Star Wars: The Force Awakens (12/18/15)

[YankeesFanboy]

But I thought I was Otter!

 

[Jaycepticon]

The Raid Stars Join Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Star Wars: The Force Awakens just advanced a bunch of spots on our list of most anticipated movies of 2015. All of you who were shocked to see the upcoming “Episode VII” only place at #12 instead of #1 can rest easy today. We were obviously just keeping things in perspective so that we’d have room for growth when the movie dropped its next casting bombshell. And here it is: according to Twitch, three stars of Gareth Evans’s The Raid movies have joined the ensemble in J.J. Abrams‘s Star Wars sequel. Hell yes.

Those leaping into the Galaxy Far Far Away are lead ***-kicker Iko Uwais along with Yayan Ruhian (“Mad Dog” in The Raid: Redemption and “Prakoso” in The Raid 2) and Cecep Arif Rahman (“The Assassin” in The Raid 2). There’s no information on who or what they’ll be playing, but we can assume that this late in the game they’re not major characters. Chances are they’re making cameos for some sure-to-be-great action set-piece where they’re showing off their martial arts skills, maybe while wielding lightsabers.

In the report at Twitch, the trio’s casting is chalked up to Abrams’s clear preference with The Force Awakens to do more practical effects than CGI, to be closer in spirit to the original Star Wars trilogy versus the prequels. But their involvement also reminds me of The Phantom Menace featuring martial artist and stuntman Ray Park flipping about as Darth Maul. If anything, it’s just more proof that this episode is going to be awesome, in part thanks to its casting of all our favorite action stars of things from 2011 — others being John Boyega of Attack the Block, Andy Serkis of Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Gwendoline Christie of Game of Thrones (never mind that she didn’t join the cast until 2012).

The Raid Stars Join Star Wars: The Force Awakens

 

[YoNoSe]

The Raid Stars Join Star Wars: The Force Awakens



The Raid Stars Join Star Wars: The Force Awakens

That's interesting. Both of those films are about as badass as badass gets.

 

[fosing]

force wielders + silat = mind blown

 

[Darth Snoopy]

The Raid Stars Join Star Wars: The Force Awakens



The Raid Stars Join Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Whoa.

 

[a-dev]

Having not seen this Raid film and not knowing the actors this means very little to me

 

[rushmore223]

Having not seen this Raid film and not knowing the actors this means very little to me

I think we've been hiding under the same rock.

 

[fosing]

Having not seen this Raid film and not knowing the actors this means very little to me

missing out big time.

 

[Lejuan]

Having not seen this Raid film and not knowing the actors this means very little to me

I think we've been hiding under the same rock.

You guys need to fix this. The Raid is a cracker.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Cecep Arif Rahman is awesome! Like a kick-ass maniacal Oddjob.

 

[Darth Snoopy]

The Raid was pretty badass, IMO.

 

[meanstreak]

The Raid Stars Join Star Wars: The Force Awakens



The Raid Stars Join Star Wars: The Force Awakens

 

[YankeesFanboy]

This Raid thing is like a hip, new hotspot I never heard of before...

 

[fosing]

you watched transformers, and interstellar crap and missed out on the raid??

LOOOLz

 

[YankeesFanboy]

Saw the first TF hated it, haven't seen Interstellar yet.

 

[RIDDICK]

Having not seen this Raid film and not knowing the actors this means very little to me

 

[a-dev]

Good to know there'll be people in this film. There's that.

I'll have to give The Raid a look though in seriousness since it seems to be highly regarded.

 

[YankeesFanboy]

Holy crap, you still up, dev? Or did you just get up? Isn't it 5 a.m. in Ireland?

 

[jye4ever]

Raid ain't no T1/T2, now so check your expectations at the door.

 

[a-dev]

Holy crap, you still up, dev? Or did you just get up? Isn't it 5 a.m. in Ireland?

See my recent post in the Things I ****ing Hate thread in the sandbox