The Star Wars Spoiler Thread

Rylo Ken was way too uncharismatic an actor

funny. I thought he was brilliant.

funny. I thought he was brilliant.

I wish I had. I felt a tangible drop in tension when he revealed himself.

I felt a tangible drop in tension when he revealed himself.

For a film that paid so much homage to the original trilogy, it seemed odd that they couldn’t come up with a big ‘I am your father’-esque unmasking moment. The fact he didn’t need the mask was a brilliant bit of misdirection, and Han calls him out for doing it to idolise Vader, but it was a bit of a damp squib in the end. It should have practically written itself even: Ren ‘killed’ Ben who was also a student of Luke. The grief drove Han and Leia apart. All signs point to a revenge showdown between Han and Ren, but when the moment comes he instead tries to turn him back and that’s the big reveal. The rest of that scene was perfect as is. Instead we get Han and Leia (awkwardly) playing the concerned parents of a moody teenager like they think he’s on drugs or something.

I was 7 when Star Wars came out. Just got back from seeing TFA.

While it’s clearly partly a cynical exercise in getting us ‘first generation’ fans back on board while engaging a new lucrative pre-teen market, I think it’s also a pretty effective love letter from Abrams and Kasdan to the original three films.

Yes, it’s a bit of a rehash of episode 4 but that makes weird sense to me both commercially and as part of the ‘new’ story arc.

Whatever its shortcomings, it ‘felt’ right to me as a Star Wars film. Enjoyable mix of action, classic good vs evil, humour and some decent acting (for me notably from Boyega and Ford). Nothing groundbreaking but then I don’t think that’s what anyone really wants from the franchise.

I was disappointed with the low number of lens flares though…

Was that freema adjeyman on the balcony that the death star thing blew up? And when will they learn not to build a trench just big enough for an x wing that leads straight to the critical point of failure that those imperial architects always leave in?

Just came back from it. Loved it.

Slightly embarrassing to say out loud: “That’s bloody Falcon Crag!”. X-wings over Derwentwater, fab!

Kids loved it too, which is the main thing.

Just got back from seeing it. What a load of stupid rubbish.
Gun fights where only the baddies get shot; sword fights with big pauses so that the baddy loses; chases with people RUNNING away from rocketships that completely miss them; the whole stormtrooper army hunting for a “girl” in a PLACE THEY LIVE in, can’t find her, but a bunch of goodies find her straight away without looking… so much arse like that over the 2 hours. I was ssooooo bored.

Oh and what’s this thing where they are flying at a million miles an hour in rocketfightingships and they shout “Watch out!” WTF? “he’s behind you??” its so stupid.

colournoise wrote:

Whatever its shortcomings, it ‘felt’ right to me as a Star Wars film. Enjoyable mix of action, classic good vs evil, humour and some decent acting (for me notably from Boyega and Ford). Nothing groundbreaking but then I don’t think that’s what anyone really wants from the franchise.

In a nutshell, really. 🙂
(I was 7 in 1977 too.)

I think some people are slightly over thinking the film. George has always said he makes films for kids and so does Disney. Its a total fun fest, loved it.

Looking too deeply into the scenes and holes in the plots kinda means your missing the point and taking it all just a little bit too serious.

Hopk1ns
I think some people are slightly over thinking the film. George has always said he makes films for kids and so does Disney. Its a total fun fest, loved it.

Ah yes, the Phantom Menace defence. You think my film is shit? Well it’s not for you, it’s for children. Dumb, ignorant children who enjoy any old shit.

Looking too deeply into the scenes and holes in the plots kinda means your missing the point and taking it all just a little bit too serious.

It’s not necessary to look deeply to see flaws, they’re obvious.

“Slightly over thinking”?? Not really though eh? Thinking AT ALL!

And there are two perfect examples of what I meant by overthinking it all. Seriously chill out its just a film. (for kids)

Maybe the film needs some Trolls in it. Then you’d be happy 😉

Great film, loved it.

I really enjoyed it.

I am in the camp that firmly believes is isn’t Sci Fi, more like an adventure/action story with added space ships, so dumb religious stuff, Scooby Doo endings and B movie ripping off of other films just add to the fun.

Lots of references to proper Sci Fi films – which was cool. The aforementioned Red Dwarf, the monsters on Han Solo’s ship were straight out of a classic episode of Space 1999 and there was a robot from Silent Running in the market on Jakku !

Nice touches.

Oh – and JJ Abrams has clearly read Dune – the ship being swallowed by the sand was definitely by a worm, hell, the whole hokey religion angle of the first films was a celar rip-off. OK I will shut up now – pompous lecture over.

Went to see it in 3d last night: I’d give it 3.5/5. It’s just far too similar to Episode 4 to warrant higher marking. I guess they did it that way to act as a kind of reboot for newer generations who weren’t brought up with the original films. However, it is still far far better than Episodes 1-3 and I have hope that the subsequent films will be less derivative.

Hopk1ns

And there are two perfect examples of what I meant by overthinking it all. Seriously chill out its just a film. (for kids)

This is idiotic.

Watched it last night. I think this summed it up well for me…

It felt like an extended teaser for episode VIII, to be honest. I’m not entirely sure what the main arc of the story was supposed to be. Was it the search for Skywalker or was it to stop the supersized Death Star?

For the majority I was absorbed into it, lots of great moments. But then there just seemed to be massive skips and jumps in the 2nd half of the story which kind of made me lose connection with it. Kind of disappointed in a story sense but happy enough with the good bits that id go to see it again as a fan of the series.

I hate to say it but really felt like it was a 2 parter chopped down to fit 1 film.

I love the bit where the rebel leaders show you the old Death Star – and this is the new Death Star, and it’s MUCH BIGGER. Phwoarh – check it out !

Kenny Everit could have written that scene.

Look and feel: 10/10
Story/plot: 6-7/10

It did what it needed to do and did it well enough, while managing to be a quazillion times better than Lucas managed with the prequals…

I love the bit where the rebel leaders show you the old Death Star – and this is the new Death Star, and it’s MUCH BIGGER. Phwoarh – check it out !

“There’s got to be a way to blow it up. There’s always a way to blow it up…” or something like that. Made me laugh :).

For my contribution – I thought it was awesome. Right mix of humour, action, atmosphere and nostalgia. I will probably go and see it again – and probably in 3D again.

“There’s got to be a way to blow it up. There’s always a way to blow it up…” or something like that. Made me laugh :).

If there was a moment that summed up the whole film, that was it 🙂

Maybe the film needs some Trolls in it. Then you’d be happy

Stick James Bond in there and you can get away with Deathstar sized loopholes and illogicality but nobody bats an eyelid. 😉

I do get the feeling the people who didn’t at least enjoy it weren’t going to be happy regardless. Assuming they aren’t just trolling.

It did what it needed to do and did it well enough, while managing to be a quazillion times better than Lucas managed with the prequals…

Amen.

Oh – and JJ Abrams has clearly read Dune – the ship being swallowed by the sand was definitely by a worm, hell, the whole hokey religion angle of the first films was a celar rip-off. OK I will shut up now – pompous lecture over.

from an interview with JJ..

Well, yeah. I think maybe a better way to express how I feel about those movies is that they had a certain knowingness, because of the way the characters are, so archetypal, and the way they reference a lot of film history, like Luke gazing out at the two setting suns the way someone would in a John Ford Western. That was such a part of the whole “movie brat” thing in the 70s, that George Lucas was a part of. Did you fool around with any of those kinds of nods at movie history?

There are a few specific references that are kind of my own little stupid, secret ones. But I will say that because the world is a different place now than it was when that movie came out, we can’t come out with the same thing and expect people to react as if they hadn’t seen it before. I’m not sure we could count the movies that have, since 1977, tried to embrace a similar mythic quality and in some cases a similar aesthetic or even humorous approach to a space adventure.

So you could be right, although Sarlaccs weren’t his creation.

weren’t going to be happy regardless. Assuming they aren’t just trolling.

I certainly wouldnt pay the extortionate cinema fees unless I thought I was going to see a decent film.
and…
Trolling? you do realise this isn’t a thread entitled “Star Wars fans this way”?

the whole hokey religion angle of the first films was a celar rip-off

What’s ‘celar’?

A typo. I meant “clear”. A new type of Jedi, it is not.

🙂

I can’t believe that, after all they’ve been through with the flooding, the Cumbrian locals had to put up with the First Order destroying Maz Kanata’s castle on Derwentwater as well. J.J.Abrams has a LOT to answer for!

What’s ‘celar’?

It’s where she was hiding the lightsaber. Do keep up.

Do you think Han Solo took his MTB to The Lakes with him?

Ouch, sounds painful.

Gun fights where only the baddies get shot; sword fights with big pauses so that the baddy loses; chases with people RUNNING away from rocketships that completely miss them; the whole stormtrooper army hunting for a “girl” in a PLACE THEY LIVE in, can’t find her, but a bunch of goodies find her straight away without looking… so much arse like that over the 2 hours. I was ssooooo bored.

Not being funny DezB, but you HAVE seen Episode 4? I’m not sure what part of the above would be a surprise to you or why you’d go to see it if you had and didn’t like go for sort of thing.

‘Bit too much like IV’ is valid criticism but all of that is basically ‘I don’t like Star Wars’ so I’m puzzled why you’d bother.

Not being funny DezB, but you HAVE seen Episode 4? any blockbuster movie? I’m not sure what part of the above would be a surprise to you or why you’d go to see it if you had and didn’t like go for sort of thing.

FTFY as they say. 🙂

Yes and they usually bore me! This was soooo built up though. And my son wanted to see he (he found it pretty silly too). And my brother said it was good

I loved it. There were tears when the Falcon appeared, tears when Han and Chewie appeared, tears when Luke’s Theme played when Rey was introduced, tears when Luke’s lightsabre appeared, tears when the TIE Fighter started up, tears when the X-Wings appeared, tears when Artoo powered back up, tears when Han died, tears when Kylo and Rey were fighting… I loved it! 😀 😀 The nods to A New Hope were really nicely done too.

Curious one this. I had reservations as not a JJ fan and have a strong dislike of what he did to Star Trek, even if those films looked good. Or rather what he did to Star Trek fans, pretty much a middle finger up at them.

However I went in quite positive from everything I’d seen and a lot of hope that this will be better than the prequels, and I was definitely right. Overall I was glued to it and fascinated. A number of fan-**** moments that I loved. Sat through all the end credits which is rare unless I really like it. Left thinking “wow!”.

But then after my mind is picking holes in it.

That’s the thing. It’s very good. It’s just not perfect. It’s no piece of art. It won’t win any Oscars. It’s not as good as the original trilogy.

It comes across to me as a very big budget fan movie. Story is much like some of the books.

The problems with it though…

Plot is recycled, and fairly Episode IV. Though you can’t really claim any of the other films have amazing plots. Though the originals are enjoyable adventures.

Ford and Fisher are too old. That was always going to be though and I suppose either they just make a cameo appearance or you do something for them to hand over the reins, even if that means offing one of them so they’re not going to be hanging around in the following films.

Another friggin Death Star bigger than before. Please. And do they never learn to not put in obvious vulnerabilities? ! One review I read asked why it was really necessary when the film could really stand on its own without having a big thing to blow up.

New Order commanders / actors are a bit naff. Just seem like a bunch of pompous managers.

Kylo Ren – mixed opinions on him, but at present he’s just another whiney brat having temper tantrums. Though he doesn’t seem as annoying as Anakin. The mask though… why? Especially the crap voice changer.

Suddenly it’s possible to become a master of the Force and use of a lightsaber within a few minutes (Rey), instead of having to bog off and spend time with Ben or Yoda to learn this stuff.

Supreme Leader Snoke – stupid name and seems straight out of Harry Potter.

Luke’s gone off in a huff. Hmm, right.

I don’t know now. At the time watching it I loved it. Now I look back on it I see all these flaws yet I still generally like it. Maybe I’ll watch it again and see how I feel. I’m hoping this is just the set up film getting the fan **** out of the way and deliberately echoing Episode IV to sort of say what goes around comes around, or something like that. Then next film we get into the serious stuff.

Anyway, there’s a lot to like. Visually excellent. Nice use of real locations rather than all green screen. The Falcon stuff is great. For all their age, seeing Han and Chewie is great (and Peter Mayhew did indeed play him, at least for parts with no action). Rey is excellent.

Loved it. A return to the star wars of my childhood. Saw the 3D one, which I thought was worth it.
The unmasking of Hans son was a disappointment. There must be better unknowns than Marilyn Manson lookalike.
And mon the girls.:-)

In a word, underwhelmed. I was 4 when the first one came out, and I have been a huge fan ever since. I was just the perfect age to get into the whole thing.

The prequels were awful, but I had high hopes after the positive reviews. I so much wanted to love it.

Too much time spent in decidedly earth-like planet surface environments. It all just looked like a fancy dress party had arrived in the Lake District, in Ireland, at Greenham Common etc. Lacked the escapism of the original which was absolutely set in space.

Han and Leia didn’t work well together (and Leia could barely talk thanks to her plastic surgery), and Han was almost too desperate to crack funnies.

Snoke/Voldemort didn’t need to be CGI.

Kylo Ren didn’t need the mask (Vader clearly did, but there was no real reason given for why Ren needed it).

On the other hand Chewie rocked (although he had some rather worrying blonde highlights).

no real reason given for why Ren needed it

Because his grandfather wore one, and he worships him.

Just a guess.