Originally Posted by Mondo Kane

How much damage did Lucas cause to the Star Wars fans? Enough to make them remake the original '77 film:
Important data stored in a droid
Character who wants to break free from a lonely life in a desert
Stormtrooper massacre
Cantina scene
Death star blowing up a planet
Big character-sacrifice
Weak lightsaber fight

Did this movie even have a composer? It just sounded like someone played a mixtape that had the force theme, love theme and Leia's theme on it. At least the prequels tried and succeeded with new, great music.

J.J.'s uninteresting designs for alien creatures continues once again. Not just involving another particular giant, tentacled monster, but the design for Lupita's character who seemed to be a better fit for J.J.'s Trek universe (Loved her voice though)

What incredibly bland lands we saw here. I liked Jakku (I guess the main difference between this and Tatooine is that the sand dunes are little bit steeper here) but I was not taken to a "Galaxy far, far away" with this installment. Movies, by this point, have proved that you CAN have an actor who can act great in front of a greenscreen. I'm guessing that everyone is just too shellshocked to bring a greenscreen in for a new Star Wars movie.

Did I hate this movie? No. Despite the all-too familiar scenarios, I still didn't get bored. I just really, REALLY hope we get an original Star Wars movie the next time.

Originally Posted by Brooklyn

I never understood this argument as who's to say the two groups in any example situation are comprised of the same people. As to the noticeable differences...

Originally Posted by Mike86

Okay fair enough point that I was generalizing on that but let's not kid ourselves and say that wasn't a fairly common complaint against the Prequel Trilogy (amongst many other things but them not being in line with the original films was a big one). Obviously not everyone who doesn't like the similarities between the new film and the Original Trilogy felt that way about the Prequel Trilogy but I think it's reasonable to assume that a good number of them did.

Originally Posted by Mike86

I don't think we'll never see CG used for environments or creatures (they already used some in this film). I think it's more just to not over rely on having practically everything be CG unless there's a real need for it. Some landscapes and creatures just won't work well using entirely practical effects so it makes sense to use CG. Its a fine tool if used right but Lucas proved with the prequels that it can also be detrimental if relied on too much.

Originally Posted by Why So Blu?

Rey's teeth bothered me. Her uppers are capped or she just has a really giant overbite. It was distracting. I'd fuck her, though, but she's got a Napoleon Dynamite gape going.

Originally Posted by Mondo Kane

To this day, I still think Davey Jones' tentacles from Pirates/Caribbean (Dead Man's Chest, at least) is proof that CG is capable of faking out viewers that they aren't looking at practical FX. The opportunity is there to make a landmark creature for the Star Wars universe, it just appears that (Nowdays) everyone who's on board for new Star Wars films isn't allowed to completely rely on a computer...Unless good ol' mo-cap is involved.

As far as the forbidding on CG landscapes go, people don't even know that David Fincher used plenty of greenscreen for Zodiac. C'mon, if you can give us a convincing 70's Bay Area, you can convincingly take us to another planet. I'm a tremendous fan of 70's era cinema, but I strongly encourage today's technology to not rely on natural photography to complete this current phase for STAR WARS, for f-k's sake.

Originally Posted by fumanstan

Even so, there's a big difference between people wishing the Prequel Trilogy was more like the Original trilogy in aspects such as tone, acting, story, effects, or whatever else versus The Force Awakens basically reusing many of the same plot points and structure directly from A New Hope. I don't think the comparison is that similar, even though I don't agree with everything Mondo Kane or that graphic lists.

Originally Posted by Why So Blu?

i had to take a piss twice during the film. I had two pints from BJs, so that was the culprit.

Originally Posted by DJariya

Had a blast watching this. Very fun experience. Good to all the familiar faces again including Ford, Fisher, Mayhew and even the brief cameo of Hamill.

Loved Ridley and Boyega as Rey and Finn. I think they were perfectly set up as the new lead faces of the series going forward.

The way Luke was brought back makes me think he will serve as an Obi Wan Kenobi type role in the next film to help Rey develop her skills using the Force. Yeah I was a little disappointed Luke was a non-speaking cameo, but hopefully it helps set him up in a more active presence in episode 8.

Overall I felt like this had a lot of chemistry and charm the prequels lacked. Look forward to seeing episode 8 and the standalone films in the future. Hopefully the future creative teams for these movies keeps it up.

Originally Posted by Kurtie Dee

Loved it. Goes back to the more human scale of Star Wars and Empire, but with much better performances. Harrison Ford in particular wore his role like a pair of comfortable old jeans. May even go see it in the theater again, which is not something I do often.

Originally Posted by Mondo Kane

Look, I do agree that Force Awakens is a well-crafted film. But it's as if someone did a checklist of how NOT to make this film in comparison to the prequels. A heavy eye was on hand to fix the complaints about casting,acting,dialogue, the handling of special fx and the storylines that the Star Wars fans are at home with.
.

Originally Posted by Setzer

I agree with you there, that last show was pretty fucking cool....probably one of the best ending shots of any of the Star Wars movies.

Originally Posted by OldBoy

fucking epic. brilliant, just brilliant.

JJ did something GL could never do with the prequels...bring coherence and balance and an understandable storyline. not bloated or self-referential. relatable characters that you care about. just perfectly executed!!

that last shot was fucking epic!!

Originally Posted by islandclaws

I would've either cut the film off after Rey and Luke look at each other for ten seconds, or have Luke force-pull the saber into his hand, but that helicopter shot needed to go.

Originally Posted by Rex Power Colt-Robot Man

In hindsight Id rather them leave Luke out of this one and roll credits when they blast into hyperspace. The last shot felt like a Family Guy "linger too long on the joke" shot.

Originally Posted by Mabuse

Yeah, I didn't love the helicopter shot either. I don't think there's a single one in any other SW film. It felt out of place.

Originally Posted by Throwing Copper

Going off in some new direction would have been a terrible decision.

Originally Posted by Mondo Kane

Why did she give that big, LONG thought about not exchanging BB for money then? She initially wanted to get the f**k outta there. Looks like the force suddenly spoke to her.

Originally Posted by Mike86

I just think it's a silly argument to have when one of the main complaints against the Prequel Trilogy is that they weren't enough like the Original Trilogy. Plus as I've mentioned the film is structured similarly but it's really not exactly the same and has noticeable differences.

Originally Posted by devilshalo

How could he not have sensed her arrival?

Originally Posted by Mondo Kane

Why did she give that big, LONG thought about not exchanging BB for money then? She initially wanted to get the f**k outta there. Looks like the force suddenly spoke to her.

Originally Posted by Brack

He did, he just thought it'd be cool to turn around at the right moment. Force jokes, or something.