OT: Star Wars: The Force Awakens reaction thread WITH SPOILERS
A long time ago, in a thread very, very off-topic:
I just got back from seeing The Force Awakens. It was fantastic, absolutely wonderful. JJ Abrams is to Star Wars what Jim Harbaugh is to Michigan. It's entirely possible that Jim Hackett helped assemble the cast and crew for the film.
We're going to discuss the movie, with spoilers. If you haven't seen it, turn away immediately and go watch it so that you can get the full experience.
What did you think? How could George Lucas make such abominable prequels when someone is capable of making something as amazing as The Force Awakens?
May the force be with Blue.
December 17th, 2015 at 11:12 PM ^
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December 18th, 2015 at 12:11 AM ^
One might say it's far, far away, even.
December 18th, 2015 at 9:26 AM ^
I believe there is supposed to be a Han Solo origin movie between now and then though.
December 18th, 2015 at 12:57 PM ^
The Han origin movie is coming out 2018.
Next year is "Rouge One" the story of the mission to steal the death start plans. (Taken place just before A New Hope.)
December 17th, 2015 at 11:15 PM ^
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December 17th, 2015 at 11:16 PM ^
It's a fantastic movie that is so much fun and everyone should go see it as soon as they can!
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SPOILER: The reason its good is because its the same story as Episode IV. They really changed very little and that destroying the compressor scene is eerily similar to destroying the death star. Really, its nostalgia bait and i'm not complaining about that as it gets new fans into the trilogies (trilogy of trilogies!). I did think the fact that Rey or Finn could compete against Kylo Ren with a lightsaber was a bit ridiculous. But aside from that, pretty much excellent.
Solid 8.5/10
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Everyone go see it now! It's great!
December 17th, 2015 at 11:34 PM ^
I agree completely with you.
The fact that Rey could force pull a lightsaber away from a well trained and obviously powerful Kylo Ren was silly.
In ESB, Luke could barely pull a lightsaber out of a snowdrift.
December 17th, 2015 at 11:50 PM ^
This is a very good point. Again, she picks up the force too easily. With Luke you witnessed the learning process. Then again, she's more independent than Luke from the outset. Luke starts out as a boy while we don't even know who Rey's parents are because she has functioned without them. The swordsmanship is kinda believable because we know she has skills with the staff.
December 18th, 2015 at 3:11 AM ^
I think in the next one will find out Luke had trained her and she's actually his daughter. He dropped her off on that planet and wiped her mind. At least that is the rumor as to how they explain how she did the things she was doing in the movie with not having any training.
December 18th, 2015 at 5:23 AM ^
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December 18th, 2015 at 9:30 AM ^
Definitely my thought. When Kylo is torturing her or whatever, looking into her head. He goes something like, "you can't sleep at night, you picture an ocean, and an island. I see the island." And then, Rey flies off to an ocean planet, and finds Luke on an island. Tears in both of their eyes, like they both know who the other one is.
December 18th, 2015 at 12:39 PM ^
That is general consensus among my friends
December 18th, 2015 at 5:59 PM ^
Just got finished seeing it, and I too left assuming that Rey and Kylo are either brother and sister, or cousins. The hug Leia gives Rey at the end is telling...
December 18th, 2015 at 11:02 AM ^
December 18th, 2015 at 12:01 PM ^
December 18th, 2015 at 12:21 AM ^
December 18th, 2015 at 12:57 AM ^
I just think being hurt is not a good enough reason that Ren couldn't have crushed Finn. He's a master, trained by Luke and Snoke. Even if he's injured, he still has the force to attack his enemies.The fact that Finn got a hit on Ren just didn't seem right to me.
December 18th, 2015 at 7:48 AM ^
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December 18th, 2015 at 8:30 AM ^
I think they kept trying to make the point that Kylo was indeed not anywhere near a master in the jedi/sith world. That's why he had those moments of self loathing about how good he wanted to be. We are not even sure who or what Snope is. He isnt necessarily a Sith Lord and after the original trilogy all the jedi and sith were hypothetically wiped out sans Luke. So whose training who in this world?
December 18th, 2015 at 2:05 AM ^
December 18th, 2015 at 12:08 PM ^
Like some of the other comments, I was a bit underwhelmed, considering the hype train for this movie. Felt a bit predictable at many points, and even improbable at times (the MF "flying" on the ground, for one). But it was light years ahead of the prequel, for sure. And the acting and dialogue were so much better. Hayden Christiansen and Jake Lloyd were terrible, and Natalie Portman left something to be desired, as well.
All around, an improvement. But not a home run in my book. And I consider myself a big JJ Abrams fan. In spite of his love for lens flares.
December 18th, 2015 at 2:30 PM ^
December 18th, 2015 at 11:24 AM ^
Agreed, and I have to say that even in the moment I was thinking, golly, they learned lightsaber fighting skills pretty quick. I like the idea of Rey suddenly overflowing with the force as it awakens in her and that enabling her to take on the tortured, self-doubting Ren, but Finn being able to hold his own for more than two seconds was ridiculous. Ren could have just frozen him and cut him in half from top to bottom.
Overall, doesn't matter, movie was still wonderful and made me so, so happy.
Incidentally, I realized that I have now seen all seven movies at the old Uptown Theater in Washington, DC. A streak worth continuing.
December 18th, 2015 at 7:36 PM ^
December 19th, 2015 at 2:38 PM ^
But maybe he wasn't trying to kill Rey. Maybe he was trying to turn her, much like Vader was trying to turn Luke in ESB.
December 17th, 2015 at 11:15 PM ^
December 17th, 2015 at 11:16 PM ^
Ahem.. Have you heard of Clark Kent?
December 17th, 2015 at 11:19 PM ^
December 17th, 2015 at 11:22 PM ^
December 18th, 2015 at 12:08 AM ^
Much like the Freep!
Fuck drew sharp.
December 17th, 2015 at 11:22 PM ^
Oh nothing, his glasses just seem really suspicious. Has a face that i feel like i've seen before, but I just can't place it...
December 17th, 2015 at 11:18 PM ^
Rosebud was the sled.
December 18th, 2015 at 7:49 AM ^
I watched that whole movie to the end, and literally said "WTF?" Citizen Kane is always voted one of the top 5 or so films of all time, and I just don't get it. It's okay, not great.
December 18th, 2015 at 11:04 AM ^
Han shot first
December 18th, 2015 at 6:03 PM ^
"It's true. All of it."
"Even the part where Greedo shoots first?"
"Get the hell off my ship."
December 17th, 2015 at 11:21 PM ^
and comes back to life!!
December 17th, 2015 at 11:22 PM ^
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December 17th, 2015 at 11:22 PM ^
One thing TFA did better than the originals was convey how dangerous the enemy was. In the originals you got the impression that people hated the Empire and that it was oppressive, and yeah they blew up Alderaan. With the First Order, however, there is a very palpable sense of danger. It is mercilessly genocidal and has eyes everywhere. You never get the sense that our heroes are truly safe, and the resistance is really fighting for its survival.
The First Order does seem to needlessly blow up planets, and for what? To find Luke Skywalker? Its purpose isn't as clear. And how did it become so powerful "from of the ashes of the Empire"? The fascist imagery is terrific though.
Daisy Ridley was awesome. I don't love how she seems to pick up the Force (especially the Jedi mind trick--how the hell did she think of that?), but it doesn't have to mirror Episode IV completely. I also don't get how Finn picked up swordfighting so quickly, but we do know that Rey is good with the bo/staff/Donatello's weapon.
Bold statement, but this is possibly the 2nd best Star Wars movie.
December 17th, 2015 at 11:29 PM ^
They weren't needlessly blowing up planets though. They were destroying the Republic who was supporting the Resistance. Although now that I think about it, there was nothing stopping them from just aiming that at the resistance in the first place. I second all of your other opinions. Great movie, but it has its flaws too.
December 18th, 2015 at 12:08 AM ^
The name of the movie clearly relates to her. When Kylo Ren attempts to extract the map from her mind, he clearly awakens the force in her. Yes it was there before, but in small doses. For all you know (and you may find out later) that when he did that she was able to grasp a ton of knowledge of the force from him.
December 18th, 2015 at 5:11 AM ^
December 18th, 2015 at 5:28 AM ^
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December 20th, 2015 at 4:39 PM ^
I thought the same thing about how the First Order became so powerful. Like when the first imagery of them is that Super Star Destroyer. Don't you think there would've been some kind of mission to eradicate those by the Republic or something? I get that it's only, what, 30 years later, and the universe is a big place for them to hide that kind of stuff, but still. Also, it must've taken that entire time since the Empire was defeated to build that planet/super weapon thing.
One other thing; Finn is a trained warrior. From birth, or very young at least. So I mean, we can probably assume that's why he picked up swordfighting so quickly.
Overall I thought it was a pretty good movie.
December 17th, 2015 at 11:23 PM ^
December 17th, 2015 at 11:28 PM ^
Jar-Jar Binks saves him
December 18th, 2015 at 12:10 AM ^
Yes, Hans Gruber did die. Yippie-ki-yay!
December 18th, 2015 at 6:04 PM ^
It will be his Sole-o appearance in the new trilogy...
December 17th, 2015 at 11:24 PM ^
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December 18th, 2015 at 7:53 AM ^
Jekyll was Hyde!
December 17th, 2015 at 11:25 PM ^