Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) - SPOILERS ALERT

Ted C · February 02, 2016, 09:55:18 AM

Quote from: Archivist on February 01, 2016, 08:37:55 PMIt seems like I'm directly comparing Phantom with the original movies, and I think I'm justified in doing so. The first trilogy created a universe with a particular look. Following/prequeling movies should retain something of that look to maintain a kind of continuity, and I don't think they did it right.

All this talk is making me want to watch through the whole six movies again.

I think that the prequels really just had weaker writing and direction than the original trilogy. There's only so much that even great actors can do with a bad script, and poor direction can get poor performances from them, as well.

Jim H · February 03, 2016, 05:15:33 PM

Phantom is shot in flat and dull ways, the performance are mostly terrible, the plot is way too complicated and dull, the side characters are annoying, the dialogue is awful, there is no focus, the plot doesn't make a lot of sense, it has no heart. Just... Ugh. The action sequences are decent, about all I can say, but even they're mostly lacking in tension as they are always undercut by the storytelling or performances.

Good score though.

akiratubo · February 03, 2016, 05:19:34 PM

Quote from: Jim H on February 03, 2016, 05:15:33 PM
Phantom is shot in flat and dull ways, the performance are mostly terrible, the plot is way too complicated and dull, the side characters are annoying, the dialogue is awful, there is no focus, the plot doesn't make a lot of sense, it has no heart. Just... Ugh. The action sequences are decent, about all I can say, but even they're mostly lacking in tension as they are always undercut by the storytelling or performances.

Good score though.

The first and last thirds are great. The entire middle of the movie, however, blah. Also, Annakin was terrible. I didn't mind Jar-Jar or the Gungans.

WingedSerpent · February 03, 2016, 06:19:50 PM

I'll start by saying-I enjoyed the movie. I really did. But it was one of those movies where the flaws are also really obvious. And by now, most of what I would say about the movie has been said by someone else.

But the one thing I noticed that nobody else seemed to was that some of the characters, (particularly Finn) talked a little too modern and didn't seem to fit in the Star Wars universe. Like how Finn questioned how Han could understand Chewbacca. Or when Han tried to get Finn to turn around to see Rey, Finn went into a "What are you doing with your head. You tryn' to tell me something" Can't remember the exact dialog. The dialogue wasn't bad but for some reason it felt out of place to me.

It's like if at the end of LOTR, after the earthquake destroys the army of Mordor, Legolas turned to Gimli and said" Well....that just happened"

Anyone else disappointed by the fact Senator Snoke only appeared that big because he was a hologram, and this movie missed an awesome opportunity to hve a giant sized force user.

And I'm calling it right now. This will be the movie trilogy that officially brings the Star Wars characters to Earth. All that talk about the planet Luke is on being in an unexplored region of space. I really think Luke is on ancient Earth at the end. I've heard the planet's named something else in the script or the novelization-but I'm not buying it.

Ted C · February 04, 2016, 10:05:55 AM

Quote from: WingedSerpent on February 03, 2016, 06:19:50 PMAnd I'm calling it right now. This will be the movie trilogy that officially brings the Star Wars characters to Earth. All that talk about the planet Luke is on being in an unexplored region of space. I really think Luke is on ancient Earth at the end. I've heard the planet's named something else in the script or the novelization-but I'm not buying it.

Are you joking? Or did "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" go right over your head?

WingedSerpent · February 04, 2016, 04:37:42 PM

Quote from: Ted C on February 04, 2016, 10:05:55 AM
Quote from: WingedSerpent on February 03, 2016, 06:19:50 PMAnd I'm calling it right now. This will be the movie trilogy that officially brings the Star Wars characters to Earth. All that talk about the planet Luke is on being in an unexplored region of space. I really think Luke is on ancient Earth at the end. I've heard the planet's named something else in the script or the novelization-but I'm not buying it.

Are you joking? Or did "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" go right over your head?

Those are where the movies start-not necessarily where they end. They have ships that are capable for long space travel. And Earth did appear in the Star Wars EU. One novel, even shows that the humans in Star Wars are descended from the humans of Earth THX1138, who escaped back in time to avoid their totalitarian society. So its not without precedent.

clockworkcanary · February 05, 2016, 12:50:45 PM

Phantom Menace: Theocrat kidnaps kid into authoritarian regime; doesn't end slavery ...and something about trade route taxation issues and characters bumbling their way into success (ad nausea), lol.

Still, it was better than Attack of the Clones (except any scene with Christopher Lee or Ian Mcdiarmid).

Jim H · February 06, 2016, 12:46:35 AM

Quote from: WingedSerpent on February 04, 2016, 04:37:42 PM
Quote from: Ted C on February 04, 2016, 10:05:55 AM
Quote from: WingedSerpent on February 03, 2016, 06:19:50 PMAnd I'm calling it right now. This will be the movie trilogy that officially brings the Star Wars characters to Earth. All that talk about the planet Luke is on being in an unexplored region of space. I really think Luke is on ancient Earth at the end. I've heard the planet's named something else in the script or the novelization-but I'm not buying it.

Are you joking? Or did "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" go right over your head?

Those are where the movies start-not necessarily where they end. They have ships that are capable for long space travel. And Earth did appear in the Star Wars EU. One novel, even shows that the humans in Star Wars are descended from the humans of Earth THX1138, who escaped back in time to avoid their totalitarian society. So its not without precedent.

I guess it's not 100% clear, but the star maps showing the route to the planet certainly looked like the same galaxy to me.

dean · February 06, 2016, 05:43:05 AM

The Christopher Lee character in Attack of the Clones really should have been fleshed out way more: a disillusioned Jedi who thinks the Republic has lost its way and is trying to fix things by working outside of the system would have been a really cool way to go [its kind of hinted at but then he's working with the person ruining the republic so it goes a bit sideways from there] Still his character would have been a great lead in for how Anakin turned but sadly isn't how they fleshed it out.

clockworkcanary · February 08, 2016, 12:58:12 PM

Agreed, Dean. I always wanted him more fleshed out, too. It would have been better if they had at least mentioned his name and/or mentioned him leaving the Jedi Order in TPM.

Gabriel Knight · February 08, 2016, 07:43:00 PM

Yeah, i too wanted to watch and know more about Count Dooku, mostly because Christopher Lee was just superb. Hell, my favorite music band is Rhapsody of Fire... and he was in there too. I miss his awesomeness. :(

About the theory that in the following movies they are going to reach the Earth: that would be just another lazily written plot and wouldn't surprise me in the least. Why create new things when we can just use the ones that already exist? Ez money guys.

BoyScoutKevin · February 28, 2016, 03:04:39 PM

With all due respect . . .

The strength of SW7 : TFA lies not with the new and original, but . . .?! with the old and unoriginal.
With stories as old as SW4: ANH.
With stories as old as time itself.
For example . . .

The story of the "good" son and the "bad" son and the "father" who loves them both.
And here, at this point, the "good" son being Ren, as he seems to be conflicted by what he does.
And the "bad" son being Hux, as he seems to be not conflicted by what he does.
And the "father" who loves them both is Snoke.

The strength of SW7 : TFA--and beyond--lies in its casting

We know that Bernicio del Toro is already on board for SW8. Now it seems that Laura Dern is also on board for SW8. And while we yet know little about her character, the agreement is, and I agree, is that she'll knock the part out of the park, as she is the right actress for it.

The strength of SW7 : TFA--and beyond--lies in its merchandising.

Box office is nothing. It is only a means to get the audience to buy the merchandise associated with the film, because . . .?! Merchandise is where the money is. And here are some examples of that.

Unlike Toys 'R' Us, which had done away with sorting toys by gender, Hasbro still sorts toys by gender. And while sales for Hasbro toys was up in 2015 over 2014,, the biggest increase was in "boys' toys," or where you'll find your Star Wars toys, which was up 35% last year or 2015 over the previous year or 2014.

The largest toy fair in the world was recently held in New York (New York.) And as thought, Star Wars toys dominated the show, winning several Toy of the Year awards, including Property of the Year or "the property that has had the greatest success in spreading its brand thru out the world." "No s@#$, Sherlock." And I about fell on the floor laughing, when I read that, because as they say in Hollywood: "You ain't heard nothing yet [from Star Wars.]!"

For . . .?! Do you have your pints of Star Wars ice cream yet? It comes in 2 flavors: Dark Side, which is a chocolate confection, and Light Side, which is a marshmallow blend with bits of Dark Side blended in to it. Available from a boutique creamery in Brooklyn (New York) the Ample Hills Creamery. And if the rumor is correct, soon to be available at Walt Disney World.

But . . .?! We'll see what we'll see.