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

[dvdmike]

Originally Posted by Brodo Faggins

I didn't think the 3D was too bad. It had subtle depth throughout.

Had a few pop out moments also, the star destroyer and a few sparks wafted out of the screen

[dvdmike]

Originally Posted by Sky_Captain

I'm doing a 9:45am showing tomorrow.
Will do breakfast somewhere in town and then toodle on over to the cinema.

I did 10am got there 1:30 early and there was a massive queue.
But only for the 9am weirdly, in the smaller screen

[Adam_ME]

BTW, for those who think The Force Awakens was a giant ripoff of the original Star Wars and Return of the Jedi while Lucas' prequels all had original stories, let's not forget that The Phantom Menace featured

[Show spoiler]a young Force-sensitive kid being found and taken from a desert world and then concluded with a lightsaber duel and a battle centered around taking out a circular space station.

I remember distinctly when Episode I came out that people pointed out(and rightly so) how Lucas essentially borrowed heavily from the original trilogy. Hell, replace the Ewoks on Endor with Gungans on Naboo and Han in the shield generator with Padme and Panaka in the Palace, and you pretty much have the final 20 minutes of Jedi. Both even ended with a funeral pyre before a big celebration.

[jabbercash]

Saw this last night. I definitely had a good time. This is, for me at least, the best Star Wars since the original. I loved the mix of practical effects and CGI, and thought the cinematography was fantastic. The action scenes are the best of the series.

The new character were very likeable and are not just overshadowed by the original characters we've come to love. JJ, you did a good job....but you could have done better. I think the only character I didn't care for was Kylo Ren. He just felt like generic sci-fi villain. I also think the story is weak, and convoluted. The plot starts off to be one thing, and then sort of just meanders. The plot also feels like a rehash at times, trying to remind you how good the original was.

At times it just felt like fanfiction, they try to throw in every single classic Star Wars thing that it doesn't feel that genuine. I'll say this though, even though I found the story fairly weak, in terms of dialogue, this is the best. None of those corny jokes or cheesy one liners.

Aside from some forced humor, the dialogue think the film starts off really promising with its electric first half, but I felt it sort of lost steam by the end. I couldn't help but feel slightly underwhelmed. Don't get me wrong though, this was a great movie. I had a whole lot of fun and I thought it was really enjoyable. I give it 8.5/10

[Blu Titan]

My son skipped the last day of school before Christmas break and joined me here...for the IMAX 1:20 showing. Lights are still on in theater...so I can use the phone to post .

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Adam_ME

BTW, for those who think The Force Awakens was a giant ripoff of the original Star Wars and Return of the Jedi while Lucas' prequels all had original stories, let's not forget that The Phantom Menace featured

[Show spoiler]a young Force-sensitive kid being found and taken from a desert world and then concluded with a lightsaber duel and a battle centered around taking out a circular space station.

I remember distinctly when Episode I came out that people pointed out(and rightly so) how Lucas essentially borrowed heavily from the original trilogy. Hell, replace the Ewoks on Endor with Gungans on Naboo and Han in the shield generator with Padme and Panaka in the Palace, and you pretty much have the final 20 minutes of Jedi. Both even ended with a funeral pyre before a big celebration.

Yes, I've always expected the PT to mirror the OT's plot structures, and they did. Never saw a problem with that - I even appreciated how AOTC reversed TESB's plot by putting the big battle at the end.

I'll see TFA on Sunday, knowing that it'll mirror ANH, but I don't expect it to bug me personally like it seems to bug everyone else.

[Lionel Horsepackage]

Originally Posted by Adam_ME

BTW, for those who think The Force Awakens was a giant ripoff of the original Star Wars and Return of the Jedi while Lucas' prequels all had original stories, let's not forget that The Phantom Menace featured

[Show spoiler]a young Force-sensitive kid being found and taken from a desert world and then concluded with a lightsaber duel and a battle centered around taking out a circular space station.

To be sure, though, it actually was an enemy cruiser the Naboo pilots were trying to destroy at the end, there, not any kind of space station. The end space battle of The Phantom Menace foreshadows the later Battle of Yavin in microcosm, on a much, much smaller scale (one fighter squadron vs. one battleship, as opposed to an enormous, planet-destroying space station), which I find kinda interesting on a thematic level.

[NzYme]

SOB I can't wait to see this flick. Took Monday off to go see it. Gotta go off grid for a couple of days :P

[klauswhereareyou]

Come on Prequel apologists, J.J. isn't being unoriginal, he's RHYMING!!!!!

[Adam_ME]

Originally Posted by Lionel Horsepackage

To be sure, though, it actually was an enemy cruiser the Naboo pilots were trying to destroy at the end, there, not any kind of space station. The end space battle of The Phantom Menace foreshadows the later Battle of Yavin in microcosm, on a much, much smaller scale (one fighter squadron vs. one battleship, as opposed to an enormous, planet-destroying space station), which I find kinda interesting on a thematic level.

Queue George Lucas' "it's like poetry, it rhymes" clip. The reason I cut The Force Awakens way more slack than The Phantom Menace is that it was well-acted, directed, and edited. TPM was butchered in the editing room(especially the score) during the Battle of Naboo. There were numerous cringe-worthy moments like Jar Jar's antics, Anakin piloting the ship and accidentally saving the day, an overly-choreographed lightsaber duel, and Portman sounding about as bored as humanly possible in her scenes.

There is genuine tension in the final act of TFA. Ford does some of his best acting in years. The lightsaber duel(s) looked like an actual swordfight. And the editing is miles better than TPM(although the space battle is cut away from for a long time at one point). I don't mind derivative if it's done effectively. Creed being the best recent example I can think of.

[ScarredLungs]

Loved it! 5/5 for me

[Dynamo of Eternia]

Originally Posted by Shallow_

The more I think about the film, the less I find I am loving it.

Dont get me wrong, its still a great movie, but it ends up being more of a reboot than an Episode 7.

If this is the Level of (un)originality we would have gotten had the prequels been directed by ppl other than Lucas, than I am forever grateful that Lucas had the balls to take the helm himself.

Lucas was always a good "ideas" man. He just wasn't the best director (especially when it comes to directing actors.. though that's not his only short coming). Things tend to work best for him and SW when his ideas are filtered through someone who can really bring them to life. And I think that is a HUGE part of why The Empire Strikes Back is held in such high esteem.

There were some really good ideas in the prequels, but the execution was largely poor.

With this new movie, I would say that execution was well done for the most part, but what the executed was largely a rehash of ANH with a few new elements and "twists" (most predictable ones) mixed in.

[master_8ball]

5/5 loved it, smiled the whole time (okay maybe not that time). Saw in 3D IMAX, as much as I like 3D I find it suffered the same way that the last Trek did. Too much going on screen for 3D, exp. in the space battle scenes; things just become a bit of a blur. Considering I saw this with ATMOS I expected the score to be much louder and there were a couple times when I had expected loud explosion sounds yet there was none.

Most important to me is that this felt and looked like a Star Wars movie

Few minor story grips:

[Show spoiler]Kylo would have wiped the floor with Finn in the saber battle
Kylo should not have been unmasked, after that scene the villain just wasn't as sinister or mysterious.
Death Star version 3.0, looked cool but they could have come up with some other plot device that's a little more original.

[RickDee]

Loved it! 4.5/5 for me. Not quite SW or TESB but at least tied with ROTJ if not a tad better! It finally felt like a SW movie again! Not that crap from 99-05!

[format916]

almost as bad as jurassic world.

[klauswhereareyou]

Originally Posted by format916

almost as bad as jurassic world.

Is it worse than Jurassic Park III, or The Relic?

[Ant1010]

I'm not a big Star Wars fan however I have seen all of them and Enjoy the original 3 and hated the prequels. I dont love them or obsess over them but I think they are decent movies. With that being said I got around to seeing this last night and I must say it most

[Show spoiler]definitely felt like a reboot of the franchise but not thrown in your face because of the returning cast. Almost like what X-Men DOFP did, give a nod to the original characters and fans in a nice way. I think without Hans Solo and Chewie being the main part of this movie I found it pretty average and dull. Rey and Finn I thought did a decent job but there was nothing amazing about their characters. Rey is a little more interesting because we know they're is much left in her story, But Finn I really have no interest in.(never cared about a stormtrooper in the past, still don't care now). My biggest issue was the main villain, he was not threatening at all, I really wished he kept his mask on even when he kills his father (which I also thought wasn't all as emotional as it should have been for a beloved character). Now if i look at this movie as a reboot which is clearly how it is, I enjoyed it. I didn't love it nor hate it but I was entertained. The cinematography was fantastic and the set pieces were great. JJ did a great job bringing back the old Star Wars vibe and the way the movie ended makes me want to know whats next. I can see why Star Wars fans are loving this because of the nostalgia factor is in full force with the returning cast. But non Star Wars fans may be on the fence with this one after viewing. Overall I would give it a 3 out of 5

[RickDee]

Originally Posted by Harry Güchenschlong

I wanted to love this movie so bad... ended up being disappointed on so many levels.

After seeing this, Lucas deserves a lot of apologies from A LOT of people. There is no way people can shred the prequels to pieces and not do the same to this movie because it is a colossal mess.

hahaha nice try. Attack of the prequel fanboys!

Next

[Goldensuitcase]

I'm kind of at a loss as to how many people are showing displeasure in this. What was not to enjoy? The characters were likeable and charismatic. The plot was good and the development of it all was great. The villain was interesting. The lead was awesome. The cinematography was outstanding and the music was perfect.

What exactly did you people want?

[RickDee]

Originally Posted by Goldensuitcase

I'm kind of at a loss as to how many people are showing displeasure in this. What was not to enjoy? The characters were likeable and charismatic. The plot was good and the development of it all was great. The villain was interesting. The lead was awesome. The cinematography was outstanding and the music was perfect.

What exactly did you people want?

Most everyone is liking it. Just the prequel fanboys on this and other sites that are butthurt over their crappy films from 99-05. This film was pretty much spot on, at least as much as it could be. Nobody no matter how good will be able to totally recapture 1977-83 again. This one at least made you feel that old SW feeling.