Setzer

Perfection lost. First rotten review from Roger Moore(Movie Nation), who calls the movie "A glib fascimile".

Paul_SD

Tone doesn't seem to be the problem so much as imagination.
Without spoiling a plot point that some of us were afraid of once we saw the one-sheet, what we get here is the equivalent of a yet another Luthor real estate scheme.
But wait- Singer argues that it isn't the same as the original film "this time Luthor doesn't want to destroy a continent...he wants to grow one, along with developing alien technology...see how much different and more interesting that is?"

Devin says this is the film for the re-mix generation, and from the plot points I'm only glancing, that's exactly what it seems to be.

Sounds like it will be awesome fun for people who didn't grow up with the originals, as well as for oldsters who have never been bothered by ROTJ and it's...imagination.

Artman

That doesn't sound like too many people honestly, most everyone 'grew up' with the OT, right? I never saw them in theaters but I always knew what SW was. One of my first SW memories was seeing the ROTJ VHS cardboard display at the rental store... I just knew that it was Luke and Yoda, even though I hadn't seen the movie yet.

Paul_SD

This is the review thread so I'll keep any more responses confined to the discussion thread.

Other positive review thoughts I'm seeing

- Kylo Renn is a great villain in the classic mold of Vader- "seething with rage" is how one person put it.
This seems to be a consistent impression, which is good news.

(I just hope that doesn't mean he will turn out to be Luke's son and just need some loving and redemption two films from now)

joe_b

I remember reading rumors that the movie was essentially a rehash of the original film before they even started filming it. There were rumblings that the art department was discouraged because they were only being asked to riff on what had already been done.

From following spoilers, I know there are many scenes that pay "homage" to situations we saw play out in A New Hope. They simply changed the settings and then put it all in a blender. I realize they're not reinventing the wheel here -- I'm just hoping it's an entertaining ride that sets the stage for something more daring down the line. If the reviews are any indication, mission accomplished.

Double_Oh_7

Oh, great. So basically the Superman Returns of Star Wars films

Artman

And that's fine with me... ANH wasn't anything original, it's the classic fairy tale but told in a new way... I don't mind if this is essentially a big budget reboot of that. I am expecting some new twists and turns from the following films....

Paul_SD

It's one thing to be inspired by something (or many different things).
It's another to outright crib the same beats and set pieces.
And I'll never be able to wrap my head around the people that can't see or tell there is massive a distinction there.

That said, I ventured further into Devin's review and it sounds like shitty retread and spun story beats aside, the film mostly left a more positive than negative impression for him

That to me is a great review and makes me a lot more hopeful I can look past the lack of imagination and hopefully find plenty of other stuff to groove on and even more hopefully, be left with something that stimulates my imagination for future events to come with these characters in this universe.

dex14

Probably more like Jurassic World.

RichC2

97% with 110 reviews sounds promising to me

Osiris3657

Please God no. Jurassic World is the worst movie I've seen this year.

Iron_Giant

Loved JW, from what I have read it does pay tribute to the original SW movies...but, going forward it will be it's own path.

Every review I have read has given it big thumbs up.

Ash Ketchum

What were those "two other returns to '70s franchises"?

dex14

Creed and Mad Max.

Mabuse

Mad Max was the '80s. No one saw the original in 1979, it was all about the Road Warrior.

Brack

God I hope it's better than Fury Road. Easily the most disappointing movie of the year for me.

Brack

That's not a great review at all. How I miss Roger Ebert and others who really paint a picture of what a movie is. Film criticism is beyond lackluster in this day and age.

d2cheer

I am stunned that reviews on this movie would matter to anyone. You will either see it or you won't. There is no review in the world that could convince me to see this in the theater. I will see it eventually but I can wait. SW and Empire to me are the only good ones that have held up.

Paul_SD

Did you read the entire review here?

It was great to me because he was overall very fair and balanced as to what he felt were the films positive aspects and negatives. It also had a minimum of snark and didn't just recap the plot. It made it's points in a mostly general fashion with just a few specifics to drive those points home.

And on the whole, it was actually positive. If the story conceptually is a disappointing lowest common denominator move, he still gives Abrams marks for making it more entertaining than not.

Brack

I did not, though I will read it after I see the film tomorrow. Until then, I want to go into seeing this as "pure" as possible.

fumanstan

That's pretty awesome. Surprised people are still skeptical. Honestly as someone that's not a big Star Wars fan this actually has me excited that this will be better then all the previous movies, including the original trilogy that find only mildly entertaining.

dsa_shea

Well, to be fair, the only Star Wars that came out in the '70s was the first one. The other two, including the best one, came out in the '80s.

JumpCutz

Roger Moore with the reality check...

http://rogersmovienation.com/2015/12...force-awakens/

Eddie W

Yes, the positive reviews have increased the buzz considerably. And have people like me, who were probably going to wait a week or two, thinking about trying to find a weekend showing somewhere.

Ky-Fi

Read a review today from somewhere, and the reviewer kind of reluctantly gave it a "B".

He closed the review with "God help me---I'm interested in Star Wars again."