duuuuude... if YOU had done that...

duuuuude... if YOU had done that...

I know! I'd be in so much trouble.

Then she gets home and wants to tell me about it.

Just saw it this afternoon. Was anyone else pissed that Poe was able to kill Finn, before he had a chance to let the "Dilectar star gazer" thing reset? I figured Rey would have been the one to save him, after the emperial salt licks were found. That new force field on Millennium Falcon, was also pretty legit at the end.

Hey everybody! Remember some of us haven't seen the movie yet! Just include ***Spolier Alert*** at the top of your post. I know, it's just fun and entertainment, but when we are going to lay out around $125 for tickets and goodies, it would be nice not to know key plot points.

I just presumed those weren't real, but I'll find out tonight....

10/10... this movie has brought balance to the force after the abysmal last three. i'm usually pretty critical when it comes to movies, but i can't say that i disliked anything about the force awakens. they captured the 'feel' of the original trilogy without making a mere copy of it.

also, this was the first movie i've seen at amc penn square since it was renovated... that experience was first rate. -M

I will agree with the above to an extent, only thing I didn't like was it was almost a carbon copy storyline of episode 4.

I agree wit the prequels expect for episode 3. Minus the woeful acting I enjoyed the story just as much as any of the originals.

Also it continues to amaze me how people act in theaters. And it was at the warren. People checking phones, talking like no one else is there, and also a few people "talking" to the movie also as if no one was there. I had to tell a few to please be quiet and they looked at me like I'm the turd. Just shocking to me the lack of consideration.

10/10... this movie has brought balance to the force after the abysmal last three. i'm usually pretty critical when it comes to movies, but i can't say that i disliked anything about the force awakens. they captured the 'feel' of the original trilogy without making a mere copy of it.

also, this was the first movie i've seen since amc penn square was renovated... that experience was first rate. -MIt's a great theater. I like that the auditoriums aren't too large and you get really spacious and comfortable seating. I prefer it over the Warren actually and I like it as good as I enjoy the Chinese Theater here in Hollywood. It's a great theater and I've yet to see any like it except for the one near the NDT and 635 in Dallas, but the only one like the ones at Penn Square is the iMax Theater.

I will agree with the above to an extent, only thing I didn't like was it was almost a carbon copy storyline of episode 4.

I agree wit the prequels expect for episode 3. Minus the woeful acting I enjoyed the story just as much as any of the originals.

Also it continues to amaze me how people act in theaters. And it was at the warren. People checking phones, talking like no one else is there, and also a few people "talking" to the movie also as if no one was there. I had to tell a few to please be quiet and they looked at me like I'm the turd. Just shocking to me the lack of consideration.So you were that asshole who told me to be quiet after I tried starting my weedeater? All I needed to do was generate some electricity to charge my phone. Damn. Can't a guy runs weedeater to generate a little wind energy to charge his phone in a movie these days? ;)

also, this was the first movie i've seen at amc penn square since it was renovated... that experience was first rate. -M

Penn Square AMC is a top-notch theater. The seats are the most comfortable in town with the recliner chairs with room for people to pass to go to concessions or whatever. The screens are great and the Real3D experience is incredible. Warren has more of the old "movie palace" feel, but I think the individual auditoriums are better at Penn and offers a far more intimate experience - especially the 3D there.

Penn Square AMC is a top-notch theater. The seats are the most comfortable in town with the recliner chairs with room for people to pass to go to concessions or whatever. The screens are great and the Real3D experience is incredible. Warren has more of the old "movie palace" feel, but I think the individual auditoriums are better at Penn and offers a far more intimate experience - especially the 3D there.

The prices are also comparable (or better in some cases) than Warren, and you get to reserve your seat... that is definitely my favorite feature.

I feel I have failed as a nerd.

My girlfriend's work gave her a single ticket to the midnight showing last night. She got it a few weeks ago. She couldn't get any extra, so we got tickets to go together on Sunday. So last night I was waiting for her to get off work, and 10:00 comes. Then 10:30. Then 11:00. And she texts me. "Oh, I forgot to tell you, I'm going to see Star Wars tonight!"

I stayed at home and went to bed, while she went and saw the premier of a new Star Wars movie. My girlfriend now officially knows more about Star Wars than I do. I feel that I've failed the nerd gods or something.

She is not a keeper.

On topic, like many people, I was reluctant to be excited about this movie since Episodes I-III were pretty meh, but my wife and I went to see it last night anyhow. After the film, I was excited about it. Abrams really nailed the visual quality that the series deserves (although Leia could stand to get some CG treatment on that drug addled face), and I struggled to find things to complain about. It was fantastic. I can't wait for Episode VIII.

Penn Square AMC is a top-notch theater. The seats are the most comfortable in town with the recliner chairs with room for people to pass to go to concessions or whatever. The screens are great and the Real3D experience is incredible. Warren has more of the old "movie palace" feel, but I think the individual auditoriums are better at Penn and offers a far more intimate experience - especially the 3D there.

The sound at Penn Square is nothing compared to the Warren. I've been spoiled by the Warren and I can't bring myself to watch a movie anywhere else.

Also, for some reason, the leather seats at Penn Square make me all sweaty...

So watched it today and I'm going back to see it again, because I don't think I can honestly give a just opinion since there are a lot of easter eggs in the film. My main take aways though...

This was a rehashed Episode IV remake with new blood. There wasn't much backstory, but then there wasn't in A New Hope either - so we have to rely on the novels for it. I definitely appreciated the visuals of this being a balance between the most rustic OT and the shiney PT. The Republic is still in a fight for survival in Ep VII, so not everything is going to look new and rebuilt.

I know a lot of people really dislike the Prequels. I'm sorry - I'm not one. Yes they have issues. A lot of that comes down to poor dialogue Lucas put in for Anakin. However, people also seem to forget the Clone Wars were just really starting and a lot of the damage hadn't been done yet to get us to the gritty, wounded scenes we see in Episode IV. I would also say that for people that really dislike the PT because of Jar Jar - read up on the character some. From various interviews (with Lucas and Ahmed Best who played Jar Jar) and such, Jar Jar was planned for a completely different role moving into Ep II and III. The backlash was so severe that Lucas had to change directions though. Lucas had planned Jar Jar to be another awkward/crazy creature who seems insignificant at first but then is revealed to be much more. You know...like Yoda was, but some people seem to forget that. Needless to say...if you go in with an open mind, view this video and then rewatch Episode I...you will see the movie in a different light (granted Ep II abandons this idea and shoe horns Tyranus in.

8yy3q9f84EA

Overall though, I liked the movie and hope Episode VIII starts to clear up a lot of the holes left in the plot. The new director/writer for both VIII and IX is a huge Star Wars nerd that also likes the Prequels as well, so we'll probably see a lot more in the way of tying everything together. Especially if some of the actors reappear that are currently being speculated about.

Saw it yesterday. Non-spoiler review:

The prequels felt like they were about 10% Star Wars to me. This one feels about 80% Star Wars. A huge, HUGE improvement over the prequels.

The Good:

-The opening scene with the stormtroopers attacking the settlement. They were big, bad, and menacing. The scene where Kylo Ren (does a cool impressive thing) made me say "wow"
-Nothing was stupid. No Jar-Jar for this movie.
-I liked that they kept the practical effects. Everything looked more real.
-Finn (black stormtrooper guy). Finn was a fun character. The actor did a great job, especially conveying emotion while he was in his armor and facemask. The scene where he watches another trooper die was compelling.
-The battles weren't jumpy. It was easy for me to follow what was going on, and it was exciting.
-There was a lot of humor that I felt was appropriate for a Star Wars movie. 3P0 showing up and interrupting Han, Finn calling him Mr. Solo,. That stuff was all good.


The Bad:

-I really wasn't impressed with the music. In fact, I just don't remember any of it. Did Kylo Ren even have his own theme music?
-I felt the first half was better paced than the second half. I don't think they built up enough tension once the First Order's (big evil plan) was revealed.
-Carrie Fisher looked and sounded pretty rough. I mean, she's Princess Leia and all, and that's just how she looks and sounds now, but... urk.
-Han reminded me a bit of John McClane from Die Hard 4. He's always had a lot of bravado, but it felt like a bit too much this time, like nothing bothered him at all. "Been there, done that" doesn't seem appropriate in that situation.


The Undecided:

-I'm not sure about Kylo Ren. He certainly doesn't have the presence of Darth Vader. But his temper tantrums with the lightsaber were interesting. But depending on which direction they go with him in future movies, that might be okay. He's got a different story to tell than Vader.

--

Ultimately, I'm very glad I saw it. A friend of mine is stationed overseas, and he's coming back for a week for Christmas, so I'm going to see it again with him in a few days.

I just can't believe that Chewbacca and R2D2 got gay married.

Had to go to halfway down pg 5 to find this thread as I told myself that I wouldn't click it until after I watched the movie...

EPIC

I was able to make it a couple days ago and I must say I was successful in my endeavor to stay off the websites and places where there'd be spoilers.

Couple things that I'll echo:

Music - Where was it? Nothing stuck out and nothing was memorable. The soundtrack was dull. Was there even one present?
Kylo Ren - This guy is weak. Taken to the woodshed by a rogue Storm Trooper and someone who just learned about the force five minutes ago. Tsk tsk, extremely underwhelming.
Luke - Really wish there was something more from him, although it appears the next movie we will have our Luke fix. The whole movie is focused on finding Luke and BAM, he's found and we see his face for about a minute and no words are said. I thought the ending was underwhelming.

All in all, it was a nice return and was superbly better than the prequels, BUT, it definitely wasn't groundbreaking. Rehashed story lines, etc. just with some new faces sprinkled in.

I've seen it three times and have enjoyed it immensely each time. I find it interesting that I hear a lot of disappointment regarding the score. I am far from knowledgeable in music lore or whatever, but I was satisfied with the score. It didn't have that one piece that stood out/stuck out like each of the prequels did, but I enjoyed the return to classic pieces and the new stuff fit right in IMO. I particularly enjoy The Jedi Steps, which is the bit that plays in the end.

I was able to make it a couple days ago and I must say I was successful in my endeavor to stay off the websites and places where there'd be spoilers.

Couple things that I'll echo:

Music - Where was it? Nothing stuck out and nothing was memorable. The soundtrack was dull. Was there even one present?
Kylo Ren - This guy is weak. Taken to the woodshed by a rogue Storm Trooper and someone who just learned about the force five minutes ago. Tsk tsk, extremely underwhelming.
Luke - Really wish there was something more from him, although it appears the next movie we will have our Luke fix. The whole movie is focused on finding Luke and BAM, he's found and we see his face for about a minute and no words are said. I thought the ending was underwhelming.

All in all, it was a nice return and was superbly better than the prequels, BUT, it definitely wasn't groundbreaking. Rehashed story lines, etc. just with some new faces sprinkled in.

Kylo is still incomplete, you should know that Jedi progress into their strengths, they don't just immediately have it.......

I loved Kylo and think he is going to be a great villain in this trilogy. You have to remember he just got shot by Chewie while fighting in the Forest. He's strong in the force but that doesn't mean he's great with a light saber, both Rey and Finn are at least competent fighters as seen by Rey kicking those guys butts with her staff earlier on in the movie and Finn being a storm trooper probably has a little bit of combat training as well.

I liked Kylo, but it was kind of hard to take him seriously after watching Girls.

I really did like the movie, it was entertaining throughout and setup the next movie really well. There was a pretty strong feminist theme throughout the movie as well.

Just to be safe:

SPOILERS

Kylo Ren wasn't trying to kill Rey. He needs her to find Luke, remember. He's trying to bring her back so Emperor Gollum can get the precious from her. Or something like that. Against Finn, he'd been shot already, and he still wins. I think he was just screwing with Finn at first, and he underestimated him a bit. But Finn definitely came out on the worse end of that fight.

I really liked Finn as a character. He was just a little bit too much the "snappy funny black guy", but overall he was a very likable character. I'm curious to find out more about Rey, but so far there's too much mystery for her to be really interesting. BB-8 was cool as the new R2-D2. Emperor Gollum (Snope?) has a dumb name. I'm curious to see if Lady Yoda shows up again in the later movies.

All of your excuses are as weak as Kylo Ren's skills with a saber... Sorry, had to say it :tongue:
I understand he's still being fleshed out, but he definitely has room to grow as a true menace to the galaxy. Perhaps in VIII we'll see that when he completes his training with Snoke.

Anyway, I didn't post a spoilers tag in my post because I saw other posters openly talk about the movie, so I assumed by now you've either seen it or you made your own bed by coming into this thread. Just my own disclaimer.

But, I too thought they tried too hard to make Finn funny. Too much of it was forced and I found myself saying "OK, that's enough, let's see his character develop a little more now."

And Snoke (I believe it was), was interesting. Not sure what I thought of his involvement but it's extremely obvious he's the new Palpatine/Sidious.

So, like I said, it wasn't a knock out 10/10 for me, like it was for others. Definitely a solid 8/10 I'd say.

-Carrie Fisher looked and sounded pretty rough. I mean, she's Princess Leia and all, and that's just how she looks and sounds now, but... urk.

I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of teenage crushes suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.

I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of teenage crushes suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.

LOL. Most of those teenagers who had a crush on her are now in their 50s with pot bellies and balding heads themselves. Guess we all have to live with reality. The something terrible is called aging and living hard.

Some speculation is that Snoke is Darth Plagueis. Of course, Palpetine claimed to have killed him but he also could have survived.

With Regard to Ren, she could very well be the daughter of Luke or of the Kenobi lineage. I didn't even notice in the film that when the light saber was calling her name that apparently there was Obi-wan and Yoda speaking to her. And, of course, she may just be a random nobody that just has a super duper midoclorian count like Anakin (who we don't know who his real father was) did.

Of course, after Disney purchased the rights to Star Wars, they threw all the books surrounding Star Wars universe out the door, so who knows.

Heard today that JJ Abrams may not even direct the next two? Idk about that.

Heard today that JJ Abrams may not even direct the next two? Idk about that.

Mm-hmm.


He is not returning as director. Episode VIII is being directed by Rian Johnson, and Colin Trevorrow will direct Episode IX.

I saw it last night at the IMAX in 3D and it was an awesome movie. I was bummed at one point but won't give it away. Surprisingly the 7:30 Saturday night movie wasn't very packed but still had a good turn out.

Liked it but didn't love it.

I suppose the utter failure of the last 3 is why this one was virtually a greatest hits from the first trilogy, repeating / retreading the same story lines, scenes and settings and even duplicating characters -- just with new actors and names -- from before.

Was there anything new here at all?

It was still fun but I'd seen it all before.

I have to agree with Pete. While better than the prequels, it seemed too familiar, with the new cute droid, lady Yoda, a cantina scene, discovery of a new character who's strong in the force on a desert planet again (does living in a desert boost one's Midi-chlorian count or something?). I did like Poe's blacked-out X-Wing, but that name - Poe - brings to mind these characters:
12018 :D

I give it a solid 7/10.

Well, assuming that the theory that Rey is Luke's kid is right, I'm guessing its a family tradition. Stick them on a dessert planet to live in the dirt for a decade or so, builds character.

Well, assuming that the theory that Rey is Luke's kid is right, I'm guessing its a family tradition. Stick them on a dessert planet to live in the dirt for a decade or so, builds character.

I wondered the same thing

Well, assuming that the theory that Rey is Luke's kid is right, I'm guessing its a family tradition. Stick them on a dessert planet to live in the dirt for a decade or so, builds character.

Especially since the entire Empire and Rebellion -- presumably each in the millions -- continually revolve around the bloodlines of about 6 people.

Stick them on a dessert planet...

i volunteer to live out the rest of my days on the dessert planet.
http://cache.desktopnexus.com/thumbseg/1531/1531951-bigthumbnail.jpg

Spoilers and stuff...

At the end of the day, I think the hate for the prequels is overblown by drama queens - they weren't that bad. If they were, you have a very narrow viewpoint on life and in this case...the Star Wars story as it is being told. Was Jar Jar annoying? Sure...but I didn't let it ruin the story being told on the steps Palpatine/Sidious was making in taking over the Republic or the look at the pre-Order 66 purge Jedi order. Some complain about the overdone CGI and I get that, especially if they are trying to compare it to the original trilogy. My comment to them is the prequels is before all out war. What would a first world country look like before and after it went to war and ravaged? Take that perspective and I think it works. Getting into Episodes 2 and 3 and the development of Anakin and Obi-wan, in addition to more of Sidious's story line, made those pretty interesting leading up to probably the 2nd best lightsaber battle in the series (Obi-wan vs. now Vader)...with the main one being Luke vs. Vader in Ep 6 with the raw emotion. At the end of the day the prequels get a bad rap, from my point of view, because people think it is cool to trash them.

Moving forward with Episode 7...it is a rehash, play it safe, near reboot by JJ Abrams. Listening to people exit the theatre, a good number were all saying the same thing. I'm still reading the books that patch us between 6 and 7, but I really don't understand why we have the Republic being reborn, the First Order (remnants of the Empire), and then this rogue outfit called the Resistance that is support by the Republic when really...shouldn't they just be the Republic's military? It seemed to just play them as another underground rebel group to mirror Episode 4. Then of course for convenience, they blow up the planets where the Republic is based to make sure it doesn't get too confusing.

BB-8 being the new R2 is fine, I like the little droid but I still like having the old steadfasts available. Though I'm still trying to figure out when R2 is going to tell the entire story to someone since its memory has never been wiped (though I think Lucas was one to hint that R2 is the narrator of the story of sorts and that's why it isn't). 3PO is always a good comic relief and glad to have it there.

Rey coming in and becoming the new Han, but with force abilities, is going to be interesting. It is also nice that they are keeping Chewie around, though you have to think Peter Mayhew isn't going to be able to keep playing him much longer. So I would almost expect him to die at some point, even though I would like to see a return to Kashyyyk and hopefully find survivors such as Tarfful still around and rebuilding. Anyway...the Rey character is interesting. She's more than likely Luke's kid, but with who? Mara Jade is voted out of the canon universe, but I guess they could always write her back in. This will probably get answered in Episode 8 with another "I am your..." reveal.

Finn and Poe were fine having in there as nice supporting members. I wouldn't be shocked if we see Poe show up in a spin off movie giving more backstory on why he is the best pilot in the galaxy.

Kylo Ren / Ben is an interesting take. He seems to share the Skywalker trait of being a whiny teen/20-something who has temper tantrums when he doesn't get his way (Anakin and Luke were the same way). His killing his father could be seen as a push to make him go totally dark side or it is a way to prove himself to Snoke if he is trying to get close and kill this dark side user (not clear if he is sith or not). I'm hopeful that his facemask was destroyed and gone for good after the destruction of Starkiller base, but I doubt it.

Starkiller base is another one that I'm annoyed about. Why are these massive structures so easy to destroy in the first movie? This is getting old quick and Rian Johnson, who thankfully takes over from JJ in Director Ep 8 as well as writing 8 & 9, should put an end to this replication of old tales. I'm also hopeful that Rian takes more of a risk with 8 & 9 and works more into connecting with some of the prequels to tie the entire story together. Unlike others, he liked the prequels and that should play a role in how he does the next movie.

Finally Supreme Leader Snoke. Stupid name, but whatever. It will be interesting if he is indeed Darth Plagueis back from the dead or another dark side user, if even a full fledged sith. Some are thinking that it could even be Darth Bane coming back or even the Eternal Emperor from the Old Republic timeline. Personally, I would love to see a play to introduce the ancient Sith into the cinematic universe and also the pure blood Sith race from Korriban (now Moraband in canon). It would open up a huge amount of potential story and movies to start expanding the universe again. it really isn't going to happen in the main Episodes considering they have always been a soap opera following the Skywalker family (according to Lucas, and seems to be sticking to it somewhat with Disney). It would be nice to see them make a play to tie in the Old Republic time frame some how to where they can start doing movies based in that period.

Regardless...we have 5 more Star Wars movies through 2021, so there will be plenty more to open up. Through all of this, I didn't hate Episode 7. Was it my favorite? No...but it has its place. I just wish they didn't go with such a safe remake of Episode 4, but again...it goes back to those that are bent out of shape on the prequels for no real good reason.

Finn and Poe were fine having in there as nice supporting members. I wouldn't be shocked if we see Poe show up in a spin off movie giving more backstory on why he is the best pilot in the galaxy.



Oh oh, I kind of know this one. His mom has been said to be one of the best pilots in the Rebellion, I'm sure he learned it from her. Also at the end of the Shattered Empire comic book (Spoilers) His mother is given one of the Force trees that stood at the Jedi temple, now I'm not sure how those force trees work but what if Poe growing up around that tree was able to obtain a slight hint of force powers.

Also with being the military for the new Republic, when Mon Mothma became chancellor she de-militarized the Republic. That's why the resistance was formed, Leia knew the empire wasn't totally gone and wanted to keep a watch on the First Order. Leia and the Republic didn't get a long, if you read the novelization of TFA you meet a character that was sent to be the delegate for Leia to the Senate because Leia wasn't well liked at all.

Moving forward with Episode 7...it is a rehash, play it safe, near reboot by JJ Abrams. Listening to people exit the theatre, a good number were all saying the same thing. I'm still reading the books that patch us between 6 and 7, but I really don't understand why we have the Republic being reborn, the First Order (remnants of the Empire), and then this rogue outfit called the Resistance that is support by the Republic when really...shouldn't they just be the Republic's military? It seemed to just play them as another underground rebel group to mirror Episode 4. Then of course for convenience, they blow up the planets where the Republic is based to make sure it doesn't get too confusing.


I don't think the details have been explicitly stated, but my understanding is that the Republic and First Order aren't officially at war and are constricted by some kind of treaty. The First Order is doing bad things, but in a plausibly deniable way that the Republic can't declare war without looking like aggressors. The Republic (or at least certain parties in the Republic) see what the First Order is and want to combat it, but can't do so officially tied to the Republic. Thus, "The Resistance" is born. A way to attempt to slow or halt the advance of the First Order in a way that can't be officially traced back to the Republic.

This is only really alluded to in the opening crawl and in Hux's speech prior to blowing up the Republic capitol.

J.J. Abrams addresses the complaints some have had that TFA is just a retelling of the original SW:

'Awards Chatter' Podcast — J.J. Abrams ('Star Wars: The Force Awakens') (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/awards-chatter-podcast-jj-abrams-853171)

The vast majority of not only audiences but also critics and awards groups have strongly embraced The Force Awakens. Interestingly, though, those who like it and those who dislike it tend to cite the same reason: It reminds them very much of their experience seeing the original Star Wars. "I respect every reaction," says Abrams. "I completely see that that is a problem for some people." That said, he feels the case should be made for why that was necessary.

"It was obviously a wildly intentional thing that we go backwards, in some ways, to go forwards in the important ways, given that this is a genre — that Star Wars is a kind of specific gorgeous concoction of George [Lucas]'s — that combines all sorts of things. Ultimately the structure of Star Wars itself is as classic and tried and true as you can get. It was itself derivative of all of these things that George loved so much, from the most obvious, Flash Gordon and Joseph Campbell, to the [Akira] Kurosawa references, to Westerns — I mean, all of these elements were part of what made Star Wars."

He continues, "I can understand that someone might say, 'Oh, it's a complete rip-off!' We inherited Star Wars. The story of history repeating itself was, I believe, an obvious and intentional thing, and the structure of meeting a character who comes from a nowhere desert and discovers that she has a power within her, where the bad guys have a weapon that is destructive but that ends up being destroyed — those simple tenets are by far the least important aspects of this movie, and they provide bones that were well-proven long before they were used in Star Wars."

He adds, "What was important for me was introducing brand new characters using relationships that were embracing the history that we know to tell a story that is new — to go backwards to go forwards. So I understand that this movie, I would argue much more than the ones that follow, needed to take a couple of steps backwards into very familiar terrain, and using a structure of nobodies becoming somebodies defeating the baddies — which is, again, I would argue, not a brand new concept, admittedly — but use that to do, I think, a far more important thing, which is introduce this young woman, who's a character we've not seen before and who has a story we have not seen before, meeting the first Storm Trooper we've ever seen who we get to know as a human being; to see the two of them have an adventure in a way that no one has had yet, with Han Solo; to see those characters go to find someone who is a brand new character who, yes, may be diminutive, but is as far from Yoda as I think a description of a character can get, who gets to enlighten almost the way a wonderful older teacher or grandparent or great-aunt might, you know, something that is confirming a kind of belief system that is rejected by the main character; and to tell a story of being a parent and being a child and the struggles that that entails — clearly Star Wars has always been a familial story, but never in the way that we've told here."

"And," he goes on, "yes, they destroy a weapon at the end of this movie, but then something else happens which is, I think, far more critical and far more important — and I think even in that moment, when that is happening, the thing I think the audience is focused on and cares more about is not, 'Is that big planet gonna blow up?' — 'cause we all know it's gonna blow up. What you really care about is what's gonna happen in the forest between these two characters who are now alone."

In summation, he says, "Yes, the bones of the thing we always knew would be a genre comfort zone, but what the thing looks like — we all have a skeleton that looks somewhat similar, but none of us look the same. To me, the important thing was not, 'What are the bones of this thing?' To me, it was meeting new characters who discover themselves that they are in a universe that is spiritual and that is optimistic, in a world where you meet people that will become your family."

It is also nice that they are keeping Chewie around, though you have to think Peter Mayhew isn't going to be able to keep playing him much longer. So I would almost expect him to die at some point

Or they could just, you know, find another really tall dude to play him.

How a 29-year-old basketball player landed a star role as the new Chewbacca in 'Star Wars' (http://www.businessinsider.com/joonas-suotamo-chewbaccas-double-in-the-force-awakens-2016-1)

http://i.imgur.com/OuNkXEJl.jpg

(Joonas) Suotamo was on set for five months, working alongside Mayhew, who would talk to his understudy for hours about the intricacies of Chewbacca.

Following his daily morning trip to get black makeup applied around his eyes so his skin wouldn't show through the eye sockets of the Chewie mask, Suotamo would spend his time before being called to set standing next to a full-length mirror, imitating Mayhew's movements. He wanted to keep the character fresh in his mind. Chewie's scenes were often shot twice, once with Mayhew in the suit and a second time with Suotamo.

But Suotamo refused to divulge to Business Insider exactly how much screen time he had in the movie.

"I will never get into it," he said. "That's for people to guess and figure out."

"He had this love and respect and connection for this character of Chewie all his life," Abrams said of Suotamo to Yahoo. "The fact that he got to play Chewie in so many scenes was a powerful thing for him, but Peter was often there while Joonas was doing this, almost as a consultant."

(snip)

When asked whether he was signed on to play Chewbacca in future "Star Wars" movies or replace Mayhew when the actor retires from the role, Suotamo gave a cryptic reply: "I would assume things will stay the same."

I just saw it for the first time on Wednesday (12:20 PM showing) and exactly as planned there were only about a dozen people in the auditorium. Was able to score a center seat in the exact row I wanted, and didn't have to deal with anybody nearby. Perfect.

Anyway, enjoyed it immensely. The only part I really didn't care for was the interaction between Han and Leia, and Carrie Fisher's acting in general. The woman is a disaster. I know people were dogging her looks, but she didn't look inappropriately aged to me. She just looked/acted like she is pumped full of Vicodin or something. Hard to watch.

Regarding plot twists - and I'll do my best not to spoil - I fully expected the notable death, but was completely blindsided by the familial connections of another notable character. I thought I had the lineage of the new characters somewhat figured out, but was dead wrong.

Anyway, really enjoyed it, will be going again, and am very excited to see what comes next. I think this story needed to some extent be a re-telling, but I think the next ones can now chart their own respective courses.

Went on New Year's Day at AMC Penn with a group of friends. Gotta say, I'm in the minority - even amongst my group - as I didn't really care for it. Didn't necessarily think it was 'bad' I just had higher expectations for a movie with this sort of legacy and financial backing.

One of those movie's I could have just waited to see at home.

I personally felt the pace was too slow, too much of a cameo extravaganza (people and objects), not enough action and zero epic battle scenes. Not too mention I didn't feel any character development at all and there were no scenes of actual tension or suspense. Speed it up, a bit more action and an epic battle scene or two and I'm all in.

I've seen way better sci-fi movies.

I agree with several articles I've read that claim some of the plot holes are pretty unforgivable.

Seeing Hateful 8 and Revenant this weekend - hope that gets me back into the movie spirit.

Went on New Year's Day at AMC Penn with a group of friends. Gotta say, I'm in the minority - even amongst my group - as I didn't really care for it. Didn't necessarily think it was 'bad' I just had higher expectations for a movie with this sort of legacy and financial backing.

One of those movie's I could have just waited to see at home.

I personally felt the pace was too slow, too much of a cameo extravaganza (people and objects), not enough action and zero epic battle scenes. Not too mention I didn't feel any character development at all and there were no scenes of actual tension or suspense. Speed it up, a bit more action and an epic battle scene or two and I'm all in.

I've seen way better sci-fi movies.

I agree with several articles I've read that claim some of the plot holes are pretty unforgivable.

Seeing Hateful 8 and Revenant this weekend - hope that gets me back into the movie spirit.

I've seen both the Hateful 8 and Revenant, Hateful 8 is the best movie of 2015 for me the plot continues to grow in typical Tarantino fashion.......Revenant is 2 1/2 hours of the main character not talking.....the bear deserves an Oscar, other than that it was a total bore fest....

Went on New Year's Day at AMC Penn with a group of friends. Gotta say, I'm in the minority - even amongst my group - as I didn't really care for it. Didn't necessarily think it was 'bad' I just had higher expectations for a movie with this sort of legacy and financial backing.

One of those movie's I could have just waited to see at home.

I personally felt the pace was too slow, too much of a cameo extravaganza (people and objects), not enough action and zero epic battle scenes. Not too mention I didn't feel any character development at all and there were no scenes of actual tension or suspense. Speed it up, a bit more action and an epic battle scene or two and I'm all in.

I've seen way better sci-fi movies.

I agree with several articles I've read that claim some of the plot holes are pretty unforgivable.

Seeing Hateful 8 and Revenant this weekend - hope that gets me back into the movie spirit.


You are literally the only person I've seen who thought the movie moved too slow. I've generally seen the exact opposite. Indeed, I think some of the plot holes I assume you're referring to could have been helped by the movie slowing down and explaining some things more clearly.

Anyway, enjoyed it immensely. The only part I really didn't care for was the interaction between Han and Leia, and Carrie Fisher's acting in general. The woman is a disaster. I know people were dogging her looks, but she didn't look inappropriately aged to me. She just looked/acted like she is pumped full of Vicodin or something. Hard to watch.

Carrie Fisher has been pretty much a total wreck of an adult and they did their best to film all her scenes from a distance, through filters and with a very limited range of emotion.

It looks like she can't even move large parts of her face.

The sum total was very distracting; the whole time I found myself thinking, "Wow Carrie Fisher is a hot mess and they are really trying to cover that up" rather than, "Wow, Princess Leia has gotten older."

You are literally the only person I've seen who thought the movie moved too slow. I've generally seen the exact opposite. Indeed, I think some of the plot holes I assume you're referring to could have been helped by the movie slowing down and explaining some things more clearly.

Spoiler Alert (don't read on if you haven't seen the movie)

1.) Not sure how slow they'd have to take it to effectively explain how a defector storm trooper who used to be a janitor can pick up a light saber and hold his own against the future leader of the dark side.

2.) How it was so damn easy to blow up the Star Killer base. Did their architects not learn anything from the destruction of the Death Star. In fact, the much bigger weapon was far easier to destroy than its predecessor.

3.) Why did Luke have to take so much time to train with Master Yoda to learn and control his powers, yet some space age dumpster diver (Rey) literally needed no training at all to almost be his equal. And, who taught her to speak Wookie?

4.) Ren throws a galactic fit when Rey manages to escape - yet Ren had only assigned a single storm trooper to guard her. WHT?

I also hated how they 'humanized' the Storm Troopers. I guess I always knew they were human in uniform - I just preferred when they took on a more robotic (or even Nazi) stance. Now they just appear to me as a bunch mindless minions with zero shooting skills.

1) He didn't really hold his own. He got his butt kicked, and that was after Ren was injured from the bolt from Chewie's bow-thingy. And if you remember, they made a bit of a deal early on in the movie how much damage that weapon does.

2) Not completely. It was arguably only as vulnerable as it was because it was damaged in the midst of its firing process. Had that facility been blown up at any other moment it's fair to say that the planet would not have exploded, which is quite a bit different from the way in which the Death Stars were dealt with. And they couldn't have done a thing to it had the infiltration team not managed to get inside the planetary shield and found someone they could force to take it down.

"Blow it up" isn't exactly a new concept, but if you're up against an overwhelming weapon like that I can't really see a better alternative.

3) Those aren't plot holes (yet), those are questions that will probably be answered in the next movie, especially since they led up to her identity being important (old space lady to Han, "So, who's the girl" and then an immediate scene cutaway). It would be as easy as her having youngling training at Luke's failed academy before being hidden away and mind-wiped. And again, she still only went up against a wounded Ren, so we don't really know that she is anything like Luke's equal.

4) Ehh, Ren isn't exactly the most rational tool in the shed.

Ehhhh, not buying it.

1.) If that wasn't holding his own against someone presumably so powerful on the dark side, then I don't know what would be considered holding your own. Why not just 'use the force' and be done with him?

2.) Please, it only took a hand full of tiny bombs (in a practically unguarded super weapon) and some basic firing skills of some pilots to blow the whole thing up. Didn't even require any "use the force Luke" moments. Reminded me of how laughably penetrable CTU was in the show 24. And, how pathetic was that female high ranking storm trooper? Didn't even get a "you'll have to kill me before I'd betray the First Order!" Nope, she just caves immediately.

3.) Then lets just chalk everything up to "hopefully they'll answer than in a future movie." Better yet, lets just chalk all of it up to "the Force made it so" - and that would be the answer to everything.

4.) Rational has nothing to do with it. He presumably has hundred of thousands of storm troopers at his disposal and he puts one in charge of his most prized prisoner? Right.

Again, I'm not a raving Star Wars fan. Loved it as a kid, had all the toys, seen all the movies. Sic-Fi is my favorite movie genre - this doesn't even make my top 10 list.

Spoiler Alert (don't read on if you haven't seen the movie)

1.) Not sure how slow they'd have to take it to effectively explain how a defector storm trooper who used to be a janitor can pick up a light saber and hold his own against the future leader of the dark side.

2.) How it was so damn easy to blow up the Star Killer base. Did their architects not learn anything from the destruction of the Death Star. In fact, the much bigger weapon was far easier to destroy than its predecessor.

3.) Why did Luke have to take so much time to train with Master Yoda to learn and control his powers, yet some space age dumpster diver (Rey) literally needed no training at all to almost be his equal. And, who taught her to speak Wookie?

4.) Ren throws a galactic fit when Rey manages to escape - yet Ren had only assigned a single storm trooper to guard her. WHT?

I also hated how they 'humanized' the Storm Troopers. I guess I always knew they were human in uniform - I just preferred when they took on a more robotic (or even Nazi) stance. Now they just appear to me as a bunch mindless minions with zero shooting skills.


1) He wasn't a "janitor" he was a soldier trained for battle (surely specifically trained in melee combat considering we saw stormtroopers use melee weapons) who also had sanitation duties. Don't soldiers generally have additional duties when not specifically in combat? Anyway, he only barely held his own and Kylo Ren was injured. As for why Kylo didn't just "use the Force"... its a movie. I want to see some stuff and a guy dropping dead because somebody pinches the veins in his brain isn't very exciting to watch.

2) I think the whole Starkiller thing isn't great, but it wasn't really the focus in the way the Death Stars ever were and I found the characters and the rest of it interesting enough that I wasn't too bothered by it. In any case, I didn't find any more ridiculous than either of the Death Stars.

3) The movie pretty clearly alludes to Rey having some sort of past that hasn't been fully explained yet. You dismiss the idea that it could be adressed in a future movie, but I don't see the problem here. This movie was clearly announced and established as the first part in a series. I think its allowed to set up some plot threads and questions for future movies.

4) I think this kind of ties into your third point. Rey shouldn't have been able to do the things she did and Ren was just as surprised as the audience when she could. She was tied down and immobile with no weapons. Do you really need a platoon to watch her? As stated above, I think this is going to be addressed in the next movie where her past is revealed.

All in all, I think if you addressed the previous movies (and I'm thinking of the OT here, not just prequels) in a similar manner, you'll find their stories fall apart as much as TFA's does (assuming one finds TFA's story falls apart). How convenient is it that R2D2 finds himself being sold to the one farmboy who is being watched over by the guy he's looking for? Why wouldn't a Jedi Master and Dark Lord of the SIth not use the Force at all when fighting each other in lieu of lazily bumping their lightsabers together? Why would Leia knowingly lead the Death Star to the Rebel base and forcing such a do or die situation? Why is a seeming nobody like Luke allowed to join in the battle? Moreover, why would such a rookie be chosen to lead two veterans on their attack run? Vader had the target lock on Luke and several moments before Han saved the day, so why didn't he take the shot, kill Luke, and enable the end of the Rebellion right there? How is that Luke, with essentially no training at all, can use the Force well enough to make the kill shot with no computer assistance? Why did Han, who barely participated in the battle and only showed up in the end, get a medal instead of Wedge, who fought nearly the entire battle and only left because he was ordered? And if Han got a medal, why didn't Chewbacca?

Spoiler Alert (don't read on if you haven't seen the movie)

1.) Not sure how slow they'd have to take it to effectively explain how a defector storm trooper who used to be a janitor can pick up a light saber and hold his own against the future leader of the dark side.

2.) How it was so damn easy to blow up the Star Killer base. Did their architects not learn anything from the destruction of the Death Star. In fact, the much bigger weapon was far easier to destroy than its predecessor.

3.) Why did Luke have to take so much time to train with Master Yoda to learn and control his powers, yet some space age dumpster diver (Rey) literally needed no training at all to almost be his equal. And, who taught her to speak Wookie?

4.) Ren throws a galactic fit when Rey manages to escape - yet Ren had only assigned a single storm trooper to guard her. WHT?

I also hated how they 'humanized' the Storm Troopers. I guess I always knew they were human in uniform - I just preferred when they took on a more robotic (or even Nazi) stance. Now they just appear to me as a bunch mindless minions with zero shooting skills.

I honestly believe, without going into fanboy mode and taking a step back from the nostalgia, that these are entirely valid observations.

Regarding Carrie Fisher, she definitely looked the worst. I also read a while back that the movie crew had to tell her to lose some weight and were generally concerned with her appearance. I mean, it's not my intention to bash her by any means, just calling things as they are.

I'm not even suggesting her physical appearance and aging was a problem. She's 60 (or whatever). It's perfectly fine for her to look her age, and she doesn't have to have an hourglass figure, either. The problem was that she came off as a jittery, slurred-speech pill head. Certainly not what one would expect of a high-performing military general. That's not JJ Abrams' fault, of course. It just made suspension of disbelief more difficult.

Spoiler Alert (don't read on if you haven't seen the movie)

1.) Not sure how slow they'd have to take it to effectively explain how a defector storm trooper who used to be a janitor can pick up a light saber and hold his own against the future leader of the dark side.

2.) How it was so damn easy to blow up the Star Killer base. Did their architects not learn anything from the destruction of the Death Star. In fact, the much bigger weapon was far easier to destroy than its predecessor.

3.) Why did Luke have to take so much time to train with Master Yoda to learn and control his powers, yet some space age dumpster diver (Rey) literally needed no training at all to almost be his equal. And, who taught her to speak Wookie?

4.) Ren throws a galactic fit when Rey manages to escape - yet Ren had only assigned a single storm trooper to guard her. WHT?

I also hated how they 'humanized' the Storm Troopers. I guess I always knew they were human in uniform - I just preferred when they took on a more robotic (or even Nazi) stance. Now they just appear to me as a bunch mindless minions with zero shooting skills.

SECOND SPOILER ALERT

1) I don't think he held his own. He basically got his ass kicked. Remember he also lost to that other storm trooper who had the extending electro-staff thing. And he lost to Rey. So he fights Kylo Ren, who had just been shot, and he gets in one lucky swing before getting hacked up.

2) Seemed too easy to me too. I thought they should have built more tension with the base. Though it helped to have Han's team planting explosives and blowing up the important thingy.

3) I don't think she's Luke's equal at all. She's very untrained, though obviously strong with the Force. Clearly she's got some special origin that we don't know yet. As far as her speaking Wookie, she grew up on a weird planet with a lot of aliens passing through. We see her speak some weird language to the little guy on the robot horse who tried to capture BB-8. So we know she speaks more than whatever passes for English.

4) To be fair, she was strapped down to that table thing, and was in a locked room, guarded by a guy with a gun. She should've been secure.

5) In the first Star Wars, as Kenobi is sneaking around the Death Star, you can hear two Storm Troopers discussing the new model of speeder that they wanted to buy. While they are faceless space nazis, they have had some normal human characteristics from the very beginning.

Starkiller Base is probably the worst aspect of this movie. It isn't very plausible and seems like a lazy attempt to try to one up the death stars. I can accept its size and how it works, but how does the thing move? It would make more sense to have another man-made station of some sort with a hyperdrive rather than to have it built into a planet. It's forgivable though because it isn't a prominent focus of the movie the way the previous death stars were. Still, I wish they would have done something a little different and hopefully this is the last planet-destroying super weapon we see in the Star Wars saga.

Two things...as far as Starkiller base not being very plausible - this probably falls on the side effect of those who consider Star Wars as Science Fiction / Sci-Fi. Star Wars is a FANTASY soap opera based in space. Lucas was very clear about this. Science Fiction is usually rooted in a situation where something could possible happen. Star Trek is Sci-Fi as most of the storyline is based around some scientific foundation that could make it possible. Star Wars is fantasy based with no scientific basing.

Now as far as Carrie Fisher...I really didn't get the jittery pill-head vibe from her. Yes, she has had a rocky past and some of the effects of those addictions are still around. I had zero issue with her performance in the movie. Let's look at it from another point of view. Take Carrie's real world life experiences and forget them for a minute, and look at the character. Leia has had her mother die after giving birth, father partially responsible for the rise of Empire and killing many people (including kids), had her step parents killed along with her adoptive home planet (in front of her eyes), captured and tortured by her father, had her son turn to the dark side, lost her brother who went into hiding after that happened, and then...well that part hadn't happened just yet. Regardless...add all those items and I'm sure you would be a little frazzled at times. :)

Needless to say...the character is still pretty strong, but wth...the Skywalker men are freaking drama queens.

Just a quick kinda spoiler question..

Is one of the planets that gets blown up by the Starkiller the city planet from the first 3 movies? It looked like it but wasn't sure.

Just a quick kinda spoiler question..

Is one of the planets that gets blown up by the Starkiller the city planet from the first 3 movies? It looked like it but wasn't sure.

No, it looked like it, but it was Hosnian Prime, the new seat of the Republic Senate (why they didn't use Coruscant - the planet you're thinking of - as their capitol, who knows...)

Just a quick kinda spoiler question..

Is one of the planets that gets blown up by the Starkiller the city planet from the first 3 movies? It looked like it but wasn't sure.

No, the planet from the first three movies is called Coruscant. The planet blown up in TFA is called Hosnian Prime and was where the Galactic Senate was headquartered.

No, it looked like it, but it was Hosnian Prime, the new seat of the Republic Senate (why they didn't use Coruscant - the planet you're thinking of - as their capitol, who knows...)

According to Aftermath, the capital of the New Republic chose not to establish itself on Coruscant, but instead member worlds would host the Senate on a rotating basis, with elections held to decide where to host the capital. This was done in order to gain support of former Separatist worlds who were concerned about the New Republic repeating the mistakes of the old one.

No, it looked like it, but it was Hosnian Prime, the new seat of the Republic Senate (why they didn't use Coruscant - the planet you're thinking of - as their capitol, who knows...)

Taken from Wookiepedia

"Though the Republic was initially based on Chandrila, the Republic chose to begin rotating its capital to different member worlds through a process of election. Choosing to rotate the capital and choosing to not place the Senate on Coruscant, the former seat of power of the Galactic Republic and the Galactic Empire, helped convince star systems that were reluctant to join the Republic that it would not repeat the mistakes of its predecessors, and that the Republic would not be a Core-centric government."

*Edit Damn, I'm just too late to everything this morning.

Probably my biggest complaint from this movie... the desire to use planets that are just like planets from the past 6 movies, without using those actual planets. And it seems the creative reasoning is about wanting to be similar, but not *too* similar. Just own it. I'm a pretty big fan, so I tend to eventually read the related materials (books, comics, etc). And I'll take the time to go and find stuff out. But most casual folks who saw the movie came out thinking that the desert planet was Tatooine, and the city planet was Coruscant. They certainly don't seem to grasp the difference between the rebellion and the resistance, and such. Heck, I talked to one person who swore that this movie was a direct sequel to Revenge of the Sith, and that Rey was one of the babies born in that movie...