Offical TFA media review thread

Saw about 13 hours ago now at a midnight screening in the UK. The movie was so overwhelming (in a good way), I need to see it again to process it properly and articulate my opinions more accurately, but my god, the movie was frickin' incredible!

J.J. Abrams, you absolute legend, you did it! You frickin' did it!

 

Me 'I love you' ....SW7 'I know' ...that is all you need to know

 

the circle is now complete the 3 reviews ive been waiting for in particular were the council stuckmann and this magnificent son of a Vhlor

hope RESTORED

 

I liked the movie, can't wait to see it again

 

Agreed. Schmoes/Stuckmann/Jahns are the holy trinity of reviewers.

 

@semiote - that corridor you're referring too was a flashback of Luke and Vader's fight in TESB.

 

Current RT Score: 95%

Average Rating: 8.2/10
Reviews Counted: 199
Fresh: 189
Rotten: 10


Audience Score: 92%

Average Rating: 4.5/5
User Ratings: 111,470

 

Spoiler

Han will return back in time and space just for shoot them first!

Movie felt like old SW, classic adventure with great characters, exiting action, familiar plot with tons of homages. Visually striking picture. Abrams at his best. This is his best work on big screen.
Movie isn't perfect, yes. Here and there some minor or questionable moments, new music is not that great, but it's good.

 

another youtuber i have a lot of faith in

extra special note: this guy normally only does theory/speculation videos hes only reviewed a film like once or twice so its kinda novel


and not to sound like his agent but his theory/speculation videos are kinda cool you holds prob check him out

 

For what it's worth, 'The Force Awakens' made AFI's Top Ten Best Films of 2015 list.

 

AFI's full list for those who are wondering:

The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Carol
Inside Out
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
Room
Spotlight
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Straight Outta Compton


That's a really solid list.

 

(Spoilers)
Hey everyone,
It has been a couple of days since i've first seen the film and i think it is time to share some of my thoughts on TFA. Also, this is my first post on here, but i've been reading the news and some of the cantina threads (especially the always entertaining Darth Plagueis thread) regularly ever since the sequel trilogy had first been announced.
I did however pay a lot of attention to not read any spoilers and although i have not watched any of the TV-spots there were not so many surprises for me in the film. Maybe that is part of the reason, why after the attack at Maz's Castle everything felt so rushed. i think it would have worked out better had the heros gotten some more valuable clues concerning Luke. Another side plot would have really helped to change the hectic pacing imo (i'm sure that a lot of people actually appreciate that about the film), enforced the where-is-Luke aspect of the story and it could have further developed some of the characters. Poe Dameron for example. All i know about him is that he is the best pilot in the resistance. The same goes for 3PO. It was shocking to see, how little screen time he got. As i said, everything went a little to fast after the scenes at Maz' castle for my taste. The scene of Starkiller Base destroying those planets to me seemed like the writer(s) felt they had to show the the power of the First Order and their base, unfortunately that scene didn't make me feel anything personally. Also i think it is unclear how powerful the First Order is and what the role of the new Senate is. Same goes for other other aspects: The knights of Ren are mentioned once, and seen briefly in the flashback, but there is no information about them. Phasma also appeared like a really weak character to me. I'm not saying that the film should be full of politics or anything like that, but it just didn't seem well rounded. Morever, it felt like i just got a short glimpse at SW again, but this film only ever wanted to set up Episode 8 and 9. Same thing with the ending: why were they not showing a proper burial of Han or a celebretation scene ( i have to say that i would have liked it a lot more, had he died in Episode 8. Now there is no room to develop his relationship with his son)? Once again it felt kind of rushed to me.
Then there are also minor things, like how bad Snoke and Ackbar looked, how some Planets didn't feel like they were from Star Wars and the general lack of familiar Alien species (could be just me).
I'm not saying that i didn't like the movie, as i really enjoyed it actually, but it just left me wanting more i guess. Some of the things i mentioned and other minor things kept it from being a perfect Star Wars movie.
I hope you can make sense of me rambling. It's hard for me to organize my thoughts as a) i am not an English native speaker and b) it hasn't been to long since i've seen it and i still feel kinda confused (not sure if that will even change though)...

 

The clue is in the title. Star Wars is back...but nothing has changed. This is Episode IV (with touch of V) all over again.
The Force has Awakened but unfortunately it is Groundhog Day.
People have said many things about Lucas' Prequel Trilogy. The vast majority being on the money - terrible dialogue, cold CGI and the inclusion of He-Who- Should-Not-Be-Named.
However, like the original films in the 70's and 80's, the Prequels were fresh, new and innovative.
At times you could look past the terrible dialogue and be thrilled all over again.
In telling the story he wanted to tell, Lucas may have upset a few folks but he at least added to the mythology and expanded the Universe.
If you manage to watch Lucas' six film trilogy, you will discover a fluid story, with each film riffing off each other until we reach a truly satisfactory and epic climax to the tale that originated in Episode I.

With Abrams' TFA, the saga has essentially come to a full stop. Like Artoo (rather inexplicably) it has been shut down for 30 years and then rebooted. Whether it be down to Disney wanting to avoid at all cost another Prequel Trilogy backlash; paying too much lip-service to the old fan base; or simply because he has the originality of a Moof Milker (the best line from TFA) - the story of this latest installment is massively underwhelming. We've waited 3 years for this film. Some have waited for 30. And instead of something truly new, exciting and satisfying we have been Force fed Episode IV all over again - yet without the thrills, surprises and emotional pay-off.

Don't get me wrong. There is a lot to like about The Force Awakens.
The new characters are great fun and the actors do a good job.
The old cast didn't just turn up either, they did well to maintain their legacy - although I could've done without Carrie Fisher.
Kylo Ren offered an interesting, albeit slightly confusing, former Jedi turned evil Dark Side minion (to the poorly designed and executed CGI Snoke).
The scenes of him dealing with his Imperial cohorts was great fun and a fitting homage to the Darth Vader choking scenes of Empire.
However, a new Star Wars film should not be likeable. It should be great. And it should be memorable.

It started off well. From the opening shot to the arrival at Maz's castle, I was hooked.
It felt like Star Wars. Modern, fresh, interesting - with some nice surprises.
I could even look past the droid that held vital information critical to the Resistance being stranded, rescued and then escaping from Jakku on the Millenium Falcon with a desert rat, a young cocky gunslinger and old mentor.
It was great fun and it felt like something was being set up.
Then however, it all fell flat. Rather than going in a new direction it carried on the same path as A New Hope.
The Evil FO destroy a planet loyal to the Resistance. The heroes have to escape from the FO and return the information hidden in the droid to Princess Leia. The Resistance then has limited time to formulate a plan (on a location very similar to Yavin) before the Super Weapon destroys them.
$4 Billion and over 2 years in the making and this is what JJ Abrams and Kasdan can muster? That's very odd. Very odd indeed.

Upon reflecting from my first, very disappointing viewing (stupidly opting to watch it in the confusing 3D format - the 2nd viewing in 2D was better) I came to realise that it was because of this repetition of the Original Trilogy - something that all us Star Wars devotees craved, that my experience fell flat. By the end I hadn't truly marveled at what was going on. I wasn't surprised. But what about Han's death scene, I hear you say?! Anyone who didn't see that coming is a half-witted nerf herder (still beats Moof Milker).
The hero mentor had to die. Just like Kenobi in A New Hope. At the hands of the Dark Lord of the film. Whilst the new hero watched on.
It's just a shame that Han's death mustered very little from his loved ones, with his ex-wife seeking comfort from the desert girl she had never met rather than Chewbacca, who idly wanders by when they return to Yavin...I mean the Resistance Base.

The final act of the movie is probably the greatest cause of my discontent.
Another Death Star to destroy (albeit one more suited to the Star Trek universe than Star Wars) with hot shot X-Wing pilots flying down a trench.
These space battle scenes were most definitely the weakest action scenes in the movie. They were devoid of originality, included characters we had barely met - although thankfully included the shamefully underused Poe Cameo Damerson. (I feel that as much as I liked Poe they could have mixed his character with Finn, allowing the former to be the one in the space battle whilst Rey battles with Kylo).
It was obvious what was going to happen. Heck, it was from the get-go - but it wasn't just knowing it that made this scene climatically challenging. It was the fact it completely missed the beat. Unlike the ending to A New Hope, this was no crescendo. It just fizzled out. The explosion happened over a period of time that allowed people to weep, mourn, escape (I presume Kylo and Hux got off the planet...somehow). I still get thrills watching Han fly in, blast Vader and Luke hitting the sweet spot. I can't really remember the events in this climax. I could talk about the musical score at this point but I won't. Not sure quite what to make of that yet until I have haeard it a few more times. I certainly didn't appreciate it in the movie or when certain tracks were used. But I have been listening to the Empire soundtrack in my car for the past few weeks and NOTHING compares to that!

Onto the main end battle, Rey vs Kylo Ren. Rey was undoubtedly the shining star of the movie. When she wasn't around it felt very dull.
For a first time performance, Daisy Ridley was superb.
However, as a Star Wars geek I had issues that the 'normal' cinema going public wouldn't consider. But it irked me so I will say it.
In the space of a movie, Rey went from not believing the Force existed to being able to use mind tricks, telekinesis and defeating a fully trained Dark Side warrior.
Luke did that over the period of 3 movies. Many years.
It jarred. It didn't feel right. It felt, well, forced, just so JJ could have that hero using the Force moment.
But in A New Hope Luke didn't really do much with the Force other than deflect a laser blast whilst blinded and under the spiritual guidance of JEDI MASTER Kenobi, use his instincts to fire his torpedo at the reactor shaft - a target size he sued to hit time and time again in Beggars Canyon, back home.
It's not something that makes The Force Awakens a bad film. But it annoys my Star Wars sensibilities.
The lightsaber duel itself was fine. But the jarring effect of Rey holding her own and then taking Kylo out prevented me from being immersed in it.

And so onto the ending, the long awaited return of Luke Skywalker.
By this time I was feeling quite flat - so seeing a satisfactory conclusion to the mystery probably wouldn't have roused me enough to applaud the film (as I did with AOTC and ROTS at the premieres).
However, this conclusion was far from satisfactory. There was no pay-off for sitting through the 2 and a bit hours of meandering plot other than seeing a weepy and rather decidedly un-Jedi hero like Luke Skwyalker weep on the very Earthy medieval island as Rey arrives with his old lightsaber (we have to wait until 2017 to find out how Maz got that/ for JJ and Johnson to actually come up with something that makes sense).
Once again, my Star Wars sensibilities are offended. JJ -are you telling me that Luke Skywalker, the man who conquered the Dark Side, redeemed Darth Vader and withstood the Emperor is so crippled with grief that he hides out in exile whilst billions die, Leia is threatened and his old pal Han gets snuffed out?
Whatever reason they come up with in Episode VIII, it won't ever sit right with me. The reason they left him out is because he would've dominated Rey's scenes.
But rather than having him hide out like a self-pitying coward, couldn't they have had him be the captive of the horrendously bad CGI Lord Snoke? Or badly injured? I didn't buy it and JJ shouldn't have dangled that carrot under our noses to then just see Luke all sad (or perhaps confused by how his lightsaber returned from Bespin) for 30 odd seconds.

I should probably mention the things I liked other than, like I said, the first 20-30 minutes.
- Kylo's character was intriguing. I hope they explain his turn to the Dark Side in a satisfying way. (I'd have killed Leia off pre-TFA to give him motivation to hate his father and avoid those excruciating Carrie Fisher scenes where she can't really get her mouth to move).
- The chemistry between Han and Chewie was still there and great fun. However, I did find it a bit of a shame that Han's characters had regressed and they hadn't continued developing him from Jedi. I guess they wanted the same guy from A New Hope & Empire before he got all slushy?
- BB8 - fantastic design, worked beautifully.
- Rey & Finn were fantastic. Great chemistry. I can't really fault the characters or the acting in this film. Just the story and direction.
- The flashback scene - loved it. Wanted more.
- The humour, although there was a bit too much of it, worked very well.

To conclude I view this film as a failure - a failure to continue the mythology in a satisfying way, to provide something new and exciting.
Without my Star Wars goggles on, it was a perfectly good Hollywood Blockbuster. But Star Wars should be way above that.
Where the Prequels failed in character and dialogue, the sequel(s) have thus far failed equally in substance and story.
There is enough there to provide us with some light at the end of the tunnel, however. It all depends on whether Episode VIII continues in the same vein of being a remake of the original films or actually try and be something "new".
Help us Rian Johnson, you're our only hope".

As a movie - 7.5/10
As a Star Wars Movie - 6/10

 

I feel like a lot of your analysis is spot on, as my own " SW sensibilities" unveil the same or at least similar crudities in the plot. Seeing the film, my perception of the scenes up to Maz's castle was just as positive as yours. Having read your post i now understand better, why i started to enjoy less and less what i was seeing, beginning with the plan to destroy Starkiller Base on ... well Yavin: I had to realize that there wouldn't be many surprises or sharp turns in the last act. That is definitely part of the reason, why it felt so lifeless and unimaginative when Dameron destroyed Death Star III. Additionally, as i said before, ANH worked as a film individually, while with Episode 7 it seems to only fulfill the role of a pedestal for Episode 8. Greetings from Germany

 

Watched the movie with my better half (who loves Star Wars, TESB & RoTJ and is indifferent to the PT) and she almost sprang from her seat as she exclaimed "WHAT?!" when the credits popped onscreen. It was my second viewing and I wanted to see her unspoiled reaction... she loved it in the theater. It wasn't until the next day, that she had some questions. It was that conversation which led me writing this post... and written in blue, are most of the things that she asked me about.


1.) Why is the film called the force awakens and not The Search for Luke?
-I told her to pay closer attention to the Opening Crawl next time.lol

2.) From the moment Kylo Ren steps on the scene, he’s a badass with the force... Stopping people and laser bolts in their tracks, sensing the identity of his subordinates. The force felt very much awake for an obvious dark side character. He did things we’d never seen before and set the bar quite high for the rest of the film. How did the Master of the Knights of Ren become so strong in the dark side if the force had a recent awakening on both sides? Is Kylo stronger than Darth Vader?

3.) How did Rey know how to fly a freighter, or any ship for that matter? And with such skill? Understanding how ships work from years of scavenging is one thing, being a crack pilot is another. Was the banter between Finn and Rey meant to convey that the force helped them escape? Because neither could explain what just happened. Why was Rey dropped off with the same guy who bought her parts with food? -I was surprised she caught that, tbh.lol

4.) How did Han know that they were out there? How far did they get from Jakku and what did Han Solo do differently to track the vehicle that he hadn’t done for years? And what’s up with jumping to hyperspace from inside another ship, or out of it, within a planet’s atmosphere?

5.) Did Kylo Ren have a force vision with Vader’s mask, like the one Rey has with Anakin’s lightsaber?
He asks to be shown the power of the dark side one more time. Where did the new Emperor come from?

6.) Why are the new republic and resistance separate entities? And why does the Imperial Remnant /New First Order even acknowledge the Senate? Can you explain (the First Order, the Republic and the F.O.) all of that?

7.) Is Hyperspace travel faster than it used to be? And how can you drain a sun without wrecking the gravitational fields of the surrounding stellar bodies? How do laser/plasma beams split? Did they travel through Hyperspace? Why was the Resistance base in the same system as the New Republic? Where was the First Order’s main fleet? Why was StarKiller base left relatively unprotected? How can they turn a planet into a Death Star?

8.) Does R2 have a built in midichlorian counter? Do force sensitive people have different pheromones?
Why did R2 wake up at Rey’s arrival when he was obviously waiting for Luke?

9.) Did Kylo slowly lose his connection to the force after killing his father? Or was it his injury that kept him from out force pulling Rey for the family saber? Initially,he seemed to be drawing strength from it by hitting himself on the side... Not really sure what was going on there... But he clearly was not the same as he was in the beginning of the film. How did Rey become more powerful than Kylo Ren? Was she born with more of the force like Luke's dad?

10.) Is Rey, Luke's daughter? Will we see Yoda and Obi Wan again?
-I told her that's my guess and you've already heard them, so I doubt you'll see them unless there is another vision.

 

http://www.thewrap.com/star-wars-the-force-awakens-negative-reviews/

--- Double Post Merged, Dec 22, 2015, Original Post Date: Dec 22, 2015 ---

http://www.altfg.com/film/the-force-awakens-negative-reviews/

--- Double Post Merged, Dec 22, 2015 ---

Ha, first time I've agreed with the Vatican!

http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/...rs-the-force-awakens-not-evil-enough-20151221

 

"Fairy tale rubbish but could be interesting perhaps." - Sir Alec Guinness

 

Good movie but it set up episode 8 to be a great one with all of it's unanswered questions.