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.
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.
"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
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.
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....
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
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.
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.
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!!
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.
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!!!!
TFA amounts to little more than a rehash/reboot of some elements of ANH and most elements of ROTJ, but not actually as good as either.
Good points: seeing Han and Chewie, Leia, C3PO and R2D2 (to a lesser extent) and Luke Skywalker (briefly) again, the new Storm Troopers, BB-8, thrown in more for the robo-cutesy appeal, Kylo Ren. (excellently brought to life by Adam Driver) Kylo being Han and Leia's son Ben, and him having gone all "Order 66" on everyone at Luke's new Jedi Academy, the attempt by Solo to bring his son back to the light side and common sense, but Kylo/Ben weakly giving in to his hatred (and/or being too weak to resist Snoke's influence) by slaying his own father. But that's about it.
Bad points: everything else. Finn is the most annoying, unlikeable, gung-ho, American-GI-Joe stereotype ever. Bloody hell, even Han Solo thought so; as he had to tell Finn to reign it in and get a grip, at one point. Yes, Han was initially a bit arrogant and condescending to Leia, and full of macho charisma in the first half of ANH, but that was far less in-your-face and irritating than Finn's childishly over-the-top melodramatic outbursts. The First Order's Storm Trooper training would almost certainly have crushed that stupid macho crap, and any significant individuality, out of him, to the point where he wouldn't have cared one iota about another random storm trooper that was injured. At no point in any SW production prior to this has a stormtrooper ever stopped to rescue or assist a severely inured colleague, the hapless injured party has either been killed to protect security of their commanders, been abandoned and left to die, or else been killed by the enemy. They are literally cannon fodder in just the same way that the clones were - infinite troops on the ground to be the front line in assaults, but expendable and not individually important (apart from, latterly, a handful in CW/Rebels/BB animated shows), as the entire SW universe seems to hold a very blasé attitude to death, except when it comes to protagonists. Therefore, Finn's crisis of conscience and horror at the death of his fellow trooper, and the execution of the villagers, makes little sense. This can perhaps be explained away as a failure of his training, a "bug in the system" or something, but that training has never failed for the other few billion storm troopers. Ok, he may be one in a (few) billion, but if his demeanour had been more akin to, say, Crosshair from SW:BB (I know that BB came after TFA, but was just using him for comparative purposes), that would have made him far more believable, and likeable. As it was, he was just a dumb grunt trying to get the girl with his stupid, chauvinistic, macho antics. His entire existence in TFA just feels like an attempt to provide political correctness amongst the protagonists - arguably the same as Rey. Oh, and also to provide a totally needless love story - an element already provided by Han and Leia, but American film producers seem completely unable to have action heroes in films that don't have a romantic interest in one of the other protagonists. However, at least Rey was a likeable character. It's just a shame that she was effectively the rebooted young Luke, and her story was so poorly written. A little more understanding of her background, how she came to be living on her own on a desert planet working as a slave to some self-important alien, how she had gained any flying experience or technical expertise in starship maintenance when seemingly all she had to play with were the scavenged-to-death bones of Empirical war machinery, would have been good. It was a little too convenient that she had all the necessary skills, in just the right place, at just the right moment, in order that she could help to save the galaxy. And then, with one touch of the mysteriously-recovered blue "Skywalker" lightsaber (thought to have been lost along with Luke's severed hand in ESB) - , to be "Force-awakened" enough to master the "Jedi mind trick" and wield a lightsaber well enough to defeat a highly-trained-by-Luke-Skywalker, Force-strong opponent, never mind whether or not he was already injured. Talking of which, Ren should have been able to easily defeat a bloody storm trooper with no Force powers and no lightsaber training, without even having to pause for breath or because of his injury. Finally, how is it that, in ANH, the only reason that Luke was able to fly through the Death Star and strike the killing blow was because he used the Force to guide him. He turned off his targeting computer. Poe Dameron, however, successfully makes a flight of equal difficulty through just as narrow a course simply by being a fearless maverick with excellent piloting skills. As well as belittling Luke's achievement in ANH, this also seems far too convenient. But without directly ripping off ANH by having Rey making that flight, what else could they do, as they do, having backed themselves into the same design-flaw failure plot hole as ANH and ROTJ?
To summarise, TFA relies on plot-conveniences and ideas lifted from previous SW films at every turn, without really coming up with anything new at all. It's an ok Star Wars film, and has the advantage of being technically superior to previous productions (as you'd expect), but it could have been so much better.
Disney and JJ Abrams swing hard in their effort to repair the damage done by Episodes I-III, ultimately coming back with mixed results. Spiritually it's dead-on, a loving tribute to the original trilogy that's a stylistic and thematic clone (with several not-so-subtly borrowed plot points) that makes for great fan service. Few cinematic properties have the rich, sprawling mythos of the Star Wars universe, and Episode VII is wise to draw from that at every turn. Those shared past experiences with familiar characters, settings and devices go a long way; without six films' worth of enhancement to help prop it up, this is just an average sci-fi picture.
Wonderfully produced, with long, regular opportunities to appreciate the efforts of its all-world concept artists, somewhere the steep sense of scale was lost. It's a rather thin movie, all told, one that feels decidedly less sweeping and grandiose than its precursors. Less of a space opera than an interplanetary sonnet.
The new cast members seem deep and interesting, so there's plenty of hope for future installments, but it's a little unsettling that Harrison Ford so thoroughly outshines them all. It's nice to see the rest of the old gang again, even if Carrie Fisher completely phones her performance in, but Ford is the film's heart and soul. Somewhere in the next installment, those new characters are going to need to step out of his shadow and carry things on their own.
A promising step forward, teasing some intriguing potential directions for the rest of the new trilogy, but lacking a lot of the invariables that made A New Hope and Empire the timeless classics that they remain today. Much better than the prequels, in any case.
The Five Faces of STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS
:heart_eyes:
The stakes in this film are high from the very start. Everything looks and feels bigger, but visually the film stays true to the original trilogy.
Wonderdul to once again hear John Williams' classic score, combined with equally epic new tunes.
The world around the characters - planets new and old - feels a whole lot more alive than ever before.
The use of practical effects and models is admiring and gives the film a realistic touch. CGI is used smartly and only where necessary.
Harrison Ford returning as Han Solo is pure gold. He's as grumpy, devious and funny as always. His scenes with Joonas Suotamo's Chewbacca are the greatest part of the the film.
The final lightsaber duel is one of the most epic snd memorable ones in the series, even if it feels unrealistic and perhaps a bit too big at this point.
:smiley:
Daisy Ridley truly personifies Rey as a heroine for a new generation. She has the makings of an iconic character and easily carries the film forward. She is a strong female character that suits Ridley perfectly.
The film combines the best parts of the original and new trilogies, while effectively broadening the mythos created by George Lucas.
The main characters have different backgrounds and characteristics. They complement each other and make for a satisfying pool of personas.
Ford and Carrie Fisher are truly wonderful together and it's a shame we can't enjoy their shared adventures in subsequent films.
The pacing is fine, with the feel of adventure being strong. The film feels larger in scale compared to the previous entries.
:neutral_face:
Rey's road from zero to hero is unrealistically fast as she masters the Force almost perfectly by the end of the film. It just feels too fast to be believable. She goes from someone who doesn't believe in the Force to jedi master in no time.
There's a lot going on all the time, with almost every action scene being an epic action piece. There's very little breathing space or miniscule moments.
While definitely iconic and memorable, the Millennium Falcon chase on Jakku almost feels like too much of a good thing.
The Rancar sequence feels superfluous and could have been left on the cutting room floor.
The film fails to explain how the galaxy once again has an evil movement rising and why.
General Hux and captain Phasma feel like extra characters who mainly sound and look villainous without actually getting much evil done. Phasma in particular is pretty useless.
Loads of plot holes and inconsistencies make the film more rough around the edges, but don't massively ruin the experience.
:frowning2:
Kylo Ren goes from vicious Darth Vader copy to whining, emo teenager wannabe sith and loses all credibility. He's not the worst villain of the series but he's annoying as hell.
I don't know whether it was intended, but the plot copies A New Hope almost exactly, with differences in details, settings and characters. It's easy to figure out the progression of the plot beforehand since it copies the first film.
:face_vomiting:
//
The Final Face: :smiley: // Good
82% is a little high. I enjoyed it for what it was which is a one off experience. Maybe a watch in a few years. The only emotion I felt was due to liking the old movies and nothing to do with the new one. It plays on the old star wars and isnt brave enough to be original. Poe is an obvious Solo rip off. The movie is full of old Star Wars ideas that have been done already. It doesnt really bother me as long as its well made and it is. The action and cinematography were good. I didn't mind Kylo being weak as many did as I'm sure it's part of his character development and he'll come back stronger. But yeah he was trained by skywalker yet is so weak. That could have been different. Seemed like an opportunity just to stuff some connection to skywalker in for the later episode but it wasn't thought out properly in the overall picture. They know fans go over this stuff with a fine tooth comb. The humour bits felt new but out of placertain sometimes. I'd rather have some suspense leading up to an action sequence instead of humour leading to action. The movie is a 6 but polished upto a 7 thanks to the budget.
This movie is essentially a remake of the original star wars. Yes, there are new characters. And yes, the story of the old characters is updated. But the main themes and troops of this movie repeat the old themes and troops. There a young one in whom The Force is strong, but who knows nothing of this, until SHE is thrown into epic events of galactic proportion. And there are evil men in whom the dark side of the force is strong.
I guess the shocking part in the movie is the identity of the super villains: the son of Hans Solo and Princess Leah --- the successor of his grandfather, Darth Vader ---, who serves Supreme Leader Snooke, the most talented student of Luke Skywalker, and whom has now turned to the Dark Side of the force. I suppose that this is not as unexpected as it might at first appear. After all, the original trilogy pitted son against father. So in this new trilogy --- of which this is the beginning --- a son kills a father, this time in the service of evil rather than good.
Yes, Hans Solo is killed when he tries to bring back his son from the self-embraced darkness.
And Luke Skywalker only shows up at the very end, when the young gifted one (who may or may not be family --- the hints are tantalizing!) symbolically asks for training: apparently Luke had retired from the universe in despair as a response to the actions of his nephew and his best student. Perhaps he never intended to train anyone ever again --- turning his back on The Force. But like The Godfather in Part III, whatsoever his own wishes might be, he is pulled back in, at the very last scene of this movie.
The plot is good --- but familiar.
Review by Marin KuharićBlockedParent2015-12-17T02:32:06Z
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. :)