No spoilers from me, but I went and saw the Force Awakens today with the family. It's an excellent movie. I generally don't see sequels and remakes being better than the original, but this one might just top the originals. At the least, it's right there with Empire Strikes Back. The acting was great. Watching Episodes I, II and III, I couldn't help but wonder if Lucas kept telling the actors to dial it back to the point that they were just reading the lines or if the actors came to that themselves. It was horrible. Episode VII suffers none of this.
If you don't like Star Wars, don't bother, you won't like this one either. If you do like Star Wars, you won't be disappointed in this one.
A billion years ago when the original Star Wars came out a co-worker announced one day at work that the plan was to have six episodes strung out over 20 or more years. We all knew he was nuts, so we told him so. He swore up and down that he had read about it in a sci-fi fan magazine. Therefore, it must be true.
Holy Cow, post: 349868, member: 50 wrote: A billion years ago when the original Star Wars came out a co-worker announced one day at work that the plan was to have six episodes strung out over 20 or more years. We all knew he was nuts, so we told him so. He swore up and down that he had read about it in a sci-fi fan magazine. Therefore, it must be true.
"It wasn't long after I began writing Star Wars that I realized the story was more than a single film could hold. As the saga of the Skywalkers and Jedi Knights unfolded, I began to see it as a tale that could take at least nine films to tellÛÓthree trilogiesÛÓand I realized, in making my way through the back story and after story, that I was really setting out to write the middle story." - George Lucas
He has admitted that was his idea for decades now. I don't think that he expected to sell the franchise for billions of dollars.
The story had become a rite of passage for youth. Believe me from experience ...such as undertaking the new 3d simulator Star Wars ride at Disney world a few years back with an 8 yr old for about ten rides scattered over two days. Also many LEGO creations too.
I've always been amazed with the Star Wars ongoing saga and the creativity that has gone into the telling of and has resulted from the story.
Several days ago I watched several hours of interviews with cast and crew on some cable channel and believe me it was not ready for prime time. Especially the comments from the original crew and cast.
Apparently it was one of many similar stories about a bunch of newbies on a show that eventually made their careers and all the extra party and hookups and deeply infused state of haze and daze that actually made its way to final printed movie.
It was way beyond the late night version, wished I had recorded it. Whether any of it is filled with any factual matter rests in the movie crew, cast, writers, directors and all and is a reason they make alot of money for telling what they tell.
Apparently another reason for actors making so much money is their ability to keep secrets from the public, each other and whoever and/or whatever else their contracts bind them.
Everyone of the movies is full of "easter eggs" that really takes the junkie viewer to find them.
0.02
Just been to see it.
I thought it was great.
Just like the original, lots of cliche and some humour.
Thought Daisy Ridley was superb - great acting there.
And the X-Wings still look the business.
We are in the Bay Area (San Francisco Bay, not Hudson Bay) viditing the in-laws so my daughter and I went to see the new StarWar. What a hoot. Sort of a clip show with cameos by Indiana Jones, a big Airedale, that beeping mailbox thing (who got the most sincere applause from the enraptured Luke-Skywalker-pajama-clad audience when it emerged from a medically induced coma of some sort), Mr. Roboto gold edition and even Darth Vader's melted head, reporposed as an ashtray centerpiece. Lots of new evil folk like Space Hitler and Hipster Darth who takes his iron beanie off to reveal that he is none other than Vinnie Barbarino from Welcome Back Kotter. I KNEW those Sweathogs would never amount to anything. Also, a new hero played by either Twiggy or that Brit gal from the Orbit gum commercials (we didn't stay for the credits to confirm her identity).
But the real star was the technology. 3d Ray-ban Wayfarers. Leather reclining seats with sturdy cup holders for your beer. Yes, beer. I have seen the future and it is the Cinemark 16plex in Mtn.View California. Next trip we are foregoing a motel stay and just getting movie tickets 24/7.
Took the girls - Pack Mule File and Youngest File - late last night (Mrs. File wasn't interested so she stayed home with Adopted File).
It was about what I expected, I'm not a huge Star wars fan... kept thinking thru the various scenes that much of the action plays write into the video games- I almost wonder if that isn't the first part of the creation process- anyway, It was ok- the main goal of the activity was to spend a bit of time with the girls and we had a good time. 😀
The new one is very good, but if they keep the same cast the final chapter will have to be entitled " Star Wars IV- The Rest Home at the End of the Universe."
Finally got a chance to see this movie and I thought it was great! I was a huge fan of the original 3 movies as a kid. I tolerated the other trilogy that came out later, but was definitely disappointed. The new one is great....right up there with the original 3.
I thnk i'll wait the years it will take to be shown for free. Pirates of the Carribean seemed like a better fit or theme for the sith lord dis.
Once again I get to overhear people talking about things that might be sexually transmitted diseases or the latest thing on late night infomercials only to discover that what they are really talking about are terms introduced in the latest Star Wars movie.What the heck is a kye-low-ren?
I finally saw it over the weekend too. I thought the movie was done well, but the story was horrible. Abrams recycling content again - there wasn't much original in there, the story was full of holes, and seems just hurried, any boy how many of the same story items can you use? It was an entertaining movie, but it will not stand the test of time as one the the better ones once people start re-watching it. They have like 4 more SW movies in the next 7 years, so there may be some original content in there somewhere.
Did you know that Mark Hamill was older in this episode than Alex Guiness was when he was in the first film in 1976-7?
I am a huge fan, and though I liked the movie, I don't think it was great. To me they tried too hard to interject the humor into scenes. The older characters seemed a bit out of place at times and Kylo Ren just doesn't intimidate me when he takes the mask off. I thought the story line was too close to that of Episode IV (A New Hope). The special effects were off the chart however and really made the movie for me. I'm not a Star Trek fan, but I did feel there was a "Trekkish" feel to some of the alien characters, which bothers me for the future. Overall good movie, but doesn't come close to Empire Strikes Back for me.
I saw it about a week after opening day. I enjoyed it. However, it wasn't as good as I had hoped it would be.
I don't mind the "retelling" of a previous story. That was fine. And I actually enjoyed seeing Harrison Ford reprise his role as the best smuggler in the galaxy. I think his acting was some of the best in the movie.
What disappointed me was the blatant "setup" for the future of the franchise. In the original trilogy (Episodes 4, 5, & 6) each movie stood alone. Yes, we all knew that they were part of a bigger story, but you could watch The Empire Strikes Back without watching A New Hope or Return of the Jedi and it was fine.
The "new" trilogy (Episodes 1, 2, & 3) weren't good movies. I enjoyed having the story told to me, but the movies weren't done very well. But even so, those movies also stood alone from the overall story line. Maybe not as well as 4, 5, & 6, but they still were discrete parts of the story.
The newest movie is very clearly a setup for future movies. And the plot and characters of those future movies will more or less require the view to have working knowledge of this (and future) movies. It has become like the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Each movie is just another chapter in the story.
I know that's how the movie industry works now. That's how they keep bringing in new revenue. But it is still disappointing to me.
Oh, and I watched Star Wars: A New Hope at the drive-in when I was 7 (almost 8) back in 1977. It was AWESOME!
