SlyFoxx on 31/12/2015 at 13:57
I find trying to analyze any of the Star Wars movies a bit pointless. It's the greatest B movie franchise. But that's like being the smartest kid on the short bus. Of course that doesn't mean you can't have fun riding the short bus...lots in fact.
I went, I saw and I had great fun. That's the point of a Star Wars movie.
Judith on 31/12/2015 at 14:41
It plays way too safe, but I guess that's Disney protecting their asset, not J.J. Abrams' decisions. He did his homework on recreating a 70s space opera, sure, but he had much more freedom with Star Treks. Fortunately, the youngsters are doing well (mostly). Rey sells 90% of the movie with her eyes, Finn is pretty likable too, only Kylo Ren is a bit underwhelming (but still better than adolescent Anakin). And he's a good actor too, I hope his character will be developed in the next one. All in all, TFA is mostly fun, but not a "2015 Star Wars movie", so I hope it doesn't set the tone for the entire new trilogy. IMO one thing that didn't age well in particular is the approach to film score. That scene where the Empire slaughters civilians and burns down the whole village is like watching a war movie with Gone with the wind in the background.
Tomi on 31/12/2015 at 19:24
Heh, I didn't mean the "ballet dancing" (lightsaber duels) as a compliment really. But not as an insult either, to be fair. There are times when all the fancy/pointless moves do actually look pretty cool, but it goes way over the top too often, so as a result it looks just a bit ridiculous and unconvincing. That Youtube video that you linked to is a very good example, but obviously it has been edited in a way that makes everything look much worse than it actually does. It's still pretty funny though. :D
Jason Moyer on 3/1/2016 at 07:36
You know what's weird? I've watched the duel about 800 times now, and every single time when she starts wailing on him I hunch up on the edge of my seat and my internal voice starts yelling KICK HIS FUCKING ASS. It's been awhile since I've had that happen while watching a movie, and certainly it's been forever since it's happened while watching space fantasy shit.
Jenesis on 4/1/2016 at 22:47
So here's something I've been wondering about - what does Kylo Ren know/believe about Vader's death? In the end he turns on the Emperor and saves his son, not with any expectation that Luke would turn to the dark side, but just to save him. And yet Ren looks to him as the embodiment of what it really means to embrace the Dark Side. (In fact Ren's one-upped Vader by actually killing an immediate family member.) Presumably Ren would have heard the story of his grandfather's death from his parents and Luke, and I imagine it would have been done in a way to put his death in a much more positive light than his life.
Now, Snoke may have told him that this was all rubbish - Luke killed them both, or Vader just didn't make it off the Death Star in time, or whatever. But certainly Ren must have some rationale for turning to Vader's memory when he feels 'the call of the Light' or however he phrased it, when at the very end Vader seems to have responded to that same call.
(Also, hi, it's been a while)
Morte on 5/1/2016 at 20:52
Quote Posted by Scots Taffer
I didn't say I believed Rey was Ben's sister, I loosely subscribe to the Luke theory myself, but I'm just throwing out some reasons why I'm not closed off to it.
In response to your points - Leia and Han may well have mentioned it among themselves, off camera, just like Han answered Maz's question off camera. They cut to Han looking worried when Rey was taken away, yet five seconds later he brushes Finn off with a "yeah yeah". Why? Maybe he knows how powerful she is and that she can handle herself?
I'm much more in the Luke camp than her being han and leia's second kid. Because Luke's already fucked off to the arse end of nowhere to not do anything about his shitty school shooter pupil*. Abandoning his kid, assuming he knows about her, would be right in line. Leia and han abandoning Rey though makes them feel like such assholes.
*Not an insult! Kylo Ren is one of my favourite bits of the movie precisely because of that.
Quote:
My view is that Han being "in the system at the time" is more than coincidence, otherwise this is the smallest fucking Universe ever when you start looking at all the piled on coincidences over these movies.
Have you seen a JJ Abrams movie before?
It was..barely ok. way closer to the acceptability of the '09 Star trek reboot than the utter garbage of Into darkness, but despite the stellar cast and splendid Star Wars texture, the story was still utter nonsense.
SubJeff on 8/1/2016 at 23:24
Quote Posted by Jenesis
or Vader just didn't make it off the Death Star in time
That makes no sense as he has the helmet from the funeral pyre on Endor.
Vader may have betrayed his boss in the end but up until then he was a Grade A Badman. I recently watched the originals and it's a total twunt throughout.
Jenesis on 9/1/2016 at 16:28
True, if Ren's been lied to it probably wasn't that way. I'd forgotten about the pyre at the end of RotJ. I should probably watch the original trilogy again, it's been years.
nicked on 10/1/2016 at 09:51
Just saw it yesterday.
Gripes:
* The plot is way too close to the original film to the point where some scenes seem to go beyond homage and into the realm of actually being disappointingly devoid of new ideas.
* Some of the attempts at humour are trying too hard and fall flat.
* The editing of act three is really dull and strips the action of any urgency.
* No memorable music after the opening crawl.
* Extremely questionable geography.
* Some really unnecessary crap CGI - looking at you, giant space voldemort.
* That new droid was pointless and seemed to just be there to sell toys.
Pretty alright actually:
* Mercifully not stuffed with winky, sly callbacks to the originals, or clunky, unnecessary universe-building exposition (I know there are some exceptions, but on the whole it could have been so much worse).
* New characters are well written, likeable and interesting. Emo tantrum guy and force girl especially.
* Action scenes mostly exciting and shot clearly.
* The possibly unintentional meta subtext of history being doomed to repeat itself.
* Set up well for more films.
