Star Wars: The Force Awakens Discussion (HERE THERE BE SPOILERS)
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TFA holds up to repeated viewings more than any of the Prequels and a lot of other recent films as well.
The sad thing is by this point I think I'd seen each of the prequel movies more times than I've seen TFA.... although I think that was mostly just because I kept hoping the prequels would grow on me over time, or because I was so desperate to find as much to like in them as I could (being that they were the last SW movies I thought would ever be made). 
TFA I obviously enjoyed a whole lot more... but somehow after two viewings I still kinda felt like I had my fill of it for some reason, at least when it comes to seeing it in a movie theater (although strangely I do really look forward to watching it many more times on blu-ray when that comes out).
TFA I obviously enjoyed a whole lot more... but somehow after two viewings I still kinda felt like I had my fill of it for some reason, at least when it comes to seeing it in a movie theater (although strangely I do really look forward to watching it many more times on blu-ray when that comes out).
That's because the story and effects are familiar and Han Solo, Chewie and the Falcon are in it. Those are the prime reasons so many enjoy seeing it more than once. Its basically ANH remake which we might as well admit most wanted all along. We got the Star Wars of our childhoods back. The problem is the new characters weren't as engaging as the old ones and I doubt they will ever be as iconic as the originals. Still I like the old school ships and actors. I just wish the story would have been more original.
Or because I deeply enjoyed it in spite of the familiarity factor and like the film on its own merits, warranting repeated viewings.
I haven't seen it in theaters since the first time (its expensive and the theater is about 30 minutes away), but I know I'll be getting it on DVD or Blu Ray as soon as it comes out and between myself, my brother and my Dad we'll probably wear the disc out in a month.
Billing doesn't correspond to anything really...
Yep. And the character of Obi-Wan actually had two lines of dialogue if you count Sir Alec Guinness saying "REY" just before we hear Ewan's new line.
This isn't the reason for me, or for my wife. While Solo was enjoyable on screen, and his death was shocking, nostalgia was not the primary motivation for my enjoyment. Actually, the whole Starkiller base, and even Han Solo's intro with the raptars (sp? I didn't care that much) felt unnecessary to the overall story.
I loved these new characters. Han and Leia get some great moments but I liked Rey, Finn was fascinating, and Poe was very cool. Even the villains feel very engaged, especially General Hux, who seems to be actively fighting against Kylo, like he resents him. All these different character dynamics are what I remember, not whatever Han Solo's issues were with a freaking giant ship!
I understand the nostalgia factor, but, for me, that's not the enjoyment. The enjoyment is in the new characters, and new worlds, and ships, and swords, and adventure.
YMMV, obviously.
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I liked Poe and even General Hux. FInn was ok. Rey was to perfect for my taste. She had no faults and knew everything already. Its hard to believe that she will even need much of Lukes help. Her characters perfectness just annoyed me to no end.
Kylo Ren, not Kyle.
See, I find that funny because I don't think she is perfect. She has her own conflicts and challenges that she must face that, really, are only partially resolved by the end.
There was a lot of mystery that was left unresolved as far as her origins, but she wasn't perfect. There was a lot of conflict in her, especially internal, and she was a more reluctant heroine than Luke ever was.
I don't know. I liked her a lot, plenty of mystery, a lot of conflict to make her enjoyable as a character without revealing too much.
Also, doesn't change my larger point that nostalgia is not my driving force behind my opinion of the film.
Thank you. Adjusted.
Finally saw the movie a third time last night and thought it still worked pretty darn well. I still don't think I can consider it a great Star Wars movie like ANH or ESB, but it's definitely a good Star Wars movie with a lot of great moments in it, which I think I'm starting to be okay with.
I also noticed some details and lines of dialogue that I somehow missed before, like when Kylo mentions during Rey's interrogation that she's been dreaming about Luke's island. Or the fact that yes, 3PO really does have his gold arm back when he waves goodbye at the end.
Unfortunately the one thing I did have a bit more trouble with this time around is the idea of Kylo Ren being Han and Leia's son. Here you had these two great and noble characters and heroes of the Rebellion who played a huge role in overthrowing the Emperor and saving the galaxy in ROTJ, and who had this great romance and finally got together at the end..... and the very next time we see them they're the parents of a psychotic mass-murderer who massacres villages and entire worlds and killed all of Luke's Jedi students? Really?? Doesn't that seem like an overly cruel and harsh thing to do to these great characters? To basically make them the parents of a wannabe Hitler or Osama bin Laden?
And of course it begs the question of how the heck did THAT happen? Did Anakin's dark side gene somehow skip a generation and infect their son? Or was the son mentally troubled and the dark side took advantage of that? Or were Han and Leia just really crappy parents?
I also noticed some details and lines of dialogue that I somehow missed before, like when Kylo mentions during Rey's interrogation that she's been dreaming about Luke's island. Or the fact that yes, 3PO really does have his gold arm back when he waves goodbye at the end.
Unfortunately the one thing I did have a bit more trouble with this time around is the idea of Kylo Ren being Han and Leia's son. Here you had these two great and noble characters and heroes of the Rebellion who played a huge role in overthrowing the Emperor and saving the galaxy in ROTJ, and who had this great romance and finally got together at the end..... and the very next time we see them they're the parents of a psychotic mass-murderer who massacres villages and entire worlds and killed all of Luke's Jedi students? Really?? Doesn't that seem like an overly cruel and harsh thing to do to these great characters? To basically make them the parents of a wannabe Hitler or Osama bin Laden?
And of course it begs the question of how the heck did THAT happen? Did Anakin's dark side gene somehow skip a generation and infect their son? Or was the son mentally troubled and the dark side took advantage of that? Or were Han and Leia just really crappy parents?
I have to agree with that. Kylo Ren as a Solo really annoyed me. It seemed an unnecessarily cruel ending to ROTJ, that all the heroes fought for was destroyed because the plot demanded it. It definitely has the elements of tragedy that I think Lucas was trying for in the PT.
This is part of the reason that I want Rey to be not a Skywalker or a Solo or related to the Big Group from the OT or even the PT. I would prefer her to become an "adopted daughter" and develop on her own, outside of anyone's shadow.
Regardless, I understand the feeling that all of our heroes' work in the OT feels for naught and that is frustrating.
This is part of the reason that I want Rey to be not a Skywalker or a Solo or related to the Big Group from the OT or even the PT. I would prefer her to become an "adopted daughter" and develop on her own, outside of anyone's shadow.
Regardless, I understand the feeling that all of our heroes' work in the OT feels for naught and that is frustrating.
In our world there isn't. But in a galaxy where balance was brought to the force there should be for at least a thousand years.
