Force Awakens just like Into Darkness (Some Spoilers)

[TremblingBluStar]

So JJ does it again. Instead of creating something new he makes a film that consists of a bunch of homages strung together.

I couldn't disagree more. Yes, the story had a number of homages to the past films, and hit nearly every beat the first film had (more of a "soft reboot" of the first film than a sequel), but the story details and interactions between the characters was what mattered. I couldn't care less what sort of planet environment they ended up on, as long as it wasn't a volcano planet where the heroes could ride debris like surf boards.

As for the similarity to Into Darkness, this film had nothing to do with Orci and Kurtzman.

 

[davejames]

I definitely agree that the recycling of the Death Star was too much... but all the other comparisons people make just seem like a major stretch to me. I mean, really, we're not allowed to have desert planets or ice planets in SW anymore? Or scenes that take place on catwalks? Or lightsabers being force-pulled out of the ground? Or droids that are carrying vital information of some kind (even though I'm guessing that's something droids have been used for a lot in the Resistance)?

I certainly thought the movie had some issues, but most of the circumstances and details surrounding those little "homages" were so different that they barely even registered with me while watching.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

While I don't see much similarity between Into Darkness and The Force Awakens, I tend to think that Abrams displayed more creativity -- and a greater willingness to do something new with the universe -- with his Star Trek films. Creatively, I think his Star Trek reboot exceeds his Star Wars reboot, but his Star Wars reboot will bury Star Trek financially.

Into Darkness had more philosophical depth to it than The Force Awakens. Into Darkness asks some interesting questions about whether or not the Star Trek utopian vision still works in the era of the War on Terror, though it goes off the rails about midway through. The Force Awakens is an enjoyable popcorn film, but it doesn't ask any philosophical questions.

 

[Jedi_Master]

It's impossible not to like Finn, admire Rey or want to be bros with Poe.

Coward.
Mary-Sue.
Smug Git.

Easy.

You keep using those words - I do not think they mean what you think they mean.

 

[Ithekro]

I'm pretty sure it was Peggy Sue....

 

[Cyke101]

Not to draw comparisons to any other movie, but I rewatched the first Death Star battle in the post-TFA rush, and I was really surprised at how tension was maintained. The other pilots have a lot to do with it -- Wedge talking about the Death Star's size, some pilots willingly giving up their lives as sitting ducks to protect their lead pilot, 1 pilot getting closer and closer and closer ("almost there..." to the target) only to fail, another pilot relieved to fire yet also failing (that's *two* failed attack runs), the death of Luke's BFF Biggs, it all added up to a great amount of tension, even when the winner is clear.

One thing about the briefing before the attack on Starkiller Base -- the resistance -- especially Admiral Miles -- seemed to concoct the attack plan much faster than either attack on the Death Star. Yeah, it was to rush to the action, but it also felt like the resistance/rebels were used to this by now.

 

[Jedi_Master]

"There's always a way to destroy it"

 

[Ithekro]

They are rather good at blowing up Death Stars.

 

[Ovation]

It's not like they've lacked practice (probably blew up a few in the intervening years--would explain why, this time, it's a whole freakin' planet).

 

[Ryan8bit]

I thought the closest Star Trek comparison was how Rey figuratively went from cadet to captain. That she was able to so quickly use advanced powers and fight someone with practice in force arts (who supposedly was strong enough to kill other training Jedi), made it seem like her transformation was a little bit too quick.

 

[Ithekro]

Naw. Kylo is basically a Padawan at best. He has some good skills, but his lightsaber skills seem lacking. That and he was wounded more than once before crossing blades with Rey. He looked tired when he was trying to call granddad's lightsaber to himself.

 

[DarKush]

^
Wasn't Obi Wan a padawan in The Phantom Menace? And Anakin was pretty good-if rash-as a Padawan in AOTC. And Ahsoka also had good lightsaber skills in The Clone Wars. And Barris Offee held her own-briefly-against Jedi Knight Anakin in The Clone Wars.

So just being at Padawan level doesn't mean you are unskilled or a novice. And we know that Ren was a student of Luke and a student of Snoke (though Snoke's training was incomplete). We don't know the extent of Luke's training. But Ren was good enough to kill all of Luke's other students (though I'm wondering if we'll learn later that he had help).

 

[doylem1]

It was a better movie than STID although it did very much parallel ANH. None of the scenes felt forced like the STIN Kirk/Spock death scene as an example.
However the more i think and reflect upon this film although i don't dislike it like i do STID i am unhappy about the direction and movie we got. It feels to me like a ANH remake for 2015 rather than a Star Wars sequel, the original cast were thrown in for nostalgia to link the films together. JJ and Disney made vanilla Star Wars by paralleling ANH. Rather than continuing and creating an original story to continue the trilogy