SPOILER ALERT Force Awakens SPOILER thread

[JeffStray]

Since this thread was clearly a joke, and has clearly been posted in by people who don't want spoilers, can there be an actual discussion thread? I want to say things, but feel like I'll get yelled at for posting them in what I assumed would be a safe place. Or am I allowed to just deflect with "it's the spoiler thread, and says so in the title, and it's your fault"?

[Marvin]

Entwining the sentiments that avoiding the prequels' shortcomings makes it better and that sharing the originals' shortcomings also makes it better surely sets it up for success, no matter what. Indeed, that's practically how they marketed it. It seems a problematic baseline from which to judge the success of the movie, though. Allows us to take pretty much whatever evidence is at hand and fit it to a foregone conclusion.

 

Seems a disservice both to this film and the others, as well. Prequels included (fun article for some perspective). As a movie, I thought it was all right. As a Star Wars movie, purporting to be a sequel, a part of a series, Awakens possibly is the most substantively empty in the series to date. If the prequels miss the forest for the trees, Awakens orbits Endor without ever sending anyone to the surface. So to speak. It brings to mind Star Wars because it blatantly wears the trappings of Star Wars--the very same trappings that were used nearly forty years ago--to a fault.

 

Fair warning to anyone kind of skimming the thread in spite of the spoiler warnings! Since, as Jeff pointed out^, it's still been pretty light on spoilers. I begin a thorough unpacking of my Awakens experience, going forward.

 

 

Also wasting a lot of time with Star Wars Ring Theory, because why not. This also has me taking careful stock again of how I view the recycling of Awakens. Will see how it informs my viewing.

[ub3r_n3rd]

Since this thread was clearly a joke, and has clearly been posted in by people who don't want spoilers, can there be an actual discussion thread? I want to say things, but feel like I'll get yelled at for posting them in what I assumed would be a safe place. Or am I allowed to just deflect with "it's the spoiler thread, and says so in the title, and it's your fault"?

 

I don't think this thread is meant as a Joke, I specifically asked that someone who watched the movie opening day to go ahead and create the thread. I actually stayed out of it until I went and saw the movie tonight.

 

Feel free to talk real talk about the movie, it says "Spoilers" right in the title so the reader beware that we are talking about the movies.

 

As such, I'm going to say I think it was actually pretty cool how Han got killed by his son Kylo.

 

I think that Rey and Kylo are siblings, they have to be related right? The Force called out to her and led her to Luke's old blue light saber, which was Darth's beforehand. 

[Marvin]

They really seem to be setting her up to be Luke's daughter, I thought, which would be cool. Anything for a Mara Jade appearance. She could be Han's, which would explain a lot of the Meaningful Glances and the unwarranted interest he immediately takes in her, but that makes it kind of weird to explain Han and Leia's reactions. That she's theirs and was turned over to Luke for training before things turned sour with his trainees seemed feasible, too, but still. Hard to read that. For her to be related to them at all causes a strangeness in how they reacted to her--but there definitely seemed some information being withheld there, both in terms of by the filmmaker, obviously, and also the characters.

[Cranky Dog]

I really loved some of the subtle nods to the original trilogy that could easily be missed (akin to the Start Trek reboot).

 

The best one was Han Solo commenting on how he used to believe that the force was a bunch of "Mumbo Jumbo" which is exactly how Alec Guinness thought of the whole Force thing. Alec Guinness made it no secret that he disliked his association to SW.

[JeffStray]

I don't know that I buy the bloodline thing for Rey. She's definitely someone connected to Luke's past, but I'm leaning more toward her being the most natural student he had when Kylo turned. Kylo was immediately concerned when he heard BB was with "a girl", and the cantina flashback/flashforward when she touched the lightsaber looks like she was placed in safekeeping or hidden. If she was too young to really remember that training, it would also explain how she improved her powers so quickly once she first tries to use the force. The fact that she isn't even mentioned when Han and Leia are talking about losing Ben makes me think that she's neither their daughter nor niece.

[Sirithiliel]

I finally got to see it

I don't know what to think

 

I kind of feel it was a bit too similar to a new hope

 

And the bad guys were extraordinarily weak.

I'm disappointed she lowered the shields instead of getting shot...The later would have served more purpose. Also how does some untrained defector know how to go against an apprentice so fast? Seemed a bit cheesed

 

This sums up what I feel pretty well

 

A true storm trooper captain most likely would've died before doing that

 

And he had training and experience. She had nothing, yet she won

[Qwyksilver]

Since this thread was clearly a joke, and has clearly been posted in by people who don't want spoilers, can there be an actual discussion thread? I want to say things, but feel like I'll get yelled at for posting them in what I assumed would be a safe place. Or am I allowed to just deflect with "it's the spoiler thread, and says so in the title, and it's your fault"?

It's a spoiler thread.  Discuss away.  It's clearly marked as such.  If someone wants to have a temper tantrum because it was spoiled, they were warned.

[NomadZeke]

I also want to know why did they not recharge after the first shot with the "death star mk III"? Seems pretty stupid to have somethign that can crush planets and not have it ready at a whim.

[Sirithiliel]

I also want to know why did they not recharge after the first shot with the "death star mk III"? Seems pretty stupid to have somethign that can crush planets and not have it ready at a whim.

Maybe it can't hold that much solar energy long term? I guess? I dunno XD

[ub3r_n3rd]

I also want to know why did they not recharge after the first shot with the "death star mk III"? Seems pretty stupid to have somethign that can crush planets and not have it ready at a whim.

Probably because they can't have the weapons charged for a lengthy period of time without it going to critical mass, it needs to be released right after charging.

[Qwyksilver]

 

As such, I'm going to say I think it was actually pretty cool how Han got killed by his son Kylo.

That was so heavily foreshadowed. The goodbye with Leia and Han was a little too hamfisted. Soon as I saw that bridge, I was like. Bye Han. It was basically the Vader/Obi-Wan moment.

 

It also felt like Han's death could have been a little more evocative. Yeah, we see Rey and Finn with the "Noooooo!" face, and sure Chewie shoots a few troopers, but dammit, he should have just gone berserk. There was more emoting in Empire when Han is placed in carbonate. Instead, he pushes the detonator and then just swings by and picks up the Falcon. No way in hell. Chewie would have gone right for Kylo...

 

And I was really pissed to see Chewie standing with the crowd after the battle, instead of being embraced by Leia. Yet, Leia is clinging to Rey. WTF. If anything, there could have been an extremely powerful moment between Leia and Chewie.

 

 

For all it's flaws. I still loved it though. Let's be honest, the original trilogy also had a bunch of flaws. This movie hit all the buttons for me to enjoy it, even if I can pick a ton of nits. My favorite parts were the banter. Po and Finn, Finn and Han.

 

 

And seriously Empire/First Order. Is Doofenshmirtz your lead engineer? How the hell can you make 3 Death Stars now with self destruct buttons? I did love that it was called Starkiller base.

[Sirithiliel]

I am still bothered by the stormtrooper captain's easy submission. I just don't get it. Of all the flaws I noted, this one baffles me the most. Why did she just go along placidly? Part of the conditioning process is probably to disregard your own life for the Empore, so it couldn't have been to save her own skin

[Qwyksilver]

I am still bothered by the stormtrooper captain's easy submission. I just don't get it. Of all the flaws I noted, this one baffles me the most. Why did she just go along placidly? Part of the conditioning process is probably to disregard your own life for the Empore, so it couldn't have been to save her own skin

Yeah, I had a problem with the Cylon not being willing to die for the First Order.  Particularly over the potential destruction of the entire base.  Of course, you could maybe argue that the Captain was never a conditioned Stormtrooper.  Perhaps in the First Order, the mind washing/conditioning is only for the soldiers and NCOs.  The officers may not be so heavily conditioned.  So, perhaps, like many villains, they will protect their own lives first.  <shrug>

 

Trash compactor bit made me LMAO.

Edited December 19, 2015 by Qwyksilver

[Marvin]

Aside from the hammy and ham-fisted and obvious handling of Han and his boy, I found Kylo a complete dud. Very Christensen-like, both in terms of what they gave him with which to work and how he executed it. Literal inarticulate flailing.
 
 
I can't even begin to describe how disappointing a third elfing Death Star was. I like imagining the conversation that led up to that:

"Listen, guys. I've got this great idea. What if we have them blow up a Death Star at the end?"
"Again? JJ, come one. Nobody liked that when George did it a second time."
"You didn't let me finish. What if this Death Star is . . . a whole planet?!"
"But it's still just a Death Star."
"No! It's totally different! I'll call it something different, make the laser another color, all that. It'll be great."