Star Wars: The Force Awakens (12/18/15)

[RIDDICK]

You review a movie based on the content on the screen and how it is presented.
Not on "what ifs" or "should haves."

"It's a bad film with a lot of wasted potential, but visuals are pretty and acting is ok."

Here, happy? Good. Let's get back to the "discussion" part of the message board, shall we?

And where the hell I left my damn pills...

 

[WWEJedi]

Phasma "should have" had more time om screen. Negative review

Han "should have" killed Kylo. Negative review

Rey "should not" be that powerful in the force, even though someone keeps giving a perfectly reasonable explanation, nope. Negative review

I don't see how personal wishes degrades a movie.

 

[GasparZizou]

Phasma "should have" had more time om screen. Negative review

Han "should have" killed Kylo. Negative review

Rey "should not" be that powerful in the force, even though someone keeps giving a perfectly reasonable explanation, nope. Negative review

I don't see how personal wishes degrades a movie.

I agree, other than Rey being retardedly powerful and skilled, which is a problem, and I haven't seen any reasonable explanation. I don't have a problem with the other 2, and don't worry, the movie has many more issues than those

 

[The Clown Prince of Crime]

It is funny, a lot of these "negatives" are nothing but "what ifs."

You review a movie based on the content on the screen and how it is presented. Not on "what ifs" or "should haves."

Yet, you give a pass to certain things on this film because you believe they'll be explained in future films...that's kind of like a "what if" scenario also, because there are no guarantees that will get certain answers or explanations. It's an assumption.

 

[WWEJedi]

Yet, you give a pass to certain things on this film because you believe they'll be explained in future films...that's kind of like a "what if" scenario also, because there are no guarantees that will get certain answers or explanations. It's an assumption.

Leaving an audience questioning is classic film making.


I don't know, the few times I truly reviewed a movie and truly score it, I go deeper than what ifs and should haves. Visual effects, sound, dialogue, facial expressions, camera work, design, musical presentation and choice from scene to scene. These and many other components can be broken down to fact vs fiction statements that are not corrupted by ones personal views and can be presented in such if way of either "good filmmaking" or "bad filmmaking." I see a lot of armchair directors here than never dive deeper into scene specific complaints, just general questions, wishes, and concerns of the plot line and character development in the case of Rey.

For example, when Han dies and they start blasting some Taylor Swift love song.... that is bad filmmaking. If they leave it soundless and for one to think and comprehend the gravity if the situation, to get lost in the scene.... one could say that is good filmmaking.

Of course every single thing we think comes down to a personal view, but sometimes a line can be drawn on what is good vs bad.

 

[WWEJedi]

Even those alien creatures Han has locked up. Does it advance the plot? Yes! Releasing those allows the heroes to escape from the villains and continue on. If you are going to counter and say well those guys never should have showed up.... make your own movie then.

 

[The Clown Prince of Crime]

Even those alien creatures Han has locked up. Does it advance the plot? Yes! Releasing those allows the heroes to escape from the villains and continue on. If you are going to counter and say well those guys never should have showed up.... make your own movie then.

But there are better ways of advancing the plot, and to be honest, I thought that whole sequence with the monster was a bit weak. Just because something serves a purpose, it doesn't automatically make it good, nor do you have to like it or accept it. You can have a scene in a film where the exposition is given to the audience, and yes...that sequence serves a purpose, but there are good ways of doing it and there are bad ways of giving the information. Using BB8 in that scene as a plot device to create conflict wasn't the smartest thing either, when Rey and Finn should have hidden BB8 with them because it was the logical thing to do. Then again, Rey and Finn running into the former owners of the Falcon in a pretty big galaxy the very first time they use it wasn't exactly great writing either.

 

[EVILFACE]

Phasma "should have" had more time om screen. Negative review

More screen time doing what? helping the enemy more? Should have been left out of this flick.

 

[jye4ever]

When the New Republic planets was wiped out by the FO canon the resistance reaction was just a technical explanation:

Oh look General, that was the Hosnian system they took out, ok what's next on the agenda for today.

 

[WWEJedi]

But there are better ways of advancing the plot, and to be honest, I thought that whole sequence with the monster was a bit weak. Just because something serves a purpose, it doesn't automatically make it good, nor do you have to like it or accept it. You can have a scene in a film where the exposition is given to the audience, and yes...that sequence serves a purpose, but there are good ways of doing it and there are bad ways of giving the information. Using BB8 in that scene as a plot device to create conflict wasn't the smartest thing either, when Rey and Finn should have hidden BB8 with them because it was the logical thing to do. Then again, Rey and Finn running into the former owners of the Falcon in a pretty big galaxy the very first time they use it wasn't exactly great writing either.

Coincidental happenings is what Star Wars is about. It was the will of the force. That is Star Wars. How else are they supposed to meet?

 

[GasparZizou]

Leaving an audience questioning is classic film making.


I don't know, the few times I truly reviewed a movie and truly score it, I go deeper than what ifs and should haves. Visual effects, sound, dialogue, facial expressions, camera work, design, musical presentation and choice from scene to scene. These and many other components can be broken down to fact vs fiction statements that are not corrupted by ones personal views and can be presented in such if way of either "good filmmaking" or "bad filmmaking." I see a lot of armchair directors here than never dive deeper into scene specific complaints, just general questions, wishes, and concerns of the plot line and character development in the case of Rey.

For example, when Han dies and they start blasting some Taylor Swift love song.... that is bad filmmaking. If they leave it soundless and for one to think and comprehend the gravity if the situation, to get lost in the scene.... one could say that is good filmmaking.

Of course every single thing we think comes down to a personal view, but sometimes a line can be drawn on what is good vs bad.

So only positive what ifs are ok, but not when those what ifs encompass criticism?

And we're all arm-chair directors here, not only those criticizing it, you've been trying to discredit legitimate criticism without actually refuting it, and praising the movie in broad strokes without being specific yourself, maybe you have, I don't know, you blink and this thread has 20 more pages I've seen more specific and deep criticism than specific and deep praise in this thread, In fact, most of the specific praise I've seen has come from the people criticizing it.

You don't need a film studies degree, or a magnifying glass, because this movie isn't so air tight that you need to dissect it for flaws, the flaws jump right in front of you the moment you start thinking about it, to see, among the many glaring issues, that the pace is relentless, it doesn't let you breathe or assimilate what's happening, and it uses it to cover up the fact that we're not all that attached to the paper thin protagonists which the movie barely brushes over because of that fast pace itself. You keep saying that a movie should be reviewed by what's on screen when most of the emotional attachment and weight comes as nostalgia bait in the form of fan-favorite characters/stuff that have their baggage in other movies, NOT this one, not only that, that it takes leaps of faith that only make sense to people who have some knowledge outside the movies and even they are theorizing to fill in the gaps, like myself, this is not "what's on screen".

I don't share the opinions of stuff like the death of Han is bad and all that, but man, besides all that, the movie has its own share of questionable stuff.

Coincidental happenings is what Star Wars is about. It was the will of the force. That is Star Wars. How else are they supposed to meet?

This is another excuse that bothers me, I'm willing to accept the possibility that maybe someone put the Falcon there, maybe someone put people on Jakku to keep an eye on Rey, maybe even someone sent a little force hint to Han to pass near Jakku at that precise moment.

But if it's not, if all that stuff are coincidences, then it's ********, Star Wars was never that convenient.

 

[Adolfo]

most wasted character....dont give a damn about was Capt Phasma...a zero

 

[Rulk]

Leia looks like she took a dump in her diapers and isn't ashamed of it.


Han looks embarrassed.

You deserve 100 + reputation points for this

I spat out my Coke when I read this

Well said.

 

[TURINS~BANE]

I thought it was great, haven't they released a big spoiler regarding the cast in 8??

 

[jye4ever]

So the general consensus is that it's a fun enough movie which honors the OT name even after:

32 years loosely explained.
Luke hiding.
No Han send off.
Chewie not hugging Leia.
Helicopter shot ending.
Over powered Rey.
Kylo's weird infatuation with redeemed Vader.
Confusing political factions.
A bigger Death Star.
Starkiller base the Boba Fett of this movie.
Same climax as ANH only with less tension and soul.
Force flashbacks and visions.
Nothing to do Phasma.
No memorable side aliens.
Crappy cantina.
Crappy Yoda clone.
Crappy looking Sith lord.
Crappy looking cgi monster.

Did I miss anything?

Please feel free to use this list for all your referencing needs.

 

[EVILFACE]

When the New Republic planets was wiped out by the FO canon the resistance reaction was just a technical explanation:

Oh look General, that was the Hosnian system they took out, ok what's next on the agenda for today.

Not our planet brah.

 

[Baneofdemon22]

It is funny, a lot of these "negatives" are nothing but "what ifs."

You review a movie based on the content on the screen and how it is presented. Not on "what ifs" or "should haves."

I love the movie, but the "what ifs" are the reason why I loved the Luke scene so much. It's why I said it's by far my favorite interpretation of Luke. Otherwise.....I guess I could review it based on it having Luke's best dialogue and Mark Hamill's best acting overall in a Star Wars film. It's still my second favorite Star Wars scene.

 

[greygoose]

I'm guessing the OT old timer loyalists will end up hating VIII & IX and Rogue One too. That's like what, a 33.33% like rating for Star Wars overall?

What essentially was being a fan of the franchise becomes about being just a fan of only one or two movies.

 

[jye4ever]

Not our planet brah.

But but but...that was DA NEW REPUBLIC, we were supposed to feel something.

Have you felt it?

Truth be told, I didn't give a **** when Alderaan got blown to pieces in ANH, but Tarkin sure owned that ****!

 

[Staties]

He might have a terrible sense of fashion but the man has a point And he's writing a pretty decent Superman American Alien, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

God damn, I haven't thought a lot about this movie and I thought it couldn't go below the 6.5 I gave it but it just might, it just might. BUT, there is still the possibility that this could be better once the new trilogy is completed, it's too early for me to tell.

Episode 4: Start of Hero's Journey
Episode 7: Hero (I ain't got time for no Journey!!)