I’m returning to see it some time soon, I think now that I’ve accepted Han Solo’s scene which was my largest grievance, I think I’ll enjoy it more. I can’t help but wish it were better, but in a lot of ways it did what a Star Wars movie should: take the audience on a magical mystery tour of action, mystery, and exotic locales. While I’m not at the moment thrilled with TFA, I am very pleased with the new cast (except Kylo Ren) and with Luke’s role so I am definitely looking forward to Episode VIII
The Person in Question
Just got back from a second viewing with my wife. We both rated it the same as before, maybe even slightly higher. I’ve been relaying the criticisms people here have expressed and she’s as baffled as I am. This was a great movie.
Same except instead of wife it was my friends and instead of second it was third. I really do love this movie a lot.
As I stated in my original post, I meant no disrespect to anyone, I thought I was pretty clear right out of the gate. I wasn’t calling anyone out. I still won’t. I went in to the movie expecting nothing but a Star Wars adventure with characters I love and I got it.
If that’s condescending in any way then apparently I know nothing about Star Wars and don’t deserve to be a member here.
The drama isn’t necessary.
Your opinion of the film and your having enjoyed it aren’t condescending at all. This is:
It is only now, after reading remarks in this thread, that I see how overly critical some of the fans are. I mean no disrespect to anyone and I will not point out any 1 person, it just seems that some can’t enjoy a movie for what it is
You and I have different opinions about what makes for a good movie, but I don’t think this makes you less discerning or lacking in taste, just like my preferences don’t make me overly critical or unable to enjoy a good movie.
I suspect that my use of the number 1, instead of the word one, may have caused some confusion. My statement was not directed at you in particular or anyone else in particular for that matter. This is the first new Star Wars movie with original characters in it for almost 30 years. I’m used to the criticisms of the original trilogy and the prequel trilogy being most prominent here. I guess I figured that due to the age of the actors, the director, the film-making style, and the long wait that most fans would at least be less inclined to be a bit harder to satisfy considering there are still 2 films to go where anything could happen.
There was no drama intended in the statement you pointed out … I was merely referring to the fact that most all of us are here for the same reason, our love of Star Wars itself, differences in opinion aside.
I hope you are able to give it another chance. It’s as imperfect as any Star Wars movie before it but it is a fun ride considering it’s simple start.
😃
I’m hoping to see it a 4th time sometime in the new year. Repeat viewings have made the film better in my eyes, though it might have had something to do with the disastrous first viewing I had. The projector broke literally JUST as Rey put her hands around the saber and had her vision, so for a good 30 seconds, the whole audience was wondering “is this darkness meant to be symbolic or has someone fucked up?” As time went on, we realised it was the latter. The audio carried on for AGES after, while the staff took their damn time shutting the movie off. They eventually got the projector up and running again and turned it back on, but it was skipped further ahead to where Rey was running out of the castle, and ruined that part for us. Then they rewound the movie, and the picture was flickering, so we ended up being marched to another theatre to watch the second half of the film.
It didn’t help that the second half of the film is where its main flaws shine through (mainly the superweapon rehashing) so that, along with the technical hitch, put a huge damper on my first experience.
Also my first viewing was a standard 3D showing, because my inept friend didn’t book the IMAX in time. I found the 3D really highlighted the fakeness of the CGI more. It was a lot more seamless and enjoyable in 2D.
I suspect that my use of the number 1, instead of the word one, may have caused some confusion. My statement was not directed at you in particular or anyone else in particular for that matter. This is the first new Star Wars movie with original characters in it for almost 30 years. I’m used to the criticisms of the original trilogy and the prequel trilogy being most prominent here. I guess I figured that due to the age of the actors, the director, the film-making style, and the long wait that most fans would at least be less inclined to be a bit harder to satisfy considering there are still 2 films to go where anything could happen.
There was no drama intended in the statement you pointed out … I was merely referring to the fact that most all of us are here for the same reason, our love of Star Wars itself, differences in opinion aside.
I hope you are able to give it another chance. It’s as imperfect as any Star Wars movie before it but it is a fun ride considering it’s simple start.
😃
No confusion, I get it. You’re not singling anyone out. I’m just saying that what you need from a movie isn’t necessarily what everyone else needs. No big deal.
And to your point, I think fans ARE being more generous with TFA than they normally would. They’re just so happy that TFA didn’t completely suck that they’re willing to gloss over its obvious shortcomings and “enjoy the ride”. It’ll be interesting to see if TFA has as many fans 5 or 10 years from now as it does today. Everyone loves to claim today that they hated TPM when it came out, but out of all the Star Wars fans I knew back then, I don’t recall one saying they didn’t like it. That happened later.
It’s true that Star Wars has always required a rather liberal suspension of disbelief. I was okay with that when I was 10. I’m not anymore.
I guess what I’m saying is that I no longer accept the shortcomings of the previous films as an excuse for the latest film in the franchise not to aim any higher.
MTFBWY…A
Ironic that the master of sarcasm doesn’t understand sarcasm.
Luke, Leia, and Han didn’t share a scene. Luke didn’t speak. WORST MOVIE EVER.
What.
Well, I’ve heard those complaints from others, and I don’t know you from a hole in the forum, so there’s nothing that indicates sarcasm there.
Too subtle perhaps? My whole post was a riff on Jetrell Fo’s post (notice the similarities). He wrote: “My daughter and I had fun and finally got to see some of our favorite characters back on the big screen, together again, part of yet another adventure”. I don’t know what movie he saw, but if we assume that by favorite characters he meant Luke, Leia and Han, I did not see a movie where they were together again, part of an adventure. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like the movie because of that (though I did not like the movie, but for other reasons). Got it?
Ironic that the master of sarcasm doesn’t understand sarcasm.
Luke, Leia, and Han didn’t share a scene. Luke didn’t speak. WORST MOVIE EVER.
What.
Well, I’ve heard those complaints from others, and I don’t know you from a hole in the forum, so there’s nothing that indicates sarcasm there.
Too subtle perhaps? My whole post was a riff on Jetrell Fo’s post (notice the similarities). He wrote: “My daughter and I had fun and finally got to see some of our favorite characters back on the big screen, together again, part of yet another adventure”. I don’t know what movie he saw, but if we assume that by favorite characters he meant Luke, Leia and Han, I did not see a movie where they were together again, part of an adventure. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like the movie because of that (though I did not like the movie, but for other reasons). Got it?
It’s clearly apparent that you were riffing on and subverting Jetrell Fo’s post. Frink isn’t disputing that. There was no hint that the criticisms highlighted in your post (via your substituted words) weren’t genuinely your stance though.
Ironic that the master of sarcasm doesn’t understand sarcasm.
Luke, Leia, and Han didn’t share a scene. Luke didn’t speak. WORST MOVIE EVER.
What.
Well, I’ve heard those complaints from others, and I don’t know you from a hole in the forum, so there’s nothing that indicates sarcasm there.
Too subtle perhaps? My whole post was a riff on Jetrell Fo’s post (notice the similarities). He wrote: “My daughter and I had fun and finally got to see some of our favorite characters back on the big screen, together again, part of yet another adventure”. I don’t know what movie he saw, but if we assume that by favorite characters he meant Luke, Leia and Han, I did not see a movie where they were together again, part of an adventure. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like the movie because of that (though I did not like the movie, but for other reasons). Got it?
It’s clearly apparent that you were riffing on and subverting Jetrell Fo’s post. Frink isn’t disputing that. There was no hint that the criticisms highlighted in your post (via your substituted words) weren’t genuinely your stance though.
Well, that’s the problem with riffing on and subverting someone else’s post. Just like the Star Wars saga, it needs to rhyme 😉
By the way, just in case it isn’t clear, the only reason I wrote that post is that, just like Jay, I found it condescending.
Ironic that the master of sarcasm doesn’t understand sarcasm.
Luke, Leia, and Han didn’t share a scene. Luke didn’t speak. WORST MOVIE EVER.
What.
Well, I’ve heard those complaints from others, and I don’t know you from a hole in the forum, so there’s nothing that indicates sarcasm there.
Too subtle perhaps? My whole post was a riff on Jetrell Fo’s post (notice the similarities). He wrote: “My daughter and I had fun and finally got to see some of our favorite characters back on the big screen, together again, part of yet another adventure”. I don’t know what movie he saw, but if we assume that by favorite characters he meant Luke, Leia and Han, I did not see a movie where they were together again, part of an adventure. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like the movie because of that (though I did not like the movie, but for other reasons). Got it?
It’s clearly apparent that you were riffing on and subverting Jetrell Fo’s post. Frink isn’t disputing that. There was no hint that the criticisms highlighted in your post (via your substituted words) weren’t genuinely your stance though.
Exactly.
Ironic that the master of sarcasm doesn’t understand sarcasm.
Luke, Leia, and Han didn’t share a scene. Luke didn’t speak. WORST MOVIE EVER.
What.
Well, I’ve heard those complaints from others, and I don’t know you from a hole in the forum, so there’s nothing that indicates sarcasm there.
Too subtle perhaps? My whole post was a riff on Jetrell Fo’s post (notice the similarities). He wrote: “My daughter and I had fun and finally got to see some of our favorite characters back on the big screen, together again, part of yet another adventure”. I don’t know what movie he saw, but if we assume that by favorite characters he meant Luke, Leia and Han, I did not see a movie where they were together again, part of an adventure. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like the movie because of that (though I did not like the movie, but for other reasons). Got it?
It’s clearly apparent that you were riffing on and subverting Jetrell Fo’s post. Frink isn’t disputing that. There was no hint that the criticisms highlighted in your post (via your substituted words) weren’t genuinely your stance though.
Well, that’s the problem with riffing on and subverting someone else’s post. Just like the Star Wars saga, it needs to rhyme 😉
By the way, just in case it isn’t clear, the only reason I wrote that post is that, just like Jay, I found it condescending.
Aside from the fact that Frink is clearly the superior when it comes to sarcasm around here (compliment to Frink, 😃), you’re a tad late to the dance on the condescending issue. Your “riffing” needs some serious work if you’re going to get the reactions you seem to be expecting from those you jab.
@Jay
I am perfectly happy to agree to disagree with you. We all have expectations based on personal experiences. To be honest, I like to let the kid in me out to play and this movie was great for that considering I was a kid when Star Wars came out, as a fair number of us were. It was the kid I was that grew up loving Star Wars and the kid I still am when it came to enjoying TFA. Disney most certainly took the light side of the path with this film. They are introducing a new era of fans to something us old farts have loved for a long time. Did it need to be as PG as it was to make it’s start, maybe not, but it is my hope that more good will come from it than bad.
Cheers
Ironic that the master of sarcasm doesn’t understand sarcasm.
Luke, Leia, and Han didn’t share a scene. Luke didn’t speak. WORST MOVIE EVER.
What.
Well, I’ve heard those complaints from others, and I don’t know you from a hole in the forum, so there’s nothing that indicates sarcasm there.
Too subtle perhaps? My whole post was a riff on Jetrell Fo’s post (notice the similarities). He wrote: “My daughter and I had fun and finally got to see some of our favorite characters back on the big screen, together again, part of yet another adventure”. I don’t know what movie he saw, but if we assume that by favorite characters he meant Luke, Leia and Han, I did not see a movie where they were together again, part of an adventure. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like the movie because of that (though I did not like the movie, but for other reasons). Got it?
It’s clearly apparent that you were riffing on and subverting Jetrell Fo’s post. Frink isn’t disputing that. There was no hint that the criticisms highlighted in your post (via your substituted words) weren’t genuinely your stance though.
Well, that’s the problem with riffing on and subverting someone else’s post. Just like the Star Wars saga, it needs to rhyme 😉
By the way, just in case it isn’t clear, the only reason I wrote that post is that, just like Jay, I found it condescending.
Aside from the fact that Frink is clearly the superior when it comes to sarcasm around here (compliment to Frink, 😃), you’re a tad late to the dance on the condescending issue. Your “riffing” needs some serious work if you’re going to expect reactions from those you jab.
You and I have come so far…a single tear is forming in my eye right now.
Much respect to you!
Ironic that the master of sarcasm doesn’t understand sarcasm.
Luke, Leia, and Han didn’t share a scene. Luke didn’t speak. WORST MOVIE EVER.
What.
Well, I’ve heard those complaints from others, and I don’t know you from a hole in the forum, so there’s nothing that indicates sarcasm there.
Too subtle perhaps? My whole post was a riff on Jetrell Fo’s post (notice the similarities). He wrote: “My daughter and I had fun and finally got to see some of our favorite characters back on the big screen, together again, part of yet another adventure”. I don’t know what movie he saw, but if we assume that by favorite characters he meant Luke, Leia and Han, I did not see a movie where they were together again, part of an adventure. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like the movie because of that (though I did not like the movie, but for other reasons). Got it?
It’s clearly apparent that you were riffing on and subverting Jetrell Fo’s post. Frink isn’t disputing that. There was no hint that the criticisms highlighted in your post (via your substituted words) weren’t genuinely your stance though.
Well, that’s the problem with riffing on and subverting someone else’s post. Just like the Star Wars saga, it needs to rhyme 😉
By the way, just in case it isn’t clear, the only reason I wrote that post is that, just like Jay, I found it condescending.
Aside from the fact that Frink is clearly the superior when it comes to sarcasm around here (compliment to Frink, 😃), you’re a tad late to the dance on the condescending issue. Your “riffing” needs some serious work if you’re going to expect reactions from those you jab.
You and I have come so far…a single tear is forming in my eye right now.
Much respect to you!
And I edited it ever so slightly while you were posting (hope I didn’t skew the point in doing so) … LOL, and thanks.
😃
And to your point, I think fans ARE being more generous with TFA than they normally would. They’re just so happy that TFA didn’t completely suck that they’re willing to gloss over its obvious shortcomings and “enjoy the ride”.
I feel the opposite. It seems to me that some fans wouldn’t be happy with anything this movie was. IMO this movie had an incredibly high degree of difficulty, just as TPM had. But TPM failed, and TFA did not.
It’ll be interesting to see if TFA has as many fans 5 or 10 years from now as it does today. Everyone loves to claim today that they hated TPM when it came out, but out of all the Star Wars fans I knew back then, I don’t recall one saying they didn’t like it. That happened later.
I fully admit to the embarrassment of liking TPM. I saw it three times in the theater and bought it on DVD as soon as it came out. It took me a while to “get over it” although honestly, I still find some charm in much of it. It definitely sucks but I enjoy it on some levels as well. I honestly can’t see a situation where TFA is in that same boat. It doesn’t come close to sucking, and I don’t see how that will change in 5 or 10 years.
It’s true that Star Wars has always required a rather liberal suspension of disbelief. I was okay with that when I was 10. I’m not anymore.
To make a point you’ve been making, that came off as a bit condescending to those of us who like the film.
I guess what I’m saying is that I no longer accept the shortcomings of the previous films as an excuse for the latest film in the franchise not to aim any higher.
Do you accept the shortcomings of the OT? Seems like you do. If you ask me there were plenty of those, but they’re still great movies (too).
I want to go on record right now and say, I STILL enjoy TPM for what it is, long live Qui-Gon Jinn (a HUGE missed opportunity by Lucas).
I want to go on record right now and say, I STILL enjoy TPM for what it is, long live Qui-Gon Jinn (a HUGE missed opportunity by Lucas).
This. Theatrical cut has a great sound mix and was one of the pinnacles of 35mm exhibition.
VADER!? WHERE THE HELL IS MY MOCHA LATTE? -Palpy on a very bad day.
“George didn’t think there was any future in dead Han toys.”-Harrison Ford
YT channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader
I enjoyed TPM when I saw it in theaters but I was three years old. So of course I enjoyed it (for what it’s worth AOTC was the first movie that ever disappointed me).
But I’m an adult now and when I see a movie I don’t like I have no problem saying I don’t like it. If I saw a new Star Wars movie and didn’t like it, I’d be pretty annoyed and you can bet I’d let people know. But that’s not the case. I’ve seen this film three times now and it’s been amazing each time (only gets better). I don’t just like it, I LOVE it. It really feels like something special. Star Wars is finally back.
I saw TPM in theaters when I was 3 years old too but barely remember anything except for one scene. Pretty random, but it’s when Jar Jar, Qui-Gon, and Obi-Wan resurface in their water pod thing.
I don’t even have much recollection of me liking it or disliking it. I do distinctly recall having the VHS of it a year later, and felt ‘meh’ about it.
Funnily enough, I enjoyed AotC the most seeing Yoda flip around like that.
TFA experience wins by far though. All other times, it was just me and my dad since my brothers were either too young to go to a theater or not even born yet. This time, my dad AND my little brothers could all enjoy it!
The Rise of Failures
I had a pretty great time seeing this! When I saw EP 3 I managed to avoid all spoilers, got a ticket for the first showing of release day, and when I got there some guy was talking on his phone about all the spoilers he’d read online to the whole theatre. Not being able to see TFA until a few days after it opened I was expecting to be completely spoiled but the attitude online and in theatres has been great! Not having some dick spoil anything left the whole experience fresh and exciting even if it was a small-ish screen and 2D showing. Looking forward to going to an IMAX showing.
It’s true that Star Wars has always required a rather liberal suspension of disbelief. I was okay with that when I was 10. I’m not anymore.
To make a point you’ve been making, that came off as a bit condescending to those of us who like the film.
My apologies. It was a simple statement of fact, but I can see how that it would come off as condescending.
I guess what I’m saying is that I no longer accept the shortcomings of the previous films as an excuse for the latest film in the franchise not to aim any higher.
Do you accept the shortcomings of the OT? Seems like you do. If you ask me there were plenty of those, but they’re still great movies (too).
I’m not going to address your response point by point because we simply don’t see TFA the same way and we could go back and forth for hours, but I will respond to this. My biggest problem with TFA isn’t the liberal application of Star Wars logic, though I do wish it were more like ESB than ANH in that regard. (I don’t think many here would dispute that ESB is the smartest and most put-together of the OT.) What I don’t like is the lazy script. I don’t like that it requires a lot of “well maybe this and maybe that” to justify characters’ motives. I don’t like Death Star III and the lame, boring “battle” to destroy it. And Snope is a villain I’d expect to see in a Harry Potter movie.
I’ve seen 30 years’ worth of films between the OT and now, and while I can accept a certain amount of silly logic, I can’t accept lazy writing that’s too scared to try something different while simultaneously punting so much to the next installment.
There are things I like about TFA (see my initial review), which is why I’m not completely shitting on it and saying it’s as bad as the prequels. That’s absurd. But I don’t rank it as highly at ROTJ because its script is even more derivative and it has even fewer great moments. There were some scenes I really liked and I enjoyed much of the first half, but I was bored through most of it. I don’t see how that will improve upon repeat viewings.
MTFBWY…A
I agree with TV’s Frink in that this movie will not end up like TPM in a few years. This movie, while it had its faults, still certainly has a lot of great moments in it that are undeniably thrilling. I’m not the biggest fan of TFA, but I definitely understand why people think it’s great.
The Person in Question
I agree with TV’s Frink in that this movie will not end up like TPM in a few years.
I’m not saying TFA will be as panned as TPM in 5 years. I was only trying to illustrate a point. I do think some of the glowing reviews will give way to more realistic appraisals, though.
This movie, while it had its faults, still certainly has a lot of great moments in it that are undeniably thrilling.
We’ll have to agree to disagree on this 😃
MTFBWY…A
Okay just seen the film.
It’s Okay.
Generally speaking everyone gives a good performance, Leia doesn’t do much. Max Von might as well be someone else. Artoo does next to nothing but sleep (maybe Artoo is the Force). But in terms of general cast performances it’s better than Jedi.
What this film lacks in performances is a power house like the relationship between Luke and Palpatine to lift it above ROTJ.
When the Emperor reveals his trap to Luke we get a genuine sense of peril. There is also a ripple of excitement when Luke ignites his saber. This film has whole worlds destroyed (was that really Coruscant they blew up there?) and kills off a beloved major character and I didn’t feel it.
Well not enough.
Stylistically this film lacks the grasp of visual language that the first film had in spades. The opening shot of Star Wars told us all we needed to know about the world we were entering. It was the Jaws poster with spaceships. The Empire is the shark, the good guys are being eaten alive. The Death Star battle had amazingly designed stages to it leading to that trench which focused us to the target. The same is true of the Hoth battle and The Asteroid Chase in ESB. This film had very little of that. Only the escape through the guts of a super-ISD had something of that level design.
Plot… see ANH same story different faces. I have no real problem with that as such but I feel that some the problem I have connecting to this film is it’s constructed in a very cynical way but in a more skilled cynical way than the PT or even ROTJ
It is designed to milk my nostalgia teets and I want to be romanced first. I felt the death of Obi-Wan far more than the death of Han and Han was my childhood hero while Ben, I’d only just met.
I love the new characters, they work so much better than the old ones do in this film that I can’t help but suspect the film would be better off reducing all the OT appearances to even less and just have Luke as the main returning player. I certainly would have seen more of Max Von Sydow and would have sacrificed a bit of Carrie’s screen time to do it. The look on Luke’s face was astonishing. Holding back on Hamill was a mistake but it’s not going to harm the box office of this film.
The new cast are equal to the original cast in terms of performances (BB8 is the star of course) but they deserved to appear in a better film than this one. Hopefully the rest of the trilogy will give them more to do. They deserve the success that Harrison Ford achieved in later life.
My hopes are that in new films, new plots that aren’t just a list of references to the other films are made so if the next one opens with a resistance base being attacked by the First Order looking for Ray who is being taught by Luke who had to leave to save her friends. I will be pissed off beyond words so watch this space. The Knights of Ren and Kylo’s Master are interesting. We only see a supersized hologram so really anyone could be behind this. I notice Kylo gets a scar to match his mentor. Could there be time travel in the Star Wars universe? Could he be corrupting himself by visiting the past? Still pissed it’s not Leia. She would be so much better as a villain than as a General.
Interesting how many people are watching it more than once. Is it because it’s Star Wars or because you think the movie was that good?
BTW I hope a home video release will have lots of deleted scenes.
I watched TPM several times because I wanted to believe I had missed everything that great about it. I only discovered more bad things and then came AOTC.
I liked it!!!..???
That’s kind of how I feel. Emphatically I guess I kind of liked it.
Is this film a sacrificial baffle? Is its sole purpose to set up the rest of the trilogy? Is its only job to bring us back into this galaxy? The characters are good…not Han, Luke and Leia good but they’re likable. At least some portion of my overall general positive outlook on TFA is due to the fact that there is hope for a director to come in and take the characters JJ established and make a better movie.
But then again…we may have to come to grips with the fact that attempts at additional sagas may prove futile.
I have a feeling that in retrospect, a handful of one-off standalone films may tower over any and all future sagas.
Holy!
Where were you in '77?