Star Wars (Includes Spoilers!!!)

[Christian Slater]

Georgie Boy didn't like the lack of originality either - http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/dec/31/george-lucas-attacks-retro-star-wars-the-force-awakens

 

[Pagnell]

Thought it was decent but it was never going to live up to the hype. At times the cheesiness was a little too much and some of the plot holes were obvious but I enjoyed it regardless.

 

[Christian Slater]

Thought it was decent but it was never going to live up to the hype. At times the cheesiness was a little too much and some of the plot holes were obvious but I enjoyed it regardless.

I disagree, I think the hype has made it.

Another one that recognises a series of issues yet liked the film. What is wrong with you people?!

 

[silkyman]

Finally managed to see it the other day, and yeah, there are a lot of similarities to the original, but that didn't detract for me. Visually it was pretty awesome - a crashed Star Destroyer and other vehicles etc.

Some things felt a little bit forced (so to speak)

Spoiler: ...

Just bumping into the Falcon and knowing how to fly it so quickly was a bit odd. Unless there was some underlying reason why it was on her planet, such as it having been the ship that brought her there as a kid, but they made clear that it wasn't. And it's always a bit of a stretch that they would be found by Han Solo so fast, and that they would find her on the StarKiller. Space is big... Really big.
I was robbed of the surprise of Han being killed because some c*** had put it on Facebook just to spoil for people, but Ren being his son was a good twist.

I also liked that they humanised the stormtroopers. Both with Finn having a crisis of concience and the two guards after Rey escaped. I think that fits in with the universe as a whole as the clone troops have all aged and/or been killed and they have had to replace them with well trained 'normal' people.

Overall, I liked it, and it will certainly be in my BluRay collection come March. And probably in 3D.

 

[Gladders]

Spoiler

I thought Han explained how the Falcon got there and he had been looking for it for a while? I will have to watch it again.

 

[silkyman]

Spoiler

He did, sort of as in 'it was stolen from thingy who stole it from wot'sit who stole it from me, but didn't address the fact that it was perfectly to hand for the two people with the information about Luke Skywalker, which is very convenient if nothing else. The key droid just happened to latch on to the completely unaware proto-Jedi girl who then just stumble across the right ship. If she was ditched there as a kid sometime in the past, possibly as the daughter of Han and Leia, possibly as the daughter of Luke, then perhaps the Falcon had been left for her in the future and mothballed, but stolen by the scrap dealer bloke before it was time for her to have it. Or Po and BB8 were actively looking for her to bring her into the action rather than two massive coincidences within 20 minutes or so.

 

[Christian Slater]

It's just lazy writing, guys. It permeates the entire film.

 

[Christian Slater]

I was thinking today, didn't Leia tell Han that she wished they'd sent Kylo to Luke to train, only for it to come out that he had trained under him? I'm not imagining that, am I?

 

[silkyman]

It's just lazy writing, guys. It permeates the entire film.

There was similar in the first one, too. But there was a slight mitigation in that Obi Wan was near Luke because he was nominally keeping an eye on him. So there was a reason why the droids were on the same planet as Luke, even if there is a lot of luck them both ending up with him.

It was the only real annoyance for me and could have been easily explained away. Perhaps it might be in the sequels.

 

[silkyman]

Never properly seen any of the Star Wars films, not really my genre (yes I know, I'm an idiot) - can I get away with going to see this film without having any prior background knowledge at all?

It would probably be interesting to hear a perspective from someone with no pre-existing bias who isn't going to be crushingly disappointed like many were with the first prequels and also isn't going to get goosebumps during the battle scenes just because it's THE MILLLENIUM FUCKING FALCON!!!!! Like, well, me....

 

[TheMinsterman]

Spoiler

I thought Han explained how the Falcon got there and he had been looking for it for a while? I will have to watch it again.

Spoiler

Yes, it was entirely explained. The Falcon was simply stolen repeatedly by shady individuals, the logic behind it being there isn't really fault in any way.

 

[TheMinsterman]

I disagree, I think the hype has made it.

Another one that recognises a series of issues yet liked the film. What is wrong with you people?!

Sometimes it's nice to just sit, not over think, and enjoy a movie. I didn't personally go into Star Wars expecting a plot that would be excessively complex and layered with no plot holes in it, I just expected a popcorn film with lasers, lightsabers and a few one liners. It's flaws are not all that vast unless you're really nitpicking.

I've learned to temper my expectations of films and find myself enjoying things a lot more than I did when I overanalysed things. I adored Jurassic World in a similar vein because all I wanted was some dinosaurs eating people with a reasonable plot and it's what I got.

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

Spoiler

Yes, it was entirely explained. The Falcon was simply stolen repeatedly by shady individuals, the logic behind it being there isn't really fault in any way.

And not at all convenient that the Millennium Falcon, a girl with the force, the missing map piece, and Finn's crash site should all be within walking distance of one another.

 

[ZianfrancoGoal]

not a bad film even though as a student of astrophysics (i have seen both series of cosmos) i found so many mistakes

 

[Christian Slater]

Sometimes it's nice to just sit, not over think, and enjoy a movie. I didn't personally go into Star Wars expecting a plot that would be excessively complex and layered with no plot holes in it, I just expected a popcorn film with lasers, lightsabers and a few one liners. It's flaws are not all that vast unless you're really nitpicking.

I've learned to temper my expectations of films and find myself enjoying things a lot more than I did when I overanalysed things. I adored Jurassic World in a similar vein because all I wanted was some dinosaurs eating people with a reasonable plot and it's what I got.

I'm afraid that's where we differ then, mate. I can't check my brain at the door when going to watch a film and I'm not going to be won over by special effects or because it's Star Wars or Jurassic Park. I don't think I'm nitpicking either with the majority of my complaints.

 

[TheMinsterman]

I'm afraid that's where we differ then, mate. I can't check my brain at the door when going to watch a film and I'm not going to be won over by special effects or because it's Star Wars or Jurassic Park. I don't think I'm nitpicking either with the majority of my complaints.

And that is fine, I don't begrudge that you go in with a different perspective. I spend all day elbow deep in historical texts mulling over numerous topics (slavery, genocide... it gets a bit heavy), so when I watch a film it's more about sitting back and relaxing for me these days than really thinking too much about it. It's not so much about being wowed by special effects, I just don't think the film had significant enough plot holes to be classed as a "bad" film.

It isn't an all time great, but I found that when I started being as critical of films I have a soft spot for in the past that spawned these sequels they're just as guilty of numerous plot holes and some weak spots. I just think when we watched them as kids we went in wide eyed without too much of a critical outlook and enjoyed them regardless of the flaws we can identify when we grow up. Disengaging my critical pessimism is perhaps a way of re-engaging with that feeling.

 

[TheMinsterman]

And not at all convenient that the Millennium Falcon, a girl with the force, the missing map piece, and Finn's crash site should all be within walking distance of one another.

To be fair, I wasn't commenting on that, merely on the plausibility of the Falcon being there being entirely valid. The other aspects were very much "forced", but they are in the other films at time and people still like those.

 

[Leewilson]

Best character in the entire thing was General Hux. Domhnall Gleeson put an in excellent performance. That nazi-esque speech he gave was goosebump inducing.

 

[Craig]

Best character in the entire thing was General Hux. Domhnall Gleeson put an in excellent performance. That nazi-esque speech he gave was goosebump inducing.

Have to disagree, I found it more than a little bit cringeworthy.

I say that as a bit of a fan of Gleeson too.

 

[allouso]

Thought it was great personally.

 

[DarkSithLord]

All a matter of oponion of course but I have to agree with Craig on Hux. Didnt find his speech believable at all and it was way too "Nazi" for me. Thought the conflict of interests between Hux and Ren was great though

 

[Leewilson]

Star Wars has long taken inspiration from the way Nazi Germany operated. Stormtroopers for example is a Nazi term. The general's attire is very nazi-ish.

Hell, let me just put the entire wikipedia entry in spoiler tags rather than refer to smaller references.

Spoiler

Modern history
The stormtroopers from the movies share a name with the Nazi stormtroopers (see also Sturmabteilung). Imperial officers' uniforms also resemble some historical German Army uniforms (see Wehrmacht) and the political and security officers of the Empire resemble the black clad SS down to the imitation silver death's head insignia on their officer's caps. World War II terms were used for names in Star Wars; examples include the planets Kessel (a term that refers to a group of encircled forces), Hoth (Hermann Hoth was a German general who served on the snow laden Eastern Front), and Tatooine (Tataouine - a province south of Tunis in Tunisia, roughly where Lucas filmed for the planet; Libya was a WWII arena of war).[17] Palpatine being Chancellor before becoming Emperor mirrors Adolf Hitler's role as Chancellor before appointing himself Dictator. The Great Jedi Purge alludes to the events of The Holocaust, the Great Purge, the Cultural Revolution, and the Night of the Long Knives. In addition, Lucas himself has drawn parallels between Palpatine and his rise to power to historical dictators such as Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Adolf Hitler. The final medal awarding scene in A New Hope, however, references Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will.[18] The space battles in A New Hope were based on filmed World War I and World War II dogfights.[2]

Continuing the use of Nazi inspiration for the Empire, J. J. Abrams, the director of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, has said that the First Order, an Imperial offshoot which will possibly serve as the main antagonist of the sequel trilogy, is also inspired by another aspect of the Nazi regime. Abrams spoke of how several Nazis fled to Argentina after the war and he claims that the concept for the First Order came from conversations between the scriptwriters about what would have happened if they had started working together again.[19]

In a 2005 interview, George Lucas was asked the origins of the name "Darth Vader", and replied: "Darth is a variation of dark. And Vader is a variation of father. So it's basically Dark Father." (Rolling Stone, June 2, 2005). "Vader" is the Dutch word for "father" (the Dutch word is instead pronounced "fah-der"), and the German word for "father" (Vater) is similar. However, in the earliest scripts for Star Wars, the name "Darth Vader" was given to a human Imperial general with no apparent relationships.[20]

 

[DarkSithLord]

Star Wars has long taken inspiration from the way Nazi Germany operated. Stormtroopers for example is a Nazi term. The general's attire is very nazi-ish.

Hell, let me just put the entire wikipedia entry in spoiler tags rather than refer to smaller references.





Oh Absolutely. I am fully aware that Nazi Germany is a huge part of SW and its inclusion is one of the several reasons why I love it. However the think that grind my gears was that this was way too obvious and looked rushed and that not much thought had gone in to it

 

[Craig]

Yeah, I don't think anyone is disputing the Nazi theme, just the cringey speech by Hux.

 

[Jockney]

Yeah, with the salute at the end 'n' all.

I know subtlety has never been the series' strong point, but still.

 

[mnb089mnb]

^^^ Best General Poster 2015

Cheap trick to distract from the real controversy of awards night: The League One award.

 

[Megaclyde]

I liked it, but too many plot holes and questions for me to really enjoy it. Maybe the answers are in the upcoming films, or if I flat out missed something feel free to answer them for me.

The big one for me was how R2 just happens to come out of hibernation or whatever just after Kylo and Han meet, and it's all like 'oh btw im ok now here's the map you need, shame about Han though'

Another thing was how someone as clearly strong as Kylo was (force grabbing people, stopping and blaster bolt ect) was so shit at saber fighting that Finn held his own for a while and then a presumably untrained Rey (I can't help but see it as a boys name) beat him, maybe theres logic to it like there not being many lightsaber users about so the art is on the decline or something.

Also I'm hoping they expand on why Kylo feel such an affinity to Vader and why he decided to go Sith. Is he actually one of the Sith duo because he was referred to as the leader of the Knights of Ren?

 

[MSB92]

I liked it, but too many plot holes and questions for me to really enjoy it. Maybe the answers are in the upcoming films, or if I flat out missed something feel free to answer them for me.

The big one for me was how R2 just happens to come out of hibernation or whatever just after Kylo and Han meet, and it's all like 'oh btw im ok now here's the map you need, shame about Han though'

Another thing was how someone as clearly strong as Kylo was (force grabbing people, stopping and blaster bolt ect) was so shit at saber fighting that Finn held his own for a while and then a presumably untrained Rey (I can't help but see it as a boys name) beat him, maybe theres logic to it like there not being many lightsaber users about so the art is on the decline or something.

Also I'm hoping they expand on why Kylo feel such an affinity to Vader and why he decided to go Sith. Is he actually one of the Sith duo because he was referred to as the leader of the Knights of Ren?

Well Kylo was badly injured after the bowcaster shot from Chewbacca. A weapon that was blowing people up and is very powerful. Plus Finn might have been trained to use a lightsaber as we have seen with his fight with the stormtrooper. Also Rey might have been trained before but got her mind wiped when she was left on Jakku, plus she is very handy with her staff which might have helped her with the lightsaber. Also during the fight with Finn, it seemed that Kylo was fighting arrogantly and was toying with both Finn and Rey. He also wanted Rey to join him and turn to the dark side; maybe that's why he didn't kill her.

 

[Gladders]

I liked it, but too many plot holes and questions for me to really enjoy it. Maybe the answers are in the upcoming films, or if I flat out missed something feel free to answer them for me.

The big one for me was how R2 just happens to come out of hibernation or whatever just after Kylo and Han meet, and it's all like 'oh btw im ok now here's the map you need, shame about Han though'

Another thing was how someone as clearly strong as Kylo was (force grabbing people, stopping and blaster bolt ect) was so shit at saber fighting that Finn held his own for a while and then a presumably untrained Rey (I can't help but see it as a boys name) beat him, maybe theres logic to it like there not being many lightsaber users about so the art is on the decline or something.

Also I'm hoping they expand on why Kylo feel such an affinity to Vader and why he decided to go Sith. Is he actually one of the Sith duo because he was referred to as the leader of the Knights of Ren?

Jj explained that when BB8 spoke to R2 it woke him up, it just took a while to fully power up (in the film at least guess it was only a hour or so real time), but I agree it wasn't really explained well in the film.

 

[DarkSithLord]

I liked it, but too many plot holes and questions for me to really enjoy it. Maybe the answers are in the upcoming films, or if I flat out missed something feel free to answer them for me.

The big one for me was how R2 just happens to come out of hibernation or whatever just after Kylo and Han meet, and it's all like 'oh btw im ok now here's the map you need, shame about Han though'

Another thing was how someone as clearly strong as Kylo was (force grabbing people, stopping and blaster bolt ect) was so shit at saber fighting that Finn held his own for a while and then a presumably untrained Rey (I can't help but see it as a boys name) beat him, maybe theres logic to it like there not being many lightsaber users about so the art is on the decline or something.

Also I'm hoping they expand on why Kylo feel such an affinity to Vader and why he decided to go Sith. Is he actually one of the Sith duo because he was referred to as the leader of the Knights of Ren?[/QUOTE]

Kylo has such an affinity because Vader is his Grandfather.