Absolutely disappointing rehash of the first trilogy. Disney had a real opportunity to do something new and exciting with this ipr but resorted to rushed writing with an extremely compressed story that makes no sense and fails to make anyone care for the characters or events. Emo Kylo is an outstanding metaphor for the whole deal.
The whole theatre burst into spontaneous cheers several times, and the whole theatre completely went silent - people literally stopped chewing their popcorn - on numerous occasions.
Like you've probably already heard, the movie REALLY is a phenomenal throwback to the original trilogy, with an extra oomph and insane amounts of creativity and new found inspiration that will take the franchise to a whole new level.
The characters are three-dimensional, it's nowhere near as strictly black and white, good vs. evil like in most of the previous movies, and Adam Driver as Kylo Ren is the best example of that. Hands down, the best villian to appear in the Star Wars franchise other than Darth Vader.
Daisy Ridley & John Boyega are thrilling to watch, the old cast members, popping in during the movie were just as fun to watch.
J.J. Abrams and the writers somehow managed to create a plot that was very confined in space and time, yet they effortlessly captured the grand universe that is Star Wars with some pretty great throwbacks to the old trilogy plot-wise. Some might argue that it's lack of creativity and unnecessary repetition, but I thought it was a wonderful homage. It flowed naturally and there really was no dull moment.
Absolutely phenomenal. :)
Let me start by saying that this contains spoilers, is emotionally biased and CONTAINS SPOILERS!
The first third(ish) of the movie, I thought to myself - yes, thank God, yes! They didn't screw it up. And then... things went downhill from there. And a lot of things in my opinion, went wrong. Let's take it from the top:
The amount of Disney is disheartening. The original feeling the old movies had; the desperation, the development of skills and character, the development of relationships, the emotional rollercoaster - it's either forced in TFA or it's not there at all. Rey might be a natural with a large count of midichlorians etc., but just like Anakin and Luke, the wielding of a lightsaber that Rey displayed at the end of the movie, is Disney talking. I know she's skilled with a staff, etc. etc., but a staff is still not a lightsaber. And not to mention the very Disney moment where she remembers the Force. Yeah, that definitely speaks for itself.
The characters. Like the most of you, I was exceptionally thrilled that old the oldies appeared! I loved seeing the Dynamic Duo (Chewie and Han) back on the screen! Amazing work by the two actors! The usual funny and very emotionally engaging robots were there! I loved BB-8 the same way you love a puppy. And of the new characters, my compliments to Driver's Kylo Ren - amazingly complex and well-interpreted character with an emotional depth that is fit for the franchise (but I still hate him and will NOT forgive him. Ever). And for the new characters, that's about it. Ridley's Rey was to me boring with no emotional depth and no development whatsoever. And Finn. I'm sure he'll be of some use later on, but I saw no use for him in TFA. At all. Maybe that's me reacting to the development of multiple main characters at once, but my own personal opinion on this is that instead of the focus on multiple characters and the establishment of several things at once (Kylo Ren, The First Order, Snoke, Finn, Rey, The Resistance, etc.), they should've established fewer things an more in depth. Even though I found it easy to follow the storyline, I was still occupied with too many questions at once. Who is Snoke? What is The First Order? What's Rey's parentage? What's the deal with the new stormtroopers? Too many important questions are raised so early in the movie that I didn't have the chance or time to enjoy the rest of it.
Another Death Star? Really? Another Empire (that looks like something taken out of Nazi Germany)? Really? Another X-wing miraculously destroying something in the last seconds? I ask only this - WHY?! The exaggeration of The First Order was... unnecessary. The many reuses of the plots from the older movies, also unnecessary. Disney had the opportunity to create their own stories in an already established universe. Why make Kylo Ren Han and Leia's son? Why in the world could they not just have let them live on to be the legends that they were and are - instead of dragging them into another story line. I've heard a lot of comments on that it was Han who bridged the old and the new, but he didn't have to be the bridge. They had so many possibilities and they chose the easiest one.
MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!
WARNING YOU!
LAST WARNING!
How in the world could they kill off Han Solo? Yes, I'm aware that it furthers the plot and was necessary, but killing the person who bridged the old and the new, is first of all gutsy, secondly insulting and thirdly odd. Yes, I'm very emotionally biased when it concerns this. Han died because the story had to move on. That's insulting. Kylo Ren killed him (reference to Luke and Vader anyone?) in a very not-Han-like-way-to-die. I wanted more for Han's big finale and for his character.
When all that's said though, there were some moments where I honestly enjoyed the movie. But in the end they were all overshadowed by the evil I feel has been done to the franchise.
Easily the worst Star Wars film ever. Not sure what Disney were thinking... Maybe because people liked "A New Hope" they decided to make this "A New Hope 2.0"
"Oh and let's make Kylo Ren basically Darth Vader 2.0"
"Oh and we can make the Death Star 3.0! And make it way bigger, that will blow everyone's minds"
"Oh and let's replicate Hitler and the Nazis, just like they already did in Captain America"
"Oh and let's unnecessarily throw in a million nods to the original Star Wars films just to distract the fans from the weak plot"
There's nothing wrong with nods to previous films, but "The Force Awakens" was basically fuelled by nods.
This was basically just a mediocre action film with a Star Wars skin to help sell it.
Really very frustrating how many people are buying into this rubbish, because that is just going to encourage Disney to keep churning more and more out from their cesspit.
While the story-telling and the visuals itself are on point, the movie confirms my worst fear. It wasn't made because there was a story to tell: Instead, it basically retells the story of A New Hope. The intention for profit is undeniable.
Also, major pacing issues are to point out. Ray talks about "Han being the father she never had", and Finn is willing to risk his life for Ray, although these people had only met the day before. Somewhere I feel I missed the time lapse.
Also, the background of things is left UBER-vague, although here I can at least hope the sequels will catch up on that.
I'm not a star wars fan and I'll never be. The whole movie just feels like it popped out of the eighties. The old formula, good vs evil, doesn't work anymore. Everything was too shallow, there isn't no proper character development, they're just running and fighting constantly. Basically, for me, it was a very silly movie full of hype and sexism. Disappointed but not surprised.
I last saw the first-made three films about ten years ago, and still enjoyed them. This film is far superior to the three films that were last made, but is still an uncomfortable ball of prejudice and xenophobia. The blu-ray actually subtitles some dialogue as spoken by "ALIEN". Well...who's an alien in all this, then? Isn't that a note on the bars that definitely should not be in-place? Drab.
In total, the film bored me. Could be that Star Wars isn't in me any more, or that I'm too alienated by it.
Hey, if you don't want spoilers then don't read this. I'm not like giving away major things, but just go see it first. I think you can find somebody to go with you (kind of a big franchise in popularity if you didn't know).
This movie feels a lot like the original trilogy, both in a good way and a bad way. First off, I enjoyed myself quite a bit the whole time. Action was great, camera work, alien design, and even post 3-D work were all great. I really enjoyed the new robot BB-8. They did a great job with small humor here and there throughout, and Oscar Isaac I think is perfect, probably the best new character.
But... I had a lot of issues with how repeat this thing is. I can hit soooo many specific details they do over from the other films that it isn't even funny. And no, I'm not talking about general film plot themes or funny lines done in new ways (although that does happen). No, I'm talking about literally having a new Death Star for the third Goddamn time. I'm talking about a person loading important info into a robot that is found on a desert planet by the new hero who joins up with another less force sensitive person and leaves on the Millennium Falcon, meets up with the good guy team, and goes to blow up the new Death Star while being chased by a dude in a black suit/mask combo.
I could keep going for a long ass time. However, that isn't all that bothers me. A lot of the third act has some problems. Big one is how the bad guy seems to be able to get beaten pretty easily by someone who has picked up a lightsaber for the first time. Yea, you have some jedi stuff in you so you start decent, but shouldn't beat a person who has that too and has been training. If it was simply there to show how amazing the new girl was, fine, but don't expect me to think this Kylo Renn & Stimpy guy to be intimidating anymore.
I'm getting a bit rough on the film I guess, but again I have to admit that overall I still had a good time watching it. It certainly knows how to balance the seriousness and fun. I hope the next one turns better though, since this felt like a lot of setup. Perhaps watching them back to back will make me appreciate this one more. Or maybe it'll suck and I'll be sad, who knows.
Oh, and John Williams' new score is a 5 out of 5.
The worst reboot ever guy what is this copy paste of the scenario of the 4. And guys please choose better actor or stop with the shut up it s work like that. Just we don't would to believe in this hero there just here for the scenario and not the opposite. The only good point is visually it s beautiful and it s star Wars but except that It s rape of the original star Wars by George Lucas. So sad I m waiting for this movie but it s just another commercial reboot movie
Finn is a terrible person if you think about it lol, everything that goes wrong or bad in this movie is because of his arrogance.
(yes I know is Disney so they’re not that smart lol) also, you’d think everyone on the planet would start dying of radiation poisoning pretty quickly from the planet sucking up energy from the sun and then shooting the same energy
Literally the best movie of the whole series. And I'm qualified to say that because I was obsessed with the original 3 in the 90s. #yolo, my dudes. I know, you'll never recover, but it IS freaking amazing. #maythe4th
This is a great movie, a trip of nostalgia with balanced characters and lovely cinematography. Kudos to JJ Abrams.
A phenomenal sequel to the original trilogy and an amazing show of loyalty to the original cast, crew and filming techniques used 40 years ago. A refreshing surprise after the sidetracking Sith trilogy. 10/10
It's like your younger cousin - it tries to be cool, but you can see it's only copying everything you do but in a lame way
Lol just like the last movie everything that goes wrong is finns fault
Original trilogy, episodes IV–VI
A New Hope (1977) https://trakt.tv/movies/star-wars-1977
The Empire Strikes Back (1980) https://trakt.tv/movies/the-empire-strikes-back-1980
Return of the Jedi (1983) https://trakt.tv/movies/return-of-the-jedi-1983
Prequel trilogy, episodes I–III
The Phantom Menace (1999) https://trakt.tv/movies/star-wars-episode-i-the-phantom-menace-1999
Attack of the Clones (2002) https://trakt.tv/movies/star-wars-episode-ii-attack-of-the-clones-2002
Revenge of the Sith (2005) https://trakt.tv/movies/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-of-the-sith-2005
Sequel trilogy, episodes VII–IX
The Force Awakens (2015) https://trakt.tv/movies/star-wars-the-force-awakens-2015
The Last Jedi (2017) https://trakt.tv/movies/star-wars-the-last-jedi-2017
The Rise of Skywalker (2019) https://trakt.tv/movies/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-2019
Anthology films
Rogue One (2016) https://trakt.tv/movies/rogue-one-a-star-wars-story-2016
Solo (2018) https://trakt.tv/movies/solo-a-star-wars-story-2018
Rogue Squadron (2023) https://trakt.tv/movies/rogue-squadron-2023
After watching "The Force Awakens" a second time, I still have the same opinion. It's a very good "Star Wars" movie with a strong cast and great special effects. The weakest part of the movie is the Starkiller Base.
The "Star Wars" franchise is loaded with faux science and implausibilities, but I just can't get past how dumb the Starkiller idea is.
Best of the worst for me
The story is nice but it misses on character building and messes up all the SW Universe as we know it.
There is also comic joke tone that doesn't fit in the story.
When Rey in less than 30 seconds learned the jedi mind trick to get free it was too much and I had to stop watching. Com'on how on earth (ehm galaxy) is this possible for an untrained? She is even able to battle on par with the Master of the Knights of Ren an already trained apprentice!!!
What about the lead villain? He seems a crying child that destroys everything around him when something goes wrong...
For me it's a 6. It would have been an 8 for special effects and story would there have not been the original trilogy that taught us how much practice, experience and patience you need to be able to use the force.
An enjoyable beginning to the sequel trilogy!
'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' entertained me. It felt like a fresh direction for the overall franchise, which I guess is little surprise given George Lucas was not a major part of this. I actually didn't notice a great deal of difference, or at least as much as I thought there'd be given his exclusion.
I enjoyed seeing the new cast merge with the old trio, even if there are only small appearances from two of the latter. Daisy Ridley and John Boyega are excellent additions, both give top performances - I will say I didn't sense major chemistry between the two, but I assume that'll come soon enough. Adam Driver, meanwhile, suits his role nicely.
Original trio Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill all feature, though - as alluded to - Ford is the only one that has a major part to play. Either way, it's cool seeing them back in the franchise.
Everything else about the film satisfied me, I'm not saying it's perfect - esp. the plot - but I found it perfectly fun to watch. For me, it's a strong start for this era of 'Star Wars'.
"Chewie, we're home."
The Force Awakens is a continuation of the "Star Wars" saga, balance returns to the Force as the First Order, emerging from the ashes of the Empire, clashes with the Resistance, which includes scrappy newcomers as well as heroes from the former Rebel Alliance.
It's been awhile since we've seen a Star Wars movie hit theaters and the last one wasn't that great. Fans today are still not over what George Lucas did. Then the news came out about a 7th film in one of the biggest and most iconic franchise of all time, but that only made fans more worried. Everyone had doubts over J.J. Abrams directing a new Star Wars movie, because Star Wars is one of the BIGGEST movies ever and fans seriously don't want another Phantom Menace on their hands, but after seeing the movie I can safely say that J.J. Abrams nailed it.
J.J. Abrams broke his back making this movie, I mean taking on a project like this is a big deal. Abrams himself is a fan of the original Star Wars movies and while watching this movie I could tell. He put everything in this movie and it absolutely paid off. I can't imagine anyone else directing this movie and I think it's a perfect idea for a Star Wars fan (like Abrams) to direct the movie, because he knows his roots better than Lucas. Abrams really listened to fans and this isn't the first time a director did that. I mean, with J.J. Abrams wanting to make a good Star Wars movie, he wants to get everything nailed down perfectly and the best way he could do that is by listening to what people what. Abrams did fantastic job directing this movie as he added a mix of A New Hope, the old school film making and a little bit of a Star Trek feel to it.
Daisy Ridley and John Boyega play new character's in the Star Wars saga and both of them are unknown stars to some people. Both of them deliver a great performance and their characters were enjoyable to watch. The characters themselves are interesting, you care for them and you have a little glimpse of their back story that makes you want to know more about them. All the characters in the movie are great and I'm talking about the old and new characters.
Now lets talk about the villain 'Kylo Ren' played by Adam Driver. This might honestly be the most fleshed out, human and understandable villain we've had since Vader, now I'm not saying he's the next Vader or he's up up there with Vader, but he is a menacing villain that's quite frightening at times. He's not the type of villain that's just evil or tries to have a clear motivation that's done poorly in other movies, but here (Without spoiling everything) is more than that. He was a great villain and just his presence can make anyone go silent.
I loved the use of the CGI in this movie. Abrams went back to original way of filming things and that's blending the CGI into the background that this universe is set in, and it's execution was beautiful. Now when I think about it, the whole movie is one big "f**k you" to George Lucas and how this movie avoids the things that we hated in the prequels (two of them is the use of CGI and Jar Jar).
To those wondering if Luke Skywalker is in the movie and again without giving too much away, yes, he is.
Now for the flaws: A lot of people have said that The Force Awakens is basically a remake of A New Hope and I do agree on that. Some may not problem with that and that's fine by me, but there were some call backs that felt a bit force (No pun intended).
I already talked about how amazing the visual effect's look, but some effect's were a bit noticeable. I think some of the noticeable effect's were some of the CGI character's. But all that a side, the rest of the effect's was really good.
Overall rating: The Force Awakens is a great Star Wars movie and it feels good saying that. It's way way better than the prequels and Return of the Jedi. It's absolutely worth seeing.
P.S. Here is something for those people who are going to spoil this movie for others.
"Those attempting to spoil Star Wars for others, know that it's the most attention you'll likely receive in life". - Quote by Chris Stuckmann
Still can’t understand how someone that just discovered the Force was able, in order, to: mentally resist a trained “sith”, use the force to make a trooper do something (influencing his weak mind), get the lightsaber using the force, kick the ass on a lightsaber duel on the previous mentioned trained “sith”. Anakin and Luke needed a lot of time and training to be able to do this things, why did they have to rush it this time? It went like “oh the Force is true? Cool, I can master it already”. Said this, the first 80 minutes of the movie were enjoyable.
This movie is a disappointment bringing nothing new to the Star Wars universe. It is unoriginal and a rehash of A New Hope. I didn't care for the new characters who are not interesting. Rey is bland and overpowered, Poe is useless, Finn is annoying and he can use a lightsaber without training (why ???) and Kylo Ren is a pale imitation of Vader who fails to be threatening. The visuals can't save the inconsistencies of the movie.
it's official, Disney ruined Star wars for me. A New hope, only in boring.
I don't get it: why are other movies dissed when they rehash the plot, reuse the same elements all over again, imitate other movies; but when it's Star Wars, all critics from all around the world glorify it to the fullest?
When it was just Rey and Finn's tiny adventure, Force Awakens is all fun and games. It's interesting, it draws us to know more. But after they met the old casts (Han, Chewie, etc), Eps VII really just that: a rehash of Eps IV, VI, and IV with better visuals. It's not even being consistent with the original trilogy (not prequel!) Star Wars logic, e.g. hyperdrive being usable indoor, Han Solo being unfamiliar with his 30 years best-bud weapon, "the Force" being something you have inside you instead of the energy around you that you have to control, etc.
Not to mention the forced narrative like Rey seeing Han as a fatherly figure despite them only meeting about 15 minutes ago, Kylo Ren being someone with impeccable force power, and odd plot decision like Leia giving a hug to a certain someone instead the other one who has been with the guy for a very long time. The fact that the script has to mention that, for example, Rey sees Han as a fatherly figure shows how forced the narrative is--audience can't see that, so the script has to shove that to audience eyes!
I can continue on and on, but this is one of the worst blockbuster I've ever seen. Especially since it's Star Wars.
Movie was entertaining, but the story was too unoriginal and predictable. Too much cheesy Disney humor and too many plotholes for my taste.
That absolutely stank. Broke nearly every rule established by the star wars universe. Anakin skywalkers trained grandson can't even kick a clones ass.
Just came back from the first official showing. My mind was officially blown / "awoken". Simply amazing. Best movie experience that I've been to in a long time (ago in a galaxy far, far away). This is what a Star Wars movie is supposed to be like.
The fusion of the new cast and the old was masterfully done and I was on the edge of my seat the entire movie not knowing what was coming next. Adam Driver and Daisey Ridley absolutely stole the show in this one but I honestly ending up loving all the new characters. The only downside is that I have to wait until 2017 & 2019 to complete this "new" adventure. I am contemplating if I should freeze myself in carbonite to shorten the wait...
I may or may not be watching this a few more times in the coming weeks (while doing my little dance)...
http://i.imgur.com/ZN51S64.gif
My head is still exploding having just watched The Force Awakens in 3D IMAX. Absolutely awesome - one of the best cinema-going experiences I've ever had. Definitely the best Star Wars film in three decades, and maybe the best one ever. You'll laugh, cry and want to leap in the air. The new cast are all great, but when Han Solo and Chewie arrive it's like your childhood comes crashing into the present. Harrison Ford is one of the best things in this film.
Critics have complained that this film borrows too much from episode IV. I think it is more homage for the fans and doesn't bother me one iota. It may not be perfect but man is it FUN. It's a wonderful throwback to the original trilogy that recaptures the humour and fun so lacking from the prequels. Star Wars is back!
Disney have clearly learned from Marvel's successes and are doing some major world building here leaving many questions unanswered. Comic book movies are often rebooted and no-one complains but many other movies are considered sacrosanct. What JJ Abrams has done here is to produce BOTH a sequel and a reboot. It's inspired, and helpfully sets up a world of stories to explore in future movies.
This is just the beginning. Welcome to the Star Wars Cinematic Universe....
Star Wars Strikes Back.
With the right amount of references to the old movies and plenty of fresh content, The Force Awakens blasts off in the right direction for the sequel trilogy. There are many parallels with the original trilogy, which makes this movie feel like a true Star Wars film, however the new characters also make it feel fresh, rather than plain fan service.
J.J. Abrams as done a good job in making the audience care about the characters introduced in this movie and I can't wait to see how Rian Johnson, hopefully, continues this trajectory.
It was alright. The problem for me was the sky high pedestal it had been put on. The original characters were brought in to give some credance to the whole plan of another episode. (I can just see Disney execs round the table loving that idea). The story was a rehash, the music was the same. All the money was seen on screen in the explosions, and I just didn't get the same feeling as the original movies. Family squabbles and political correctness is all I got. I would have preferred no episode 7, or a film with more guts and no aged over paid actors. Oh well, at least I didn't have to listen to the rest of a packed cinema munching their popcorn... there were only a few other punters in the audience. Sorry, but I didn't see what the fuss was all about. Disappointing. 6/10.
The Hope is Back! The Love is Back! The Faith is Back! The Anger is Back! The Shock is back! The Families are Back! Our collective childhood's and preteens and teenage is back. And finally, The Force is Back!.... To take us to a new and remarkable future!
Ode to A New Hope
Are you a Star Wars Fan? You will not be disappointed in this film.
Is it a perfect film? No. But it is a great Star Wars film the way a child of the 70's remembers this franchise. You will embrace the new stars of this generation with the same conviction and love that you have to the original trio. I will say, that this has some of the best character development of any Star Wars film that has come before it, and not just for the new heroes and heroine but for the old characters that we have missed the past 30 years.
Go and see this movie. Go and see it multiple times.
May the Force Be With You.
Words can't describe how i'm feeling after seeing this movie, but i'll try it. Well, 10 years waiting for a new Star Wars movie, 33 waiting for a sequel of the original trilogy, what could we expect ? new characters ? the classic characters ? John Williams music ? beautiful visual effects ? a reboot/remake/sequel or what ?
YES ! there's all of it in Force Awakens. The feeling of nostalgia for the classic faces such as Solo, Chewie and Leia, and all that stuff we always loved such as that piece of junk called Millenium Falcon, there are a lot of references from the classic ones.
But, what i was really expecting was the fresh faces and the story and direction of J.J. Abrams, and god...... it was... PERFECT. The idea of bringing the classic characters to this story was great, but presenting us with these new characters was even better ! There's so much charisma and chemistry in those ones, Ridley, Boyega, Isaac, even the new droid BB-8 is such a lovely character, Maz Kanata, portrayed by the amazing Lupita Nyong'o, works as a new version of our Master Yoda.
About the new empire called as the First Order, i had my little regards, the main villain, Kylo Ren, is a good one, but can evolve much more on the next films, Captain Phasma, the chromed stormtrooper has some similarities with the classic bounty hunter Boba Fett, also can evolve much more, General Hux is a crazy dictator, the whole First Order and it's supreme leader Snoke, it has so much mystery.
Well... my last words about this film are: Definitely the best film of 2015 and the best Star Wars film since Empire Strikes Back. GO SEE IT ! 10/10
Ah, I was a bit skeptical towards this movie, but after seeing it I'm happy! It was emotionally satisfying experience with great visuals and rich quality audio. No, it's not perfect but it was a really good movie. In the middle there was some moments that could've been paced a little better, but especially towards the end things started to heat up. Really liked the new characters and they were really well written/acted. Solid 9/10.
The Star Wars Universe has never before be seen this crispy- an immensely satisfying experience for Star Wars fans and a great movie overall. Ending was somewhat abrupt but that only leaves room for more!
J.J. Abrams returns to take a franchise of this dimension after "Star Trek".
"The Force Awakens" is the best 'Star Wars Movie' in more than 30 years (The prequels were a disappointment).
Although the plot is very similar with "A New Hope". Abrams found ways to be different (BB-8, the complexity of Kylo Ren's brain and essentially the chemistry between Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Harrison Ford).
First time I watched it, I thought they ripped of and recycled the first original movie. Then I rewatched the original, and after just seeing "The Force Awakens", the effects and creatures in "A New Hope" suddenly looked dated. Afterwards I re-watched "The Force Awakens" and very much enjoyed it.
Sorry but this has not lived up to the hype, often found myself looking down at my phone :( good but lacks new creativity. seen it all before and that's exactly how it felt. I have a new hope that things will improve ;)
So I just saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and wow, what a surprise, it was really........ Good!
It was a good, fun, enjoyable movie. The music was great just like every other movie in the series. The acting was great despite almost every other movie in the series. Quite honestly, the most noticeably weak actors in the entire film were the ones from the original trilogy.The dialogue scenes between Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher were a little difficult to take seriously.
Fortunately, however, the majority of performances in in this movie were actually pretty great. The majority of the characters were actually pretty well-developed too. They were interesting, fun to watch, and easy to care about. Although it was a little weird that, most of the time, the new Droid character just felt as though it was a spherical version of WALL-E. I literally stopped caring about whatever its name actually was and only started referring to it as BALL-E.
The film's pacing was also pretty well done. Although I kept expecting the movie to end several times, I think that was mostly my fault. With this movie being the first in a new trilogy, I wasn’t really sure exactly how wrapped up this movie was planning on being by the time it ended. And I think that’s what made me feel as though were a lot longer than it was. Because despite that, I was never really bored, but I found myself unintentionally anticipating the ending a lot more than I probably would be if this were just a stand-alone film.
One of the things I enjoyed most about The Force Awakens is that this is the most realistic a Star Wars movie has ever felt.With not all that much preventing me from believing what I’m seeing, I’m able to just sit back and watch the characters deal with their conflicts. And boy, is that ever personally refreshing for a Star Wars movie.
Now, before I watched The Force Awakens, I went back and watched the original trilogy. So the similarities between this film and A New Hope were pretty fucking apparent. Without getting too specific, some of the similarities were a little fucking ridiculous. There were a few moments where I found myself thinking “Really? This? Again?” Like, it wasn’t just hitting a lot of the same beats, there were quite literally identical problems and solutions. There were a few points where I found myself questioning the logic of the film. Like, apparently none of these ships need keys. You can quite literally just steal one without hot-wiring it or anything.
Anyway, I thought this movie was an enjoyable and refreshing addition to the franchise and I’m excited to see episodes eight and nine. Although I sincerely hope that they don't pull that bullshit where the third movie in the trilogy is split into two parts. Whatever, I guess we'll just have to wait and see, and I'm giving this one an episode seven out of ten.
The incredible expectation for the film makes it tough to review and perhaps time may well lead to a change in how well it is viewed. Objectively, Abrams leans heavily on the original trilogy to drive the plot, not just including countless references to them, but also familiar story beats - a vital piece of information hidden in a droid, an attack on a seemingly impregnable base with one flaw - the list is endless such that the film could very well be a Greatest Hits package of the originals.
And yet the film just works, principally because Abrams recognises what made the original films tick - the characters and the interplay between them, the relentless pace and above all the fun and exuberance that made those first three films so special. Everyone going into this was looking forward to seeing the original characters, but what is perhaps most surprising is that every major new character is equally compelling and the dynamics that he has created between them leaves the audience wanting so much more.
In Kylo Ren, they have somehow managed to create an antagonist every bit as interesting as Vader, if not quite as downright cool and menacing, and his backstory and future are so ripe for development, it leaves Episode VIII a somewhat daunting prospect for the filmmakers who need to get this one right, especially given what happens here. Both Oscar Isaac and John Boyega seem to be having a great time and they embody in many ways the wish fulfilment of the audience to be transported to that galaxy far far away - it's hard not to grin at Poe having so much fun flying an X-Wing fighter or TIE fighter ("Wow this thing really moves!") or the moment a completely untrained Finn fires up a lightsaber to fight (and full credit to the filmmakers for making lightsabers feel dangerous again).
With Daisy Ridley, they have found a wonderful central protagonist for the new trilogy. Rey's background may still be unknown (though there is clearly an obvious link the filmmakers want you to make wrongly or rightly) but her growing awareness and more importantly her growing belief in her own strengths and abilities make for a compelling through line to the film right up to the final shot that underlines the journey she has been on.
None of the returning characters feel shoehorned into the plot at all, and each get their moments (or in one case, a single moment) to shine. And perhaps unsurprisingly, Harrison Ford carries the lion's share of the film, but it is hard to overstate how good he is here and how much fun it is to see Han and Chewie in action again.
Fun, exciting, tragic, adventurous, full of wonder and awe, this is a reminder of what Star Wars was all about and while the central story may well be the sticking point for many, it feels harsh to criticise when it has been reworked so well to suit the introduction of a new set of characters. Episode VIII can't come quickly enough.
ok sorry but i gave it a 7 just because it was star wars, the humour relief was a big no no for me and i blame Disney for that, i went to see a star wars film and not the hangover IV. To much nonsense of a script and no fresh ideas, it was a recycling of IV, V, VI. I'm upset
There are a million things I could say about this. Since I agree with a lot of the other comments, positive and negative, I´ll try keeping it under 100.000.
Technically, this is beyond doubt. I would say TFA is the new benchmark. I love everything about the design in general, my favorite beeing the new Stormtroopers. And since I have been one of the biggest critics of JJ Abrams let me say his directing is solid. Maybe not Oscar worthy but I´d say it is his best work so far.
I won´t comment much on the story, not because I don´t want to spoil too much, but because this is only the first part of it. There are some things I didn´t like that may make sense in the context of the complete story.
One part of the movie where I seem to have a totally different point of view is the charcater of Kylo Ren. He started out interesting but the moment he removed his mask the character was finished for me. What made Vader so strong wasn´t only that he acted sinister and evil it was that he had no face. Just this motionless mask without eyes, without expression. That gave him that little bit extra from just beeing an evil person. When Ren removed the mask and he had a face he became a young man with daddy-issues. He was finished as a villain, I couldn´t take him serious any longer. Having his butt kicked by Rey also didn´t help. And if she is anything BUT (!) Luke´s daughter it wouldn´t make much sense.
Concerning the death of Han it was Harrison´s wish to get the character killed long ago. But it should have been done diffenrently. Han was a crucial part in the SW universe and his death should have more meaning.
So is it a great movie? Yes. Is it Star Wars? Well, it has the right ingredients. If the story developes where I hope it leads than, yes, this could become monumental like the original.
One big advantage this has already over the prequels is the discussion and speculation it will spawn over the coming months. With the prequels everybody knew what would happen it was just a matter of getting there. This feels more like the original saga.
So let the rumors run wild.
I'm not the biggest Star Wars fan and being a fan of the prequels as a kid didn't help when I watched them again being a grown up and finally saw how bad they really were...
That said, I didn't really know what to expect with TFA - specially with J.J. Lensflare Abrams at the helm, but I was really surprised how good it was. Actually, I'm positive now that J.J. Abrams made Star Trek as a trolling project before making a serious movie with Star Wars :P.
So, what's my feeling about it?
Rey is now my favorite Star Wars character ever - even if the movie raise more questions than it answer. She is a powerful female lead that - IMHO - will likely surpass Leia during the new trilogy (Padme blew it up with the crap weak stuff supposed to be a love affair). On the other hand, Finn kind of disappointed me? Well, because that the movie tries to cramp up so much story in a short time he looks like a coward (for a StormTrooper, that is) that turn hero in about two scenes. Without spoiling anything, let's just say that he wasn't what I expected after seeing the trailers and pictures.
No doubt that the mysterious Kylo Ren was the major surprise of the movie story and no crazy fan theories I saw was right about him. But then, looking back at the other Star Wars dark side users will make him somewhat predictable and unoriginal?
One thing to be sure, this movie is the first of a trilogy, so you will have lot of questions at the end...
It is a good movie. It's not a perfect movie, it's not the best star wars movie, it's not a complete failure. It's good with a couple flaws that anyone could've seen coming. The acting is good for the most part and there is a handing off of the reins that occurs within the movie from the old actors to the new that was done exactly how it should've been done. Speaking of the characters, the old ones are exactly what you've come to expect, chewie is tough, Han is slick, Leia is large and in charge, all good. The new characters were good and I'm sure they'll get better as the series moves forward but it felt a little out of place that everyone immediately becomes best friends throughout the film and are more than willing to risk their lives for each other even though the movie seems to take place throughout the course of 2 or 3 days. Rey is probably the highlight of the new characters, strong minded and almost too good-natured. Finn is okay, he's the ultra brave to the point of stupidity character and often he puts himself in danger for something/someone he doesn't really even know but he's definitely the driving force for the plot of Force Awakens. Kylo Ren is a great villain but they definitely tried too much too early with him. I thought he was incredibly intimidating until the very end when he does the most intimidating thing yet and immediately afterwards gets shot in the side and gets his ass kicked in a lightsaber fight against people who have no training at all, the conflict within his mind also would've been better if strung out more and I'm sure they will add to it in the next couple movies but there is one specific part that was definitely rushed.
The plot is honestly unimpressive and not creative in the slightest. Former jedi turned sith and company have mega weapon that is practically indestructible and can destroy planets. Young adults get together and find out they have great power together. they blow up said mega weapon. One of the big drawbacks was the backstory for this. They basically say, "The first order is the remnants of the Empire, the rebels created a galactic republic, both have no idea where the fuck Luke Skywalker is." It's implied that Kylo wants to find Luke to kill him and the Rebels obviously don't want that to happen but it really doesn't seem like either side really knows what the fuck they're trying to do. The empire are not trying to keep their empire together anymore, they're just blowing up planets for shits and giggles I guess and the rebellion has already won and created their own society yet they are still called the rebellion for some reason (so the viewers don't get confused). I know they did this because they already jammed so much shit into this movie that adding more background would've thrown the pacing off somewhat or it would've extended the runtime to a point that would have turned off certain people but I feel like they could've just given a bit more explanation even if it was just during the Opening crawl after the title. I feel like they figured out that if you try anything too new with Star Wars then the fans will immediately hate you for it. They whined when the prequels added politics so why try it with the sequels. If you stick to what they already love then you can't fail. Right? well I'm sick of the same plot, they already got away from recycling the plot for Episode 6 we didn't need it again for 7. The cinematography was solid but not extremely impressive, it had a lot of good light vs dark imagery but that duality just dominated everything else and there was nothing else to it. The music was great but it was still the weakest of any Star Wars movie. The special effects both practical and computer generated were incredible. The action sequences were acceptable but oddly weren't nearly as impressive as any other Star Wars in the series. It's a worthy entry in the series but it has some flaws that it needs to fix before episode 8.
SO GOOD. It's so refreshing in comparison with the other movies and the special effects are on point. As well as the story telling!
Yes, it's a rehash of the first film and yes the main character is an overpowered John Cena, and yes there are strange coincidences and plotholes apparent, but THE ONE MOST IMPORTANT thing which the prequels all got wrong, this one gets right!! All the characters are so well written, you genuinely care about all the stakes and conflicts they are confronted with.
The greatest gift Star Wars gave us was the ability to look within ourselves, past all the "crude material matter" as Yoda puts it, and push those emotions, ambitions & beliefs that defines us, far off into an imaginary world, a world where we bend the laws of reality, where warriors and wizards battle their stakes with laser swords, a world where magic is real, where we can explore those truly human themes without having to worry about hard science. The human bond we share with the characters is what makes it all believable, and you can tell J.J. Abrams and the new heirs of Star Wars GETS IT!
I've not been this excited about a Star Wars film since the original trilogy. I walked into this expecting the worst, what I got was the complete opposite of that. It's wonderful!!
The Force Awakens was definitely enjoyable. I loved the new characters (and the old) and I loved the use of practical effects. All of the actors did a phenomenal job and you can tell everyone really cared about this franchise.
However.... The copy and pasting of most of A New Hope's plot points was a bit too much. It made the film too predictable in some parts. I loved how Rey was a strong female heroine but there were times it she felt a bit.... too perfect? Her ability to use a lightsaber and mind tricks when she JUST realized she could access the force was pretty unbelievable. And although Kylo Ren obviously hadn't finished his training and wasn't the perfect Sith, there still should've been no way she beat him so easily. I also wish we had gotten to see more of Captain Phasma and Poe Dameron.
Ok. After watching the movie at a midnight premiere and sleeping a little bit, I must say it was entertaining, but can't stand up to the hype. I'm a fan, but I'm not even trying to comparing it to any of the original trilogy, as this is practically a remake of SW:ANH, beat by beat, not an original movie. The trailers made it feel mysterious, epic and trascendental, but the end product feels shallow and rushed. That said, it's better than the prequels, but as I feared, mostly JJ Abrams' usual fare. At the end, I was leaving the cinema without the feeling of rush from the previous movies, and not caring for the next one,
It was really Star Wars, as it should be, full of the old and the new, the light and the dark. What more could you ask for from the film of the year?
I just hope this movie survives to the hype. None of Abrams movies ever has.
I've only seen "The Force Awakens " once. It was good, but I'm fighting off the urge to see it again because I don't understand why a Star Wars movie deserves a second chance over other movies that I've seen once, liked as much if not more, and then not re-watched.
Yes, I too saw Star Wars 4, 5 & 6 during their original runs in theaters (I'm that old), so nostalgia runs deep with me. However, I don't think "The Force Awakens" deserves an additional trip to the movies any more than say "Mad Max Fury Road", "Edge of Tomorrow", or "Nightcrawler" did. These were all movies I rated higher than the new Star Wars, and I waited until they came out on BluRay before a second watch.
I liked a lot of things about "The Force Awakens". Han and Chewy, the new characters Rey and Finn, Poe Dameron's X-wing dogfight and tie-fighter escape scenes, etc. It's a lot of fun and likely has an impact even greater on younger Star Wars newbies (my son has seen it five times and says it's now his favorite movie). The first two Star Wars movies score 5 of 5 with me but honestly, much of that is love of the characters over time and not because those first two movies were the greatest films ever.
I'll get around to "The Force Awakens" again when it's released on home video, but for now, I'll see something else that's sitting in my watchlist.
Even though it feels familiar, it still is one of hell of a ride. I still get chills when Rey uses the force to grab the lightsaber. This is the funniest Star Wars by far and I really enjoyed that. The new characters are all great and I can't wait to see more of them in The Last Jedi.
And Who Gave You Permission To Remove That Helmet
Leia Doesn't Wanna See Me
I haven't seen this since I saw it in the cinema when it was released...does it still make the grade I gave it?
Indeed it does!!!
It's still Star Wars as it should be...and I got an even better impression of that sound design when I tried it in my home theatre. I might even have to upgrade further because I suspect it's more to get out of that impressive sound.
Kinda sad to see Carrie Fisher in this one, knowing it might be the last time we see her and her princess. As my nephew said...Heroes shouldn't be allowed to die!!
It's indeed a return to form for the franchise, and it's one hell of an action packed movie
Well Done J.J. Abrams...now let's see if you can do it again...
Redeemed the franchise...great flick, good to see new and old faces...sucks we won't live long enough to mortgage the house for a down payment on a Falcon of my own..straight robbed son
Gets better each time I watch it. Upping my rating to reflect that. (Now watched it 5 times, definitely worth a 9)
this was so good i don't even know what to say
oh abrams... this is what happen when good director slash die hard fans makes a movie that can even match the original director, and... Pssst... kylo ren killed han solo
I didn't even watch the last (first?) Three ones because annoying Whatnots that tried to be cute for kids I guess and kids doing races and winning. Felt like Disney passed out on a typewriter. So this is the next attempt...
Just small cute attempts (who knew robots that can't speak can make sad sounds? Who thinks that is cute?). Characters almost talked normal. No, people don't finish each others sentences at the same time. Please...
Story didn't feel like one story. Tried to explain to much what happened here and there and them got lost and poof... All good. Could have been direct to vhs release for all I care.
While the cinematography is awesome, the whole film just started to gradually get boring after the first half.
Don't get me wrong, the characters are awesome and hilarious, but I can definitely see Disney's hand all in this. There was perhaps too much humor, and it really affected the tone of the series overall. I wanted something more shocking. I'm really hoping that they don't follow the same basic plot from the original trilogy in the next one.
Kylo Ren was absolutely... something. I definitely can understand why people talk about his 'temper tantrums' so often now. They really are!
Fantastic excellent photography and film
It's JJ Abrams, who I thought several projects back is the new Spielberg, so I'm not surprised how wonderful it turned out.
Did not get to see it in theatres. Waited patiently to see my favourites on screen again. I laughed, I cried, I had goosebumps.
Seriously, it is not as bad as all my friends claim. This is a solid film, and a good addition to the franchise.
Im an all time favourite of all Star wars Movies, new and old. The first three, to ever come out were amazing for their time (hello puppet yoda) and then the next three came along (hello new and improved yoda), and the graphics became even more magnificent. Im continuously impressed with these movies and there storylines. I know this movie, is a sort of, well really close remake of the first movie, but either way i love it. We always need a hero, we always need someone to save the helpless. Its great for the younger generation too...
I became attached to Darth Vader (Anakin Skywalker), the moment we were introduced to him, and learnt his full story and his background. I fell in love with Yoda, Han Solo and Chewy and all of the other characters you slowly get to know. Everyone has their own, amazing, interesting background.
I was a bit worried about the new movie. Would it destroy the saga, or would it be just amazing enough to be able to continue on for another 2 after. (Seen as all the movies have come out in three's) But i was impressed, more than impressed. The atmosphere of the movie theatre, has never been like it was for any other movies. When it was suspenseful, the crowd was quiet, not a piece of popcorn crunched, not a single drink was slurped. When it was sad and a character you had grown up with, was killed, i heard nothing but sadness, and a few people scream "Noooooooooooo" (thanks darth vader). It killed me inside a little bit, but everything made sense.
I would recommend this movie 1000000%, it was amazeballs. <3 Ive never been so invested into a movie, and my family are so crazy about it. We had nearly an hours conversation about who was whos child or who would die next, or who kylo ren is, and are all the stormtroopers going to have feelings soon, and what is darth vaders plan that kylo feels hes got to finish..... So many questions!!!!
BB-8, I love you ;D
New Star Wars keeps the good balance between hard action and deep plot. This makes it a good new beginning for the next trilogy (or maybe all franchise movie productions).
It was what I needed it to be...
The best Star Wars Episode. It has everything which defines Star Wars.
I've watched Star Wars before, but I have never felt the way I have about it until this year. Upon receiving my Blu-Ray collection back, I decided to watch both the trilogies in preparation for Episode 7. This coupled with the build-up made me more and more excited. And I wasn't disappointed! Watching it at Leicester Square Odeon, the atmosphere was amazing. To be in a large audience of people, laughing, whooping, and hollering together and sharing that experience was magical. I think I would like to see this film again before making any definitive decisions on it as the nostalgic element of the references to previous films caught a lot more of my attention than perhaps the film as a stand-alone story. Not that it wasn't great. There were some details that bothered me which seemed too familiar and disappointed me and reading articles and reviews has confirmed my suspicions that it was perhaps a rehashing of A New Hope. As well as watching this one again, I also want to see what my opinion will be after watching the complete new trilogy as it may actually all just fall into place!
I really loved this movie.
The only minus of the movie is that it uses the original story of New Hope. But! This is also really really big plus! It worked in the past, it works now 30+ years later. There are just some milestones that are the same/similar, but lots of detail and backgrounds are different.
Based on that the movie fulfills the role of being "the next" Star Wars movie (for the fans, this will feel familiar, building trust, nostalgia, just the old Star Wars feeling is finally back).
It also succeeds in being "the new" Star Wars, by introducing new characters, new mysteries and new questions that we want to find out. There is huge potential in the follow up movies, thanks to this being so good.
Thank you JJ, thank you.
Phenomenal! As a long time Star Wars fan I was prepared for a huge disappointment but man was I thrilled when I left the theater!
While we have seen a lot in previous movies Disney somehow managed to perfectly merge old with new and produce one of the best 3D movies I have ever seen. If you are remotely interested in action and / or SciFi movies I can only recommend this flick to you. Even if you have never seen a Star Wars movie before...
Cannot wait for Episodes VIII and IX!
Complete tribute to the saga. Rey, Finn and Poe, i love this guys
It lived up to all expectations! I'm going to be hitting trees with painted sticks for a few weeks because of this movie!
Star Wars is back on top, baby.
I am a real fan. The SFX are really good. But the story was mediocre. By far not the best movie of the year.
Excellent movie. Easily one of the year's best and a great return to form for the franchise.
ABSOLUTELY MARVELOUS ♥
BB 8 and all the new characters are awesome!!!
Just saw and was very pleased. It was a wonderful adventure. Daisy Ridley and John Boyega were excellent as the newcomers and it was great to see the old gang as well. The plot has a number of convenient coincidences, and mirrors the plot of Episode IV just a little too closely, but I was having too much fun to care.
The new characters are absolutely amazing. The movie itself has some weak spots but is still very fantastic.
I liked it a lot, new and old characters work well. Action, fighting duels without jar jar bing, nop lens flare
The most satisfying Star Wars movie, is unique
best star wars film for a long time. Really wanted finn to become the jedi though. 8.5/10
I've never been a big fond of the sci-fi genre but I must admit that this particular film is pretty much entertaining. The plot is interesting, the acting is decent and besides some tiny little details which are mainly on the account of the film-making process, I can't say a bad word about The Force Awakens - keep in mind that I had only seen two Star Wars films previously and I didn't like them.
All the anticipation was worth it this time. While the characters are far more interesting and developed than anyone in the prequels. I love that Rey has a child like wonder to her but is bad ass as well. Kylo Ren, Poe and BB-8 are also exciting new characters. Finn is the only new character I think that needs just a little more build up in Episode 8.
Loved it, but there's one thing that bugs me. The evil guy. Kylo Ren. I don't think they chosen the right actor. I mean, his face was too good-guy like, but the character is so badass you know? I don't know why but that really bugs me..
J.J has brought the magic back.
For some stupid reason I never watched the other movies, my friends convinced me to watch this one, and it was one of the best movies of the year, awesome!
I don't know. Maybe this is the best Star Wars EVER. I need to see the film again.
They manage to do what George Lucas never did. Fantastic performance from the new cast. Amazing movie!
So very satisfying, yes yes yes!
Just watched it, so awesome. Personally loved it, not really a spoiler but I'll mark it as one, some great humour and some breath taking visuals, and for the one's that have seen it that scene with one of them and the other one on the bridge when stuff happens and DAMN, almost brought a tear to my eye.
It is good and I give it 8/10. I am no fan of J.J. Abrams Star Trek movies but this worked. It has some weak moments and one bad actor that you can never guess beforehand but contrary to my doubts, Daisy Ridley is good and it's miles miles better than the Prequel Trilogy, even Revenge of the Sith.
Everything looks real and the lightsaber fights are great. Not like those dancing glowing stick numbers in the prequels. The integration of the legacy actors is done real well and surprised me the most. It went so fast and felt so short. Not one dull moment in this. Even the Original Trilogy had dull moments. I feel this can benefit greatly from an extended cut.
This is a great start and a better director can do wonders. This makes the prequels look even worse. Only now you will realize what could have been done.
Official title revealed today: The Force Awakens!
I actually got to see this one in theaters! I really enjoy the Sequel Trilogy, and this one is no exception. 9/10 :star:
just got done watching this one and was its actually a good movie
Shout by kvdsteegeVIP 7BlockedParent2015-12-16T09:52:51Z
The best new Star Wars film in three decades and one of the most satisfying films of the year.