It was pretty good. Kylo Ren was underwhelming, especially when he takes the helmet off. I had a handful of other issues, too, but I enjoyed it, overall.
2011: Best Mafia Performance (Individual) - Best Newcomer
2012: Best (False?) Role Claim - Worst Town Performance (Group) - Best Mafia Performance (Group) - Best SK Performance - Best Overall Player
2013: Best Non-SK Neutral Performance
2014: Best Town Performance (Individual) - Best Town Performance (Group) - Most Interesting Role - Best Game - Best Overall Player
2015: Worst Mafia Performance (Group) - Best Read
2016: Best Town Performance (Group) - Best Town Player - Best Overall Player
Adam driver was the weakest member of the cast, agreed - although he wasn't dreadful, just slightly oddly positioned for the roll.
I thought the 3 other new players were all pretty good, and I actually really enjoyed the film. I'd rate it in the same ballpark as the OT.
I hadn't seen him before the movie and was definitely expecting someone more... intimidating.
I think that's the point. Beneath the big scary mask is a baby-faced boy. He wants to be Darth Vader, but he's not. That posturing, that playacting, suffuses his character.
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Vive, vale. Siquid novisti rectius istis,
candidus inperti; si nil, his utere mecum.
2011: Best Mafia Performance (Individual) - Best Newcomer
2012: Best (False?) Role Claim - Worst Town Performance (Group) - Best Mafia Performance (Group) - Best SK Performance - Best Overall Player
2013: Best Non-SK Neutral Performance
2014: Best Town Performance (Individual) - Best Town Performance (Group) - Most Interesting Role - Best Game - Best Overall Player
2015: Worst Mafia Performance (Group) - Best Read
2016: Best Town Performance (Group) - Best Town Player - Best Overall Player
Where were all of the B/Y Wings? Who in the hell goes on a dedicated bombing run against a high value target with out dedicated bombers? I know this outpost probably didn't have a ton of ships, but I just can't believe that a rebel base wouldn't have a few bombers. I don't recall even seeing an A Wing which would have really taken some of the pressure off of the X Wings, acting as interceptors and protecting the bomb runs. Had the rebels sent in the correct equipment, we might still have a main character around!
Overall I really liked the movie. As others have said, it's not A New Hope, but I didn't expect it to be. It was miles better than 1-3 which is what I wanted. My only other issue with the movie is that I liked Finn way more than Rey, and
I hadn't seen him before the movie and was definitely expecting someone more... intimidating.
I think that's the point. Beneath the big scary mask is a baby-faced boy. He wants to be Darth Vader, but he's not. That posturing, that playacting, suffuses his character.
I actually really liked him in the role; while all the 1-3 villains didn't get enough screen time, and Darth Sidious was too over the top evil, I feel like Vader and Kylo have been the best villains put to film so far.
Darth Vader is much more about the Presence and the voice; when he shows up on the battlefield everyone just kinda craps their pants because "It's him". Kylo Ren is much more conflicted, sarcastic, and childish, all while having goals whereas Sidious' or Vaders were more "Evil for the Sake of Evil".
I have to admit I enjoyed watching his Tantrums (and the reactions to them).
While I agree he was probably one of the weakest there, I still thought he was definitely a net positive.
Where were all of the B/Y Wings? Who in the hell goes on a dedicated bombing run against a high value target with out dedicated bombers? I know this outpost probably didn't have a ton of ships, but I just can't believe that a rebel base wouldn't have a few bombers. I don't recall even seeing an A Wing which would have really taken some of the pressure off of the X Wings, acting as interceptors and protecting the bomb runs. Had the rebels sent in the correct equipment, we might still have a main character around!
Overall I really liked the movie. As others have said, it's not A New Hope, but I didn't expect it to be. It was miles better than 1-3 which is what I wanted. My only other issue with the movie is that I liked Finn way more than Rey, and
wanted him to the the Jedi instead of Rey
.
Finn was a Stormtrooper who could actually hit what he was shooting at. What more do you want from him?
I liked it. Really only had three complaints, and I enjoyed my time watching it.
My complaints:
1) Was it just me, or was everything in the final part incredibly predictable? The Death scene and the twist with the Lightsaber were unimpressive, as you could see those coming from a mile away.
2) Man, Lightsabers really got downgraded this time around, didn't they? Having said that, I can't wait till we see Rey get her double bladed one.
3)Was it just me, or was Paul or whatever his name is kind of tacked on? He could have been killed after the opening and it would not have changed the movie in any real way.
I really enjoyed the movie - was sceptical before, but I think they did a pretty good job of continuing the saga.
Personally I particularly liked the character of Kylo Ren and Driver`s performance - it's just another take on a villain.
He's a Vader fanboy that wants to be as badass as his grandpa, but is in fact more of an arrogant child with serious anger management problems.
So the boyish and kinda insecure appearance fits the character pretty well (and besides gives a reason to wear that mask - because he can't be as intimidating by his sheer presence).
I think this is by far more interesting than another 'cool and menacing', but rather one-dimensional antagonist.
I hadn't seen him before the movie and was definitely expecting someone more... intimidating.
I think that's the point. Beneath the big scary mask is a baby-faced boy. He wants to be Darth Vader, but he's not. That posturing, that playacting, suffuses his character.
Yup, I agree.
I think I read somewhere where J.J. Abrams described Kylo Ren as a "Vader groupie", and that pretty much describes his character.
If anything, I think we were supposed to be taken aback a bit when he removes his helmet. Beneath this seemingly battle-scarred helmet lies a baby-faced man. One who throws anger tantrums and kills people as if he wants to prove his manliness.
I thought the film was great.
But, as with all movies written with a sequel in mind, the film spends too much time setting ***** up instead of delivering a "complete" film. As such, probably need to really hold back judgment until I see the entire planned trilogy.
2011: Best Mafia Performance (Individual) - Best Newcomer
2012: Best (False?) Role Claim - Worst Town Performance (Group) - Best Mafia Performance (Group) - Best SK Performance - Best Overall Player
2013: Best Non-SK Neutral Performance
2014: Best Town Performance (Individual) - Best Town Performance (Group) - Most Interesting Role - Best Game - Best Overall Player
2015: Worst Mafia Performance (Group) - Best Read
2016: Best Town Performance (Group) - Best Town Player - Best Overall Player
yea, the first rule of force awakens clubs is you do not spoil force awakens.
I actually liked this a lot more than new hope, and about as much as I like empire and Jedi. I thought the casting was excellent, and the first 2/3 of the movie was near perfect for what I wanted out of it. It sagged a *little* in the first half of act 3, but IMO finished well.
also,
although it was super predictable, the moment when Ren tries to force-pull the lightsabre and Rey gets it was awesome.
it hit, for me, the line between being nostalgic and being overly nostalgic pretty well; the action was frenetic and fun (except for
the lightsabre duels, which were much more in line with the vader/luke duels in empire and jedi; the combatants felt compotent but it was more like a western swordfight and less like a crouch tiger style jumpfest
) and the humour was good (which is to say, compared to the prequels, it existed in a non-vomit inducing fashion)
I thought the movie was great. Nothing ground breaking, but it's a Star Wars movie with the same heart as the originals plus the eye candy of modern cinema.
Kylo though! I loved that we saw Han and Leia as imperfect parents, because let's be honest they might love each other but they always fight. After a fight Han would leave to blow off steam and leave little Ben with his mom. Must have been tough and the characterization of Ben Solo was spot on.
All of the new characters were great. Po and Rey fill similar throwback roles (Han and Luke) of the original trilogy with Finn being a new wild card. I am excited to see what Finn does in the next two chapters. Also having Han fill the Obi-Wan role was a great flip.
Let's talk about the awkward elephant in the room. I'm one of those people that's okay with the prequel trilogy. "okay" =/= like or making me some sort of apologist. So I was glad that there were a few subtle nods to them along with the biggest rebuttal to their most serious problem. The nods? Kylo Ren/Ben Solo is to me a better written and better performed Anakin Skywalker from Revenge of the Sith (which I do not blame Hayden Christensen). He has the same desire for power that hides his fears. Unlike Anakin though, he's animated in both his actions (tantrum lightsaber fits and having an intimidating presence with or without the mask) and he's got better dialogue to work with. Also, he has better props (his lightsaber is a reflection of his personality), and JJ did not make him beneath screwing up in the eyes of his superiors or making him overly majestic. He's a character, not an shell being force written into the iconic character he became thirty years ealier later.
Apparently Ewan McGregor is one of the voices when Rey touches the Skywalker lightsaber. As I hinted with Hayden, I feel the prequel cast was shafted by bad direction (as anyone could tell with Samuel L. Jackson), so hinting at the possibility that Disney might give them a chance to redeem themselves is great for me.
But the most obvious goal of The Force Awakens was to rebut the political tone of prequel trilogy. So much so that I think it hurt the movie a little, but it was a point that they needed to make. When General Hux is musing about the problems with the Resistance, they comment that the problem is that they are protected by the Republic. Their response? In the prequel trilogy, Palpatine spent fifteen years manipulating the Republic, the Trade Federation, and Anakin Skywalker to exterminate the Jedi Order and take over the other two as Emperor. That was tedious and a convoluted mess. In The Force Awakens, the solution is to screw all that and just blow up the Republic with the Starkiller base, which was either Coruscant or a Coruscant-like planet. The message to me was clear: the storytelling of the prequel trilogy is something Disney wants to actively destroy and keep destroyed (but hopefully as I keep alluding to, not their actors).
Fun aside, according to Neil DeGrasse Tyson, if such a weapon would not destroy itself trying to channel the energy of a star, the damage wouldn't be the destruction of one star system; it would be thousands.
The issue that I had but didn't mind until the last act was the movie is basically A New Hope on a larger scale. Starkiller Base is a Death Star with improved visuals with how it works. Han Solo's death carries the same weight that Obi-Wan's death did in A New Hope... although with a more Empire Strikes Back feel. It was bigger because Han Solo has been around longer. Starkiller base had the same weakness as the Death Star, although this time they needed a ground team to conveniently fly through the shield at hyperdrive, which is a glaring flaw if you really stop to think about it since it worked, and make the vulnerability accessible. And having a massive attack on Starkiller Base being a backdrop for the final confrontation between the Rey/Finn and Kylo Ren is exactly the same as Luke confronting the Emperor and Darth Vader in return of the Jedi while Lando attacks the Death Star... after Han and Leia destroy the shields.
But what keeps this from being a cynical reboot meant to fleece our money is how much character they put into it. Rey is someone we root for and almost has a feral aspect to her personality from being on Jakku so long. Han Solo is a great character as the jaded man getting by after Ben Solo became Kylo Ren. Finn is awesome because his struggle to get away from the organization that stole his individuality with his bond with Rey is something people can relate to. Kylo Ren... we all know someone a little unstable like that, and the resistance to the Light is an interesting twist on the struggle between good and evil. And I loved Maz Kanata as a Yoda lite and the first Star Wars character with glasses.
I'm sure there's plenty of other things I want to talk about, but the overarching point is this movie succeeds on characters, so much so that it comes at the expense of the set up (why does the Republic need a Resistance Force when the First Order is the outsiders? Isn't that called an army? Also, who let them get away with building a better Death Star because that was common knowledge. Why does R2-D2 know it's time to reveal he has the rest of the map when he does?) And speaking of which, Luke Skywalker isn't in this movie. The thirty seconds qualifies as a cameo. I have to admit, I'm a bit disappointed because going in Luke was either going to be a broken man or the villain. I was personally rooting for villain, but if Disney can pull off broken man, then I look forward to it. Because the end reveal did hook me to want to see episode eight.
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Vive, vale. Siquid novisti rectius istis,
candidus inperti; si nil, his utere mecum.
~~~~~
This movie was bad.
As a stand alone, ignoring anything else about star wars, it was bad.
As a sequel, it was worse.
There are so many plot holes eveywhere and the flow was just awful.
Rey discovers the force (awakening) in her teens and masters it as if it was a matter of believing. In literally the span of a 15-30 minutes, she masters everything there is to the force such as telekinesis, mind reading, mind tricking and combat. This is in spite of every other trilogy stating that you need years of training to master the force. Even Anakin and Luke couldn't do it immediately and required years! She does in just like that?! This makes no sense!
If JJ Abrams wanted to diversify star wars, at least pick a good actor for the main role! The acting from Finn was ridiculously stale and unnatural. Even the story surrounding Finn makes no sense! He witnesses innocents getting massacred and thinks "this is wrong". So clearly, the "right thing to do" is to let the prisoner escape (so that others get slaughtered?) and murder his own ex-comrades whom he grew up with???
The tentacle monsters also gobble everyone except Finn because... that's racist?
Worse yet is that he met Rey for less than a day and somehow they are supposed to have a connection somehow?? He even lied to her and abandoned her and this entails reciprocity? Finn's actions and motives simply don't match.
Finally, it was stated several eons ago that lightsabers cannot be wielded by anyone. Finn, a nobody, just pops it and fights with it.
Oh and we saw lightsabers cutting through steel like butter and he gets slashed in the back and survives????
Kylo Ren started so well and ended completely emasculated. I want to blame the actor when unmasked and the writers because this could have been a great villain. He stops a beam midshot, his force is much more powerful than anyone ever shown. Yet he is becomes severely weaker during the climactic fight at the end. Chewbacca's shot proved too much?
This guy gets weaker and weaker the longer the movie goes on. The worst part was when he took his helmet off. He's a spoiled scared little boy?!
And then he complains later than he thinks the light is calling to him... a man who massacred Jedis and innocents... who wrote this thing!?
And why in the world does he stop using the force??? He could kill Rey and Finn as if they were twigs!
Everything can be summed up as "It happened because the writers said so." or "What a coincidence!"
If you had to take a shot everytime something happened by coincidence, you'd have hepatitis.
Finn happened to have a change of heart.
Finn happened to wind up on Jakku and travel exactly at the outpost.
Rey and Finn happened to meet up on that same day.
They happened to get caught.
They happened to find the Millenium Falcon.
The MF happened to be in working condition in a scrap yard.
They happened to come across Han Solo, IN THE WHOLE GALAXY!
They happened to go on the exact same planet Leia is on.
They happened to get info from Finn who was working as a waste janitor AND infantry????
They travel to the death planet and happened to land near the exhaust vent.
Rey happened to master the force and escape just like that.
ON A WHOLE ******* PLANET, THEY HAPPEN TO RUN INTO EACH OTHER!!! I CAN't EVEN DO THAT IN MY CITY!
R2D2 happens to wake up and remember the galaxy map which was destroyed.
All of this in less than 3 days movie time... yeah...
So much talking and exposition made most of the movie a bore. It's episode 7! Not 1!
Very little light sabering, a lot of bullying. Remember kids, if someone kicks your ass while you have a light saber, it's ok to have your friends in gunships shoot them down...
Rey could barely move the metal grid on Han's ship, yet she overpowers Ren.
Rey and Finn seemingly fall for each other... over the span of a day... this is clearly written by someone who knows what they are talking about.
When the death planet shoots, there is no way you can see the beam sideways OR see other planets get blown up through the atmosphere.
JJ really tried to make the point that the bad guys are nazis... literally with a Fuhrer in front of a clone army.
Oh and did I mention the holograms?!
I am glad I didn't have to pay to watch this movie. I will probably not go watch any other. If you thought George Lucas took a dump on his older franchises, JJ Abrams drowned the franchise...
This movie was bad.
As a stand alone, ignoring anything else about star wars, it was bad.
As a sequel, it was worse.
There are so many plot holes eveywhere and the flow was just awful.
Rey discovers the force (awakening) in her teens and masters it as if it was a matter of believing. In literally the span of a 15-30 minutes, she masters everything there is to the force such as telekinesis, mind reading, mind tricking and combat. This is in spite of every other trilogy stating that you need years of training to master the force. Even Anakin and Luke couldn't do it immediately and required years! She does in just like that?! This makes no sense!
Rey is not just some random girl who gets mixed up in this fight. Seeing as how the whole saga revolves around the Skywalker family I would put money down she is a member of the strongest force users the galaxy has ever seen. Don't underestimate what a person is capable of when forced (get it) into fight over flight. Also what do you expect from a story seven movies in, there has to be a rising bar of capabilities ala DBZ. Hate it if you want but this is true down the spectrum of story telling. She will undoubtedly be one of the most powerful Jedis in history, because it would be boring if she was mediocre.
If JJ Abrams wanted to diversify star wars, at least pick a good actor for the main role! The acting from Finn was ridiculously stale and unnatural. Even the story surrounding Finn makes no sense! He witnesses innocents getting massacred and thinks "this is wrong". So clearly, the "right thing to do" is to let the prisoner escape (so that others get slaughtered?) and murder his own ex-comrades whom he grew up with???
The tentacle monsters also gobble everyone except Finn because... that's racist?
Worse yet is that he met Rey for less than a day and somehow they are supposed to have a connection somehow?? He even lied to her and abandoned her and this entails reciprocity? Finn's actions and motives simply don't match.
Finally, it was stated several eons ago that lightsabers cannot be wielded by anyone. Finn, a nobody, just pops it and fights with it.
Oh and we saw lightsabers cutting through steel like butter and he gets slashed in the back and survives????
How can anyone not like Finn? Also why are you expecting a newly introduced main character to die?
Finn was on his first mission as infantry and couldn't cut it. Breaking out Po was less "the right thing to do" and more "I need a fricken pilot" because the First Order is going to murder me for noncompliance. If he knew how to fly he would have left Po behind because it would have been easier. Also those ex-comrades were the ones that were going to murder him for noncompliance.
Maybe that tentacle monster was full and wanted to save some for later. They ate what 6 or 7 between the three of them? Also why are you expecting a newly introduced character to die?
Finn and Rey both led pretty solitary lives. That moment when Rey is looking at the old woman while cleaning her scraps then told to get back to work shows a longing for connection that she was unable to fulfill. I can only imagine what the First Order was like for Finn, I imagine he got pretty good playing the part of rank and file but never getting to be himself around other members. Is it that hard to believe two people connecting, for the first time in their lives forming a strong bond?
And about the lightsaber use, like I said in my first post Finn is a wild card you positive he isn't Force sensitive? Are you 100%?
Kylo Ren started so well and ended completely emasculated.
That's kinda the point. He is a child trying to live up to Grandpa's image, and rebelling against his parents. He is still training under Snoke? Smoke? as a Sith and has no control over his emotions even more so because of his use of the dark side, the farther into the movie the more wild his emotions become. Also he is underestimating his opponents.
Everything can be summed up as "It happened because the writers said so." or "What a coincidence!"
If you had to take a shot everytime something happened by coincidence, you'd have hepatitis.
Finn happened to have a change of heart. He just wanted to live.
Finn happened to wind up on Jakku and travel exactly at the outpost. Because Po had to get his droid, and what he should have died in the desert because that would have been more realistic. Great story.
Rey and Finn happened to meet up on that same day.
They happened to get caught.
They happened to find the Millenium Falcon. That was perfect though, don't tell me you didn't laugh at the joke.
The MF happened to be in working condition in a scrap yard.
They happened to come across Han Solo, IN THE WHOLE GALAXY! I'll admit this is the biggest stretch in the film.
They happened to go on the exact same planet Leia is on. That's where they were trying to go. The rebel base. Where the General of the rebel alliance is probably going to be. This isn't even a plot hole.
They happened to get info from Finn who was working as a waste janitor AND infantry??? See Stormtroopers have this tendency to die and people have to be pulled from other jobs to fill those roles. That was Finn's first infantry mission.
Man Scifi really must not be your thing because you can't suspend your beliefs for 2 seconds. Your so busy nit picking you missed major plot points...
Ok, something some fans need to remember about this reboot. Only the movies and scripted games are being considered canon, everything else can be taken as myth or legend in the universe.
With that being said I am so happy they got rid of the whole "non force users can't use a Lightsaber". Normal people can't click a button or move a slider? How stupid is that? Force users are able to augment their natural abilities with the force, which better enables them to use a melee weapon, something not many would do in a world with blasters. This isn't to say me or you can't figure out how to tun on one, just that we would probably hurt ourselves with on.
Am I the only one who didn't like Rey? She felt very poorly written, with her only defining characteristic being she was good at repairs. Thus far her back story is bland, and her quick mastery of the force is baffling. Anakin was supposed to be one of the most powerful force wielders to ever live, and yet he still needed years of training. She gets in a bind and somehow masters the mind trick, telepathy, and saber dueling? Ben Solo was a trained force user, one powerful enough to stop blaster fire, and he is still taken down by an untrained force sensitive? She was written in the same way the Bella from Twilight was written, bland and without personality, so that the viewers could interject themselves into the story. This isn't what I want, I wanted a strong lead character, I wanted to be told a story, not be apart of it. This is why I prefer Finn, as his back story is far more fleshed out, and his actions much more believable.
As far as Reys inexplicable mastery of the force; the only way this is redeemable is if Rey ends up being somehow related to the Skywalker family, and trained previously, but has somehow had her memories taken. This I wouldn't like as then you've got one family controlling the mystical force, and in a few centuries all force users will look something like Yoda due to in breeding. Then they all move to a trailer park in Dagobah and live in happiness....
Ok, something some fans need to remember about this reboot. Only the movies and scripted games are being considered canon, everything else can be taken as myth or legend in the universe.
With that being said I am so happy they got rid of the whole "non force users can't use a Lightsaber". Normal people can't click a button or move a slider? How stupid is that? Force users are able to augment their natural abilities with the force, which better enables them to use a melee weapon, something not many would do in a world with blasters. This isn't to say me or you can't figure out how to turn on one, just that we would probably hurt ourselves with on.
To further this point, I'm glad they also lowered the lightsaber's capabilities. In the original trilogy, they were cool but couldn't destroy everything. There were things that didn't cut, even if it was only because of technical limitations at the time. In the prequel trilogy, they were so strong that it destroyed the tension in the movies. RedLetterMedia covered the point in their reviews of the prequel trilogy. In VII, lightsabers are just a strong weapon again. Finn using them gets rid of their elitist feel, and the fact he has to use it against a non-lightsaber melee weapon and it's a struggle makes for a better reason as to why everyone doesn't arm up with one rather than elitism.
One of the best reasons I've heard for the low amount of 'Saber users is the blade. It's a melee weapon that has no weight, so you can't tell the blades position in relation to your body. To properly use the weapon you'd need a massive amount of training to wield it without hurting yourself. The use of the Force also assists the use of a Lightsaber, as you become better able to sense everything around you at a much higher level, allowing you to more aggressively use the weapon. Finn, being a soldier of the First Order, probably has been trained in the use of melee weapons, which would give him at least a basic understanding of the weapon. The inherent dangers of the weapons prevents him from doing more in the fight IMO.
On the topic of Finn, and I the only one who doesn't want to call the First Order troops Storm Troopers? I thought the move to conscription was brilliant, and covered Finn's race perfectly well, though this issue could have also been covered in Battlefront Two, where they mention that new blood lines are introduced. Anyways, Storm Troopers have, up to now, always been clones. Just doesn't feel right
Rey is not just some random girl who gets mixed up in this fight. Seeing as how the whole saga revolves around the Skywalker family I would put money down she is a member of the strongest force users the galaxy has ever seen. Don't underestimate what a person is capable of when forced (get it) into fight over flight. Also what do you expect from a story seven movies in, there has to be a rising bar of capabilities ala DBZ. Hate it if you want but this is true down the spectrum of story telling. She will undoubtedly be one of the most powerful Jedis in history, because it would be boring if she was mediocre.
How can anyone not like Finn? Also why are you expecting a newly introduced main character to die?
Finn was on his first mission as infantry and couldn't cut it. Breaking out Po was less "the right thing to do" and more "I need a fricken pilot" because the First Order is going to murder me for noncompliance. If he knew how to fly he would have left Po behind because it would have been easier. Also those ex-comrades were the ones that were going to murder him for noncompliance.
Maybe that tentacle monster was full and wanted to save some for later. They ate what 6 or 7 between the three of them? Also why are you expecting a newly introduced character to die?
Finn and Rey both led pretty solitary lives. That moment when Rey is looking at the old woman while cleaning her scraps then told to get back to work shows a longing for connection that she was unable to fulfill. I can only imagine what the First Order was like for Finn, I imagine he got pretty good playing the part of rank and file but never getting to be himself around other members. Is it that hard to believe two people connecting, for the first time in their lives forming a strong bond?
And about the lightsaber use, like I said in my first post Finn is a wild card you positive he isn't Force sensitive? Are you 100%?
That's kinda the point. He is a child trying to live up to Grandpa's image, and rebelling against his parents. He is still training under Snoke? Smoke? as a Sith and has no control over his emotions even more so because of his use of the dark side, the farther into the movie the more wild his emotions become. Also he is underestimating his opponents.
Man Scifi really must not be your thing because you can't suspend your beliefs for 2 seconds. Your so busy nit picking you missed major plot points...
Those are mostly speculations to explain some the plot holes. And most of the reasons given are NOT good imho. I loved the original SW trilogy including the pace and acting. I kind of liked the prequels since they sort of answered many of the questions posed by the originals. But this one just gives you more "mystery" (or plotholes). At this stage, we need a star wars episode 6.5 to explain what the heck is going on.
By the way, Star Wars is NOT SCI-FI, it's Fantasy. It follows almost no scientific principles. It just happens to be futuristic fantasy.
A good Sci-fi is Alien and Aliens or even the recently released "The Martian" (the books were amazing).
Hang on... You liked episodes 1-3? Really? Even with all the "Planet X has not paid their Galactic Taxes, the Senate moves to impose political sanctions until back taxes are paid." BS? The prequles where awful, with poor scripting and questionable acting through out the trilogy. I had no issue catching up with any of 7, with my only issue being
Ray's sudden mastery of the Force
.
So I agree with your issue about number 1, I think you're dead wrong on number two, and hold that Finn is one of the better characters in 7, I enjoyed Ben and his obsessions, but
think is failure in the final fight was more due to the terrible Rey is a Jedi master BS than his ability.
Number 4? Have you seen any of the Star Wars? What if R2 and C3-PO were sold to other farmers? What if they never found Anakin? It's a movie, things are scripted. In fact everything is scripted. You could chalk it up to the mystical power that flows around and through every thing in the galaxy... And as for five you are seriously nick picking. If you hated the movie, nobody is going to make you watch anymore of them....
Hang on... You liked episodes 1-3? Really? Even with all the "Planet X has not paid their Galactic Taxes, the Senate moves to impose political sanctions until back taxes are paid." BS? The prequles where awful, with poor scripting and questionable acting through out the trilogy.
I will never get the "poor script, poor acting" complaints about episodes 1-3. They actually had a script and the acting was an attempt to remain "star wars-like" as the originals had some incredibly awful dialog that was par for the times.
Obi-Wan's reaction to Anakin's killing of younglings had the emotional impact of someone forgetting the milk at the store. The whole of Anakin's adulthood in the movies. I'm unsure if it was the writing or acting, but it's terrible. The movies are full of this kind of thing, which is why I usually choose not to re watch them. Having poor acting and script to keep the movie on par with the origonal is an awful excuse, lets call it for what it was.
"I love you more" "No I love you more" "No I love you more" "No IMA GO KILL SOME SAND PEOPLE CUZ I IS SRS BZNS"
Thanks, attack of the clones.
The prequels are fairly weakly scripted, and very badly directed.
On
only force users being able to turn on light sabers: I mean that's contradicted in empire, so no big loss.
On Kylo:
I mean I got the impression he was pretty badly injured by Chewie. Remember they repeatedly make the point in this film that Chewie's bowcaster can blast through a pile of guys at once; he's just taken a solid hit from it and kept going. He repeatedly shows he is in massive pain from the wound.
Hang on... You liked episodes 1-3? Really? Even with all the "Planet X has not paid their Galactic Taxes, the Senate moves to impose political sanctions until back taxes are paid." BS? The prequles where awful, with poor scripting and questionable acting through out the trilogy. I had no issue catching up with any of 7, with my only issue being
Ray's sudden mastery of the Force
.
So I agree with your issue about number 1, I think you're dead wrong on number two, and hold that Finn is one of the better characters in 7, I enjoyed Ben and his obsessions, but
think is failure in the final fight was more due to the terrible Rey is a Jedi master BS than his ability.
Number 4? Have you seen any of the Star Wars? What if R2 and C3-PO were sold to other farmers? What if they never found Anakin? It's a movie, things are scripted. In fact everything is scripted. You could chalk it up to the mystical power that flows around and through every thing in the galaxy... And as for five you are seriously nick picking. If you hated the movie, nobody is going to make you watch anymore of them....
"Kind of liked" and "liked" are different.
I liked the fact that we got more into politics and the whole puppeteer skit from Palpatine. I disliked many things otherwise.
Although I agree with you that several times there seems to have been happy coincidences in the SW franchise, episode 7 was ridiculously paced and rushed and everything just seemed completely made up. Remember, the other movies spanned days, months, years. This one took 3 days.
None of the star wars were perfect but this movie was a huge disappointment and letdown.
[quote from="Oopssorryy »" url="http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/community-forums/entertainment/movies/580052-star-wars-episode-vii-the-force-awakens?comment=73"]Hang on... You liked episodes 1-3? Really? Even with all the "Planet X has not paid their Galactic Taxes, the Senate moves to impose political sanctions until back taxes are paid." BS? The prequles where awful, with poor scripting and questionable acting through out the trilogy. I had no issue catching up with any of 7, with my only issue being
Ray's sudden mastery of the Force
.
Although I agree with you that several times there seems to have been happy coincidences in the SW franchise, episode 7 was ridiculously paced and rushed and everything just seemed completely made up. Remember, the other movies spanned days, months, years. This one took 3 days.
None of the star wars were perfect but this movie was a huge disappointment and letdown.
...which of episodes 1-6 do you think takes place over a period exceeding a fortnight??
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I thought the 3 other new players were all pretty good, and I actually really enjoyed the film. I'd rate it in the same ballpark as the OT.
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I dunno. It just sorta ruins the character for me. His introductory sequence in the village was pretty badass, though - so I'll give him that.
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Overall I really liked the movie. As others have said, it's not A New Hope, but I didn't expect it to be. It was miles better than 1-3 which is what I wanted. My only other issue with the movie is that I liked Finn way more than Rey, and
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Darth Vader is much more about the Presence and the voice; when he shows up on the battlefield everyone just kinda craps their pants because "It's him". Kylo Ren is much more conflicted, sarcastic, and childish, all while having goals whereas Sidious' or Vaders were more "Evil for the Sake of Evil".
I have to admit I enjoyed watching his Tantrums (and the reactions to them).
While I agree he was probably one of the weakest there, I still thought he was definitely a net positive.
I liked it. Really only had three complaints, and I enjoyed my time watching it.
My complaints:
2) Man, Lightsabers really got downgraded this time around, didn't they? Having said that, I can't wait till we see Rey get her double bladed one.
3)Was it just me, or was Paul or whatever his name is kind of tacked on? He could have been killed after the opening and it would not have changed the movie in any real way.
Personally I particularly liked the character of Kylo Ren and Driver`s performance - it's just another take on a villain.
So the boyish and kinda insecure appearance fits the character pretty well (and besides gives a reason to wear that mask - because he can't be as intimidating by his sheer presence).
I think this is by far more interesting than another 'cool and menacing', but rather one-dimensional antagonist.
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Yup, I agree.
I think I read somewhere where J.J. Abrams described Kylo Ren as a "Vader groupie", and that pretty much describes his character.
If anything, I think we were supposed to be taken aback a bit when he removes his helmet. Beneath this seemingly battle-scarred helmet lies a baby-faced man. One who throws anger tantrums and kills people as if he wants to prove his manliness.
I thought the film was great.
But, as with all movies written with a sequel in mind, the film spends too much time setting ***** up instead of delivering a "complete" film. As such, probably need to really hold back judgment until I see the entire planned trilogy.
Finn to be a Jedi (COme on that lightsaber Duel was great, he managed to cut Ren despite having shown no force control as of yet)
Han Solo to not be dead WHY!!!! Kylo Ren you bastard!!!
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I actually liked this a lot more than new hope, and about as much as I like empire and Jedi. I thought the casting was excellent, and the first 2/3 of the movie was near perfect for what I wanted out of it. It sagged a *little* in the first half of act 3, but IMO finished well.
also,
it hit, for me, the line between being nostalgic and being overly nostalgic pretty well; the action was frenetic and fun (except for
All of the new characters were great. Po and Rey fill similar throwback roles (Han and Luke) of the original trilogy with Finn being a new wild card. I am excited to see what Finn does in the next two chapters. Also having Han fill the Obi-Wan role was a great flip.
Let's talk about the awkward elephant in the room. I'm one of those people that's okay with the prequel trilogy. "okay" =/= like or making me some sort of apologist. So I was glad that there were a few subtle nods to them along with the biggest rebuttal to their most serious problem. The nods? Kylo Ren/Ben Solo is to me a better written and better performed Anakin Skywalker from Revenge of the Sith (which I do not blame Hayden Christensen). He has the same desire for power that hides his fears. Unlike Anakin though, he's animated in both his actions (tantrum lightsaber fits and having an intimidating presence with or without the mask) and he's got better dialogue to work with. Also, he has better props (his lightsaber is a reflection of his personality), and JJ did not make him beneath screwing up in the eyes of his superiors or making him overly majestic. He's a character, not an shell being force written into the iconic character he became thirty years
ealierlater.Apparently Ewan McGregor is one of the voices when Rey touches the Skywalker lightsaber. As I hinted with Hayden, I feel the prequel cast was shafted by bad direction (as anyone could tell with Samuel L. Jackson), so hinting at the possibility that Disney might give them a chance to redeem themselves is great for me.
But the most obvious goal of The Force Awakens was to rebut the political tone of prequel trilogy. So much so that I think it hurt the movie a little, but it was a point that they needed to make. When General Hux is musing about the problems with the Resistance, they comment that the problem is that they are protected by the Republic. Their response? In the prequel trilogy, Palpatine spent fifteen years manipulating the Republic, the Trade Federation, and Anakin Skywalker to exterminate the Jedi Order and take over the other two as Emperor. That was tedious and a convoluted mess. In The Force Awakens, the solution is to screw all that and just blow up the Republic with the Starkiller base, which was either Coruscant or a Coruscant-like planet. The message to me was clear: the storytelling of the prequel trilogy is something Disney wants to actively destroy and keep destroyed (but hopefully as I keep alluding to, not their actors).
Fun aside, according to Neil DeGrasse Tyson, if such a weapon would not destroy itself trying to channel the energy of a star, the damage wouldn't be the destruction of one star system; it would be thousands.
The issue that I had but didn't mind until the last act was the movie is basically A New Hope on a larger scale. Starkiller Base is a Death Star with improved visuals with how it works. Han Solo's death carries the same weight that Obi-Wan's death did in A New Hope... although with a more Empire Strikes Back feel. It was bigger because Han Solo has been around longer. Starkiller base had the same weakness as the Death Star, although this time they needed a ground team to conveniently fly through the shield at hyperdrive, which is a glaring flaw if you really stop to think about it since it worked, and make the vulnerability accessible. And having a massive attack on Starkiller Base being a backdrop for the final confrontation between the Rey/Finn and Kylo Ren is exactly the same as Luke confronting the Emperor and Darth Vader in return of the Jedi while Lando attacks the Death Star... after Han and Leia destroy the shields.
But what keeps this from being a cynical reboot meant to fleece our money is how much character they put into it. Rey is someone we root for and almost has a feral aspect to her personality from being on Jakku so long. Han Solo is a great character as the jaded man getting by after Ben Solo became Kylo Ren. Finn is awesome because his struggle to get away from the organization that stole his individuality with his bond with Rey is something people can relate to. Kylo Ren... we all know someone a little unstable like that, and the resistance to the Light is an interesting twist on the struggle between good and evil. And I loved Maz Kanata as a Yoda lite and the first Star Wars character with glasses.
I'm sure there's plenty of other things I want to talk about, but the overarching point is this movie succeeds on characters, so much so that it comes at the expense of the set up (why does the Republic need a Resistance Force when the First Order is the outsiders? Isn't that called an army? Also, who let them get away with building a better Death Star because that was common knowledge. Why does R2-D2 know it's time to reveal he has the rest of the map when he does?) And speaking of which, Luke Skywalker isn't in this movie. The thirty seconds qualifies as a cameo. I have to admit, I'm a bit disappointed because going in Luke was either going to be a broken man or the villain. I was personally rooting for villain, but if Disney can pull off broken man, then I look forward to it. Because the end reveal did hook me to want to see episode eight.
candidus inperti; si nil, his utere mecum.
~~~~~
As a stand alone, ignoring anything else about star wars, it was bad.
As a sequel, it was worse.
There are so many plot holes eveywhere and the flow was just awful.
The tentacle monsters also gobble everyone except Finn because... that's racist?
Worse yet is that he met Rey for less than a day and somehow they are supposed to have a connection somehow?? He even lied to her and abandoned her and this entails reciprocity? Finn's actions and motives simply don't match.
Finally, it was stated several eons ago that lightsabers cannot be wielded by anyone. Finn, a nobody, just pops it and fights with it.
Oh and we saw lightsabers cutting through steel like butter and he gets slashed in the back and survives????
This guy gets weaker and weaker the longer the movie goes on. The worst part was when he took his helmet off. He's a spoiled scared little boy?!
And then he complains later than he thinks the light is calling to him... a man who massacred Jedis and innocents... who wrote this thing!?
And why in the world does he stop using the force??? He could kill Rey and Finn as if they were twigs!
If you had to take a shot everytime something happened by coincidence, you'd have hepatitis.
Finn happened to have a change of heart.
Finn happened to wind up on Jakku and travel exactly at the outpost.
Rey and Finn happened to meet up on that same day.
They happened to get caught.
They happened to find the Millenium Falcon.
The MF happened to be in working condition in a scrap yard.
They happened to come across Han Solo, IN THE WHOLE GALAXY!
They happened to go on the exact same planet Leia is on.
They happened to get info from Finn who was working as a waste janitor AND infantry????
They travel to the death planet and happened to land near the exhaust vent.
Rey happened to master the force and escape just like that.
ON A WHOLE ******* PLANET, THEY HAPPEN TO RUN INTO EACH OTHER!!! I CAN't EVEN DO THAT IN MY CITY!
R2D2 happens to wake up and remember the galaxy map which was destroyed.
All of this in less than 3 days movie time... yeah...
So much talking and exposition made most of the movie a bore. It's episode 7! Not 1!
Very little light sabering, a lot of bullying. Remember kids, if someone kicks your ass while you have a light saber, it's ok to have your friends in gunships shoot them down...
Rey could barely move the metal grid on Han's ship, yet she overpowers Ren.
Rey and Finn seemingly fall for each other... over the span of a day... this is clearly written by someone who knows what they are talking about.
When the death planet shoots, there is no way you can see the beam sideways OR see other planets get blown up through the atmosphere.
JJ really tried to make the point that the bad guys are nazis... literally with a Fuhrer in front of a clone army.
Oh and did I mention the holograms?!
I am glad I didn't have to pay to watch this movie. I will probably not go watch any other. If you thought George Lucas took a dump on his older franchises, JJ Abrams drowned the franchise...
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Finn was on his first mission as infantry and couldn't cut it. Breaking out Po was less "the right thing to do" and more "I need a fricken pilot" because the First Order is going to murder me for noncompliance. If he knew how to fly he would have left Po behind because it would have been easier. Also those ex-comrades were the ones that were going to murder him for noncompliance.
Maybe that tentacle monster was full and wanted to save some for later. They ate what 6 or 7 between the three of them? Also why are you expecting a newly introduced character to die?
Finn and Rey both led pretty solitary lives. That moment when Rey is looking at the old woman while cleaning her scraps then told to get back to work shows a longing for connection that she was unable to fulfill. I can only imagine what the First Order was like for Finn, I imagine he got pretty good playing the part of rank and file but never getting to be himself around other members. Is it that hard to believe two people connecting, for the first time in their lives forming a strong bond?
And about the lightsaber use, like I said in my first post Finn is a wild card you positive he isn't Force sensitive? Are you 100%?
Man Scifi really must not be your thing because you can't suspend your beliefs for 2 seconds. Your so busy nit picking you missed major plot points...
As far as Reys inexplicable mastery of the force; the only way this is redeemable is if Rey ends up being somehow related to the Skywalker family, and trained previously, but has somehow had her memories taken. This I wouldn't like as then you've got one family controlling the mystical force, and in a few centuries all force users will look something like Yoda due to in breeding. Then they all move to a trailer park in Dagobah and live in happiness....
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candidus inperti; si nil, his utere mecum.
~~~~~
On the topic of Finn, and I the only one who doesn't want to call the First Order troops Storm Troopers? I thought the move to conscription was brilliant, and covered Finn's race perfectly well, though this issue could have also been covered in Battlefront Two, where they mention that new blood lines are introduced. Anyways, Storm Troopers have, up to now, always been clones. Just doesn't feel right
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Those are mostly speculations to explain some the plot holes. And most of the reasons given are NOT good imho. I loved the original SW trilogy including the pace and acting. I kind of liked the prequels since they sort of answered many of the questions posed by the originals. But this one just gives you more "mystery" (or plotholes). At this stage, we need a star wars episode 6.5 to explain what the heck is going on.
By the way, Star Wars is NOT SCI-FI, it's Fantasy. It follows almost no scientific principles. It just happens to be futuristic fantasy.
A good Sci-fi is Alien and Aliens or even the recently released "The Martian" (the books were amazing).
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So I agree with your issue about number 1, I think you're dead wrong on number two, and hold that Finn is one of the better characters in 7, I enjoyed Ben and his obsessions, but
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I will never get the "poor script, poor acting" complaints about episodes 1-3. They actually had a script and the acting was an attempt to remain "star wars-like" as the originals had some incredibly awful dialog that was par for the times.
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Thanks, attack of the clones.
The prequels are fairly weakly scripted, and very badly directed.
On
On Kylo:
I liked the fact that we got more into politics and the whole puppeteer skit from Palpatine. I disliked many things otherwise.
Although I agree with you that several times there seems to have been happy coincidences in the SW franchise, episode 7 was ridiculously paced and rushed and everything just seemed completely made up. Remember, the other movies spanned days, months, years. This one took 3 days.
None of the star wars were perfect but this movie was a huge disappointment and letdown.
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...which of episodes 1-6 do you think takes place over a period exceeding a fortnight??