Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Post-release)

Something interesting I read....

We know that Lor San Tekka - Max Van Sydow's character- knows Kylo/Ben. But, we also hear Lor's voice (and see him?) during Rey's vision - when she's left on Jakku. It appears he's entrusted to watch over her and he knows both children.

Yep, Rey wasn't left alone on Jakku

J
 
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Did anyone notice something odd about the opening credit crawl theme?
I dont know ifnit was my imagination but it sounded weak and digitized. Almost as though half as many musicians were used.
The first time i saw the film I thought it might just be me, but i saw the film again tonight and im fairly certain something was off.

For the first time it wasn't LSO, and wasn't recorded in Abbey Road

J
 
Of course grandson. Doh moment.

That annoyed me a bit though, no mentioning of Anakin Skywalker, only Vader.

I actually preferred that, no one knows of Vader as Anakin apart from Luke

Leia wouldn't refer to her father with fondness as Anakin,....no matter if he redeemed himself to save his son at the end.....she was disgusted at the thought that she was related to that evil monster

J
 
Re: Star Wars TFA. Warning spoilers and I hate it!!! Haters and Lovers Welcome

I loved the movie

Im glad that Disney has reinvigorated the franchise

I'm pretty shocked at the level of hatred on this thread, ok.....everyone has their own taste, I don't like the Prequels & I've divorced them from my mind, but I really think TFA is a fantastic new direction for the films to go

...Disney had a tricky job to do to repair the damage that Lucas had done to the franchise since 1983.....
They bought Lucasfilm & they want everyone to see this film, they don't just want SW fans to see it, they want EVERYONE

All those film goers who just jettisoned SW as nerdy because of the crappy Prequels & Clone Wars cartoons, needed pulled back to have a FUN experience

There are callbacks to ANH etc to assure us & I have no problems with them

id say just st go see it again and enjoy it

J
 
I noticed as the falcon was being chased by the Tie fighters it had red landing lights on the underside and red headlights in the tips of the mandibles while flying. Was this in any other film? I know they are there but dot remember seeing them on while in flight.
 
In general, I'm very happy. Star Wars is fun, and this captured that fun. I am perfectly content with this fitting into the rest of the Star Wars series. Finn and Rey are fantastic, and from the little we saw of Poe, I enjoyed his character as well.

Even though I'm very happy with the film, I'm about to just list complaints. Why I'm so much more inclined to nitpick something I loved, I have no idea.

First off, the Starkiller base being a ripoff of the Death Star wasn't a major deal for me (although I really didn't like the concept of it either - sucking a sun's energy? huh?). My problem with Starkiller is that it served no purpose to the story. Seemed like they just wanted to fit in another X-Wing/TIE fighter battle just for the sake of having it. The Death Star and the idea of destroying it was present throughout ANH. Starkiller in TFA was just an afterthought that took away screentime from what I really enjoyed about the movie - Rey, Finn, and Kylo Ren. I much would have preferred more character development from these great new characters rather than wasting it on the Death Star 3 which was just background to the story.

Next, I thought there was a large lack of iconic imagery. The designs of the aliens, ships, and such just didn't stick with me. This may seem to be just a cosmetic issue, but I really think the designs in the OT helped contribute to the story. The designs of the imperial ships for example were art in how they established the character and attitudes of the empire. There was just no life in these designs IMHO. And I really disliked Snoke. I thought the CG was terrible. In my mind I just attributed it to the hologram as an excuse.

Finally, the music…….

For those who say the music wasn't noticeable, the "force theme" at that moment is what made it so stirring. Best use of that theme since the sunset in ANH, maybe even better.

Unfortunately this was just a copy and paste job from ANH when Luke discovers the Owen and Beru BBQ. This was not created for this film. There was absolutely nothing memorable of the music from this film for me. I wanted to be leaving the theater humming a new tune under my breath, but had nothing. What happened to you John Williams?

Again though, there is far more I enjoyed about the movie than disliked. Chewie was absolutely fantastic. I just wanted to cheer for him during his shooting rampage after seeing Han fall. BB-8 had so much life to him.

I'm excited to see where the rest of this new series will go.:)
 
There's something that's been gnawing at me since seeing the film yesterday. It harkens back to when the title, The Force Awakens, was first announced. My concern was, almost comedically, what was the Force doing during the OT that I loved so much? So, the thing that's been bothering me is that, in a lot of ways, doesn't the story line of this movie virtually negate the arc of the OT? Doesn't it make the entire journey of the OT for naught?

We witnessed and cheered on our heroes struggles through three films and, as they celebrated on Endor, we were left to imagine all the good that would come from their adventure. They had succeeded. They had overcome. They had saved the galaxy and we were there to see it. It was a complete epic.

Nope. None of that happened. They failed. The team splits up and go their separate ways.

Actually, they may have made it worse! Luke fails and leaves. Han and Leia spawn the next Vader and are unable to stay together. That Empire thing, well, it's still there just with a different name and a different leader.

In fact, they are, in a lot of ways, exactly where they were before they ever met in the OT. Luke's isolated, Han's smuggling, Leia's leading the rebels.

So, what difference did our heroes make in the OT? What did it matter?

While that sounds like a rather big problem, I think it could have been fixed rather easily. It could have even been addressed effectively in the crawl. Our heroes could have succeeded and we still could have this movie.

Of course we can't have more Star Wars movies without the big baddies but I would have preferred seeing a story line where those evil forces were trying to rise up against a better world that our original heroes created. That better world never happened so what did the OT matter? A lot of this movie could have been exactly the same but with a different context.

Maybe we'll get some of that in one of these books that will be coming out, that there was a "honeymoon period" after ROTJ but that could never be the same as seeing it on screen or at least having it be addressed.

With that said, I enjoyed being back in the Star Wars universe and did like the movie. Solid B+ for me. I know that it's impossible to recapture the magic that my 8 year old mind experienced in 1977 and that's just a fact of life. However, I feel that this story line diminishes, however slightly, the context of the OT and that was a self-fulfilling prophecy for me based on its title.
 
I saw it yesterday. I liked it. Of course it's not perfect and there are some fair criticisms, but this is nowhere near prequel quality. I feel like this was the "come back to star wars...see, it's good again" movie and they can take things a little farther in the next one. I could nitpick it but I'm not going to. Time will tell how it holds up but overall I really liked it.

One complaint I'm seeing from a lot of people is how Rey, who's never used a lightsaber before, is able to beat Kylo Ren. I think they're giving him too much credit. He's not as badass as he pretends to be. Stopping a blaster bolt in mid air and freezing people in place are neat tricks, but that's what they are. Tricks. He's shown several times throughout the movie to be frustrated and completely out of control. I think we are meant to believe that Rey can beat him with sheer will power and focus. That's my take on it.
 
IF Kylo Ren would have been a "regular" person. But he is Vaders son AND part of a group called Knights of Ren. He tries to be Vader and he pretends to be Knight. So two reasons for wearing a helmet without being scarred. We do not kno if he wears any other armor or already has cybernetic body parts.

I wonder if the Knights of Ren are all darkside Jedi , maybe even because of Luke?

So the Knights of Ren = fallen angels? Do we have an Oedipus/Paradise Lost crossover in the works here?
None of the other Knights of Ren appeared to be carrying a lightsaber, but looked like they had other sorts of weapons.

Also worth noting is that other than Rey's vision (and a brief mention by Snoke?), we don't see any other of the Knights of Ren. Could they have been wiped out after the Jedi massacre -- by a certain Jedi that couldn't bear to kill his nephew?
 
None of the other Knights of Ren appeared to be carrying a lightsaber, but looked like they had other sorts of weapons.

Also worth noting is that other than Rey's vision (and a brief mention by Snoke?), we don't see any other of the Knights of Ren. Could they have been wiped out after the Jedi massacre -- by a certain Jedi that couldn't bear to kill his nephew?

Snoke tells Kylo he's the last of the knights of Ren in one of those meetings I believe.

Here's a nitpick for you :) Finn/Poe crash on Jakku....Finn is in his trooper outfit. He starts shedding it in the desert on the way to 'town'. By the time he gets to town, he has black boots....where'd they come from? :)

I also think 3po was wearing gold tennis shoes :)

Anyone catch the story tonight that it's apparently confirmed daniel craig was in TFA and he was the strormtrooper who sets Rey free :)
https://www.yahoo.com/movies/daniel-craigs-secret-cameo-in-star-wars-the-182747377.html
 
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Re: Star Wars TFA. Warning spoilers and I hate it!!! Haters and Lovers Welcome

As to the map, all i can guess is that SOMEONE found him in the past and the map is a log of his journey to get there. Therefore, there's a path...

As for the missing bit....think of our galaxy...there are billions of planets and millions if not billions of solar systems in it. Even in SW, you think every inch of the whole thing is mapped? It's entirely possible it's not.
 
Snoke tells Kylo he's the last of the knights of Ren in one of those meetings I believe.

Here's a nitpick for you :) Finn/Poe crash on Jakku....Finn is in his trooper outfit. He starts shedding it in the desert on the way to 'town'. By the time he gets to town, he has black boots....where'd they come from? :)

People's shoes magically appearing after changing out of TK armor--yet another ANH callback :lol (Han/Luke post trash compactor somehow having their boots, for those who don't get the joke.)
 
There has been some conversation about the weakened music of TFA on this thread, and rightfully so.

John Williams is not using the LSO for the first time in a Star Wars movie. Why? Can they not hack it? I noticed some pretty poor chops evident in the score for TPM, years ago. Trumpets watered down much of their opening fanfare work from triple tongue bits to double tongue bits, for example. I'm just not sure the caliber of orchestral musician in 2015 is the same as it was in 1977. I noticed the score was weak, performance-wise, as well as the rest of you. I'd take the 1977 version of the LSO any day, but I don't think that exists anymore.

Composition-wise, there were a few moments that stuck out to me upon seeing it the second time Friday afternoon. There was some good stuff going on as they were ramping up to raid Starkiller base, for example. Good stuff, but not great stuff. Not Darth Vader's March kind of stuff, and I'm not sure that wasn't intentional, as I agree with an earler post which opined that the events in TPM didn't earn the music that accompanied them. In musician terms, musical dynamic requires a pianissimo in order for there to exist a fortissimo.
 
There has been some conversation about the weakened music of TFA on this thread, and rightfully so.

John Williams is not using the LSO for the first time in a Star Wars movie. Why? Can they not hack it? I noticed some pretty poor chops evident in the score for TPM, years ago. Trumpets watered down much of their opening fanfare work from triple tongue bits to double tongue bits, for example. I'm just not sure the caliber of orchestral musician in 2015 is the same as it was in 1977. I noticed the score was weak, performance-wise, as well as the rest of you. I'd take the 1977 version of the LSO any day, but I don't think that exists anymore.

Composition-wise, there were a few moments that stuck out to me upon seeing it the second time Friday afternoon. There was some good stuff going on as they were ramping up to raid Starkiller base, for example. Good stuff, but not great stuff. Not Darth Vader's March kind of stuff, and I'm not sure that wasn't intentional, as I agree with an earler post which opined that the events in TPM didn't earn the music that accompanied them. In musician terms, musical dynamic requires a pianissimo in order for there to exist a fortissimo.

John Williams requested that the score was recorded locally,.....his trip to London would have been too much for him

J
 
Re: Star Wars TFA. Warning spoilers and I hate it!!! Haters and Lovers Welcome

Once TFA kicks off it moves at breakneck speed. Some parts felt like there were elements missing. My guess is that we're bound for a Jacksonian Director's Cut DVD release with a bunch of extra scenes.

The film was a bit too self-aware and referential at times. Callbacks can be fun, but they just kept on coming for no real reason other than that they could.

As for Kylo Ren vs Rey, I had no problem with that for several reasons. First of all he's talented and skilled, but unlike Luke he simply doesn't have his Sith together. He's capable of amazing feats, but he's also afraid, violent and unstable and not very cool under fire. That and the fact he took a solid hit from a Bowcaster that could send a Stormtrooper through the nearest wall. So once he's under pressure he might easily lose his nerve and allow himself to be beaten by a girl.

On the other hand, let's look at Rey ... She's a natural at mechanics, top notch pilot, strong in the force ... reminds you of somebody ? Because all this talk about her being Luke or Han/Leia's daughter is just a red herring imho. I think there is more to her back story than many think. My hunch is that she's not just Luke's daughter, but she could be a clone of Annakin (or Luke) Perhaps Max Von Sydow's character has something to do with it, his part is never explained. Alternatively she might be the reincarnated force ghost

You could even invoke the prophecy. And that Rey is the final step in Annakin's journey to bring back balance to the Force.

Also I noticed something weird about the Skywalkers whenever they are trained in the force. Try to bring them up right and they seem to go renegade (Annakin/Kylo-Ben) But if you neglect them, leave them in a distant corner of the Galaxy, lie to them, lie to them again, make it all up as you go along, knowing they are the child of a guy who didn't take bad things in a mature adult way they grow up to be a good enough Jedi to take on two Sith Lords and win.

Also TFA felt like the big OT pushback against Lucas trying to make the prequels the centerpiece of Star Wars. Given that Hollywood is filled to the brim with people who grew up on Star Wars and have been continuing to play in the big budget movie adventure themepark he helped set up, people like Abrams are the generation who grew up on the OT and feel that that part is the centerpiece, rather than the controversial prequels and are now connecting the cinema universe to that part rather than continue to humor Lucas and his long history of mixed feelings about Star Wars as a whole.
 
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