Member reviews of THE FORCE AWAKENS

I don't what you mean by agenda? A female villain, so what? The character was terribly underused (despite big marketing for her) and when she was on screen no presence or menace whatsoever.

 

I was being partially sarcastic because everyone else keeps saying that .

 

Yes it's one of those words that is becoming overused, out of context and very annoying. I think Gwendoline Christie is the most guilty for making this seem like an agenda by saying repeatedly how Captain Phasma is the first female villain in Star Wars and how proud she is of that fact. It shouldn't even be mentioned. It's absurd by giving herself a pat on the back just because she is a female playing that role. She should have been proud to play a great character and the performance she gave but as both were lacking it's embarrassing that she kept going on about it. When Christie kept banging on about how she concentrated on body language and the physical aspect of her performance, like many others I got really excited about what she would deliver to the role. You can understand my disappointment.

 

I absolutely loved The Force Awakens. Currently I have it as my second favorite in the trilogy behind Empire. The characters were wonderful, the visuals were amazing, and the soundtrack has quickly become my favorite in the saga. I like it more and more each time I see it or think about it.

The new trio of Rey, Finn, Poe, and BB-8 are all wonderful, endearing characters. Daisy Ridley did a phenomenal job making Rey a lonely and innocent, yet potent and trusting individual. I loved everything about Rey and in my opinion Daisy Ridley steals the show with her performance. John Boyega's Finn comes across as a very genuine and human character. He is scared and out for himself early on and yet when it truly matters he is a brave and careless person. His chemistry with Han, Poe, BB-8 and Rey is wonderful. Oscar Isaac does a great job with Poe Dameron making him an extremely charismatic and dedicated leader who is also cocky and full of bravado which I really liked. My only complaint with him is that I wished we had more of Poe in the film because he was really good in the few scenes he was in. BB-8 was something that could have come across as cheesy or cutesy and yet it was charming and funny and by the end of the movie I loved it as much as the other characters.

Kylo Ren was a phenomenal villain. He can come across as whiny or childish to some but too me it made him human. He wasn't a calm and collected villain like Darth Vader or the Emperor, he was a very conflicted man and Adam Driver did a great performance. Kylo Ren is a frightening and intimidating character, but he is also a scared and sad character. I loved his interactions with Rey in the interrogation scene and the lightsaber fight.

The original trio was very good. Han and Chewie were great and the constant bickering between them was hilarious. Harrison gave a great send off to Han Solo and his death scene, while fairly obvious to see coming, was emotional and heartbreaking. Han's scenes with Leia were sweet and you could feel the love and pain they shared with each other. I really liked the final scene of the film between Luke and Rey. Mark Hamill did a great job of expressing so much emotion in that one scene without saying a word.

The action was intense and fast paced throughout the film. The attack on the Jakku village to open the movie was great and it illustrated the cruelty of the First Order right off the bat. The battle of Takodana was exciting and demonstrated Poe's great piloting skills as well as the sheer awesomeness of TR-8R(FN-2199). The battle to destroy Starkiller base was very cool and reminiscent of A New Hope's battle of Yavin. The lightsaber battle was brutal, intense, and full of emotion. It was visually stunning to watch and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

Finally the music for The Force Awakens was great. John Williams created a score that was ambient and quiet at times and yet exciting and intense at others. The Scavenger/ Rey's Theme is beautiful and one of the best pieces in the Star Wars saga. Overall I'd say the OST for The Force Awakens is among the best.

The Force Awakens has some flaws like every film like the plot being similar to A New Hope, but honestly it didn't really bother me. The Force Awakens overcomes its few shortcomings and offers an extremely fun and enjoyable movie going experience. I loved The Force Awakens and I can't wait to see Episode VIII when it comes out.
9.5/10

 

I've never understood the gender divide. Why is it such a big deal in film --- or in any other aspect of life --- to judge based on gender sexuality and equality. To be fair, though, Disney sucks ass and have evidence of pushing a feminine agenda. They have every right to, but it's not out of the question to think that. Unfortunately, the world doesn't work like I do and we're all prejudiced hypocrites. That's life. It even shows in the fact that GC's hardcore was originally a man. It's a breath of fresh air that it wasn't a man but it feels like it's almost too forced especially in the way that And Daisy Ridley talk about feminism, empowerment, etc. and then that's where "meninists" come into play and then they're raked over the coals for it. We should stop choosing sides and just live life and make these movies without giving the feeling of any agendas .

 

Yes I agree there does seem to be a bit of an agenda from Kathleen Kennedy who says she wants female directors. Again it doesn't need to be said. Just get a director who is right for the job. Whether it's female or male is irrelevant. That goes for characters gender or sexual orientation. It doesn't matter to me if the characters are male, female, straight or gay just as long as it fits the character and nothing about it being those things is made a big deal out of by the actors or the creators. It's only when you hear things like he or she is this and that because we haven't had that before... then it starts to sound like an agenda. To be fair to Daisey Ridley she only said of her character that Rey is an inspiration not because she is a woman but because she is a character with those qualities that male and females could aspire to. She actually seems to offset the whole Rey being a strong female lead really well.

 

9,5/10

It's my favorite Star Wars film so far! Alot of people say that the story is the same as ANH, it is a bit yes. But its stil a very good movie, with amazing new actors. Daisy ridley is my favorite of the new actors. My favorite new character is Kylo Renn, I hope he will stay in the Dark Side and will become more badass than he already is.

Like a lot of people I hope Snoke is Darth Plagieus.

The music wasn't the best but it was still good. The main theme wasn't as powerfull as the other main themes.

I've seen the movie twice and I will see it again next week! can't wait!

 

I decided to delete my review for various reasons.

 

Review taken.

 

You want my review? Okay where do I begin...well...whenever I review the SW films I go over plot summary (without revealing too much I hope), character analysis, best and worst moments, and then the antagonist. So here we go....

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away, I wrote my thoughts on all movies in the Star Wars saga, and now I get to write to you about the 7th.

So where do I begin? Oh yes, the story this time is almost nostalgic and something new at the same time. I went into the theater with excitement in my heart knowing this was going to be really epic. Then I sat down to learn that this is all about finding Luke Skywalker. We have two protagonists here. Finn, a First Order Stormtrooper; it appears that the First Order is the new Galactic Empire. Then there's Rey, who is a scavenger living almost like a nomad on the desert planet Jakku hoping for a better life. She largely reminds me of Katniss Everdeen, only she salvages things from the wreckage of Star Destroyers in exchange for food. Finn wants to get away from the first order and Rey hopes someone will come back for her. Well that's subject to change when the droid BB-8 shows up with a map that must be kept from the First Order. Sound familiar? Wait a minute, didn't something like this already happen? Then the Resistance a.k.a New Rebel Alliance must stop the First Order from using their ultimate weapon capable of destroying entire star systems before Luke's coordinates can be revealed.

So, I think I'm going to start with Rey for character analysis because she is more badass than I thought. She's an independent woman without a doubt, and I was instantly turned on by her desire to get off-world. Sounds just like Luke to me. When Kylo Ren captured her, I was hoping she would try to do something about it instead of waiting for someone to come and save her. Turns out she did, and there was a big plot twist at the end that had me on the edge of my seat. Even though she seemed to not want to have anything to do with the Jedi, when she found Luke's lightsaber, and suffered a series of hallucinations....it is revealed by some of the things she does, is that she is in fact, force sensitive. I was shocked but at the same time happy because we need more female Jedi with actual roles, so I hope that that intensifies in the next movie. She's a strong character and succeeds my expectations in the lead female role.

As for Finn, I had the impression that he was going to be the Jedi because what I had seen on the posters, trailers and other promotional pictures revealed prior to release, but he wasn't much of that as I thought he was. He seemed like a coward at first wanting to run away to the Outer Rim to be almost free from the First Order forever. But turns out he didn't seem like he was force sensitive after all. Sure he fights Kylo Ren and kills a few Stormtroopers with a lightsaber, but even though that was what was being shown as promotional, it's not him we were expecting as force sensitive. We were looking at the wrong character all along.

Han and Leia have not changed and I thought that when Han confronts Kylo Ren on that bridge, that was a very powerful scene. It was almost as if Ren was going to come with them but instead he stabs Han and allows him to fall into the darkness. Ugh...that's right in the heart there. If they were going to kill off Han, that seemed like the right time to do that. If you're going to kill off an iconic character, make sure you do it at a time that is prepared for and at the right moment. I had a bad feeling about it as soon as that scene started.

I knew the Millennium Falcon was going to make a comeback, and having it here is just what we need. Watching Rey fly it through Star Destroyer wreckage on Jakku to lose a bunch of TIE Fighters is reminds me right away of escaping them in an asteroid field. It has a nostalgic feel to it. At first I was expecting something a little more original, but I guess this is just as good as the classic Falcon flight through the asteroid field.

Okay so Starkiller Base, it makes the Death Star look like a pea shooter. Take a million Death Stars and you have Starkiller Base. Cut right out of an ice planet, that isn't Hoth, and is capable of destroying entire star systems instead of just planets. Clever idea, but still similar to the original two Death Stars, just with a weapon that draws power drained from a star in order to start the process of destroying a whole star system instead. This idea is certainly galaxy-wide threatening, and must have taken decades to build. So who is this Snoke? He's certainly not human that's for sure, his hologram makes him look large. I can only guess he will eventually appear in person....unless I am mistaken and he is actually that large and lives in the base.

So, about Kylo Ren, well ever since I saw the movie, I've been trying to find a picture of him where he fights Rey after Finn is injured fighting him so I'll have to skip adding that. Ren is truly troubled and it is revealed that Luke was trying to build a new Jedi Order, with not as many regulations this time (such as perhaps Jedi are allowed to form attachments this time), and Ren rebelled against it and turned to the dark side. I will not say too much because many of you still have to see the movie. He's certainly not Darth Vader, but as he says "I will finish what you started" so we know what's going on here. I'll never forget him revealing his face, confronting his father Han, then Finn and Rey in the dark winter forest as Starkiller Base begins to blow up.

In the forest twice, Rey defends herself against Ren and it pleases me that she actually fights off the threat rather than flee or surrender. But when she suddenly uses the force to grab the lightsaber and duels Ren, I was like "YES!! FINALLY! THIS IS WHAT I'VE WANTED!" It's unclear as to whether Ren is dead or not when Starkiller Base is destroyed.

So I'd say that Kylo Ren is pretty badass, he's no Vader but he still makes a good villain tormented by the dark side and formerly a Jedi who started down the dark path and didn't turn back.

I'm quite disappointed that Captain Phasma's role wasn't as big as it seemed because I was looking forward to seeing her. We haven't had any female Stormtroopers before but nevertheless, she was awesome.

So it seems that women are starting to have bigger roles in parts that weren't as big back to them in previous stories in this universe. I mean we had lots of female Jedi in the prequel trilogy, but they were more background. The Clone Wars fixes that really well giving them larger roles, but they were never the center of the spotlight....except for Ahsoka Tano that is.

Now that we have Rey as a potential Jedi and Phasma as a Stormtrooper. This is a step in the right direction for the franchise I hope.

So what do I think over all, well it's a new start, and it looks like it's a new trilogy to add to the saga. At the same time it doesn't feel completely new because there are quite a few things in there that make it feel like A New Hope all over again.

But still, I like the idea of what has been done with Rey, Kylo Ren's a cool villain, and let us not forget about BB-8. A great film, maybe not my favourite just yet, but definitely not one I dislike so 8/10.

 

Love the movie, but it had it flaws, here`s a pick of me from opening night.
As I have a pretty tight budget I couldn`t afford anything more screen-accurate, but apart from the red Kylo saber it reminds me of Sora Bulq a bit. Weequay jedi.

 

How do we know that the movie is pretty good? Well..in 99 people were looking for the good things in the Phantom Menace and had hard time finding them. And now? Everyone is nitpicking Anyway, I did see the movie 3 times already and probably going tomorrow again. Really loved like 90 % of the movie. The last 20-25 minutes are kinda weaker than the rest of the movie in my opinion. I'm gonna give it 8/10. Can' wait to see what Rian will do with Episode 8 !

 

Totally agree the music for the trailer was powerful, yet seemed to be laking in two critical places in the movie, it didn't lessen the movie, but the music would have certainly enhanced it.

 

Fantastic review, @Emi Takori! I'll post a review once I gather my thoughts.

 

I wasn't nitpicking. I found there were big things that simply didn't work for me. Not for just a star wars movie but as a movie in general. I'm a big original trilogy star wars fan but I didn't go in wanting to compare it with the Original trilogy but to watch it purely as a new movie. The fact that it has very similar plot points with a new hope forced me to compare it with a new hope which is something I didn't want to do. I found that it pays homage particularly to a new hope but seems to be ignorant of what made those things great about a new hope and fails to achieve those things. Some of the best things about the movie is when it is doing something different but even some things it does differently didn't work for me. It's not that I was trying to find things I didn't like but it was just glaringly obvious to me and slightly cringe worth at times where it simply wasn't working. I have a feeling and am hoping that episode 8 will be the star wars movie i've been dreaming about. A star wars movie that TFA isn't... totally different, original, a stronger and more intelligently written script, a script that really does justice to the new characters. A film that doesn't feel the need to give nods to previous star wars movies and deliver stronger darkside characters. Make captain phasma a really cool character would be great! I'm also hoping for a better film score with stronger and more memorable themes particularly for the darkside characters.

 

Spoiler free:
I liked it. Go see it!

 

Hello! Thanks for your thoughts. Even though I came away loving the movie, I can understand your perspective. I'm not sure if you have done so yet, but if you get the chance, a lot of people have said the seeing the movie a second time really made a big difference for them. I am sure that you will still see so many homages and plot ideas from ANH and the other OT movies again, no doubt about it, but for me, I found that the second viewing really helped me to put aside from what I wanted to see the first viewing or was expecting to see the first time but didn't. It also helped me to take in a lot more things than the first viewing, like the music score and unanswered plot questions or subtle world building and background characters, etc. You may have already done so, and it may or may not have improved the experience for you, but I am so familiar with all the Star Wars movies (OT and PT) that a few repeat viewings (at least once more in theater and then of course later on digital or blu-ray) would help to get some extra perspective. Of course, I've seen it five times now, been reading the Novelization, and more important than anything else, reading through the wonderful Visual Dictionary. Anyway, you may have already done this for all I know. I may see it different but still, thanks for your thoughts.

 

The more I watch this movie (I have seen it seven times now) the more I love it and the more some of the moments become quite iconic to me. To the people saying that the music is a let down, I challenge you to sit down with the soundtrack and really let it grab you. This is very unlike previous Star Wars soundtracks, nor should it be (despite there being a lot of recurring themes). Here are my thoughts on the music that may help you gain a different perspective if you are struggling with it:

Rey's theme is one of the strongest and most uplifting pieces of music we've gotten in Star Wars so far; up there with Yoda's theme and Han and Leia's theme. It seamlessly shakes hands with the Force theme and I find myself constantly listening to it on repeat. It is curious, vulnerable, beautiful, moving, and quite powerful; just like Rey.

Kylo Ren's theme is just like Kylo Ren: childish, angry, and contrived. It sounds like a wannabe bad guy theme, unlike the Imperial March or Duel of the Fates, which I think is genius because Kylo is a total wannabe (do you think he could eventually become a hero?).

The Jedi Steps is, in my opinion, Master Luke's / Episode 8's new theme. I would bet hard cash that we will be hearing plenty of this theme in Episode 8. It seems like John Williams is paving the way for future installments, which I really hope means that he'll be back to finish of the trilogy.

The Millenniun Falcon theme is great; it's exciting, rough and squeaky, fast paced and kind of weird, and written in a crazy time signature that is hard to follow; just like the Falcon itself. It also reminds me a lot of the music from Towering Inferno, one of JW's other great scores.

March of the Resistance, to me, is very similar to the Trade Federation theme, but I actually like it a lot more because it's more bombastic and is perfectly placed in the movie. When the X-wings show up over the water and this theme takes over the movie I get goosebumps every time.

Poe's theme. Wait there's a Poe theme!? Yes, I believe there is and this is even mentioned in Star Wars Oxygen (which I highly recommend to everyone) After the X-wings show up and Poe Starts shooting TROOPERS ON THE GROUND FROM THE SKY LIKE A TOTAL BADASS a very memorable piece of music plays that is constructed much like a theme, although it is only played once, it is played during Poe's big moment in the film.

If the OT's soundtracks were like listening to an epic rock concert, and the PT's soundtracks were like listening to a grand opera, TFA's soundtrack is like getting a big warm, nostalgic hug from John Williams. It's different, refined, simplified, and straight to the point. To me it stomps all over AOTC's and ROTS's ass (they're good but Battle of the Heroes is my least favorite Star Wars theme. It drones on and on and doesn't really go anywhere, while AOTC relies too heavily on Across the Stars)


PS sorry for some of my earlier comments directed at the community concerning their views on the movie. I just couldn't handle everyone's nitpicking and got fed up. Everyone's entitled to their opinions.

 

I rated this film a 9.5/10. The nostalgia of seeing the older characters aged like they have really hit me when I watched the movie and I absolutely loved the plot.
A few things I didn't like-

Captain Phasma - Captain Phasma was one of the most underused characters I have ever seen, especially when she was supposed to be the new Boba Fett or Darth maul. She did have some cool parts, but her place in the storyline was realllllyyyyyyy irrelevant. I originally thought that she died on StarKiller but she has been confirmed for episode 8...

How Rey mastered the Force in five minutes - Now this I found really ridiculous. How the heck did she do that when it took Luke Skywalker weeks??!! This didn't seem very well thought through...

Rey beating Kylo Ren - This also cheezed me off. Rey wasn't even a Jedi at the time! She had no training, no master whereas Kylo had been training all of his life, first as a Jedi, and then as a knight of Ren. I mean, we know he was injured from chewies blast, but still!

I also didnt like the lack of Luke

Overall, I still loved the movie and I most definitely recommend watching it. Sorry for the crappy review though...

Z

 

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