Star Wars Episode 7

[Paddy]

Seeing this for free on Thursday.

The company my mum works for has hired two screens at the local Vue so it should be a decent viewing as it won't be full of people whooping and cheering when cool things happen.

Your mum's company sounds pretty cool. Enjoy the viewing as will be catching it on Saturday myself.

[Paddy]

Sorry double post.

[Asura]

I don't know... seems like the exact same 12A it has been for a long time. It's a dodgy fudged rating that lets both filmmakers and parents off the hook.

12a has been tha new PG for a long time now.

Yeah, which I've always thought really dodgy. Remember the sex scene in Die Another Day? That was 12A, somehow.

[danholo]

8/10 for me. Great characters, acting and action. The new actors were excellent! Overall plot was maybe a bit thin as it took a lot from ANH and Jedi and some new characters, the villains mainly weren't developed enough but overall I enjoyed the movie. Of course all the hype and trailer footage had a negative impact. It just takes away from having fresh eyes to the film.

Can't wait for Ep VIII!!!!

[Dogg Thang]

After hearing of someone I know who had the movie completely spoiled by his kid hearing something in school, I'm realising I will have to have the talk with my girls these evening. I was so worried about the internet that I didn't see the most dangerous source of spoilers right in my own house.

[Zen Monkey]

Won't be watching this. Phantom Menace was so bad that I didn't bother watching parts 2 and 3. Adored the original trilogy as a child, but they don't really do it for me anymore, indeed they seem silly. Funny how things appear to change when in reality we do.

[wakka]

Dead inside etc :P

Can't wait for this - even more excited after the glowing reviews. Roll on Saturday 3pm.

[QualityChimp]

Let's keep some perspective, gang! People said that The Phantom Menace was going to be "The 8th Wonder of the World"!

[Dogg Thang]

Also important to remember that so many people came out thinking it was awesome. Simply seeing new Star Wars up on screen can cover up a stench for quite some time.

[danholo]

Won't be watching this. Phantom Menace was so bad that I didn't bother watching parts 2 and 3. Adored the original trilogy as a child, but they don't really do it for me anymore, indeed they seem silly. Funny how things appear to change when in reality we do.

Well then you are just doing yourself a disservice. This is nothing like the prequels. But if the child inside you has died away, then definitely avoid this film.

Let's keep some perspective, gang! People said that The Phantom Menace was going to be "The 8th Wonder of the World"!

This movie was nothing of the sort. Star Wars broke grounds. This was just a great Star Wars movie throughout. It rehashed some themes but if you can look past those the movie was great: intriguing new characters, wonderful acting and really amazing visuals and nice sense of humor.

update:

I saw the movie a second time already and it was even better. The initial showing I was so tense that I just couldn't enjoy it that much, although it was awesome. The second time I enjoyed the movie throughout and didn't mind the parts that weren't that great.

9/10

[Mayhem]

Back from the cinema, yeah still up at 5am heh, as I think the coffee I consumed is still in my system and buzzing from the film in general... the manager even ran a small competition prior to the screening to win one of their spare cinema scale Force Awakens promo posters, and we got one of them

(eBay fodder? Will see if there's a market for it heh)

Okay, spoilers? To be honest, I'm not going to say much explicitly until more people have seen the film anyhow. The film is good imo. You can see quite a few harks to ANH in general, and it drags a little in a couple of places, but it's mostly a ride like ANH was. I think in the context of matters, it will take both another screening to formulate a more complete opinion, AND having the other two films exist first because this is being written deliberately as a trilogy (whereas ANH stood alone, and then ESB and RotJ came as a pairing).

Both myself and my brother noted there were a few bits from the trailers that were NOT in the film. So we wonder if they were changed/edited before final cut, or just deliberately filmed for the trailers. Something for the extras on the future Blu-Ray!

PROS

- The flying battles are utterly superb, especially the first Falcon chase.
- How Kylo Ren has been written and acted, THAT'S how Anakin Skywalker should have been in the prequel trilogy.
- You've never seen a wookie looking so angry before.
- Ackbar!
- Wasn't afraid to show teeth occasionally and go bit darker than any of the previous films did.


CONS

- The humour between Han and Chewie was almost there, but felt a little forced a couple of times.
- Not nearly enough Phasma, hopefully we'll see what she can do in EP8.
- Spies are everywhere, you'd think there'd be a safe place in the galaxy to run to!
- Perhaps touches on the plot of ANH a bit too much.


So now comes the spoiler bits... ish. Just voicing a few questions that will hopefully be answered with the other two films... and thus once you've seen the film, maybe you can weigh in with your thoughts on these. So don't read if you really DON'T want bits to be spoiled heh.

->Open Spoiler<-

- who was Max von Sydow's character in the context of the trilogy, why did he know what he knew, and why was he important that Poe went to him?
- what happened to the rest of Luke's students?
- how did Maz Kanata get Luke's lightsaber?
- why did that First Order trooper have a stun tonfa a la Grevious' bodyguards, and why did we not see more of them?
- where did Supreme Leader Snoke come from and why is he force sensitive?
- who are Rey's parents, are they Force sensitive? Is her father... well, you'll probably have that idea as well once you've seen the "force" flashback/flash forward sequence.
- who are the Knights of Ren, because we don't really see an awful lot about that.

[Baseley09]

I tell you what i was grinning from ear to ear for most of it. Overall excellent perhaps 3rd best in the franchise, 2nd even maybe at a push.

Too much joy to go into detail, so lets get the negs out of the way.

->Open Spoiler<-

-Carrie Fisher looks and sounds wierd
-Her scenes with Han are frankly awful
-The last scene is appalling and nearly undone the whole thing, i tell you what, dont even show us Luke he didnt even need to rear his head they couldve ended with the Falcon travelling off to see him, or just have it landing and seeing the back of his cloak, the eyeball closeups were hilarious, almost a piss take.
-Too similar to a new hope, trench runs, planet destroying planet etc

[slicer1000]

Don't normally post in none gaming thread but have to say I was disappointed with the film. I was expecting to see a new star wars film not a scene by scene remake of the original star wars. I would rank it down there with attack of the clones. I know a lot of people don't like the phantom menace but at least it tried to be different. E7 just retreads old ground very unconvincingly

->Open Spoiler<-

?
- The main villian was weak
- What is Gollum doing in a star wars film?
?

[danholo]

A scene by scene remake, hmm.. I don't recall AotC having good dialogue, acting or directing.

[Zen Monkey]

Well then you are just doing yourself a disservice. This is nothing like the prequels. But if the child inside you has died away, then definitely avoid this film.

Maybe not liking Star Wars means just that - not liking Star Wars. You needn't judge those who dislike the series.

I love 2001: A Space Odyssey, it's my favourite sc-fi movie. But all that means is I love 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Don't read too much into things.