“There has been an Awakening.”
Woo hoo! NEW STAR WARS! So… a while back a tapper on the site asked whether I was going to write a post about the new movie, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, and while I really wanted to do it… I didn’t want to post any spoilers about a movie I cared so much about. Well, I think since over a month has passed since the premiere of the movie, it’s finally time for the Wookiee to awaken and share some thoughts.
Just because I don’t want to read comments about tappers being upset about the movie being spoiled… SPOILERS FOLLOW THE PAGE BREAK. SPOILERS as in I plan to write about the movie and WILL discuss things you may want to witness on your own. SERIOUS SPOILERS FRIENDS!!!!!!!!
In case you didn’t read what I said… SPOILERS! Now enjoy a couple funny Star Wars pictures from The Simpsons while you scroll to the SPOILERS and rambling thoughts of yours truly.
Good times… I love a good Star Wars reference in my favorite cartoon. Of course, in a post discussing Episode VII, I sort of have to point out that the Simpsons did it first. I thought it was only right to start a post on a site dedicated to The Simpsons by pointing out an image from “Homer the Whopper” (S21:E1). When Comic Book Guy’s Everyman comic is purchased by Ginormous Pictures, there’s a funny shot of the entrance to the studios. The posters outside are for Star Wars: Episode VII – The Apology and an Alvin and the Chipmunks movie. Too funny that this happened in real life.
Way too humorous and just another chapter in predictions of The Simpsons. Of course, some might argue that this movie was foretold in “Steal This Episode” (S26:E9).
Of course this isn’t true and while I’m always up for a debate about the merits of the prequels, that’s not what this post is about (save it for the comments lol). This one is about the newest movie. Without further ado and with much aplomb… here I go…
Wow… wowza…. And wow-wow-wowza do I love this movie. Can you believe that we live in a world with new Star Wars? I could probably just geek out big time over all the amazing geek stuff that is available in entertainment but adding new Star Wars (and not just one but at least six over six years) is grrrrrrrrreat! I’m writing this presently after going to see Ep. VII for my third time with my oldest kiddo. I have to say that this movie has held up each and every time I’ve watched it. What a great time to be alive.
Some said Disney was going to ruin the epic space opera but having seen the amazing things that Marvel has done under the mouse’s banner… I wasn’t worried. I’m also a bit of an optimist though so maybe it’s me. Also probably too soon to talk about the final result of Lucasfilm being absorbed. I was as surprised as the next fuzzball when Wookiee coffee creamer became available but I love my lightsaber spatula so what can you do?
It probably doesn’t need to be said for those that know me, but I definitely watched the movie on it’s premiere (December 17th at 7pm). Just one of those things an uber Star Wars nerd like me has to do. The theater didn’t let me cosplay for the event but my lady came through with matching “I Love You” and “I Know” t-shirts. The Force is strong with that one. I’m sure a lot of you who have watched the movie can empathize with all the excitement and tingles and laughter and heartbreak I experienced in that theater. I saw it in regular format the first time, 3D Imax the second, and regular just today. Oh the feels. The magic was there. It’s all so surreal but I love the first words in the crawl besides the title.
“Luke Skywalker has vanished.” After all the nerd and geek theories and uproar about Luke in the posters and ads, they went right out there and let you know this wasn’t a Luke movie. Nuff said, now move on to Jakku and the murder of an entire village. Poe Dameron (yes ladies, I know why you think he’s so dreamy) is obtaining the secret location of one previously mentioned Skywalker. Literally, Luke is the MacGuffin of this movie. Seeing the shots of Stormtroopers flying to Jakku and then actually hitting targets was mesmerizing. I mean, one has a frakking flamethrower! Enter Kylo Ren and he’s powerful enough to literally force freeze a person and blaster bolt? Whoa. And then you get comedy too. If I had a nickel for every time I’ve asked someone whether they talk first or I do, I’d have a whole bunch of nickels.
Lor San Tekka basically sums up this movie well in the first scripted dialogue. “This will begin to make things right.” This is a Star Wars movie and totally felt at home with Episode IV thru VI. One of the things I wondered about is if the movie would feel like it fit with previous episodes. Not only did it do just that but I stopped even thinking about it shortly into the movie. I mentioned prequel haters briefly and I think this movie truly made up for any loathing that might have lurked in the souls of fanboys. There will always be detractors but a 93% on rotten tomatoes indicates this movie is loved by many. Also nice that it is a stand alone movie that can be enjoyed and loved without any knowledge of anything Star Wars related. Bring on the next generation of fandom.
I realize that I’m rambling all of a sudden and must admit one of the reasons I wasn’t quite sure if I should do a Force Awakens post is I wasn’t sure if I’d have anything to write that was worth reading. I considered doing a recap of sorts but it’s too daunting and what follows is just me writing stream of consciousness style and then going back to make sure it’s semi-readable. I guess I just say this to warn you I might be jumping around a bit as thoughts strike me.
One of my favorite parts of the entire movie is Rey, played by Daisy Ridley. She is definitely a great actor that I’m sure has a lot of fanboys in love with her right now (a little young for me but I have a teenage daughter). Not only was she a strong, female character but it made me immeasurably happy that there is definitely a Star Wars characters that young ladies like my kiddos can look up to. I love seeing my youngest daughter rockin her Rey pajamas and battling her brother with a lightsaber. I love that so much mystery surronds this brave, talented, and mesmerizing young force user. While any new Star Wars movie would excite me, I wait with baited breath for her story to unravel.
But what about the villain? Man did I hate Kylo Ren when I first watched the movie. Growing up with Darth Vader and Boba Fett, I wasn’t quite prepared for such an angsty bad guy. I definitely made some jokes about emo Kylo to friends or hit my left side as I passed them at work. Said side hitting has become a sort of secret code among my geek friends as we waited for everyone to see the movie.
I spent a week after first seeing the movie complaining about Ben Solo and his tantrums and theatrics but then had an epiphany. Why did I dislike the character so much? Was it because he wasn’t Vader (love when Rey points out this very fact)? Was it the angst? Was it his pretty boy looks in contrast to his masked viasge? Well a little of all of that but really it’s because this movie wanted you to despise its villain and it succeeded. He’s tortured and we really still don’t know all that much about him other than he once was a kid strong in the Force, something went wrong during his training, he turned to the dark side, is having issues staying completely dark, is super powerful in the force but a cruddy lightsaber builder/wielder. Pretty sure any structural engineer/builder in the First Order is not a fan of his mood swings. Also funny to me that the main times I really don’t like him is when his helmet is off. Put the mask back on Kylo… you’re making the dark side look bad. Cue the Dumbo crows… I’ve bee dut seen most everything, when I see a Sith Lord fly… with the ears….
Anyhoo… I don’t really hate Kylo as much for my original reasons and now just despise him for being a true villain who acts like a toddler on occasion. I truly attribute most of his exceptional displays of the force with his anger just like how my own toddler can hurt you if he’s really mad. Beware the power of the Dark Side. Truth be told… you should know why Ben Ren really gets my goat… HE KILLED HAN SOLO!
We now live in a world where there’s no more Han and one of my real-life sons is named Ben. Cue the Vader scene from the end of Episode III. Harrison Ford was amazing in this movie reprising his iconic role but his son (if you didn’t catch it earlier Kylo is Ben Solo) offed him. Wow J.J., patricide. It’s set up so you think Kylo might possibly turn back to the light but I know I’m not alone in being someone who knew Han’s time had come the moment he shouted “Ben!” A buddy of mine actually predicted this when the news broke on how much Ford loved the movie but I refused to believe it then. I can say that the death hurts every time I watch it and I would be just like Chewbacca if my bestie was killed before me.
And Chewie… oh my lovely, amazing, funny Wookiee pal. Chewbacca shines in this movie and not just because he shoots Kylo after witnessing his best friend getting impaled. Some of my favorite moments of the movie include Chewie who got what felt like much more screen time. Only downside is I’m no longer in a minority of Chewie fans. Bonus is lots and lots of merchandise to send this fuzzball to the poor house. I still cheer and laugh watching my favorite alien from Kashyyyyk throughout this gem of a film. While this movie is certainly about Rey, Finn, and Poe… the new heroes… it’s also a Han Solo and Chewbacca movie. I love seeing those two together which makes Han’s demise that much more bittersweet. Also a bummer that Leia and Han were no longer sweethearts but the love was still there. People grow apart… even in a galaxy far, far away.
There’s so much more that I could write. Poe Dameron is one BA pilot and in the near future I plan to own a replica of that amazing jacket he gave to Finn. Finn as the Stormtrooper who defects from the First Order was fun. Of all the characters, he probably talked the most like people you would encounter in your own life. I have a buddy who’s still mad that he used the word ‘boyfriend’ apparently sullying the universe. Maz Kanata says it too though so it seems to be a regular word in Galactic Basic. I love how diverse the Universe is displayed in this flick with minorities and females and tons of aliens. I even caught a female stormtrooper when watching today that I hadn’t previously. If anything, I’d love to see more and any fan of Captian Phasma is waiting for her to really get to be a warrior. I just hope she gets that trash compactor smell out of her Naboo-starship-plated armor.
BB-8 ended up being a fun droid to watch on screen. I was definitely one of the folks worried he might be a bit annoying (solely based on a cast member preview of the new Episode VII scene from Star Tours) but I’m happy I was wrong. Artoo is still my favorite droid right in front of R5-D4 aka Skippy (don’t you dare call him a bad motivator) but here’s two furry thumbs up for BB-8… now please return the gesture so I can laugh again.
There was so much action and Rey’s flashback scene including Yoda, old Obi Wan, and young Obi Wan was a delight. Who doesn’t like seeing all the starships engage each other and even better we got to see them perform within the confines of a planet. The X-Wings racing right above the water to Maz Kanata’s castle is still one of my favorite shots. Rey piloting the garbage ship aka Millenium Falcon poorly where you cringe with every scrape and misstep was delightful. Even the clumsy lightsaber battles were great. They made perfect sense to me since none of the fighters were well trained, even Kylo who I might point out to his fanboys was injured. Snoke points out at the end that his training wasn’t complete and anybody who makes a lightsaber that sounds and fizzles like that still needs a lesson or two IMHO.
It’s obvious that a lot of time and effort was put into this movie and J. J. Abrams love of Star Wars was present throughout. The dialogue was so on par with the other movies but I didn’t doubt that’d be the case once I’d read Lawrence Kasdan was co-writing the script. There was a very nice mix of practical and digital effects in the movie. You can always point out CGI but I felt it was done nicely. To me, CGI is now just a part of the lexicon, it’s just important that is done well and for a purpose. Could you imagine if everything was just Muppets? I love me some Master Yoda in practical form but not sure that would work all the time unless you wanted to make your own Jar Jar puppet to shove your hand into.
Hmmmm… what else to write about. I know some folks just bash the movie saying it’s a reboot of A New Hope aka Episode IV but I don’t feel that. Sure there are striking similarities but I’m okay with that. History has a way of repeating itself and there’s so much new to be found in the movie. Even the Starkiller Base makes sense to me. Last time I checked, evil despotic regimes tend to stick to the same modes of evil when they’re doing their dirty business. If the first thing doesn’t work out, it’s normal to decide to go bigger and scarier. Even my own government does this with machinery and weapons. Hopefully the lesson has been learned.
What else really should I write? I love this movie. I am proud Rebel Scum and happy to live in a universe where Star Wars exists. I probably could just write and write about the movie but the point would be that I really like it. Empire is still my favorite but this one ranks high on the list… probably third behing ESB and ROTJ. There’s so much that could be written but here’s where I’m actually excited. It’s your turn. Think of the comment thread of this post as a Star Wars Open Thread where all the Addicts here can discuss the movie. Provided you stick to our Guidelines, everything is fair game. Got a question for me? Ask it. Wish I’d dished on a different aspect of the movie? I’d love to. I purposely didn’t discuss any of my own theories here but we can in the comments. For once you can probably expect me to be more active in the comments. Might take a day but I’ll be watching. Have fun and may the Force be with you, just don’t force your opinion on anybody else. “That’s not how the Force works.”
TTFN… Wookiee out!
What I would like is the cross over with Family Guy. I saw the two part episode of Family Guy where the Griffins visit Springfield because Peter’s car had been stolen. Three is an epic battle betweter Peter and Homer. I was really ROFLA 😂
Oh man, I saw Episode VII on opening night and from the opening crawl till the end credits it felt like reliving my childhood. It really captured the essence of a Star Wars Movie, and I had a lot of fun watching it. I even went back a second time and enjoyed it just as much. All that being said, I’m still not sure that it is a good movie.
There were defiantly some plot issues. Starkiller base was interesting, but the way the weapon split into multiple beams bothered me a bit. I’m also pretty sure I’m one of the only people who didn’t like Poe, but he felt like too much of a Mary Sue to me (he has no flaws, everyone instantly likes him, he succeeds almost effortlessly…). I’ll also admit that I prefer the original x-wing design over the split wing style of the new ones (but that gets into deep levels of geekery).
But even with the flaws, there was so much to love. Rey was a fantastic character. The parallels to Episode IV were great, especially Han in the role of Obi-Wan to Rey as Luke. And the visual imagery whe Han falls off the bridge (out of the darkness and into the light) took a little of the edge off of that gut punch. Despite my gripes about Poe (which is really just me wanting better development of the character) I loved every single one of the star fighter battles. But now I really want a Rouge Squadron movie and I’m kinda bummed they are not part of the official cannon. But overall I have high hopes for the future of the franchise.
The split engines are fan service to the original McQuarrie drawings. Technology changes so I’m okay with it. Agreed that there will always be things you’d prefer different ways but it totally was a Star Wars movie. I’d rank it below ESB and ROTJ and probably tie it with ANH. Interestingly, when I first really watched Episode IV, I wasn’t completely into it. It took the other two and some re-watches to see why it was such a good movie. Poe originally was meant to die on Jakku as I understand it but they realized there was more to his character and that people would love the character so more was written. Kind of why he just appears at the Resistance Base. I’m sure we’ll see much more in future films.
Huh, I don’t remember the McQuarrie design. Guess I’m going to have to dig out the old art books. I will say there were worse designs in the Art of the Force Awakens that I’m glad didn’t make it into the movie.
I didn’t like Poe. I didn’t hate him. He wasn’t on screen long enough to feel an attachment. Spent most of the movie thinking he was just a bit part. Forgot about him. Then there he is at the end. I guess I went to extremes to know as little as possible going into it. Didn’t even watch all the trailers. So after the next movie he’ll probably grow on me but for now I keep forgetting about him.
Exactly my thoughts. I really hope they convey exactly why he showed up later as if nothing happened.
I’m not sure about my confidence in Trevorrow. Jurassic World was also good enough, but it was lacking a lot in relatable characters and emotion. I.e., didn’t really care if the main characters got eaten (but they lived, as expected). He might have been an okay choice for VII, but I want the sequels to do better than just to be action blockbusters.
*sigh* Wookiee knows where that comment belongs….
I feel like most people forced themselves to like the movie. I’m reality it was a cheap rip off of number 4. Stupid plot, terrible weak villains, laughable planet weapon, odd setups to fill plot holes (how did she get the light saber) (no one cared solo dies). It was awful. Not to mention the terrible directing that JJ put out, didn’t feel like Star Wars at all. Understandably, there had to be a bad movie to set up 8&9. 8&9 will have more action.
I have to disagree. I was actually prepared to hate the movie despite being way too excited for it. I had so many fears that they wouldn’t hit the mark and left the movie happy that they didn’t. I’m a fanboy and can tear apart the movie with the best of them but I don’t feel it needs to be done. It’s an enjoyable movie regardless of any parallels to ANH. I guess you get the honor of being the first truly negative comment but you are definitely entitled to your opinion.
Completely disagree. It completely felt like a Star Wars movie. I would love to read a script written by someone that thinks they can do better.
It feels more like the opposite. People were ready to be disappointed, re: the Prequels. We wanted to love the Prequels. That is where your trolltastic statement belongs. We like TFA regardless of any issue because it was a good movie. But rarely is a movie perfect. There are issues. Judging a movie like this, for just the one movie, would be like doing so with LOTR or a TV series. Judging it fully based on one “episode” is not giving it much of a chance. Despite all that, I agree that the movie handles some things in odd ways. The best way to respond to that is to say that none of what is wrong in this movie “bleeps” up what will happen in the next. It doesn’t dash my hope for an even better sequel. It doesn’t take away my chance at guessing on the mysteries yet to be solved. It sorta gets the old out of the way (like the death star planet thing) so that we can stop looking for them and get ready to enjoy what this Trilogy will really be about. What is Rey’s importance? Why has Finn been pulled into this? Things like that.
(Stands and applauds)
🙂
Talking about bad movie, I recently watched The Fifth Wave and it is the worst movie I have watched in recent years. I find the new star wars entertaining .
What do you mean ‘no one cared solo dies’
???
So what was the First Orders plan for AFTER they drained the suns energy? Were they gonna build this ginormous device again on a new planet? Were they planning to “fly” their planet to a new sun?
I think I read that the base was mobile. Honestly glad it’s blown up so no further explanation is needed. When it comes to Star Wars, I just allow some technology to be beyond Earth physics and science. Easy enough since I don’t know any real Jedi. The Force is magic and a certai amount of suspension of disbelief is necessary IMHO. Technically, they’d already drained one sun when they destroyed the New Republic so the base would have had to move on since the later location didn’t show any eveidence of being a binary system.
They didn’t drained ALL the sun energy.
Just enough to use the weapon.
Suns have massive amounts of energy. Google it. 🙂
I’m not sure of the science but the sun goes out once the weapon has drained it. Honestly can’t be bothered to figure it out. It’s blown up and we can move on to what’s next.
I liked TFA, but didn’t love it. It was better than the prequels, which I don’t hate and have largely grown on me as I’ve watched both cartoon Clone Wars shows multiple times. The computer animated one fixes a lot of the problems with the prequels (plotlines, unfortunately not Hayden Christensen’s acting.)
As for TFA, awesome Kylo stops a laser! Never seen Yoda do that! 2 hours later gets beat up by 2 people who have zero force training (I know he was injured, but come on.)
Ahsoka where?! I hope she makes an appearance in Rogue One and they give her the ending she deserves.
Watch Rebels if your jonesing for more Ahsoka Tano. I don’t know if we’ll see her since her story is ongoing in that show. It would be cool to see her in Rogue One but I’m not going to hold my breath. Word has it we will see more Vader though.
I’ve wanted to watch Rebels mainly because I heard she was in it, but I’m one of those people that can’t watch anything unless I’ve started from the very beginning. I cut my cable cord a few years ago so I’m stuck to online streaming and I’ve never found a reliable place to watch Rebels online. I’m too scared of the man to use possibly illegal sites and too cheap to buy it. I hope Netflix gets it someday.
I hope Netflix gets it too. Good chance considering they have Clone Wars.
I agree with Wookiee, I doubt she would be in Rogue One. It would be good to see her, but I don’t know if they would put her in. If you liked the newer Clone Wars, you might like Rebels. I haven’t seen the final series of TCW or the second series of Rebels, but the first was good. Ahsoka is just about in the first series, and she seems to have a pretty large part in the second which is good. I felt really sad when she left the Order. I had hoped that she would stay in the end.
I think Rogue One should be good though, the latest news seems to say that it will show Vader as quite a brutal character, I think they mean that he will be killing more people in a more violent manner. I’m seeing mixed speculation, apparently a picture released by Lego ahead of the summer stuff has showed what appears to be Slave I under the Rogue One category, possibly showing that Boba will be in the film. It is also said that one of the characters may turn out to be his daughter, not sure whether that is speculation or drawn from anything, it could alternatively just be the same model, or a placeholder image.
He is injured, yes. But he’s also in a situation he doesn’t control. When he stopped that blaster shot, he had gone to that place, knowing what he was confronting and trying to initiate a plan. Kylo Ren does not have the control that he appears to. That’s all a front. You know this by his outbursts of violence. He is weaker in the lightsaber fight because it was not a fight of his making. He has let his rage take over, right after killing his father.
Also important to note that people just assume Kylo is skilled with his lightsaber. I don’t see alot of opportunities to practice and I thought the scenes made sense. It seems that stormtroopers in the First Order have more time practicing i.e. TR-8R’s anti lightsaber weaponry which explains why both Finn and him (both in the same training group) probably had the most “skilled” encounter. Kylo’s experience (other than anything we haven’t seen in Luke’s Jedi Academy and/or the Knights of Ren) probably was with stormtroopers but I wouldn’t want to practice duel with someone who destroys perfectly good expensive equipment whenever he gets upset. On an aside… did anyone see the hilarious SNL sketch?
I would really like to know a true unbiased review of the new Stars Wars movie as I feel part, if not most, of the rating and allure is simply and purely based off of previous fans and reputation . We need to hear how the movie stands on it’s own from someone who hasn’t seen any of the other ones to truly know if it’s mind blowingly great.
Basically, would Episode VII be as successful as it is if it was realeased as the first one back in the 70’s? … We may never honestly know because most people have seen the originals.
Hi, I got my adult lady friend to watch Star Wars A New Hope recently. She has not watched it before and she hated it. However there might be some bias involved since it is an old movie and she may be used to current CGI. Because she hates it, she did not want to watch TFA. A teenage girl I know watched TFA and she did not like it too. But then again , both of these friends are not really fans of sci fiction in space.
While off topic, any time someone hates Star Wars I feel like Padme at the end of Episode III… “you’re breaking my heart! You’re going down a path I cannot follow!”
I once dated a lady who I introduced to Star Wars… she loved the movies and promptly told me Jar Jar was her favorite character. I soon found a new lady friend.
So, which is it: If they hate SW they’re breaking your heart; or If they love SW (all of it!) same thing??? What’s wrong with them liking Jar-Jar?
Lol… the first… I don’t hate Jar Jar Binks. Just not ever gonna marry someone who says he’s their favorite.
Jar-Jar is like a gateway character. Soon she would have been into Ewoks, then Jabba, and eventually into the hard characters like Vader and Luke.
I don’t blame you in the slightest!
It is interesting for a grown up lady to like Jar Jar. But then again, such people could be very nice, patient, and innocent. Probably can be a good friend to have.
So one of my leads at Disney saw TFA without seeing any other SW movies because I told her she could. The next day she was completely smitten by all of it and a huge Poe Dameron fan girl. She basically said she finally understood why geeks like me love all of it. Unfortunately, she was also my first experience with people discussing romance between Poe and Finn. She is now a “new” Star Wars fan and blew my mind when she watched the older stuff and wasn’t terribly thrilled with any of it. Now we have “purists” and “hipsters”. TFA was definitely made for both old school fans and folks with no clue about the other movies. While I can never be someone to give an unbiased review, there are quite a few online if you look for them.
Good point about hipsters. Nothing is pure anymore, though, sorry. 😛 What about shipping? Can it get it on Amazon? kidding.. If there wasn’t shipping in this day and age of Google then we’d be in the past where the only shipping was between Luke and Leia… 😉
That [egotistical] tapper was I! Perfect timing with your post. The discussion on my “blog” just died down yesterday. There you’ll find my equally unfocused opinion piece. https://simp7fan.wordpress.com/2016/01/24/thoughts-on-the-force-awakens/
I don’t agree with everything you said, but a fair amount, especially that it was a good movie. Love the screen caps. Especially the last one.
I’ll address Emo Ren — I mean, Kylo Ren. I get that on the surface he is just some punk emo kid. Without the helmet he does not seem menacing. I wanted him to keep the helmet on. Off for just the one scene would have been fine. But, from a realistic standpoint the actions he took is how an evil personality may well act. He is self-conflicted and that would mean that he lashes out, not just by committing evil acts, but by pointlessly destroying things. His rage is not well-cultivated. As has been pointed out, he has not finished training. I don’t think he will ever successfully finish. He will not end up with the control that Vader had. It is easy enough to identify with Vader that people choose the Dark Side when roleplaying. Was it as easy when he was also a punk emo kid called Anakin? Hah. While I’m not really here to compare them (nor do I know how to), they did act a bit similar, yet they are also different enough.
Now, Wookiee says he hates him. Well, it’s about time. You’re not supposed to love the villain. I couldn’t help but “love” Vader. Just so frikkin’ cool. Kylo Ren is also cool. He stops that blaster shot, effortlessly. He is enthusiastic with a lightsaber. But, he’s cool and yet I should find him to be the bad person that he is. I dislike his personality (in a good movie type way). This makes sense. He’s not annoying (to me) but he does seem to take these things in a more extreme way than most would. I am familiar with people having these kinds of issues. (I’m sure most aren’t, which is why behavioral health is not really a thing in America.) Kylo Ren fits the role as he was meant to be. He has more dimensions from the start than did Vader. We’ll have to see what his history reveals.
Last thing to address is his looks. I’ll admit it, he’s kinda dreamy. (Oh, are we only dreaming about Poe?….) I don’t like my villains to be pretty-boys. His hair is the polar opposite to his confining helmet. His nose stands out compared to the flat curve of his helmet. His eyes seem more in line with how I picture it all. I didn’t really notice his ears, so I guess they’re good, too. Yeah, sure, helmets aren’t just masks that look like faces, but maybe the personality of the person should show through. He made his own lightsaber, where it fits in with him, so should the helmet.
I feel like his history (even with some left to reveal) being told already we’re not given a chance to bask in his mystery for long enough. When I wrote my piece (these preceding paragraphs) I began to realize that it’s not that bad of a thing. That I only wanted it that way so that I could like him the way I liked Vader. Maybe there’s other good reasons, too, but I’m sure that’s the main one.
The pacing of the movie, which “felt” good, was not really too good for some of the storytelling. I think it could have been slowed down just a little, with some parts expanded (not just longer quiet parts), and have the reveals with Kylo Ren be near the end instead of near the middle. Maybe even to be pushed into the next movie. Only fear would be us loving him and then being upset when VIII comes out and dashing that love, creating backlash. So, pushed to the end, yes. lol.
I too was extremely disappointed at the helmet removed. ..pointless in my humble life long fan opinion. Needless actor should have been faceless until later on! Really. Self control would have been more convincing to me.
Yeah. But he has no self-control. He tries to control exterior things because he can’t control himself.
Joke version of the movie is he is taunted to remove helmet but underneath he is wearing another mask. Then underneath that, um, a latex facial mask (movie magic).
I’ll deifnitely have to read your post when I get a bit more time. School starts tomorrow so I’ve been slacking. I don’t disagree with your points at all. It is refreshing to have so much enmity for a villain again. Too bad people, especially younglings, love him anyways. I think culture has changed to embrace evil much more readily. If his character was back in 1977, there might have been riots lol. The pacing of the movie was actually one of my issues after my first watch. Felt like two big acts with a frenetic 15 minute second act in between them. I’ve grown to like the movie’s pacing much more on repeat viewings but probably because I was prepared for it.
I didn’t know the young folk like him. Hell in a handbasket. (That phrase looks old. Hand basket? Just order it online. lol)
If you could see all the kiddos at Disneyland who wear merch with his image. Also just need to spend a day on a fan site where they all argue about how amazing he is. Meh.
No thanks. Fan sites scare me. I mean, they’re all mentally unstable, don’t you know? 😉
(Kidding. See, the joke is that this is a TSTO fan site. *cough*)
They really are.
And you didn’t miss the part where I was including this very site? Okay…scared. 😛
I saw it… much love for tappers but fan sites are a breed of their own. In this Mad Tea Party, I’m definitely passing the sugar. Move down, move down, no room, no room.
But there’s plenty of room. 😛
Can I have some butter for my tea, at least? It makes it go down easier.
Well, that was fun. Glad you’re not kidding yourself.
I can’t understand where the “pretty boy” and “dreamy” comments are coming from. I find Adam Driver fairly repulsive. I actually think it might have been interesting if he was played by someone more attractive, devil with an angel’s face style. (Also might have been good if he’d vaguely resembled Harrison Ford or Carrie Fisher. Could have been a twofer, as such a person would be attractive by default.)
If you google Kylo Han Solo side by side there’s a number of pictures of them side by side. I was quite suprised how mush they do look alike.
Well, I disagree. The face and nose shapes are entirely incongruous. If you want to see someone who actually looks like Harrison Ford, google Anthony Ingruber. (He should play young Han, though, it’s that striking of a resemblance.)
In terms of someone I think looks like he could be a combination of Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, my pick is Joe Gordon Levitt. (He’s also a much, much better actor than Adam Driver IMO, he could have brought a lot more nuance to the role.)
I’d also submit Liam Hemsworth. Bit more Harrison and less Carrie, there, but he would look the part, I think. Not sure about the nuance, but he’s at least as good as Driver.
I don’t like your second paragraph alternatives. JGL is a good actor but I’m kinda tired of him. I like having people I’m less familiar with in these roles, just as it has been casted.
I think if you’re tired of him you’re not watching the right movies 🙂
Speaking of, bet you ten donuts he’s in Episode VIII in at least a bit part.
Oh, and Adam Driver has been annoying people on Girls for a few years, he’s not exactly an unknown 😛
I don’t have HBO. How many people here were confused by season 27 premier of the Simpsons? A lot, including me. He’s unknown around these them parts. Now git, ya hear?! 😛
*much
There’s actually a picture with young Harrison, Carrie, and Adam in the middle. Not sure how to post it here.
I’m a straight guy. Maybe he’s only dreamy to men. It’s the hair. It’s lusciously full and wavy. I’m not interested in his face or anything else.
I didn’t think the strong nose fit, but in terms of attraction it’s different to different people. I’d say he has a good strong “ethnic” nose. Maybe you’re more into soft faced white guys. 😛 We all have our styles.
I’ve been into guys with big noses, just not this one. And it doesn’t look even a little like Harrison Ford’s nose.
No, the reason I find Adam Driver unattractive is because his features just aren’t well-balanced. His cheeks (and nose) are fairly long but his forehead and chin are comparatively short. His eyes seem too small and squinty for his face. And, as the wookie mentioned, his ears are massive, which might make the eyes look even smaller. He also seems to have a surplus of spots or moles on his face and is generally lacking in symmetry. I barely noticed his hair, and I friggin *love* hair. (Seriously, my boyfriend has the thickest hair.) Takes more than hair to make a boy pretty, though, that’s all I’m saying. If someone thinks he attractive, I can chalk that up to different strokes, but pretty he ain’t.
Poor Adam. lol.
I agree about the noses looking different. I had a Google search and see a different bridge. The rest of the nose is close enough. But couldn’t he have gotten his nose from Leia? I didn’t compare those noses, but across gender I’m not sure I could.
I like that his eyes are squinty. I hate it when he gets wide-eyed. Keep squinting, you bad boy! 😛
The original films were NOT written all at once. This is one reason Luke and Leia got romantic…then later became siblings.
I think those that were disappointed were caught up in the wait for it to come out. I nearly forgot, aside from the constant reminders everywhere. But I don’t have TV or radio, so no commercials unless I wanted to see them. No over-hyped build up for me. Plus, it was better than most of the Prequels.
Whoops, that was a reply to Guest1. Eh, good enough.
I should clarify, I am not referring to the movies, but the story as a whole. Again, it could be wrong, but the documentary we saw said that when he first wrote the stories before he started making anything from them into a film, he had supposedly written the majority of the original trilogy as a large story. He then converted the first part into the original film, and then followed with the next bits, taking in a lot of changes from the other writers.
There were rough drafts but the scripts were far from complete and many changes were made. The biggest being the death Star was not destroyed at the end of new hope it was supposed to be in Jedi but since they never thought there would be sequels they stuck it in to new hope to give what was supposed to be a stand alone movie some closure.
Well, technically he wrote the OUTLINE to the stories, at most, or rough drafts. He can’t have credit for being anything but executive producer, essentially, for the other films.
Yeah, I know that lots of changes were made when he went on the rest of them, I just meant that there was a rough outline for the overall story that had been written already, the prequels then had the same thing, showing Anakin turning to the Dark Side. The new films don’t really have anything to go on, so I imagine it is harder to write as they are using old characters, but introducing several new ones and events.
It’s funny about there being nothing to go on. I read an old quote of Lucas saying that there was no further story beyond VI. That the story died with Anakin. I also heard that Lucas had a draft available to be used for VII. Hah, that guy changes his mind so many times.
I remember an article back in the 90s when Lucas sais he had ideas for six more and would consider letting a new filmmaker take the reins with them.
Ok, bare with me. I’m going to try to do this in one shebang.
1. Luke’s Vanished, hiding from the First Order (does this makes him a coward, or does he need to gather his thoughts and not be around other people so not to get them hurt and harmed if he is found or being hunted?) Or has his destiny to join/embrace his dark side come to fruition(that’s how it is spelled, I looked it up 😛 ) ? More about evil Luke later
2. Old Jedi-looking guy has a part of the map to Luke’s where-abouts. Luke doesn’t want to be found until the bad guys are destroyed or weakened (is Luke a wuss or really really evil waiting for when he needs to start Plan B?). Even weirder, the map seems to track his journey and knows where he is now. He must have some kind of satilite tracking his butt.
3. Poe named after JJ’s assistants daughters doll (was it the Kung Fu Panda? Or the Teletubbie? Or a plush Ghost from The Legand of Zelda?), so he’s a good pilot that is strangley unattached to his jacket (that seemed weird). BB8 going into his ship with the suction-cup thing going upward and then emerging upright (I know it’s a ball droid but I wish I could understand the suction-cup/ship technology). I’m being really picky aren’t I?
4. Finn’s training didn’t take (why?) he must be special, after a co-worker (or maybe more) dies, he doesn’t want to follow orders. Sanitation workers also go out on the battlefield (I guess they are a dime a dozen)? While everyone (fans) seems to want to figure out whom Rey is and who she is related to, Maz makes a big deal out of his eyes and who he is “someone who wants to run”… (Insert name of someone falling in the political poles for president), not to be racial but the choices are limited to Lando or Mace Windoo (don’t know if I spelled them right) but what I hope more than anything is that he is Luke’s son and Rey (we’ll find a relative for her).
5. You mean Rey wasn’t played by Keira Knightley??! 😛 Rey, pretty cool that she lives amongst an AT-AT graveyard. Has a doll that looks kind of like a vudoo doll or a rebel piolet and a helmet (which may belong to a relative, or just the debris of the war that took place there (hopefully no skull). Many people think she’s Luke’s kid but I think she is a red-haring to throw us off Finn’s scent (as mentioned in #4 comment). Why does the Lightsaber call to her, why does an object call anyone (wrong number)? My biggest complaint about her is why doesn’t she park closer? Hover bike parked a distance away from food-trade center and she has to lug that space junk (there aren’t any parking spots, it’s all desert) but worse with the help of Chewie she parks at the bottom of that crazy big mountain to get to Luke (I know it was dramatic but pointless drama, we all knew what was on top of that mountain) Park closer next time!
6. While I have no problem with English speaking characters, strangley a guy with a Scottish accent made me go “huh?” (The guy that was after Han. I liked his henchmen’s suits). Why not other Earth languages and accents while we’re at it. I want a Swedish StormTrooper or something :p
7. Kylo (B)Ren, I liked he was weaker than Vador yet freezing the plasma-gun shot was impressive. What is interesting about his character is that he’s being drawn to the Lightside and fighting it (while usually it’s the other-way-round). I had no problem with his Lightsaber, I found it more menacing, like a Taser Lightsaber.
8. Snoke the hologram. I doubt he is a real giant, but would be funny if he was the size of an ant in reality. Many people think he is a false image and really someone else, if it is Maz (which I doubt) it could be all created just to get Han killed so she can get closer to the Wookie she is attracted to (Love does some crazy things sometimes). I like the Theroy of LUKE being the real Snoke (see back to my #1 comment). Luke is alone and might have equipment to project Snoke. Wants to be found if he need to start plan B. He didn’t seem pleased to be found. He can change his voice (I mean he voices the Joker) so why not do the voice for Snoke (though the technology could probably handle that). Luke taught Kylo so he is either a bad teacher or he knows what he is doing. There are other bits but watching it a second time with that Theroy, it felt plausible.
9. What’s with C3PO’s arm? When is Leia going to use a Lightsaber and go nuts? I know JJ used Conan’s “Jub Jub” but I couldn’t hear it, somehow there is rumor of Danial Craig as being the StormTrooper who uncuffed Rey and dropped his gun when she used the force on him. Why do these bad guys keep making these Death Stars with simple flaws? Why didn’t JJ make a real life Bad Robot (his company logo) and Easter egg it in the film? How much coffee did you drink to read all my questions? :p
10. StarKiller Base exploded, what bad guys survived? Did they really find wounded Kylo in time? Is Phasma rescued? Just because they destroyed the base there seems to be a lot of First Order alien coworkers on various planets. Maybe instead of blowing up all these DeathStars maybe they should just have sanctions or maybe be kind and loving and build schools and create better jobs or better yet, entertainment!! (the best entertainment they have is 3d chess and a couple bars with mediocre music?) Give these characters Tapped Out, then they will become lazy and give up all this Light Side/ Dark Side busniess :p
One coffee…I used the force to read the rest ☆
Agree with the accents lol …I had to point out to my son who simon pegg was ha ha …we’re also massive fans of his since shaun of the dead ♡
1. With one minute of screen time, I think we just have to wait for Ep8.
2. Not an explanation that I totally understood, but something about it not being a map to him but to where he might be. Luke was maybe looking to discover an ancient Jedi or some such. I’d have to find the explanation again…
3. Why does 3 cover Poe and BB-8?? 😛 I don’t know how BB-8 works, but I’d love to learn. 🙂
4. Finn was a janitor but he must have been switched and trained for battle. He didn’t go back to base where he was told to go start cleaning toilets. In terms of them expecting him to blindly follow orders, I’m not sure why. They’re not clones anymore, they come from many different places. Didn’t they mention that it rarely happens, not that this has never happened before? So it’s possible.
5. LOL @ Kiera Knightly. LOL @ parking. 😛 (Hey, you were right. You had some jokes.) The distance from the town might be for different reasons, such as distance means less likely to have her things stolen, and knowing when someone is coming. Or maybe she just really hates her custodial father, Unkar Plutt (the junk dealer), this is according to the script, I guess.
6. Me, too. Frank Oz as the Swedish Chief Stormtrooper. (Or does he only do Miss Piggy and Yoda?)
7. He’s fighting the Light Side, but I think he’s actually fighting to stay on the Dark Side. Like, in his mind, that’s where he wants to be but in order to be there he has to push away that pesky Light. This is probably why he stabbed his father in the chest, to make the transition easier. Once you get something in your head…..
8. I think we already had the teaser that Luke fell to the Dark Side during — was it Empire or Jedi? I doubt it would happen, but his voice acting is fun, yes.
9. I think Wookiee should do a Where is Jub Jub uttered in Force Awakens post. Or, like, just answer the question here.
No coffee. My mind is a drug. 😐
10. 3D Tapped Out, now with more lense flair. Can J.J. Abrams implement lense flair into holograms? 😉
Give me a numbered list and I’ll answer each question, even if it will be half-assed. Thanks. 🙂
With regards to points 2, 4 and 7 I think there were small bits in the films and a lot of theories regarding the explanations.
2. I think Luke went into exile after the Jedi in his new academy were supposedly slaughtered. An interesting theory proposed is that the Knights of Ren(at least some of them anwyay) are the Jedi from the academy that had been turned to the Dark Side as Kylo had.
4. I think Finn did have training, he trained with TR-8R, I still find it odd that despite having one line and a quick scene, he became so popular online and now has a somewhat large back story. I agree though, it is odd that they went into battle with people that were meant to clean up. When they first fire Starkiller Base and General Hux is giving the speech, there clearly isn’t a lack of troopers.
7. I think one of the reasons that Kylo killed Han is because he felt deep down that his parents could draw him back to the Light Side. By killing him, he took that chance away and it helped him turn more to the Dark. It reminds me of Darth Malgus and Eleena, he realised that his love for her was going to be a weakness, so he killed her.
A lot of the theories out there are interesting, but we will have to wait and see what they do. Apologies for all of the posts, I am very passionate about Star Wars and I rarely ever get to talk about it properly.
No apologies necessary. The comment thread on this one has been great.
I like your take on killing Han. Makes sense to me.
Lol… I think it’s actually heard when Rey is (SPOILER ALERT) cleaning parts on Jakku. I’d have to watch the whole movie just listening for it though. I’ve heard some say it’s heard in Maz Kanata’s bar or that it has something to do with one of the X-Wing pilots at the end. There’s definitely a LOSTBeastie Boys reference in the film too. The Batmobile also appears on the Falcon. Anyhoo… back to moderating lol.
Funny clip.
I figure a long comment deserves an answer.
1. Luke decided for some reason he needed to be hidden. Master Yoda did the same thing. Luke is the last of the Jedi (as in trained Jedi) and went into seclusion. Now that another powerful force user has arrived like he did once upon a time, I’m sure we will see more of him but it’s completely possible he may play a role similar to Yoda. As for becoming a Sith, I hope not but it’s entirely possible. A guy who writes for the Huffington Post did a really well thought out article about Luke actually turning at the end of ROTJ.
2. Once again think Yoda. As for having a tracker, it’s a Star Map. Not sure what you didn’t like. I took a cross country trip where I still have the map showing my route.
3. I actually didn’t know the origin of Poe’s name. Thanks! I looked it up and apparently it’s the name comes from his daughters toy bear. I loved BB-8 going into the X-Wing. You are definitely being picky. I imagine the magnet pulling him in, sliding into the interior while servos lift BB-8 up through the fuselage.
4. Not so much the training but the brainwashing. Finn, unlike countless other Stormtroopers, decided he didn’t want to go out and kill innocents. I have Marine Corps buddies who could explain the concept of everyone being a soldier first and then having other jobs. I agree that there is definitely more to Finn’s back story. I’m hoping he’s related to Mace Windu somehow but can imagine Lando having a kid or two during his exploits. The whole eys thing might be a misdirect too.
5. There’s back story to the doll and helmet. The Force Awakens Visual Dictionary identifies the pilot, it once belonged to Captain Dosmit Ræh of the Tierfon Yellow Aces. The book also says Rey constructed the doll when she was 10 years old. Seems a young Rey (if that is her real name) found the helmet of a female fighter pilot and fell in love with it, even created a Rebel doll… all too interesting. As for items calling to people, the force leaves it’s mark, especially the dark side. Think Cave on Dagobah. I’ll just let the parking comments slide but they did make me smile.
6. Accents are just part of the saga… technically we have no clue where Bala-Tik is from but wherever it is has a dialect similar to Scotland. For fear of Swedish Chef jokes about my favorite movies, I’d prefer no Swedish accents lol. There are a ton of British dialects peppered throughout the seven movies… why not add a Scottish one? The biggest thing that pulled me out of the movie for a second was seeing Greg Grunberg as a Rebel Pilot. Admittedly, I first thought it was John Favreau but realized later it was Heroes I recognized him from.
7. Kylo is no Vader… nuff said. The Lightsaber issues are actually canon.
8. I also thought it’d be funny if Snoke was super small in real life but reports are that he is a humanoid alien over 7 feet tall. As for Maz being him, while interesting, I doubt it. Snoke is an original character based on everything I’ve read. Luke is Luke but that doesn’t mean he’ll be a good guy. Mark Hamill is now known for loving being a bad guy so time will tell on that front. Snoke is performed and voiced by Andy Serkis i.e. all the Gollum jokes all over the internet. I’m sure we’ll find out more about what happened during Kylo’s training. My guess is he felt Luke was holding him back when he knew he was powerful just like the issues with his Papa.
9. 3PO’s arm is actually going to be explained in a comic book. Daniel Craig did cameo as the Stormtrooper you mentioned… not a rumor. As for the Starkiller Base (love the name because it references Luke’s original last name), see where I discussed evil despotic regimes. I had one cup of coffee before reading and replying to all this btw.
10. I think it’s safe to say that General Hux, Kylo Ren, and Captain Phasma all survived the explosion. Now let’s have a moment of silence for all the others who died. I’m sure TSTO could fix it all lol.
Ok… I’m done… you’re welcome.
I think there was never any real doubt, but Gwendoline Christie has confirmed that Phasma will be back in VIII. Hux and Kylo must have too, Snoke told them to leave the base as he wanted to oversee the end of Kylo’s training, and I doubt they would have these new characters if they were to die immediately. I know it has been done in the past, but Phasma had a ridiculously small amount of screen time, never even took the helmet off. I think Luke’s decision to leave is a mix of blaming himself for failing to keep Ben on the Light Side, he is also supposedly looking for the original Jedi Temple. He is apparently looking for something there, perhaps a holocron. It is also possible that, like after Order 66, he went into hiding as he is the last known Jedi. If he died, the whole legacy could go with him with nobody to teach the ways of the Jedi. He may be hiding until someone can learn from him and pass the teachings onto others. I do winder what they will do with Finn, I believe the idea is that a lot of the First Order Troopers are indoctrinated, I think somewhere said that a lot of them were also abducted as children and forced into training, but I don’t know if that is a true plot point or not, but Finn was able to overcome it after seeing the massacre on Jakku. I do wonder if the same sort of thing would happen to Phasma and Kylo. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kylo turned to the Light at the end and saves the day, probably sacrificing himself. It would be interesting if the went the other way and just killed him for whatever reason. There were apparently quite a few unseen cameos in it, with Simon Pegg and Daniel Craig being the well known cameos. I think they were going to explain 3PO’s arm before the film, but looking it up now it seems it is due to come out soon.
I’m going with hiding to perserve the Jedi. The First Order troops are definitely indoctrinated… you don’t yell Traitor if you don’t have strong beliefs… I’d be interested to learn more on that front. As I understand it, the trooper who dies at the beginning and the trooper fans have taken to calling TR-8R were all part of the same training group with Finn. There might even be a short story about it that was written. I don’t know what they plan for Kylo but must admit I’m not interested in a redemption story very much. I’d expect there are good guys who may not be so good when it’s all said and done and possibly vice versa. I read somewhere that the creators of BB-8 mention that they’re not sure he’s a good guy either.
When PM of Malaysia Najib asked his people to Move on as he is ‘proved’ by his government he is not guilty of corruption in the billions, I immediately wondered if he is trained in the Art of Jedi mind control..
Oh I would like make it more complete : “These are not the Funds you are looking for, Move Along , Move Along.” This is a joke with regards to PM Malaysia corruption involving billions of dollars.
Lol, I want to read everyone’s comments and theroies and all of Wookie’s and Bunny’s comments but I can’t seem to keep up. My inner Homer is yelling “NERRRRRRRRRRRD!” And inner Francine Rhenquist wants to bust in some heads. I liked the movie and saw it twice. I’ve never made it through the all the prequels and story’s outside of the original three films (Episode IV, V, and VI) I think Liked Episode VI the best, I liked the Ewoks and the Ghosts hanging out at the party :). Which begs the questions what are those Jedi Ghosts doing now? Hanging out with Hugo Reyes (I mean Luke) on that deserted island? Speaking of LOST, Miles in the rebelion? I know JJ wants to hire his friends but when I say him, it took me out of the movie.
Aargh so much I want to talk about I’m going to have to number each topic… Though I have more nitpicks I also have some decent jokes and theroies… Let me try to gather my thoughts. But first the part that frustrated me the most…. (Drum roll) Han Solo becoming amazed and enthralled with Chewbacca’s Crossbow Gun.. They have been together for How Many Decades and this is the first time he ever seen or picked up Chewies weapon????
I’m sure Wookie can shed some light and fur on this one :p
While at it Where’s Alissa? She can’t chime in on all our Star Wars Jibber jabber? :p (kidding)
And Bunny, Did you actually get My Star Wars joke Email (that I thought I wrote a month ago but can’t seem to find it in my Sent mail, or Drafts…. Wondering if I ever sent it (or writen it, at all), if I did and you haven’t trashed it. If you can send it back my way so I can remember my thoughts then, I’d apreciate it.
(Be back soon) :p
It didn’t mean anything to me that he marveled at the weapon. I heard the explanation that he never was without his own weapon so never had a reason to use (not just to look at, since he seems familiar with it) the crossbow. He’s a man set in his ways way before becoming an old man. Maybe this was an indication of his softening up, along with his friendliness with Rey. He was probably friendlier with her than with Leia. “I know”, am I right? 😉
The joke is that in the decades the two have been together, Han never thought to use Chewie’s crossbow because he always stuck to the good blaster at his side. Honestly, I wouldn’t take a bowcaster away from a Wookiee if I didn’t have to. I liked the moment.
Loved the film. Second viewing was even better than the first. I loved how Finn kept coming to help Rey, and every time she took care of it herself before he could do anything. Just an amazing character. The humor was fantastic… ‘You need a pilot.’ After seeing the film twice, what I want to see most is a buddy SW film with Finn and Poe. When they embrace after meeting again, I just wanted to watch them for the rest of their adventures. Love the Poe character! The trio of Rey, Poe, and Finn is my favorite in… well, since the original 3 were introduced in A New Hope. I can’t wait for the next one!
I agree that the three new main characters are fun but I think all of us want to see more adventures with them. While Rey is off with Luke, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some adventure with Poe and Finn. What I find mildly disturbing is all the people shipping the two of them.
Huge fan of the original 6, 7 was good, but really not as good as I think it could have been. Love Rey and Finn! And old Han and Leia. Luke of course looks like a total badass, can’t wait to see more of him.
Buuuuut. I feel like a lot of The Force Awakens didn’t really feel like Star Wars in some parrs. That scene on Han’s ship with the rathtars or whatevz seemed really half baked and out of place. Bad CGI too. Some of the extreme close ups in the film seemed more akin to TV sitcom than Star Wars. My biggest gripe is that I would have liked if we got a movie where Luke, Leia and Han all got to spend some time together.
Hope someday we can see George Lucas’ original ideas for the trilogy to see if he had new ideas or would he have done the same thing and rehashed a lot of ideas from the original trilogy
Snoke CGI… meh. Maz Kanata CGI was great though. Doing characters like that is extremely difficult. In STar Wars though, we now come to expect it. I was very happy JJ went with so much practical effects though.
Rathtars… (I like mome raths better.) The CGI on it was just bad. Worse than Snoke, but less important. The problem is it didn’t seem to have much weight for such a large creature. Not even as much as T-Rex had going around creating ripples in water. That and it was too quick. Laws of physics and other smart things tells me all these things should have been different.
But the worst part was how it ate all the other disposable characters in one gulp… but let Finn dangle from its mouth for at least a minute or two. My only explanation is that the rathtar was full by then and was taking Finn back with it for later or to share (I thought there were two of them). Otherwise this was a disappointing intrusion of an overused cliche.
There were three on the ship, I thought that they would slink off and stalk them as they are pack hunters. I think it would have been better if they had seemingly disappeared, then they could come back in and take the gang members down one by one with the heroes doing something clever to evade them and escape.
Yes. Like that. They seemed smart but then just acted simple.
The Rathtar sequence was different. I’d have preferred a different introduction to Han and Chewie but it is what it is. I agree it was probably full from the smorgasbord earlier. My biggest takeaway from this sequence was Rey knowing exactly when to close the door to save Finn. When she goes to him, she blows off the door closing as him being lucky but it seems like she was covering up her use of the Force. There’s another moment on Starkiller base when she blows off how she escaped. Makes me think Rey knows more about herself than she’s letting on.
She does seem to be hiding her past and her abilities. It might all be a cover.
My biggest beef too was that the original three never spent some time together and with Han gone they never will. Major ball drop there.
In addition, I just think that they could have come up with something a but more original. Too much rehash. Seems not a lot of time given to a NEW plot.
I say this all after stepping away from this movie. When I watched it I enjoyed my self.
It is sad there will be no new adventures for Han, Leia, and Luke but it’s now all about new characters for a new generation. We all got to enjoy them in the previous movies. There were definite parallels between ANH and TFA… I liked them. Episode 7 is basically starting it all over for new fans. It is easy to pick things apart later. My only gripes leaving the theater were the pacing, the Greg Grunberg cameo, and Kylo Ren. I’ve come to terms with all of that now but they still stick with me.
I’ve only seen it once. One day loved it, the next I’m not impressed. It was fun but I’m not going to try and compare it to the others until I have the DVD and can watch it a few hundred times.
Now I might get a lot of flack for this but I just watched Attack Of the Clones again last night. I for one love the prequels. In fact I’m constantly jumping back and forth on which is my favorite Empire or Sith. I’m very politically minded so I love Palpatine’s rise to power. Sure they have their flaws but they all do. I’m not sure which I find more annoying Jar Jar or Ewoks. They may not have the exact same feel as the original trilogy but it still feels like Star Wars to me. In a couple of years we’re going to be flooded with new chapters and side stories and I doubt they’ll all remind us of New Hope. A little variety can be a good thing.
I like the prequels too. I tell folks that Episode II is actually my favorite minus the awkward 45 minute romance in the middle of it. There’s a lot of things to love about those movies and all of that outwieghs anything I wasn’t completely thrilled with.
I love the lightsaber duel at the end of III. And the fabulous music!
The score for TFA is awesome also.
Duel of the Fates is such a good score. Thanks to you, I’m actually listening to it as I reply to comments lol.
Those scenes have grown on me. The hippos are a little annoying but I love the scene where they debate democracy vs dictatorship. Also when she tries to bring him back to reality and remind him it would be impractical.
In fact Sith which is a tie for me with Empire for #1, I loved that movie in the theater. Then I saw the deleted scenes on the DVD of Padme’s committee in her apartment with Organa and I thought that was the key to the emergence of fascism that was the key to the prequels. I would have gladly sat through another half hour if those scenes had been left in. They really show how Anakin and Padme were growing apart.
It’s not like I fast forward or anything… the sprawling scene with the animals always makes me think of Sound of Music. A lot of people don’t like all the government talk in the prequels but maybe it’s the History buff in me that didn’t mind them. Also has one of my favorite ideas… aggressive negotitations… “Ah, well, it’s negotiations with a lightsaber.” I dig the deleted scene also since it tied to the Rebel Alliance. Wasn’t Mon Mothma in the scene too?
“Sound of Music”, you had to say Sound of Music (que my first joke in the tune to Do-Re-Me)
POE, a pilot, a rebel pilot. REY the next Jedi. Finn a name they call FN-2187. BB8 the new android. SOLO the last name of Ben, BEN who is Kylo Ren, Snoke who is a Halogram and that brings us back to POE
:p
Lol
Yes she was. I get why people don’t like the prequels but I’m really into history and politics. So the prequels are great for me. When I’m not tapping out I try to get a certain senator from New England elected.
Me too. I enjoyed the prequels too. The fighting scenes, aerials, lightsabers were all very good. And in fact , I really like attack of the clones due to the exciting scene at the gladiator arena. The soundtracks of the prequels were also very good ! Like the love scene theme and the one used in the duels in part 1.
I have only seen the new star wars once. And I could not remember any theme music from it. Nothing has grown on me in the area of the music. The music from prequels was already memorable the moment I stepped out of the theatre.
Agree. Lacked in music. I felt the same in Creed.
I think the difference might be that I bought an listened to the score before I saw the movie so while it was playing, I already had the music in my head. I like the new stuff but it definitely is different than John Williams other scores.
The main reason I didn’t like Attack of the Clones is because I thought there’d be more clones warring in it. I want to be able to get all my Star Wars from the films. I shouldn’t have to seek out supplemental materials.
I thought 3 was the best of the Prequels.
As a lot of people do… I definitely enjoy that movie also. The Mustafar lightsaber battle remains my favorite. I loved all the darkness in it. Poor younglings. I think a lot of us expected more clone fighting based on the title. Episode III had much more.
I loved the sabre Fights in the prequels except Yoda and Duku.
I can understand why they didn’t show Anakin’s slaughter of younglings but we could have indulged in little violence in the Sandpeople
Interesting… I personally loved the Yoda and Dooku fight… to each their own.
Odd because I loved Yoda and Sideous
Not the biggest fan of Sidious with the lightsaber in Episode III. Now the battle between him, Darth Maul, and Savage Opress… that’s good cinema!
Wookie, you didn’t say there were going to be spoilers!! I didn’t know there were going to be spoilers in your post… Lol, sorry, I had to do it. 🙂 thank you for the detailed post. May the force be with you too.
I wasn’t all too keen on it in the end. I was skeptical when they first announced them, I am a huge fan and I was worried that they would make bad films. We are in the UK, so I went with my brother and our friends to the midnight release in 3D, they came to ours in the Wednesday for several hours, then we got to go to the cinema for a bit before midnight. Great atmosphere, it was very fun being there. I think that the main reasons I was disappointed were the fact that there had been so much build up and I got drawn in, it had been so long, I love the prequels(I think a fair bit of that comes from the fact that they are SW films, otherwise I would probably just say like) and have never really understood why they are so hated, especially as nobody seems to give a real answer, I much prefer the originals and I had hoped that it would be more like that. There had been a lot of excitement building up, and then it was all over so quickly. I do not like how much seems copied from the other films. I also understand why Disney scrapped the EU, but I hate their decision to do so. It’s more annoying now that Kylo is an almost exact copy of Jacen Solo. Overall, I did enjoy it, and I am sure that I would like it more if I saw it again(I don’t do it for films, I think it would ruin it for me, especially being at the midnight release), but it felt like there was something missing. It felt like a great film, but not a great Star Wars film. I’m hoping that some of it is that it was different to what I had expected, and that this is meant to be all new. The original films were written all at once and were just split up, the prequels were then all leading to a known story point, the rest had to be done. I am interested in the spinoff films, I wasn’t sure at first but the story ideas for the first two sound good. I’ll be interested to see what the third one is. I did like the new heroes, they seem good and I hope they develop more and we see more of their back stories. I thought that Kylo’s saber wasn’t right, his crystal couldn’t have been right because of the crackling and in the end they confirmed it. Lots of the theories about Snoke seem interesting, if not very similar. I would be somewhat happy, then annoyed if he was actually Vitiate. I think if he is an existing character, nobody would really be surprised with Plagueis.
I think another thing was the music, I did like it, but I was disappointed that the music from the trailers wasn’t included. I really liked that music. It was a shame that Han died, but it wasn’t very surprising as Harrison Ford wanted to leave after Han was frozen in carbonite. I think they decided that the fans would be too upset so he carried on.
Note on “trailer” music (as this is an area I have dealt in the past within my “career”). Many times in Movies the “trailer” music may only have been legally obtained for that. Something to draw the crowd in. Also, there are many times that music is “cut” as they feel it did not fit the “mood or scene” the way they wanted in the actual sequence of events. It is easy to “fit” a song to several second clips from hours and hours of film and it really adds to the moment and feeling of those clips… but to turn around and make that exact same song “fit” to just a 2 minute segment that may be from only one of those clips, that same feel just doesn’t work out.
Music is huge in setting a mood for certain scenes in a film, the wrong music can really ruin the moment. 😉
In cases where they drop it, I always hope they eventually still soundtrack it so I can listen to it later. Case in point, Watchmen. Smashing Pumpkins were used to promote the hell out of the Movie in trailers, but their song never made it to the actual big screen movie. (The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning)
Hey Bunny, love the new Avatar 😀
What career? Sounds interesting.
I agree about hoping the music makes it into the movie and not just the trailer. Some movies are so iconic with a certain piece of music….that was only in a trailer and not even in the end credits. Though, only in the end credits music bugs me a little bit, too…
Plagueis seems to be the only character that would make sense but they’ve said that Snoke is original. We all are entitled to our own feelings, I just felt more magic I guess. Definitely no experience like seeing the movie with so many others who love it.
I thought that it was a brilliant film, but I left feeling that it was missing something to be a great Star Wars film, but again I think a lot of it is just the fact that there were a few small things here and there, and the fact that it was all over then after the build up was a big part of it. I’ll probably feel differently after getting it in DVD. Being there at the midnight release was great though, I have never done anything like that before and it felt great being there. The cinema was only about half full. Somewhere near us had a false fire alarm, everyone had to evacuate, but because they had a tight schedule that day they wouldn’t resume the showing. That must have been awful. I saw the thing about him being original, but a lot of people are debating as to whether or not they mean the character’s real identity. I think the other was the Arkham Knight. It was pretty obvious but because they said a new character people were a bit thrown off. Makes me wonder if the would do the same. Vitiate would be good, but I imagine they wouldn’t as he is no longer canon and I can’t see them doing him as the majority wouldn’t know who he is.
For the music, I can see why they would have cut it, I don’t think it really would have fit in with a lot of the scenes, but it was a bit disappointing not to hear it during the film. Seeing that with the trailers just felt great.
Nobody gives a real answer as to why the prequels are hated?
Okay, just remember you asked for it.
First, they are boring stories. More than half the time it’s people sitting around talking about politics. *yawn* Not what I watch movies for.
The legendary Jedi council is mostly incompetent, and sit around… talking about politics and arguing like old biddies. Yawn!
Midichlorians. The mystical Force of the original trilogy becomes a byproduct of organisms living in someone’s blood. The Jedi suddenly aren’t Zen ninjas training in focus, they’re just genetic abnormalities. This also violates the “show, don’t tell” tenant of good storytelling. There could have been so many ways to show Anakin was gifted, but instead they just told us. With a blood test. Yawn.
The clean, sterile look of everything because it was all done with green screen. It looks as boring as its political plot.
The atrocious, wooden acting out of dialogue that frankly needed a few rewrites. George Lucas is just terrible at directing people, basically. And on that note, one of the most complex and interesting villains in cinematic history is reduced to a whining, entitled little bitch. There could have been an interesting origin story, there, if Lucas had deigned to focus on characters over politics. But no, just have Anakin whine and cry a bit and then turn evil in, like, ten minutes. Ugh.
Most people will cite Jar Jar, and I don’t disagree that he was a bad character, but he’s not the sum total of what was wrong with the prequels. He was a symptom, but not the disease.
The prequels also caused plenty of continuity problems with the originals. There was clearly very little oversight, because someone had a swollen ego.
The prequels had their moments, every film had one good fight scene in it, but for the most part they were dull and lifeless. The human element that made the original trilogy interesting was completely lacking. I watched the original trilogy dozens of times, and cared about the characters. I watched the prequels a couple times and didn’t give a single crap about any of the characters, not even the ones from the originals that I had preexisting attachment to. That is why I hate the prequels, and why I’m glad the whole saga was taken the hell away from Lucas.
And the original films weren’t written all at once, BTW. That’s a myth. Look up who wrote Empire Strikes Back, because George Lucas isn’t listed. And of course, the whole thing about Luke, Leia, and Vader being related was not known in the first movie, by anyone, because it was Leigh Brackett’s brilliant idea to make Vader Luke’s father during the writing of Empire. Lucas wants everyone to think he knew exactly what he was doing with the films, but he had a rough outline at best. Most of the good stuff wasn’t his idea, and most of the greatest flaws were his fault. (And I include the ridiculousness of the special editions in that.)
So, I’m not expecting to change your mind, but I hope this qualified as a real answer.
I knew someone would come with true venom for the prequels. Obviously not going to dissuade you from an opinion you’ve certainly thought about. I often tell people that Star Wars is like my family, I can’t disown any of them whether I’d want to or not. I enjoyed each movie for its own merits. Obviously, the originals are better.
So you’re saying that your favorite son is Ben? Code easily cracked. 😛
Lol… I have two sons and I love them both.
I didn’t literally mean nobody gave an answer, the majority of people I see are unable to come up with a good answer, they just seem to dislike it because everyone else does. You have lots of reasons which you have justified. I just don’t really like seeing people have a go at them without having any reasons. And I know that Lucas didn’t write all of V and didn’t direct it, but back when he was writing the original scripts before he released the original it was said that he had written the majority of the trilogy in his stories, and had taken a portion to make into a film. I’ve never really looked into it so I could be wrong, just what we saw on one of the documentaries about the originals.
Sorry, forgot to say. I agree about the Midichlorians. The Force was one of those things where I want an explanation, but I also don’t because it could ruin it. They don’t fit in with the series and it just seems like a bad idea. I don’t like the idea of having the politics play a really big part of the films, but I don’t mind it. It seemed kinda out of place, I wouldn’t really mind but the political stories seemed lacking. Anyway, I’m not sure if I did as I can never tell and I am never really happy with what I write, but I wanted to apologise in case I offended you. I have no problems with people not liking the films, I just got quite fed up of seeing things everywhere with people saying they were bad with no justification, and if pushed, never gave a real response. Your response is much better because you have real reasons that you can justify.
No worries, you didn’t offend me. Star Wars is something I’m passionate about, in both my love and disappointment, so I can get on rants about it.
If I had seen the prequels without being invested in the mythology, I might have just thought they were nothing-special-sci-fi. Since I had been a fan for a decade and read countless Star Wars books and all, I guess I just felt like a Star Wars movie should be better than that.
I can see what you mean. I was quite young when the prequels came out, I had seen the originals and loved them, and then I enjoyed the prequels as I was growing up. It was after I started watching them that I became more and more interested in Star Wars and my love for it grew and it all became a part of it. I have really enjoyed reading lots of the books, and it is a shame that almost all of them are no longer canon, especially as lots of the writers had to work hard to keep it in the confines. It does help though in that you can see some bits that are similar to the novels and it makes me wonder if it is a coincidence of if they have essentially copied parts of them.
I think they try to pull stuff from the old books and are just careful in doing it. Lots of us know the similarities between Kylo to Ben Skywalker and Jacen Solo for instance.
I think even Lucas realized the midichlorians was a misstep as they’re never really mentioned again.
I obviously agree with nearly everything, DrTyler. The part about the sterility…ugh. That’s the problem with CGI and green screen and all that. I used to watch these short CGI films on PBS and MTV. They were kinda boring. The only really interesting part was the new technology on display. Intriguing. But it has this look. It was not human enough. Like, even a real life car would be more human than the objects here. They’re usually missing errors. Scuffs, bangs, discoloration, misalignment, and real feedback. That something exists means it leaves a trail or blocks the wind (or creates it), things like that. Well, the subtleness of the execution is more important than that they can pick up a ball and throw it. As humans we pick up on these things.
Point being that it would have benefited the prequels to have made more real stuff, even if they were new and unstressed. I’m sure Lucas had the budget.
Lucas just loved CGI too much. Thankfully the new films seem to remedy that. Not sure about the next episode but Colin Trevorrow has said that IX will be shot on film which makes me so happy. Also excited for his final movie because I liked what he did with Jurassic World. Practical is always better.
CGI and politics, two things someone should have told Lucas were just not as super awesome and interesting as he thought they were.
lmbo
Obviously I’m way behind on reading through all the comments in this post, but in addition to everything stated by DrTyler (and everyone else who has stated reasons for disliking the prequels), I’d like to add one of my thoughts.
Like Wookie, this is written in a very “stream of consciousness” manner.
What I found most disappointing about the prequels is that I felt no sorrow when Anakin fully embraced the Dark Side. Based on how Obi Wan tells Luke about how his father “died” when they first meet in Episode IV, I expected to feel Obi Wan’s pain of losing Anakin Skywalker. I expected to feel Obi Wan’s sense of betrayal. Even with the lead up of events that contributed to Anakin being pulled/manipulated to the Dark Side, I expected to be devastated by whatever the final act was that fully turned him. But I wasn’t. In fact, I was more devastated by Darth Maul’s demise because he was a more interesting character than Anakin and he had the coolest. light sabre. ever. As I watched the final fight between Anakin and Obi Wan, all I could think was “yeah, whatever … can’t the lava just melt this whiny crybaby because he isn’t worthy of eventually becoming the Darth Vader of the original trilogy”. Not only didn’t I feel any of what I expected, I don’t think Obi Wan felt it. I don’t think the movies took the time to build the relationship between Obi Wan and Anakin on a human level. I didn’t feel they had a bond that would lead Obi Wan to feel a great sense of loss.
At it’s core, I think the original trilogy was about Luke’s journey to find and fulfill his destiny. While one objective of the prequels was to explain how Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader, I don’t think that should have been its core story. I think the prequels should have been about Obi Wan’s journey. His journey from meeting Anakin, training Anakin, developing a relationship with Anakin, recognizing Anakin’s struggle with the Light vs Dark, trying to guide Anakin to make choices that would lead him to embrace the Light, dealing with the realization that he couldn’t prevent Anakin’s choice to become Dark (which he would see as a failure to “save” Anakin which in turn is his failure to fulfill his destiny), and finally accepting that he would have to choose between Anakin and the rest of the world and kill Anakin. (Note: the fact that we knew that Anakin would survive – albeit in what amounted to a super cool life support suit – doesn’t change the fact that going into the final battle Obi Wan would have made the agonizing choice to sacrifice Anakin to save the rest of the world and to “win” that battle meant killing Anakin.) Again, all this goes back to my point about not feeling any sorrow myself when Anakin embraced the Dark, but more importantly not feeling that Obi Wan felt that sorrow. By that point, it felt more like Obi Wan was just fed up with all of Anakin’s childishness, sighed, rolled his eyes, and thought “ok, enough of this nonsense, Anakin has used up all his chances so it’s time to stop him for good”.
One of my other major complaints is what I refer to as the de-evolution of Padme. I absolutely hate what they did with her character over the course of the movies. In episode I, she was a strong female leader who knew her own mind and was willing to take risks to do what she thought was best for her people. Then the whole weird and rather creepy love story with Anakin turned her into whiny damsel in distress who gave up and chose to drift into death over her grief at what Anakin did rather than live for her children. The meme going around about everything Leia has been through without ever even thinking about turning Dark is what Padme should have been. (Side note: Leia’s inner strength is one of the things I liked best about Episode VII.)
Oh, and the Midichlorians. It just can’t be said enough times how horrible that was. The concept completely ruined the magic and mystique of The Force.
I didn’t feel Anakin’s transition to Vader was very believable. Well, when did he calm down? It was too perfect. All of a sudden he’s a masked black man. 😉 I would have liked it if they explored the transition more. Like, he tries the helmet, then has to take it off for adjustments. Simple things like that. Plus, his walking was too perfect after having been burned. Stuff like that.
I totally agree that the storyline should have followed Obi Wan. Then, if the rumors are to be believed, it would be Prequels: Obi Wan, OT: Luke Skywalker, New Trilogy: a combination of the two in Rey. Instead of, like how Lucas stated it, them all being about the Skywalker lineage and no one else.
I don’t have great analysis on Padme, but maybe she wasn’t as strong as it appeared. She was taking bad suggestions from Jar-Jar, according to a breakdown I saw. If you were in power, wouldn’t you try to act like you were competent? Maybe it was upsetting to learn that she was not too strong, but might not have been a rug pulling. You’re probably right about Leia actually having the strength portrayed. So, that’s something. Probably Rey, too. 🙂
Hmmmm… I guess I looked at the transition differently between II and III. He did ramp up his evil real fast though. If rumors are true, we may get more Obi Wan but after III… I couldn’t be more stoked as Obi is my second favorite character. A lot of people discuss Padme dying of a broken heart but I guess the medic in me just always figured she died from complications from the childbirth. I think I forgave a lot because I’m in love with Natalie and have been since The Professional… we basically grew up together and there’s always been an age appropriate version to crush on lol.
I thought it was a death by childbirth, too.
Loved this movie, JJ did an excellent job
… HE KILLED HAN SOLO!
Aaaaarghhhh…really REALLY why oh WHY they did not have to do that did they! I cried my heart out at the cinema and was so angry that I couldn’t actually concentrate on the rest of the film. I was livid. I have been in love with him for sooooo long! Even announced outside very loudly that I will not watch any more sequels without Han! Which made a few peeps laugh as I was dressed as Darth Vader and stamping my feet in a fit of rage…
However upon reflection I can see that this was perhaps the only way they could get the audience to truly hate the new dark Lord for the chain to continue. Who I am kidding? Harrison had just had enough I expect. But it’s wookiee I feel sorry for…
RIP. Best. Duo. Ever.
Did I love the film…yes…but the best bit for me was Han back on the millennium falcon. I thought I could see real emotions when he entered the cockpit.
Will I watch the next one…yes of course I couldn’t say no! Any true fan would find it impossible and besides my 7 yr old is now a big fan in his own right and he got the millennium falcon for Christmas (couldn’t resist as I never had one myself).
Bring it on …A new generation of star wars ☆☆☆☆☆
…breaths…ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh it feels good to get that off my chest! Thanks wookiee I really needed you to do this post and I remember asking for it too lol : D
It was an awful moment and Chewbacca going berseker was precisely how I felt. Seems strange that future movies won’t have Han but there is the young Han Solo movie for all of us to look forward to… I just hope it’s casted right. At the movie I was wearing my “I Know” shirt with Han’s profile on it. After the movie my buds commented how the shirt had taken on a whole new meaning.
JJ may have killed Solo, but to be fair, Lucas killed off Yoda, Vader/Anakin, Maul, Palpatine, Padme, Shmi Skywalker, countless younglings, and Qui Gon. Only a matter of time before Chewie (sorry Chewie lol) Leia, and perhaps Luke see their fate.
Have you ever read the comic where Chewbacca dies? If they do it, it better be something grand like that.
Can’t say I have, never got into the comic universe aspect of it, have a few of the novels that are now no longer canon, yet are soon to be re-made canon in a sense lol. I do predict in the next movie, due to Chewie’s arm injury he at the very least loses an arm to get a robotic one like in some pre production shots. I mean heck, almost everyone lost an arm in Star Wars, Chewie may as well lol.
Saw those too but I’m thinking his injury was fixed.
In order for Disney to continue to milk this cash cow for years, the oldest actors have to go. Until the day comes where having virtual faces over actors are acceptable in technology and ethics , the old actors have to go.
They’ll use them as long as they can but it’s obvious the new story is about Rey, Poe, Finn, BB-8, and Kylo Ren.
Emo Darth Vader is all the rage now, what with Kylo Ren being the new baddie.
I’m really hoping they reveal that Snoke is Jar Jar Binks, as I’ve heard a few fan theories concerning this. They say that he is/was Palpatines master/commander/?, and has been pulling all the strings from behind a curtain! If it were true, it would give a whole perspective on the Star Wars Movies. Evidence for this theory starts from EpI, where he does a “force jump” into the lake. Another example is how he gets to become a general of the Gungan army, as he could be using “force persuasion”. If you look carefully, you can see him moving his hands as he talks to the Gungan leader. He also “uses force persuasion” when convincing the Senate to elect Palpatine as Supreme Chancellor. I definitely think these theories could be true, but we will just have to wait and see in EpVIII 👍🏻👍🏻
I’ve read this theory and, although I can see the evidence from a certain perspective, I refuse to make Jar Jar aything more than he was. Geroge Lucas set him up to be the fool responsible for the vote for emergency powers so fans could hate him more. The saddest thing about Jar Jar is that Ahmed Best never got the proper respect and credit for the work he did.
I still think Snoke leans more to Darth Plagueis & the Grand Inquisitor type rolls. 😉
I feel for Ahmed too. Such an amazing actor that internet trolled to death and really hurt his passion for his art and hard work in the role.
Ahh yes Jar Jar Binks, the Elmo of the Star Wars Universe 😀 Personally I can somewhat see the Darth Jar Jar theory, based on Palpatine’s somewhat goofy facial expressions in Episode 1 as well. I mean come on, I’m sure you saw the scene where Palpatine was trying to escape the ship, all those facial expressions lol Almost like they were being goofy to hide the fact that they were darkside, I dunno.
Love it! I like Jar-Jar more with these theories in place. And if he’s hiding behind the giant hologram…hah! It won’t make the movie serious enough, and might even make them bad, but that would just be so cool. I’d love to see the more Yoda as someone people look up to style of Jar-Jar, one which we’ve never gotten to see. Probably too risky for DisneyFilm to approve.
Tommorow I’ll comment about Spoilers, but until then I suggest anyone that has “Notify me of new comments via email” to turn that off if they didn’t see the film.
I think some people (like myself) have been anticipating this post as much as the actual movie. 🙂 and though I expected more pictures (not of the film but of The Simpsons/Star Wars combos) it still was a post that doesn’t disapoint.
I have jokes prepared, nitpicks, and various theories of Snoke (or Snope). But all will have to wait for tomorrow.
I knew there was going to be an episode 8 and predictably 9 but didn’t know there was going to be Ep. 10, 11, 12… Am I understanding that right? (Yes, I use non-Greek numbers)
When they announced the films, they were going to make 6. They are doing 7-9, and there will also be 3 spinoff films. The first is Rogue One, which is due to come out this year showing how the Rebels initially stole the Death Star plans. The next one will be an origins story for Han, and the third hasn’t been announced. I like the Roman numerals, I don’t really know why but it reminds me of the original films. I guess it’s because lots of places seemed to use them when the original films came out and now most places and things don’t.
Episodes VII, VIII, and IX confirmed and three anthology films in between. Rumors point to Disney keeping the cash train going though so X, XI, and XII would not surprise me.
I never considered that Kylo Ren’s buzzy, pulsing lightsaber might be a purposeful indication of his lack of training, I just assumed it was meant to be more menacing. An interesting idea. I’d love to hear your theory of who Rey is (I mean beside the obvious) and any other theories you have, I guess Ill keep my eyes on this comment thread.
Like most, I see that the story could be leading us to believe Rey is a Skywalker. I for one hope she’s somehow connected to my second favorite character, Obi Wan. There’s a reason my son is named Ben (and another reason I hate Kylo). There’s canon stuff about Obi Wan and the Mandalorian duchess and her sister. My true hope though is she’s nobody. I think she’d serve as a perfect female role model if anybody felt they could be her. As for Kylo’s lightsaber, I think that’s why it was supposed to be that way. It just sound unhealthy and only adds to the feeling of instability you get when his character is on screen. It’s like saying Mufasa three times… it tingles me.
Are you talking about Satine Kryze? I quite liked her, she was in The Clone Wars with Obi-Wan where it was revealed that they had feelings for each other, and he nearly left the Order for her. In the fifth series Maul killed Pre Vizsla to take control of the Death Watch, Sarine was killed and her sister, Bo Katan, took control of the Nite Owls, a rebel group from Death Watch. I haven’t seen the final series so I don’t know if they picked up on anything, but I don’t think so. I would like an original story, but I imagine she will end up being Luke’s daughter or something very similar. I wonder if the would bring Mara Jade in if that were the case.
I’m finishing up Clone Wars too so Obi Wan just met Satine’s sister. I wouldn’t mind them connecting stuff from Clone Wars and Rebels into the movies. It’s a tricky proposition though. Also have a ton of comics to read which I’m told has some interesting possibilities. There’s apparently a Kenobi diary that Luke is reading in one of them. In the end of the movie, Rey and Luke look like they know each other somehow. Seriously looking forward to the reveals of the 8th episode although I bet we won’t know Rey’s true back story until 9.
Yeah, I saw a trailer for Rebels series 2 which shows a cross guard saber. I don’t know what happens in it, but it seemed like a steal to get interest from the films. I think you’re right, they probably won’t give much until the end. I wonder if VIII will be more of a filler, giving much more depth to the characters and events that we haven’t seen, and then IX will have the big battles and action scenes with some final closing details.
Your guess is as good as mine but I think the next one will have plenty of action. I wouldn’t be surprised if something shocking is revealed but considering how much people love Star Wars, that could be as simple as BB-8 gets messed up a la R2 at the end of A New Hope.
Did you hear the theory that Rey is a reincarnated Anakin (good side) while Ben is the reincarnated Vader? lol Far fetched, and would make for a near impossible ending, both being equally powered.
I have and still don’t want reincarnation to be added into the universe. Two big things I never liked were midichlorians (keep science away from my magic lol) and Anakin being basically Star Wars Jeebus. It always stuck with me that he had no father. I get that Lucas decided there needed to be some sort of prophecy but meh… never liked it and just filed it away into the don’t worry about it and enjoy stuff anyways category in my brain. I think Schmi just didn’t want to admit who she’d shacked up with. Probably some non-descript scruffy looking nerf herder on Tattooine (and no I don’t mean Han’s father). Maybe Rey is descended from that same bloodline, maybe not.
agree 300%, but I’ve always seen it as Palpatine used the Force to create Anakin, so in a sense he was the father. Which would explain his discussion about Darth Plaguis having the ability to sustain life, and the ability to create it. I really don’t want reincarnation involved either, but it would somewhat explain Hayden’s image being superimposted in the end of Ep 6, and the smirk he gave, so that his Force ghost is a “grey Jedi” of sorts.
It’s official, I knew I saw Wookie somewhere before, he is actually Tony The Tiger 😀 “It’s grrrrrrrrreat!”
Agree with everything Wookie said completely, although being a 3d Animator of sorts, I caught a few glitches. When Rey and BB-8 first meet, they “walk off into the sunset” on Jakku, a desert planet. BB-8 is leaving a trail in the sand, but rey, who is 3x his height, does NOT leave footprints! Second graphics issue I caught, Finn…escaping from battle, whole area surrounded by fire, Finn steps INTO the fire with his Resistance plastic outfit, doesn’t scorch, doesn’t burn, doesn’t say ouch, just gets in the ship lol.
Wookie: Think I noticed a typo in your post. The main Evil Boss guy, is Snoke, not Snope 😀 A character of which I have my own theory on. Some think that Snoke is actually Leia (I’ve seen the eye/nose/mouth overlay videos) and is plausible, although I strongly think we are going to find that Snoke is Maz Kanata. In the trailer she is quoted as saying “I have lived long enough to see the same eyes in different people” Her eyes, when she takes off her goggles, are exactly like Snoke’s. Similar nose and mouth also. Not to mention Snoke only appears in one room, as a hologram. Could we have a Wizard of Oz, pay no attention to the Jedi Master behind the curtain type scene maybe? 😀
Lastly, I for one, don’t think Han is actually dead. Yeah, Kylo killed him, but come on Solo survived being frozen in Carbonite for crying out loud, he can survive a knife wound 😀 (ok yeah, it went right through him, but meh lol)
Congrats on finding a typo I actually want to fix. SOme of the theories drive me crazy but the Maz Kanata one is interesting. I’ll have to look for those editing mistakes some time. There’s also a couple scenes where I swear it looks like Rey is trying not to laugh. I’m sure she was having the time of her life though and Daisy and John Boyega seem to be really good friends outside the movie. Poor Han. I have a friend who is all about Maul surviving a similar fall and injury and making it into the Clone Wars. Based on what I know about Harrison Ford though, the flag is at half mast. Poor Chewie is now Solo.
Yeah I think I saw Rey half smirk a couple times holding back a laugh myself. Harrison Ford being still alive is a tricky one. On the one hand, Ford wanted his character killed off in the old trilogy, which is why he was frozen in Carbonite. Maybe he only agreed to come back for the one movie, but I thought I heard he was slated for Ep 8, which would either mean not dead, or force ghost (and he’s not a Jedi)
As for your comment about Chewie, hehe I see what you did there 😀
Good eye. I’ll try to look for those next viewing.
I like the Snoke theory. Not necessarily that he is Maz, but let’s just say the he’s anyone else. That this bad CGI is actually canonical. Not only an oversized projection but also a manufactured image altogether. Any Oz will do. 🙂
Star wars was the first major blockbuster movie I watched as a Boy. I owned a few pieces of the original figures, including R2D2, C3PO, Luke Skywalker and the sand people. I have since lost Luke’s head after trying to rotate it. I really think my mum threw it away when she tidied up my toys. Unlike most children, I take good care of my toys, hence I still have this few figures with me. I had the original Star Wars Mad Magazine. My elder brother threw it away along with other comics of mine, so as to create space for his own books. I was so angry with him. I think I was around 15 then. Till today I still hated him for this. One of the best part in the comic is Push button to destroy the base!
My take on the new star wars, I enjoyed it. There was no dull and boring moment. The scenes are quite raw in the sense that they felt real but the imagery was less epic. I love Daisy’s character. She looked so strong and yet vulnerable. She is too young for me, but I can’t help falling for her.
I disliked kylo, he looked so whimpy and weak. And yet when in mask he is strong. I prefer someone who looked stronger. But he does look like Harrison Ford when young. Ok my batt HP is weak. Need to run.
This is how I look at it, if you go back to the prequels and see how Vader started… Ep2… Anakin was a whiney lil wimpy brat that threw tantrums, but yet the evil in him just went insane… Kylo was following in Grandpa’s footsteps really closely for sure in that Character. 😉
I second that
As much as I wasn’t a fan of Hayden’s acting in that movie, I have to say I found his “tantrums” more believable than Kylo. Almost like Kylo was stomping his foot frowny face crossing his arms like a whiney baby. All Anakin did was complain about his hatred for sand, which related back to him remembering his slavery days, and fighting the powers that be, wanting to be a Jedi.
There was lots more whining that just that part. LOTS more. Lol. I remember because we went to the Premiere and I just kept looking at my lil brother I took with me at the time and it reminded me of my brothers tantrums exactly (He is close to the same age). That “you can’t tell me what to do, I will do what I want” attitude he had with Ben over n over. Kylo reminds me a lot of that same kind of age, and acting out.
Got a point there, I guess his two big tantrum monologues are just what stuck out in my mind. Been a while since I watched the new Trilogy (now mid old Trilogy) and I tend not to watch them quite as much as the old school Trilogy 😀
If you look at Anakin Eps II & III and then compare him to Luke Ep IV and then Kylo, the behavioral resemblance is striking.
When you put it that way, yeah I can see where the two of you are coming from for sure. I just felt Kylo’s personality was a bit more extreme, although having only saw the movie once, might see it that way myself on next viewing. If only he kept the helmet on more lol (Although the Vader-Like voice when he had the helmet on didn’t work for me)
I find Luke to be the most annoying amongst the three. This is a relative annoying. None of them are close to being a Jar-Jar.
I have to disagree. I think in Attack Of the Clones, Anakin threw a fit because he wanted to be good but he hated himself for slaughtering Sandpeople. He had the Jedi order to help him.
Ben has basically been alone. He’s angry, as a rebelling teen he made some bad decisions that lead him to a life stuck in darkness, he feels the good in him but is so caught up in the way he’s going he finds it hard to change and that’s why his tantrums are more uncontrolled. He’s not angry because he isn’t what he thinks he should be but because he hasn’t learned how to deal with his inner self.
As someone who knows a thing or two about addiction, I see it as a metaphor. Drugs can tear you away and make you care so little you will hurt your parents to take the easy path.
Now I may be way out there on this but art is a 50/50 deal. The creator and the participant. That’s just my view.
Definitely a good view I never thought of.
There is some discussions I’ve read about Snoke’s idea is for a Jedi to have a blance of both light and dark. I see similarities between all the Skywalker bloodline. Well except Leia. There’s a wonderful women power meme about her dealing with tragedy and never going dark.
I’d be ticked too. I didn’t have a lot of the toys when I was little but have amassed a fun collection since 12 or so. My Chewbacca stuff is obviously my favorite.
Don’t hate me Wookiee, but I’m currently in the process of turning a Star Wars Black series Chewbacca action figure into Michael J. Fox as Teen Wolf, as soon as I find a suitable basketball uniformed figure to replace the arms legs and head 😀
That’s funny. I have a Chewbacca wearing sunglasses t-shirt that has been mistaken for Teen Wolf.
It is good that you like Chewie as for years, it seemed like his figure is always up on sale at a bargain. However the different clone and stormtroopers are always hard to find.
However, the generation seemed to love Chewie more. Many female teenagers I spoke to said he is their favourite character! And in a promotion run by our airpoint of star wars stuff toys. Chewie was out of stock early in the promotion!
There are soooooooo many people into my beloved Wookiee now. It’s good to see him finally get the love he’s always deserved but also mildly frustrating. Good news is tons of merch if I can get it before the new fanboys and fangirls with disposable income. One of my biggest irks is so much of the clothing they make for him isn’t made in my size lol. Way too many tiny people in Chewbacca onesies. I feel like I’m stuck on Endor.
Plus Kylo’s cape looks more like a pashmina.
Great! Now the movie’s ruined. I really wish you would’ve warned us about spoilers.😉
Lol… oops, knew I forgot to mention something.
Was the unedited post like, first sentence: “KYLO REN IS HANS SON BEN AND HE KILLS HAN!!! Now, about spoilers….”?
Lol… something like that.
Still can’t believe that Han Solo died…😭
BY HIS OWN SON 😡
There is a history of patricide in many legends. Now I just need Chewie to be the one to end Ben Solo.
Overall I liked the movie. My thought with the sameness has more to do with the planets. It wasn’t until I was home talking with friends that I realized that wasn’t Tattooine. I thought Jakku was the name of the region. If they had to do another desert planet I souls have liked red sand or something.
As soon as Leia asked Han to bring Ben back I knew Han was dead. We hadn’t seen Kylo be evil enough to be redemed yet.
I am curious about Leia. Why is she in the military and not the government. She got into the rebellion thru the senate. Why didn’t she go back?
Why on Earth was the Resistance named that? They are the legal government, they shoukd just be the military.
Since the First Order obviously has accumulated power, I think they call themselves the Resistance in reference to that. I’m sure more will be revealed but I got the impression that the new government, the New Republic, did not have a military arm like the Old Republic pre-Clone Wars. Possibly they were averse to military action based on history. Leia’s organization was to stop the First Order. Leia would know the evil of Imperial rule and want to fight. While she was a “member of the Imperial Senate on a diplomatic mission to Alderaan,” after the destruction of Alderaan we never see her doing diplomatic duties again. Possibly she started off in the New Republic and then fed up of nothing being done against the resurgence of the Empire, went back to being a rebel. As a non-sanctioned fighting force, their name seems appropriate to me.
In New Hope shortly after Leia is captured it is announced the Senate has ceased to exist, followed by the Empire, then the emperor is dead and the rebels won. But they apparently didn’t have control of the new government
My thoughts are the New Republic was started but over the course of 30 years, the First Order rose to power, but the new government chose to appease them (read just like certain countries pre-WWII). The Resistance was started to combat this rise. As I understand it, they were supported by the government but secretly which is why Leia is in charge. For some reason, the New Republic didn’t want this military arm connected with them. I’d have to read more in the databank but I’m sure there is info there. (http://www.starwars.com/databank)
I agree about the planets. It’s a funny Star Wars thing that each planet has only one main geographic feature. Therefore each new planet should go with a distinguishing feature, such as red sand, if they are similar to a previous planet.
I don’t know. I think it’s safe to say you could expect different planets to look similar. I guess we all come from a solar system with unique planets so we just assume that’s how it would be but only two of ours have ever supported any kind of life that we know of. Deserts look like deserts to me. The title crawl said they were going to Jakku. Never even thought Tattooine.
I wasn’t confusing Jakku with Tattooine, just agreeing that they should look different. The rules of this fantasy, to me, are that they all be unique planets.
Totally understand your point about how life-supporting planets may share some similarities. It’s not a big deal that it looked similar. I appreciated it, actually. I’d also have appreciated some more variety. They make 9 of these and they’re bound to run out of ideas, right? 😉
We’ll see plenty more planets I’m sure.
I’m married to a HUGE SW geek, and love the movies, too. We also saw it opening night. Loved it. Loved it so much! I’ve seen it twice and my hubby has seen it three times. I felt it really redeemed the prequels (which I like to pretend didn’t happen). The acting was wonderful, and the humor was back! I loved that Han got such a kick out of the bow-caster.
I knew that this would be the end of Han Solo when they announced Harrison Ford would be back. I had a feeling that Ford insisted on Han’s death as a condition of him being in the movie. After all, he didn’t even want to be in ROTJ. He thought Han should have died at the end of ESB. It was delightful in the theater, though, when Ben ignited his saber, there was a collective gasp (“OH NO!’).
I’m not a huge Luke fan, so I didn’t mind him being the MacGuffin of the film, although it will be interesting to see where they take his character in the future. I’ve always been more of a fangirl for Han, Chewy, and Leia. I’ve got super-long hair (knee-length) and even wear some of her hair-styles on a regular basis (NOT the ear-covering cinnamon rolls, though!).
The only thing I wasn’t crazy about was Snoke. Was grateful when it was revealed he was a hologram and not a GIGANTIC alien, which had stretched the bounds of belief. But he’s too Gollum in appearance for me. I know Andy Sirkis is *the* motion capture man and his voice is AMAZING. I just wish he could have actually been on-screen. He’s a great actor in his own right and would have performed amazingly. I think they went a little too far in how deformed they made Snoke, breaking my willing disbelief. It took me out of the movie, you know?
I really and truly loved this movie. I think it completely fits with the original trilogy and I can’t wait to see what they do with the rest of the movies they have planned.
I kinda giggled as in the past, the “holograms” were always these teeny lil things Characters saw. This one, the Hologram was MASSIVE. So they went to the other extreme. I think it was more to show his “God Complex” than anything. Lol. 😉
Also a homage to the giant Emperor hologram of the originals.
I was right there with most fans hoping Snoke was not some big giant. WHen they revealed the hologram, I heard a different collective sigh of relief. We’ll see how he pans out. Hopefully for the good.
I was kinda of upset at the huge Snoke. Too far. Unbelievable. Better that he was a hologram, indeed. Still, one of the least enjoyable uses of CGI in the movie. The junk dealer, while being more cartoonish, at least had an enjoyable personality.
To be honest, when I first saw Unkar Plutt, I was a little thrown off by the CGI for him. As I understand it though, Plutt was supposed to die in a scene that was cut. Snoke was definitely my least favorite of the CGI but a lot is forgiven when in hologram form. I’m sure they’ve heard and listened to all the discussion about him so hopefully changes will be made in the next installment if and when they show him.
Unkar Plutt felt a bit similar to the prequel comic relief (not counting Jar-Jar) in CGI execution, so I am sort of okay with that, in a sad way. (Prequels were my first serious SW experience aside from catching the OT Special Editions in theater, since these were all-new content….)
The prequels brought the CGI into the universe. I’m used to it now.
As much as l love the prequels, I Hate the special editions. I love the addition of previously cut scenes like Luke and Biggs. But Jaba looked fake. They ruined the music scene at Jaba’s palace and the only thing I liked about Ewoks was their song that got replaced at the very end. All I really wanted from the special editions was to make the Rancor not look so fake. If there every was bad blue screen.
I always loved the Rancor monster and still do. Totally reminiscent of the works of Ray Harryhausen. There is both good and bad to the special editions. What is interesting is a lot of people don’t even know of the versions before them.
Hey woolen dude !!
Here in the great land of New Orleans it is Mardi Gras . Well in honor of your great hairy heritage . There is a traditional walking parade today called Chewbaccus !! Star Wars themed but very satirical! ! Anyway Happy Mardi Gras !!
I actually wrote about it once lol. Sounds like my kind of parade. Laissez les bons temps rouler.