Star Wars: The Force Awakens -contains spoilers

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  • Star Wars: The Force Awakens -contains spoilers

    Just saw it. I really don't understand all the rediculously positive reviews it's getting. It was ok, but nothing great. It didn't feel like a grand adventure movie. It felt small. The tempo is high, but it doesn't flow, just like Star Trek Into Darkness. The scenes don't turn well, it's too dark and the characterization is very shallow. Why is everyone a fighter? That takes suspense out. Ultimately it lacked a sense of wonder.

    Kylo Ren was really good though and it is better than the prequels.

  • #2
    Re: New Star Wars: The Force Awakens Poster Is Here

    I'll be brief. Just saw it, cant type well on my phone so forgive me.

    I loved it, it's not perfect by any stretch but you can see kasdans influence in a good way here. It's a tight, hectic, crazy story. A couple of goofy things, but overall very entertaining with a lot of heart and humor.

    It's a shame kasdan didn't write the prequels. The content of the story there was more compelling, but this is a much stronger film.

    Kudos for Abrams for getting him involved and doing this right. The first and third acts are excellent. Looking forward to the next one. What little criticism of the film there has been has been very superficial, and I don't think very thoughtful ir accurate. Just go enjoy the film.

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    • #3
      Re: New Star Wars: The Force Awakens Poster Is Here

      I liked it. I want to let it settle a bit in my mind before I really try to put a number on it, but I enjoyed it far more than the prequels. I felt like it captured the essence of the original trilogy. Was it as innovative? No, but it had some of the same magic at points. I understand the criticism that it's too derivative of the first trilogy, but at the same time I'd much rather that than get a muddled dogpile like the prequels.

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      • #4
        Re: New Star Wars: The Force Awakens Poster Is Here

        Finn was the best character in the movie. And the most fleshed out. His chemistry with Han was great. Rey.... We need to see where her character is headed. She came off very one note.

        Oscar Isaac was good in limited screentime.

        I expect the 2nd movie to be much darker in tone. Which is why I think they hired Rian Johnson. This second movie will be his EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

        Overall better than the Prequels. But many similar beats from A NEW HOPE. I'm hyped for Johnson's movie.

        At least this movie put Star Wars back on the right track again.

        I liked the diversity in casting. Great job by JJ & Kennedy on that.

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        • #5
          Re: New Star Wars: The Force Awakens Poster Is Here

          Okay, I'm going to be as fair as possible here and state everything I liked and disliked...

          Let me first say, I really liked the movie a lot. It basically was a remake of "A New Hope," but for some reason, I thought it was fitting...

          Things I liked:

          1. I thought the acting was fantastic. Ford was really good, really brought the character back to life. Adam Driver was phenomenal and if he isn't nominated for an Oscar, it's a catastrophe. Jon Boyega was really good as well and honestly, so was Daisy Ridley. I even thought Isaac was terrific. And the new droid (BB8) was very funny.

          2. Everything just seemed so real and that was so refreshing after the ridiculous prequels.

          Now from here I'm going to post spoilers, so do not continue reading if you don't wish to see any.

          SPOILERS!!!

          Things I didn't like:

          1. The Millennium Falcon starting the movie in the possession of another low level gangster character from a desert planet. I just think the Falcon was way too important to Han for it not to start the movie with him.

          2. And this is seriously the only real problem I had with the movie - You can't tell a back story about Kylo Ren (Han and Leia's kid), killing all of Luke's apprentices and then have a deserted storm trooper hold his own against him in his first light saber fight. AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, have him lose to Daisy Ridley in her first light saber fight, when she has no experience with a light saber and that's keeping it at a minimum. That was such a critical error, it's not even funny, and there's a scene at the end of the movie that makes me believe they realized that, but it was too late in the game, so they tried to make a quick fix to rectify it by having the Snoke character mention to the General that he needs to complete Ren's training.
          Last edited by bmcthomas; 12-18-2015, 05:41 AM.

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          • #6
            Re: New Star Wars: The Force Awakens Poster Is Here

            Also just returned from seeing. Miles and miles better than Episode 1-3. A great job storywise setting the new characters. The third act is when the gloves come off. And like all good serials, more questions than answers. Gets a solid 8 from me on a scale of Empire Strikes Back being a 10.

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            • #7
              Re: New Star Wars: The Force Awakens Poster Is Here

              Haven't seen it yet, but **** you guys for making them close off Hollywood Blvd. and make going to my gym an ordeal!

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              • #8
                Re: New Star Wars: The Force Awakens Poster Is Here

                I saw it in a theater that was only 3/4 full and filled with the most low energy folks imaginable. I think it really made a difference in my own enjoyment level.

                I agree the acting was excellent and I cared as much about Finn, Rey, and BB8 as I ever did about the old heroes.

                There were some moments in the script where I thought they should have given the audience more credit for being able to figure things out, and there were some plot points that I thought defied logic, but aren't there always?

                Definitely darker in tone than the previews and reviews made it seem. My kids were quite distraught in the end! (And coming from the generation where "seeing the next Star Wars movie" means putting in another DVD, the ending really ticked them off!

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                • #9
                  Re: New Star Wars: The Force Awakens Poster Is Here

                  Originally posted by Spanky View Post
                  Things I didn't like:

                  2. And this is seriously the only real problem I had with the movie ...
                  Just a rebuttal to this. NOTE. SPOILERS! DO NOT READ BELOW IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN

                  Agree it's ridiculous on paper but a) Ren was fighting with a laser wound to the gut b) he was kicking Rey's butt before she sort of caught him by surprise with one offensive c) I think we're going to see Rey's father might explain why she has a higher upside than Ren. Her father actually became a Jedi, whereas Leia never did train in the Jedi ways it seems. (that's my conjecture, but feel like its heavily hinted at in the film.)

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                  • #10
                    Re: New Star Wars: The Force Awakens Poster Is Here

                    My thought re the spoilered discussion - which also contains spoilers -

                    I was not bothered by Rey defeating Ren because it's part of the mythos that good ultimately overpowers evil. And, I found it plausible that Ren was struggling because he'd earlier admitted feeling conflicted, in the fight itself he kept hitting himself in the chest as if to literally "pump up". I can easily imagine that he was faltering because 1) killing Han wasn't the big power boost he thought it would be and 2) he's jealous/intrigued/disarmed that Rey instinctively has the kind of power he does not, even with his training.

                    My sticking point was that it made no sense to me that Ren would be obsessed with evil-era Vader. Didn't Uncle Luke tell him the part where Vader renounced the emperor and threw him down a shaft? And went to Jedi heaven with Obi Wan and Yoda? And to that point, Vader is a ghost, he couldn't show up and say "look grandson, you've got it all wrong"?

                    Hopefully something that will be elaborated upon in the next one.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

                      I thought it was about 75% Star Wars and 25% JJ Abrams.

                      There were way too many huge coincidences and the humor was a little too modern for it to be a classic like the original, but it was a fun watch.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

                        Guys, I apologize for not emphasizing more that spoilers were coming. I definitely should've made it broader. again, I apologize.

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                        • #13
                          Re: New Star Wars: The Force Awakens Poster Is Here

                          bmcthomas, I replied to your PM and gave my opinion to yours there.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

                            But don't you think the tempo was a bit too fast? The characters never got much quiet time. It's like showing sex without any buildup, or a heist without the planning. I feel a lot of the emotions weren't earned. The droid was the only one who really worked on the feelings front.

                            For instance, in the very beginning, when Rey has the opportunity to sell the droid for apparently a lot of value, she feels it would be wrong and doesn't do it. I don't feel that was natural, especially given her harsh and poor life there. She hadn't gotten a deep enough relationship with him to turn down that offer. If she really is that tough she would have sold him. Just showing us more time with Rey and the droid beforehand would easily remedy this.

                            This is just one example, there are many like this. What also suffers because of this haste and lack of building towards a point, the scope of the movie actually suffers. When we have scenes and sequences that actually have payoffs, we get a sense of meaningful movement from a state to another. It's like we step into a new world every time then, like in the old trilogy. But in the force awakens things go too fast, it's like we're in the same place, the same state of mind, only with different locations.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

                              I really enjoyed it, but I had a lot of moments like "Wait, why?"

                              SPOILERS:
                              Why the mislead about Poe? We see him in later scenes in the trailer. So just tell us how he escaped.

                              When they escape Jakku aboard the Falcon, how does the First Order not see them? How are they not immediately on top of them?

                              Was anyone else super confused by the timeline and the back story. What is the Republic? And how is it different than the Resistance? The First Order destroys the republic with the super weapon?(Was that Coruscant?) I was so confused, and it was so poorly explained what's happened since.Specially in light of all the battle strewn ships on Jakku.

                              How the hell did they see the laser beam from the super weapon from that planet they were on with Maz?

                              Luke Skywalker is basically an extra in the film? Hated that ending. That look. If he's a master jedi by now I wanted to see him say something like, that he knows all that's transpired.

                              They killed HAN!!! How is no one upset about that?

                              All the shots of people making secret phone calls was kind of annoying.

                              How quickly Rey learns her powers. It's safe to assume she's Luke's daughter, at least that's my guess.

                              The fact that there was a super weapon. How paltry the Resistance's fleet was. Don't they have giant ships?

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