Star Wars the Force Awakens : TR-8R VS Captain Phasma

A Critical look at the under-usage of Captain Phasma and the surprise fan favorite TR-8R.

Transcript:
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Hey guys, Scott Ashley here for Critical Mas and today i'm here to talk to you about the character of Captain Phasma played respectively by Gwendoline Christie.
Like many of you, I had my butt in a theatre seat at an early Dec 17th showing of Star Wars Episode 7, the Force Awakens. Watching the film, we were introduced to several new characters.

such characters as General Hux, Kylo Ren (my personal new favorite), Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron, Lord Snoke as well as Captain Phasma.

Now even if you hadn't been keeping up with the marketing on a voluntary basis, it was borderline impossible to escape the non stop imagery of Captain Phasma and her BAD ASS Chrome Stormtrooper Armor.

During the promotion of the movie, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy and JJ Abrams promised us a character who would be unquestionably bad ass. Who would make the audience be on the edge of our seats whenever she popped up on screen. Considering Gwendoline Christie's imposing stature, standing at over 6feet 2inches tall, it's not difficult to imagine that she would have a commanding presence on screen.

However, come the release of Episode 7, it seemed like we had all been duped. Phasma had only a small handful of scenes. These scenes literally included her walking around doing nothing and finally being easily subdued by Finn, Solo and Chewie and being strongarmed into lowering Starkiller bases defensive shields which led to it's ultimate destruction.
To make matters worse, this "BAD ASS" character was then tossed into the trash compactor.

Is this what JJ and Kathleen Kennedy consider to be an imposing villain? Until she had been taken down by Finn and Solo, I had almost forgotten that she was in the movie as it had been almost a full hour since she had been on screen.

Now its clear that Kathleen Kennedy included Phasma into Episode 7 to be the new "BOBA FETT" of this trilogy. A character who looks cool, is mysterious and bad ass that ultimately everyone loves. It's no secret that JJ Abrams liked the design of the armour but ultimately rejected it as it had originally been a potential design for Kylo Ren. However, Kathleen Kennedy forced JJ Abrams to include the character of Phasma into the movie and they chose that armor.

here is the problem with trying to make a NEW Boba Fett. You can't MAKE a new Boba Fett, awesome characters happen organically. You can't tell someone to wear something cool and mutter a few lines and hope that everyone will cling to that character. It just doesn't work that way. Even when George Lucas created the character of Boba Fett, he wasn't created to have this sort of legendary following that he has to this day.

Now let's talk about a character who definitely fits the mold of a Bad Ass.

TR-8R whose real designation is FN-2199. Now TR-8R was part of Finns unit and they both were reunited in the battle outside of Maz Kanatas castle. Who can forget this Scene? Where after 7 movies, we finally see a Stormtrooper go head to head with one of our heroes and ultimately beat him only to be killed in the nick of time by Han Solo.

If ANYTHING, if JJ Abrams wanted to legitimize Captain Phasmas bad assery, It should have been her fighting Finn. They literally didn't have to change ANYTHING IN THIS SCENE, she could have been shot in the chest and they could have thrown us a line of dialogue later on saying she survived because of her AWESOME CHROME ARMOR DISPERSED The Energy when it hit her.

Now, we are stuck with most of us wishing that Phasmas was dead and that TR-8R survived and that his animosity towards Finn would grow across the rest of this trilogy.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times about the women of Star Wars, Kathleen Kennedy confirmed that Phasma survived the trash compactor and that she will not follow the Boba Fett/Darth Maul route, and be that cool character who then gets killed off unceremoniously. Kennedy has re-iterated that “She’s an important character, a baddie in the best sense of the word.”

Well Kathleen, I hope you guys are taking more time to flesh out this character for Episode 8, because right now Phasmas bad ass credibility is currently sitting at a big fat 0. However, I will admit the armor IS bad ass and that the character DOES have potential, I guess we'll just have to wait and see with what they come up with next for Captain Phasma.

Let us know in the comments below who you would rather see in Episode 8, Phasma or TR-8R and whether you agree with us here at Critical Mas. And remember, this is just one guys opinion.
and don't forget to like and subscribe for your chance to win awesome Star Wars Prizes in the near future.
This is Scott Ashley signing off.

[IsaacCollector]

TR-8Rs death is probably the most tragic, because he seemed to be the shining hope. the small shooting star, that would show how badass Stormtroopers really are
but its all wasted now..

[carpenterjustice]

How can TR-8R die! he's too much of a badass

[JarJarAbrams]

Captain Phasma design was meant to be a man for the main villain, that's why the armor doesn't have boobs. Gwendoline Christie begged for 6 months to be in the movie, they gave her the role probably without knowing where to put her, that's why the characters is botched doesn't make sense.

[thejoedeadpool]

I want a sequel *JUST* about TR-8R, and he will be the main character, kicking the *TRAITOR* asses

[jacobhuff]

I wanna see tr-8r come back fight again.

[manofgod]

tr-8r i mean he is like the one stormtrooper that can accually fight!

[toxingamer]

TR-8R didnt die hes a bad ass let's hope well see him in the next trilogy he might be the next Captain and still live let's hope he survived

[Ice-wuqq]

Im not going to watch this to end

TR-8R Wins.

[Негр-фл]

А че так мало подписчиков? Крутое видео!

[scratchyass]

I'd rather see TR-8R live on as a meme, since the movies would probably ruin him.

[nofreezepeach]

I have a really weird and dumb theory.... TR-8R is the last jedi....

[SOULFORESAKER]

Interesting series here. Can't wait for DC news.

[Tubeman]

lmao! It took an hour & a half for Phasma to show up in the Last Jedi -_- Showed off her armor for a minute, fought Finn for about 30 seconds, then fell down a hole...again. She better damn not be dead, for me their not allowed to kill her off until they make her the badass they promised.

[roronoazoro]

You didn’t really talk about them fighting

[rayquaza_is_da_boi]

Captain Phasma will win in the last Jedi we saw how powerful her armor was

[TrafficWolf]

If you watched Star Wars the clone wars you would know that darth mall lived and boba fett lived and escaped the sarlac pit

[ichanaka]

I think an old armed storm trooper should be in this movie

[timewarpdrive]

Phasma just seems like a gimmick and an afterthought! Unlike boba who before he was even in TESB, was working for Vader in the holiday special. Phasma dies, gets brought back to life for all the TLJ trailers and then dies again. PS She was defeated by a janitor twice, although she isn't as pathetic as kylo, who got "bestested by a girl how had never held a lightsaber"-Snoke and don't give me the "he got shot by chewie" crap, dark side users feed of anger, rage, etc.

[devranhasan]

actually boba fett survived and ecsaped the sarlac pitt

[thefinalform]

They should of chose a male a actor to play captain phasma. because she is one of the biggest disappointments in the force awakens.