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ScootyPuffJunior wrote: I've read that after the Battle of Endor and the creation of the First Order, their propaganda has most people living under their control believing that the Rebellion and Luke Skywalker were the antagonists. Kylo Ren probably believes what he's doing is right because he doesn't know any better.
Well, to be fair, he was part of a terrorist faction, responsible for the death of the head of government and the military, and destroying millions of credits' worth of government property.... Bad Luke!
ScootyPuffJunior wrote: I've read that after the Battle of Endor and the creation of the First Order, their propaganda has most people living under their control believing that the Rebellion and Luke Skywalker were the antagonists. Kylo Ren probably believes what he's doing is right because he doesn't know any better.
Well, to be fair, he was part of a terrorist faction, responsible for the death of the head of government and the military, and destroying millions of credits' worth of government property.... Bad Luke!
Yeah, just all depends on the point of view the story is coming from.
Do you think that government just announced in the nightly news that they callously deleted an entire populated planet? Of course not. They used more then just fear tactics in their propaganda to keep the galaxy in line.
ScootyPuffJunior wrote: I've read that after the Battle of Endor and the creation of the First Order, their propaganda has most people living under their control believing that the Rebellion and Luke Skywalker were the antagonists. Kylo Ren probably believes what he's doing is right because he doesn't know any better.
Well, to be fair, he was part of a terrorist faction, responsible for the death of the head of government and the military, and destroying millions of credits' worth of government property.... Bad Luke!
ScootyPuffJunior wrote: I've read that after the Battle of Endor and the creation of the First Order, their propaganda has most people living under their control believing that the Rebellion and Luke Skywalker were the antagonists. Kylo Ren probably believes what he's doing is right because he doesn't know any better.
Well, to be fair, he was part of a terrorist faction, responsible for the death of the head of government and the military, and destroying millions of credits' worth of government property.... Bad Luke!
d-usa wrote: "When the Internet sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're not sending you. They're not sending you. They're sending posters that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with us. They're bringing strawmen. They're bringing spam. They're trolls. And some, I assume, are good people."
I have read the plot to the movie and I have to say it's looking to be mediocre. Im sure it's not going to be bad (im probably going to enjoy it) but it's certainly not going to blow me away by the sounds of it.
So far it's looking to be better than the prequels but likely will not top Starwars for me. It's a shame I think.
The plot is very predictable, but it's enjoyable to watch. My / our main fear right now is that the story in episode 8 will unfold exactly as foreshadowed in episode 7.
It's a good action movie. You will have a good time, but if it wasn't for "Star Wars" in the title, it would be rather forgettable.
Did you see it or are you repeating others? Note thats not a criticism but a question.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2015/12/15 22:01:44
-"Wait a minute.....who is that Frazz is talking to in the gallery? Hmmm something is going on here.....Oh.... it seems there is some dispute over video taping of some sort......Frazz is really upset now..........wait a minute......whats he go there.......is it? Can it be?....Frazz has just unleashed his hidden weiner dog from his mini bag, while quoting shakespeares "Let slip the dogs the war!!" GG
-"Don't mind Frazzled. He's just Dakka's crazy old dude locked in the attic. He's harmless. Mostly."
-TBone the Magnificent 1999-2014, Long Live the King!
Sigvatr wrote: The plot is very predictable, but it's enjoyable to watch. My / our main fear right now is that the story in episode 8 will unfold exactly as foreshadowed in episode 7.
It's a good action movie. You will have a good time, but if it wasn't for "Star Wars" in the title, it would be rather forgettable.
Abrams' Star Wars sounds alot like Abrams' Star Trek.
Abrams' Star Wars sounds alot like Abrams' Star Trek.
Ironically, they feel more similar. The characters are not very interesting or well-developed, but each movie has some really cool scenes you will remember - maybe even remember it for. Man, that sounds so negative. It isn't a bad movie!
It's a "modern" Star Wars. The original Star Wars trilogy was a product of its time and so is episode 7. This isn't supposed to sound negative, again, it's just that episode 7 is /not/ "the next" episode that "feels" like episode 6. It's a different character, a different type of movie if you want to. A lot of people will be disappointed, a lot of people will be excited and some people will complain about the main actors being black and a female. The usual. Gotta say, though, that they aren't...very excellent actors. Acting is "okay". The movie's strengths are the visuals and the visual storytelling. Where have we seen that before...?
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2015/12/15 22:51:42
Rey is a super Jedi by the end of the movie without the training or anything? Honestly that just kills it for me if true. OT had subtle ish force, the prequels had force everywhere and now the force is just a thing that someone has and does super stuff with off the bat by the sounds of it.
I'm looking forward to catching opening night on Thursday. I think I will have to stay out of this thread until then because the temptation to click spoiler buttons may be too much for me!
d-usa wrote: I'm looking forward to catching opening night on Thursday. I think I will have to stay out of this thread until then because the temptation to click spoiler buttons may be too much for me!
I'm right there with you!
Since I'm off the rest of the week after today and my wife and kids are out of town, I will spend the next two days in my basement drinking beer and playing video games to keep myself distracted from potential spoilers.
d-usa wrote: "When the Internet sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're not sending you. They're not sending you. They're sending posters that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with us. They're bringing strawmen. They're bringing spam. They're trolls. And some, I assume, are good people."
Rey is a super Jedi by the end of the movie without the training or anything? Honestly that just kills it for me if true. OT had subtle ish force, the prequels had force everywhere and now the force is just a thing that someone has and does super stuff with off the bat by the sounds of it.
Is it true the movie is a "set up for sequel"?
Well the original plan it to has 3 sets of trilogies, IIRC, so It's very likely that we'll get a sequal. Especially as Disney payed however many billions for it, and they'll make as much as possible.
Homosexuality is the #1 cause of gay marriage.
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BaronIveagh wrote: Basically they went from a carrot and stick to a smaller carrot and flanged mace.
Rey is a super Jedi by the end of the movie without the training or anything? Honestly that just kills it for me if true. OT had subtle ish force, the prequels had force everywhere and now the force is just a thing that someone has and does super stuff with off the bat by the sounds of it.
Is it true the movie is a "set up for sequel"?
Well the original plan it to has 3 sets of trilogies, IIRC, so It's very likely that we'll get a sequal. Especially as Disney payed however many billions for it, and they'll make as much as possible.
Its more about the movie solely setting up for the sequel (the first no less not the middle) instead of being a set of stories that follow on from each other. But I know we are going to see a lot of starwars for the next few years.
Hopefully it isn't bad. I will be seeing it in 9 hours regardless.
Rey is a super Jedi by the end of the movie without the training or anything? Honestly that just kills it for me if true. OT had subtle ish force, the prequels had force everywhere and now the force is just a thing that someone has and does super stuff with off the bat by the sounds of it.
Is it true the movie is a "set up for sequel"?
Well the original plan it to has 3 sets of trilogies, IIRC, so It's very likely that we'll get a sequal. Especially as Disney payed however many billions for it, and they'll make as much as possible.
We knew that when they announced the bought it. They're releasing 3 numbered sequels (so a trilogy) and 3 'spin off' movies to explore other stories in the setting. So we're getting 6 films in 6 years (the spin offs will release in the off years of the main trilogy), with 3 of them forming a trilogy with an ongoing story.
UK newspapers have done their reviews and it's 5 stars across the board...
So why am I suspicious?
Well, these same newspapers gave SPECTRE 5 stars across the board, and whilst it was a good film, it wasn't the greatest Bond film I've ever seen, and I'm a Bond fanatic.
Also, are these genuine reviews or are newspapers under undue influence to talk up the new film in exchange for cash?
I hope it's a good film, and maybe it genuinely is a 5 star film, but we've been here before with the Phantom Menace.
I don't know who to trust these days...
"Our crops will wither, our children will die piteous
deaths and the sun will be swept from the sky. But is it true?" - Tom Kirby, CEO, Games Workshop Ltd
If you go in, expecting JJ Abrams style baysplosions you should be fine. Thats all I am expecting.
Well and see the Falcon go screaming by of course. Yes sir I will pay to see that NOW SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEYS
-"Wait a minute.....who is that Frazz is talking to in the gallery? Hmmm something is going on here.....Oh.... it seems there is some dispute over video taping of some sort......Frazz is really upset now..........wait a minute......whats he go there.......is it? Can it be?....Frazz has just unleashed his hidden weiner dog from his mini bag, while quoting shakespeares "Let slip the dogs the war!!" GG
-"Don't mind Frazzled. He's just Dakka's crazy old dude locked in the attic. He's harmless. Mostly."
-TBone the Magnificent 1999-2014, Long Live the King!
Wont be watching the next one in cinemas. Hopefully the stand alone films wont be as mediocre.
The kids laughed a lot in the theatre.
This movies features
Spoiler:
the most pathetic bad guys in the history of starwars films. All they do is try one up the original empire (we blow up more planets! We have a bigger and better death star! Our secret leader has a bigger and clearer hologram!) yet they still suck. Kylo Ren is officially the worst sith ever. He loses to 2 kids who have never touched a light saber until a few days earlier.
Oh well. It wasn't all bad but I was hoping they would do something special about this movie, rather than do a low risk low effort style movie.
Well, i see it in 10 hours, more excited than i care to admit, getting fidgety at work!
I cant see this being bad (not expecting greatness) but rmember in 1977, star wars wasn't perfect, it was just refreshing and new and a good old story adventure.
If this film has a good pace, enjoyable story and some decent scenes and stuff, i think i will be more than happy.
The gist we are getting from the light press and folk who have seen it are already giving me hope.
This WONT be a repeat of 1999.
@swasta, I wont be wanting an answer till after i have seen it, as i can click on your spoiler tags, but there were a few things you werent happy with at all (captain Phasma being one) before you went into the film, so i get you were hesitant anyway, but surely mediocre is a bit harsh.
Star wars, when looked at objectively, isnt the greatest film ever made, it has a lot wrong with it, but we forgive it because we enjoy the story. If Ep 7 is so bad that you see it as medicore (a term levelled at AOTC (Ep2) i would say thats a tad harsh.
Rotten tomatoes actually currently has this at a higher rating than ANH and Empire. Granted, not all the reviews are in yet. But it's off to a damn good start. You can't please everyone.
Reality is a nice place to visit, but I'd hate to live there.
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Due to work, I can usually only ship any sales or trades out on Saturday morning. Please trade/purchase with this in mind.
IMO, the trick to consuming movie reviews -- from both the professionals and amateurs -- is finding those whose tastes most resemble your own, and those whose tastes run most counter to your own. When you find that reviewers in group A like a given movie, while those in group B dislike it, you're probably in good shape.
Based on how things are trending for this one, I think I'm in good shape. I've seen *nothing* that would dissuade me from seeing this film and expecting to have a fun ride.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2015/12/16 15:17:57
I'm pretty excited to go and see it tonight. I'm not a die hard fan, but the cinema is ten minutes from my house and the OH is an obsessive.
Just hoping it's good fun, accessible, and has some chemistry from the returning cast. My shopping list is not as extensive as some, I'd imagine.
Rick_1138 wrote: Well, i see it in 10 hours, more excited than i care to admit, getting fidgety at work!
I cant see this being bad (not expecting greatness) but rmember in 1977, star wars wasn't perfect, it was just refreshing and new and a good old story adventure.
If this film has a good pace, enjoyable story and some decent scenes and stuff, i think i will be more than happy.
The gist we are getting from the light press and folk who have seen it are already giving me hope.
This WONT be a repeat of 1999.
...
...
I agree with this (except I'm not going until I've got my wife and daughter through eps 4,5 and 6, so will boook tickets for after Christmas.)
Star Wars was a fun action movie series until it got boring in ep1. It was never the second coming of the Christ, and I don't expect more than another fun action film with a blast of nostalgia that will wipe away the sour memory of ep 1.
Star Wars was a fun action movie series until it got boring in ep1.
I really want to know what went on in the screenwriter's head. "Hey, you know what made Star Wars so successful? Whiny kids, annoying characters and trade federation law!".
I think the story in the first film is under rated to be honest. Something to note, which I found very lacking in this movie, was pacing (I think this is the word). It started alright in the beginning but as time went on things escalated really fast when in the OT characters and events took a bit of time. Really I think the difference between this set of movies and the OT is Episode 7 is far more action, far less adventure. As a result a lot of the things I enjoyed in the originals (the journey of the heroes, the pacing of progression, the escalation and the threatening enemies etc) are all missing in this one. It's really a different style of movie all together.
So to me, the key of enjoying this movie is simply accepting that it's not really like the originals or the prequels. Its a new style which borrows some themes and ideas from the last one. Hence the meh from me. Everything in this movie happened so fast as it jumped from event to event (with loads of action, very few lingering shots). In fact, I just googled it and this is an action movie:
Action film is a film genre in which one or more heroes are thrust into a series of challenges that typically include physical feats, extended fight scenes, violence, and frantic chases. Action films tend to feature a resourceful character struggling against incredible odds, which include life-threatening situations, a villain, or a pursuit which generally concludes in victory for the hero.
Which perfectly sums up The Force Awakens.
The following however perfectly describes the OT starwars:
Adventure films are a genre of film. Unlike action films, they often use their action scenes preferably to display and explore exotic locations in an energetic way.
So if you enjoy action movies (and there are good ones im sure) and enjoy starwars then you will probably love this movie. This movie races from fight to fight (the beginning starts off pretty well). You won't get a good look at anything in this movie as most objects and settings are used and discarded very quickly in the speediness of the movie. While there are lots of cool ideas, aliens and vehicles to name a few the movie seems to quickly gloss over them in favour of getting to the next scene. Contrast the
Spoiler:
new "Maz Bar Scene" with the original Starwars "Canteena Scene"
and it sort of sums up the differences in the films.
In saying that though, it's not that the movie was bad, I guess it's just im not the right person for these films. To me, I saw a lot of cool ideas and stuff in the film but the story and the style sort of held all the good back for me.
But even me, the guy who hates 99% of movies, would call this film not bad. Im pretty sure most of you will like it. Don't read the reviews, they often just say what they think their audience wants to hear, just watch it. At worst you will go meh, at best it will be the 3rd coming of starwars. For me I am certain Episodes 7-9 will sit above the prequels but below the Original Trilogy and I think this is what the movie aimed for. Hence why people have said the director was "playing it safe."
Hopefully this non spoiling review made entirely of my personal opinion will give you an idea of what to expect. It's likely what many expected anyway. If my experience was anything like the rest of the world, kids will love it a lot. The kids especially liked Fin and Poe (the better characters, even I liked them), BB8 and chewbaka. Han was hit and miss it seems.
Anyway, here is my favorite bit, nitpicking the details:
Stuff I liked:
Spoiler:
Phasma was hardly in it
Poe and Fin are awesome characters and their friendship is more believable than Fin and Reys. They should have been the main characters, they are pretty good together.
Despite Ren being rather pathetic, he looked very cool in his gear.
The special effects are nice.
The alien pilot (who unfortunately dies) was pretty cool.
The colours are great. A lot of movies put a strong filter on their films but this one looked a lot more "natural" than other films.
The 3d wasn't bad, made it blurry in some places but really it was better 3d than most movies.
The stuff I did not like:
Spoiler:
Bad guys lost way too easily. Contrast this to the first movie where Rebels are getting wasted in an epic battle (small scale too). When I first saw the film in 97 I remember the tension of that battle.
Rey had no training (unlike Luke) and bet the bad guy on her first go. (sarcasm)Wow I can't wait to see her struggle now im sure she will struggle next time?(/sarcasm)
NO BLUE HOLOGRAM TALKIES COMMUNICATIONS?
They blew up a bunch of planets (first order) but for what? Now they have to take over the galaxy instead of simply taking over the senate. Thats what made the empire successful, is they used the existing government to save having to fight bitterly for control or something. I mean, blowing up planets can work maybe, but it did not sound like they had a real plan here.
Is 30 X-Wings considered a fleet? "we lost half our fleet!" should have been "we lost half the squadron".
Also the briefing before the battle was nothing like a briefing. They simply all gathered, had a quick and very brief group talk about a rough plan and then committed their only forces to fight the threat to their existence? In the OT the briefings seemed a bit more of a briefing. A guy who knows his crap explaining to those involved what the plan is in detail. It's one of the cooler scenes in a New Hope. While the overall plan was said, I knew nothing of the actual details of their mission. What was Han doing (making it up as he went along it seems), the fighters are waiting on a guy who didn't tell them any info to allow them to do an attack? I don't know, bring back the old style briefings.
Rey waddles like a duck whenever she runs. It would have been nice for them to pick an actress who didn't look incredibly clumsy and awkward. Not a fan of Rey. Stuck with her as main character now though.
Harrison Ford ended up seeming half hearted in his acting. I'm glad his character died in the end for this reason.
Rey for some reason understands droids, wookies, most aliens and so on. I never got the impression that the beeps are a language in the films, but more the characters just spoke to their droids like people speak to pets. But apparently it's a language discernible by a select few in the galaxy. Maybe force users understand 5 languages much more easily than normal humans?
Maz the orange alien will not hold up in the special effects department in 10 years.
