TFA after multiple viewings.

* very enjoyable movie with too many fortunate coincidences and parallels to the OT, forgettable soundtrack and really poor pacing; 8.5/10

 

Obviously the scenes on Jakku are iconic, as is Han's introduction and Rey's first interactions with Ren.

 

I loved the news additions like Kylo's Theme and Jedi steps!

 

"Rey's Theme" is, no joke, my favorite Star Wars composition.

 

One of mine's too.

 

TFA is easily my favourite of the ST

 

I can endorse this.

 

I rewatched the Force Awakens the other day and the first 20mins really are amazing as good as anything in Star Wars. Watching the rest makes me a little bit sad, how heavy they went in on the mystery box, that they cleaerly had no plan for, in retrospect means those elemnts feel like mystery for the sake of mystery, or worse simply a marketing ploy, after all getting fans to therosise creates intrest and sells tickets. This combined with how close it is in plot to a new hope, means at time it can feel a bit hollow. Still enjoyable, but wish they had manged to keep up the quality of the first 20 mins.

 

@Mosley909 Great post I agree with TFA!! So much promise at the beginning....I too was mesmerized and could not stop smiling during that first 20 minutes.

Why can't we return to this moment in time before TFA, when trailers were dropping with the reaction mashups some of my most favorite videos on YT. This one especially, makes me tear up every time. Look at the girl third from the right on the bottom, watch her reaction.....damn....goosebumps!!

 

After many viewings, I think TFA is one of those movies that's so delightful you forgive its imperfections. Is it derivative of ANH? Sure. Do I wish it took a few more aesthetic chances? Maybe. But it's such a good time, and it's so tonally perfect, that I don't care when I watch it.

 

It's derivative of a alot of things from SW. It's not really fresh, but there's still some intelligence to it. Is it a fun film, yes? The island scene at the end is cool right up until the part where the film decides to end with Luke, which I thought was cool but overdone. I don't understand why the galaxy desperately needs Luke (which Rian acutely and correctly assessed in The Last Jedi); they could just find another rebel to save the day.

I also don't know why there is apparently a map (which The Saltier Than Crait folks pointed out) in the Star Wars: The Force Awakens Visual Dictionary that hints that it points to Luke Skywalker. To be fair, I'd almost take a scene in which Luke's hand and lightsaber were still drifting through space and ended up on some planet like Jakku to start the film than to have the map. It makes Luke seem as if he's so important that you need to find him like he's a secret Jigsaw piece or boss fight or a secret location in a video game.

Luke's important but no one really gets the character anymore, honestly. I think The Last Jedi recovered some of Luke (Does Hamill even remember his character doubting himself in The Empire Strikes Back when he failed to lift the X-wing or Luke's reluctance to head out with Obi-wan in A New Hope? It's fully within Luke's capability of a character to not want to join to fight, and his reason is even better- to not escalate things.) by showing a complex emotion state, and showing that the character never was perfect.

Anyway, I like The Force Awakens with the new characters (Kylo Ren) and tying up loose ends with Han Solo. The stormtrooper who joins the rebels is an interesting idea, as well as other characters.

 

TFA, (and this is my opinion) does not have as long a shelf life as TLJ because there are fewer surprises. I absolutely loved the first 1/3 of TFA (start up till Takodana) but as the film progressed, it felt more and more “familiar” which in the long run will take away from its enjoyment. However, the big “wow” moment was the Han death, which was properly put near the end.
I recently watched episodes I-IX and in a weird sense I felt like I was seeing:
I, II, III, IV, V, VI, IV, V, VI
Strange deja vu feelings, indeed.

 

VII has callbacks to VI, with the tease of "redemption" and the scapegoating of evil, in similar fashion in ROTJ Vader, but possibly even more overt and evident. At least ROTJ's Obi-wan still says that Vader was seduced by the dark side, implying the Vader still decided to go to the dark side. It's Luke's words: "The emperor hasn't driven it from you fully" that makes it seem like Vader's decisions weren't his fault and that the Emperor was causing it. Therefore, if Vader destroys the Emperor, he will be free from the Emperor's influence.

VIII also teases the idea of Kylo turning good from destroying Snoke, but thankfully Rian still has his brain turned on with the homage to ROTJ, with Rey stating that I like that despite Ren's complex feelings and care for Rey, that he is 100% back-plotting behind Rey's back to utilize her to his advantage to destroy Snoke; it shows the Ren has a brain as well as his complex role as a villain. And to be frank, this is something TESB Vader likely would have done if the "suit problem-ROTJ's reason or power problem- TESB's reason and ROTJ's other reason for not attacking the Emperor" weren't addressed. To be frank, Vader was technically emboldened by the Emperor's weakness of saying "he could destroy us", which Vader saw as an opening if he could convince Luke not to harm him and to destroy only the Emperor. Ren also has a little more nerve than TESB Vader.

 

The Force Awakens has a great start with new characters, new story and the coming back of some old characters that I like. But with the progress of the movie there are some plot holes and coincidences like the Millennium Falcon that is based on Jakku, Maz that has Luke's lightsaber and R2D2 map scene that could have been better.

 

I think that’s a pretty good summation of the ST in the context of the Saga. They tried so hard to please the OT fans and ignore the PT, they tried too hard in the end.

I look at the Saga this way as it’s like going out to a great steak dinner:

-The OT is the main course and the reason you made reservations to the restaurant.

-The PT is the mixed appetizer plate you order for the table. There are some good things you love and other things you don’t like and won’t eat.

-The ST is dessert. You don’t really need it and you could avoid it after a big dinner, but it’s something enjoyable even though you’ve had a zillion times.