Saw it twice by now and I loved it from the first second.
On the movie/production side:
I saw both 3d and 2d and I like both. Very nice use of 3d, though in fast scenes it seems to get a bit more blurry which throws me out of illusion, 2d is more consistent in this regard.
PRACTICAL FX xxx yeah!! They blew loads of charges and had a bunch of nicely designed/played/puppeteered (hows that spelled correctly?) aliens/droids and most important used fully illuminated light saber props!
Great actors.
On the story:
I totally like the story and disagree with the most wide spread complaints. I think JJ and Kasdan are very well aware of what might be seen as week point, but wanted the things to be exactly as they are on purpose. Especially the often hated demasking of Kylo Ren is a great preparation for a great story arc over this trilogy, with many ups and downs and twists to come. Story telling developed a lot since the OT and Disney has proven masterful at this skill (eg. see the Dare Devil or Jessica Jones series on Netflix or the latest Marvel Movies and Pixar in general). TFA is all about emotions and its overall core emotion I think is (though this no real emotion
) "can it please be simply black and white - no you can not have it that easy".
Though I have some minor logic flaws (besides the major physics issues which I ignore since its Star Wars):
- why can't a Resistance war room navigation computer recognize a whole star map sector, when ist uploaded?
- what awakens R2 from its hibernation in the end?
And to contradict some further criticism:
- I think Hux overactingly speech is not overacting by Gleeson but by Hux, he is not the real battle proven bad xxx Empire General, but a upstart in a permanent struggle against Ren for the favor of Snoke. And the severe parallels to the Reichsparteitag Speech is clearly a symbol of the danger of another regime rising.
- Han's death: it's really sad to lose him right when we thought he is back. But it made sense in the big picture. The only complaint I had after the first viewing was that there was very little time to mourn the loss of this big hero. But the second time seeing it in 2d there seems to be more time..
Bevor I come to the great Rey theories, lets have a little look on Poe:
What a great piloting performance, that was what I expected to see from "the best fighter pilot in the whole universe". In the Battle of Takodana this is simply jaw dropping, how every shot is a hit and he precisely shoots Troopes right beneath Han, Chewy, Finn. And if you read the "Shattered Empire" Comic there might be some chance that his abilities are part inherited part "gifted". But I don't want to spoil any further if you want to read this great 4 issue mini comic series.
Now to Rey:
I like to read all those theories and had my own started thinking of right during the credits.
Han and Leia are pretty sure not her parents, there would have been more hints on it. Especially Leia would have had to recognize her, if not on sight then at least through the force. And if she would be Bens sister the interrogation should end in a completely different way. The Twin theory is out by the age of the two, I would guess the are at least five years apart.
Total off of the Skywalker lineage would be story telling wise more interesting, but I do think there are loads of clues leading to Luke being her father. Some have been mentioned yet, what I would like to add is: first the similarities of Rey to the young Padme and Leia. Then costume/prop clues, her Jakku outfit resembles a mix of the Tatooine Luke and Republic Jedi. Next the vision when she touches the Saber in Maz Kanata's castle: first it cuts to Bespin right before the "I am your father" scene and next to Luke mourning, probably the destruction of his academy, betrayal by Ben and death of his students. And next cut is to Rey, when abandoned on Jakku. The Graflex is definitely a heritage of the Skywalker family.
The thing I ask me is, why she does not remember Luke being her father and why/how she got to Jakku. The Kylo trying to kill her but couldn't theory is plausible to the point when they meet in reality, this would work out differently I think. His reaction to "the girl from Jakku" is definitely suspicious though.
Lets bring up a totally new possibility: maybe Luke even didn't know he has a daughter. Maz says (paraphrased) "they would have never returned. but there is one that could" to which Rey answers "Luke Skywalker". Maybe her mother was killed by Kylo Ren, or she (or someone else caring for her) brought her to Jakku in despair of another option. This would leave plenty of story options but delivering the almost necessity of Rey being Skywalker offspring.
Further clues to the Skywalker "genes": she is a tinkering savant and flying prodigy flying the Falcon unseen and without a copilot (can't remember this ever been done in OT, right?) and instantly repairs the buggy mods to it.
And finally a word on the sword fight:
Kylo has proven tremendous abilities with the force, but his lack of sword wielding is pretty natural. Even Luke never had any true sword lessons, so we can not expect PT like fights, at least till EP IX when probably Rey and Kylo are finally trained and the last Star Wars Trilogy fight touches the screen. His scenes when he tries to rage in fury, but only demolishes the furniture, show he probably never had face any real opponent. And he is wounded by Chewies Bow Caster which is clearly a hack of a mighty blaster.
Then Rey seems a true natural with the force and with adaptation at all, and she learns all the things of the tales about Jedi's abilities would work for real (scene with force trick on trooper). In the end the fight is a tie through higher force (which is a great directing solution in my opinion), so Rey didn't defeat him at all, she just stood against him pretty well for a few minutes.
So far I look forward to discuss along..
MTFBWY
Topic: The Force Awakens Discussion Thread.. Warning.... SPOILERS!!!! (Read 24690 times)