Force Awakens Discussion (SPOILER ALERT)

Shadow Shack's picture
Shadow Shack
December 19, 2015 - 2:06am
If you haven't seen the movie yet and missed the blurb in the title:

SPOILER ALERT!!!

It's you're own fault if you read any further. Kiss Kiss Kiss

With the disclaimer out of the way, lets talk about the movie.

_____________________________________________________________


The new characters melded well with the old ones, and Han & Chewbacca were awesome as always. I had read about Darth Tantrum prior to seeing the flick and was happy to see it wasn't Darth Crybaby/Anakin level. The reactions of his subordinates were great...the officer fully expecting to be Vader'd to death and breathing a sigh of relief when it didn't happen along with the patrolling storm troopers pausing and performing an about face. Ren definitely has a reputation already that is only rivaled by Vader's. 

I was glad to see the opening crawl tradition carried over. The Star Destroyers seemed a lot larger and intimidating this time around and the opening appearance of one eclipsing the screen was refreshing from a dorsal point of view. I enjoyed the various Easter eggs, such as Finn tossing the Saber probe aside and triggering the holo-chess game among others throughout the film. While the revamped Death Star was played out, at least it was a refreshing concept of being built into an actual planet versus the mobile space station times three, more so with the extended range that resolved the need for being mobile. Lots of nods to the original trilogy as such, but for the most part they worked.

Despite Ford's admission to being one and done with the rebooted franchise, his death was fairly predictable. My wife --- who had avoided all the reviews and internet talk --- saw it coming well before it happened. However, it was more dramatic than I expected, I figured Ren would have simply force-pushed him over the edge instead of running him through and experiencing a dying breath moment.

Finn cracked me up. He was always dodging the truth while doing so in heroic fashion. "Sanitation?!?" "Yeah, actually I'm just here for Rey." Poe had witty one liners in a Han Solo-esque fashion but it was Finn who kept me laughing out loud. BB-8 wasn't the disappointment I thought it would be, and I am thankful for that. I'm still not overly wild about R2-soccer-ball, but it wasn't Ewok/Jar-Jar deplorable either. The saber duel wasn't as invigorating as I'd hoped for, but then again it was non-Jedi vs Sith followed by newbie-Jedi vs Sith so it was at least acceptable as such. And we got to see an actual use for the Swiss Army Jedi Saber hilt blades that launched it from lame-kewl factor to okay-that-makes-sense factor.

Of minor disappointment was the lackluster John Williams musical score, which sounded more Indiana Jones than Star Wars. It felt like there was a major budget cut and it was limited to Williams, because even the aforementioned Indy scores were memorable and this one all but disappeared into the background noises. In addition to Star Wars movies looking like Star Wars movies, they also need to SOUND like Star Wars movies, and this one did not.

My only major disappointment so far (I do plan on seeing again within the next week so I may find more nits to pick) was Luke's overly brief screen time. Sure, he's been missing for a few decades, I get that much. But he could have at least had a speaking role, even a brief few words instead of a final cameo eye contact appearance. I mean Kenny Baker was listed at the bottom of the closing credits as "R2-D2 consultant" and R2 had far more screen time than prominently mentioned Hamill.

In the end it is an awesome flick and I am happy I saw it on opening weekend.

I'm not overly fond of Zeb's Guide...nor do I have any qualms stating why. Tongue out

My SF website
Comments:

jedion357's picture
jedion357
July 28, 2016 - 3:51am
I thought that Luke's conversation with Obi Wan kind of made it clear the Clone War was a thing if the past. Thus by the time of Episode IV the clones are not really a thing any more.
I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers!

rattraveller's picture
rattraveller
July 28, 2016 - 5:16am
The clones were the soldiers fighting when Luke and Leia were born. Even though they were forced grown we do not assume they aged faster as adults. Luke and Leia were about 18 to 20 years old since Luke wanted to go to the Academy so we guess early college age. 18 to 20 years is in the past but not so long ago that even the first batch of clones were all dead or even retired yet.

Of course you may be forgiven for some of this since A New Hope was only supposed to be a one shot movie but had some moderate success so was allowed some sequels. Much of the long term plot and time line was not worked out well. One example Luke and Leia were a love interest and not brother and sister.
Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go?

JCab747's picture
JCab747
July 28, 2016 - 6:43am
rattraveller wrote:

One example Luke and Leia were a love interest and not brother and sister.


It's brotherly and sisterly love you know... There's still a hint of it in the Empire Strikes Back.

Joe Cabadas

Shadow Shack's picture
Shadow Shack
July 28, 2016 - 9:52pm
Maybe they are part of Warren Jeffs' cult...
I'm not overly fond of Zeb's Guide...nor do I have any qualms stating why. Tongue out

My SF website

Tchklinxa's picture
Tchklinxa
August 5, 2016 - 8:16pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTg68JVLw3A

The Clones: LOL
 "Never fire a laser at a mirror."

rattraveller's picture
rattraveller
August 6, 2016 - 9:26am
Yes watched that whole series pretty funny even for Star Wars
Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go?

jedion357's picture
jedion357
August 6, 2016 - 11:29am
Is it just me or does anyone else feel that if Han Solo had to die he deserved a far better death than being stabbed in the gut by Darth Tantrum?
I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers!

Tchklinxa's picture
Tchklinxa
August 6, 2016 - 11:45am
I was hoping for a different death not the obvious one, but that sort of stuff happens in RL... but it's Sci-Fi so who knows.
 "Never fire a laser at a mirror."

rattraveller's picture
rattraveller
August 6, 2016 - 2:48pm
We meet Hans Solo when he shoots a guy who was bringing him in to see Jaba the Hutt because Hans owed Jaba money.

Hans is shown to us in the beginning to be a terrible person, he is a criminal, a smuggler, a liar and only out for himself. Over the next two movies he get better. He becomes the selfless hero we all want our heroes to be in the end.

When we meet Hans Solo in The Force Awakens he has left all his selfless hero life behind and is back to being a now failed smuggler as two different groups he failed while working for come aboard his ship and try to get what he owes them.

He once again tries to redeem himself by trying to reach the son that went bad and killed a bunch of kids and surprise he gets killed by his son.

Was it the death he deserved? Maybe he should have tried harder at the dad and husband thing and the galaxy would not have another pair of Sith Lords but then we would not have had a movie.

Like Judas in the Bible he had to play his part for the story to work and like Judas he got the death the story called for him to have.
Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go?