Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

[revbfc]

A lot of flaws, but I had a great time. I think what's making me overlook or downplay the bad is the knowledge that I only have to wait 18 months to find out where this plot is going.

We truly do live in an age of wonders.

[lovemytvshows]

Saw it today. I can't say that I was blown away, it was great fun obviously but I felt that the plot was so thin that there was barely any meat on the bones. Beside it being a rehash of about 80% of the plot of ANH and one specific part of ESB

1) Youngling with mysterious parentage who is incredibly attuned with the Force and yet to explore her potential (check!), 2) Hotshot pilot tasked with destroying a Death Star-like Death Star (check!), 3) Escape droid which contains valuable plans that both the good/bad guys want to get their hands on (check!) 4) Wise mentor-like figure getting murdered by protege (check!), 5) Shoutout "I am your father" moment albeit with a twist, located high up on a catwalk which ends up with someone falling off said catwalk (check!)

, it goes on and on!

 

I get the "reimagining" of the classic tale for a new generation but it bears too much similarities to the OT that I just found myself slightly dissatisfied and wanting so much more. 

 

That said though, I did enjoy Daisy Ridley as Rey. She practically carried the film and for a newcomer and a new character she was definitely intriguing and had enough potential for me to want to see her story arc play out. Oscar Isaac was great and he had some great quips but I felt like (and other reviews I've read have pointed out too) that his character is seriously underused. I hope he gets a bigger role to play (aside from just being the ace pilot) and more screen-time in the next one. John Boyega's Finn was the most letdown character of the lot for me. I really felt like even if he had vanished for the last two-thirds of the film, it really wouldn't have changed anything much. Adam Driver's Kylo Ren is a great character and I think we've never seen a 

potential Jedi (or one who's turned to the Dark Side)

with so much conflict before. New trilogy's Anakin Skywalker descent to the dark side would've been so much more believable had he been given Kylo Ren's personality and emotions. Driver played his conflict so well in all of his scenes especially when

he murdered his own father, Han Solo

. I thought I would be tired of his slightly petulant child-like tantrums but they actually worked really well and his interactions with Rey are my favourite parts of the movie. Those two definitely need to share more screentime in the future movies There's a lot of potential there for their relationship, however it may turn out.

 

Anyhoo, opinions are my own and YMMV. But am definitely looking forward to Episode VIII already.

Edited December 18, 2015 by lovemytvshows

[Vermicious Knid]

Went to a 1am showing. Good thing I have Friday off. There was a lot to love, a lot of callbacks to the original trilogy, but I thought Carrie was terrible. She was never the greatest actress but that was downright painful. Also they flat out stated it was going to be 'nothing we'd ever seen before' and as already pointed out they took plot elements from the books. And they used the main plot that drove me away from the books because I thought it was so stupid. So I'm very disappointed about that and think it was really unnecessary. If they were going to keep anything it should have been Mara Jade.

 

Really pissed they had Leia and Han's kid turn to the Dark Side and kill Han. Cliche, cliche, cliche.

 

Rey has to be Luke's daughter. I also don't get the government structure. They managed to re-establish the Republic but Leia is still running the Rebellion? Why is it still called the Rebellion when the Empire/First Order is no longer in charge? Was that Coruscant they blew up?

 

On a shallow note I thought Adam Driver was not at all attractive and didn't remotely resemble his supposed parents.

 

NPR has an article on why the politics of the SW universe make no sense:

http://www.npr.org/2015/12/15/459812699/why-the-politics-of-the-star-wars-universe-makes-no-sense

[revbfc]

Went to a 1am showing. Good thing I have Friday off. There was a lot to love, a lot of callbacks to the original trilogy, but I thought Carrie was terrible. She was never the greatest actress but that was downright painful. Also they flat out stated it was going to be 'nothing we'd ever seen before' and as already pointed out they took plot elements from the books. And they used the main plot that drove me away from the books because I thought it was so stupid. So I'm very disappointed about that and think it was really unnecessary. If they were going to keep anything it should have been Mara Jade.

Really pissed they had Leia and Han's kid turn to the Dark Side and kill Han. Cliche, cliche, cliche.

Rey has to be Luke's daughter. I also don't get the government structure. They managed to re-establish the Republic but Leia is still running the Rebellion? Why is it still called the Rebellion when the Empire/First Order is no longer in charge? Was that Coruscant they blew up?

On a shallow note I thought Adam Driver was not at all attractive and didn't remotely resemble his supposed parents.

NPR has an article on why the politics of the SW universe make no sense:

http://www.npr.org/2015/12/15/459812699/why-the-politics-of-the-star-wars-universe-makes-no-sense

-No, it was not Coruscant. The New Republic has (ok, HAD) a new capital. I thought it was Coruscant that was destroyed until I checked on line.

-The New Republic and the Resistance are kind of separate, from what I can gather. My guess is that the NR funds and trains all resistance to the First Order in a proxy war similar to what's been going on on our planet since the Cold War.

-Agree to disagree on Kylo Ren.

[absnow54]

I really loved all of the new characters. Rey, Finn, Poe, and BB-8 -- all awesome. I want to spend more time with them.

I wish they were in a movie with a smidgen of originality.

This was my reaction too. I really liked the new characters. I thought they were all fantastic, and I think the movie excelled when they were doing their own thing. Poe and Finn's escape, Finn and Rey escaping the tie fighters. But then they tried to cram all these characters into the plot of the original movie without really adapting it to fit their story. Having everyone sigh and crack jokes about the Empire building another Death Star, doesn't fix the fact that you're doing the same story a third time. It all felt so low stake. I wish they had just focused on the First Order and the Resistance's race to find Luke first instead of this ridiculous planet destroying weapon that only blows up ships and planets we don't care about. 

 

John Boyega is a bucket of charm. His story was underwhelming, but his presence added so much fun to the movie. Daisy Ridley stepped up to the challenge of carrying this new trilogy. Oscar Isaac was good, but again, felt pointless. Adam Driver was a bit jarring whenever he took his mask off, but I think he had a really stunning performance. I'm as interested in his arc as I am in Rey's. I can't wait to see how their paths cross as they both struggle with the darkness and the light. Harrison Ford stepped back into the role of Han Solo flawlessly. Carrie Fischer sounds like she's been living off of cigarettes and booze for the last 30 years, which may not be an inaccurate statement. Seeing Han and Leia together on screen again was magic. I only wish there was some more resonance of that one scene that I don't want to talk about ever again.

 

I was also kind of disappointed by the score. I don't know. The music didn't stand out to me, which I guess is good since it isn't intrusive? But there was no big "aha!" theme like Duel of the Fates. I loved all the callbacks to the original character's themes.

 

I'll obviously see it again (at least once) but I think there's so much hype about this being a "good Star Wars" that a lot of the super thin, repetitive plot points are being overlooked. Maybe after a few more viewings there will be more outrage over R2D2 randomly waking up at the end of the movie with all the answers they needed. Of course that stubborn little shit would sit on crucial data because he was too tired to deal with it.

[benteen]

I thought it was really good.  I won't get too much into detail now until the movie has been out for a while.  There were some flaws to be sure and some things I question but I walked away satisfied.

 

The cast was fantastic and for a relative novice, Daisy Ridley did a great job as Rey.  I'm happy that she is the central character.  I thought Adam Driver's Kylo Ren was a very compelling character.  Harrison Ford was great as Han and got a chance to do some acting in this one.

[revbfc]

This was my reaction too. I really liked the new characters. I thought they were all fantastic, and I think the movie excelled when they were doing their own thing. Poe and Finn's escape, Finn and Rey escaping the tie fighters. But then they tried to cram all these characters into the plot of the original movie without really adapting it to fit their story. Having everyone sigh and crack jokes about the Empire building another Death Star, doesn't fix the fact that you're doing the same story a third time. It all felt so low stake. I wish they had just focused on the First Order and the Resistance's race to find Luke first instead of this ridiculous planet destroying weapon that only blows up ships and planets we don't care about.

John Boyega is a bucket of charm. His story was underwhelming, but his presence added so much fun to the movie. Daisy Ridley stepped up to the challenge of carrying this new trilogy. Oscar Isaac was good, but again, felt pointless. Adam Driver was a bit jarring whenever he took his mask off, but I think he had a really stunning performance. I'm as interested in his arc as I am in Rey's. I can't wait to see how their paths cross as they both struggle with the darkness and the light. Harrison Ford stepped back into the role of Han Solo flawlessly. Carrie Fischer sounds like she's been living off of cigarettes and booze for the last 30 years, which may not be an inaccurate statement. Seeing Han and Leia together on screen again was magic. I only wish there was some more resonance of that one scene that I don't want to talk about ever again.

I was also kind of disappointed by the score. I don't know. The music didn't stand out to me, which I guess is good since it isn't intrusive? But there was no big "aha!" theme like Duel of the Fates. I loved all the callbacks to the original character's themes.

I'll obviously see it again (at least once) but I think there's so much hype about this being a "good Star Wars" that a lot of the super thin, repetitive plot points are being overlooked. Maybe after a few more viewings there will be more outrage over R2D2 randomly waking up at the end of the movie with all the answers they needed. Of course that stubborn little shit would sit on crucial data because he was too tired to deal with it.

I can forgive almost all the coincidences and conceits as being the "will of the force." The Falcon just happening to be on Jakku, Han Solo just happening to be nearby, Luke's old lightsaber just happens to be in a storage locker under the bar they show up at. I can also forgive Rey being autodidact and naturally good at everything (if she's a Skywalker, that is). What I can't forgive is not showing us how Poe gets off Jakku and why R2 comes back to life suddenly. Edited December 18, 2015 by revbfc

[Athena]

Since the movie has now been widely released, spoiler tags are not necessary. If you do not want to be spoiled, please avoid this thread. Thanks.

[absnow54]

What I can't forgive is not showing us how Poe gets off Jakku and why R2 comes back to life suddenly.

I don't get why they didn't have R2 missing with Luke. It's not like he had a function gathering dust with the resistance. Recover R2 on some side mission. Like, I don't know, maybe have Poe find R2 while he's trying to find his way back without a ship. Then Poe inadvertently completes his mission, since the map he stored in BB-8 was kind of a red herring. 

 

Also, this is the second movie in a row to totally waste Gwendoline Christie. What was her point? I wonder if we'll see her more in the next movie?

Edited December 18, 2015 by absnow54

[Jenniferbug]

I thought that R2D2 reactivated because Rey used Luke's lightsaber. I figured that when Rey had that flashback/vision of Luke touching R2 before going into hiding, he had somehow tied R2 to the reactivation of his lightsaber by someone strong in the Force. I could be completely wrong, but that was my assumption when he suddenly woke up at the end. 

[absnow54]

That's a good point, headcanon accepted!

[Jenniferbug]

I'm so glad I managed to stay spoiler free until seeing the movie last night! This was the first Star Wars movie I've seen where I genuinely had little idea of what was going to happen. It made for a great experience! I loved it! 

 

Do casting people win awards? Because I feel like the people who cast this movie deserve all of them! It surprised me how instantly I took to most of the new characters. For some reason, I expected to be kind of "meh" on Poe, but when he didn't escape in his X-Wing and told BB8 to run, I realized I really wanted him to survive and was already attached to him. I agree that John Boyega is a bucket of charm, and I loved the friendship that developed between Poe and Finn. Daisy Ridley was terrific and I'm definitely interested to see where her story goes.

 

I thought Adam Driver gave a fantastic performance as Kylo Ren, even if I'm not sure I understand his character yet. If he's struggling against the Light Side, then why? Why turn to the Dark Side? Because Anakin did, before being redeemed? How did Snok (?) convince him? I'm assuming these questions will be answered in future installments, but in this movie it left me thinking "if you don't want to be evil, then don't be, dumbass." And on a shallow note, I think Adam Driver is attractive, but not attractive enough to be the son of Han Solo. When he first took off the mask, I realized I was expecting to see someone more classically attractive (which is silly, because I know what Adam Driver looks like). It didn't detract from his performance, but since someone else mentioned it upthread, I thought I'd chime in. 

 

Rey has got to be a Skywalker, right? She looks way too much like Padme and young Leia for that to be coincidence, especially with the mysterious parentage. I spent most of the movie expecting a reveal that she was a younger child of Han and Leia, hidden away after her brother turned to the Dark Side (though I'm not sure the ages would work for that, and I couldn't decide if Han knew or if Leia had kept her secret). But then towards the end, I started to wonder if maybe she was somehow Luke's daughter, explaining why his lightsaber called to her and why she dreamt of the island he's been hiding on. When they came face to face at the end, I fully expected her to say something like "Dad?" before the fade to black.

 

I'm also interested in Finn's backstory- is he a clone? Stolen as a baby/toddler? If he was kidnapped, why? Did he show some proficiency in something, or was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time? Again, I'm assuming this will be revisited in future movies, but I thought his arc was a nice contrast to Ren's- one raised by the First Order to know nothing but evil who develops a moral compass versus one who was raised/trained by the Light turned to the Dark side. I wouldn't mind if Finn ended up as a Jedi, trained in the ways of the Force as well.

 

Nice to see Greg Grunberg and Ken Leung in small roles. I'm hoping Ken Leung sticks around for future installments. I'm not sure his character even got named, but it would be nice to have some continuity in the Resistance leaders apart from Leia. 

 

If I'm understanding, a New Republic was formed and the First Order rose up from the remnants of the Empire. The Resistance is fighting the First Order, but is on the side of the New Republic. Do I have that right? 

 

It was a lot to take in, and my emotions were running so high that I'm sure I missed a lot. I think my husband and I might try to catch a matinee tomorrow to see it again. I loved it! It wasn't perfect, but I felt it was pretty damn close. 

[JessePinkman]

So many thoughts.

 

The Good

 

• John Boyega and Daisy Ridley are STARS! They're captivating to watch onscreen, especially together, their chemistry is top notch. I could have watched just the two of them being cute and running and shooting and BB-8-ing throughout the galaxy. I'm not sure if I want them to just remain buddies or become love interests. All I know if that I want them to be inseparable. Love love them together.

 

• Han yelling "BEN!" gave me chills, not because it's Obi Wan's name or because I felt particularly connected to their father/son relationship but because Ford's acting was so fucking good. 

 

• I feel so incredibly okay with how Han went out. Harrison Ford does not want to do this anymore, this was a gift to the fans, and he went out with a bang.

 

• BB-8 is so incredibly cute and not in a cloying way, I want one. 

 

• The cinematography was utterly gorgeous. God, this is a pretty movie. The directing was great and didn't seem to be trying too hard, which is how I felt about the Star Trek movies (visually stunning movies but clearly trying their damnedest to be sleek as hell).'

 

• I thought Poe would have more to do but thinking about it I'm kind of glad he didn't have more heavy involvement. The other characters were handling so much emotional turmoil already.

 

• Seeing Luke at the end was pretty fantastic. This definitely felt like an "episode". I LOVE cliffhangers (as long as I'm guaranteed a conclusion).

 

The Eh

 

• Some of the plotting was a little whiplash-y. This whole movie took place over a...day? I know it's space opera and maybe the other movies were the same (I can't recall) but I always get taken out of an action movie where the characters never get a chance to slow down...eat...shower.

 

• When they went from 3 action setpieces back to back to back I got a little fatigued. Going from Poe and Finn especially the First Order to Finn and Rey escaping Jakku to Han, Chewie, Finn and Rey escaping the marauders was like...OKAY, enough. Can I breathe?

 

• Man, oh man was the CGI on Snoke BAD. Just one of the two bad pieces of CGI in the whole movie. It was totally distracting how much he looked like a mixture of Voldemort and the vampire things from I Am Legend. In fact all of the scenes in that room with him screamed greenscreen and felt out of step with the rest of the film.

 

• The one dude who was leading the First Order with Kylo Ren was not...good. The whole Hitler/Nazi vibe was entirely too on the nose and actually a little upsetting. It was almost comical because it was so over the top but also felt mildly offensive? Like...the Stormtroopers are basically doing the Nazi salute now (did they ever do this before)? Bro.

 

• I refuse to believe Han and Leia gave birth to someone with Adam Driver's mug. But anyway, he's a good actor, I'm not sure about the character. I have a feeling people are going to latch onto him as the latest in a long line of Tumblr woobies. I really need to know more about his past (why is he so obsessed with Vader? Did Luke tell no one that his father turned to the light at the end? Wouldn't that be the version of Anakin that Ben grew up hearing about?), how he was seduced to the dark side before I give a solid opinion on him.

 

• Leia didn't have nearly enough to do, the movie is largely about her brother, her ex, her niece (?) and her son and she feels very secondary. If it were up to me the next movie would be 50% Leia. She has a lot left to deal with.

Edited December 18, 2015 by JessePinkman

[wingster55]

Daisy is almost definitely Luke's daughter. 100% a Skywalker at the least.

[CofCinci]

Daisy is almost definitely Luke's daughter. 100% a Skywalker at the least.

That's what I thought -- until Luke looked pissed to see her.

[bluvelvet]

I saw the movie last night and absolutely loved it! It gave me that good old Star Wars feeling and that's all I really wanted.

When Han and Leia came face to face for the first time, so many feelings and so much said with silence and a look. Yeah the kid doesn't look like them but the acting was great on his end so I'm cool with it. Prefer a good actor over someone who resemble Han and Leia. I accidentally spoiler myself right before the movie about Han's death ..boo to Google.

I thought they were going to end without showing Luke at the ends which would have upset me greatly but alas that final shot was epic !

Loved BB8, I also want my own.. Cute little guy

Finn and Rey were awesome, definitely some nice chemistry. I'm curious about Finns background, so the storm troopers are conditioned since birth? Do they steal the babies or are they in vitro. I'm curious to learn more and why did he break from the conditioning. Also Rey, I don't think she is a Skywalker, I think she is someone who is strong with the force. At first I also thought she was a Han/Leia offspring hidden for her protection or at least thing that Ben left here there because he knew she also had the force and wanted to get rid of her. However she didn't know him so that theory went out the door.

Was surprised to see the face under the mask, I thought it would be scarred or something and also curious about his obsession with Vader as I'm sure he knew his grandfather turned to the light at the end.

Anyway I truly loved it warts and all. It gave me happy feelings. Looking forward to the next installment.

[JessePinkman]

Finn and Rey were awesome, definitely some nice chemistry. I'm curious about Finns background, so the storm troopers are conditioned since birth? Do they steal the babies or are they in vitro. I'm curious to learn more and why did he break from the conditioning. Also Rey, I don't think she is a Skywalker, I think she is someone who is strong with the force. At first I also thought she was a Han/Leia offspring hidden for her protection or at least thing that Ben left here there because he knew she also had the force and wanted to get rid of her. However she didn't know him so that theory went out the door.

 

Finn was stolen from his family as a toddler it looks like, I know he said he was taken from his family. In the scene after he and Poe escape you can see pictures go by of him when he was little as Captain Phasma and that Hitler youth dude whose name I do not know are discussing him.

 

I don't think Rey was left by Luke on Jakku, I just can't imagine him leaving her to fend for herself with a junker who clearly didn't care about her. I think something terrible happened to whoever was taking care of her. At least Luke and Leia were left with people to take good care of them, Rey had no one.

 

I really wish Maz had been a puppet, I didn't care for the CGI on her at all, it felt...slow? I can't explain it. Lupita was great though. I'm sure Maz survived the attack on her watering hole so hopefully we get more of her backstory.

[ApathyMonger]

I was surprised Max von Sydow's character was dispatched so quickly. Does anyone else think we might see a younger version of him in the upcoming Rogue One movie? I would make sense as the character Mads Mikkelsen is playing, whom they've said isn't a villain.

[benteen]

von Sydow's character seemed to be an old friend/servant of Princess Leia.  There's a story there somewhere.

 

Interesting bit about Hux...I read a SW YA series called Servants of the Empire (a spinoff from the Star Wars Rebels animated series) and we are introduced to Hux's father, Commandant Brendol Hux.  In the book, Commandant Hux talks about how the Jedi and the clones had the right idea when it came to raising their warriors from birth and suggests that's how he think human stormtroopers should be raised.  That way, their family will be the Empire and their only loyalty will be to the Empire.  This book takes place a few years before ANH.  It's mentioned that Tarkin has sent someone to investigate reports that Hux is amassing his own group of followers.

Edited December 18, 2015 by benteen

[revbfc]

One minor thing that bugged me at the end. Of all the things Rey knew instinctually, one of them was not the proper way to hand someone a sword.

[absnow54]

There's a hilarious meme from when Obi Wan gives Luke the lightsaber and Luke immediately stabs himself in the eye with it.

[Shriekingeel]

I kept mentally calling Rey "Hermione" because Daisy Ridley looks so much like Emma Watson and Rey is The Perfect Know-It-All Who Always Knows The Right Thing To Do. None of the young men made an impression.

I found it hard to believe that Finn could last more than a few seconds with a lightsaber against a trained user of The Force.

[revbfc]

I kept mentally calling Rey "Hermione" because Daisy Ridley looks so much like Emma Watson and Rey is The Perfect Know-It-All Who Always Knows The Right Thing To Do. None of the young men made an impression.

I found it hard to believe that Finn could last more than a few seconds with a lightsaber against a trained user of The Force.

Kylo Ren was injured, so Finn doing as well as he did made more sense. I still agree with you a little, Kylo is a BMF at full strength.

[anyanka323]

I'm so glad I managed to stay spoiler free until seeing the movie last night! This was the first Star Wars movie I've seen where I genuinely had little idea of what was going to happen. It made for a great experience! I loved it! 

 

Do casting people win awards? Because I feel like the people who cast this movie deserve all of them! It surprised me how instantly I took to most of the new characters. For some reason, I expected to be kind of "meh" on Poe, but when he didn't escape in his X-Wing and told BB8 to run, I realized I really wanted him to survive and was already attached to him. I agree that John Boyega is a bucket of charm, and I loved the friendship that developed between Poe and Finn. Daisy Ridley was terrific and I'm definitely interested to see where her story goes.

 

I thought Adam Driver gave a fantastic performance as Kylo Ren, even if I'm not sure I understand his character yet. If he's struggling against the Light Side, then why? Why turn to the Dark Side? Because Anakin did, before being redeemed? How did Snok (?) convince him? I'm assuming these questions will be answered in future installments, but in this movie it left me thinking "if you don't want to be evil, then don't be, dumbass." And on a shallow note, I think Adam Driver is attractive, but not attractive enough to be the son of Han Solo. When he first took off the mask, I realized I was expecting to see someone more classically attractive (which is silly, because I know what Adam Driver looks like). It didn't detract from his performance, but since someone else mentioned it upthread, I thought I'd chime in.

 

Nina Gold of Game of Thrones was the main casting director.  Given how well that show has been cast, especially the child actors, how well casted this was isn't surprising.  She really does know how to find actors with few screen credits like Daisy Ridley and Emilia Clarke and see that they have that special star quality about them. 

 

I thought that given how much press attention that Gwendolyn Christie's Captain Phasma got, I was surprised that her role wasn't that much.  The character was in the first wave of merchandising too.  Phasma got maybe 5 to 10 minutes of screentime, little more than an extended cameo appearance.  The character was confirmed as originally being conceived as male and gender swapped.  Maybe Phasma will get more screentime in the sequels, but it feels like a waste of a good actress. 

 

Lupita Nyngo'o had a crucial role even though there was some speculation that her role was reduced.  It seems like her character is similar to Yoda as a guide and in terms of screentime. 

[Browncoat]

I just got back from seeing this movie, and I loved it.  Perhaps it was a big dose of nostalgia, or maybe it was just some damn fine storytelling with great cinematography and locations, but either way, I loved it and I cannot wait to see it again.  When it was over, I felt like the guys in Big Bang Theory. 

 

I was glad to have gone in almost entirely unspoiled, too, much like when I saw the original trilogy in the theater back in the day.  It gave the reveals and other events so much more weight (and, man, it got dusty in the theater!).  I'm looking forward to the next installment!

 

ETA that Daisy Ridley really did have a Keira Knightly look about her.  She was fabulous, though, and must have been exhausted after filming, since she ran damn near everywhere.

Edited December 18, 2015 by Browncoat

[benteen]

Chewbacca shooting Kylo got a cheer from the crowd.  Whenever the old characters popped up, there was a cheer and even Admiral Ackbar got a bit of one.

Edited December 18, 2015 by benteen

[VCRTracking]

I decided to just see the movie today and went to an "early bird" screening and loved it. So many emotions, but mostly I had a lot of fun.

 

All the new characters were great. Poe Dameron was awesome. Finn was funny and Rey was just a badass. Okay she's definitely Luke's daughter.

 

Loved BB8. Also in the credits it said Bill Hader and Ben Schwartz was it's "vocal consultant"!

 

Seeing Han and Chewie again was great and it really did feel like Han Solo, not Harrison Ford.

 

I don't think the first ten minutes of UP had me crying as much as Han and Leia's reunion.

 

I knew once Han stepped onto the gantry with Kylo Ren what was coming but I still got choked up when it happened and when Han went to touch Kylo's face.

 

At first I wasn't sure about Snoke, I mean a "giant?" really?  But then realized it was just the holographic projection.

[FurryFury]

0:30 showing for me. Worth it. Total fanservice for fans of the original trilogy, but I am one of them, so... Yeah. The audience was also very enthused, it's my first time seeing people applaud during some scenes and at the very end.

 

I was skeptical about JJ but I think he did a good job recapturing the atmosphere on "A New Hope". The question remains whether he'll be able to craft a new tale in the next two installments, because it is needed.

 

Kudos for having the balls to kill the you-know-who. And for passing the Bechdel Test (funnily, my chauvinistic, elitist friend was the first one to notice it while we were exiting the room).

[FormerMod-a1]

I knew once Han stepped onto the gantry with Kylo Ren what was coming but I still got choked up when it happened and when Han went to touch Kylo's face.

Me too, on both counts.  I knew it was coming, but I still got more than choked up. I cried.  Not lots, but there were tears.

[BW Manilowe]

According to studio estimates, & many entertainment news sources, the movie made $57 Million as a result of Thursday night's previews.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2015/12/18/star-wars-force-awakens-blasts-record-57-million-thursday-night/77554720/

[Vermicious Knid]

So I guess we're not going to spoiler anymore? Ok.

 

Did anyone else notice in the credits Warwick Davis was in the bar scene? And who does Judah Freidlander know, that he got in there too? Mark Hamill got second billing for all of 1 minute of screen time, right after Ford. I agree, Captain Phasma was certainly played up pre-release but was a big nothing. Abrams has already said she'll be back. Finn I can only speculate he's really Lando's son, because that's the only black character in the whole series. Unfortunately Billy Dee Williams is not doing well and if he shows up it will be for like 5 minutes, sitting down. They may have well as called this Star Wars: The Next Generation.

 

I feel the original trilogy and this are two different animals. Lucas studied a lot of Joseph Campbell and mythology. Eps 4-6 were the Prince Hidden as a Stableboy, going on the Hero's Journey, triumphing over Evil at the end. This movie is the sequel to a blockbuster series that's generated billions of dollars.

[Browncoat]

I already want to see it again.

[galaxygirl76]

Chewbacca shooting Kylo got a cheer from the crowd.  Whenever the old characters popped up, there was a cheer and even Admiral Ackbar got a bit of one.

In my theater the Millenium Falcon got a big cheer as well.

[BW Manilowe]

The movie's apparently looking at a $200 Million (or greater) opening weekend.

http://variety.com/2015/film/news/box-office-star-wars-the-force-awakens-record-1201665272/

[Sharpie66]

Just got home from the 1:20 IMAX show. Looooved it!

The first film was the first one I had ever seen more than once on a big screen, and I saw Empire and RotJ multiple times as well. Ep 1 was just once, and I never did see the other two of that trilogy.

I thought this film was gorgeous, had terrific leads in the next generation cast, amazing action (well-done in 3D), and I was grinning throughout except for when my mouth hung open in schock over Han's murder, which I did NOT see coming. I really liked both Rey and Finn, and I might just get a BB8 for my cat to chase around the apartment.

Oh, and I had a Sith Lord sitting next to me, and his mom was a Sith cheerleader, with SITH written on her shirt, red hair thingies in her hair, and a really cute Darth Vadar backpack as her purse!

Oh, and I will have to look it up, but I thought that the final Luke scene was shot on Skellig Michael, off the west coast of Ireland.

[CMH1981]

I loved it, and to be honest my Star Wars love has flamed out over the years.  I went in w/ mediocre expectations but I felt it was a great picture w/ just a few hits and misses.

 

The Falcon reveal was surprising to me, I enjoyed it immensely.

 

I was thinking that perhaps Rey was Ben's twin sister or something, which could still happen, but that would be too much of a re-hash of Luke and Leia being separated.

 

The main thing I was disappointed in was the reveal of Kylo Ren's parentage/identity so early on.  I think just the hints were enough and the reveal when Han called Ben out at the crux of the movie would have had a bigger impact, as would have Ren removing his mask there instead of earlier in the film.  It just felt strange that he is so quick to remove his mask, or was that Rey using some of the 'force' during that interrogation scene w/o realizing it.

 

Loved Chewie nailing his godson basically, that was damn awesome.

 

What I didn't like was seeing all of Abrams stable of regulars in this film that appear through out the Abrams-verse of television/films...some of the dialogue was too tongue in cheek as well, it honestly made me think I was watching an episode of Felicity.

 

So how did Poe get off the planet after the crash but not look for Finn?  I'm confused by that, it just made no sense to me.  

[Pogojoco]

To the person above that thought Adam Driver looked nothing like his Star Wars parents- I disagree. 

 

Someone on the internet pointed out that he knew that Kylo Ren was Han Solo's kid because Adam Driver looks a lot like a young Ford- especially the prominent features, particularly the nose and the lips. And he's dark-haired like Leia. And now I can;t see anything else. 

 

And someone did the hard work Ford and Driver as very young men 

 

And I think he's plenty handsome, but to each their own. 

Edited December 19, 2015 by Pogojoco

[scarynikki12]

 

So how did Poe get off the planet after the crash but not look for Finn?

I expect this was left hanging intentionally and will be explored/explained in subsequent movies, along with how the blue light saber was recovered from Cloud City after Vader severed Luke's hand.  Abrams likes to leave questions to be answered later and Kasdan is too good at writing Star Wars to have overlooked those bits. 

[Iamhydrogen]

 

So how did Poe get off the planet after the crash but not look for Finn?  I'm confused by that, it just made no sense to me.  

 

Well Finn didn't really look for Poe, he thought he was dead.  I assume Poe thought Finn was dead and was more concerned with his mission, which I guess he abandoned quickly and left the planet.

 

Loved the movie.  Seems like Rey is obviously Luke's daughter.  I hope they don't try to change it in 8 because everyone is guessing right and they decided to make something up that just doesn't fit.  Glad that Kylo is still out there and the mysteries of Snoke.  Looks like there is a lot of backstory of what happened with Luke and Kylo hopefully its not told in some big exposition dump between Luke and Rey.

[JessePinkman]

To the person above that thought Adam Driver looked nothing like his Star Wars parents- I disagree.

Someone on the internet pointed out that he knew that Kylo Ren was Han Solo's kid because Adam Driver looks a lot like a young Ford- especially the prominent features, particularly the nose and the lips. And he's dark-haired like Leia. And now I can;t see anything else.

And someone did the hard work Ford and Driver as very young men

And I think he's plenty handsome, but to each their own.

I mean...they both have a face? Lol I'm not trying to be mean but I don't see the resemblance. Adam Driver was very good regardless and I'll be honest I thought he looked pretty handsome in this and usually I don't find him attractive.

All the stuff from the trailers that wasn't in the movie http://io9.gizmodo.com/all-the-stuff-from-the-force-awakens-trailers-that-wasn-1748720944

Edited December 19, 2015 by JessePinkman

[ZoqFotPik]

I thought it was good not great. I thought it was well acted and made. I'm glad that they didn't rely so heavily on cgi like the prequels. Like many others I felt it drew too heavily from A New Hope. I felt the relationship between The Republic, The First Order, and The Rebellion needed to be explained much more clearly. If The Republic and The First Order are at war, then why are they called the Rebellion? Shouldn't they just be the Republic Military? The seemingly random planet that was destroyed didn't have the same impact on me as Alderaan. I assumed that it was some important planet to the Republic, but I felt that again was never made clear. Still, despite it's faults, this movie restored my faith in the movie franchise and I'm looking forward to the new movies. 

Also, apparently the Storm Trooper that Rey gets to release her was played by Daniel Craig,

[TVSpectator]

I saw this movie already, and I liked it (and like some others, I will wait till at least to Monday to go into the details of the film). 

[toomuchtv47]

I really enjoyed it.  Being a little too young when Star Wars came out in 77 and the disappointment from I II & III, I didn't think that I would get a feeling similar to what those who saw the original in the theatres.  Sounds corny, but I left the movie with a smile on my face.  Even though I only know the movies (I understand there is a whole load of books and stories that tie in), I did see the obvious parallels between ANH and TFA and I didn't mind at all.  It reminds me of the saying 'those who don't learn from history are bound to repeat it'.

 

The new characters were amazing.  The chemistry between Rey and Finn really showed but the biggest thing I noticed was how much I felt that JJ still kept it Star Wars even though he was new to the franchise.

 

I'm also so very glad I decided to check out a showing today.  I'm not sure if I would have made it through the weekend without being spoiled.  Just getting home after the movie someone on Instagram replied to a photo with 'Han dies' etc in all caps.  That scene was so good not knowing what was going to happen even though we knew what was going to happen.

 

Anyway, I really liked it and am looking forward to the next movies.

[Proclone]

I just got back from the movie and I thought it was excellent.  Not only was it a good Star Wars movie, I thought it was just plain a good movie.  I don't really mind that it re-used plot elements from A New Hope.  I don't see the original trilogy as being that original in terms of plot anyway.  We did have two Death Stars in three movies, and much of the basic premise for the movies (a young farm boy finds out he has a destiny) is borrowed from various myths and legends.  

 

I'm someone who's more interested in characters and the world they inhabit anyway, so perhaps I'm more forgiving of minor problems with the plot.  That does bring me to the characters though.  I thought all the new characters were great.  I've liked Oscar Isaac in everything he's been in, so I wasn't surprised I enjoyed him here. I liked Finn.  I surprised in the direction they went with him.  I assumed that since he was holding a lightsaber in much of promotional material that he would turn out to be a Jedi.  I'm kind of glad I was wrong, if only because I'm very psyched that Rey is.  I thought John Boyega pushed the comedy a little hard in a couple scenes, but hopefully he'll get over that by the next film.  I really did like his relationship with Rey.  I thought it was very sweet.  There was of course his anguished yelling of her name when she's taken by Ren, but there were also little things like her wearing his jacket at one point on the StarKiller planet.  It's not shown (or I looked down for a second), but he obviously gave it to her because she was cold.  I'm guessing they're probably going to wind up a romantic pair, if they do I'm glad they aren't a slap slap kiss kind of couple.  That worked for Han and Leia, but a couple who start out as friends would be nice.  I also liked that they didn't really drag out his reveal to her that he had been a Storm Trooper too long and that she wasn't outraged that he had lied to her.  I've seen that a lot and it's tiring.

 

That brings me to Rey, who I really loved.  I have to admit I was never a huge Luke fan, even as a kid.  I thought Jedi were cool in concept, but he as a character never interested me that much.  So, I'm totally psyched that there finally a female, apparently really powerful, Jedi out there.  I really don't mind her being good at everything either, because at least she's actually shown being good at things, as opposed to just being told she's special.  It does beg the question who her parents are though.  Luke had one parent who was force sensitive and it took training for him to be able to do any of the things Rey does in this film with no training.  They only thing Luke was naturally good at was piloting.  So, I originally thought that Rey might be Han and Leia's daughter and that she would wind up redeeming her brother, just as Luke redeemed Vader, but now I tend to agree that she's probably Luke's daughter.  But who is her mother?  Another Jedi or someone who was force sensitive?  Because Rey seems to have a lot of power.

 

I also really liked Kylo Ren as the new villain.  He is everything that Anakin in the prequels should have been, intimidating, creepy, but yet still charismatic in his own weird way.  I thought Adam Driver did a good job of not going too over-the-top which would be very easy with the role.  I haven't seen him in much (I really couldn't get into Girls), but I really pleasantly surprised on how good a job he did.  On the other hand I do agree the CGI with Snoke was off.  Hopefully they do something about that by the next film, though I am interested to know who exactly he is and how he came to power.

 

I won't say much about the old characters. Han was great.  I was upset at his fate, but I was spoiled to it so it wasn't as shocking as it might have been.  I thought Ford was great, but Carrie Fischer was a little off for me so their reunion didn't have the impact on me that it might otherwise have had.  I think if it had I would have been crushed at his death, because the idea of Han and Leia being separated would crush my inner pre-teen shippers heart.  I like that the old characters are there, but I'm glad there are new interesting character that are taking center stage.

 

I've been a fan of Star Wars since my mom took me to see A New Hope when it was re-released in theaters in '97.  I got into reading the novels and for a while I was a walking Star Wars encyclopedia.  The prequels came out and I thought they were horrid.  They never took away my love for the originals, but I've only seen each one of them once and have no plays on re-watching them ever.  That being said, the originals are not perfect movies either.  I think people let nostalgia color their view on the original trilogy.  There are problems with their plots, less then great lines and line readings.  What they are, are enjoyable movies set in a interesting universe with interesting characters.  That also in my mind is what this movie is, an enjoyable movie.  So as far as I'm concerned I'm completely happy with how this movie fits in the Star Wars universe and I'll be watching it again-probably in a day or two in the theater.

 

As a side note for people who weren't clear on how there was both the New Republic and the First Order, I assumed that the New Republic controls a portion of the universe and the First Order controls another portion.  The New Republic is funding and supporting the Rebellion to overthrow the First Order instead of fighting an open war with them, probably to avoid having their populated planets being blown up (not that that worked out).  At least that's what I thought when I watched it.  I could be wrong. 

[Ruby25]

This is what I'm wondering. If they make Rey Luke's daughter, as seems to be the case, that means they've got to come up with a whole backstory for a wife/relationship he had offscreen. Whoever her mother is would have to be a pretty important new character, right? I guess they could just brush it off, but since we never saw him interested in anyone in except Leia (ew) in the old ones, it would feel like we missed something pretty important in his life if they don't even go into it.

 

Also, how could Han and Leia raise a kid so awful that he turns to the Dark Side and murders his own father? And doesn't he know how his grandfather died? Wouldn't someone committed to the dark side be more in tune with the symbolism of a figure like The Emperor rather than Vader?

[benteen]

So I guess we're not going to spoiler anymore? Ok.

 

Did anyone else notice in the credits Warwick Davis was in the bar scene? And who does Judah Freidlander know, that he got in there too? Mark Hamill got second billing for all of 1 minute of screen time, right after Ford. I agree, Captain Phasma was certainly played up pre-release but was a big nothing. Abrams has already said she'll be back. Finn I can only speculate he's really Lando's son, because that's the only black character in the whole series. Unfortunately Billy Dee Williams is not doing well and if he shows up it will be for like 5 minutes, sitting down. They may have well as called this Star Wars: The Next Generation.

 

I feel the original trilogy and this are two different animals. Lucas studied a lot of Joseph Campbell and mythology. Eps 4-6 were the Prince Hidden as a Stableboy, going on the Hero's Journey, triumphing over Evil at the end. This movie is the sequel to a blockbuster series that's generated billions of dollars.

 

I think JJ dismissed the Lando connection.  If he's related to anyone, the only other person it could be is Mace Windu.  But to me it looks like for now he's related to no one.

 

As sad as the scene was, the confrontation between Han and Kylo was great.  Just the way he yelled out "Ben!" set the whole tone for the scene.

[Proclone]

 

As sad as the scene was, the confrontation between Han and Kylo was great.  Just the way he yelled out "Ben!" set the whole tone for the scene.

 

On a slightly random note, does anyone else think it's slightly odd that Han and Leia named their son Ben?  If he had Luke's son I could absolutely see him being named Ben, but Leia never actually met Obi Wan (and she never called him Ben) and he and Han weren't exactly close.  If they wanted to name him after Obi Wan, why not just name him that? It probably would have made more sense (to me) if he had been named Bail after Leia's (adopted) father. I'm probably over thinking this way too much, but it occurred to me even as Han shouted the name.

[Ruby25]

I thought the same thing. Leia never even met him and Han knew him briefly, so I guess they just wanted to name him that because of how much he meant to Luke, who they both love? (In that case, it actually makes more sense to name him Luke, but obviously they couldn't do that in the movie. They should have called him "Lucas," lol).

Edited December 19, 2015 by Ruby25

[shanndee]

I guess I must have mis-heard. I thought than Han yelled "Ren", not Ben...

[ZoqFotPik]

 

Also, how could Han and Leia raise a kid so awful that he turns to the Dark Side and murders his own father? And doesn't he know how his grandfather died? Wouldn't someone committed to the dark side be more in tune with the symbolism of a figure like The Emperor rather than Vader?

There are plenty of examples of people from good families doing horrible things.

 

On a slightly random note, does anyone else think it's slightly odd that Han and Leia named their son Ben?

Same. The only thing I can come up with, is meeting Ben sent Han down the path to meeting Leia and becoming a Rebellion hero.

Edited December 19, 2015 by ZoqFotPik