Star Wars, The Force Awakens -- *SPOILERS*

[Zantera]

I feel like the big difference between the OT and the PT is that in the OT we get to experience the journey rather than being told about it. Compare the friendship between Luke and Han, vs Anakin and Obi-Wan. We get to feel and experience Luke and Han's friendship growing. Initially they don't really like each other, but through events in the film they develop a great friendship. With Anakin and Obi-Wan they skip pretty much all the interesting stuff, and we get a 1 minute dialogue in the elevator to Padme in AotC. And it's not really just the friendship. There's a lot of dialogue scenes in the PT describing how characters feel or what they think about each other, but few scenes were we get to experience it.

[Kotowboy]

I like the Adam Driver does his own voice.

Even Darth Maul wasn't even voiced by Ray Parks.

[Enigmachine]

Initially they don't really like each other, but through events in the film they develop a great friendship.

Sounds familiar to when Anakin meets Padme again in AotC.

To stay on topic with some thoughts, TFA is awesome but the reveal of Luke seems a bit underwhelming. Chewbacca seems to be a more developed character in the film though, which is nice.

[BlackInk]

To stay on topic with some thoughts, TFA is awesome but the reveal of Luke seems a bit underwhelming.

That scene gets more awesome every time I see it.

Sounds familiar to when Anakin meets Padme again in AotC.

The big difference there is that Anakin is a creepy bastard that by any logic should not be able to make anyone fall in love with him. Neither Han nor Luke is a creepy bastard.

[hefdaddy42]

^There you go^

[gmillerdrake]

To stay on topic with some thoughts, TFA is awesome but the reveal of Luke seems a bit underwhelming.

That scene gets more awesome every time I see it.

One of my buddies said that Abrams probably filmed that scene when they actually found Mark Hamill to talk about TFA and offer him the role.....

[cramx3]

To stay on topic with some thoughts, TFA is awesome but the reveal of Luke seems a bit underwhelming.

That scene gets more awesome every time I see it.

One of my buddies said that Abrams probably filmed that scene when they actually found Mark Hamill to talk about TFA and offer him the role.....

 

Honestly, even though we didn't really get any Luke in this film, the inclusion of the original actors really made the movie for me.  A legit aged Leia/Han/Luke to fit the storyline was awesome. 

[Zantera]

I love the final scene and I think the reveal, and how we don't hear Luke say anything is great. If I have a minor gripe I would say that the very last helicopter shot felt a bit unnecessary. IMO they could have added a shot after Rey reaches out the lightsaber where Luke reaches out his hand and grabbing it, then cut to credits.

[bosk1]

I'm calling it now--Ep. VIII begins right at that same scene, and what happens next is: Luke moves in closer to give her a hug, and she goes Kylo on him and kills him with his sabre, and then says, "Sorry, dad.  Consider the torch passed."  Then she and Kylo battle it out over the next two films to decide who will be the galaxy's ultimate Sith apprentice.

[gmillerdrake]

I love the final scene and I think the reveal, and how we don't hear Luke say anything is great. If I have a minor gripe I would say that the very last helicopter shot felt a bit unnecessary. IMO they could have added a shot after Rey reaches out the lightsaber where Luke reaches out his hand and grabbing it, then cut to credits.

Agreed. That scene was cool.....I think they must have just figured "Hey, we're here on a cool location.....lets get a huge shot to end it"

I did read that they won't be able to use that actual location much and that they've had to build a set to recreate that location because of the indigenous bird population being so large and hostile....plus the weather rarely cooperates and getting gear to and from the location and getting it working correctly was a nightmare.

Honestly, even though we didn't really get any Luke in this film, the inclusion of the original actors really made the movie for me.  A legit aged Leia/Han/Luke to fit the storyline was awesome. 

I thought Harrison Ford was fantastic. He didn't miss a beat with portraying Han....and it was the perfect character IMO to share the screentime with the new characters.

[cramx3]

I'm calling it now--Ep. VIII begins right at that same scene, and what happens next is: Luke moves in closer to give her a hug, and she goes Kylo on him and kills him with his sabre, and then says, "Sorry, dad.  Consider the torch passed."  Then she and Kylo battle it out over the next two films to decide who will be the galaxy's ultimate Sith apprentice.

THAT would be jaw dropping.

[TioJorge]

 

A small part of me would love the shit out of that.

[Accelerando]

There's another aged star in this movie, but he's behind the cameras. John Williams absolutely shines in this movie. Rey's theme is one of the best themes in all of the Star Wars movies in my opinion. When the cavalry arrived just in time in Takodana, John Williams music swelled to the perfect emotional peak. He's the man!

[BlackInk]

Yeah, that's one guy who never dropped the ball throughout this whole series. I do wish there would've been some choir on this soundtrack though. It doesn't really need it, I just think choirs are epic.

[BlobVanDam]

There's another aged star in this movie, but he's behind the cameras. John Williams absolutely shines in this movie. Rey's theme is one of the best themes in all of the Star Wars movies in my opinion. When the cavalry arrived just in time in Takodana, John Williams music swelled to the perfect emotional peak. He's the man!

The vast majority of discussion I've seen about the soundtrack was complaints about the score not being memorable, but I thought it was good. I think maybe people are just used to being a lot more familiar with the Star Wars music already and are judging it unfairly.

[ariich]

Yeah it's a little unfair when we've had 30-40 years for the original music to embed itself in our collective consciousness, so comments like "it's not memorable" are kinda stupid at this stage.

[orcus116]

I bet the vast majority of people who have seen the movie could not hum a bar of any other theme other than the main theme if they were asked right now. The score just felt very subdued.

[Kotowboy]

I liked Kylo Ren's theme. It stood out for me.

[Zantera]

It's not necessarily a bad thing when the score doesn't click right away, I found it more and more enjoyable for every time I saw the film. Plus, Star Wars as a whole has some of the most memorable music in movie history (the opening theme, the imperial theme for example) and reaching up to that level is gonna be near impossible.

[BlackInk]

I liked Kylo Ren's theme. It stood out for me.

Agreed, his theme is really cool.

[kaos2900]

The two best themes were Rey's and the (I'm assuming) love theme between Rey and Finn.

[Zantera]

I think that kiss on the cheek permanently sealed Finn in the friend zone. I don't know if they will give Rey a love interest, but if anything I'd say Poe Dameron is more likely. In the book version of TFA, there is a brief scene where they meet and there are some sparks.

[BlackInk]

I'd be disapponted if Rey and Finn developed a romance.

[TioJorge]

I took it as the exact opposite. I think their romance is already developed. Rey absolutely, to me at least, didn't seem like a chick that has opened up to many men in the past and certainly wasn't developed to be as such in this part of her life and that was extremely apparent. She opened up to him in the latter portion of the movie that seemed an impossibility in the earlier portions. I think it's a complete given at this point but maybe Zant is right. I kind of hope you are but I really think it's said and done with that kiss, despite the partings words of 'my friend'. I mean, she's still extremely independent, tom-boyish, a bit abrasive and awesomely indifferent to the usual girly tropes, and along with that, the romantic aspects of them; but that doesn't mean she doesn't have feelings for him. We started with her being completely surprised and off-put with him taking her hand simply to run away from apparent death, now she's kissing his forehead...it's progress. 

[Zantera]

It really felt more like a friendship. If it had been romantic I think Finn would have tried to kiss her before he stormed out of Maz Kanata's place. Instead it was more of a "take care" like you would tell a close friend. After all, this is really the first person he comes across that looks at him in a different way than the storm troopers he has been raised with.

[BlackInk]

Just saw it for the fourth time heh and yep, still awesome.

[Orbert]

I hate to be "that guy" but remember that Finn is black, Rey is white, and this is a Disney property.  I personally have no problem with it, and it's even pretty awesome that it needs to be pointed out, but I just don't see it happening.  Not in a flick that has anything to do with Disney.

[Podaar]

Jeez, I hope you're wrong Orbert. I really, really do.

[Orbert]

I'd like to think that we've come that far, but I honestly think that there's still a large enough segment of the population that would have trouble with it, or more accurately, that Disney thinks that there is a large enough segment, and that they'll bitch, and it will all be very ugly.  Disney could lead the way by boldly breaking down racial barriers in one of the most anticipated (and most watched) movies of the decade, and if they can do it, anyone can.  But I just don't think they will.

[BlobVanDam]

I have exactly zero problem with the jungle fever lovin', but I'm against Rey and Finn getting together simply because it's so unnecessary and obvious and Hollywood to force that in there (no pun intended) between the lead characters. I prefer the idea of Finn and Rey being an awesome team without any sexual tension. That said, if they did do that, it wouldn't bother me at all.
But I think the plan is for Rey and Poe anyway. Maybe Finn can hook in with Phasma. Everybody needs some love.

[BlackInk]

I have exactly zero problem with the jungle fever lovin', but I'm against Rey and Finn getting together simply because it's so unnecessary and obvious and Hollywood to force that in there (no pun intended) between the lead characters. I prefer the idea of Finn and Rey being an awesome team without any sexual tension.

Yeah, all of this.

[Zantera]

Remember how much outcry there has been about Finn being a black lead in a Star Wars film? I think it would be 10 times worse if Finn and Rey got together in the end, and a lot of people would say it's more about sending a political message than making a film. Personally I don't care about mixed relationships, but I don't think the majority is with me, and I think a lot of people still live in the stone age mentally and have certain views on those kind of topics. At least to me, I hope we will be talking about this trilogy 10 years from now because of how good it was, and not political debates about a black guy getting together with a white girl.

[lordxizor]

Does anyone else think that Kylo Ren took off his mask too soon? I think it would have been much more powerful if he hadn't removed it when Rey asked him to, but only when he met his father on the bridge. All along we think of him as some evil dude who wears a mask because he has to like Vader, but he turns out to just be a normal looking young adult.

[Kotowboy]

I'd be disapponted if Rey and Finn developed a romance.

It's gonna be Finn and Poe

[BlobVanDam]

Remember how much outcry there has been about Finn being a black lead in a Star Wars film? I think it would be 10 times worse if Finn and Rey got together in the end, and a lot of people would say it's more about sending a political message than making a film. Personally I don't care about mixed relationships, but I don't think the majority is with me, and I think a lot of people still live in the stone age mentally and have certain views on those kind of topics. At least to me, I hope we will be talking about this trilogy 10 years from now because of how good it was, and not political debates about a black guy getting together with a white girl.

Did people have a problem with Finn being black? I remember a lot of discussion about the whole stormtrooper / clone issue, but I luckily didn't see anything just about race. I do stick to more civilized sites as far as movie discussion goes though.