Fanboys Anonymous

Welcome to the first edition of Fanboys Fix It, where instead of just complaining about what we don't like about something, we try to figure out how we can make it better. Considering that Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens will be released in a few days and one of the hottest issues about it is whether it will live up to the hype or fall short compared to what happened with the prequel films, what better topic is there to kickstart this segment than How to Fix the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy?

Granted, there are a lot of things that these three movies got right. I think a lot of people are harder on them than they need to be and aren't willing to give credit to the positives because they just focus on the negatives. We have some awesome action sequences, much of the lore is established here that's taken for granted (like Coruscant, the Jedi Council, the connection between Stormtroopers and Boba Fett, etc.) and there are glimpses of genius along the way.

Sadly, there are also plenty of reasons to hate these movies, which is why it lends itself to such a good topic to discuss. After rewatching all of the films for our recent Movie Club, I couldn't help but ponder how things could have been much better. Therefore, I present to you my list of what those problems are and how I think they could have gone about things in a different, better way.

Core Problem #1: Anakin's Age

In The Phantom Menace, Anakin should have been a teenager and not a child.

Padme being a young queen is okay, as that has happened in ancient cultures before, but the age difference between Padme and Anakin is creepy. If they're closer to age, it makes more sense for them to be romantically linked.

Attack of the Clones gets to show off Anakin's rebellious side like a typical teenager, and it's more interesting than the do-good kid.

At this time in his life, Anakin is interested more in girls and what he's going to do with his future career aspirations. That's why he's interested in helping out our heroes when they're stranded (because he's interested in Padme) and then jumps at the chance of becoming a Jedi because it's a purpose for his life.

An important part of a teenager's experience is learning how to drive and getting his/her first car. This is your pod race connection. He's an adventure seeker and reckless because he thinks he's invincible, like all teenagers do. Since he's bursting with testosterone and wanting to show off for Padme, as well as dealing with the typical rage of a teen, it's more believable that he would have the itch to fight and join the space battle on his own accord rather than accidentally falling ass-backward into the sequence.

We have children in the Jedi Order training in Episode II, yet at age 9, Anakin is supposed to be "too old" to begin training. The last time we had heard this was when Yoda said Luke was too old, and he was around 20-something. Luke's case makes sense more than a 9-year-old, so if Anakin was about 15, then I would buy into him being too old at this point, too. Plus, if Luke is able to learn so much in the short amount of time that he's training with Obi-Wan and Yoda, then it shouldn't make sense for Anakin to be training for 10 years and still just be at the level he's at in Attack of the Clones. Making it a shorter time frame where certain, special Jedi are able to advance quicker helps justify what happens with Luke later on as well as Ezra Bridger from Star Wars Rebels.

Because of this, we wouldn't need a 10-year time gap between the first and second films. Anakin is around 15 in The Phantom Menace and we can still make him 20 in Attack of the Clones to skip time but not as drastically. Without that gap, the same actor could play the character throughout all three films. Obviously, Jake Lloyd couldn't have been cast, because he would have been too young, which means we'd have gotten a better actor (sorry Jake) for the part. Imagine Ryan Phillippe as Anakin Skywalker, or James Franco, or Leonardo DiCaprio!

The cherry on top: if Anakin had been a teenager instead of a child, there wouldn't have been a reason for them to think it would work for him to say "yippee!"

Core Problem #2: Tone Down Silly Stupid Humor

To go along with this problem of Anakin being a stupid little kid who says "yippee!" are far too many examples of childish humor to list them all here. Of course, it must be said that George Lucas purposely included this as an attempt to market the films toward kids, but if you look at the original trilogy, those worked for children and didn't pander to them. Kids love the Marvel Cinematic Universe, too, but you don't see those movies adding a quota of poop and fart jokes.

Let's just state the obvious target for this one: Jar Jar Binks.

At the beginning of The Phantom Menace, he's actually not a bad character. At the very least, he's no worse than some of the things we've seen before, like Garindan (aka Long-Snoot, that stupid anteater thing in A New Hope that snitches on the Millennium Falcon and sounds like a kazoo) or the cantina band. If you only saw the scene where Jar Jar is saved by Qui-Gon Jinn and then tells them to hide in the underwater Gungan village, then you'd think he was on par of a character with C-3PO—I guarantee it. Seeing the rest of the film is what ruins that image.

Jar Jar Binks starts going downhill when Captain Tarpals tells him he's-a in big doodoo. Ugh. This is just a sad way to tone things down for kids to understand, because "doodoo" = "bad" and if they had a line of dialogue that was more adult, it would just be too hard to grasp, right?

In general, though, most of what bugs people about Jar Jar boils down to him being a comic relief character for children. He could be clumsy, but not stupid-clumsy. Does he need to step in poop? A gag like him being temporarily paralyzed by the pod racer's energy beam could have been funny if it hadn't been so over the top, and the reason it was taken to that ridiculous level is because bad filmmakers think you need to do that for kids. That's why baby talk exists instead of talking to children like adults talk to each other. Put on the Sprout network and take a drink every time someone is SUPER DUPER EXCITED or if they fall down, they go "wooaah, waaooahh, WOOOAAAAH" before they crash or something like that.

Jar Jar could still be a comic relief character if he were toned down and made more PG-13 funny instead of G-rated "fun for the whole family because it won't offend anybody" material. Think of him as Chewbacca gone wrong. Chewie is a ridiculous concept. He's a walking bear thing that grunts and has a crossbow. Despite this, people love him. Why? Because he doesn't go overboard like Jar Jar to the point where he would become annoying. Jar Jar could have been a decent supporting character if he hadn't been the equivalent of that loud, obnoxious kid in class who demands attention and is willing to do stupid things just to get it.

Also, stepping away from Jar Jar, there's a distinct difference between the droids in the first film and in the second and third. For some reason, when Jar Jar was more tame, the droids became sillier. There's no reason for them to be groaning when they're killed or anything along those lines.

It's funny when Leia calls Han a "stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf-herder" and the only thing he takes offense to is "scruffy-looking." It isn't funny when Jar Jar is given a commanding role in a military force and lucks his way into juggling bombs and tripping over droids. A good joke is when Obi-Wan uses the Jedi mind trick on the drug dealer and tells him to go home to rethink his life or when he's cocky and says Qui-Gon was right that the negotiations were indeed short. A bad joke that is totally unnecessary is pretty much everything done by the commentators on the pod race. I laugh when C-3PO thinks everyone is being crushed in the trash compactor, but not at anything that happens with him during the Battle of Geonosis.

Core Problem #3: The Pacing of Politics

A common complaint about the prequels is that there's too much talk about boring politics. Some of this was absolutely necessary, but I'll agree that a lot of time is wasted that could have been used for something else, especially when a lot of the setup doubles back on the same points already established. Half of The Phantom Menace is about people talking about an invasion and upcoming conflict when the troops of the Trade Federation have already invaded and taken over. Apparently "the death toll is catastrophic," but we don't see absolutely any of that. Things seem peaceful, almost, and you can look at the villains almost more like imposing security guards than an invading genocidal force of nature.

Essentially, the prequels follow this path:

Step 1) Trade Federation creates a blockade for Naboo
Step 2) Trade Federation invades the surface of Naboo and take over the planet
Step 3) Chancellor Valorum doesn't do anything about it, so he gets replaced by Palpatine
Step 4) Gungans and Naboo take back control of Naboo
Step 5) After 10 years where nothing of note has happened, there's an assassination attempt on Padme
Step 6) Wait a sec, the assassin is also involved in a clone army being built for the Republic?
Step 7) Trade Federation alliance (The Separatists) are creating a civil war and Palpatine wants more power to control things better
Step 8) Palpatine is given more power
Step 9) Clone Wars begin
Step 10) Clone Wars end (what, already?)
Step 11) Palpatine refuses to step down
Step 12) Jedi are set up to look like they're traitors and Palpatine becomes Emperor

With some tweaks and showing some different things on screen, this could have worked just as fine. For example, there should have been a more definitive declaration of war at the end of the first film. That way, Anakin's training takes place during war time, which is a pressure-cooker environment. He's just been uprooted from his home, fallen in love, and told that not only does he have special powers he'll have to train to use, but that he's going to be the person that the entire galaxy depends on to be the one to solve an entire war. Hey kid, remember when you were a slave and life totally sucked? Well, now you need to become our ace in the hole and learn how to be a soldier who can kill the bad guys despite the fact that we're telling you that Jedi never use their powers for attack.

In the James Bond film Casino Royale, Bond asks M if she wants him to be "half monk, half hitman" and that's how Anakin should feel. He's being pulled in both directions.

Why would Anakin be sent straight into war? Well, it's like Vietnam, where the draft was taking young kids all the time. Plus, it could be justified that Kenobi is too valuable not to have on the front lines, and since he needs to be an active participant because of how important he is to the Jedi Order, then his Padawan has to tag along by default and basically be thrown into the deep end of the pool to learn how to swim.

The pod race setup is all about the politics of slavery, and while I think that needed to be a big plot point, it needed to be focused on more in the second and third films regarding Anakin's perspective on life but not eat up screen time to dawdle. This could be more of an overall arching theme with him that pays off over the course of three films rather than hitting us with 85% of the bulk of it while we wait for the pod race to start.

Between the first and second films, Anakin should develop a bond with Palpatine over their political ideas. There's a great set of lines in Attack of the Clones where Anakin says that if people can't sit down and agree on a solution, they should be made to. Padme expresses her concern that this is more of a dictatorship than a democracy, and he simply says "well, if it works." Palpatine should be manipulative enough to have planted the seed in Anakin's head that a dictatorship isn't slavery if you have the right person in charge who knows better about what people need than what they can do for themselves. After all, the Republic trusts the Jedi to have control, and the Jedi Council has Yoda at the top, right? Why can't there be an Emperor who controls all of the regional governors but has final say to veto anything? Otherwise, if people have too much power, things get out of hand because the smaller ones that get overlooked will turn into corrupt sectors like Tatooine or problems like Naboo's enslavement can happen.

The assassination attempt on Padme in the second film shouldn't have just been her. There should have been coordinated attacks on anybody who was a potential threat to Palpatine amassing more power, including Senator Bail Organa. A few of these politicians should have been killed, but Padme is assigned (more-so requests) Anakin as her protector while Obi-Wan is partnered up with Organa (to help establish a friendship that plays off with them splitting the children up later on.)

That takes us into another whole issue...

Core Problem #4: Building Relationships

As mentioned above, setting up a stronger friendship between Obi-Wan and Bail Organa makes sense. I also love the idea of Anakin being the Jedi protector of Padme and giving them time to spend alone with each other, but I think there was a giant misstep in this direction.

With the way the films stands now, 10 years go by where Anakin and Padme don't see each other, yet they fall in love super fast. Since we've already established with these fixes that they're closer in age now and 10 years haven't taken place between movies, I'd suggest that Padme and Anakin have been seeing each other in secret for the past few years. Anakin goes off to war while Padme delegates with the Senate. Whenever their paths cross, they shack up in private. The only person who knows about this relationship is Obi-Wan, who is like a brother to Anakin and is willing to bend the rules a little bit. However, there should be a discussion where Kenobi warns him that he's playing a dangerous game and that this could end badly. What were to happen if Padme got pregnant? Anakin, the careless and selfish person that he can be at times, would just say that if he had a son, he'd pass on his lightsaber to him and train him like Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon before him. He clearly doesn't take the warning seriously, and when Kenobi suggests that he could be expelled from the Jedi Order and Padme could be driven out of the Senate, he just says there's more to life than bureaucracy and he's spent his whole life living as a slave, so the rules don't really apply to him, do they?

Anakin and Palpatine's relationship as father/son would need more time to develop. Again, as previously mentioned, by the time the second film comes along, Palpatine should already be heavily in Anakin's ear as a charismatic leader who actually looks out for him and he can look up to. He buys into what Palpatine has to say, even more than Padme's ideas at times. After all, Anakin's never had a father and when the father of the galaxy takes a shine to you, that's special, especially when the #2 on the Jedi Council, Mace Windu, is a total dick and never trusts you. He didn't want you to be trained in the first film, he doesn't listen to your battle plans in the second film, and by the third film he's going to try to kill Palpatine. Screw that, man!

One lack of a connection that has bugged me for 10 years now is the one between Leia and Padme. In Return of the Jedi, she states that she remembers images and feelings of her real mother, but we see Padme die immediately after Leia's born. There's clearly not time to establish them living together for years or anything, but would it have been so hard for Leia to have been born first, Padme to hold her for a few minutes and kiss her on the cheek, and for Padme to kick the bucket while Luke's emerging? That way, there's never been a real bond between Luke and Padme, which would explain why he has no memories of her. It's sad, but it covers up a plot hole.

Just as much as there should have been relationships built up more, one of them should have not existed at all, and that's the one between Anakin and C-3PO. Talk about making your world too small! There's absolutely no reason to make Anakin the one who builds Threepio other than fan service that suspends far too much disbelief. We had an amazing introduction to R2-D2, which was perfect in showing his heroism and giving him a reason to be so trusted going forward. Why couldn't C-3PO just have been Padme's protocol droid or maybe an interpreter that works for the Jedi Council? It doesn't help that C-3PO appears to have no recollection of ever being on Tatooine when he and R2-D2 crash there in A New Hope.

Core Problem #5: Descent Into Darkness

One moment, Anakin is saying that Windu shouldn't kill Palpatine because he should stand trial. The next minute, he's slicing up little kids. Why? Poor storytelling and a need to cram a turn to the dark side in a few rushed scenes.

Anakin's fall from grace should have happened more gradually with more hints along the way. There should have been less whining and complaining and more scenes showing his arrogance. He takes it upon himself to steal a starfighter and join the attack on the Trade Federation ship without thinking that maybe there's a trained pilot ready to take that for himself. When chastised for it, he should try to justify it by saying it doesn't matter that he rushed into it, because he was the one who destroyed it, so it all worked out in the end.

The prophetic nightmares are awesome and could have been given even more of a focus. When Anakin lashes out in anger and kills the Tusken Raiders, that should have carried more weight. The Jedi should have all felt that intense dip into the dark side and had a conversation with him about how they don't trust him anymore.

Things get even worse when they criticize him for killing Count Dooku, especially if he would have tortured him for information by using Force Lightning on him. The Jedi could tell him that this is another reason why they are suspicious of him and that it was a terrible breach of conduct. He could complain and say that he's just following orders, cause they tossed him into the damn war to begin with and if it's his destiny to destroy the Sith, what rationale do they have for bitching that he killed one?

Imagine how much more it would weigh on Anakin to keep his relationship with Padme a secret if it had been going on for longer than his relationship with the Jedi Order. After all, the first time he bumped into them on Tatooine was when he was interested in helping Padme. They had their connection before he swore any kind of allegiance to become a Jedi, and how can these peacekeepers be opposed to love? Even Obi-Wan doesn't think it's such a good idea. What a jerk, right?

This could be why he starts to buy into what Palpatine says about the Jedi holding him back and not liking his form of justice. When Palpatine has done nothing but help Anakin while the Jedi are always questioning him, eventually it comes down to a point where he has to make a choice. With Mace Windu being the opposition for Palpatine as well as someone who has constantly butted heads with Anakin, it's an easier choice. It might have worked even better to also have Palpatine do something to set it up as though Windu was planning on "arresting" Padme for getting involved in Jedi business. That way, Anakin thinks if Windu is "arresting" Chancellor Palpatine with a lightsaber to the throat, why would he be able to trust he wouldn't kill Padme?

There could have also been some little moments sprinkled throughout other scenes that we've established. Maybe Anakin cheats to win the pod race and tries to justify it by saying that Sebulba cheated first and he was just even-ing the odds, similar to how Qui-Gon cheats at the dice game to win Anakin's freedom over Shmi's. Anakin could have threatened to kill Clieg Lars for what happened to Shmi. Since Obi-Wan was our 100% heroic protagonist for these three films, Anakin should have really dancing around the line as antihero so by the beginning of the third movie, even the Jedi Council knows it's just a matter of time before they completely lose control and he turns to the dark side.

Miscellaneous Extra Flaws

Basically, those big problems above are the things that would have saved these movies and made them better as a whole, but there are smaller things that could have been changed as well. I'm obviously not going to nitpick every little detail, but a few things that stand out to me are as follows:

1. More Darth Maul – Three fights should have happened in The Phantom Menace, not two. The first should have been during the initial invasion of Naboo, the second while he's hunting them down on Tatooine like a Terminator, and the third climactic one.
2. Qui-Gon Disappearing – I would have liked to see Qui-Gon disappear and for that to be the first time it's ever happened, which baffles the Jedi. The first time we saw a Jedi die without disappearing was his death, but the following films didn't explain it well enough. At the end of Revenge of the Sith, Yoda just casually mentions that he knows how to do it from talking to Qui-Gon, which is something we've never seen. That should have been more developed and tied into Anakin's prophetic dreams and the Jedi Council's growing fear that he will turn to the dark side as well as more information on the Sith history.
3. Dialogue – A second writer should have been hired to take care of the dialogue, which was awful at times. "If you're not with me, then you're my enemy" is so on the nose. "From my point of view, the Jedi are evil!" Terrible. "No, it's cause I'm so in love with you." I don't need to mention the sand lines, right? What about Anakin saying "Now this is pod racing" or asking if Padme is an angel? One of the only lines in all three films that is actually good is Padme's where she says "So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause."
4. More Women – I'm far from someone who will bring up the Bechdel Test, but in retrospect, a few more women wouldn't have hurt. There's certainly more in the prequels than in the original trilogy, as we have female Jedi Council members, female pilots, and more, but maybe Count Dooku could have been a woman instead, or Asajj Ventress could have been in the film as his apprentice so we had a two-on-two fight with her and Tyrannus against Kenobi and Skywalker. A reference to Ahsoka Tano would have been appreciated in Revenge of the Sith if they had figured out that they wanted Anakin to have had an apprentice by then.
5. Returning to Tatooine –After the death of Shmi, Anakin should have had such a traumatic experience that he states he'll never return to that entire planet. That would give them a reason to hide Luke there.

Well, there you have it. From my certain point of view, that is how I would go ahead and fix the prequel films if I could go back in time knowing what I know now. What do you think of the changes that I would have made? Do they make the movies better or worse? What changes would you make?

Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

We all do it: Wait until the last minute to buy that one gift for that special person and are left scouring the aisles for leftover holiday gift sets. No one really wants those dreaded meat and cheese packages or the sampler of 10 different types of barbecue sauces. This year, get them a gift that they won't be regifting. I've compiled a list of last-minute gift ideas for the hard-to-buy-for person in your life, most of which won't require leaving the comfort of your home.

I admit, I expected the new Halo game to be the biggest game of the year. I was astonished when my local GameStop told me they only had a few dozen preorders and most of them never came to pick up their copy. So what is the biggest game of the season? Why Fallout 4, of course. Fallout 4 follows a survivor from a nuclear war, and because of all the building involved you can essentially play this game forever. As a bonus, it even includes a free copy of Fallout 3. A forewarning: if you get this game for your significant other, don't expect any quality time together for a few weeks. Pick up your copy today at Amazon.


For your mom, sister, girlfriend, or skin-care loving friend, Burt's Bees is an all-natural line that has no harsh chemicals or additives. While most of the products range in the $10 range, when the holidays come around the company puts out a few gift sets that you can usually snap up for less than $20. My favorite set this year is the face essentials. It includes a scrub, face wash, makeup removing wipes, and the yummiest coconut-lime lip balm you will ever smell. Buy it here or find it at your local drugstore.






Assuming the book-lover in your life already has a Kindle, why not pick up a few books for the special person in your life. For readers YA through adult, I suggest the Flat-Out series. What's even better is that the author, Jessica Park, has donated this book to the Word Reader Foundation. If fantasy is more their style, the Snow Like Ashes series is not to be missed.



Forget all those crazy gadgets that everyone has, let's go back to the timeless calculator watch. Calculator watches are not only stylish but also functional. Sure, everyone has all this information on their phones, but let's not forget how easy it is to access compared to pulling out your phone, unlocking it, and pulling up the app. A family member recently visited and told me he had two of these. Before that, these watches were just an '80s fad.You'd be surprised at how much his watch came in handy. This is one of those must-haves for every wardrobe. Buy it on Amazon here or find it pretty much anywhere watches are sold.



Sometimes you have that gift you need to get but you're not quiet sure what to get. You don't want to spend too much money, but you don't want to go as standard as a gift card. That's where the adult coloring books come in. Not only are they therapeutic, but they take us back to when we were kids and didn't have to worry about bills or any of that other crap. Most of them are pretty humorous and may even make a great gag gift. My favorite is Unicorns Are Jerks. Slight humor but something fun to enjoy. Throw in a box of crayons and you have the perfect present for the person who sits next to you every day. You can pick this coloring book up at Amazon here, or find a few at your local bookstore.



We all have a friend who doesn't want to grow up. Remember those beanie babies in the '90s? Well, Shopkins are today's equivalent. These micro figurines come in blind packs or packages and there are hundreds to collect. The trick is to find the ultra-rare ones with pearl and glittery finishes.The silly names of these figures, such as Chelsea Charm, remind me of a tamer version of the Garbage Pail kids. Even if you aren't a kid, they're fun to collect and display on your desk. Quiet possibly one of the hottest toys of the season, good luck finding them at the store, but you can find them at Amazon here.


Work suck? Relationship giving you troubles? Everyone must have a Dammit doll at hand to relieve their frustrations. Whenever you get mad, you're encouraged to hit, throw, or pound these dolls against the wall or desk. They even come in a variety of patterns and hair colors. This is a perfect gift for any Dirty Santa exchange or that friend who enjoys a lighthearted gift. Find the dolls at Amazon here.



If you've never had a Harry and David gift basket, your life is incomplete. Handmade, delicious, and juicy, these gift baskets include a signature golden foil-wrapped pear. I know I dissed gift sets like these earlier, but this brand is the exception. Each layer in the package includes a different snack that's perfect for Christmas Eve snacking. Order them online here.



There's always that person who reads a little too much into a gift. Everything has to be politically correct, and they get offended by everyone and everything. These are the people who get giftcards, but god forbid they get one to anywhere they don't shop or have strong views against, because that means you you got them this offensive gift on purpose. So here is the biggest challenge of them all. What to get the easily offended person? Why, the space pen of course. The pen that writes at any angle and in any weather. The pen created especially by scientists to take up into space in the 1940s. Just don't become offended if the person loses it or it gets stolen. Pick one up here or find one at your local office supply store.

There's my list of top 10 gift ideas. Do you have a must-have gift you will be getting this year? Let me know in the comments.

On episode 21 of the FA Movie Club podcast, Fanboys Anonymous members give their thoughts on the Star Wars saga by reviewing all of the six films released to date to lead into the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens coming out December 18th, 2015.

On the latest edition of the Movie Trailer Reactions podcast for Fanboys Anonymous, the panel breaks down their initial reaction and their overall thoughts about the latest trailer for X-Men: Apocalypse released earlier today.

Hosted by Tony Mango

Some topics I address:

• Sophie Turner as Jean Grey
• Apocalypse's look and voice
• Bald James McAvoy / Charles Xavier
• Apocalypse growing in size
• Is this going to have too much Mystique in it?
• and more!

You can watch the podcast below. Make sure to subscribe!

Since the dawn of civilization, he was worshiped as a god. Apocalypse, the first and most powerful mutant from Marvel’s X-Men universe, amassed the powers of many other mutants, becoming immortal and invincible. Upon awakening after thousands of years, he is disillusioned with the world as he finds it and recruits a team of powerful mutants, including a disheartened Magneto (Michael Fassbender), to cleanse mankind and create a new world order, over which he will reign. As the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) with the help of Professor X (James McAvoy) must lead a team of young X-Men to stop their greatest nemesis and save mankind from complete destruction.

When it was announced that the Star Wars saga would be continuing with more feature films, I was both ecstatic as well as nervous. There's so much potential in this universe, but there's also a high possibility that the magic of the previous films can't be recaptured. So far, what we've seen from The Force Awakens gives me goosebumps, but I still have my reservations, and the more I learn, the more I'm convinced I will either absolutely love or absolutely hate that film.

Whether the story of the Skywalker family continues the way I think it should is one thing, but another project being worked on is Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, originally titled Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One. This will be the first of many spinoff pictures dealing with events outside of the "episode" films, although they will keep the same continuity. The focal point of Rogue One is the operation to steal the technical readout of the Death Star, which takes place before the events of Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope.

This sounds pretty awesome, right? Fans of the series would love to see this story unfold, even though we know the end result. What we don't know, however, is what else is brought to the table to fill in the gaps. After watching Star Wars Rebels and being more in the mindset of this era, I figured I would present to you a list of five things I feel are necessary for this movie's success.

1. Dark, Gritty Tone

Before you roll your eyes and scoff at the idea, saying Star Wars is for kids, let's not forget that these aren't G-rated movies you'll watch on the Sprout network. Limbs get chopped off, people die during childbirth, genocide is a negotiation tactic, and Jesus Christ slaughters children, for fuck's sake.

Master Skywalker, is it time for our next training sess-OMG WTF ARE YOU DOING!?

One of the phrases being tossed around about Rogue One is that it will put the word "wars" back in Star Wars, and that's exactly what I'm hoping for. This isn't a rebellion on the schoolyard; it's for control of an entire galaxy. People will die. Scumbags will prosper by selling out the heroes to cover their own hides. Many Bothans died to find out the information from Return of the Jedi, so which lives were lost for the greater good when it comes to getting the Death Star plans?

Just like in any other war film, we need to see the horrors of battle. Do you remember how sad you felt when Jek Porkins died? No, you laughed, because he was a fat idiot who got what he deserved. We need to avoid that kind of expendability when it comes to our characters. If Person X eats a blaster bolt to the chest, he or she should be in agony, if not dead, from a smoking crater in his or her torso.

I'm not saying this needs to be overly gory or take too many cues from Apocalypse Now, but it needs to be more along the lines of Saving Private Ryan than the army men from Toy Story, as cool as those little guys were. Director Gareth Edwards seems to have a nice balance of darkness with Godzilla and Monsters, the latter of which is definitely not the most upbeat in mood. Considering how this franchise has books, comics, toys, a more lighthearted animated program, and other outlets, this movie doesn't need to be marketed to kids. This series has more than enough of a fan base that it will make a disgusting amount of money without having to get the younger audience. The kids can skip this one. Make it a hard PG-13—the type where some things need to be slightly edited because it originally got an R-rating from the MPAA—and I guarantee it will breathe a new life in the franchise.

2. Smarter Comedic Relief

Piggybacking off the idea of having a darker tone, obviously the whole thing can't be depressing from start to finish or it will be tough to watch. People can stomach a movie like The Avengers more than Schindler's List, so we need some laughs to slip through the cracks.

That being said, they can't take any shortcuts to those moments of levity that break up the gloomy atmosphere. Earn the jokes and place them at the right timing for them to be something the audience is receptive to, rather than having a producer hand down the note of "we need more laughs" and you just start inserting them into random scenes.

More importantly is the type of humor that needs to be displayed. One of the absolute biggest flaws in the prequel trilogy was what George Lucas referred to as "the key to all this"…


Lucas even basically admits that Jar Jar Binks runs a risk of being too silly, yet he didn't have the foresight to realize just how ridiculously things went out of hand. I don't expect anything near this extreme, but anything even remotely close is unacceptable. There can't be a character that is there just to make jokes and serve no other function to the story. Yes, there should be a "funny guy," as every team has one to offset "the smart guy" as well as "the heart of the team" and "the tough guy" tropes. That funny guy also needs to be on the team because he matters in some way in the universe itself. If you ignore the fourth wall convention of the character being necessary because he's good for laughs and you can't think of any other reason for the character to exist, then you need to think of a reason.

I also need to stress that the comedy this person is responsible for cannot under any circumstance boil down to poop jokes and pratfalls. If that's the best these writers can do, they should quit and go work in another profession. The scene in Star Wars, Episode II: Attack of the Clones where Obi-Wan Kenobi casually tells a drug dealer to go rethink his life wasn't the funniest thing in the world, but it got a legitimate chuckle out of the audience when I first saw it. Of course, Han Solo has his funny moments, only one of which was a little too over-the-top for what I want to see in Rogue One, which is when he runs away from the Stormtroopers. Less of that, more of the lines like "Who's scruffy looking?"

3. Lineage of the Faceless Enemy

Speaking of the ineptitude of the Stormtroopers who should have been able to shoot Han Solo and change the course of the original trilogy right there in the hallway, there's a lot to be discussed when it comes to the Imperial forces of evil.


Except, you know, they're not. In fact, the piss poor aim the Stormtroopers have is not just made fun of, it's actually been subject of thousands of fan theories about why this happens. These guys are the best in the galaxy, feared in every system, but they can't shoot a gun properly? How bad must the rejects at the academy be, then? Do they just shoot themselves in the face immediately when they're given a blaster?

One theory that I actually like quite a bit is that there's a combination of two factors at play: a) technological decay and b) hubris. In Star Wars, Episode I: The Phantom Menace we see human beings and Jedi go up against the cheap robots of the Trade Federation. We learn later on that these are mass produced as disposable and are basically nothing but walking gun turrets. The Republic, on the other hand, have the Clonetroopers, which are a trained and sentient militia based on the genetics of one of the best bounty hunters in the galaxy, Jango Fett. They kick ass, which is why they can mow down those droids like blades of grass. Eventually, the Clonetroopers turn on the Jedi with Order 66, and that's where our story leaves off.

a) What if the reason why the Stormtroopers aren't as proficient as the Clonetroopers is due to their age? It's been over 20 years since Attack of the Clones by the time we get to A New Hope, and the clones are said to go through a process that speeds up their aging. Their cellular structure has to be weird, and they probably break down quicker than normal humans. Also, if you think The Empire can just whip up a new batch, it takes time to breed them and the host, Jango Fett, is dead. Which is a better quality picture: the original or the copy? Trying to breed more clones from a clone's DNA wouldn't yield results as strong as from the true source itself.

b) If the Clonetroopers are so much of a pain to deal with and such a high expense, maybe The Emperor decided they weren't necessary. They already have taken control of the galaxy and people recognize the armor, so it would be cheaper and easier to just put normal people behind the helmets and cut your losses than to try to build a whole new army. Maybe The Empire thinks enough fear has been built up that there doesn't need to be as much actual demonstration of what should be feared until, you know, that big honkin' Death Star shows up and puts a new definition on the term.

What I'd like to see is for that darker tone to be represented with Stormtroopers who are good shots and can kill with precision, but also incorporating Clonetroopers and even the leftover droids. They're valuable resources that wouldn't have been just cast aside, right? Maybe there's a scene where a few Clonetroopers are starting to break down and can't perform as well as before and that allows our heroes to get the jump on them. Maybe they can even reprogram some of those Super Battle Droids to fight for their side. How cool would it be to see a Droideka fighting for the rebellion? There shouldn't just be no more droids or Clonetroopers in Rogue One.

4. The Absence of the Jedi Order

As much as you will hear me say that my least favorite part of Star Wars is the aliens and spaceships and that I prefer the storyline of the Jedi and the Force, I'm not of the group that wants there to be a Jedi on the team for this mission. In fact, I want there to be a noticeable absence of Jedi.

My favorite movie of all time is Terminator 2: Judgment Day and one of the reasons it works so well is because it puts a twist on what the first film did. In The Terminator, it's pretty clear that every cyborg is out to kill every human, but wouldn't it be interesting if one of those machines was actually helping John Connor instead of hunting him? With Star Wars, though, we've already seen the Jedi helping out the Republic and fighting at the forefront of the Rebel Alliance. This is an era where Han Solo thinks they don't even exist and Imperial guards have the balls to tell Darth Vader that he's an idiot for believing in a false religion. The opposite effect should take place here, where we see what it's like to not have a superhero in your ranks. Even in the original trilogy, Luke was the savior and the ace in the hole. What's a rebellion to do when it's just a ragtag group of grunts and soldiers? As skilled as they may be, they're nothing compared to someone who is tapped into The Force.

Do the Inquisitors have a role as the Big Bad that is almost unstoppable to get past? Does anyone remember the Jedi Order? Did they fall for Palpatine's trick when he blamed things on the Jedi and made them outlaws? The lack of Jedi needs to be addressed in some fashion, but there's no need to create some new Jedi that happened to survive extinction other than Yoda and Kenobi just for the sake of adding him/her into the film.

5. Darth Mother F'n Vader

I know I said the Jedi shouldn't be in here, but I didn't say the Sith should follow suit. In fact, Darth Vader has to have a presence one way or another. He's too big of a character at this time frame not to be shown in some capacity, even if it's just for a quick cameo.

Ideally, what I'd like to see is for Vader to be the looming threat that comes hammering down at the end of the film. All throughout the setup, there's talk that Darth Vader may be involved and people are deathly afraid of what would happen if they crossed paths with him. Thankfully for them, they manage to avoid him for the better part of the story, but unfortunately, their luck runs out. Vader at this point is an absolute beast with no real morality, putting down anyone in his way. It would be awesome to see him show up as the embodiment of impending doom. Once he's onto you, you are screwed. People can sacrifice themselves in a failed attempt to stop him so the others can continue the mission, but he just keeps coming. By some luck (and the will of The Force), very few of our heroes are able to escape with the plans in tact. The Empire has failed to prevent this leak from happening, and someone has to answer for it. This is where Vader, in true form, can use The Force to strangle the primary general, admiral, governor, or whoever is the man in charge. The guy does like to choke people.

The 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards will take place January 10, 2016 at 5pm Pacific on NBC, hosted by Ricky Gervais. Here are the nominees for all of the categories. Give us your predictions on the winners and your favorites in the comments below!

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Series, Limited Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television
Idris Elba, Luther
Oscar Isaac, Show Me a Hero
David Oyelowo, Nightingale
Mark Rylance, Wolf Hall
Patrick Wilson, Fargo

Original Score, Motion Picture
Carter Burwell, Carol
Alexander Desplat, The Danish Girl
Ennio Morricone, The Hateful Eight
Daniel Pemberton, Steve Jobs
Ryuchi Sakamoto, The Revanant

Best Motion Picture, Foreign Language
The Brand New Testament
The Club
The Fencer
Mustang
Son of Saul

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Actress in a Series, Limited Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television
Uzo Aduba, Orange Is the New Black
Joanna Froggatt, Downton Abbey
Regina King, American Crime
Judith Light, Transparent
Moira Tierney, The Affair

Best Television Series, Musical
Casual, Hulu
Mozart in the Jungle, Amazon Video
Orange Is the New Black, Netflix
Silicon Valley, HBO
Transparent, Amazon Video
Veep, HBO

Best Motion Picture, Animated
Anomalisa
The Good Dinosaur
Inside Out
The Peanuts Movie
Shaun the Sheep Movie

Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Kirsten Dunst, Fargo
Lady Gaga, American Horror Story: Hotel
Sarah Hay, Flesh and Bone
Felicity Huffman, American Crime
Queen Latifah, Bessie

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television
Alan Cumming, The Good Wife
Damien Lewis, Wolf Hall
Ben Mendelson, Bloodline
Tobias Menzies, Outlander
Christian Slater, Mr. Robot

Best Original Song, Motion Picture
"Love Me LIke You Do," Fifty Shades of Grey
"One Kind of Love," Love & Mercy
"See You Again," Furious 7
"Simple Song #3," Youth
"Writing's on the Wall," Spectre

Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
American Crime, ABC
American Horror Story: Hotel, FX
Fargo, FX
Flesh and Bone, Starz
Wolf Hall, PBS

Best Performance By an Actress in a Television Series, Musical, or Comedy
Rachel Bloom, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Jamie Lee Curtis, Scream Queens
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Gina Rodrgiuez, Jane the Virgin
Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie 

Best Screenplay, Motion Picture
Emma Donoghue, Room
Tom McCarthy, Josh Singer, Spotlight
Charles Randolph & Adam McKay, The Big Short
Aaron Sorkin, Steve Jobs
Quentin Tarantino, The Hateful Eight

Best Performance By an Actor in a Television Series, Musical, or Comedy
Aziz Ansari, Master of None
Gael García Bernal, Mozart in the Jungle
Rob Lowe, The Grinder
Patrick Stewart, Blunt Talk
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Series, Limited Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television
Caitriona Balfe, Outlander
Viola Davis, How to Get Away With Murder
Eva Green, Penny Dreadful
Taraji P. Henson, Empire
Robin Wright, House of Cards

Best Motion Picture, Musical, or Comedy
The Big Short
Joy
The Martian
Spy
Trainwreck

Best Television Series, Drama
Empire, Fox
Game of Thrones, HBO
Mr. Robot, USA
Narcos, Netflix
Outlander, Starz

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical, or Comedy
Christian Bale, The Big Short
Steve Carell, The Big Short
Matt Damon, The Martian
Al Pacino, Danny Collins
Mark Ruffalo, Infinitely Polar Bear

Best Director, Motion Picture
Todd Haines, Carol
Alejandro González Iñárritu, The Revenant
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Ridley Scott, The Martian

Best Performance By an Actor in a Television Series, Drama
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Rami Malek, Mr. Robot
Wagner Moura, Narcos
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan

Best Performance by Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Jane Fonda, Youth
Jennifer Jason Leigh, Hateful Eight
Helen Mirren, Trumbo
Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

Best Performance By an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Paul Dano, Love
Idris Elba, Beast of No Nation
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Michael Shannon, 99 Homes
Sylvester Stallone, Creed

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
Bryan Cranston, Trumbo
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Edide Redmayne, The Danish Girl
Will Smith, Concussion

Best Performance By an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Jennifer Lawrence, Joy
Melissa McCarthy, Spy
Amy Schumer, Trainwreck
Maggie Smith, The Lady in the Van
Lily Tomlin, Grandma

Best Performance By an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Brie Larson, Room
Rooney Mara, Carol
Saiorse Ronin, Brooklyn
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl

Best Motion Picture, Drama
Carol
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight

On the latest edition of the Movie Trailer Reactions podcast for Fanboys Anonymous, the panel breaks down their initial reaction and their overall thoughts about the latest trailer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.

Does it look any better than the first film, which was a disappointment to us, or do we feel like we're in store for the same nonsense again? What are we most excited about and what has us going back in our shells from anxiety? Are we more interested to see it after this trailer or does this make us not want to spend our money on some of our beloved childhood characters?

Hosted by Tony Mango along with Mike Paden and Shaun Walker

Some topics we address:

• Turtle Van
• It's Tricky by Run D.M.C.
• Is schoolgirl Megan Fox sexy or not hot at all?
• Casey Jones
• Bebop and Rocksteady (WWE's Sheamus)
• New Shredder and Tyler Perry as Baxter Stockman
• Who is Laura Linney?
• What's Elias Koteas been up to?
• The subtitle "Out of the Shadows"
• and more!

You can watch the podcast below. Make sure to subscribe!

Leonardo, Raphael, Michalengelo, and Donatello face off against new threats and enemies in the form of: mechanical aliens, a mad scientist named Dr. Baxter Stockman, Bebop and Rocksteady. They also once again have to confront their greatest enemy, The Shredder, and his Foot Clan. The Turtles are equipped with the help of Vern, April and a new vigilante named Casey Jones.

Hey, hey, hey, Dacetacular nation! Check out episode 129 of The Dace Man Show with hosts Chris "The Dace Man" Dace, Frank Ward, and Gibby!!

::SPORTS NEWS::

• The NHL, MLB, NFL, and our favorite: curling!

::WEIRD NEWS WITH GIBBY::

•  Gibby brings the class to the show with weird things going on in the world!

::FRANK'S CORNER::

• Frank-tastic facts for your everyday life

::CELEB NEWS::

• Dace is back, and he's packing a punch since he's on some diet pills and Red Bull. Get ready Hollywood!

Plus the occasional game of Who Said It, the crowning of The Doucebag of The Week, and much, much more, only on The Dace Man Show.



As always, check back regularly to see what Chris "The Dace Man" Dace is looking at (and no, not just porn), as well as all of the other bloggers here at Fanboys Anonymous. Remember, keyboard warriors: leave your feedback! Until the next time, for the few, the proud, and, of course,the Dacetacular, grab a beer—and in this case a comfy seat in front of your computer—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!


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We're only a few weeks away from the premiere of Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens, so the time for predictions is coming down to the wire. While I've been trying to stay away from spoilers and only check out official trailers and such, I can't help but to have my own predictions going forward, and one of those things in particular is about who is going to die.

In nearly every film in the Star Wars saga, a noteworthy character dies. This is especially true in the first and final installments of the trilogies, and since this is the beginning of a new set of films, I wholeheartedly expect there to be a handful of deaths. In fact, I'm going so far as to say we will see at least five deaths that will resonate with the audience in one way or another.

Who will those five deaths include, though? Let's break them down.

1) The Rebel Pilot Death

In Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope, one of the deaths that is overlooked but shouldn't be is Biggs Darklighter. Biggs is a childhood friend of Luke's who is essentially set up as a sort of big brother to him. Luke looks up to Biggs, and when he's killed by Darth Vader, that's when things get dire for Skywalker and the fun stops.

Right now, you might be thinking that Poe Dameron—the most widely advertised member of Black Squadron—is the easy target for this section, but I think he'll be making it out of this film alive. We haven't seen all that much about Poe, but he's been said to be an important character. My guess is he'll be the love interest for Rey (if her love interest isn't Finn), so he'll be sticking around for a few more movies, even though he's being tortured in the trailer by Kylo Ren.

Instead, I think Greg Grunberg's character is the one that will fill this role. I can see him being someone that Poe is friends with and filling sort of a Wedge Antilles position in the cast as someone who will be remembered, but not spoken about often. Grunberg is such a likable guy, so in a short time frame, he could make the audience care about him and then feel bad that his ship totally gets blown to pieces instead of us laughing like when Porkins wasn't quite alright or not remembering Dack's name most of the time.

2) A New Republic Figurehead

Leia is clearly going to be one of the primary faces of the New Republic considering how important she was during the original trilogy and how she was a well-known political figure from Alderaan. In fact, she might be at the top of the pecking order already, but if by some chance she isn't, I'm confident in saying she will be by the end of this movie.

Admiral Ackbar is confirmed to be in the film and I can't imagine him getting much more screen time than what he got in Return of the Jedi, which was pretty nominal. The same goes for Mon Mothma, who may be in the movie as the leader of the New Republic above Leia. If that is the case, Mothma will die to make room for Leia to move up in the ranks. If Mothma is already taken out of the equation before the events of the film, then I'm expecting Ackbar to turn into fried Mon Calamari. The death of one of the most distinguished generals will be a big loss for our heroes.

3) The Helper on the Sidelines

If you're a character who helps our heroes and you only appear in a few scenes, there are two ways in which your story can go. If you're lucky, you're someone like Dexter Jettster, who gives Obi-Wan Kenobi some information and then goes back to his stupid '50s diner. If you're Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, you end up a charred skeleton. None of the handmaidens die in The Phantom Menace, but one of them serves her purpose (even though she says she failed, but that's another discussion for another day) in Attack of the Clones. Her name was Cordé, aka "the one that wasn't played by Rose Byrne" who gets blown up in an assassination attempt on Padmé. Even Shmi Skywalker only lasts two films before falling victim to Tusken Raiders.

Although we don't know too many details about their characters, I think the two that could fill this role are those played by Max von Sydow and Lupita Nyong'o. The former is supposedly playing Lor San Tekka—a villager with information. The latter's character, Maz Kanata, is a pirate who has been around for a long time and could also be spilling some information before spilling her guts. One of these two, if not both, are definitely going to be destroyed by the First Order. I'm 100% positive about that. I expect them to not even still be alive by the midway point of the movie as their deaths could be great tools to show how dangerous our new villains are.

4) The Big Villain Death

As dangerous as they'll be, it's not just heroes that die in these films and we can't forget about the obligatory comeuppances for greed and evil. In A New Hope, countless Imperial forces are killed when the Death Star explodes, but none of them are as featured as Grand Moff Tarkin. Losing the various governors, admirals, captains and so on just to see them replaced by someone else in the next installment is a staple of this franchise, so I'm putting a lot of faith on General Hux going up in flames when Starkiller Base is invaded.

Although I'm not as confident in my next prediction, I do think that there's a good chance Captain Phasma is killed off as well. While Hux is someone who Poe Dameron can waste in an X-Wing, Phasma's death would be better served at the hands of Finn, if she's his superior officer while he was a Stormtrooper. That would be the ultimate sign that he's ditched his former alignment and fully joined the side of good. You may think that she's too important of a character to be killed off in the first movie, but many other characters didn't make it past their first film. Sure, Zam Wesell and Greedo are nothing, but Jango Fett and Darth Maul are huge deaths that Phasma would be on par with.

Look, we all know Kylo Ren isn't going anywhere, nor would they introduce Supreme Leader Snoke and have him not be quite so supreme. Phasma and Hux are the two most expendable of the main baddies, and even if one of them makes it to Episode 8, the other one won't.

5) The Main Hero Death

Sadly, the first film of both trilogies has seen the death of a mentor character for our heroes. The main example of this is Obi-Wan Kenobi's sacrifice in A New Hope, as he fades away to become more powerful than Darth Vader can imagine, despite how he really doesn't live up to that hype. In The Phantom Menace, it's Qui-Gon Jinn who fails to fade away on-screen because he's yet to finish the last chapter in his book "How to Become a Force Ghost For Dummies" and saves that for another time.

Since both are bearded Jedi, one would think that Luke Skywalker fits the trope, but I think he's safe. Instead, I'm worried about not one, but two of the most popular characters in the Star Wars franchise: Han Solo and Chewbacca.

Exhibit A is the image of Rey crying over someone's body in the trailer.

Or maybe someone just sprayed her with a water gun. I mean, a water blaster.

Clearly, this is someone who she is enamored with in some fashion. The four most likely candidates from the information we know so far are Finn, Poe Dameron, Han Solo and Chewbacca. Why? Well,we can see that brown is the predominant color. We all know Finn and Rey interact with each other, and Finn has been seen wearing the same brown jacket that Poe wears. We can assume it's the same jacket. Also, since BB-8 is Poe's astromech droid and we have seen BB-8 and Rey together, it's fair to assume Poe and Rey cross paths. However, those two aren't likely to be set up as the new faces of this franchise and then die, so I'm ruling them out.

We also have seen shots of Rey and Finn in the Millennium Falcon and spending time with Han Solo and Chewbacca—both of whom are no stranger to brown as that's half of what Solo's wardrobe consists of and all of Chewbacca's, obviously. That part on the right side of the photograph could be Chewie's bandolier.

Han Solo makes so much sense to me that as soon as Harrison Ford was announced to be in the film, I was speculating how he would die. Lest we not forget that he was almost killed off in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, so there's a precedent for this sort of story to be told. Han also makes sense because he'll be the mentor for Rey and Finn (as well as possibly Poe) and that position just screams sacrifice. Although I don't know how much stock to put into the rumor, I had heard rumblings that Han could be killed in a way where he has to trust Luke telling him that that's how things have to be. This could be a scenario where Luke has a vision of what's to come and passes that information along to Han, breaking the bad news that it's time for him to die in order to prevent a bigger disaster. I will be beyond shocked if we don't hear Han say "That's three you owe me, junior."

And then there's Chewbacca. It sounds like blasphemy to say it, but let's face the facts—without Han Solo, there's no reason to keep Chewbacca around. Now, perhaps Han won't die, but Chewbacca will, and Han will be paired up with Lando for Episode 8 or just interact more with Leia, Luke, or even Finn/Rey/Poe. However, with Peter Mayhew's health in concern, I can't imagine Chewbacca continuing on. There really isn't much of a reason to keep him around. Chewbacca is a textbook supporting character. He doesn't offer much to the plot and the cast in this movie is so overloaded. How can we find time to properly utilize Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2, BB-8, Poe Dameron, Rey, Finn, Kylo Ren, Captain Phasma, General Hux, Supreme Leader Snoke, Maz Kanata and more? The most expendable of the bunch is Chewbacca, who has been killed off in the now non-canon Expanded Universe before, so it's not as though he's too sacred of a character to kick the bucket.

I would not be surprised to see Chewbacca honor his life debt to Han Solo by sacrificing himself around the 3/4 mark and for Han to be killed at the very end, or carry the guilt of Chewbacca's death into Episode 8. Killing Chewbacca would be like killing a dog. There's no way the audience won't feel a pit in their stomach seeing him breathe his last breath. He's too loyal of a hero to not evoke the feels when he passes the ultimate test of loyalty.

Those are my theories, but where do you stand? Who do you think will end up being killed off in The Force Awakens? Do you agree or disagree with my list, and if so, why?

Tell us your predictions in the comments below!

On episode 26 of the Fanboys Anonymous Group Meeting podcast, the panel has a roundtable discussion about the changes made to the Star Wars special editions over the years and whether or not people should only watch the original cuts.

Hosted by Tony Mango, the panel includes Calen Ferris, Sam Lascio, Shaun Walker, Drew White and Angie Williams.

Some topics we address:

• Han shot first vs. Greedo shot first
• Jabba the Hutt deleted scene added to A New Hope
• Updated visual effects and remastered sound
• Ian McDiarmid added to The Empire Strikes Back
• Temuera Morrison redubs voice for Boba Fett
• Max Rebo Band
• Victory Celebration vs Ewok Celebration
• Hayden Christensen Force ghost
• CGI Yoda in The Phantom Menace
• And more!

You can watch the podcast below. Make sure to subscribe!