Star Wars Spoilers Thread [Spoilers]

So here's my review: 100% a Star Wars film which belongs with the original trilogy.

It's a transitional film, but it does it well. The new generation is really good.

I think the major death was kinda signposted a bit. You knew it was coming long before it happened. I felt worse for Chewie, but he, Rey, and BB8 make a great team.

Is this the first Star Wars film where nobody gets their hand cut off?

Luke lives in Ireland, eh?

Question: WHY was there a map to Luke, and why was it split into two? I feel like I missed something. For that matter, why a map and not just some coordinates? Seems like a random puzzle set up for the sake of it.

 

[Cor Azer]

For those who are looking for deeper answers, some spoilers/info from the novelization (which is based on an earlier draft of the film): http://www.dailydot.com/geek/star-wars-force-awakens-novelization-highlights/

And to add to Umbran's comments about building up Kylo Ren in this film, that's apparently J.J. Abrams' goal: http://www.themarysue.com/that-kylo-ren-scene-in-the-force-awakens/

 

[Morrus]

Right, and a new megaweapon might be fun. But a planetoid super weapon that shoots big beams and destroys planets but is blown up by a small fighter? That's when it crosses the line from trope to "been there, done that".

Even if you include the battle droid ship from Episode One and the super star destroyer in the "super weapon" camp, only 4/6ths had superweapons and half were planet destroyers and spherical.

Maybe Star Wars movies aren't your thing? I mean, that is their general theme, prequels included. If you're looking for something thematically different, might I suggest Star Trek?

Wait, that was JJ Abrams aswell. I take that back!

 

[Grumpy RPG Reviews]

So I bet Kylo Ren freaks out and smashes the hell out of things even over small disappointments. Like he's at a Space Tex-Mex place and they bring him a cheese enchilada rather than the chicken one he ordered, and he totally loses his s--t and out comes the flaming lightsabre.

 

[Grumpy RPG Reviews]

Q: what/who was Max Von Sydow supposed to be?

[deadpan]Mace Windu.[/deadpan]

 

[GX.Sigma]

I'm glad we have an EU explanation for the political situation, but that really should've been in the movie itself. The whole time I was watching it, I was thinking, if the Republic is in charge, doesn't that mean the bad guys are the "resistance?" All we ever see of the First Order is one Star Destroyer, so I thought they were a minor thing.

I agree with what has been said about General Phasma. She really didn't need to be there. They could have given all her lines to that other generic British villain (no, not that other generic British villain, the OTHER other generic British villain!) and the movie would be exactly the same. I guess they just needed a minorly threatening faceless authority figure to be the punch line of the "trash compactor" joke.

Anyone know whether she was supposed to be a droid or a human?

 

[Morrus]

I'm glad we have an EU explanation for the political situation, but that really should've been in the movie itself.

We don't have an EU explanation. The EU has been declared all non-canon.

It should be in *a* movie, I agree. It doesn't have to be this one. They have plans for a lot of movies.

The whole time I was watching it, I was thinking, if the Republic is in charge, doesn't that mean the bad guys are the "resistance?" All we ever see of the First Order is one Star Destroyer, so I thought they were a minor thing.

I guess up till this point they were a minor thing. At least on a Galactic scale. Starkiller Base allowed them to enter the big leagues and kill the Rebublic, turning the status quote into an ungoverned Galaxy (like Earth, which has no world government).

I agree with what has been said about General Phasma. She really didn't need to be there. They could have given all her lines to that other generic British villain (no, not that other generic British villain, the OTHER other generic British villain!) and the movie would be exactly the same. I guess they just needed a minorly threatening faceless authority figure to be the punch line of the "trash compactor" joke.

Anyone know whether she was supposed to be a droid or a human?

I posted this earlier, but we know she was originally a male character. My theory is that she was a male Imperial-style officer in a grey uniform and cap. Watch her, and her lines, and her role, and ignore the fancy armor, and she works perfectly. Imagine Captain Needa (who is still on the Star Destroyer in this film!) remonstrating with Finn for taking his helmet off. At no point does her role include military action on her part. I content that the part was written as an officious grey-uniformed bureaucrat, she got the role, the appearance changed to the cool chrome armor, but the role did not change.

The difference, I'll bet, is that grey uniform Phasma would have died. But cool Chrome Phasma gets trash-shunted instead, because now they have an idea for her in VIII.

So she was an incidental character. Still is, really. But they have written a bigger role for her in VIII, so she needed to survive. Thus weak trash compactor callback.

 

[Jester David]

Maybe Star Wars movies aren't your thing? I mean, that is their general theme, prequels included. If you're looking for something thematically different, might I suggest Star Trek?

Wait, that was JJ Abrams aswell. I take that back!

Even in that movie the big planet destroying weapon wasn't a sphere.

 

[Umbran]

Thus weak trash compactor callback.

It made seemingly everyone in my theater laugh. So, maybe it worked as intended.

 

[Morrus]

It made seemingly everyone in my theater laugh. So, maybe it worked as intended.

Mime too, sadly. I still maintain that mentioning a thing people remember is a long way from comedy genius! I reckon in a few years, you'll cringe at that. Callbacks can be used by expert comedians to great effect (Stewart Lee does this very well), so I acknowledge it is a valid comic device. This is not a good example of it though.

Combine that with my above theory on who Phasma was supposed to be, I'd be willing to wager that her survival was a late-written line. I may be wrong - we'll probably never know - but I stand by my bet that in a few years you'll wonder why you found that funny.

 

[ZzarkLinux]

Re: Was StarDestroyer necessary?

I'm late to the discussion, but reading Umbran & Jester discuss plot, I think has helped me understand my displeasure with the movie. Thanks to both of you for stimulating my ideas.

SHORT VERSION:

The First Order SHOULD HAVE ATTACKED the Resistance Base. The movie got it backwards, and it broke my immersion. The plot incoherently jumped from "First Order is chasing Rey" to "Big Bad Enemy has a Weapon of Doom".

CASUAL READING VERSION:

The whole first-half of the movie was "First Order is hunting for Rey" and the First Order should have attacked the Resistance Base. It continues the theme of the movie: First Order sends army to hunt Rey & hunt Resistance. The First Order pursues and attacks. The Resistance evades the threat. Rey evades the threat.

Star Destroyer breaks that plot in half. Instead of StarDestroyer as a theat, add a "the First Order has an Attack Fleet" as the threat. I was expecting First Order to be a big bad army, not a bunch of pansies who hide on a planet.

By attacking the Resistance:
(1) First Order captures Rey & interrogates her in the fleet
(2) The fleet continues moving towards the Resistance Base, same theme as before
(3) The fleet attacks Resistance Base. Lots of battle.
(4) The Rebel Base has "Defense Cannon" which fires at the First Order
(5) The First Order's mothership is disabled in the skies above Resistance Base

Now the movie can continue exactly as before: The First Order wants to land on the planet to eliminate the Resistance. The Resistance wants to board the First Order mothership to destroy it's shields and free Rey. Tie Fighter battles in the sky. Sneaky Hans Solo on the First Order mothership. Lightsabre battle on the Resistance Base planet. Instead of Rey casually visiting Luke, now the pressure can escalate with the Resistance barely survivong and Rey anxious to get help from Luke.

Anyway, I think that I would have liked that movie more. Everyone's a critic