Star Wars

[Phos]

"The stories are true" might suggest that the empire suppressed news of the death of the emperor. 

[DarkDefeater]

By the time of episode VII, the empire is no longer in a position to suppress news. The empire was completely fractured in the ending of Episode VI.

[188Eternal]

"The stories are true" might suggest that the empire suppressed news of the death of the emperor. 

Most likely the "stories" are about the Emperor having a sinister alter-ego and dabbling in some occult and paranormal activities. Which was the exact reality, as all of us who have watched the 6 films should be aware.

From what I understand, only the Jedi Order and a few Senators and the leaders of the Separatist forces have been awake and aware of the so-called Darth Sidious persona, while the rest of the galaxy a.k.a "the non-elite masses" have been completely unaware and clueless to the whole "Dark Side versus Light Side mystical power struggle".

I'm convinced that the death of the Galactic Emperor in the Star Wars universe was advertised to the non-elite masses, just like the death (or the supposed death) of Hitler was advertised in our universe. There's a lot of mysteries and theories about the Fuhrer's life and what exactly he was doing behind the scenes, so it's only natural for the profile of a fictional dictator to be inspired by this in some way. 

I'm convinced that in place of the Emperor there is a group of admirals and warlords squabbling for territory amongst themselves, similarly to the way that it was in the EU.

[...]

'EY BOYS. GUESS WHAT RATING THE FORCE AWAKENS HAS ON ROTTEN TOMATOES.

99%.

"Packed with action and populated by both familiar faces and fresh blood, The Force Awakens successfully recalls the series' former glory while injecting it with renewed energy."

[QuantumEdge]

Not to sound pessimistic or anything, but that rating will likely drop since we're only talking about early reviews.

[...]

Not to sound pessimistic or anything, but that rating will likely drop since we're only talking about early reviews.

Around 80 critics have rated it, screenings just started today. I'm pretty sure we'll still be in the 90% range once everything is said and done.

[Nexthehedgehog]

And yes, this is a official cross-promotion:

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2015-12-15/one-piece-goes-to-see-star-wars-the-force-awakens/.96560

[ElectricAngel]

I just finished watching Star Wars Episode IV for the first time. I watched the version known as the "Despecialised Edition", basically an HD version of the original cinematic version by fans. I do own the original trilogy on Blu-Ray but felt like watching the unaltered versions first, then checking out to see what changes were made.

Anyway, I enjoyed it quite a lot. The beginning was a little slow and the desert area wasn't very appealing to me. Those who know me, know I don't like desert areas both in life and in film. However once Han Solo was introduced, the movie quickly started getting better for me. There was some great cinematography and effects, especially for the time, and even some good plot twists that I'm surprised weren't spoiled for me. I do have to say though, I didn't expect Han Solo to be so money hungry and selfish. Plus that end scene from him felt like it came out of nowhere. Eh, it's still something minor that threw me off. It didn't really make the film worse for me, in fact I really like Han Solo now. 

I'll be progressively watching the films along with the remastered versions to get myself up and ready for Episode VII. I won't be seeing the film until around the 28th or 29th due to me being busy with travelling this weekend (going back to Greece yay!) and having some family business leading up to Christmas. I'm quite excited for it though, despite having seen only one Star Wars movie so far. I plan on seeing it with Dolby Atmos, which will be a first for me, so I can't wait to experience that sweet new sound system. 

[Gabz Girl]

Bought tickets to see TFA on Saturday evening. Making sure to avoid spoilers at ALL costs and luckily I haven't bumped into any (so far). Argh all these positive reviews make me so excited!! Must. Contain. Hype!

[188Eternal]

  I didn't expect Han Solo to be so money hungry and selfish.

If you follow the plot of Episode 4 attentively enough then you will know that Han was in debt to Jabba the Hutt. Therefore, his seeming hunger for money was primarily in desparation to save his own skin from hired assassins and bounty hunters such as Greedo and from getting himself frozen in carbonite for the punishment of having an unpaid debt. It was Jabba's greed and death threats which caused Han to appear as selfish in front of Princess Leia when they first met.

But fortunately, by Episode 6 the true form of Han came into focus, and Leia realized that he was indeed a caring and generous man.

[ElectricAngel]

If you follow the plot of Episode 4 attentively enough then you will know that Han was in debt to Jabba the Hutt. Therefore, his seeming hunger for money was primarily in desparation to save his own skin from hired assassins and bounty hunters such as Greedo and from getting himself frozen in carbonite for the punishment of having an unpaid debt. It was Jabba's greed and death threats which caused Han to appear as selfish in front of Princess Leia when they first met.

But fortunately, by Episode 6 the true form of Han came into focus, and Leia realized that he was indeed a caring and generous man.

Well yeah, I noticed that. If he didn't have a reason for his actions then I would've written him off as an asshole. But now that I think about him, would that small change of attitude in the end be because of the fact that he was confident they would defeat the Death Star? I mean, he never asked for the money after that, so I guess Jabba had some connection with the empire? 

Oh and one other thing. Since I know one of the biggest spoilers in one of the latest movies due to the media having it referenced all the time, I have to ask.

In the beginning of the movie, Obi Wan Kenobi mentioned that Luke's father was killed by Darth Vader, one of former students who turned over to the dark side. But how would that work if Darth Vader is his father? Did he just have some disguise when training with Obi Wan? And did he fake his death after he turned over? But even if that was the case, should have Obi Wan noticed it? He has the force, so I can't imagine something like this flying over his head. Perhaps I'm thinking too much about it but I hope there's some explanation given by George Lucas or some elaboration in the later movies, because I don't want that plot twist to just come out of nowhere for the sake of shock.

 

[DarkRula]

Read it if you want.

Obi-Wan says in Return of the Jedi that certain point of view line, which effectively means Anakin brought his own destruction on himself. Anakin chose to follow the dark side by both feeling neglected by the Jedi and comforted by Palpatine. So when Palpatine reveals himself to the Jedi, and Anakin is forced to make a choice, it's the dark path he follows. He in effect becomes a different person from that moment on. Then there's the big duel between Obi-Wan and Anakin in which Obi-Wan leaves Anakin for dead but gets rescued by Palpatine, thus creating Darth Vader as seen in the original trilogy.

 

Force Awakens though. I cannot wait to be watching it on Saturday as part of a birthday [sort of] party. I'll be watching the original trilogy tomorrow ready for it, and when the time comes I will be at the front, waiting to see the first new Star Wars in the cinema.

[Boomer]

So I went to a midnight screening of Episode VII last night and honestly I'm underwhelmed, severely. 

My biggest worry going into the film was that the cinematography would not match the other films in the series, sadly that ended up being the case. If you were to watch it alongside the other films it'd stick out like a sore thumb. It just looks like yet another standard action movie now, they barely even have the Star Wars transition shots. 

Other problems I had with the film included the pacing, the first act is unbelievably slow and also jumps from character to character so it takes a while to even begin. Whilst the third act is too fast - only the second act really flows well.

The returning characters bar one are severely underused (especially Luke) and the new characters, bar Finn, just feel like Other Darrins of the original cast (Rey is like Luke, Poe is like Han.)

The Rebellion have managed to do nothing over 30 years even after beating the Empire. The First Order still seem in control.

Captain Phasma, even though she had been marketed everywhere, has about 5 lines of dialogue and never even fires her gun. They tried to make her like Boba Fett but he actually managed to get things done.

Kylo Ren's powers are inconsistent. He's able to pull off an impressive feat in one of his first scenes however later on he struggles to do something even Luke managed to do in Episode V.

My biggest problems however concerns a huge spoiler

 

Luke originally tried to resurrect the Jedi order however one of his padawans, Ben Solo (Han and Leia's child), got turned to the dark side by Snoke. Luke feels like he failed him so he went into hiding.

The actual fuck?

In Return of the Jedi Luke never gave up on Vader believing that there was still good within him and that he would help bring it out. Yet here he essentially leaves the rebellion, and his sister, because their child turned to the dark side. The Luke we saw from the previous films would not do that.

But apart from that the rest of the film just feels like a heavy retread of Episode IV

* A loner living on a desert planet wants to go offworld and be useful

* A droid containing vital information that the Empire/First Order is after has to be escorted to the Rebel Base.

* The hero gains travel to the Base through the help of a mentor. Whilst also stopping at a nearby cantina.

* The villains have created a superweapon cabable of destroying entire planets/solar systems

* The protagonists attack the villain's superweapon where ultimately the mentor is killed. * They successfully blow up the villain's weapon.

Rey is a complete Mary Sue. Within minutes of picking up a blaster she is shooting better than the best of them. When she flies the Millenium Falcon, after admitting she'd never flown one before, she still flies it better than Han ever did - inside a Star Destroyer! Yep, that scene in the trailer wasn't Han flying it...

The entire film just seems more like fan-fiction that a follow up to the Original Trilogy, especially after waiting 32 years. I'm severely disappointed and I hope that the future films are much better.

 

 

Edited December 17, 2015 by Tom DeLonge

[pppp]

So I went to a midnight screening of Episode VII last night and honestly I'm underwhelmed, severely. 

My biggest worry going into the film was that the cinematography would not match the other films in the series, sadly that ended up being the case. If you were to watch it alongside the other films it'd stick out like a sore thumb. It just looks like yet another standard action movie now, they barely even have the Star Wars transition shots.

Why is that a problem? The cinematography is just fine, if anything at least it actually feels like an actual film maker worked on this, which is more than I can say about the prequels. We're not gonna get carbon copies of the cinematography techniques in the original movies, might as well enjoy the new but good cinematography.

Not to mention the cinematography in the prequels was nothing like the originals, Trying to make nearly every environment CGI just cause Lucas is lazy has nothing to do with what made the originals great.

Well I thought the movie was pretty damn good actually, the pacing wasn't the best and it does draw parallels to A New Hope(Honestly they still do plenty enough new stuff so it's fine), but the dialogue actually felt natural, the acting was not wooden(It was fantastic actually), the effects were actually convincing, and the characters had actual personalities. Rey is the highlight of the movie, she is a fantastic character and a great female lead. Oh and unlike the prequels I actually knew what was going on. True, the plot is simple, but now that they established the new cast and situation they can focus on more development for the next movie. Even so it still allowed for some great character scenes. Not to mention after the last few movies being all shit we needed a Star Wars movie that above all else didn't suck(Don't try to tell me that Ep1 was "not that bad" or that Ep3 was actually good, they were shit and if watching the RedLetterMedia or Confused Matthew reviews don't make you see why then I have nothing to say to you).

All I can say is, don't expect this to be the new Citizen Kane or a carbon copy of the originals writing and cinematography wise. Judge it on its own merits and you'll have a fun ride.

[...]

(Don't try to tell me that Ep1 was "not that bad" or that Ep3 was actually good, they were shit and if watching the RedLetterMedia or Confused Matthew reviews don't make you see why then I have nothing to say to you).

Or, maybe people can have opinions!

This demonizing of people who enjoy the prequels or actually found good in them is annoying as fuck, especially when they give thought-out reasons as to why they liked them. And for the record, even when watching both of their reviews I still love Revenge of the Sith. I'm not letting a reviewer dictate how I feel about a movie.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

Honestly, maybe it's because I had the luxury of watching Star Wars starting from the prequels,  but I've never understood the whole "impossible to understand" shtick. Are done of the additions a bit baffling  in hindsight?  Heck yes,  but never to the point where it's outright ruined the ride,  at least for moi. I'll admit that the prequels do have flaws and don't completely gel with the events of the original trilogy,  but going to the point of claiming that there's no legitimate good or fun that comes out of the prequel trilogy never seems like a legitimate or even fair to the prequels' credit. 

[Marcello]

Just saw Episode VII. I thought it was really awesome. Not going to go into extreme detail for now, but one I want to say that I found disappointing.,

 

Captain Phasma =( She truly is the Boba Fett of this generation..

[Boomer]

Hidden Content

 

Except Boba Fett actually managed to get a lot of stuff done Phasma really only stood around at the beginning and reappeared later on to be captured by Finn to drop the shields, she never even fired her gun.

 

Because some people like consistency in a series. And it's not even specifically a George Lucas thing, Episode V was directed by Irvin Kershner and it still matches the shots that Lucas had done. 

And yes even the prequels managed to keep the same style to each scene. The environments being CGI, although a lot of the time they'd still use matte paintings or models, has absolutely nothing to do with it. 

It draws more than a few parallels. I agree about the dialogue and acting. Rey was fun but she was a Mary Sue, everything she picked up she became insanely skilled with.

The prequels were easy enough to follow. What with the characters literally saying what they were feeling

A movie and it's cast should be able to stand up on it's own right instead of leaving everything to be explained later on. Episode IV, which this movie wants to be, tied everything up nicely as they weren't even sure if they were to get a sequel.

Episode I wasn't "that bad" it had great sets, model work, Qui-Gon, Darth Maul, the pod-race and some of John Williams' best work. The only things that really bring it down for me are Jar Jar and the Jedi Council. As for Episode III it was good, the scenes between Anakin and Obi-Wan were so good and Ian McDiarmid was as great as anything. It also connected to the OT really well, that ending sequence especially.

[Marcello]

Boba got all of one thing done and that was see where Han and Leia went. Vader caught Han for him and he was later quickly accidentally killed by a blind man. Admittedly more than Phasma, but certainly not a lot.

I hope Phasma isn't dead and does some stuff in Episode 8.

[Kevin]

Just letting out of the theater now. All I say is: "Spectacular." Go and see The Force Awakens!

[PSI Wind]

 

Hidden Content

Already confirmed to be in Episode 8, and a much higher role/amount of screentime. Don't worry.

[sonicgirl313]

Well I saw the movie with my brother. He had a huge grin on his face for most of the film... well until one point.  I'm typing this on my phone so I can't use spoiler tags. But anyone who has seen the movie probably knows what I'm talking about. I'll just say this to not give anything away, this movie created his hatred of Kylo Ren.

[Agie]

It's probably been buried in the statuses (on the Wii U, problems prevent me from checking to be sure). Good thing I'm in the mood to reiterate.

I'll be seeing Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens in a fancy IMAX theater on Saturday. I've never been in an IMAX theater before, so that's kind of exciting in itself. I'll bet it's more comfortable than a small trailer with a small, standard definition TV that's most certainly seen better days.

In preparation, I'm planning on marathoning the first six films after work. I don't have work Saturday or Sunday, so I can afford getting wound up. I'll also see them in chronological order, if only because I'm insane.

I will say this, though; I don't have the newest versions of the films on Blu-Ray. Here's what I do have, though; Episode I on VHS, the old DVDs for Episodes II and III, and the VHSes of the Special Editions of the Original Trilogy. They're still in fairly good condition, so I think they'll work just fine in preparation for Episode VII.

[PeanutButterDimond]

Well, I just saw the movie several hours ago. As a preface my first Star Wars movie was RotS which I saw when I was eight. I enjoyed it and that same I watched Episodes I and II which I did not enjoy. Then, that same year I saw IV, V, VI and, oh my god, these films. They captured me and and I recently watched them for the first time since then and they still do. I am in a trance while watching them. They just captivate and grab like no other film has ever done.

Until now.

Note I'm not just buying into hype. I went into the film with a level head and reasonable expectations and I know it is not a flawless film and I recognize it's faults. I will be seeing the film again (a first for me) to better solidify my thoughts so take this as my first impression fresh off from seeing the movie. Flaws aside, it's pretty damn great. It is a Star Wars movie. And that would have been enough after the prequels but, no, it's also a GREAT Star Wars movie and a great movie in general.

First of all, the film is gorgeous. Colorful and very real. Everything looks worn and used. Just lovely. Also I can't express how happy I am they used film. Something about film is just special. It was awesome to see it on the big screen.

The direction is solid. The film doesn't try to ape the original's style. Instead it opts to be it's own thing and only incorporate certain aspects (The wipes are back) and I love that. I don't want a carbon copy I want something new yet familiar (Which really is this film in a nutshell). It's modern, sure, but there's no denying that it FEELS like Star Wars. It engrosses you in this world and invites you in with open arms. The action is fantastic. The dogfights are fun and kinetic, once again being new yet still feeling like Star Wars should. The lightsaber combat is amazing. To preface my favorite duel is the one between Luke and Vader at the end of RotJ, specifically the panning shot of Luke and Vader quickly moving across the room while swiping at each other. All of the saber combat is pretty much like that and it is so good! It's gritty and grounded and never comes across as choreographed. 

The acting is fantastic. There is not a single bad performance in the entire film. From the new cast to the old cast to the extras, it all ranges from good to amazing. With Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac. Adam Driver and Harrison Ford being the standouts. The chemistry between the new cast is electrifying and they give a fun dynamic that's different than what we got in the OT. You very quickly fall in love with these characters and before you know it, you're committed to being along with them for the ride.

Speaking of the characters, they're all fantastic. Rey in particular is just lovely, coming across as both strong and vulnerable. I will say I do not agree that she is a Mary Sue.  Same can be said for Finn who is really relateable and just a joy to watch. Poe is fantastic, charming and all around badass. BB-8 is as charming and loveable as you hoped he would be if not moreso. Also, I ADORE Maz Kanata. Without spoiling anything, she is just both intriguing and cool to me. The old cast is used well as well. They're still themselves but they've grown somewhat over the last thirty years and they don't feel shoehorned in for the sake of nostalgia (Because they aren't). I refuse to say a thing about Luke because I do not want to spoil anything. Captain Phasma and General Hux are cool looking though used very little throughout. I won;t speak about Snoke either. Just see him for yourself. Last but not least is Kylo Ren who I absolutely LOVED in this movie. I will not say much except that he is NOT Vader 2.0 whatsoever. They tackle his character in an unexpected yet brilliant direction. The only bad thing I can say about the characters is that I left the theater wanting more of them. All of them but especially a certain few.

Now, the story. Yes, it is reminiscent of A New Hope. I personally don't think it was overt enough to detract from the film as there is still a lot about it that is new. It felt fitting for a bridge between generations but your mileage may vary. Also, yes, it is simple but that's Star Wars. The plot doesn't need to be complex. Just like in the OT, it's a simple plot that is executed with love and care and it populated with three dimensional characters that are and absolute pleasure to watch. Really in a way, it reminded me of Fury Road in a way. They try to not rely on exposition and often use body and facial language to convey emotions rather than words (No "you're breaking my heart, Ani"). The film is also packed with humor. I would definitely say this was the funniest Star Wars film and most of the humor was very character driven and the few jokes that weren't still worked. Despite that, it still takes itself seriously and it's extremely obvious that Abrams and Kasdan knew the weight of what they were working on. There are a few points where the force is talked about and it is just like how you would expect it to be talked about. It's very much in line with the OT and nothing like the PT.

Lastly is the music. It's good. It all worked well and helped get across every intended emotion just fine. There are a few pieces here and there that are standouts but for the most part it just serves to heighten the atmosphere and emotions of the film and it does it well. 

Regarding the film's flaws, they're pretty minor. For me anyway. I would have liked some scenes to have lasted a little longer and Maz and Snoke kind of standout a bit at first due to being the only fully CGI characters but that's really it. I'm sure I'll find a few more when I see the movie again (and inevitable again after that) but I really didn't have much that bothered me.

And, no, I don't consider the threads left hanging to be flaws. In fact I consider it a plus. I love that while it answers some questions, it deliberately leaves some untouched and even present a few more. It's obvious that certain characters and plot points are being introduced so they can be more fully utilized in the sequels and that's fine. It's a trilogy. Like the OT it should feel like one grand story split into three parts. Episode V did very much the same thing. Probably moreso.

So overall, it's a great yet flawed movie like the OT before it. But that's fine. It does so much right and is just a lot of fun and handles the world and lore with so much respect and care. It's definitely up there with the original trilogy. For me anyway though it seems most agree from what I've seen. As far as ranking, I'll probably have a better idea after I see it a few more times but for now I feel fairly confident with this ranking.

V-IV-VII-VI-III-I--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------II

Really, go see it. It's the movie we've been wanting since RotJ and it's an amazing return for the franchise. Just make sure to keep your hype and expectations low before you see it as you should with any movie. Keep them realistic. Otherwise, sit back and let the film take you back to a galaxy far, far away because it is more than happy, and able, to do so.

P.S. I also wanted to note that the packed theatre I was in loved. People booed the previews, cheered at the Lucasfilm logo, laughed at all the jokes, cheered at Han and Chewie and applauded when it ended (First time I've ever seen that happen). Also everyone was silent throughout but in a good way. It was like everyone wastrying to take the film in as much as possible and were also being respectful for everyone else who were waiting for it for so long (I found myself subconsciously trying to eat as quietly as possible while keeping my eyes fixed to the screen). The buzz right after the film ended was great. People were so happy and energetic. This was my first time seeing a Star Wars movie in a theatre and it was probably the best theatre experience I have ever had. The excitement was contagious.

Edited December 19, 2015 by PeanutButterDimond

[Marcello]

I was at Subway today and got this with my menu:

  

I wish I could've gotten Rey, too, but that would've been too much and their card reader thing was broken.

 

Also, I was looking through some boxes recently and found this:

Same theater and everything. It's gotten so much more expensive.