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

[Darth Madden]

My only request.... no more Death Star or Death Star like weapons.

 

[Khev]

I hope that in Episode VIII Rey has to fly the Falcon through an asteroid field while being pursued by a fleet of Death Stars. BB-8 will contain the technical readout of every single one of them, naturally.

 

[karamazov80]

No more love letters to previous movies is all I ask. You know as well as the rest of us that this is what Force Awakens was, even if it was very well done. You can use that universe and some of the established behaviors and scenarios in it without making almost everything an eye-winking callback.

The fact that they are doing several prequel films as spinoffs suggests that we'll see more of that before we see less, though. "Oh look, it's Han Solo as a kid!" "Oh look, this is how the rebels in Episode 4 obtained the Death Star plans!" Etc. etc. All just capitalizing on nostalgia, first and foremost.

 

[Khev]

No more love letters to previous movies is all I ask. You know as well as the rest of us that this is what Force Awakens was, even if it was very well done. You can use that universe and some of the established behaviors and scenarios in it without making almost everything an eye-winking callback.

Yes, I recognize that. I just don't think we need to demand that the baby get thrown out with the bath water. I like watching X-Wings battling swarms of TIE's dammit.

 

[Rorywan]

No more love letters to previous movies is all I ask. You know as well as the rest of us that this is what Force Awakens was, even if it was very well done. You can use that universe and some of the established behaviors and scenarios in it without making almost everything an eye-winking callback.

The fact that they are doing several prequel films as spinoffs suggests that we'll see more of that before we see less, though. "Oh look, it's Han Solo as a kid!" "Oh look, this is how the rebels in Episode 4 obtained the Death Star plans!" Etc. etc. All just capitalizing on nostalgia, first and foremost.

It's rumoured that VIII will feature a large scale snow battle (which is why the snow chase was cut from TFA). And a family reveal near the end. Finn on the run with rebels (sorry resistance) but has a bounty on his head, sith (but not) leader of Empire (sorry first order) sends cool helmeted badass (Phasma) to track him down.....and a love triangle between the three main characters.. So nothing like Empire, nope nothing at all.

 

[karamazov80]

I would expect no less

Should be a good movie though. And I'll take a good, derivative movie over a bad, more original one if I have to choose.

 

[Rorywan]

I would expect no less

Should be a good movie though. And I'll take a good, derivative movie over a bad, truly original one if I have to choose.

I'm with you. I ****ing love TFA, i can see it's faults but who gives a **** when something is this cool.

 

[jye4ever]

What Rory just said is the key to how I was able to let go of the negative and love the TFA.

 

[Khev]

TFA reminds me of a review I read of the original Matrix back in 1999: "Borrows liberally from other films, but always with style."

 

[AIR]

I hope that in Episode VIII Rey has to fly the Falcon threw an asteroid field while being pursued by a fleet of Death Stars. BB-8 will contain the technical readout of every single one of them, naturally.

I fully expect Luke to be riding on Rey's back through a swamp telling her "do or do not" and damnit if I don't get my wish.

 

[jye4ever]

@khev

 

[rushmore223]

I fully expect Luke to be riding on Rey's back through a swamp telling her "do or do not" and damnit if I don't get my wish.

I think I'd pay extra to see that!

 

[WWEJedi]

Khev, you missed my points and seemed to take the things in a different direction than what I originally intended.

That's funny. Like any studio could "manufacture" the success of TFA. The Empire Strikes Back was "an event like the Super Bowl." So was ROTJ, TPM, AOTC, and ROTS. SW, ESB, ROTJ, and TFA were awesome and entertaining "Super Bowls." The prequels were also Super Bowls, so we had to watch them, but they were sucky teams and the games were filled with a seemingly endless drove of turnovers and penalties, and not a single touchdown.

I never said it was manufactured success. Your arguments always tend to put words into others mouth because of your misinterpretations of others views. You seem to jump to unfounded assumptions and bring in information (like bashing the PT) that is not relevant to the discussion at hand.

The argument at hand was if TFA captured the same magic as ANH. Which, it didn't. The success of A New Hope, led to to each movie thereafter being big events. But thirty years ago, the spread of information wasn't as prevalent as it is today. Today's social media and culture brings a whole new dimension to the "magic."

"Social media" and "ads" have never, ever had anything to do with a new Star Wars film being a big event.

Of course social media has never had an impact on Star Wars because it wasn't around back then. Ten years go when ROTS came out, where was social media? It was in its beginning stages and never had an impact. It shows in the box office of the PT (well, that and many other factors).

You are underestimating the impact of social media and today's culture. It isn't 1977 anymore. TFA success can be correlated to social media and the culture we live in today. Where as in 1977.... culture was different. Star Wars was a brand new unknown thing. A relatively unknown movie became a piece of history than can never be recreated.

Look, I get that you don't know things because you weren't alive when the OT came out and then you missed the entire PT in the theater as well. But seriously, read a book or watch a documentary at least to get up to speed. Star Wars transcended its cinematic trappings *39 years ago.* It's not some new "social media thing." I honestly don't know how you can be alive and not know that.

Once again, I never said Star Wars is a social media thing, only that social media and today's culture can be an attributing factor of the success TFA has achieved. You completely missed the point that I made. The discussion at hand is did TFA recapture the magic of ANH. As I said,

"A lot of people who saw Star Wars barely are fans, just like those who watch the Super Bowl..... it was a event that captured the country so those could go post on there social media outlets "I saw Star Wars (insert emoji here)." Or to simply say they watched it and have the small talk/water cooler conversations. Just as it is "cool" to watch the Super Bowl.... it was cool to go see TFA with the growing acceptance of the "nerd culture."

TFA was driven by the past success, the culture, media, and high ticket prices to be as big as it is. A New Hope was never driven by any of these things. TFA was. That to me is the difference in the overall "magic" of the two.

Right. Quote one box office stat that I copied from boxofficemojo.com and pasted here that was wrong. Yeah, that's what I thought...

You are missing the point. They are not wrong, but what they are implying is wrong. Same with all the articles that were posted here about TFA. As I said before.....

Wrongly calculated sales numbers due to increase prices in movie tickets doesn't capture any magic. Those box office numbers Khev was so enthusiastic for are completely wrong. TFA was not the most watched movie of all time... it just made the most money. When calculating for inflation.... it still isn't number one in that regard.

I hope this clarifies my thoughts for you.

 

[pixletwin]

The above reminds me of a college paper. The way students would frame and defend their arguements.

 

[WWEJedi]

The above reminds me of a college paper. The way students would frame and defend their arguements.

I got an A on my last one. What do you grade the above?

 

[cmiller99]

I hope that in Episode VIII Rey has to fly the Falcon threw an asteroid field while being pursued by a fleet of Death Stars. BB-8 will contain the technical readout of every single one of them, naturally.

Of course social media has never had an impact on Star Wars because it wasn't around back then. Ten years go when ROTS came out, where was social media? It was in its beginning stages and never had an impact. It shows in the box office of the PT (well, that and many other factors).

But mainly disappointment.

 

[Baneofdemon22]

I got an A on my last one. What do you grade the above?

Way smarter than anything I've written on here.

This was a really interesting conversation. I didn't even know Star Wars was that popular until the months leading up to the Force Awakens. I'm glad it is though. After all the debates on the superhero threads, it makes me really happy that Star Wars is the most popular franchise because of how much wholesome fun it is. Watching the Force Awakens was the most joyful experience I had watching a movie in the theater because of seeing how happy everyone was. I hope it always remains on top of the box office.

I've been knocking Star Wars lately, and I won't do it anymore. Star Wars is awesome!

 

[Khev]

I never said it was manufactured success. Your arguments always tend to put words into others mouth because of your misinterpretations of others views.

I am a slow learner.

The argument at hand was if TFA captured the same magic as ANH.

How is that an argument? First of all, since when is "magic" some quantifiable term? And now you're going to presume to tell others how much "magic" they felt during any given experience? That's weird. Just say what you liked or didn't like and leave it at that. Other things like critical acclaim, box office, filmmaking quality (to a degree as that is obviously highly subjective as well) ARE actually quantifiable so if you're going to make an "argument" as you called it make it something that you can actually prove a point on.

Once again, I never said Star Wars is a social media thing, only that social media and today's culture can be an attributing factor of the success TFA has achieved.

Nah. Star Wars as a box office phenomenon SO predates social media that in no way is that a cause for TFA's success today. If there was no Facebook or blogs it still would have done what it did and the OT (and to a lesser extent PT) proves it. I'm guessing you're a bit miffed that TFA is getting kudos that you think should have extended to the PT before it and are trying create some "new" justification for why it is so much more successful. It really is simple though, it was a much better film in most people's minds that they simply just enjoyed more.

 

[YoNoSe]

This thread is just a remake of this thread.

 

[Khev]

This thread is just a remake of this thread.

But does it have the same magic as the original?