Star Wars: The Force Awakens Discussion (Spoilers Inside)

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AetherDream

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I bought my ticket weeks in advance, I waited outside of a theater in the cold for two hours at the head of a long line of Star Wars fans, I got the best seat in the house, took my seat and watched the most hyped movie of the decade. As star ships screamed across the sky, blasters scorched the scenery and John Boyega sweat profusely, I began to realize something: I'd seen this movie before. Not being the most avid Star Wars fan myself, it took me a few scenes to understand what exactly I was watching and when I did, I was confused. So there I sat through the rest of the movie just wondering if anyone else had realized what was going on, what we had actually paid money to see. It was only after the roaring applause had died down, the credits had finished rolling and I walked towards the exit heard something that answered my question, "Wow, well that movie was great! Way better than the Phantom Menace!" The well had still been poisoned from Episode I-III. The people had loved The Force Awakens. They loved what amounted to little more than an updated version of A New Hope.

With that intro out of the way, let's get to talking about this movie! As you may have gathered from what I said above, I don't really think all that highly of the film. Sure it was very pretty and the action scenes were cool but that's all there was to the movie. The story was just a retread of what we've all seen before in A New Hope. The new characters weren't interesting (particularly John Boyega's) and the plot was so painfully safe. Maybe I'm just not a big enough Star Wars fan...but hell, even I saw all of the callbacks to the original movies. Why is everyone so happy to watch a movie that they've watched before?

So, what did you all think?
 
Drove past the theater on Thursday night around 11 and shouted spoilers.

Otherwise from what I've heard, not impressed with what I've heard. It sounds like a 're imagining' of A New Hope. Everyone agrees visuals look good, Ford was pretty spot on (until that point), and the rest of the old cast fit well. Seems to me like Rey's a Mary-Sue, Finn is shoehorned in, and Ren got shafted as a character pretty early on.

Also fuck JJ.
 
Drove past the theater on Thursday night around 11 and shouted spoilers.

Otherwise from what I've heard, not impressed with what I've heard. It sounds like a 're imagining' of A New Hope. Everyone agrees visuals look good, Ford was pretty spot on (until that point), and the rest of the old cast fit well. Seems to me like Rey's a Mary-Sue, Finn is shoehorned in, and Ren got shafted as a character pretty early on.

Also fuck JJ.
The problem with the characters is that they aren't given any amount of time to develop. Rey gets her force powers and learns how to use them in the span of 0 seconds for little to no reason other than it needed to happen. Kylo "Baby Face" Ren wasn't as intimidating as he was a bit of a crybaby who throws temper tantrums. Finn was just...a disappointment. He's a nice guy but the trailers set him up to be something that he's not. What is more problematic is how everything is rushed in the movie from the second act.

As for a "re imagining" of a New Hope, that's putting it very gently. It was essentially, A New Hope 2.0. That said, the visuals were incredible, a true feast for the eyes. But that's where the movie is strongest, the spectacle.
 
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The problem with the characters is that they aren't given any amount of time to develop. Rey get's her force powers and learns how to use them in the span of 0 seconds for little to no reason other than it needed to happen. Kylo "Baby Face" Ren wasn't as intimidating as he was a bit of a crybaby who throws temper tantrums. Finn was just...a disappointment. He's a nice guy but the trailers set him up to be something that he's not. What is more problematic is how everything is rushed in the movie from the second act.

As for a "re imagining" of a New Hope, that's putting it very gently. It was essentially, A New Hope 2.0. That said, the visuals were incredible, a true feast for the eyes. But that's where the movie is strongest, the spectacle.

Amazing. Someone agrees with me!

All I've heard is rumor and hearsay from a few people and a lot of other online forums. Everything you said is dead on to what I heard.

But then again, what do millions of rabid flavor of the month fans care about a few old movie fans who feel disenfranchised? It made its money. It's this generations episode 1.

Unlike the other mocks though I think it'll fade into relative obscurity after a few months, 2-3, or until the next blockbuster comes out. A new hope and the others were in theaters for quite a while if memory serves. Was too young to judge Ep 1,2, and 3 though so can't say.
 
Amazing. Someone agrees with me!

All I've heard is rumor and hearsay from a few people and a lot of other online forums. Everything you said is dead on to what I heard.

But then again, what do millions of rabid flavor of the month fans care about a few old movie fans who feel disenfranchised? It made its money. It's this generations episode 1.

Unlike the other mocks though I think it'll fade into relative obscurity after a few months, 2-3, or until the next blockbuster comes out. A new hope and the others were in theaters for quite a while if memory serves. Was too young to judge Ep 1,2, and 3 though so can't say.
I think this movie will stick around for a little while, I'm not sure for how long though. I suppose my biggest issue with the whole endeavor is that it didn't take any risks, it didn't try anything new. It was trying so hard to pander to a demographic who have seen and love the original trilogy while at the same time making the story accessible enough that people who have no idea what's going on can more or less enjoy it. This movie had more fan-service than fanfiction.net. And again, I don't think it's a bad movie, it's just...it's ok, it's not good. It doesn't stand enough on its own merits to be considered a good movie.
 
I don't necessarily mind that it was A New Hope 2.0. In its own (albeit self-referential) way, it created a decent means to relate both the older generation of characters and the newer one. Yeah, it's another Death Star (and, in movie sequel way, 'bigger and better' for no reason), yeah there's another Emperor character, and Jakku is basically Tatooine with only one sun.

They cast the complete wrong actor for Ren. I think Andy Driver's a decent actor, but placing him as Ren was almost as terrible a choice as Hayden Christensen for Anakin in the II-III. His moments without the mask were cringe-worthy and took away any seriousness in his character.

While I wasn't exactly bothered by the lack of depth in the characters, as the original trilogy didn't flesh out its characters very well until Empire Strikes Back, there was a certain lack of formality in the script that I didn't quite enjoy. Poe and Finn's bro-speak felt forced and I'm still not sure why Finn turned traitor within the span of 30 seconds - particularly given the line from Phasma "This is his first offense"; I guess it all went downhill when he took off the helmet without permission.

Rey get's her force powers and learns how to use them in the span of 0 seconds for little to no reason other than it needed to happen.
I can't think of a reason why that happened. I was really hoping they'd stick with the stormtrooper not falling for that mind trick, but then he did, and Rey went from untrained smuggler to badass. And since apparently Han Solo's junky freighter has security cameras and the Bigger, Badder Death Star doesn't, I guess they had it coming. I think if Rey hadn't beaten Ren as handily as she did, it would have been a bit more plausible.

Overall, I don't think we can make a truly fair judgment until the second movie. If that is also an Empire Strikes Back clone, then I think there's a lot to be said about this series just being fanservice and not trying to do anything compelling with a very solid franchise.
 
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I don't necessarily mind that it was A New Hope 2.0. In its own (albeit self-referential) way, it created a decent means to relate both the older generation of characters and the newer one. Yeah, it's another Death Star (and, in movie sequel way, 'bigger and better' for no reason), yeah there's another Emperor character, and Jakku is basically Tatooine with only one sun.

They cast the complete wrong actor for Ren. I think Andy Driver's a decent actor, but placing him as Ren was almost as terrible a choice as Hayden Christensen for Anakin in the II-III. His moments without the mask were cringe-worthy and took away any seriousness in his character.

While I wasn't exactly bothered by the lack of depth in the characters, as the original trilogy didn't flesh out its characters very well until Empire Strikes Back, there was a certain lack of formality in the script that I didn't quite enjoy. Poe and Finn's bro-speak felt forced and I'm still not sure why Finn turned traitor within the span of 30 seconds - particularly given the line from Phasma "This is his first offense"; I guess it all went downhill when he took off the helmet without permission.


I can't think of a reason why that happened. I was really hoping they'd stick with the stormtrooper not falling for that mind trick, but then he did, and Rey went from untrained smuggler to badass. And since apparently Han Solo's junky freighter has security cameras and the Bigger, Badder Death Star doesn't, I guess they had it coming. I think if Rey hadn't beaten Ren as handily as she did, it would have been a bit more plausible.

Overall, I don't think we can make a truly fair judgment until the second movie. If that is also an Empire Strikes Back clone, then I think there's a lot to be said about this series just being fanservice and not trying to do anything compelling with a very solid franchise.
Oh man, when Krylo first took off his helmet my first reaction was, "Really? Why is he look so childish? Why...we really need to see less teeth." The fact that he literally threw temper tantrums in two scenes was beyond silly. It didn't help that his daddy issues were so front and center in his personality if only to parallel the father-son struggle in the original trilogy. It was like JJ and the writer were sitting in a room and someone said, "Hey, remember how Luke and Darth had a whole thing going on?" and JJ was like, "yeah" and that dude went on to say, "What if we did that again but like, this time the son goes to the Dark Side?" and then JJ shat his pants with glee.

Finn was just...I really went into the movie looking forward to his character after seeing the trailers. But like you said, his character ark was absurdly rushed and his friendship with Poe went from stranger to best bud in no time at all.

Funny thing is, until you mentioned Phasma, I'd totally forgotten that she was even a character. As far as I can tell she was put down a garbage shoot and never heard from again. Who knows, maybe she died with Death Star 2.0 blew up.

Gotta love how they make this ultimate super weapon appear in the first of three films only to blow it the heck up in the same film. Where can they go from there? They can't possibly go bigger, that would just be silly.
 
Hayden is actually a great actor. I speculate that nobody liked him because he perfectly portrayed how a 15 year old actually acts.

I did not read anything or participate in any discussions. All I watched were the trailers. I went to the movie and enjoyed it. It played safe enough while introducing enough new stuff to make me want to watch the next one.

If you judge 7 on its own you're missing what the entire SW franchise is: a solid B level space opera that doesn't take itself that seriously. There was nothing different about 7's formula than the other 6, from the 'too much plot too little time' to the breakneck transitions.

Windsong, you're a cunt and you're talking about something you haven't even seen.
 
Hayden is actually a great actor. I speculate that nobody liked him because he perfectly portrayed how a 15 year old actually acts.

I did not read anything or participate in any discussions. All I watched were the trailers. I went to the movie and enjoyed it. It played safe enough while introducing enough new stuff to make me want to watch the next one.

If you judge 7 on its own you're missing what the entire SW franchise is: a solid B level space opera that doesn't take itself that seriously. There was nothing different about 7's formula than the other 6, from the 'too much plot too little time' to the breakneck transitions.

Windsong, you're a cunt and you're talking about something you haven't even seen.
Unfortunately I think they played it far too safe. I felt that the movie was far better an homage than it was a movie. It followed the beats of A New Hope down to the letter and fan serviced it all to death. I suppose I was just hoping for more than what I ultimately got. I was hoping for the cinematic universe to open up in a new and exciting way and take things in fun directions, instead I got something that I'd already seen before. Until last night, I'd never said, "Hey, I've seen this before," to myself while watching a movie. Now I haven't seen A New Hope in many, many years, but when I saw The Force Awakens, I was instantly reminded of the entire plot. I feel like Star Wars fans deserve more than what kinda felt like pandering fan service. But hey, I guess some people can really get behind a re-telling of a tried and true story.
 
It satisfies the thirst of old fans while retelling what hooked them to a younger audience that may not have seen the originals.

I don't like debating about SW too much (besides how hilarious it can be). There's a limit to how much you can talk about a $12 bottle of wine (price of a ticket).
 
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It satisfies the thirst of old fans while retelling what hooked them to a younger audience that may not have seen the originals.

I don't like debating about SW too much (besides how hilarious it can be). There's a limit to how much you can talk about a $12 bottle of wine (price of a ticket).
But isn't it strange? Why would old fans be satisfied with a blatant retelling of A New Hope? Not saying that I didn't have a good time at the movies, I just wanted more is all. It was fun to see everything looking HD and what not, but the steak had no juice! The wine had no...grapes? I don't really know wine :(
 
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I had fun ... I certainly wouldn't say it's a masterpiece of any sort, and it did have some pretty blatant callbacks, like the garbage chute. The real test is the next movie. Rogue Squadron will probably be good too.
 
I had fun ... I certainly wouldn't say it's a masterpiece of any sort, and it did have some pretty blatant callbacks, like the garbage chute. The real test is the next movie. Rogue Squadron will probably be good too.
Sure it was fun, but I'd say it had way more than some blatant callbacks. The movie opens with a rebel trying to get important plans to the rebel base but then gets attacked by the Empire and has to send his droid away with the plans before being captured by Darth Vader but luckily said droid is found by the protagonist. And that was just the opening.
 
Windsong, you're a cunt and you're talking about something you haven't even seen.

Hey, piss-for-brains. I stated I didn't see it and was basing it all on second hand info.

And last time I checked, recommendations and banter with people you know is better marketing than any trailer or critic review. Prick.
 
Drove past the theater on Thursday night around 11 and shouted spoilers.
Rofl

Seems to me like Rey's a Mary-Sue, Finn is shoehorned in, and Ren got shafted as a character pretty early on.
> Troll bait without any evidence, even though you claim you spoiled the movie for yourself already

Also fuck JJ.
> Feelings without seeing the movie
 
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Drove past the theater on Thursday night around 11 and shouted spoilers.

Otherwise from what I've heard, not impressed with what I've heard. It sounds like a 're imagining' of A New Hope. Everyone agrees visuals look good, Ford was pretty spot on (until that point), and the rest of the old cast fit well. Seems to me like Rey's a Mary-Sue, Finn is shoehorned in, and Ren got shafted as a character pretty early on.

Also fuck JJ.
There is so much angst and edge in this post that it could have been written by Anakin himself.
 
There is so much angst and edge in this post that it could have been written by Anakin himself.
Also could have been written by Krylo Ren or as he will eventually become, Darth Tantrum.
 
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They did go a bit overboard. Darth Vader choked people out, and I get you can't have that be his gimmick, but one lightsaber sweep'll do just fine to convey 'Kylo has a temper.' That scene where the stormtroopers walked out of the hallway felt straight like a scene out of College Humor's Troopers series, and I don't know how I feel about that.
 
Take it to PMs if you two are gonna have at. Purdy preeze!

Yeah, I was going to shit all over the movie and you guys are shitting all over each other, makes it hard to gripe. ಠ_ಠ

Anyway: Fucking hated it. Like lots of people said: It was a retread of Episode IV with bits of Episode V thrown in. Rey's a Mary Sue and Ren needed to be kicked in the nuts, and not just 'cause he killed the only part of the movie I liked.
Also: Why the fuck isn't Leia a goddamn Jedi!? She's the twin sister of the greatest force user ever and instead is just... there. She should be the one in the middle of nowhere, moping about how her greatest failure was letting her son fall to the dark side. Then we coulda had Luke, Han, and the gang looking for Leia to help defeat Snoke 'n the Knights of Ren and also train Rey while Luke leads the Resistance. Having such heavy shit happen to her would also have explained why Carrie Fisher sounds like she's 80 in the film, no offense to the actually way younger Mrs. Fisher.

Also: Fuck me, 3PO had a Jar Jar moment. Goddamn you Abrams.

Also #3: Luke could have communicated to Rey through the Force and it would have taken some of the edge off of Rey's Mary Sue powers and would have made his big reveal at the very end that much more powerful. Not ONE "Use the Force, Rey!"

Also part D: Why, in a production that prioritized practical effects over digital effects, was Snoke fucking CGI? And not even halfway decent CGI like Planet of the Apes, holy shit.

Still Also: Why the fuck is the Resistance a thing? They're being supplied by the New Republic, which likely could have just Zerg rushed the First Order at any time. Hell, they did nothing while the First Order was kidnapping children to use as their stormtroopers.

Yet more also: Holy shit, Starkiller Base totally didn't have security cameras and Han's freighter did! Thanks for pointing this out, Kraken!

Okay, gripe over. ._.
 
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