#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Absolutely! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,373 Posted April 18, 2017 Author Share Posted April 18, 2017 2 hours ago, Mr. Breathmask said: One of The Force Awakens' strengths was certainly its characters and the possible dynamics it sets up. I walked out of the cinema eagerly anticipating how their story would continue. I haven't felt that way about characters in a film franchise in a long time. In the end the new characters and the score is really all that came out of TFA that did it for me. The plot is a dumb retread, the new version of the familar world wasn't really properly explained, and I didn't really like what they did with any of the old characters. But yea, thinking about the adventures the new trio will get up to, and actually doing something with Luke, and maybe actually getting into the Force-using side of Leia, and maybe the backstory they clearly have for Maz gives me lots of reasons to hope Ep 8 will be much better than Ep 7 for me. Pieter Boelen 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Much better? Probably not, but it will hopefully be better, and it will be Star Wars, and scored by John Williams! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John 2,032 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 48 minutes ago, Jay said: and I didn't really like what they did with any of the old characters. I thought they handled Han's character pretty well; Leia not as much, probably because she had barely 10 minutes of screen time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,373 Posted April 18, 2017 Author Share Posted April 18, 2017 Harrison Ford was wonderful, and I liked everything he said and did, but didn't like that they killed him off. In general, I don't like the dark future the film gave to our heroes who got a happy ending at the end of the old movies. Leia didn't really do much and Luke literally didn't do anything. I didn't like how R2 woke up at the exact right time, and Chewie and Threepio were.. fine I guess Pieter Boelen 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Chewie was great! Better than in the OT even. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John 2,032 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 In my opinion, the least-forgivable plot hole in TFA was when Kylo Ren met up with Rey and Finn after killing Han. I mean, the guy just got shot in the side with a bowcaster, was on a bridge about 300 feet underground, and was somehow able to meet up in front of Rey and Finn in the woods? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Thats not much of a plot hole, to be honest. Will 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,373 Posted April 18, 2017 Author Share Posted April 18, 2017 It's best not to think about the plot of TFA and just enjoy the ride Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BloodBoal 7,538 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Will 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,346 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 22 hours ago, BloodBoal said: Rey, I can understand, but are Poe and Finn really "magnetic characters"? I don't find Rey magnetic at all. Young Luke and young Han I understand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 You are too old for Star Wars, Alex. Tried any more Blake's 7? Thats seems more like you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,346 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Blake's 7 is way too dated, I'm afraid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Like Star Trek TOS? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Why are aesthetic and cultural characteristics of a past time period in a movie or show such a deal breaker for Alex? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mstrox 6,651 Posted April 18, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted April 18, 2017 I'm gonna shout my defense of The Force Awakens out into the abyss, not that it matters. There's plot, and then there's story. The "plot" is the laundry list of things that happens, and yes it intentionally mirrors Star Wars. That's just the bones. Everything that hangs from those bones - i.e. the "story," the character arcs - is fresh, at least for Star Wars. Rey has spent her whole life abandoned and waiting. Finn has spent his whole life as a machine of the First Order, following commands. No name, no friends. In the end, Rey gains a close friend and a family - one that doesn't abandon her, but comes to save her. Finn is treated like a human being for the first time in his life - by Poe, by Rey, by Han and Chewie - and gets some sense of control over his lifetime oppressors. That's the story of The Force Awakens to me, and in that sense the Starkiller Base doesn't really matter. In that way, it mirrors the theme that eventually formed around the completed Star Wars trilogy - friendship and love can overtake the darkness. In the same way that in Star Wars, the machinations of the Empire and the Death Star aren't the story. That's plot framework. It's about a lonely young man living his ideals despite impossible odds, a young woman who loses everything she knows but fighting back, and a selfish rogue who learns to care for something bigger than himself. Will, DominicCobb, John and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 1 minute ago, mstrox said: I'm gonna shout my defense of The Force Awakens out into the abyss, not that it matters. There's plot, and then there's story. The "plot" is the laundry list of things that happens, and yes it intentionally mirrors Star Wars. That's just the bones. Everything that hangs from those bones - i.e. the "story," the character arcs - is fresh, at least for Star Wars. Rey has spent her whole life abandoned and waiting. Finn has spent his whole life as a machine of the First Order, following commands. No name, no friends. In the end, Rey gains a close friend and a family - one that doesn't abandon her, but comes to save her. Finn is treated like a human being for the first time in his life - by Poe, by Rey, by Han and Chewie - and gets some sense of control over his lifetime oppressors. That's the story of The Force Awakens to me, and in that sense the Starkiller Base doesn't really matter. In that way, it mirrors the theme that eventually formed around the completed Star Wars trilogy - friendship and love can overtake the darkness. In the same way that in Star Wars, the machinations of the Empire and the Death Star aren't the story. That's plot framework. It's about a lonely young man living his ideals despite impossible odds, a young woman who loses everything she knows but fighting back, and a selfish rogue who learns to care for something bigger than himself. Yes! The A leads to B leads to C plot is the least important element of any film. It's how Abrams/Kasdan fill out that plot skeleton that matters. The "meat" of the TFA story was brilliant, IMO. *high-five* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,373 Posted April 18, 2017 Author Share Posted April 18, 2017 You two have a lot of commonalities! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 But what's his animality? (I just realized probably nobody will get that this is a Mortal Kombat joke. Uhhh, this is a Mortal Kombat joke) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John 2,032 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 In the end, TFA follows the same trend that many movies nowadays follow; a ragtag group of individuals that come from completely different backgrounds, but unite to accomplish something bigger than themselves and ultimately save the day against the bad guys. TFA retells this same premise, but does so in a relatively fresh manner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 I also think the visual storytelling of TFA really stands out. I only have to look at your signature to be reminded of that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mstrox 6,651 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 4 minutes ago, Disco Stu said: But what's his animality? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 With a Spielberg reference, to boot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,373 Posted April 18, 2017 Author Share Posted April 18, 2017 Babality! Brutality! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will 2,215 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 On 4/17/2017 at 11:15 AM, Disco Stu said: A lot of it has to do with Oscar Isaac for sure, but hey, that's good casting! I especially like Finn because he has such great chemistry with both Rey and Poe, separately. Eventually it'd be nice for Rey and Poe to meet, actually. Interestingly, they met in the novelization, actually (I'm not sure if it was filmed and cut or just added to the novelization). IIRC it was an awkward meeting: I think they essentially bumped into one another at the Resistance base near the end and sheepishly introduced themselves. Nothing more was said. So, canonically, they have already met. Any meeting in the film, would, it seems, have to be treated as a meeting of two previous acquaintances, if they are serious, as they seem to be, about keeping strictly with canon. I wonder how they would deal with that, given that the general moviegoing public probably believes they've never met. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Movies are the only canon in my head Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BloodBoal 7,538 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will 2,215 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 The absolutely hilarious thumbnail on one of those breathless, wildly speculative trailer reviews: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romão 2,274 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Actually, my favorite new character from TFA is Kylo Ren. And this scene pretty much sealed the deal for me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trsIcv3hWI4 Disco Stu 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 They're all so good! It really is amazing how good the movie and the new characters are considering how horribly it could have gone wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Because I watched a couple of Star Wars Celebration videos, my YouTube recommended feed is overwhelmed with Star Wars clickbait garbage from bottom feeders. Ugh it's the worst. Will 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mrbellamy 6,293 Posted April 19, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted April 19, 2017 6 hours ago, Disco Stu said: I also think the visual storytelling of TFA really stands out. I only have to look at your signature to be reminded of that! In general, I think Abrams showed more restraint and economy in his staging of TFA than I realized he was capable of or very interested in. Cynically one could say he was just ripping off the Star Wars aesthetic with some Spielberg templates thrown in, but whatever, I could feel a positive effect on his filmmaking. It didn't read to me as a totally superficial influence. The shot selection felt more deliberate to me than his other films, the cuts less frequent and arbitrary. He went for a static camera more often, wider compositions, longer shot durations, came up with some nice "one-ers" that weren't designed to draw attention to themselves but simply cover the scene in the most legible way, taking advantage of camera movement and positioning of actors to shift perspective instead of constant editing. These aren't just dumb technical things but contributed to atmosphere and removed a lot of the nervous energy that I usually associate with Abrams, giving the film a nice clean look and a confident, easygoing rhythm. He engaged me more in his storytelling. Even the simplest display of technique like how the first scene inside the First Order Destroyer after the Jakku village attack is covered in exactly two shots: the first starts in a wide shot of the docking bay, follows a flying transport across until an already landed transport fills the foreground, Poe steps into camera forming a new close-up composition and is marched away just as Finn enters frame. Second shot is an obvious divide in the scene, Finn in the transport and we stay in close through the entire duration as he talks to Phasma behind him, putting a strong visual emphasis on his character intro. All you need! Clear choices in visualization....so many movies would have covered that little 60 second sequence in like 10-15 shots cutting from different angles for no discernible reason and it just dilutes the experience. It's like, reading, a sen,tence with, too man,y co,mmas,. Bofur01, Not Mr. Big, Disco Stu and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pieter Boelen 740 Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 17 hours ago, Romão said: Actually, my favorite new character from TFA is Kylo Ren. And this scene pretty much sealed the deal for me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trsIcv3hWI4 I prefer his temper tantrum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 I hate that, there should be an option to disable recommendations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 Great full-length podcast interview with Ahmed Best. This is a pretty fun podcast generally, I liked the ones with Biff from Back to the Future and the woman who played the oldest daughter in Mrs. Doubtfire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,373 Posted April 20, 2017 Author Share Posted April 20, 2017 Here's a never before seen deleted scene and blooper from Star Wars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will 2,215 Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 5 hours ago, Disco Stu said: Great full-length podcast interview with Ahmed Best. Does he say anything about Darth Jar Jar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John 2,032 Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 He confirmed that he will reprise his role as Jar Jar Binks in a future Star Wars standalone film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 *drops phone* *cusses* *breathes deeply* *cusses again, against Lucas and God* *picks up phone....types* Okay... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John 2,032 Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 He also confirmed that Jar Jar will have a brief cameo in TLJ as a war-hardened Resistance strategist. Will 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 Lucasfilm will use him in episode 9 to fill the deep void left by the death of Carrie Fisher! John and Will 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BloodBoal 7,538 Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 Will 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 1 hour ago, Will said: Does he say anything about Darth Jar Jar? It does get brought up! I mean he laughs about it and it's used as an example of fans wanting to see Jar Jar "given his due" or whatever. Given a real end to his story on screen. Will 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John 2,032 Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 In the final Aftermath trilogy book, Jar Jar's fate is revealed to be that of a street clown performing for children. Quite fitting. Will 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 That also comes up in the interview, Best loves that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will 2,215 Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 http://wdwnt.com/blog/2017/04/breaking-disney-creating-star-wars-starship-luxury-resort-experience-attached-disneys-hollywood-studios/ Well, this sounds like just about the most awesome thing ever. Hope it happens. Pretty pricey, but if I do end up having the means, I doubt I'd miss a chance to go. This new SW Land is sounding more and more irresistible by the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 Theme parks like that have never intrigued me, even when I was a kid. I always preferred the ones that are focused on roller coasters, not the boring stuff. King's Dominion here in Virginia is a great park for that, lots of coasters. With Disney I was always like, "Sounds boring, where are the rides?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John 2,032 Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 I just hope Disney doesn't charge extra for people to access the Star Wars land in Walt Disney World. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will 2,215 Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John 2,032 Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 http://screenrant.com/star-wars-8-empire-strikes-back-remake-rian-johnson/ I find Johnson's passive-aggressive sarcasm to be rather irritating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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