Just got back and I straight up loved it. My only complaint is that Rey has no business being that good with The Force. She didn't even believe it was real until she met Han, and suddenly she can do Jedi mind tricks and beat an apprentice of Luke in a duel? Even if she's got Skywalker blood, the highlight of Luke's usage of The Force in ANH was hitting the Death Star's weak spot, and this was with some light tutelage from Obi-Wan. She was also kind of a Mary Sue all around and had not a single flaw that I can think of.
Now that I'm done complaining, I'd like to rave about just how tonally on-point this flick was. Star Wars is in the right hands. Everything looked exactly as it should. I also thought there was a perfect balance of the original cast and the new actors. There was fanservice for sure, but the new leads were clearly the stars of the film. I didn't even mind the reuse of the ANH beats, as it allowed us to get to know these characters within a familiar framework.
Kylo Ren was fantastic, and I had no interest in his character from the trailers. People complaining about him not being intimidating with the helmet off are missing the point. The dude's an insecure Vader fanboy, he straight up wears a mask and modulates his voice on purpose. He throws temper tantrums when he doesn't get his way and doesn't seem to command a ton of respect from the his superiors. He's definitely the most interesting new character to me.
I've got a lot of thoughts right now, but mainly I'd like to say - this movie was really good. I am looking forward to Episode VIII.
I pretty much agree with all your points. Rey shouldn't be that good with force and or a lightsaber for that matter. Yeah she was hacking at Kylo Ren like she had a baseball bat, but Kylo should of fucked her up.
Well she seemed pretty self sufficient and older(not a baby or young teen) and the memory(implanted by Luke?) of her parents apparently leaving the planet with hope they're coming back for her...just seemed to fit with her memories being wiped/implanted/ etc.
Leaving her with Leia and Han would have been all to obvious, what other family members would she have at that point?
I wasn't necessarily saying Luke would have left her with her own biological family, I'm just saying Luke would of at least left her with a family. Someone to watch out for her even if they were practically strangers. As opposed to just dumping her off.
I thought so too but someone I saw the movie with says there was a quick shot of Ren afterwards pushing himself up with both hands? Or maybe it was just him bracing himself on his arms.
That shot where Rey delivers the final blow on him was so fast and so awesome, he looked genuinely scared staring up at her as he was laying on the ground. He's very lucky the ground separated them just in time, cuz he was definitely about to get finished off at that point.
What is a Knight of Ren? Apparently Ren is the last one?
What is the relationship between the Republic/Resistance? Why would the Republic need a proxy to fight the Empire? I'm of the opinion the Galatic Empire didn't die out after the second Death Star.
My biggest problem is with Chewie. He should have lost his shit and gone out in a blaze of glory.
What is this Supreme Leader stuff? Thrawn pls.
Yes I read the EU and liked most of it.
Expected more aliens in the Resistance. Ackbar and Nien Nunb were nice touches, as was the rando X-wing pilot, but still expected more. Also surprised at female officers in the First Order.
Overall, 8/10. A rehash of the originals, but better than the vast majority of the prequels.
that kind of looks worth reading to me, thanks for the post. Ren's answer as to why the empire fell is awesome, I wonder if he knows the truth about what happened
Honestly, why would you guys believe Rey is Ren's sister, when Han and Leia are going on and on about "our son" but seem to have no idea who Rey could possibly be.
Why does everyone assume it's Luke who left her there? She remembers having a family and remembers them leaving her, and she's waiting for them to come back (really stupid that didn't have her want to leave to look for them, like Luke wanted to leave Tattooine).
Didn't read the whole thread - my thoughts:
Rey is Ren's sister, not Luke's daughter.
What is a Knight of Ren? Apparently Ren is the last one?
What is the relationship between the Republic/Resistance? Why would the Republic need a proxy to fight the Empire? I'm of the opinion the Galatic Empire didn't die out after the second Death Star.
My biggest problem is with Chewie. He should have lost his shit and gone out in a blaze of glory.
What is this Supreme Leader stuff? Thrawn pls.
Yes I read the EU and liked most of it.
Expected more aliens in the Resistance. Ackbar and Nien Nunb were nice touches, as was the rando X-wing pilot, but still expected more. Also surprised at female officers in the First Order.
Overall, 8/10. A rehash of the originals, but better than the vast majority of the prequels.
My understanding is that some time after the Battle of Endor, remnants of the Empire still existed and were in a constant battle with the New Republic, to the point that eventually the two signed some sort of peace treaty. But the First Order and Resistance are completely separate entities. The Resistance is not satisfied with the truce and wants to fight back.
My understanding is that some time after the Battle of Endor, remnants of the Empire still existed and were in a constant battle with the New Republic, to the point that eventually the two signed some sort of peace treaty. But the First Order and Resistance are completely separate entities. The Resistance is not satisfied with the truce and wants to fight back.
So the shot where Kylo is walking towards Finn as Finn looks scared shitless holding up the saber was taken out right? Watching the trailer again, I don't think I saw this.
Quick question, as I've only seen it once so far and it was after a very long day and at 1 in the morning. At what point does Snoke say, "There has been an awakening, have you felt it?" I remember it, I just can't quite place when it happened. If this was said right after Rey has the force visions, then I will be on board the "Rey is Luke's daughter and her memory has been blocked by Luke using an advanced Jedi mind trick" theory.
So the shot where Kylo is walking towards Finn as Finn looks scared shitless holding up the saber was taken out right? Watching the trailer again, I don't think I saw this.
It was there I recall, just not as noticeable since lots of stuff was going on and it was only for a split second, whereas in the trailer that's all we had of a lightsaber fight and we rewatched it dozens of times and it really stood out.
It's made up of some Imperial remnants who decided to go off into some uncharted part of the galaxy and regroup. Also, there were some SIth cultists involved at some point. The new canon is still being fleshed out. A lot of this stuff looks like it will be revealed in the upcoming books of the Aftermath trilogy.
Quick question, as I've only seen it once so far and it was after a very long day and at 1 in the morning. At what point does Snoke say, "There has been an awakening, have you felt it?" I remember it, I just can't quite place when it happened. If this was said right after Rey has the force visions, then I will be on board the "Rey is Luke's daughter and her memory has been blocked by Luke using an advanced Jedi mind trick" theory.
So the shot where Kylo is walking towards Finn as Finn looks scared shitless holding up the saber was taken out right? Watching the trailer again, I don't think I saw this.
Quick question, as I've only seen it once so far and it was after a very long day and at 1 in the morning. At what point does Snoke say, "There has been an awakening, have you felt it?" I remember it, I just can't quite place when it happened. If this was said right after Rey has the force visions, then I will be on board the "Rey is Luke's daughter and her memory has been blocked by Luke using an advanced Jedi mind trick" theory.
If I remember correctly, it is when Kylo goes and talks to Snoke after attempting to read Rey's mind but fails. He has a conversation with Kylo only, after the commander guy walks out.
Quick question, as I've only seen it once so far and it was after a very long day and at 1 in the morning. At what point does Snoke say, "There has been an awakening, have you felt it?" I remember it, I just can't quite place when it happened. If this was said right after Rey has the force visions, then I will be on board the "Rey is Luke's daughter and her memory has been blocked by Luke using an advanced Jedi mind trick" theory.
What I find interesting is in the original trailer they say "both the light and dark". And the poster shows Finn with the blue saber, Ren with the red, and Rey between both with the pole. Kind of hinted at Rey having the dark side in her too, or it refers to someone else but I doubt it. Works well into giving Ren the idea that he can recruit her.
So is Finn force sensitive? seems like it was left open and couldn't understand why Kylo Renn lingered on him at the start.
Also parentage aside i'm guessing the reason why rey is so powerful is the same reason Ezra from rebels is. Living a daily life of just trying to survive.
I guess anything is possible, but I wouldn't think so.. I think the justification for him doing melee combat is a life time of training, and you can see from one of the battles that clearly at least some stormtroopers are explicitly trained for melee dueling.
Okay just came back from it FUCKING HELL WHAT A FILM! ! JJ DID IT.
I will say they retold it as Ep 4. a little too much but Goddamn it was nostalgic as fuck. I was literally smiling the whole time.
2 questions: Rey is Ren's sister right? Why is that still a secret? Will it be in episode 8 where they replay the Vader Luke scene except It's Ren saying am I your brother?
I was really saddened by Hans death but man not even a funeral for him??
I really don't think Rey is Ren's sister. I don't see how Han and Leia wouldn't have mentioned having a daughter with how much they talked about Ren. I also don't think it would make sense for them to leave her on Jakku. I mean with how much they wanted to have Ren back home, I don't think they would have shipped their daughter away. Plus, I really don't think Han would have just stayed silent about it all when he met Rey. Even though she has been away from her family for a long time, I think Han would have definitely known if this girl from Jakku was his daughter or not.
My opinion is that she is most likely Luke's. He left her on Jakku after Ren killed all of Luke's other students. He kept her there for safety from Ren, but also probably out of fear that she would turn into the same thing if he kept training her, or had any knowledge of her family's legacy. I suppose there is a slight chance she might be a Kenobi or related to some other person from the Star Wars universe, but I'm pretty confident she's Luke's.
So is Finn force sensitive? seems like it was left open and couldn't understand why Kylo Renn lingered on him at the start.
Also parentage aside i'm guessing the reason why rey is so powerful is the same reason Ezra from rebels is. Living a daily life of just trying to survive.
So is Finn force sensitive? seems like it was left open and couldn't understand why Kylo Renn lingered on him at the start.
Also parentage aside i'm guessing the reason why rey is so powerful is the same reason Ezra from rebels is. Living a daily life of just trying to survive.
I don't think so. I think it was more to do with Kylo sensing Finns doubt at the beginning of the movie that made him stop and look at him instead of him being force sensitive.
The more I think about it, does the Starkiller base serve any point in the plot of this movie? Everything could of happened exactly the same without it. Poe would of still stashed away the map with BB-8, who would of still bumped into Rey. Finn would of still rescued Poe and then bump into Rey. Rey and Finn would of still got chased by the First Order who are seeking out BB-8 and would of escaped in the Falcon, which would of then led to them still bumping into Han. Han would of still taken them to see Kaz, would would of still given them the lightsaber. Rey and BB-8 would still have been recongized by the First Order and Resistance leading them to have a battle at Maz's castle. Kylo would of still kidnapped Rey after realizing she's seen the map. Han and Finn would of still led a rescue mission to save Rey. Kylo would of still killed Han. There would still be a lightsaber duel at the end. Rey would of still been sent off to find Luke.
It's a good setting for the large-scale final battle.
It's a good setting for the Ren and Han scene, with the nice symbolism of the sun winking out.
It's a good setting for the lightsaber duel.
It's in keeping with Star Wars' tradition of superweapons, a series staple even in the old EU.
Basically the Starkiller Base centralizes the bad guys in a very Star Wars manner and leads to a tidy final act while providing a thematically appropriate and aesthetically appealing setting.
One other thing from the novelization that I just remembered: the prologue is a brief passage from the Journal of the Whills. Which really surprised me for some reason.
From what i can figured out. The empire counter attacks the rebels, they loose and go rebuild. General Hux was a Captain the Empire when it lost the war.
I really don't think Rey is Ren's sister. I don't see how Han and Leia wouldn't have mentioned having a daughter with how much they talked about Ren. I also don't think it would make sense for them to leave her on Jakku. I mean with how much they wanted to have Ren back home, I don't think they would have shipped their daughter away. Plus, I really don't think Han would have just stayed silent about it all when he met Rey. Even though she has been away from her family for a long time, I think Han would have definitely known if this girl from Jakku was his daughter or not.
My opinion is that she is most likely Luke's. He left her on Jakku after Ren killed all of Luke's other students. He kept her there for safety from Ren, but also probably out of fear that she would turn into the same thing if he kept training her, or had any knowledge of her family's legacy. I suppose there is a slight chance she might be a Kenobi or related to some other person from the Star Wars universe, but I'm pretty confident she's Luke's.
I totally agree on Han, but not on Leia: their long emotional embrace after the battle was out of left field for people who had barely met. That's actually what started me thinking about this theory.
That's the reason I was asking about timeframes earlier. After Ben went to the dark side and Han went on his way, if Leia found out she was pregnant either just before or just after Han left, she could have kept that to herself and started taking steps to keep Rey's existence secret for fear of what Kylo Ren might do. If Luke was already out of the picture then she might have sequestered Rey on Jakku herself; if Luke was still around then entrusting Rey to him might have meant that he was the one who put her on Jakku.
What do we know about Max Von Sydow's character? Do we know how he came to be on Jakku (given he clearly knew Ben Solo), and how he came to possess the map that lead to Luke? I can't help but think he was there to keep an eye on Rey (from a distance).
That bothered me at first as well, but after reflecting on everything it bothers me less. Think about the title of the movie -- "The Force Awakens". I think it seems possible that Rey had previous training that was somehow forgotten. But -- Even if she didn't, Kylo was both seriously injured and throwing a big tantrum, and just in general was a bit of a petulant child rather than a master of evil.
The one thing that continues to bother me is Finn's use of the lightsaber, especially to hold his own for a while against Kylo. That bothered me. I don't think a nobody, non-force user should be using a lightsaber in combat. it doesn't fit my 30 years of SW training. It cheapens it.
I also didn't like the whole death star 3 stuff. I thought that didn't need to be in the movie at all -- especially since the movie was already a bit packed.
On the whole though I really liked it, and the movie was great despite some issues based on the strength of its great characters. It feels so good to finally once again have a SW movie with great characters who seem like actual people!
I kind of agree about the Finn stuff, but then again it is still a 'sword', he was a trained stormtrooper his whole life, and the fact that he was able to pull away from whatever brainwashing they do to stormtrooper a suggest there is a little something 'special' about him. Kyle for some reason just stopping to look at him on the way out of Jakku when he doesn't know him from any other stormtrooper also suggests that. Taking all that into account it didn't bother me as much.
I also kind of feel like Kylo is less well skilled as he is the only force user in the outfit and uses it to bully his way around.
Yeah I think that most people have agreed that this is the weakest part of the movie. Really lackluster monsters, effects, bounty hunters and wasted time we could have used to actually have the characters talk to each other more.
I totally agree on Han, but not on Leia: their long emotional embrace after the battle was out of left field for people who had barely met. That's actually what started me thinking about this theory.
That's the reason I was asking about timeframes earlier. After Ben went to the dark side and Han went on his way, if Leia found out she was pregnant either just before or just after Han left, she could have kept that to herself and started taking steps to keep Rey's existence secret for fear of what Kylo Ren might do. If Luke was already out of the picture then she might have sequestered Rey on Jakku herself; if Luke was still around then entrusting Rey to him might have meant that he was the one who put her on Jakku.
What do we know about Max Von Sydow's character? Do we know how he came to be on Jakku (given he clearly knew Ben Solo), and how he came to possess the map that lead to Luke? I can't help but think he was there to keep an eye on Rey (from a distance).
