Star Wars Episode VII Discussion ***SPOILERS***

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Retrology
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Re: Star Wars Episode VII Discussion ***SPOILERS***

Postby Retrology » February 9th, 2016, 9:36 am

Saw it December. It was good, but the first half confused me. LOVED the 2nd half though.

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Rookie1
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Re: Star Wars Episode VII Discussion ***SPOILERS***

Postby Rookie1 » February 10th, 2016, 9:17 pm

scotland wrote:Noticed that the novelization is by Alan Dean Foster, the same author who did the novelization of Star Wars (it had no other title then), as well as Splinter of the Minds Eye which was based on an alternative plotline for a cheaper sequel if Star Wars had not so overperformed. Fun to think its the same guy all these years later.


Splinter of the Minds Eye is quite the read. Love all of the weird sexual stuff between Luke and Leia. Its not creepy at all, even if noone knew they were brother and sister at the time.

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scotland
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Re: Star Wars Episode VII Discussion ***SPOILERS***

Postby scotland » April 22nd, 2016, 5:59 am

ActRaiser wrote:In my humble opinion, folks are giving this too much thought. Was it a fun movie? Yes. Was it worth the $20 ticket? Heck, yeah. I'm 38 years old and grew up on Star Wars. Sure, it paid homage to the past movies, but that really was what made it such a great experience. It's a fun popcorn movie. You can't go wrong with that. Is it Citizen Kane? No, but that's okay. It never professes to be.


Funny in that I was on a site the other day and how closely episode VII sailed to episode IV is still a bone of contention. One, its fun to debate Star Wars as long as its friendly and people don't call each other names. Two, at this point its settled its not going to be resolved. There is a very vocal group that says Episode VII was what it needed to be to unshackle itself from the prequels, and that younger people needed to have that Episode IV experience too. I get that, and I smile when I see parents in the theater with their kids, getting a memory. That's awesome.

Yet, it could have been awesome without leaving carbon smudges on our fingertips.

I have enjoyed many of Abrams movies, but not appreciated them for anything more than popcorn movies. I thought his two Star Trek movies were very fun popcorn movies, but not good 'Star Trek' movies. To be honest, many Star Trek movies and episodes (and entire series) are not very good, but when it hits a high, its a particular high note. Abrams did not understand what made the original Star Trek (and later TNG) so long lasting, and went for popcorn. Why not just build a new franchise with that action oriented center? The adventures of Quirk and Spook, exploring the Great Association of Planets in the battleship Potemkin or something. Because that is not what he does. He takes a known story, and gives it an octane boost. His style fits Star Wars far better (which focuses on heroic fantasy and action), but originality is not his main asset. He is not the storyteller that Spielberg or Lucas are - or at least I have not seen that in him.

I enjoyed episode VII, but I really expect (demand) episode VIII be utterly different from any of the other movies. I've heard a good argument that episode VII was not just a rehash of episode IV, but IV, V and VI all rolled into one so that VIII can really explore new terrain. I hope so. Then in a long view, having this be a movie length prologue to a new story would help...a bit.

If the next movie has Luke as a Yoda analog, and Rey goes dashing off to save her friends who have been captured by the darksider who tempts her to join him, sigh. Well, it will still sell a lot of popcorn, but as fans, demand better. We've seen those stories already. Let's go where no Star Wars movie has gone before. Here's a glass of Romulan Ale hoping episode VIII is treks a new path.

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Rev
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Re: Star Wars Episode VII Discussion ***SPOILERS***

Postby Rev » December 17th, 2016, 4:28 pm

Anyone watch Star Wars: Rogue One? How do you guys feel it compares to the other movies? I haven't seen it yet. I was going to go tonight but then we started getting snow and ice so nevermind... I'll hopefully go next weekend...

Sut
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Re: Star Wars Episode VII Discussion ***SPOILERS***

Postby Sut » December 19th, 2016, 9:43 am

***SPOILERS***

I'm really enjoying what Disney are doing for this franchise. Just watched Rogue One and after thinking this would be just a cash in side film. I've come out well impressed, whereas the characters aren't as captivating as in the Force Awakens the set pieces and the tone of the film is excellent.

This is by far the darkest Star Wars film I've seen. At times it's almost Saving Private Ryan - Star Wars edition. The body count is off the chart especially for Star Wars.

The bleak,desparate tone is a welcome change of pace. I wouldn't want this in all the films but it fits this well. The droid 'K' is excellent following the great droid from the Force Awakens.

I loved the little fan service parts, the two thugs from Mos Eisley and a snow yeti from Empire. The part where K is about to say "I've got a very bad feeling...." and they interrupt him.

The film really drives home how desperate the rebel alliance struggle against the Empire is at this point indeed awaiting for a New Hope.

***BIG SPOILER***
The CGI general and Leia are very impressive and the film ties into A New Hope brilliantly and also to a lesser extent Revenge of the Sith.
Towards the end when Vader goes on a rampage may be giant fan service but oh my did I ever enjoy it.

So IMO well done Disney that's two great movies in two years. If they maintain this standard I'll be hooked for another 30 years.

Tangent: It's almost making me wish Disney will go back and re-tell the prequels (particularly the first two). Phantom Menace needed a darker more volatile Anakin, no C3PO and without stating the obvious no Jar Jar.

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Rev
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Re: Star Wars Episode VII Discussion ***SPOILERS***

Postby Rev » December 19th, 2016, 9:23 pm

Sut wrote:Tangent: It's almost making me wish Disney will go back and re-tell the prequels (particularly the first two). Phantom Menace needed a darker more volatile Anakin, no C3PO and without stating the obvious no Jar Jar.


That would actually be pretty awesome. I'd rewatch them with Disney behind the wheel.

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scotland
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Re: Star Wars Episode VII Discussion ***SPOILERS***

Postby scotland » December 30th, 2016, 8:11 pm

Sut wrote:***SPOILERS*** This is by far the darkest Star Wars film I've seen. At times it's almost Saving Private Ryan - Star Wars edition. The body count is off the chart especially for Star Wars.


What a great movie. Wow. Really impressed.

While normally we would have a 'Rouge One' thread, its interesting to append it to the ep VII thread. The Force Awakens was a derivative unimaginative rehash and the lead character was a total Mary Stu. I'll sit down and rewatch it, because rewatching can shift how you feel about a movie, but in general it was basically what Doom 2 is to Doom.

This movie is vastly superior. Did you catch that there was no "Star Wars" branding in the opening? At first I thought it was because it was not part of the 'Skywalker' story, but oddly its the most war-themed movie of the lot about the main war. I also notice the score is completely different. Except for a brief part of "Imperial Death March" with the Darth Vader introduction, I noticed nothing from the original trilogy music.

The CGI was amazing. This is no Polar Express. The "General" is Governor slash Grand Moff Tarkin, aka the legendary Peter Cushing who, along with the also legendary Alec Guiness, helped really elevate Star Wars to something amazing right from the moment of casting. Seeing CGI Princess Leia, days after Carrie Fisher's passing, was bitter sweet...but oddly, mostly really sweet. It also shows that whatever story arc they want to make for older Princess Leia in Episode IX (ep VIII is already done with principal shooting) could still happen.

While it was reasonable that the film would have some casualties, I was expecting a "Magnificent Seven" or "Dirty Dozen" template, but it was quite surprising. They also found ways to do things that did not spoil A New Hope, like the destruction of Alderaan still stands as something gut wrenching. Darth Vader's appearances were few, but very well done.

The saddest moment is off screen, in a way. A character who is saved earlier in the movie was a casualty of an event about 15 minutes later. It shows that giving a personal face to a tragedy really makes an impact on an audience. The destruction of Alderaan never stung because it was just a name to a planet when we saw the original Star Wars. Here we see the faces, even if we don't know anything about them.

Good movie. Certainly not a movie I would think Lucas would ever have made. Yeah, much more like just using Star Wars as a setting to tell other stories. Maybe next time it will be a musical holiday special set in the Star Wars universe...can't go wrong there.

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Rookie1
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Re: Star Wars Episode VII Discussion ***SPOILERS***

Postby Rookie1 » December 31st, 2016, 8:33 am

When I saw Tarkin turn around I was so taken back. I thought the CGI on him was A+ as far as CGI goes. Yes, obviously you could tell it was CGI, and he stuck out like a soar thumb, but it was damn good if you ask me.

As a whole, I thought the movie was really good. I am really curious to know what the original film was like though, as 99% of the trailer footage wasnt in the movies. Heck, they are still playing the same TV spots right now with that same footage that isnt in the movie. Kind of weird.

The only thing I didnt like was the inclusion of Leia. She felt shoehorned in. I mean, why was she at that battle? She was so important to the rebellion, yet she shoes up in the middle of a war to do what?

And no, that movie doesnt end right where A New Hope starts, so thats not the only way they could have ended it. Remember the scene on the Yavin base where R2 and C3PO complained that everyone left without them. So Leia's ship would have to go back to Yavin and pick them up before A New Hope can start.

But yeah, that was my only real nit-pick of the movie. I really enjoyed it. I have tried to go back to see it twice now and its still sold out everywhere around me.

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BlasteroidAli
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Re: Star Wars Episode VII Discussion ***SPOILERS***

Postby BlasteroidAli » January 7th, 2017, 5:55 am

I watched it last night. I think it would be safe to say I thought that the force awakens was very average. I went in wanting to hate this movie but came out thinking what a great movie. My father had watched it and said it was boring. The start is slow but this is a superb movie.


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