Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (USE SPOILER TAGS!)

[dvdmike]

Originally Posted by Wilkix

[Show spoiler]I don't really understand why they cast The Raid guys and they didn't do a damn thing but get slaughtered by the Rathgars? Other than minor quibble though I thought the movie was perfect.

See my post 3 above yours

[ZoetMB]

Originally Posted by Tony208

Kips bay 15

Will never go there again

Are you sure you didn't mix up the times with the AMC 34th Street (West side)?

The Kips Bay is usually an okay theater, although I had a problem there twice on different screens where the center channel was coming out of the left screen speaker. One time it was for "Hugo" - I forget what movie it was the other time. Then I went to another AMC theater and the same thing happened. I figure the same person must have wired up the processor and/or amps and got his colors wrong or something.

If you don't care about 3D, you should have gone to the AMC Empire 25 and paid extra to see it on the AMC Prime - Dolby Vision/Atmos screen (#6, I think). That's a much better experience for any film (although I haven't seen Star Wars VII as yet).

[Wilkix]

Originally Posted by dvdmike

See my post 3 above yours

Ah I didn't know that, alright that makes sense then.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by MasturB

[Show spoiler]If you watch him, he's yelling and shouting, exerting too much energy. And his offense looks amateur, while his defense looks desperate.

So yeah IMO he looks awkward.

Wait you mean a guy who's never held a Lightsaber in his life is awkward at fighting with a Lightsaber?

[Mahatma]

Originally Posted by L-Rouge

that is interesting. I have to say I loved the ship scenes in 3d. The Falcon weaving through the derelict Star Destroyer, the ties and x-wings the planet with the asteroid ring field, I couldn't believe how smooth the firepower looked as it was being shot toward the viewers.

Our cinema is 4k (and can do 48fps), so it looked super crisp.

the opening scroll I was too invested in the visual and then remembered I had to read the content. scim reading ensued.

there was

[Show spoiler]one prominent star destroyer visual which looked tremendous, as it sat in front of the death star 3. it was terrific.

Granted,there was one scene in which the front of a star destroyer just bounced on the tip of my nose But that was the one moment I felt the 3D worked like a charm.I'll see the next one in 2D I think,unless they make the times it view nigh on impossible for me to see.

[Megalith]

Am I the only one who noticed that they ****ed up the sound of Anakin's lightsaber igniting?

[HeavyHitter]

One smaller complaint I had was with the audio:

[Show spoiler]...the explosive firework sounding crackling effects were cool initially (actually thought the surround speakers were damaged at first or something as it was so fricken' loud) but they kind of went overboard with it but that seems to be a tendency with Abrams on some things. I also didn't like how C3P0 sounded a little different, but that's 30 more years or wear and tear on him. I would have liked a male for the Stormtrooper leader (whatever her name is...the female voice didn't work for me).

[KMFDMvsEnya]

Sixty year old lightsaber sounds a little different when igniting?

The horror.

I thought the Atmos was pretty good, more dynamic than Mad Max but I didn't feel that the overheads were used to their full potential. Still preferred using some hearing protection while watching. Tried a bit without but still uncomfortable.

Also felt that this film could have been titled as The Falcon Awakens.

Best regards,
KvE

[Rodney-2187]

When does the blu-ray release? I feel like I've been waiting forever for it!

[stvn1974]

Originally Posted by Megalith

Am I the only one who noticed that they ****ed up the sound of Anakin's lightsaber igniting?

At least Lucas didn't direct or the lightsaber would have changed colors ever other scene.

[Samus Aran]

Has this been brought up in the thread yet?

Rogue Star Wars fans threaten to ruin The Force Awakens via 'spoiler jihad'

A group of Star Wars fans are threatening to spoil The Force Awakens, the latest episode in the franchise, on social media unless studio Disney agrees to film the saga’s abandoned “expanded universe” stories.

Lucasfilm executives announced in April 2014 that only the six Star Wars feature films, as well as the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars series, were considered part of the saga’s official canon. They also said that the new series of films, of which JJ Abrams’ The Force Awakens is the first installment, would not draw on the hundreds of Star Wars novels and comic books published in the wake of success of the original trilogy.

An online organization going by the moniker The Alliance to Preserve the Expanded Universe has been campaigning ever since for Disney to change its mind, for fear that characters such as Mara Jade, Jacen Solo and Cade Skywalker will be consigned forever to the garbage compactor of history. Now, members have been caught making threats to reveal The Force Awakens’ deepest secrets via social media in a process dubbed “spoiler jihadi” in online circles.

While a number of groups promoting the campaign have already been shut down by Facebook, members are threatening to pop up with spoilers anywhere that Star Wars fans are likely to discuss the new film.

“I have held my vivid tongue waiting for the movie. After it’s released, well, the gates of hell shall be released,” wrote campaigner Roberto Carlos Moscono on Facebook. “I will see it on Wednesday at midnight, so I will have all Thursday to spoil it before anyone else sees it in the US.”

.....

SOURCE: The Guardian

So is this a case of too much free time or out of whack priorities or both? An admin for the group claims this wasn't their intention and that some of their members have gone rogue.

[The Lizard King]

Originally Posted by Another_Dude

More importantly, how soon is the first

[Show spoiler]Wilhelm Scream

?

I think I heard

[Show spoiler]it when Poe and Finn escape the Starkiller Base with the tie fighter. Finn was blasting away at the stormtroopers at the time.

[KMFDMvsEnya]

I had heard about it as well. These "hardcore enthusiast" fans are being spoiled children.
Similar to the GamerGate brats.

As it has been said, some folks will only be happy when the world burns.

It is largely why I have been avoiding pretty much any place that permits commentary. The twits have been infecting even the least likely of places.

Best regards,
KvE

[The Lizard King]

After one viewing:

1. TESB
2. ANH
3. TFA
4. ROTJ




5. ROTS










6. TPM






















7. AOTC

[Blu Titan]

Just got out a few moments ago and we had a great time . Excellent Star Wars movie and really like the new characters..including the new droid . I will post more at lenght from home .

[Samus Aran]

Originally Posted by KMFDMvsEnya

I had heard about it as well. These "hardcore enthusiast" fans are being spoiled children.
Similar to the GamerGate brats.

As it has been said, some folks will only be happy when the world burns.

It is largely why I have been avoiding pretty much any place that permits commentary. The twits have been infecting even the least likely of places.

Best regards,
KvE

Someone was posting spoilers in the YouTube comments of a Conan O'Brien Star Wars spoof video. Why?

[s2mikey]

Just saw it a few hours ago. Not going to say much here other than Im very pleased overall. Im a satisfied customer.

Some points and likely spoilers:

[Show spoiler]GREAT:
- Loved the characters & portrayal of them. We have some new people to take a ride with now. I like it a lot.
- Paid enough homage to the originals without going overboard.
- Han/Chewie.... loved it. Nothing else to say.
- The battles were tight and well filmed. NOT overly long like superhero movies or whatever and they mattered in the context of the story.
- Kylo & what he does at the end really grabbed me. Love the helmet removal scene, it almost reminded of Anakin at that age. Similar look and demeanor between Kylo and Anakin.
- Nice pacing and editing.
- Ending scene was brilliant.

NOT SO GREAT:
- Snoke is a stupid co-villian and the whole idea of him having Kylo on a leash weakens Kylo a bit. And, we know nothing about this Snoke fella so his destiny or motivations mean nothing to me. Blah on him.
- Many common plot points were used so there was a feeling of "been here before" with that. Droids hiding secret data, Inter-family issues with good/bad, large bad guy death star thing has to be blown up again. Felt recycled to me at times.
- The empire or First Order didnt learn their lesson. Another super huge planet-destroying entity blown to bits by 1-man fighters & a small team of people. Again. They never learn. It was a cool weapon but still a little shady.

Overall? Liked it a lot and the positives far outweight the negatives. A few things WERE predictable but others werent. Ill take the balance between the two.

Psyched to have SW BACK in the thick of things

[dvdmike]

Originally Posted by The Lizard King

I think I heard

[Show spoiler]it when Poe and Finn escape the Starkiller Base with the tie fighter. Finn was blasting away at the stormtroopers at the time.

100% correct

[ZoetMB]

Originally Posted by MasturB

I just want the prequels to be recognized in the same manner as original, maybe even slightly below. They aren't trash like the haters make out.

No spoilers, but just in case anyone doesn't want to read about the prequels again or my opinions of the prequels again, especially because this is the VII thread:

Trash? No. Incredibly and surprisingly flawed? Absolutely.

[Show spoiler]We've been through it all before: Lucas trying to please young and old and in the end, pleasing nobody. A film that has Jar Jar and a 10-year-old boy in which the main plot is a trade federation blockade and a sophisticated political grab for power. People who can understand the mechanisms of that plot hate the kids stuff and kids can't understand the latter. Two terrible lead performances, although mainly because of the sappy dialog - add some nudity and you've got a soft-core porn romance -- that's the level of the dialog and acting. A Padme/Amidala character that has a completely different persona, voice and dialect in those two roles, to be confused further by the use of her decoy Sabé - how is any kid expected to understand this? Not to mention that first we have Anakin's annoying "puppy love" and then he basically becomes a stalker. A large group of innocent children are killed and yet kids are expected to think it's "cool" to dress up and act like Vader. It's amazing that a generation of kids didn't become schizophrenics after watching these three movies.

Scripts that conflict with the OT even while trying to write around them. As I've posted many times before, an ending that makes no sense: Anakin turns to the dark side to protect his family...fine...he's essentially Michael Corleone, but without a father...I can buy that. But once he learns that Padme is dead, there's no logical reason for him to follow the Emperor, especially after the Emperor laughs in his face.

How much effort went into the dialog? Somehow, I can't picture any decent screenwriter spending time and effort that a film of such a budget demands and coming up with a line for Anakin/Vader in the climax of the trilogy of "I hate you!". That's not the sound of someone turning to evil, that's the sound of a spoiled little girl. I saw a "Making of..." documentary once and after Lucas spending lots of time on the costumes and ships, etc., he says (paraphrased) "I'd better start writing this thing". I think that's why we got stuck with such bad writing - the screenplay really wasn't his priority.

The upside? I thought that Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor were fine in their roles and that aspect of the story was fine. But I also still wonder whether Lucas' intent was to make the Jedi look like failures and fools, because as far as I'm concerned, everything the Jedi ever did in those films turned out to be completely wrong. If Lucas intended for them to look like fools and to tell us to not put our trust in religions claiming to do good, then it was genius. But if he didn't intend that, the plot completely backfired.

Most critics also complain about the excessive CGI, although I'll admit that that never bothered me all that much. These aren't beautiful movies (in the sense that Lawrence of Arabia is a beautiful movie), but IMO, they do look good. Except in one fight scene, where one of the characters moves in such a way that they look like a small puppet, I actually thought the effects were okay. But I've only seen them twice - once in a theater and once on Blu-ray and I probably fast-forwarded through a lot of the BD.

[Megalith]

The prequels are amazing because of John Williams. The fact that even Williams couldn't give TFA a good score confirms how bland and empty it is.