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

[Khev]

Maybe Avatar 2 will make 3 billion globally. So what. Let them eat cake. It won't touch TFA's 800 or 900 million domestic.

 

[DiFabio]

So what. Let them eat cake. It won't touch TFA's 800 or 900 million domestic.

In an alternate universe, Force Awakens has surpassed Avatar's global numbers and Khev is thumping his chest and posting that it's global "victory" matters as he gives it utmost praise.

 

[guyver1]

I wonder if Luke felt what happened to Han. Will there be a confrontation between Old Luke and Kylo in Ep VIII.

Will he fight Kylo because of Han or will he not because of Ben Solo..

This would be an interesting plot in Ep VIII

Did anyone think that Luke came out to expose himself because he felt what happened to Han.

 

[Khev]

In an alternate universe, Force Awakens has surpassed Avatar's global numbers and Khev is thumping his chest and posting that it's global "victory" matters

Nah, I've contended from the beginning that there are pros and cons to it winning #1 global box office AND any significant Academy Award nominations. On the one hand I believe it deserves success and accolades (certainly over Cameron's films) on the other hand posts such as yours would increase tenfold if it became the new number one and swept Academy Awards. So while I'd be happy for TFA the internet would also get more annoying. So I see "victory" in either case. And it is true that Japan has always been a little bit cooler than the rest of the world with their devotion to Miyazaki over the likes of Avatar, Fast & the Furious, and Transformers and I'm okay with the US having our own thing that Cameron and Bay can't touch.

If I had my druthers TFA will stand strong as domestic's #1 king of box office hopefully only surprassed by another Star Wars flick. Ex Machina would be nominated for Best Picture, Visual Effects, and Actress (Vikander) winning the Visual Effects category. TFA would be nominated for Visual Effects, Actress (Ridley,) Music and Production Design winning Production Design. I don't care if Vikander or Ridley win, I just want them recognized and clips of their performances plastered all over the Academy Awards broadcast.

Rey's Theme, Kylo's Theme, and March of the Resistance are getting much deserved praise as they should. Only on this site have I seen a couple folks convince themselves that the score wasn't up to par.

 

[DiFabio]

Rey's Theme, Kylo's Theme, and March of the Resistance are getting much deserved praise as they should. Only on this site have I seen a couple folks convince themselves that the score wasn't up to par.

Show me.

And nobody here said the score "wasn't up to par", they said it wasn't really memorable, bland and average.

 

[xipotec]

So much back peddling on what was said and not said....time to look back through the thread to remind folks of what they said.......

 

[guyver1]

Show me.

And nobody here said the score "wasn't up to par", they said it wasn't really memorable and average.

Wow looking at that ROTJ poster brings back memories how they used to come up with different looking posters

 

[Khev]

Show me.

Why because if I do your contrarian posts will stop? Somehow I doubt that.

But one example: Soundtrack Review: Star Wars The Force Awakens | Soundtrack Geek V2

And another, take note of post #805 and beyond: *** Official Star Wars Ep. VII: The Force Awakens Discussion Thread. Spoilers Alert! - Page 41 - Movies (Theatrical) - Home Theater Forum

But we get it DiFabio, you thought it was "pretty good," nothing to get worked up over, and now it's your mission to temper the enthusiasm of those who loved it and failing that throw a wet blanket over any discussion that doesn't agree with your oh so discriminating tastes. Good luck with that.

 

[Darth Madden]

I liked TFA. I couldn't give a rats ass if it passes Avatar for #1... It's not like I'm getting any of that money.

 

[a-dev]

I liked TFA. I couldn't give a rats ass if it passes Avatar for #1... It's not like I'm getting any of that money.

 

[Khev]

The more money it earns the bigger the budget Episode 8 will get. Also if it did pass Avatar (which it won't) that'd just put more pressure on Johnson and Trevorrow to deliver the goods for fear of embarrassing themselves and the franchise. Incentive is a good thing.

 

[a-dev]

''Ooohh, big budgets. Big Budgets not make movies great''

Unless they build a life-size Star Destroyer I think we're at a point where we wouldn't even notice if the budget were bigger for episode 8. And I think the incentive to make a good film will already be there.

But I'll give you Rey's theme, there's a nice jingle to it.

 

[DiFabio]

Why because if I do your contrarian posts will stop? Somehow I doubt that.

But one example: Soundtrack Review: Star Wars The Force Awakens | Soundtrack Geek V2

And another, take note of post #805 and beyond: *** Official Star Wars Ep. VII: The Force Awakens Discussion Thread. Spoilers Alert! - Page 41 - Movies (Theatrical) - Home Theater Forum

But we get it DiFabio, you thought it was "pretty good," nothing to get worked up over, and now it's your mission to temper the enthusiasm of those who loved it and failing that throw a wet blanket over any discussion that doesn't agree with your oh so discriminating tastes. Good luck with that.

The thing I don't get is, one minute we're talking about box office totals. Right? Yeah. We're playing around, teasing each other about Avatar and Star Wars. You know deep down I don't give a **** about Avatar or Star Wars $$$ numbers, you remember me rolling my eyes about how it doesn't matter way back for Jurassic World and Fast and the Furious. I think your retort was like Sports teams or something. I dunno. Anyway, then out of nowhere we (and when I say we, I mean you) edit our posts to include defensive comments about the freakin' soundtrack. What's that about man? People have been pretty tame in here in regards to their criticism. I think only like, what, two people in here straight up hate the movie. That's about it. As far as the soundtrack goes, you've been overracting because not everyone is drinking the koolaid or something. At one point in this thread, I think Jye was ripping the soundtrack and I said something like "it wasn't that bad, it was kind of bland but Rey's theme was pretty good, Williams is getting up there Jyecat, leave him alone!" and that was the extent of it.

You make it sound like there are hate mongers in here for saying the soundtrack is average and nothing to write home about it. You're the one that keeps bringing it up again and again and getting defensive about it! You like it, that's great Khev! I'm happy for you man. You think the soundtrack is Williams' best since Empire, er, the best Star Wars score since Empire. Fantastic. You're free to that opinion even though I think it's a tiny bit hyperbolic and "hypey". The thing that gets me though is how ya always gotta go on your little tangent and include people that didn't like it as much you did. It can't just be, "man, I loved that soundtrack". No, it's always got to be "I saw people didn't like it too much, they're wrong, it's the best soundtrack ever, and I read something online where other people said the same so, that's that". You get caught up with perceived majorities. For you, it's like any other opinion that isn't your own is weak, and should be ignored". Maybe I'm wrong, but this seems like it was classic Khev all through the Hobbit movies. For me personally? I don't care what other people are saying. If I love a movie but there are sites and polls out there with calculations that say otherwise, I don't really give two ****s. The internet is a pretty big place where everyone has their little soap box to state their opinion. Of course there's going to be people that love somethin', hate somethin' or feel indifferent about it. That's life buddy.

Oh, and if you want to look at some criticism and debating about the quality of the Force Awaken's soundtrack, this is a much more interesting (and split) discussion than a couple of people on a toy forum saying it wasn't anything special. You might not like it though, some of the folks in there are pretty harsh on the score and make us Sideshowfreaks look a little tame with our short "meh" comments.


The Force Awakens - Score Reactions from Reviews, etc - JOHN WILLIAMS - JOHN WILLIAMS Fan Network



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[Khev]

''Ooohh, big budgets. Big Budgets not make movies great''

Too true, but I never want to watch a movie and actually notice where they ran out of money on screen. A good example is that horrible painting of the Falcon that Han and Lando stand in front of in ROTJ. We *know* they were damn well capable of having a life size Falcon there as one appeared in ANH and ESB but clearly they just didn't want to spare the expense for that one scene and it has forever stuck out because of it.

Unless they build a life-size Star Destroyer I think we're at a point where we wouldn't even notice if the budget were bigger for episode 8.

I agree that with regard to TFA there really wasn't a single moment where I thought that the film would have benefited from having more money anywhere. Maz was supposed to be a puppet and I wish she was but the Art Book said that they altered her to be mo-cap CGI due to lack of time, not money.

And I think the incentive to make a good film will already be there.

Of fine just disagree with every bloody thing I said. I bet you even thought that Rey's them su--

But I'll give you Rey's theme, there's a nice jingle to it.

--oh okay nevermind.

 

[Khev]

Then, out of nowhere, we (and when I say we, I mean you) edit our posts to include defensive comments about the freakin' soundtrack. What's that about man?

I listed the handful of Oscar nods I'd like TFA to get (nominations and nominations + wins) and when I typed out Best Score I realized that it might sound a bit out of left field for those who have only monitored opinions on this site. So my comment was to give context to the notion that I don't think a nomination would be a longshot at all. I wasn't referencing praise I've seen elsewhere for your benefit because you and I both know that would have been pointless. You'd just disagree, post your own links of people less than impressed (as you did) and so on.

Any time two people disagree about something online each side without fail always has the "support" of everyone they know and see elsewhere. "My theater applauded at that part," "Yeah well my theater boo'd," "rottentomatoes agrees with me," "rottentomatoes is meaningless, METACRITIC agrees with me," and so on and so forth.

Anyone can find examples of people trashing *anything* on the internet, that's as easy as pie. But I think it can be beneficial to call out praise just to give context to things like long term box office, awards forecasting, and so on.

 

[jye4ever]

Too true, but I never want to watch a movie and actually notice where they ran out of money on screen. A good example is that horrible painting of the Falcon that Han and Lando stand in front of in ROTJ. We *know* they were damn well capable of having a life size Falcon there as one appeared in ANH and ESB but clearly they just didn't want to spare the expense for that one scene and it has forever stuck out because of it.



I agree that with regard to TFA there really wasn't a single moment where I thought that the film would have benefited from having more money anywhere. Maz was supposed to be a puppet and I wish she was but the Art Book said that they altered her to be mo-cap CGI due to lack of time, not money.

There was one more after Maz and Snoke.

That fake looking buzzard/vulture on Jakku tapping away with his beek.

It was as bad looking as the fake baby from American Sniper and just like with that movie it took me right out of the movie for that quick moment.

 

[automaton]

Disagree.
She had unusually good skills piloting the Falcon, knew how to fix the Falcon, understood Wookie language and helped Han and Chewie get out of that jam with the gangs then Han offered a job. (Han knows he's getting old)
Remember after initially getting the Falcon Han was just going to dump them off.
Hell he asked Luke to join up after just shooting two TIE fighters.
Im sure Leia would've said something by the end of the movie. I mean it's her niece, a fellow Skywalker!

"She had unusually good skills piloting the Falcon, knew how to fix the Falcon, understood Wookie language"

likely because she has previously spent time with them as a child... we see in Rey's flashback the junk dealer (who is in possession of the Falcon) taking her hand... we see him on the com as soon as Rey takes the ship...

perhaps it isn't Leia's place to say something... if anything, for Rey's own protection...

the final scene between Luke and Rey... my guess is that look on his face isn't simply because of his old lightsaber...

 

[pixletwin]

Its not a secret. Difabio is a grade A downer in this thread. That is what Khev is trying to say.

 

[Khev]

There was one more after Maz and Snoke.

Not sure that money would have benefited Maz and Snoke. As the only two fully CG characters in the film I think it was inevitable that they'd stick out. Even Gollum doesn't look "real" next to the human actors and real people in orc makeup in LOTR.

That fake looking buzzard/vulture on Jakku tapping away with his beek.

I love that fake ass bird! This excerpt from Vanity Fair does a great job of conveying why I do:

One scene featured an alien creature that abruptly pops up out of the desert landscape with glowing, flashlight eyes that make it look like a distant cousin to the Jawas of A New Hope. Abrams later called it "a classic old-school seesaw puppet. We just buried it in the sand, and Neal Scanlan, the creature guy, pushed down on one side and the thing came up on the other side." At the session, the scene, with the alien suddenly sticking its head over a dune, got a big laugh. Some perfectionist suggested a few digital polishes, but Abrams was wary. "it's so old school and crazy," he said. "We could improve this thing, but at some point do we lose the wonderful preposterousness?"

And that's what I love about things like that creature, the ridiculous luggabeast that is clearly straining under the expertise of the puppeteers to even walk in a straight line, AND that goofy bird.

 

[DiFabio]

Its not a secret. Difabio is a grade A downer in this thread.

I personally think I'm a couple of grades down from A material, but I appreciate the compliment!