STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

[keith88]

I saw it Sunday and i thought it was pretty good ,i went on a Sunday morning showing and had no issues getting in or seeing it for that matter it was only 95% full.
The only thing i didn't care for was some scenes were taken from the original movie but redone to today's standards.

[bull]

That's the only thing I'm getting a little tired of - seeing giant spheres getting blown up over and over. Why don't the rebels build their own Death Star for once? Call it Alderaan and put what's left of Leia's people there. Then next time the Empire, or New Order, starts acting up they can blow them off the galactic map instead.

[Mike DC]

        
I think (hope) we've seen the last Death-Star-type thing for a while.  Disney wanted this movie to basically be a greatest-hits reel from the old trilogy to apologize for the prequels.  Now that's done and they know the DS idea is pretty worn out. 


Trivia:  It wasn't the 2nd Death Star in episode#6 that was a retread.  The original concept was for that to be the only one.  But episode #4 was being done before multiple movies were assured, so they crammed a Death Star into that one to give it an exciting ending.  

[nvrbdn]

seen the movie from the theater that has the reclining heated seats and waitresses serving you dinner and drinks. Awesome time and a great movie. will see it several times. First is the daughter and I, then the wife and I in our seats.

[skip68]

  Now that's the way to watch a movie.   

[c00nhunterjoe]

Just saw it last night. I am a huge IV, V, VI fan and i was extremely happy with VII. I have never been on the edge of my seat so much for a movie. It ends on a cliffhanger for superior to the way V ended and its going to be a long 2 years to see the next one. The overall movie told a great story, tied things together, and had an incredible star wars feel to it.

[bull]

Just saw it last night. I am a huge IV, V, VI fan and i was extremely happy with VII. I have never been on the edge of my seat so much for a movie. It ends on a cliffhanger for superior to the way V ended and its going to be a long 2 years to see the next one. The overall movie told a great story, tied things together, and had an incredible star wars feel to it.

My daughter (the movie buff/schedule expert) told me episode VIII is due to be released in May 2017 so that's just over 16 months. You gotta take what you can get.

[Nacho-RT74]

I can't say I'm a BIG FAN, but somekind of good fan of SW... I liked the movie, but was not impressed. Honestly the trailer got me more expectations that the feelings I really got watching the movie.

IMHO is somekind of episode IV re-run. Not bad though, just...

To be a sequel, I think there is a GIANT black hole between VI and VII episodes, that not even the main tittles in the begining are able to fill

I have being searching on internet about Han Solo's "life", specially searching about Kylo Ren's appearence and it is really a contradiction between what has being written and this new movie.

and say more could be a spoiler, so I will have to stop writting. But I didn't like how Han Solo... blah blah blah

[Nacho-RT74]

Also must say that is WAY BETTER made than the episodes I, II and III, specially visually, however the prequel story is kinda more exciting, if we can say that... somehow

[Mike DC]

  
I've been saying that for years.  "Wait til somebody else does Star Wars.  It will be more fun than the prequels, but it will also reveal some prequel strengths that people are taking for granted."

I wouldn't want episode#8 coming out right now.  Whenever Hollywood cranks out back-to-back sequels they start to feel more like one long movie.  Putting a year or two between shoots helps keep them evolving a bit.  And they can see the public's reaction to each movie before they proceed with the next chapter.  



This current movie was actually supposed to be out last May.  They delayed it half a year when the production got behind schedule.  They also broke Harrison Ford's ankle early in the shoot which didn't help the schedule any.  (A hydraulic door accidentally came down on him.  Ouch.)

[Drache]

I have being searching on internet about Han Solo's "life", specially searching about Kylo Ren's appearence and it is really a contradiction between what has being written and this new movie.

and say more could be a spoiler, so I will have to stop writting. But I didn't like how Han Solo... blah blah blah

That was the biggest gripe many diehard SW fans had including myself. Disney threw out the entire post Episode 6 canon. For years diehard fans/writers have been building on the Universe that ucas left behind. We call it the Extended Universe.

The problem Disney faced was, how do you build onto this Extended Universe without trampling toes? The answer was you can't. If you use anything from the Extended Universe then you could have royalty issues. Because once you get past Episode 6, someone came up with the idea of Han Solo and Leia marrying and having twins. A single person's idea. Luke Skywalker married Mara Jade. On and on.

So to use those ideas in a movie you have to give credit to the writers who invented these ideas.

I know for a fact (although I can't say how at this time) that the original script pitched for Episode 7 wanted to follow the EU universe canon but Disney shot that down.

[Mike DC]

     
         
The fact that George Lucas had ever allowed other writers to play in his sandbox after #6 told me that Lucas would never make a #7-9 series.  Even back in the 1990s he was keeping the generation of time before #4 off limits to any other writers. 

[cavemanno1]

Is it just me that found this movie a waist of time to watch?I had enough of it when the stormtrooper felt bad when they killed the villagers,i mean come on.He was trained all his life and created for this purpose then he got a conscious?The worst part for me was when Rey hold a lightsaber the very firs time and bit Kelyo Ren who by the way was trained by Skywalker all his life and then by the Suprem leader of the First order!How the hell could she do it when Keylo Ren could manage to killed all the jedis at once but he couldn't kill a girl?
By the way who the hell was Rey anyway?I couldn't figure it out?Was she Lukes's daughter since she has the force in her?

I wish i didn't watch it because this is like Terminator 3,should never been done the first place!

[myk]

Finn wasn't created like a clone, he's a regular human that was born and raised in the First Order.  There was a point of conflict between Kylo Ren and the General of the First Order: Kylo suggested they resort to using clone soldiers since they were more subservient.   I can see why a human soldier would develop uncertainties about their life, but you'd think they could've screened that out before he made it to combat.

By allowing Rey to have all of those skills in the movie, they're setting her up to be the next greatest thing in the Force.   However, by doing that they made the villain of the movie a complete joke.  Even the previous movies, of which JJ Abrams completely ripped off to make this new movie, got that part right:  a fear invoking, almost unstoppable villain that was just as fortified in their beliefs as they are in their fighting skills.  Kylo Ren was none of these things, and detracted from the movie;  he was a whiny man-bitch.  Also, Kylo didn't kill any Jedi, just his fellow classmates in Luke's new Jedi school.  I'm assuming Kylo was a promising student and then turned on everyone else.


As for Rey, rumor has it that she's at least related to Kylo, possibly the Skywalkers.

I really, really hate how JJ Abrams plagiarized the original movie and didn't bring anything new to the legend; it was lazy and uninspiring of him to do so.  However, I still found this movie quite enjoyable, and stroked the geek in me the right way.  I've seen it 6 times now and I could still keep watching it...

[Drache]

By allowing Rey to have all of those skills in the movie, they're setting her up to be the next greatest thing in the Force.   However, by doing that they made the villain of the movie a complete joke.  Even the previous movies, of which JJ Abrams completely ripped off to make this new movie, got that part right:  a fear invoking, almost unstoppable villain that was just as fortified in their beliefs as they are in their fighting skills.  Kylo Ren was none of these things, and detracted from the movie;  he was a whiny man-bitch.  Also, Kylo didn't kill any Jedi, just his fellow classmates in Luke's new Jedi school.  I'm assuming Kylo was a promising student and then turned on everyone else.

It wasn't really explained in the movie but she was supposed to have gotten the knowledge of using the lightsaber from the saber itself. She "absorbed" the knowledge/history from the lightsaber for a brief period. Remember when she touched it and could see the past? For awhile she was channeling Luke Skywalker. It is pretty silly I will admit that.

As for Rey, rumor has it that she's at least related to Kylo, possibly the Skywalkers.

They pretty much tell you in the movie that she is Luke's Daughter. She is told the lightsaber belonged to Luke's father, then to him, and now to her. Add to that she seems to be "the best pilot in the galaxy" just like Anakin and Luke were.

Rey was left on Jakku by Luke in an effort to hide her from Kylo Ren when he was hunting down Jedi.

[Nacho-RT74]

how many times the SKYWALKER's LIGHTSABERS HAS BEING LOST ( everytime cutting hands LOL ) and then appears again on next movie ? LOL...

Editing... well on episode VI when Lukes meets with his Father at Endor moon, Vader admires Luke's skills to build his own lightsaber... but the one on edpisode VII seems to be... Anakin or Luke's lightsaber ?

Anakin one got lost on City of Clouds as far I recall, when Vader cuts Luke's hand.

[Drache]

how many times the SKYWALKER's LIGHTSABERS HAS BEING LOST ( everytime cutting hands LOL ) and then appears again on next movie ? LOL...

Editing... well on episode VI when Lukes meets with his Father at Endor moon, Vader admires Luke's skills to build his own lightsaber... but the one on edpisode VII seems to be... Anakin or Luke's lightsaber ?

Anakin one got lost on City of Clouds as far I recall, when Vader cuts Luke's hand.

Yes it's a giant glaring plot hole in all the movies.

Although it could be said that the lightsaber somehow was found in Cloud City and returned to Luke sometime after the events of Episode 6

[Mike DC]

The Cloud City loss is the only plot hole surrounding lightsabers being passed down.  And there's no way they brought it back in this movie without having some kind of explanation ready when the time comes.  Disney has been planning this series out better than the old ones ever were. 

[Mytur Binsdirti]

Left to right: Hans Solo, Darth Vader, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, and R2D2 in 1977

[bull]

Kylo Ren was weak but it is known that he is not a Sith (or whatever they're going to call them). He is able to manipulate the minds of the average person but when he runs up against Rey he discovers that he's not the only game in town. She discovers this too, first when Ren fails to get the map to Luke out of her head and later when she battles Ren in the forest with the light sabers. Once Ren mentions the force to Rey during that battle it's as if she remembers the force and evokes it to the best of her ability and it helps her win. I believe Ren is only meant to be about as powerful as Anakin was in say episode 2 but he's been given more status due to a lack of Jedi/Sith presence. Anakin was perpetually held back by Yoda and Obi Wan. Ren's got a cool saber and a cool helmet but I think he's mostly a mediocre Vader wannabe. IMO he's been allowed to act like a tough guy on authority of the Supreme Leader but until now he's had no real means of testing himself against anyone with similar power.

[el dub]

    2nd pic. Which ones from Canada?

[Mytur Binsdirti]

I saw it with the wife & kiddies yesterday & enjoyed it very much. Carrie Fisher is totally unrecognizable from the Carrie Fisher we knew from 30+ years ago......and not in a good way. 

[Ponch ®]

I saw it on Sunday night. Its definitely an enjoyable, fun movie. Took Mrs Ponch w me, and shes not a Star Wars fan (shes never seen any of the earlier movies in their entirety, but does know who Chewie, R2, etc are) and she said she really liked it. I grew up loving the original trilogy (not to the point of being a fanboi tho), so i did get all excited whenever references / cameos from those movies appeared.

But yes, its definitely a remake of A New Hope "for the fans". Along those lines, I generally like to go online after I see a movie and look up reviews, write ups, etc to see if i missed something or to learn more about the story/characters. The problem with TFA is that a lot of that is basically explained as "well, according to the ________ expanded universe novel / tv show, so and so is there because of this and that, and thats why the thing is that shape". Anytime i have to do that much research for a movie, its a sign of not so great screenwriting.

[bull]

 
I've been saying that for years.  "Wait til somebody else does Star Wars.  It will be more fun than the prequels, but it will also reveal some prequel strengths that people are taking for granted."

I wouldn't want episode#8 coming out right now.  Whenever Hollywood cranks out back-to-back sequels they start to feel more like one long movie.  Putting a year or two between shoots helps keep them evolving a bit.  And they can see the public's reaction to each movie before they proceed with the next chapter.  

I agree. Lucas is both the best thing and the worst thing to happen to Star Wars. He's good at concepts, basic story ideas and visuals, especially when he was younger. Episode 5, generally accepted as the best Star Wars movie, was not directed by Lucas. Later in life his story concepts and character creations have just plain sucked. His story-telling and dialogue in the prequels was miserable. All you have to say is Jar-Jar and most people cringe. He screwed the pooch on Indiana Jones too. Thank God he sold the Star Wars franchise to Disney.

However, regarding your second paragraph, you will be seeing a lot more Star Wars a lot more often. Five movies in five years: https://www.yahoo.com/news/complete-star-wars-movie-schedule-2020-182152556.html

[Mike DC]

    
Yeah, I know about the onslaught of SW projects coming.  I'm just glad they're not literally shooting all three of the big episodes at once.

Disney will run SW into the ground as best they can.  They are smart enough to make sure the quality is there for the tentpole movies that the whole world sees.  But they will probably be much quicker & dirtier on TV/video releases aimed directly at kids.  That's how Disney handles all their franchises.  



I do think Disney is on a path to over-expose SW in the coming decade.  IMO a new theatrical movie every year is probably too much for any franchise to sustain for very long.  The only way I could see it working would be to vary the flavor of the standalone movies a lot more than SW has ever varied before.