For me, the only real bad about Crystal Skull, is it just didn't feel like Indiana Jones, in the 50's versus Russians - the Indy happy space is the 30's/40's facing off the Nazis, if he is to face a baddy with global influence.
One thing I am confused about in Awakens - that moment when Ren tells his Dad that its tearing him apart, and he is confused, doesn't know what to do etc - was that genuine, is he potentially savable like his Grandfather eventually was, or was he just playing games with Han?
I am a little conflicted about the First Order - I would very much have liked the baddy to be some sort of Imperial Rump, perhaps even one that eventually made an uneasy military peace with the New Republic, but has now been taken over by Supreme Leader Snoke and the peace is over, but at the same time, I suppose there could be some advantage in a new enemy - but why use Stormy Armour for example - in the Wars following the breakup of the Former Yugoslavia, Bosnian Muslim Extremists reformed the SS Handschar Division. The SS Uniform like the Stormies is one designed to intimidate, to strike fear, and anyone who lived under German Occupation would still feel that fear a little today I bet, but I don't believe the Bosnians swanned around in replica SS Uniforms, but even had they done so, the elderly survivors of Nazi attacks and occupation, anywhere, would feel that little fear, but people of my Generation, and younger, to us, they are grainy old photo's and video footage, we don't feel that fear, because we did not live under it, or in a world, where the real SS were strutting around.
So the Stormy Armour doesn't even really work as an intimidation factor, sure, the elders of the Galaxy would be genuinely terrified, as they remember living under them before, but to the young, they are just old pictures and holofeed vids. And the armour doesn't really deserve the name, since it doesn't protect the trooper. I can understand the use of Imperial Ships, I would imagine there were plenty around, endless supplies of spares, which is likely the motivation of their use. We of course know absolutely nothing about the FO yet, but it seems fair to assume they are not an Imperial Remnant that has rebranded, given the Imperials loathed Aliens, and Snoke is rather Alieny looking!
How many of you guys, who like me were avid EU Readers, when Snoke appeared the first time immediately got excited and thought IT'S ADMIRAL BLOODY THRAWN!!!!!! (I did I am ashamed to admit
I know he only shares skin colour, but it depends on the licensing deal that Del Rey made when they got the go ahead to produce the EU Novels. In Doctor Who for example, the Terry Nation Estate owns the copyright to the Daleks, and there is absolutely nothing to stop them from licensing the Daleks to appear in another franchise, or their own movie or TV Series, BUT for any such non BBC appearance, the Daleks used could not resemble any Daleks that have appeared under the BBC Brand. It's a bit of a vague concept, but take the Bronze Dalek design in use since Dr Who returned in 2005 you could not replicate that design. I am not sure how much colour is affected though, it is easy to tweak it enough to make it different enough from the BBC designs, but I don't know if copyright would also stop you from painting your new design Bronze, or using the White and Gold design of the Imperial Daleks of late 80's classic Dr Who.
So I did wonder if it was a similar deal going on, they used Thrawn but had to give him a different look to any Del Rey or other non Lucasarts originated products.
