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

[Darth Snoopy]

I don't think TFA overtaking Avatar's global is possible. It would still need to earn more than a *billion* dollars to do so. I'm totally content with it obliterating the domestic record. Kind of like Japan and Spirited Away. I've always considered Japan a bit "cooler" than the rest of the world due to Spirited Away outgrossing Titanic and Avatar there (Avatar barely cracked their Top 10 in fact.) Avatar can remain a generic lowest common denominator world pleaser with the US and Japan marching to our own drummers with regard to Star Wars and Spirited Away, respectively.

Do what you want overseas Cameron, no one pushes Star Wars around on our own soil anymore.

 

[Khev]

I do understand why George's ego would force him to speak against TFA though. Here he spent the better part of a decade using the prequels as an excuse to usher in a new era of digital cinematography and characters. And then the moment he steps away his own series goes back to celluloid and practical puppetry. It's one thing for Nolan or Tarantino to use vintage filmmaking techniques but his own intellectual property? That had to sting.

Of course he's just a big hypocrite. ROTJ wasn't a technologically forward thinking film. He could have made the space battle look like something out of TRON or The Last Starfighter to push the limits of the latest and greatest tech but at least back then he knew that no one wanted a Star Wars film that didn't look or feel like Star Wars. I'm sure if he directed the new trilogy we'd get the same crap dialogue and performances albeit against the backdrop of tons of "new" planets full of giant upside down digital mushrooms and floating Avatar crap all over the place. Thank God he forfeited himself the chance.

Interesting commentary by Abrams regarding what he saw as the "bones" of Star Wars that he built his movie on. He took some of the fundamental conflicts of the OT and then introduced brand new, well written and endearing characters with unique relationships into the mix. Compared to Lucas, who considered the "bones" of SW to be the worst parts of ROTJ; namely awkward dialogue, stiff performances, totally phony looking 2D backgrounds (Falcon on Home 1 and the Endor Shuttle Pad) plus "cute" aliens and said "I'm keeping all of *those* things for the PT but will add Force science and trade disputes." Both added new things to what they saw as the fundamental skeleton of the OT, George just picked the wrong skeleton and then went one step further and piled crap on top of it.

 

[Deeznutz6]

I can think of 2 billion reason why George Lucas should just stfu

 

[xipotec]

Everyone in China already saw it on pirated DVD......

The Chinese do not understand SW. It's new to them. They confused it with Star Trek when first shown to them. It has zero cultural and society based history.

So Avatar will stand because Avatar basically needed no introduction..

 

[Khev]

Howard Chan is a fan. He's the only Chinese support I'm concerned with.

 

[a-dev]

Howard Chan is a fan. He's the only Chinese support I'm concerned with.

If only Star Trek fans could say the same. Chan was apparently offered Star Trek and he turned it down due his personal lack of interest.

 

[jye4ever]

And in China this weekend it's opening was average. Ranked behind Fast and the Furious, Transformers, Avengers, etc. Disney promoted and marketed the hell out of China too, they wanted them bad. Chinese reviewers slammed Force Awakens in their reviews, but then again, they did the same thing with the original Star Wars release when they saw it in the summer last year.

Fingers crossed that this monster doesn't dethrone King JAMES' masterpiece, Abatap.

Fast and Furiosa 7 made 64 million opening day in China!

 

[Khev]

I wonder how the cast of the Abrams Trek films feel about TFA (other than Simon Pegg.) A few years ago they were the space opera badasses starring in the "Star Wars" versions of the Trek series and if those reboots weren't chopped liver before (I skipped both at the theater and didn't much care for either after watching them at home) then they certainly are now. Chris Pine didn't seem to take too kindly to Seth MacFarlane introducing him as the "future Priceline.com spokesperson" at the Oscars.

 

[Asta]

If only Star Trek fans could say the same. Chan was apparently offered Star Trek and he turned it down due his personal lack of interest.

He wasn't even curious?

 

[DiFabio]

Imagine all the cool Hot Toys variants of Kirk and Spock they'd make.

 

[Asta]

Kirk's gonna need a seamless Phicen body.

 

[The Clown Prince of Crime]

You can't have it both ways....is it a "teen novel" or not? Your analogy falls flat on its face if your saying absent parents and bad influences do nothing to a young mind. The evidence of what happens in this situation is all around us. Pick up a newspaper.

You said the movie was a bad teen novel for what happens to Kylo in this situation.

I didn't say it was bad, but that goes that show how fanboys think. Of all the things I said you focused on one little line and then your mind adds to it...

That's interesting. I'm not sure that Crylo's parent's were there for him, hence why he tells Rey that his dad wasn't good...or something. I don't remember, but he got all emotional and whinny about it.

Maybe he felt abandoned by his father when Han and Leia separated. His parents even talk about that in the film. Just as many kids of single mothers in the inner city are easy recruits for gangs, maybe Snoke exploited Ren's longing for a father figure. Which is the very thing he also sensed in Rey when they were connected by the Force (and why Snoke ordered Ren to bring Rey to him). It's like a teen novel

 

[a-dev]

Imagine all the cool Hot Toys variants of Kirk and Spock they'd make.

Who are you kidding? They'd start with Chekov and then when he tanked they'd say ''see? We told you'' and cancel the line

 

[The Clown Prince of Crime]

Avatar can remain a generic lowest common denominator world pleaser with the US and Japan marching to our own drummers with regard to Star Wars and Spirited Away, respectively.

Highest grossing films in China:

1. Monster Hunter
2. Furious 7
3. Transformers: Age of Extinction

NOT company that TFA needs to be in. They clearly aren't big on quality over there.

 

[quadcent]

This thread makes my head ache.....Fan Boys are hilarious.

 

[DiFabio]

Who are you kidding? They'd start with Chekov and then when he tanked they'd say ''see? We told you'' and cancel the line

Man, remember when they took chances and did interesting stuff like Inglorious Basterds Landa and Aldo just to do them? Not because of "business" or popularity but just because?

That was one of the things that made it special. If I were their employees I'd get sick of making marvel and star wars stuff every time I went to work.

Just imagine a mother ****ing 1/6 Picard.

 

[jye4ever]

That was the last chance of any movie beating Avatar.

No other SW movie will ever again have the same momentum.

I don't even know if Avatar 2 will be able to do it although it would be epic lol if it did.

Avatar 1 is there to stay, forever crowned king.

Cameron right now is at home rubbing sausage on a photo of Lucas and Mickey Mouse.

 

[Khev]

If I were their employees I'd get sick of making marvel and star wars stuff every time I went to work.

You never would have been one of their employees. As a lukewarm Star Wars fan Howard would have weeded you out.

 

[a-dev]

Man, remember when they took chances and did interesting stuff like Inglorious Basterds Landa and Aldo and just because! Not because of "business" or popularity but just because?

That was one of the things that made it special. If I were their employees I'd get sick of making marvel and star wars stuff every time I went to work.

Just imagine a mother ****ing 1/6 Picard.

Those are two really bizarre figures for Hot Toys. As were Barnes and Taylor, Leonidas, Godfather...even the likes of 'Prince of Persia' and Perseus from the Clash of the Titans remake are things I could not see Hot Toys making now.

 

[DiFabio]

I don't even know if Avatar 2 will be able to do it.

You doubt this man my dear Jyecat?