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

[bsweetness]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

Well, sure, I can understand wanting to have the cake and eat it, too.

I mean, the worst criticism I could make of TFA is that it plays it safe - usually the last thing Lucas liked to do.

But Lucasfilm is now the property of a major studio, it isn't an independent company any more, so it totally makes sense that they are playing it safe and try to give audiences exactly what they want, to make it as predictable as can be.

It doesn't mean it can't be any fun, and indeed for some viewers, it might be the only thing that is fun.

Agreed. At no point was I saying it was necessarily a bad thing or that it can't be any fun. I thoroughly enjoyed The Force Awakens, even though it does play it safe. Playing it safe may turn out to be exactly what the franchise needed to get things back on track. Start out with an overly familiar bridge in TFA, then branch out into new areas moving forward.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by bsweetness

Agreed. At no point was I saying it was necessarily a bad thing or that it can't be any fun. I thoroughly enjoyed The Force Awakens, even though it does play it safe. Playing it safe may turn out to be exactly what the franchise needed to get things back on track. Start out with an overly familiar bridge in TFA, then branch out into new areas moving forward.

As long as that happens, cool. But if Ep VIII is as shamelessly derivative as TFA then I'll be running close to giving up on SW for the foreseeable. That said, it may turn out that the anthology movies are the ones that takes risks while the main eps play it super-safe, so I shouldn't write it off just yet.

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by bsweetness

Agreed. At no point was I saying it was necessarily a bad thing or that it can't be any fun. I thoroughly enjoyed The Force Awakens, even though it does play it safe. Playing it safe may turn out to be exactly what the franchise needed to get things back on track. Start out with an overly familiar bridge in TFA, then branch out into new areas moving forward.

Time will tell.

But the only thing I'm pretty sure about right now is that Disney is publicly-owned, and Disney shareholders expect sound financial decisions.

For better or worse, we can never go back to the times when Lucasfilm was a privately owned company.

[mrjeff]

Originally Posted by bsweetness

Agreed. At no point was I saying it was necessarily a bad thing or that it can't be any fun. I thoroughly enjoyed The Force Awakens, even though it does play it safe. Playing it safe may turn out to be exactly what the franchise needed to get things back on track. Start out with an overly familiar bridge in TFA, then branch out into new areas moving forward.

Them playing it safe feels like they were worried people forgot Star Wars could be fun again (which literally no one did).

[chad_1138]

70mm IMAX screening in Indy tonight

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by mrjeff

Them playing it safe feels like they were worried people forgot Star Wars could be fun again (which literally no one did).

Which literally isn't true.

Three prequels, one animated movie, six seasons of Clone Wars, 1 1/2 seasons of Rebels so far... Someone obviously finds SW fun, even before TFA.

[The Fallen Deity]

http://www.slashfilm.com/star-wars-t...eleted-scenes/

There was quite a lot of footage cut out.

Hopefully they get included on the BD release.

[Prog5000]

Well, that was bloody brilliant.

[bsweetness]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

As long as that happens, cool. But if Ep VIII is as shamelessly derivative as TFA then I'll be running close to giving up on SW for the foreseeable. That said, it may turn out that the anthology movies are the ones that takes risks while the main eps play it super-safe, so I shouldn't write it off just yet.

I wouldn't be surprised if this is exactly how it ends up playing out. I hope they all take risks, but it will be easier for the anthology films to strike out into unfamiliar territory.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Evil Dead II and The Evil Dead are both reboots/sequels (requels?) in the Evil Dead series. Just about all of those movies are loved, I never see anybody complaining about rehashed plots there.

The James Bond movies are full of sequels that are always rebooting themselves with each new actor. Plots gets recycled all the time. Doesn't bother the fans that much.

And, yeah, Star Trek, arguably. Mad Max: Fury Road could count as one too. It may not be common, but it happens.

Evil Dead 2 is not a reboot, they just did a recap in the beginning and had to use a different actress and cut the other couple out of the recap. They confirm this on the commentary. It's a sequel. Same for the first 20 Bond movies, they are all the same man and continuity. A recasting does not mean a reboot, those are entirely different things. Mad Max just doesn't care about continuity at all, in any of the four movies.

Everyone is quick to use the "reboot" term lately even when it does not apply.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

Evil Dead 2 is not a reboot, they just did a recap in the beginning and had to use a different actress and cut the other couple out of the recap. They confirm this on the commentary. It's a sequel. Same for the first 20 Bond movies, they are all the same man and continuity. A recasting does not mean a reboot, those are entirely different things. Mad Max just doesn't care about continuity at all, in any of the four movies.

Everyone is quick to use the "reboot" term lately even when it does not apply.

[blonde_devil]

Saw it on Sunday. Seriously, that was the movie everyone was so excited over? My 19 year old nephew turned to me when it was done and said "it wasn't that good" and could pick out issues right away and he isn't even a huge Star Wars fan. It was entertaining enough but really, I wouldn't put it much better than the prequels as much like with his Trek films, JJ just ignored whatever he didn't like and made his ultimate fan film. It was a film that was good for people who know little to nothing about Star Wars or hadn't seen them in a long time as it reminded you of the other films. Sad part is, the story was almost interesting - you can see a good movie in there, just not what they showed on the screen. If this is the new direction, I think I will be passing on the next 2 episodes as this is yet another franchise that seems to be overdoing the effects to cover for a poor story. I am hoping the stand alone films are better.

As for cut footage, makes me wonder what they cut out. I get the feeling that they cut out a lot of stuff that would have made the film better. I think JJ needs a new editor as whoever he has now isn't that great.

[Gamma_Winstead]

At the theater for round 3! IMAX 3D with my fiancé and my mom!

[frogmort]

Originally Posted by Gamma_Winstead

At the theater for round 3! IMAX 3D with my fiancé and my mom!

Have fun!

I won't be seeing it again until next Tuesday, but I've already ordered the absolute best seats in the house in RPX/Atmos.

[aiman04]

Originally Posted by blonde_devil

Saw it on Sunday. Seriously, that was the movie everyone was so excited over? My 19 year old nephew turned to me when it was done and said "it wasn't that good" and could pick out issues right away and he isn't even a huge Star Wars fan. It was entertaining enough but really, I wouldn't put it much better than the prequels as much like with his Trek films, JJ just ignored whatever he didn't like and made his ultimate fan film. It was a film that was good for people who know little to nothing about Star Wars or hadn't seen them in a long time as it reminded you of the other films. Sad part is, the story was almost interesting - you can see a good movie in there, just not what they showed on the screen. If this is the new direction, I think I will be passing on the next 2 episodes as this is yet another franchise that seems to be overdoing the effects to cover for a poor story. I am hoping the stand alone films are better.

As for cut footage, makes me wonder what they cut out. I get the feeling that they cut out a lot of stuff that would have made the film better. I think JJ needs a new editor as whoever he has now isn't that great.

+1. The story as an outline actually can be very good, and the characters had great potential. It's the repeated visual designs, plot structure arrangements and how they try to force the characters into similar situations as A New Hope hurt the film very much. But because of the story potential and interesting characters I won't be passing on the next episode though, on the contrary I'm actually very excited for Episode VIII. Though I'm really kinda worried about Episode IX, we'll see.

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

Time will tell.

But the only thing I'm pretty sure about right now is that Disney is publicly-owned, and Disney shareholders expect sound financial decisions.

For better or worse, we can never go back to the times when Lucasfilm was a privately owned company.

Disneys problem is ESPN and the uncertainty of the Cable Television market. As much of a juggernaut as Marvel, Star Wars are that unrest is about at least when it comes to their current stock trends.

I bought in back in 2012 when it was sub 40 dollars so its got ways to fall before I lose my initial investment .

Originally Posted by aiman04

+1. The story as an outline actually can be very good, and the characters had great potential. It's the repeated visual designs, plot structure arrangements and how they try to force the characters into similar situations as A New Hope hurt the film very much. But because of the story potential and interesting characters I won't be passing on the next episode though, on the contrary I'm actually very excited for Episode VIII. Though I'm really kinda worried about Episode IX, we'll see.

I think this will rest on what they do from this point out if he's simply mirroring the OT and it ends up with almost the same thing then I'll complain but right now for a kick start film after the MESS that was the PT, to not only hook old fans and new fans on the same passions that captivated the original Star Wars fan I don't think it was wrong to play to what New Hope did so well. Even if it is easily identifiable for fans who can see how it mimics NH

[JasonHensley]

It's strange seeing people say there is a good story somewhere in TFA, and act as though it is not seen on screen. I feel like TFA told a more complete story than the PT.

[aiman04]

Originally Posted by JasonHensley

It's strange seeing people say there is a good story somewhere in TFA, and act as though it is not seen on screen. I feel like TFA told a more complete story than the PT.

There's not much, like I said the story outline has potential, it's the details and events feels repetitive of what has happened before. And there are so many ways to tell a story. Even the same same script can turn out differently from two different directors. As we are all film enthusiasts, I think you know what I mean.

[Himmel]

Imax Poster.

[rickah88]

Originally Posted by aiman04

Kindly not judge our taste on films based on our blu-ray collection. Some of mine were bought for my wife, some for my kids. Some just for the great sound and picture quality, you know home theater enthusiasts do that. But all are bought by me so that's why they're in the list.

When did I judge anyone based on their collection?