The HOLDO moment...

The way I figure it is if Holdo didn't do it Poe probably would've. He is that daring.

 

#JusticeForAckbar

 

The OP obviously makes sense, but what has more impact. Holdo self sacrifice to get the shot (scene) or droid pilot to get the shot.

Answer is obvious, if not real-world realistic.

 

I went back and looked at it (RO) again and yes, you're right - it was powering up it's light-speed engines at the time it collided with Vader's ship, but hadn't started the jump. At that speed it's just a collision in space.

 

Plus a droid wouldn't have made that decision.

 

It is a great scene visually, but AMC is now posting a warning/notice that the scene has no audio for dramatic effect - that is the audience going to the theater these days - a scene that has deep visual impact (and occurs in space, where there is no sound) requires a warning. Goodness.

http://variety.com/2017/film/news/star-wars-the-last-jedi-amc-warning-silent-scene-1202648766/

 

My spouse had this very question. I guess we figured that the both the target and the ramming ship had to be of considerable size in order for the latter to be hit and the former to be big enough to get through the shields, that they would have to be in close proximity, and that someone would have to stay behind. Not to mention the loss of machinery. The Rebels in particular would be acutely sensitive to the last two conditions, the FO not so much. But their weakness would be hubris- they'd never entertain such a desperate tactic as they are always sure they are on the verge of victory.

--- Double Post Merged, Dec 27, 2017, Original Post Date: Dec 27, 2017 ---

I actually plug my ears now because I hate the moment when the sound comes back on.
My kids always plug their ears in theaters, except the oldest who just won't go due to sensory and emotional overload. Theaters really have turned it up to 11.

 

I think it's more SW's way to speak to the human element. It's not BSG with cylons obvious, but I believe in the SW universe, humans have instinct that isn't matched by droids because they constantly get mind wiped so they don't turn on biological life forms. In the EU, now legends, there was some mention of instances where droids turned on humans on certain planets. I'd guess some of that might remain in some form as the reasoning in this new canon.

 

I'm not sure a kamikaze mission was her plan. It was all she had left.

I thought it was a poignant moment....ultimate sacrifice for the greater good.

It's like when you are still out at 2am. Taco Bell wasn't ever your plan....but it's what you are left with.

Balls to ya baby!!!!

 

Visually beautiful and stunning ... sadly also creates the question, why didn’t they do this with the previous two ships the resistance let blow up... and or at any point during the previous saga or standalone films. Massive continuity problem, a massive factor in this film.

I’m not overly bothered about Holdo staying behind, after all, a captain (of sorts) goes down with their ship.

 

Exactly. Like I said. Holdo had no plan.
You're right. No one plans 2am Taco Bell runs. It is an act of desperation.

 

It was a beautiful scene, I really liked the idea. And I guess it was supposed to be an emotional moment too, but it didn't work for me because Holdo was beyond annoying. What exactly kept her from explaining her plan to the rest of the Resistance? How did she even get that far in the Resistance with her "no communication with subordinates" policy? The woman was the worst leader imaginable, so incompetent that she caused a mutiny. And the purple/lilac/whatever hair really annoyed me for some reason. I disliked her from the moment I saw her pictures, and the movie did nothing to change my opinion.

 

I thought it was a genuine question, my bad.

 

I wonder...






Really the concept of Holdo is not too far off of Hodor's character.

 

So very glad someone started a thread on Holdo!

Sooo like, we know that TLJ shares some Jurassic Park DNA, hence the rippling cup of water referenced...

How could Laura Dern's character in JP be a clue to whats going on in Star Wars?

 

I agree the aliens have been underutilized. However, I'll take that over the prequel handling. The aliens in the prequels, especially the voices, were much more like Saturday morning cartoons than star wars. I suspect Disney wanted to avoid doing the same, but all they had to do was handle it like the OT. Greedo, Jabba, ackbar, etc all managed to not sound as absurd as the gungans, watto, trade federation, pretty much all of them. I'd like to see more of the alien species we already know in ep 9 as opposed to tons of new ones like canto bight.

I think Holdo needed to make the sacrifice because up to that point i think her character's loyalty seemed a little ambiguous. Through the ordeal with Poe staging a coup to usurp control, i was starting to suspect Holdo was a possible traitor. Her sacrifice ultimately proved her loyalty and selflessness. I don't think Ackbar or Nunb would've accomplished the same, but I hate that classic OT characters were killed off screen. I suspect there could be more to this in the deleted scenes when digital and bluray come out

 

Nien Numb is fine. He was talking to Finn during the final scene on the Falcon.

 

pretty much everything about the Holdo plot didn't make sense:

• From been set up for the audience and Poe to believe that she is incompetent and maybe cowardly forcing him to come up with their convoluted plan that didn't make a lot of sense, just becuase she felt the need to keep her plan of escaping Crate to herself.
• Then their is the escaping in cloaked ships.... that the New Order can detect if they do a de-cloaking scan? why don't they always do de cloaking scan?
• Then theirs the why does she need to stay behind when their is automation/droids.....
• Then she flys the ship at lightspeed through the new orders fleet destroying it? if ships can do that why doesn't every one do that? just build alot of automated kamikaze ships that can fly through an enemy fleet destroying it, it makes the whole idea of fleets redundant

Add to that the whole thing takes place against the back drop of of ships that can't just to light speed been chased by ships that can and so could easily take over them, but that is never mentioned!

 

Maybe that's why ole George put a "Nooooo" soundbite in RotJ ..


On topic, as some users have said, I agree that the whole "hyperspace the FO to smithereens" was a last resort, after seeing the transport ships being shot one for one. A last, desperate, moment of improvising.
Also, as for the whole Holdo's motives don't make sense from the start, including Poe going on is own rogue mission, I think this again adds to the theme of failure throughout the film. Holdo in the film, to me, was there to add to Poe's arc, starting as some hotshot devil may care ace pilot and ending up leading what's left of the Resistance.

So, although on the first hand some things might not make sense, I think that most of the film was pretty worked out, if you take those themes in account.