The Force Awakens - spoiler free review
Cut to the chase and no spoilers: it's good.
I'd be lying if I said it was perfect, but goddamn it, I loved huge parts of it. I really want to talk more but can't without spoiling.
Chewie, we're home.
What it gets right:
- The look: I'm on record as hating JJ, but damn, dude can shoot. By a country mile, the best looking SW film in every way (apart from one dodgy CGI creation)
- The score: JW nails it. Not as overblown as the prequels but building just enough on the originals. If he doesn't get an oscar for this, there's no justice.
- The characters: Fin, Ray and Kylo are solid additions and Han, Chewie and Leia feel like natural extensions of themselves.
- The action: I had genuine moments of "that was f#$king awesome".
- The dialogue: thank every god you've ever prayed to, the nightmare of the prequels is over. There's genuine wit and pathos here.
What it gets wrong:
- The pacing: A New Hope had a near perfect interest curve, but TFA feels like it takes too long to get going.
- Originality: hard to say without spoiling, but there are some pretty familiar story beats here.
I want to talk more about this, but really don't want to spoil. The highest compliment I can pay it is that, for a few hours, I was a kid again.
JJ, I forgive you for Star Trek.
I'd be lying if I said it was perfect, but goddamn it, I loved huge parts of it. I really want to talk more but can't without spoiling.
Chewie, we're home.
What it gets right:
- The look: I'm on record as hating JJ, but damn, dude can shoot. By a country mile, the best looking SW film in every way (apart from one dodgy CGI creation)
- The score: JW nails it. Not as overblown as the prequels but building just enough on the originals. If he doesn't get an oscar for this, there's no justice.
- The characters: Fin, Ray and Kylo are solid additions and Han, Chewie and Leia feel like natural extensions of themselves.
- The action: I had genuine moments of "that was f#$king awesome".
- The dialogue: thank every god you've ever prayed to, the nightmare of the prequels is over. There's genuine wit and pathos here.
What it gets wrong:
- The pacing: A New Hope had a near perfect interest curve, but TFA feels like it takes too long to get going.
- Originality: hard to say without spoiling, but there are some pretty familiar story beats here.
I want to talk more about this, but really don't want to spoil. The highest compliment I can pay it is that, for a few hours, I was a kid again.
JJ, I forgive you for Star Trek.
21 Comments
ChaosEngine@dag, @newtboy, @eric3579, you guys wanted to know....
antWait. How did you manage to see it early? Where too?
ChaosEngineNZ bro!
Wait. How did you manage to see it early? Where too?
antBah! So everyone liked it downunder?
NZ bro!
ChaosEngineReaction was very positive in the cinema I saw it in.
It wasn't perfect, but I still really enjoyed myself
Bah! So everyone liked it downunder?
antHow do you rate with the previous SW (film/movie)s?
Reaction was very positive in the cinema I saw it in.
It wasn't perfect, but I still really enjoyed myself
ChaosEngineGut reaction is it's just behind Empire and A New Hope.
It is an order of magnitude better than any of the prequels.
How do you rate with the previous SW (film/movie)s?
antThat's good. I might see it during Christmas break.
Here's a spoiler: Darth Vader is dead.
Gut reaction is it's just behind Empire and A New Hope.
It is an order of magnitude better than any of the prequels.
gorillamanThere were spontaneous rounds of applause in the cinemas where I saw Phantom Menace and whatever the second one was called.
Reaction was very positive in the cinema I saw it in.
ChaosEngineSame, but for this one, people were happy on the way OUT!
There were spontaneous rounds of applause in the cinemas where I saw Phantom Menace and whatever the second one was called.
PlayhousePals*quality No spoiler free review young man
siftbotAwarding ChaosEngine with one star point for this contribution to VideoSift - declared quality by PlayhousePals.
antAttack of the Tomatoes, err Clones.
Who is NOT going to see Force Awakens/Episode VII(7/) right away? I am most likely going to wait a little bit. Also, were there a lot of len flares from JJ?
There were spontaneous rounds of applause in the cinemas where I saw Phantom Menace and whatever the second one was called.
dotdude' Saw it late Thursday night with a small group in a small theater opting out of IMAX 3D. ' Had to ask the staff if they had forgotten Theater 8. It was already five minutes after start time with no previews nor film on screen.
One individual had to inform the rest of us that this was already his second viewing of the film. He told us how much he liked it . . . .
In 1977 I saw the first film with my dad and my brother on a huge screen. I remember the crowd cheering when the two ships first came on screen.
antDang. I almost saw it today at Mann's Chinese theater, but I had to work at the last minute so it was too late.
gwiz665Saw it, loved it. Just behind Empire, but ahead of A New Hope.
I saw all sad when it was over.
kulpimsnew SW sucks
SDGundamXI've seen it twice now--once on opening night in IMAX with co-workers and the next day with my daughter and wife in 2D at the local theatre. To be honest, I wouldn't have gone to see it again if the local theatre hadn't of gifted me with discounted tickets (around $12 US for me and the wife and $9 for the daughter).
I was deeply disappointed with the film, though I would not go so far as to say it sucks like @kulpims did. If I had to sum it up in two phrases, I'd say "tries too hard to be clever" in homages to the original films and "deeply flawed" in terms of story. It's not a terrible film by any means, but I would say its unevenness makes it good yet far from great.
It's better and worse than the prequels at the same time. Acting and pacing are far better than the prequels (but not nearly as good as the originals as has been pointed out by @ChaosEngine already).
At the same time, say what you want about Lucas's prequels but he at least tried to expand the Star Wars universe and show us new sides and aspects of it--to make it really feel like a galaxy rather than a couple of mostly uninhabited worlds like Tatooine and Hoth that we got to see in the original trilogy. This movie is a step backwards from that and played things waaaaaay too safe (partly because, as I mentioned, they were too busy trying to make themselves look clever with references to the originals and lots of "nod, nod, wink, wink, see what I did there" moments).
But it is JJ Abrams and I shouldn't have really been as shocked as I was to find out how much of the movie was copy/pasted from the originals with twists that I'm sure he thought were clever but which I just found as cringe-worthy.
Still, really loved the new characters. The daughter was definitely enthralled by Rey, but surprisingly likes her better as dune-surfing scavenger than planet-hopping adventurer.
antI am finally seeing it in about 1.75 hours in a cheap local AMC theater. I wanted to see it in Hollywood, but no one wanted to go even if I paid their tickets as free Christmas (gift/present)s for being too far, crowded, and terrorist hotspot (seriously?).
anthttp://aqfl.net/node/11679#comment-3266 for my brief non-spoiler review.
I am finally seeing it in about 1.75 hours in a cheap local AMC theater. I wanted to see it in Hollywood, but no one wanted to go even if I paid their tickets as free Christmas (gift/present)s for being too far, crowded, and terrorist hotspot (seriously?).
anthttp://aqfl.net/node/11714 for a poll to rank SW:TFA with other SW (movie/film)s.
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