Star Wars Episode 7 and Disney buy Lucas Film

[ThryllSeekyr]

You know, I was that far away from dressing up as the younger Han Solo at the local premiere for this [spoiler](Doesn't feel so cool now that he gets killed in this one!) and it was only a few moments earlier that I thought wouldn't be interesting (While disappointing at the same time!) if returns via some loop- hole of the Force (In one of the other two films!)

Considering Gandalf was killed off in the first Lord of the Rings film and back in the day when this was first shown. Only true Tolkien acolytes knew he'd come back as The White Wizard.

Then maybe Han Solo returns as a more HD version of him self shown in 3D up against all his flatter 2D co-characters. [/spoiler]

I know that was awful idea, but you never know. There was talk that the force was with him as well.  It just explains his miraculous luck in the past.

[TordelBack]

Some spot-on thinkafyin' there Joe, and I'm really glad you enjoyed it.  [spoiler]I agree, the very flimsy sameiness of the Starkiller subplot does feel deliberate, a dull backdrop that foregrounds the far better family drama. Unfortunately, for me at least, it's so weak that it actually distracts from the good stuff (of which there is much). As do those things that Adrian so masterfully lists - there's just no way of reconciling these coincidences within the story itself, beyond pointing to the title of the movie, and saying 'it was the will of the etc.'. In reality, a lot of the coincidences feel like leftover elements from too many script conferences, multiple mcguffins, discarded relationships - a result perhaps of lacking a central vision, beyond estanlishingvthe new cast and mechanically moving all the pieces into the places necessary for Star Wars 2.0.[/spoiler]

I thought Space Jesus himself [spoiler]was handled in the best way possible, and looked great - broken and haunted by his failures, and now the loss of his friend. No mysterious crazy-old-wizard schtick for him! You either had to give Luke a decent chunk of the action, or just keep his mouth shut (and there's an amusing balance in having such a prolific voice actor in a non-speakng part).[/spoiler]

What do we think about the rumour that [spoiler]Daniel Craig played 'worst stormtrooper ever' in the scene where Rey escapes from the interrogation room?[/spoiler]

[TordelBack]

Incidentally, there may be an issue here for me of knowing that there is no central vision - I could (often wrongly) accept mysteries and coincidences from George because I could convince myself that he was going somewhere with all this, working within a structure towards a goal (which he sadly missed). With JJ and Disney, I know that the saga is not moving towards a conclusion, it's been reorganised an open-ended exercise in recouping investment, and will be passed from team to team until marginal returns have declined beyond a specified point. Despite financial motivation being the driver behind a great many magnificent works of art, this perception definitely affects my viewing - and my immediate reaction that I was watching a pilot episode, not a movie.

[ThryllSeekyr]

More awful plot ideas from me....

I know it's a waste, but [spoiler]the ship should go down with it's best smuggler captain and Chewie should be buried or cremated along with him and then all come back later as force ghosts...just imagine  ghostly a M. Falcon appearing out of nowhere to knock Counterfeit-Vader's (Assuming he hasn't yet been wasted as well!) spinning[/spoiler] until the next film.

[PsychoGoatee]

it's been reorganised an open-ended exercise in recouping investment, and will be passed from team to team until marginal returns have declined beyond a specified point. Despite financial motivation being the driver behind a great many magnificent works of art, this perception definitely affects my viewing - and my immediate reaction that I was watching a pilot episode, not a movie.

At least one of the people on that team now is Lawrence Kasdan. And since Episode 8 was filming before this movie hit, I don't know if pilot episode is the right analogy. I think at the very least this trilogy will be cohesive, and will end in a satisfying way with some closure.

Of course, Disney could still bring it back for another trilogy in ten years set 50 later or something. And they sure have plenty of spin-offs they can do. But I don't doubt there being artistic integrity of some sort in this trilogy, with JJ as kind of the showrunner.

All I know is, I'm excited for the future of the series, and that's pretty nice.

[Mikey]

Sorry, Kylo Ren was [spoiler] a Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen lookalike crossed with an Emo kid with anger issues. I thought the performance was dull and uninteresting, and the character didn't grip me at all. [/spoiler]

Ha ha ha! I had much the same thoughts, though liked him a lot. [spoiler] The fact he's nowhere near as intimidating without the mask worked for me - he's a confused kid who probably felt the weight of expectation of having such spiffy parents and a top flight Jedi uncle[/spoiler]

[TordelBack]

I think at the very least this trilogy will be cohesive, and will end in a satisfying way with some closure.

I do still doubt that, since the main thing that Exhibit A, this movie, lacked was a cohesive plot, and Disney will want to keep all that iconic IP intact for the future.  All that can be achieved by our heroes is a temporary hiatus... 

As regards it being a pilot, maybe the phrase I was looking for was 'extended trailer'.  The actual trailers put many questions front and centre from the out:  [spoiler]Who is Rey?  Who are those cool looking dudes with Kylo?  How did the Empire come back seemingly intact?  How come Luke's old lightsabre is still around, and why is it so important (he had it for about three years, Anakin for about three years, its sole achievement was murdering Count Dooku... what's the big deal?): with the exception of Finn's story, which was kind of all in the trailer anyway, and Kylo's relatonship with Vader, at the end we still don't know any of that. In addition we don't know who Max von Sydow was, or why he had a chunk of a map, or why R2 conveniently woke up when he did, or the political situation in the galaxy...[/spoiler] Essentially this movie is a teaser for more movies.

All I know is, I'm excited for the future of the series, and that's pretty nice.

Well, I'm with you there.  Aside from the excellent casting and performances, and the gripping family drama, this was really an exercise in essential housekeeping tasks - freed from the need to be both reboot and bridge, and Abrams' idiosyncracies,  I'm intrigued to see what they can do.  And at least I don't have that sick feeling in my stomach that I did after seeing RotS - the only SW film I only saw once in the cinema.   

[Tiplodocus]

And they aren't coincidences. It's The Force making things happen to restore balance.

[ThryllSeekyr]

And they aren't coincidences. It's The Force making things happen to restore balance.

And Soylent-Green is people!

Here's another one.....

[spoiler]When ever what's her face grabs for the levers of the M.Falcon the ghost of Han-Solo will make a appearance and take full possession of the usurper.[/spoiler]

[TordelBack]

And they aren't coincidences. It's The Force making things happen to restore balance.

S'right. It's wide awake and controlling destiny all over the place.

[von Boom]

Saw it last night and I feel much the way TB does overall. He makes some good points so I won't be repeating them.

[spoiler]While it all very familiar it was Star Wars. Although it felt to me the Abrams and Kasdan were trying to out Empire Empire with it's darkness and gravitas. Which ultimately didn't work.

The new cast is great, but Han and Chewie carried this film most of the way.
[/spoiler]

All in all it's a good start for nu-Star Wars, not a great one, but promising.

[ThryllSeekyr]

And they aren't coincidences. It's The Force making things happen to restore balance.

You know the Force is made from those surplus people in the background or the ones that don't belong in that particular scene it's been used in. Otherwise known as Movie-Extras.

May the People be with You, so much better then those microbial-Midicholorians.

[maryanddavid]

I saw it last night, and really enjoyed it, fun action filled film with great effects, and the kids LOVED it. As I said I was never a huge fan of Star Wars so I was never going to be too disappointed.

[shaolin_monkey]

Watched it again with the kids. It's a grower - I enjoyed it much more this time.

[Grugz]

I think too many people are expecting Shakespeare, not an exciting space adventure. Yes there were similarities but upon reading the "art of" book that was something jj deliberately planned to hook non fans and give a nod to the originals. Kylo was originally "jedi killer" and an imposter pretending to be vader to mess with lukes head (think that was from the ardnt script?)
  Also be glad not all the concept stuff made it in like the rey in an open x-wing cockpit slashing the bottom of a destroyer!!!
  I loved it and despite my misgivings of snoke (who was designed to look pale like he'd been carved from marble and given a beautifully sinister appearance) will see it again at the pics and will devour the blu ray when it comes out.
  Daniel craig was the stormtrooper rey tricked