can handle a starfighter as well as a Jedi Master can wield a lightsaber.
I’m also not sure why you keep disparaging Rey and Finn as if they accomplished anything outside of their established characters. Rey was a smart, resourceful Force-sensitive, which alone would be enough to put you two tiers above your average Star Wars character. And Finn was, as I mentioned before, a Stormtrooper trained from childhood. Stop calling him a janitor. How were any of these characters, thrown in with Han, Chewie and Leia, not enough for you to take down a starbase is also beyond me.
It also helped that the Millennium Falcon was able to “fly low.”
Wa…? Well, yeah. What is this? Is this a thing? Why wouldn’t it be able to fly low? Every other flying vehicle in the world can fly low. Why is this even a criticism?
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