Star Wars: The Force Awakens discussion

[mattstick]

how about that Matt PArkman cameo?  :mrgreen:

Miles Straume from LOST too

[cactusfan]

i was into the Star Wars nerdiness of it for awhile, but the plot built on dumb coincidences and the fact that it ended up being nothing but a Star Wars remake killed it for me. just got bored by the end, and annoyed with Abrams's standard lazy storytelling. ANOTHER death star? wow. original. and Han's death? could not have been handled worse.

anyhow. at least it was fun for awhile. and of course i've got another 2,000 words on the subject here:

www.standbyformindcontrol.com/2015/12/star-wars-the-force-awakens-review-death-star/

[zimbra]

I have a couple theories about plot direction...

Snoke is a hologram being projected by someone else, probably Luke.

Fin is the Lando/Leia love child.

Is Snoke not Darth Plagueis?

[rowjimmy]

Han's death was heartbreaking and awesome.
He knew he was giving his life to his son and he did it because Leia believed in Ben and Han believed in Leia.


I will say, don't bother with 3D if you haven't already.

[VDB]

i was into the Star Wars nerdiness of it for awhile, but the plot built on dumb coincidences and the fact that it ended up being nothing but a Star Wars remake killed it for me. just got bored by the end, and annoyed with Abrams's standard lazy storytelling. ANOTHER death star? wow. original. and Han's death? could not have been handled worse.

anyhow. at least it was fun for awhile. and of course i've got another 2,000 words on the subject here:

www.standbyformindcontrol.com/2015/12/star-wars-the-force-awakens-review-death-star/

I enjoyed reading your review, as I usually do, even if I can't say I came to the same conclusions as you. I could see how, if one were to decide to start fixating on this or that, it could lead you down a dark spiral. I guess none of those hooks ever sunk deeply enough into me during my viewing to have the same effect. So I do agree with (or at the very least acknowledge) the general observations you make about the plot, the homages, the unanswered questions, but at least on this first go-around, they didn't succeed in toppling the overall sense of enjoyment I got from the film.

That could have something to do with what Abrams said in one of the many recent magazine pieces I read in advance of the film -- coulda been Rolling Stone, maybe Wired -- in which he and Kasdan established and kept to a doctrine whereby their primary intention with the film was to, in his words, always "delight" the viewer. And to look at every decision against that criterion. On balance, it felt to me like they achieved that end (seems to be the consensus, as well), regardless of and perhaps even in spite of the other shortcomings that do exist.

In this way the film is very different from the prequels, and in its favor. The prequels almost seem to have their problems in the opposite places: there's a fairly straightforward (if at times convoluted and overwritten) narrative but with terrible dialog, terrible acting, terrible directing, unrelatable characters, boringly overdone effects, and none of the (genuine) comforts of the original trilogy to make us feel at home. So here I'll differ from you in suggesting Force Awakens is so clearly superior (and, not just relative to the prequels but objectively good in many cases) in those aforementioned categories that it overcomes the story/script issues and leaves us with a satisfying film on balance. (We may also be starting from a different position because I certainly don't hate ROTJ.)

I really am looking forward to seeing it again, out of the context of that initial excitement and all the unknowns, and see how it settles in as a film that, by the unavoidable fact of its existence, is going to be subject to the kind of scrutiny over the years that few movies ever are.

[pcr3]

k, here's my thoughts.
first of all, i think its important to note the multiple angles those of us that have so much history with the franchise can analyze/critique this movie.
you can go all fanboy, or hypercritical cynical, etc.
personally i was thinking one of the best ways to look at the film was how we would have felt like when we were little kids seeing the original films.
i mean, through the eyes of a ten year old this movie was pretty dern epic.

I took the whole family, including my 6-year-old-obsessed-with-all-things-star-wars son and my 3 year old daughter.  Seeing it through his eyes especially, the movie was awesome.  I'll share more details about the experience some time after my holiday break starts tomorrow, but let's just say that he walked out of that theater with his mind completely blown.  We saw it in 3D, and I'm thinking he and I will be going to check it out 2D during the break...

[whatthecello42]

I bet Harrison Ford's participation in this film was contingent on the kill off being included in the script.  After all, he wanted Han Solo to be killed off in Return of the Jedi.

[VDB]

I bet Harrison Ford's participation in this film was contingent on the kill off being included in the script.  After all, he wanted Han Solo to be killed off in Return of the Jedi.

I'd buy that, and I'd further believe it also drove Solo's screen time figure up. So that's two reasons to appreciate the death scene.

Now, Luke told Leia in Jedi that she had the power of the force too. We're not really going to go three subsequent films without seeing her wield that, are we? Just putting that out there.

[Hicks]

I bet Harrison Ford's participation in this film was contingent on the kill off being included in the script.  After all, he wanted Han Solo to be killed off in Return of the Jedi.

I'd buy that, and I'd further believe it also drove Solo's screen time figure up. So that's two reasons to appreciate the death scene.

Now, Luke told Leia in Jedi that she had the power of the force too. We're not really going to go three subsequent films without seeing her wield that, are we? Just putting that out there.

All dat Botox has negated her force pwoers.

[rowjimmy]

I bet Harrison Ford's participation in this film was contingent on the kill off being included in the script.  After all, he wanted Han Solo to be killed off in Return of the Jedi.

I'd buy that, and I'd further believe it also drove Solo's screen time figure up. So that's two reasons to appreciate the death scene.

Now, Luke told Leia in Jedi that she had the power of the force too. We're not really going to go three subsequent films without seeing her wield that, are we? Just putting that out there.

All dat Botox has negated her force pwoers.

Han, on the other hand, can shoot bitches without looking at them.

[pcr3]

I bet Harrison Ford's participation in this film was contingent on the kill off being included in the script.  After all, he wanted Han Solo to be killed off in Return of the Jedi.

I'd buy that, and I'd further believe it also drove Solo's screen time figure up. So that's two reasons to appreciate the death scene.

Now, Luke told Leia in Jedi that she had the power of the force too. We're not really going to go three subsequent films without seeing her wield that, are we? Just putting that out there.

All dat Botox has negated her force pwoers.

Han, on the other hand, can shoot bitches without looking at them.

:-D  Totally forgot about that.

I'm thinking I need to take the boy to see this again soon to cement all of the details.  Plus, he's going to get so much of the merch over the next 2 days.

[rowjimmy]

I bet Harrison Ford's participation in this film was contingent on the kill off being included in the script.  After all, he wanted Han Solo to be killed off in Return of the Jedi.

I'd buy that, and I'd further believe it also drove Solo's screen time figure up. So that's two reasons to appreciate the death scene.

Now, Luke told Leia in Jedi that she had the power of the force too. We're not really going to go three subsequent films without seeing her wield that, are we? Just putting that out there.

All dat Botox has negated her force pwoers.

Han, on the other hand, can shoot bitches without looking at them.

:-D  Totally forgot about that.

I'm thinking I need to take the boy to see this again soon to cement all of the details.  Plus, he's going to get so much of the merch over the next 2 days.

Now that I'm back in the States, I'm at the theater to see it with my kids.

This is my third viewing.


ETA:
Still awesome after three viewings.

[PIE-GUY]

I can't believe I made it this long without seeing spoilers. Just saw it this afternoon. I'm not a hardcore star wars geek like some. Thought it was really good. Met my expectations. I may have been overserved while watching it. 4 pints of (512)Pecan Porter is at lest one too many before the sun goes down.

[VDB]

My only problem with drinking before/during movies is the whole peeing thing. Something about a movie theater always seems to shrink my bladder.

[justjezmund]

Finially saw it at 9 this morning. Holy packed house. The only thing that sucked was that the theaters bar wasn't open. Movie was great, jj did a great job as has been said. I teared up a lot, story line was fantastic. Then I actually cried a bit when Han went. Rip Han. The coolest guy in the galaxy.