Star Wars The Force Awakens (2015)

[Darth Homer]

I really liked this and would probably rank it joint third in the saga behind ESB and ANH (and tied with ROTS) but like most SW movies there were some major flaws that prevented it from being a total success.

 

Liked: 

The mystery of the search for Luke (my fan version of the ST from years ago used the same idea).

The new heroes and their interactions with each other and Han.

Kylo Ren (I was worried Driver would be too distracting in the role but he nailed it, despite not looking like the child of Han and Leia).

Showing a more human side to stormtroopers.

The gag with the other ship being blown up and then finding the Falcon.

BB-8! His bic lighter thumbs up was classic.

3PO's intro.

The final duel, especially Rey's force pull.

Intentionally humorous dialogue. In a SW movie!

The music (even though it lacked any memorable new themes like Duel of the Fates or Battle of the Heroes).

Cinematography was good.

 

Didn't like:

Most of the plot - after all the shit critics have Lucas over the storylines in the prequels I can't believe the same people have been raving about TFA. The prequels may have had some clumsy scenes but they were about something. There was a clear progression from the beginning to the end of each movie for both the characters and the galaxy as a whole. Here I'm not sure what the hell is going on in the galaxy and JJ and Kasdan are so terrified of putting in anything resembling the dreaded politics of the prequels that they don't bother to explain anything. The relationship between the Republic and the Resistance is unclear, as is exactly how much power the First Order has. When they fire the Starkiller it looks like the Republic's capital gets destroyed but this is just glossed over in the hurry to get to the finish.

Rey being an insta-Jedi. I liked her character but she was ridiculously overpowered and flawless. Should have given her more of a hero's journey from complete novice to Jedi in training. Why does she even need Luke?

Pointless cameos - Von Sydow was wasted and JJ casting his buddies from Lost as Resistance members was just distracting.

The space pirates/tentacle monsters sequence felt totally out of place, like a scene had been lifted from one of JJ's Star Treks.

Too many call backs! Another damn Death Star? Would have been better to have dropped the superweapon and had the final battle take place on the world where Luke is hiding out. Would have given Luke a more dramatic entrance and allowed him and Han to share a final moment.

Han's death - I knew it was coming but it still should have had more impact. I thought it would be devastating, like Gandalf dying in FOTR (even though he comes back). Instead it was just like "I guess Ford doesn't want to come back for the sequel".

The new planets were visually quite dull and unoriginal.

The action was bland in a lot of place, lacking the Saturday Matinee fun that Lucas brought to the saga. The space low gravity battles in particular were quite boring.

 

 

Overall, it was just good enough to make me hopeful that the sequels will really knock it out of the park.

Edited December 19, 2015 by Darth Homer

[BadAtGender]

51 minutes ago, Jay Salahi said:

Seeing It again I feel like the movie should have ended with Rey and Chewy blasting into Hyper Space. Finding Luke feels like the beginning to VIII 

 

Yeah. It had a bit of RotK syndrome where I was wondering when it was going to actually end.

[BK007]

Overrated already.

 

Made to sell merchandise.

 

Should have re-released A New Hope instead.

 

 

[Hatebox]

16 hours ago, yads said:

I think we're probably going to see something similar to The Avengers here. People who naturally focus more on the story of a movie will complain about TFA, while people who naturally focus more on the characters will enjoy it a lot.

 

To a point. I didn't really connect with Rey and I think it's because at the moment she's perfect. She's a great pilot! She's a great mechanic! She's a great fighter! She's great with the Force! It's all a bit Mary-Sue, but perhaps future films will correct that.

 

 

[Goffe]

4 hours ago, Hatebox said:

 

To a point. I didn't really connect with Rey and I think it's because at the moment she's perfect. She's a great pilot! She's a great mechanic! She's a great fighter! She's great with the Force! It's all a bit Mary-Sue, but perhaps future films will correct that.

 

 

Exactly. 

 

I think people are confusing good characters with actors giving extremely charismatic performances, which is only maximized by JJ eye for performances.

 

I usually value well-written characters much more than a well thought stories, and even though I also had problems with the story, the characters and script issues related to them was my biggest problem with the movie.
 

 

[lilmac]

On 12/18/2015, 4:30:33, Darth Dexter of Hoth said:

I am guess he going to opposite of the Anakin story line.  

Yes it was his first mission. 

 

I would love to see Kylo Ren become good and fight on the right side by the end of Star Wars IX. 

[lilmac]

6 hours ago, Hatebox said:

 

To a point. I didn't really connect with Rey and I think it's because at the moment she's perfect. She's a great pilot! She's a great mechanic! She's a great fighter! She's great with the Force! It's all a bit Mary-Sue, but perhaps future films will correct that.

 

 

 

Excellent point. I think there is an over-correction at times when building strong female characters. They are human...not everything they do and touch has to be golden, perfect and right. Ripley (especially the first Alien) is a good example of how it's done right. 

[lilmac]

Daisy Ridley is so adorable. I love the wide-eyed and earnest look she gets sometimes (like when she got in the MF at the end to find Luke). Great casting choice!!!!

[eXtacy]

13 hours ago, Damien Spock said:

 

Yeah. It had a bit of RotK syndrome where I was wondering when it was going to actually end.

 

I pretty much guessed half an hour before the movie ended that it would finish on a reveal shot of Luke.

[ddddeeee]

22 hours ago, Dan9 said:

The score is actually far better than I thought. It's definitely a very different style to before and whilst that might seem silly given how incredible the previous scores were, I think it gives a refreshingly personal feel to the whole movie. 

It's really growing on me. Melodically it's more in line in with recent Williams scores. The themes aren't in your face but they're there, and they're there a lot. Rey's theme is all over this score and it's taken me a few listens to really notice it.

 

Final track is a knockout. 

[WrathOfHan]

Loved this movie. Loooooooooooooooooove it. IO is still my favorite of the year, this is second right now. 

 

Characters are fantastic, especially Rey and Kylo. Daisy Ridley is going to be on the A-list soon. Kylo Ren is a really complex character and better than Vader IMO. Finn and Poe are great as well, though the latter could have been in it more. BB-8   Hux is pretty good too. Maz and Snoke were both good in the capacity used but are definitely sequel baiting for more backstory (Maz even says it at one point!). Really my only negative about the new characters is Phasma. She's Boba Fett 2.0 and I don't see that changing in the sequel. Han, Leia, Chewie, and 3P0 are the characters you know and love. R2 was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay underused. When Luke showed up, fucking chills went down my spine. The audience went nuts and I joined in.

 

The story borrow elements from ANH but to say it's a remake is hilarious. Where was that chase on Tatooine? Who was Finn and Poe's equivalent? I could go on. Sure, the plot's safe, but the movie is great so it doesn't matter. I already had Han's death spoiled but for a moment I thought he'd still live. NOOOOOOOOOOOPE. My jaw still dropped when Kylo stabbed him. I didn't expect Kylo to be a Solo after all the hype that Rey was going to be it. The humor in the movie is really well done too.

 

The practical effects looked great, as did the CGI. Sound was amazing. My biggest issue was how underwhelming the score was. It's better than AOTC's and maybe Jedi's but not one I'd pull a lot from. Maybe my opinion will change when I listen to it on my own.

 

Overall, 9/10. Considered giving it 9.5 but I need to see it one more time. Ranks:

 

ESB

ANH

TFA

ROTS
ROTJ
TPM
AOTC

[Jessie]

So watched this yesterday 

 

Just the same as a new hope however that didn't bother me. The film added a lot of humour that the prequels were missing which was nice. Loved the new characters, especially fin, he was surprisingly great and had me laughing. It's clear this was a film made to get a new generation to understand what made the originals so great. First hour was the best.

 

Best moment: 2 storm trooper deciding it's best to walk away when their boss is angry

 

B+

 

WOM will he great 

[theultimatebiu]

I enjoyed it.

 

I'll be the first to admit, I am not a Star Wars fan. I don't mind the movies but they have not been anything I'd revisit.

 

I felt this movie would have been more enjoyable if I was a big Star Wars fan, as it really played well to nostalgia.

The story was pretty predictable and basic but was a load of fun.

I enjoyed the two new leads but I felt Rey was a bit weak, mainly due to Daisy's acting being quite average.

The first half of the movie is miles better than the second half.

 

I'd give this a 7.5/10

Good but not great.

 

Here is to a stronger sequel which can build its own lore rather than just live of the nostalgia of the past.

Edited December 20, 2015 by theultimatebiu

[Alpha]

Pretty great. I think JJ brings a lot of fun to the table that was missing in the prequels. I really enjoyed scenes like Finn and Poe's escape, the Jakku chase, the battle climax between Rey and Kylo Ren and the ending with Rey and Luke. The new characters were also pretty great, and the performances by Boyega, Isaac and Ridley were good as well. Kylo Ren steals the scenes he's in, I think Adam Driver gave a really good performance. I'm glad they gave Finn and Rey the screentime they deserved, although I really wish they gave more attention to Poe Dameron since he was a pretty interesting character. BB-8 was cute and worked as comic relief, and didn't become too overbearing like Jar Jar in TPM. Some problems I had was, like a lot a people, the constant aping of nostalgia. It really borrows a ton of elements from ANH, with the Starkiller Base pretty much being a larger Death Star. Those moments didn't really have as much impact as the first time I watched it, and they probably won't hold up if I see it again in the future. Also, some of the returning characters felt really underused (with the exception of Han Solo). Leia pretty much does nothing throughout the whole movie, and I feel like Luke should've had at least some dialogue. Han Solo's death was pretty emotional, but there should've been more development with his relationship with Kylo, making the impact much stronger.

 

Overall a really good beginning to the new trilogy. Hopefully Episode VIII can wear off on the nostalgia, though.

 

A-

 

Ranking the Star Wars films:

ESB
ANH

TFA
ROTJ
ROTS
TPM
AOTC

Edited December 19, 2015 by Alpha

[Michael Gary Scott]

Saw it a second time today and loved it even more. Looking forward to more Rey vs kylo battles in the future. Rey getting the lightsaber will go down as an iconic moment in the franchise. 

5/5

[AndyLL]

1 hour ago, theultimatebiu said:

I enjoyed it.

 

I enjoyed the two new leads but I felt Rey was a bit weak, mainly due to Daisy's acting being quite average.

 

 

Funny how people can have different opinions.   I thought Rey was the best character and that Daisy did a great job.

 

39 minutes ago, Alpha said:

 

 

Overall a really good beginning to the new trilogy. Hopefully Episode VIII can wear off on the nostalgia, though.

 

 

Sorry... I have a feeling Luke will play a significant role in VIII

[Michael Gary Scott]

Ridley was great

[filmlover]

There was no way this was going to live up to the hype or deliver the movie worth such a long wait, but this Star Wars fan is pleased to say that this is an exciting, well-assembled adventure that stands as a worthy addition to the franchise. It's comforting just to be immersed in this universe again, as J.J. Abrams does a commendable job setting everything up for a whole new trilogy. Daisy Ridley (who I am positive is Keira Knightley's long lost twin sister) and John Boyega are pretty good, although hopefully Oscar Isaac's Han Solo-esque character gets much more to do going forward. I have to say I'm not feeling Adam Driver's Ren as a particularly imposing nemesis yet though, while the usually reliable Domhnall Gleeson is asked to gnaw on the scenery in an over the top turn. As for the returning favorites, Harrison Ford is as good as ever and Mark Hamill...is great just to see back in this universe, but I don't think Carrie Fisher slipped back into the whole thing very well (although that could be because she's become far too associated with the highly self-depreciative comic that she's become over the years). I had a lot of fun. Welcome back, Star Wars. B+

[rukaio101]

12 hours ago, Hatebox said:

 

To a point. I didn't really connect with Rey and I think it's because at the moment she's perfect. She's a great pilot! She's a great mechanic! She's a great fighter! She's great with the Force! It's all a bit Mary-Sue, but perhaps future films will correct that.

I think you're exaggerating quite a bit there. Especially calling her a 'great' pilot. She certainly knows how to fly, but she never shows herself to be particularly outstanding at it. She nearly crashed the Millenium Falcon about 5 times when she first flew it. At best, the most impressive stunt she did was that jaunt through the Star Destroyer, but the Tie Fighter seemed able to follow her just fine. She's certainly no Poe and indeed I'd even say Luke in ANH was probably a much better pilot. Same goes for her being a 'great' fighter. She isn't exactly perfect at that either. Her only real successful fights were those two mooks who tried to grab BB-8 (who she struggled against) and the final battle with Kylo Ren which started with her being thrown into a tree and knocked unconscious and, when she got up, she got knocked about until she 'let the Force in' so to speak.

 

As for the mechanic/force stuff, yes she's great at both of those, but it's understandable, the former because her job is scavenging useful machinery, hence she needs to know how it works (and even then she fucks up by releasing the tentacle beasts) and the latter because... well... she's the main Jedi of the movie. Did you really go in thinking they were going to make the main Jedi (regardless of whether it was Finn or Rey) incredibly weak with the Force? Also, being a Mary Sue is more than 'being good at quite a lot of stuff'. Rey has her flaws. The big one, obviously, being her trusting insistence that her family will return for her (despite it being clear that's not going to be the case) and the inner conflict that creates when given the chance to go off planet and do the things she's always dreamed. But even then you have subtler flaws like her occasional abrasiveness and her ignorance of a lot of things outside of Jakku, compared to Finn and Han. They're not spelt out for the audience but they are there. 

 

I will agree she's not exactly the most outstandingly complex character in blockbuster history (although I'd argue the same about the original ANH trio) but she has her layers and Ridley's performance definitely boosts the character. And indeed, the simple fact that we have a female protagonist in a blockbuster period inherently makes her more interesting considering how rare those are (and yes, I know she's technically a deuteragonist with Finn, but we all know who the real main out of those two is).

 

Again, not saying she's a perfect character, but she's not.... perfect. If that makes sense.

[Water Bottle]

 

A-