Star Wars: Force Awakens Discussion (spoilers)

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Shiningted, Dec 21, 2015.

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  1. Shiningted

    Shiningted I want my goat back Administrator

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    Hello folks,

    By now I am betting everyone has seen the new Star Wars movie, so let's discuss it.

    Overall, I wasn't sure what to think. I saw it in a packed theatre opening night. No one clapped afterwards - other people I have read on forums had this experience - but no one booed either. I wasn't sure what to make of it. It's certainly a return to the Star Wars universe - JJ Abrams has done a superb job there - and there is a lot to like; great action, great effects, droids used really well, great to see the old faces and mostly good new faces too (Domhnall Gleeson's role could have used someone older, while Gwendoline Christie was woefully underused). But between the completely rehashed plot, the total lack of suspense, and the (for want of a better word) feminization of the movie, my overall feeling was disappointment. Daisy Ridley was great as Rey, but the constant need to show her character was a 'strong independent woman' who didn't need help, who kept correcting Han Solo over how to operate the Millennium Falcon, who instantly mastered Jedi powers like the mind trick and pulling the saber towards her that took Luke a long period of training in the original, and who defeats a trained Dark Side warrior with the best genes in the game the first time she ignites a light saber - well, I don't remember Wookiepedia mentioning "you go grrl!" as a Force power.

    Overall, JJ Abrams brought his-blockbuster making skills to this, and it shows - but because he didn't want to offend the fans we got nothing new or original, while because he didn't want to offend the left he's made something other than the classic archetypal hero's journey that George Lucas gave us. Something far short of it.

    My $0.02.
     
  2. sirchet

    sirchet Force for Goodness Moderator Supporter

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    I haven't seen it, doubt I will unless it works it way to pay for view at a real low price.

    A PC correct Star Wars I can do without, I'm still surprised they didn't name the girl hero Hillary. :p
     
  3. FDR4PREZ

    FDR4PREZ Established Member

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    Ted - I agree with your assessment.
     
  4. GuardianAngel82

    GuardianAngel82 Senior Member

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    On a positive note, I thought it sucked lees than the "prequelogy". ;)
     
  5. FDR4PREZ

    FDR4PREZ Established Member

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    Yes, that is true. It was tons better than the prequels.

    Only 2 years to go to see where they take this.

    Rumor has it that the Rey chick is Luke's daughter and that is why she is so strong in the Force.

    Where Ted thought that the Captain Phasma character was under used, I think she should have stuck to her guns and not lower the shields. She should have called their bluff and got shot. She showed her true colors in that she is just as much as a traitor as Finn's defection.
     
  6. maalri

    maalri Immortal

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    Ted- I agree with most. I don't particularly think that they showed Rey as too feminist, but I DO think it is unusual, to say the least, that she did get so good at the Force Powers so quickly! The fighting, I can sort of understand, though.

    Finn had already fought and injured Kylo and he fought very well, too, for a beginner!! But having your life on the line can tend to make you fight like a demon. I think Kylo thought it a foregone conclusion that he'd win against Finn, and when Finn put up a good fight, it caught him off guard. THEN, he thought that no way would TWO Noobs be decent and with Rey channeling the Force a bit to help her desperation, well you could actually SEE the moment when he started to take her seriously too.

    Plus, Luke's Lightsaber might have acted as a bit of a Jedi Holocron (she certainly got images when she touched it) and helped her in that way, too.

    All said, better than the Prequels and, IMHO it was almost a better "update" of A New Hope, with all the plot similarities. Episodes 4,5, and 6 are notoriously famous for having so few females in the franchise! Perhaps they just wanted to correct that, this time around.

    Just my two coppers
     
  7. GuardianAngel82

    GuardianAngel82 Senior Member

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    I'm not so surprised that a soldier and a treasure hunter show some martial skill.

    Han and Leia's son isn't necessarily welled trained in the use of the force. Who would train him? There are no Jedi around. It's interesting that Leia doesn't show much Force use.

    Just a thought: Since the name of the movie is the "The Force Awakens", maybe everyday people are manifesting the Force.
     
  8. ManosFate

    ManosFate Rot Grub Host

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    *Spoilers Ahead*

    Generally speaking, I really enjoyed the movie. Lot of action, beautiful effects, really enjoyed the "realistic" look to the sets vs. green screen of the prequels. Well done there.

    If I had disappointments it was due what many have described as "familiar" aspects to the movie to the previous Star Wars:A New Hope (Jakku felt like Tattoine, another "Death Star" blowing up planets, etc.) As flawed as the prequels were, Lucas always did create a new location per film.

    Anyway, I'm glad I saw it. I'll see it again. I'll buy the Blu Ray. ;)
     
  9. Allyx

    Allyx Master Crafter Global Moderator Supporter

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    I saw the new movie in the Cinema, and again recently on Blu Ray, my opinion of it hasn't changed much between the two viewings:

    It's basically a remake of the first three movie's (4, 5, & 6) condensed into a single movie, but with a bigger Death Star, less Ewok's and a shit Darth Vader...

    I suppose it's conceivable that Rey is just a natural Jedi demi-god like Anakin Skywalker was, and the player character in the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed game was (that was insanely fun to play btw) but the reformed Stormtrooper, Finn? I don't get at all. The prequel trilogy explained how stormtroopers were all clones of Jango Fett, last time I checked Jango doesn't look anything like Finn.
     
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  10. XVicious

    XVicious Established Member

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    I saw this recently from a red box rental.

    so I rented the film and watched it maybe 2 times.

    I don't know much about who wrote and directed this Edition of star wars

    but I had heard that Disney pictures bought the rights to Star wars films

    recently before the film was in theaters.

    so I believe that the lack of creativity , directing and cast selections would be very different

    from any intended direction of a deminishing story.

    so my oppinion about any new Star Wars movies of future films

    would most likeley be same as this new one .


    SUPER CHEAP ORIGINALITY
    PRESUME THEM TO PUMP OUT 5 MORE DUMB STAR WARS FILMS
    AS FAST AS THEY CAN TO MAKE MONEY OFF THE HYPE AND LEGEND OF THE
    ORIGINALS.
     
  11. maalri

    maalri Immortal

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    Alex-"Finn? I don't get at all. The prequel trilogy explained how stormtroopers were all clones of Jango Fett, last time I checked Jango doesn't look anything like Finn."

    The ORIGINAL Stormtroopers were Jango Fett clones, but they all (nearly all) went crazy. So before "A New Hope" the Empire started using regular (nearly all) humans for those positions.
     
  12. Shiningted

    Shiningted I want my goat back Administrator

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    Yeah, Finn mentions being taken from his home as a kid to be a Stormie - by the time of the originals I think it's fair to say they are getting Stormies from places besides just cloning. It explains the various officers (who you see) who were not Jango in the original movies.
     
  13. sirchet

    sirchet Force for Goodness Moderator Supporter

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    Now that it's a three dollar movie on Pay for View, I gave it a spin.

    I feel like I didn't get to see a new movie, just excerpts from all the previous movies.

    An orphan on a desert planet, a Death Star going to blow things up, gotta take out the shields and a bad guy dressed in black. I'm surprised the bad guy didn't have the Darth Vader type voice. Meh, was worth three bucks, but not a penny more.
     
  14. FDR4PREZ

    FDR4PREZ Established Member

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    I tend to agree that the story was a lot of rehashment of previous successful story bits from the previous movies all mushed together.

    I am curious how the next film will unfold. We seemingly already have a reclusive Jedi master that will train a new person.

    We just need a space chase scene in an asteroid field, someone encased in a carbonite-like material, and the new Jedi trainee learn that her parent is an old bad guy (or some good guy in the government), and get her hand cut off (or some other appendage).
     
  15. Allyx

    Allyx Master Crafter Global Moderator Supporter

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    I guess that makes Episode 9 Return of the Ewok's :D
     
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