Star Wars episode 7: The Force Awakens

I've seen the thing twice now. It's really good. A few things bothered me a little, like the no-look blaster firing bit and a few other small things. But did it feel to anyone else like this was a write-by-numbers film? It just felt like they took all those iconic moments from the original trilogy and jumbled them up into a "new" plot. I get that it was largely a nostalgia piece, and was meant to be, but they could have gone for a bit more new stuff. But that's just me.

As a side note, just about the only thing I like from the Star Wars prequels is the more elegant and stylish Jedi fights. I love the idea that in the Old Republic the Jedi were basically Chinese-style wuxia badasses, but with the fall of the Republic and the Order the fighting style devolved into vaguely Japanese-style sword duels or more accurately European-style sword duels.

I'm guessing that in the next one

Rey will find out that she's either a separated twin of Ren/Ben or Luke's daughter.

Anyone else think Supreme Leader Snoke looks an awful lot like the Inquisitor from Rebels?
 
I liked it. The humour, action and new characters carried me through the elements copied from ANH and the obvious geographical and political plot flaws. On Poe, my issue with him was that he was paper-thin, a hero-by-numbers without any depth who is presumably set to be the Han-type in the series.

A good start but it must take its own path in the next film.
 
alchemist said:
I liked it. The humour, action and new characters carried me through the elements copied from ANH and the obvious geographical and political plot flaws. On Poe, my issue with him was that he was paper-thin, a hero-by-numbers without any depth who is presumably set to be the Han-type in the series.

A good start but it must take its own path in the next film.
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Yes, that was my issue with Poe, not the acting per se - the lines were well enough delivered, but there was little of note behind them. As far as sexy space pilots go, he has a long way to come up to the best. (Not that I'm ever looking...:D)
 
I went in with a lot of expectations which I rarely do, so that may be part of the reason for my disappointment. Unlike some of you here, I actually really liked Poe though. I have a list of why I didn't get the movie below. Don't ban me! These are just my opinions :)

First off, I liked the start. I thought it was good to see the First Order go down and kill mercilessly. That sets the tone for what they are willing to do. I liked Fin's build up just fine. My problem with this movie is everything was just so easy to do. The droid just happens to find the girl with the force. Then Fin just happens to run into them both right away on Jaku. Then they find the falcon there....and of course moments after getting into space, Han and Chewie find them and bring them in...The dialogue between Leia and Han is horrible. No chemistry, and it was so poorly executed. I felt like those two had lost their heart for it and it didn't work for me. Then I get to the bad guy, Kylo Ren. He was the worst. He felt weak, snotty, bratty and had no qualities I like to see in a bad guy. He is the big bad guy, and Fin actually can fight him for a minute with a saber???!!!! I was okay with the fact he was a Solo, but why would Luke run away because of this kid? I mean Luke could just destroy him! It just didn't add up to me. Then I had issues with how easy it was for them to blow up the new 'death star planet'. They literally just walked around it setting explosives around. That makes for the 3rd death star type thing that was blown up. I doubt they would ever try something like that after the first 2 epic fails. And why was Golem in this movie?? On a huge projector. That felt a little Guardians of the Galaxy to me and didn't fit in with Star Wars to me. I really wanted to like it but the nostalgia wasn't enough for me unfortunately.
 
Dear gods but there are a lot of easily pleased people in the world. Everything Ratsy said and more. To me the whole thing looked like it had been phoned in - a friend (who liked it and came out of the cinema beaming from ear to ear) said she loved all the references to all the other films in the series. It struck me that if you took out all the references to all the other films in the series there would be precious little left. It'll keep the franchise alive and sell a lot more toys and merchandising - which is where I guess Disney make their real money. So I guess it did its job.

And, for a film set in an ethnically and species diverse universe, the central premise of a family of white genetically-superior Übermensch deciding the destiny of millions is a bit hard to stomach these days.
 
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JunkMonkey said:
Dear gods but there are a lot of easily pleased people in the world. Everything Ratsy said and more. To me the whole thing looked like it had been phoned in - a friend (who liked it and came out of the cinema beaming from ear to ear) said she loved all the references to all the other films in the series.
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It could be others are easily pleased or it could be you are not. Or it could be, geez, I don't know, differences in opinion?

Either way Disney got your couple of bucks!
 
I know I am harsh when it comes to movies so it's fine. Nostalgia can only take you so far...at least with me.
 
ratsy said:
I know I am harsh when it comes to movies so it's fine. Nostalgia can only take you so far...at least with me.
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Not harsh, just accurate.

I expect Supreme Leader Snoad will actually look more like this when the big reveal is made
Balok2.jpg
 
Vince W said:
Not harsh, just accurate.

I expect Supreme Leader Snoad will actually look more like this when the big reveal is made
Balok2.jpg
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General spoiler:

From what I read Andy Serkis the guy who plays *Snoke had to do some greenscreen equivalent work. The concept art has him as super thin and like 7 ft tall as well.
 
I have to admit to a sense of the film seeming a little rushed in parts - the planets issue was a howler. But the pros far outweighed the negatives for me, and I enjoyed it far more than the prequels. The kids really enjoyed it too, which proves it wasn't just for the fanboys like me. :D
 
If the prequels didn't exist, though, and we didn't have that comparison to make, I wonder if the reaction would be quite so positive. I think their very existence boosts this film's appeal.
 
Culhwch said:
If the prequels didn't exist, though, and we didn't have that comparison to make, I wonder if the reaction would be quite so positive. I think their very existence boosts this film's appeal.
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Heh, the sheer relief adding to the review scores...:D

In contrast to @Brian Turner my kids were far from blown away. Their acme remains Guardians of the Galaxy.
 
Watched it today and liked it lots, which doesn't mean I can't find faults in it.

Beginning with the Starkiller weapon. It drains a star to destroy a target. The damned planet has to be able to move from system to system for every target (unless it's a binary system, goodbye Tatooine). Finn knew which system the weapon was built in, so I am presuming it was a binary system to start off with.

Finn and the lightsabre duel with Kylo Ren, since Finn fought with the Riot Control stormy, I guess he had Riot Control training as well and so had something to spar with his trooper buddies, the lightsabre was just an upgraded riot weapon. But I think it was Han who killed the RC stormy. So does Finn have a touch of the Force to use the lightsabre? Maybe it also allowed him to be able to defect...

Also didn't like the absence of the Y-Wing and A-Wing fighters and Rebel big ships. (Never liked the B-Wings, sorry [shrugs])

Oh, don't like the TIE fighter being two-man ship. Okay if they had stolen a TIE bomber, but far as I saw, the rest of the TIE fighters were one man ships.

And I loved the Daniel Craig stormtrooper sequence. I wonder if they will do an action figure of him with detachable helmet?
 
Culhwch said:
If the prequels didn't exist, though, and we didn't have that comparison to make, I wonder if the reaction would be quite so positive. I think their very existence boosts this film's appeal.
Click to expand...

I tried to go see the film yesterday and when I got to the theater every showing was sold out. Amazing but not surprising.:)
 
I made that point on IMDb. Of course he wasn't a sanitation worker, he just guarded doors in the sanitation department.

Looks like they did learn something from the first Death Star!
 
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