Episode 1586 Talkback - Star Wars: The Force Awakens Movie Review
Adam_Murdough
Posts: 506
Since Star Wars 'episodes' always come in threes, here's our third one this month, in which we finally share our thoughts, observations, speculations, trepidations, and general euphoria concerning the record-smashing, generation-defining, runaway space-fantasy hit of the decade, Star Wars: The Force Awakens! 'Nuff Said! (2:01:57)
Listen (or watch) here. Be seduced by the Light!
Listen (or watch) here. Be seduced by the Light!
Comments
In 2001, there was the release of the "Phantom Edit" which begins with the Darth Maul battle at the end of Episode I and then combines the best parts of Ep II & III into one single 2 hour film. It isn't bad. Rumor attributed The Phantom Edit to Kevin Smith, who admitted to having seen the re-edit but denied that he was the editor. The editor was revealed to be Mike J. Nichols of Santa Clarita, California. George Lucas, condoned the edit and did not pursue legal action against its distributors.
It can be watched online for free on Youtube below - and it isn't bad at all. Even utilizes a couple of deleted scenes to good effect.
"Ben! Why didn't you tell me???"
Generally I enjoyed it, but agree there were too many similarities to the original. In fact, I think Lucas might deserve a story credit. It was kinda like a light beer version of the original.
It would make sense Luke never having a family. Wasn't it established in the prequel trilogy Jedi Knights don't do that? Being the last Jedi Knight, Luke can virtually make up the lifestyle of the Jedi, but I just foresee him following the original traditions.
M
Personally I hope she isn't the daughter of anyone we've seen so far. I'm sick of everyone having to be related. Besides, leaving your daughter on Jakku, never explaining why, or visiting her is a pretty shitty thing to do. At least Luke was on Tatooine with relatives and had Obi Wan watching over him.
Yeah, Chewie and Leia should have hugged. NOTABLY missing from the movie. But to me, another JUST AS NOTABLY missing scene was the lack of someone reacting via the Force to the deaths of BILLIONS of people in the planets in the Republic (ala: Obi-Wan reacting to Alderaan)
Yes, at this point in the movie, Rey is not aware of her abilities (nor are we), we haven't seen Leia, Luke isn't a part of it, and Kylo is a bad dude.
But I was surprised that NOBODY "felt" the deaths of billions of people via the Force. Not even like Maz or someone.
Not to mention the only time we even saw people react to the destruction was immediately afterwards and then...nothing.
Just curious if that bothered anyone else.
I thought the characters were amazing. I know people have been talking about how cool Rey was as well as Finn. I thought Poe was very awesome. I loved how kept his sarcastic nature with Kylo at the beginning of the movie. "Who talks first? Do you talk first?" It was great. I also loved him in his element which was inside the cockpit of the X-Wing. Very good stuff.
I enjoyed the humor. I don't know why but when Han used Chewie's bowcaster and realized how good it was, I just found it hysterical. I laughed. The scene with BB-8 and Finn was outstanding and very funny. I kind of needed to see it again because I giggled so much at the one particular scene. I thought the humor was overall very good. I liked it and I wouldn't have changed anything about it.
I loved Kylo Ren. I loved his saber which I did a little researching and found out that the reason his lightsaber looks so unstable is because the Kaiburr crystal used in his lightsaber is actually cracked and that the side blades are exhausts so the saber doesn't overload and blow up. I listened to the latest episode of Rebel Force Radio and they had on Sam Witwer on the show. He mentioned how he and Adam Driver both when to Juilliard and there is actually an acting class where they wear masks in order to teach the students how to emote with various masks on. It was interesting to hear and I can imagine that Adam Driver did a good job in class because I thought he did amazing with the mask on.
I had been expecting someone to die in the movie but the scene still gets to me. I've seen the movie three times and it gets me every time. The way that Harrison Ford and Adam Driver played the scene was just heartbreaking and just sad. The first time I saw it, there were audible gasps in the theater I saw it in.
Overall, I loved the movie. I think it might be my favorite of the movies.
I think for this trilogy, to continue with the Space Opera of the Skywalker family, Rey has to be a family member.
M
But the cut they went doesn't have us see Leia until Han does, so we don't see that. And I think without it, there isn't the reaction to the destruction of that planet that it deserves.
And I agree that Rey is probably a family member, especially given her unknown parentage, but being Luke's daughter seems too simple.
I just hope they make Rey's parentage interesting, even if she is a Skywalker. Making her a kid Luke had with some woman we've never heard doesn't seem very satisfying.
All in all, I love this film; mainly because I never thought I would see in my lifetime a new Star Wars film with Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and the Millennium Falcon, the best spaceship in the history of mankind. I got verklampt the first time they each appeared on screen. Honestly, I was a tad bored until that glorious pan shot to the Falcon. From then on, I was totally into it. I also love all the new characters as well. I'm already a fan of Oscar Issac and I second Chris' recommendation on Inside Llewyn Davis. Oscar gives great performances in that and Ex-Machina. I immediately took to John Boyega and Daisy Ridley and I sincerely hope for their continued success in their respective acting career outside of Star Wars.
In terms of ranking:
4, 6, 5, 7, 3, 2, 1
It may change but I'm not quite ready to put The Force Awakens above Return of the Jedi, a SW film I personally still love very much. We'll see about 8 and 9.
Was I the only one to geek out at the appearance of Admiral Ackbar and Nien Nunb? I was surprised they didn't get mentioned in the podcast. Before this trilogy is over, we MUST have Admiral Ackbar say "It’s a trap!" :smile:
My ranking is 5, 4, 6, 7, 1, 3, 2 (1 over the other prequels because of the Qui Gon/Obi Wan/Darth Maul fight.)
But would we really like 7 as much if 1-3 weren't so awful? I enjoyed it, but I find with J J Abrams movies that I enjoy them in the theater, but they don't leave me with a lot after. I enjoyed the 2 Star Trek movies but found them to be very forgettable. Even this movie felt more like a greatest hits album. Like "My favorite group has a new album. Thank god they're back to playing the music I like."
There was little in it that felt really new. So while I enjoyed it, I have a hard time ranking it with the original trilogy. If anything, I have more respect for the original trilogy because of Episode 7.
And despite the money it's making at the box office, I've met few kids who really LOVED it. I've heard more "pretty good" comments than anything from the under-16 set.
My theory is that I feel that Rey is Luke's daughter, but he doesn't know that she is his daughter. Rey has been closed off from the Force (until she has been awoken, obviously.) She was left on Jakku by HER MOTHER, who hid Rey from the First Order and Snoke.
Ben Solo told Rey that "So this is the girl I have heard about." As a cousin, or a fellow student training with Luke? Not as a twin sister. They would have felt each other through the Force as Rey awoken..
5,4,7,6,3.....2.......1
Oh and one last thing, I like to think Jamie was there as a force ghost enjoying the film somewhere.
I can't rule out they aren't siblings just because of Ben's wording.
M
Luke wasn't fully opened to the Force in ANH, he needed training with Yoda.
M
(Still holding out hope she isn't related to any of them)
Speaking of BB-8, I've also heard people on social media saying that BB-8 might be a female droid, BUT I'm pretty sure I heard the junk dealer, Unkar Plutt, say the droid is a "he."
As for the similarity in plot to Episode IV, I had an opposite reaction to Matt's a perhaps more similar to Bryan's. At first, right after the movie I didn't feel like there was much new and that it certainly was a kind of rehash, BUT if that was so why did I feel like I wanted to learn more about what happens next? So now, just a few days after seeing it the second time I'm feeling pretty jazzed about the next one.
Anyway, it was nice hearing from Bryan, Pants and Matt again! I hope they show up more often!
In terms of Rey, I have to say that I think she is Luke's daughter, since the foreshadowing was like a bat to the head. She's on a desert planet, she lives in a fallen AT-AT, she made a doll that looks like Luke in the rebel pilots outfit (in the background of the scene), she wears an old Rebel pilot's helmet while outside the AT-AT, and the Force is mighty strong within her. All the major voices that were there to guide Luke speak to her (Yoda and Obiwan) and the first scene of her flashback is to that Bespin corridor where Luke faced Darth Vader for the first time. There's also a huge parallel with Luke being asked by Han to join the crew (right before the Death Star run), and Rey being asked by Han to join the crew)....something that I just realized while reading the new re-issue hardcover for Episode IV......
I remember reading in an interview somewhere that J.J. Abrams said that they didn't get complicated with the foreshadowing, and that they made a film with kids in mind that is easy to figure out, trying to stay away from being overly complicated.
Still, half the fun is in guessing! If it's one thing I took away from the film, it is that it got me really excited for the next one!