Finally got to go. Did the RPX big screen at the same theater where I saw TPM opening week in Dolby EX.
…
The film I was most reminded of while watching this besides STAR WARS? (Abrams TREK reboots I haven’t seen, because I know nothing of ST.) SUPERMAN RETURNS.
Why did Luke do the SR thing? Why? And why and HOW IN THE WORLD did everything suddenly go to hell after dancing in the Ewok village?
So many questions, so many problems, so much that I simply didn’t care about. All this is going to be pure post-screening conjecture and randomness–not a cohesive review as of yet.
The spirit is gone for me. I felt more in even ROTS, which was my most disliked of the prequels. Sure the new characters were great and there were flashes of sparkle in the dialogue here and there and practically whenever Harrison opened his mouth. But that was it. The story continually goes back to SW for no reason. There is nothing new developed, no new plot threads, no new anything other than the three leads. (Well, two leads really.)
And then we have the stuff that felt badly ripped out of the most cliched of the EU, i.e. the Kylo Ren stuff. And then…I said to myself just get it over with guys, you want to kill off Han, and then the scene appeared and they stretched it out forever before finally just giving Harrison what he wanted in 1983.
Nothing is really explained; such as how can there be a New Republic and still be a Civil War, how do the factions fit in if there is a new government and why does the government back a side, where did all the Imperials come from if not a Remnant, what’s up with the brainwashed armies, are both leads meant to be Force-sensitive, What exactly does Rey’s backstory mean, who/how/what is the main vilain…and I could go on and on.
I just…didn’t buy any of it really. I wasn’t involved in the story and couldn’t believe the degree to which they just said f*** it let’s use the original story elements because they worked and are the opposite of the Prequels that the fans hated.
It felt as if the original cast and icons are being dangled in front of us to entice both the heart and the wallet to open.
I feel like I just watched a big fan film derived from a truly bad non-canon EU novel. It looked horribly fake to me, and not the CG ships like I thought it would be–no what I abhorred was how bad the sets looked-particularly the quasi-Imperial ones. To my eyes nothing really fit together, and this was compounded by shooting 35mm stock and then apparently deciding to remove the grain in post. With all the digital effects whizzing about it was the less technical moments I could start to get into.
And boy was the music quoting in the final fight truly weird. I didn’t expect it at all and it was truly jarring to me.
I simply don’t know right now. But it sure wasn’t STAR WARS for me. I’d take even Jar Jar stepping in the poop. Or coarse sand. Or even love has blinded you. Or better yet just bring back the EU.
They should have just done HEIR years ago. Now who knows what the heck Disney will put out every year. Young Han movie…great…just great…
Seriously bummed guys, but I’m glad so many enjoyed themselves.
I can hear George going: “See…it’s not easy to not have another Death Star!”
The sound mix was un-inventive. Perhaps worst of all was the JW score, especially since he understands these so well and truly made the Prequels watchable.
I’m just still in WTF just happened mode. And I too am convinced they digitally softened and altered all of Carrie’s closeups.
