While I appreciate the use of Latin to sound educated in your arguments/attacks; Lizard and Duracell, you might want to take a few moments away from the discussion.
That’s a hint, fellas.
Looks like the second IMAX poster was finally released. There was so much time between them that I honestly forgot this was even going to be a thing.http://www.imax.com/sites/default/files/IMAXAMC_DanMumford_2of4.jpg
I’m digging them. Really nice to see a style so far removed from the usual. They give the image room to breathe.
Joe, I logged in specifically to post this second one for you. Good job, sir. 😉
What are the thoughts on the crudely fashioned Rebel fighter doll we see at Rey’s house? Obviously she made it, but why? Is it possibly someone who brought her there and she’s trying to stay connected to them emotionally?
It reminded me of an episode of Doctor Who. A small girl meets the Doctor one evening and thinks he’s coming back for her. We meet her later in her life as an adult and in one scene inside her house you can see she had made a similar doll as a way to deal with the emotional distress of him having never returned.
For the record; I thought it was handled perfectly in Force Awakens. I don’t want a Lucastyle® explanation of every bit of minutiae. Much like Star Wars77, that’s where the fun of using your imagination comes in. I’m just curious as to what the board thinks.
And we have our first member named for a sequel character, I think?
I believe so. And - I’m a little bit jealous. 😉
When can we pre-order? That’s right, my Star Wars DVD collection is about to double in size. 😉. Already have the soundtrack and the novelization. Alan Dean Foster. Awesome. Someone who wrote the sequel to Star Wars and has a firm understanding of The GFFA.
joefavs said:
I would certainly be interested in seeing a scan and/or photo of that menu. I’m always excited to see Star Wars themed cocktails. When I was visiting friends in upstate New York this past summer we went to a bar that had the Wampa, the Kessel Run, and the Moff Tarkin on their drink list. Made my night.
http://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/888610
Alamo Drafthouse page;
https://drafthouse.com/news/star-wars-menu-specials-falcon
^I noticed it but couldn’t get a good look at it either time I saw it because the shot was so damn dark. I’m hoping the blu ray is a little clearer.
If I’m thinking of the right alien, it looked just like the first one we see in the cantina scene in ANH–the one with the triangular head.
That’s who I thought it was also.
Just got back from my second viewing. Even better than the first time. Without the shock of being back in the Star Wars universe visually after decades away, I was able to pay more attention to the details. Too many deep/fun/neat/moving things to mention at once.
One part I found particularly fun was Finn when he gets to confront Phasma after their roles are somewhat reversed. I like that he calls her by last name only.
“That’s right, Phasma, I’m in charge now! I’m in charge! You want me to blow that bucket off your head? Lower the shield”
Oh, and since it was an evening viewing I ordered from the special Star Wars menu. Had a Tatooine Sunset. A rum drink served on the rocks in a pint glass. Fantastic! Glad I lifted the menu. I can make them at home. I raised my glass during the crawl. To my new favorite Star Wars film. Feel like I’ve been waiting on this as long as Rey had been waiting for her family.
Did we get a glimpse of a Jawa without a hood over its head? Small, mechanical, similar clothes. Went by quickly.
He doesn’t want it. He considers his ministry to the new Jedi a failure because it resulted in the perversion of his best friend’s son. This is also why he removed himself from civilization. He may even know his lost student just killed his best friend. He retired in shame, which means removing himself from activity - activity for a Jedi is wielding that thing she wants him to take.
I think that’s it exactly. He doesn’t look happy to see her.
If they really had to have Starkiller base, I think the Resistance ought to have failed to destroy it (only disabled it). This would have subverted our expectations and made it less of a rehash of ANH/ROTJ. Also it would have made it much darker (Han died for nothing, and Luke is now the Last Hope for the galaxy, just as he was once the NEW Hope).
That would have been an excellent way to handle it.
8 out of 10.
My only knock; I don’t find Kylo or Snoke very interesting. However, it has nothing to do with their performances or the story.
For the record, I never thought Vader or the Emperor were very interesting. Not in 1977/1980 - not now. Particularly the Emperor. Snoke, so far, isn’t any different for me. My touchstones in 1977 were Luke, Han, and Chewie. Now they’re Rey, Han, and Chewie.
While I’m mentioning changes; I prefer the Han of 2015 over the Han of 1977. Han is no longer the shallow and selfish rogue I looked up to in 1977 and I’m no longer the 15-year-old kid I was back then. Young Han connected for me then, older and deeper Han connects for me now.
That was a great part of the film for me.
No need to get all anti-agenda-y, though I certainly don’t mind feminism in film. It was showing her lonerism and distrust
I agree. It was a perfect representation of someone who lives a truly solitary existence. I thought her dislike of the hand-grab showed the level at which she has adjusted to being singular in the universe. She’s become so desensitized to bad, danger, terrible, etc that in the midst of an attack, someone handling her is what bothers her the most. I thought it was one of her better moments.
Wish we had Alamo around here, they continue to sound awesome.
And yes, Yoda was supposed to have a pet snake. Wonder if he ever had a name?
Now that I think about it, I remember Luke moving it away from the stew pot.
One more Alamo deal. They have a pretty extensive menu and serve during the film. Each seat has a small table. For Star Wars, they had a themed menu and this menu card was on each table. Kept mine.
I got to the theater about 30 minutes early. As usual with Alamo Drafthouse, the pre-film ads and such are tailored to the feature. In this case it was a bunch of old Kenner toy adds from the late 70s/early 80s. Crazy what a cultural phenomenon it’s been for so long. One was for the toy Yoda Is Your Father has as his avatar. I never did understand that snake part.
edit
Here it is.
I forgot, but was Chewie with Rey as she went to see Luke?
Both Chewie and R2 went with her.
BB-8 wasn’t there as he (it?) was reunited with Poe. I’m getting the feeling that Rey will inherit not only the Falcon, but that R2 and Chewie will become her companions in the next films.
This 1977 fan would like that a great deal. I’d prefer BB-8, but I understand. He doesn’t belong to her.
how references to the original trilogy were handled in the prequels make Lucas seem like a master of subtlety…
Is that the feeling a lot of other Star Wars fans have that have already seen it?
No.
I forgot, but was Chewie with Rey as she went to see Luke?
Yeah, I hope he digs it.
Really nice article. I agree with a lot of this. http://birthmoviesdeath.com/2015/12/18/kylo-ren-is-the-centerpiece-of-star-wars-the-force-awakens
Excellent assessment.
There very well could be a psychological aspect to putting on the mask. And Kylo hero worships Vader, not Anakin.
True. Wasn’t looking at it in-universe. I do like that he freely removes it occasionally. He really is conflicted.
Dug it. I’ll post a more thorough review after a second viewing (ticket already purchased for Tuesday).
For me the highlight of the film, the meat, are anything Rey and Solo. Outstanding job by Daisy and Mr. Ford. I’ll add Chewie to that core also. He was a bigger 1977 touchstone for me than I had anticipated. Also excellent are Isaacs and Boyega. Poe is a fantastic addition to the family. Finn is an interesting take on a Stormtrooper, one which was similarly addressed in a Zahn novel.
Driver did a great job but the character is so vile that it makes it hard to want to see more of him. Fisher was ok. I’m not a big fan of hers, so her limited role was ok by me. I don’t see 1977 when I look at her the way I see it in Han and Luke.
My only real criticisms; Kylo didn’t need the mask (Marketing and Vader tie-in) and the last 30 minutes or so felt rushed.
Highlight moment; Rey and Luke scene was perfect.
More after the next viewing and some settling. Not being a Star Wars film person anymore (and for so long), it was a lot to take in and process.
I really did not like Finn. First, I still find it improbable that there would be a black stormtrooper. In the original trilogy, all of the Imperials were white human males.
This is not the forum you are looking for. waves hand
I agree.
This also needs to be the end of that tangent to the reviews.
Here’s the start of some of my reviews. The thread can get a little unwieldy since it’s years in the making. There are almost certainly spoilers scattered throughout.
The Thrawn series, the Mara Jade stories, and the Hand Of Judgement stories would make excellent films (all Zahn).
http://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/523882
I think you’ll find that a huge portion of the fan base credits the Thrawn series with extending the franchise beyond Return Of The Jedi. It had been long dormant until that novel.
For me, Zahn’s work is second only to the NPR version of Star Wars among my personal canon. After that, I’d definitely add the Daley trilogy of Han Solo novels. We have a thread dedicated to EU, with tons of reviews. I’ve put several myself, but I seem to remember they have mild spoilers. I’ll find some and check before I put in the link.
