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I like the old movies, too (well, I don't watch Jedi, anymore, because it's not that great), but there's nothing intellectual about Star Wars. It's space opera. It emphasizes drama and conflict over plausibility and science fact (no such thing as time dilation in there). Beat the bad guy, save the people, get the girl.
TFA really didn't have to ape Star Wars '77 so closely, though. Or weigh it down with one convenience after another. The movie would have made a gazillion dollars were it worse than The Phantom Menace. I'm glad Kasdan and Abrams did not write Episode VIII. I hope Rian Johnson can deliver the real movie I've been waiting for.
There's nothing intellectual about Star Wars?! You don't know ANYTHING. Go to Amazon, you can find numerous intellectual books JUST ABOUT STAR WARS. I contributed an essay to one, in fact -- Finding the Force of the Star Wars Franchise: Fans, Merchandise, & Critics. My essay: "Hokey Religions and Ancient Weapons: The Force of Spirituality." It's an essay on the religious influences and connections in the Star Wars films.
Just because you're not smart enough to examine great cinema for what's actually there doesn't mean it's not there, dude. When you say stupid things like that, it's going to be met with ridicule. Have you ever read Star Wars: The Magic of Myth? Seen the exhibit that played for years at the National Air and Space Museum? Because I have, and I went. There's a reason our franchise endures forever, and it's because of the greatness of the storytelling and the deepness of the films. There is a LOT there, you just clearly don't care to spend any time seeing it. That's your problem.
I've now seen TFA 15 times and it's now the highest grossing movie ever made in North America. It will cross $800M this weekend, first time any film has done that.
I don't care how many times he was shot with a blaster
He was shot with a bowcaster.
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Originally Posted by drishmael
you can't have the primary antagonist lose to the novitiate protagonist in the first movie. Why? Because you've destroyed the intimidation factor and eliminated the suspense moving forward. How scary would it have been seeing Vader stalk Luke through Bespin if you'd already seen Luke defeat Vader in the previous movie, and he's since been trained by the greatest living Jedi? Not scary at all.
If you're saying Kylo Ren wasn't a formidable foe, I'm not going to quibble. If I had to choose one word to describe him, it would be "petulant." He's no Vader. Agreed.
But saying Rey's fighting skills made no sense or that her awakening Force powers don't have precedent in the SW universe ... well, that's just wrong on all counts.
There's nothing intellectual about Star Wars?! You don't know ANYTHING.
Enlighten me, fanboy.
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Originally Posted by JonathanLB
Go to Amazon, you can find numerous intellectual books JUST ABOUT STAR WARS.
Well, that is fantastic. I bet I can also find numerous intellectual books "JUST ABOUT" (to echo your emphatic all-caps clarion call) Scientology, Hollow Earth Theory and how to make corn and flour tortillas.
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Originally Posted by JonathanLB
I contributed an essay to one, in fact -- Finding the Force of the Star Wars Franchise: Fans, Merchandise, & Critics. My essay: "Hokey Religions and Ancient Weapons: The Force of Spirituality." It's an essay on the religious influences and connections in the Star Wars films.
Good for you.
Oh: if you really want somebody/anybody to check out something/anything you're self-promoting, you may want to drop in a link between HTML tags. Otherwise, nobody will bother. (And a mod may remove it, anyway, because they tend to frown on self-promotion here.)
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Originally Posted by JonathanLB
Just because you're not smart enough to examine great cinema for what's actually there doesn't mean it's not there, dude. When you say stupid things like that, it's going to be met with ridicule. Have you ever read Star Wars: The Magic of Myth? Seen the exhibit that played for years at the National Air and Space Museum? Because I have, and I went. There's a reason our franchise endures forever, and it's because of the greatness of the storytelling and the deepness of the films. There is a LOT there, you just clearly don't care to spend any time seeing it. That's your problem.
LOL. You dismiss anyone who disagrees with you and does not worship at the altar of His Holiness George Lucas as being one who is not your intellectual equal. That's your problem.
FYI, the "greatness" and "deepness" of the Star Wars franchise is suspect. As if you already couldn't tell. LOL.
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Originally Posted by JonathanLB
I've now seen TFA 15 times
Atta boy! Good thing you don't have a girlfriend to stop you, lest you have to go watch another movie, like Sisters. You can invest in Disney's Future Star Wars Films Fund. How many days left till your next payday? Why stop at 15 viewings?
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Originally Posted by JonathanLB
and it's now the highest grossing movie ever made in North America. It will cross $800M this weekend, first time any film has done that.
It must certainly be The Greatest Film Ever Made. Because when it comes to the bottom line, all that matters is ticket sales. Nothing else comes close. Ridley who?
It wasn't just for that part and you know it. As for all movies having the base of derivative, of course. It is said any story is the same as one story (who am I?) or one of seven stories. That said, why put out movies with the same exact plots. Remember once the audience is onto this game, they do find one movie to cheer for and boo the other.
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Because it's all a lie, and nothing that happened in Awakens precludes such a reversal.
Part of it is from the novelization which also included the TR-8R trooper Stormtrooper name. assertionis from in canon novels. Unless it is pure misdirection, you are entirely wrong in your assertion. Plus he died.
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I don't think you and I are going to find much common ground if you can't see the difference between having vague intimations and moving objects with one's mind / defeating practiced swordsmen with no training whatsoever.
I'm not the only one who has stated that opinion on that. Rey clearly wasn't a first timer. I think the Mary Sue ism will be covered in VIII without her going to the Dark Side
If you're saying Kylo Ren wasn't a formidable foe, I'm not going to quibble. If I had to choose one word to describe him, it would be "petulant." He's no Vader. Agreed.
But saying Rey's fighting skills made no sense or that her awakening Force powers don't have precedent in the SW universe ... well, that's just wrong on all counts.
The other thing to consider is just because Kylo was born with The Force, doesn't mean he was ever any good learning how to use it.
All we know is he was sent to train with Luke along a bunch of young Jedi trainees, where he eventually turned to the dark side. But we are never told what triggered him to go to the dark side in the first place. What if it was jealousy? We know the people who have trouble controlling their emotions make bad Jedi, and we saw Kylo having multiple angry tantrums. It's easy to imaging Kylo not being the most talented Jedi despite his family pedigree due to his inherited inability, like his grandpa, to deal with his negative feelings. He's too sensitive, passionate and self centered for traditional Jedi training. It's also easy to imagine him being surpassed in training by other kids... perhaps a young girl?... His sister or cousin maybe?.... and ending up angry that he's not his uncle's "favorite" or the star warrior he feels it's his birthright to be. That would explain why he was so enamored with this image of his "misunderstood" grandfather, why he would turn his back on the Jedi ways, and why Rey would be able to beat him. Not only was he wounded, but she might have always been the more talented of the two.
"But saying Rey's fighting skills made no sense or that her awakening Force powers don't have precedent in the SW universe ... well, that's just wrong on all counts."
No, it's 100% right. Based on what we've seen, I'd say that Rey, without any training, could either fight Luke to a draw or beat him at the end of Empire. Silly.
Well, that's really all you've got. Seriously, betrayal/political intrigue is like romance or comedy — it's generic, so quit trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.
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"Part of it is from the novelization which also included the TR-8R trooper Stormtrooper name. assertionis from in canon novels. Unless it is pure misdirection, you are entirely wrong in your assertion. Plus he died."
Not an assertion, more of a suggestion about how to make a better movie. But you're right — Disney probably won't follow it, and we'll have some banal bull**** that apes Empire.
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"I'm not the only one who has stated that opinion on that. Rey clearly wasn't a first timer. I think the Mary Sue ism will be covered in VIII without her going to the Dark Side"
Fair enough, but if it turns out that von Sydow's character was watching over Rey, who happens to be Luke's daughter, I'm going to throw something at the screen ...
Saw it again this weekend (2nd time). I get that for some, expectations will never be met, or the similarities to the original... but I thought they did a great job overall. It plays on cyclical things, brings in aspects of the other films and pivots to where it will go.
Saw it again this weekend (2nd time). I get that for some, expectations will never be met, or the similarities to the original... but I thought they did a great job overall. It plays on cyclical things, brings in aspects of the other films and pivots to where it will go.
It did a great job of not only picking up where the original ended, but did a great job of opening up the franchise to a whole new generation of future Star Wars lovers.
Well, that's really all you've got. Seriously, betrayal/political intrigue is like romance or comedy — it's generic, so quit trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.
Didn't you kind of do the same thing?
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Not an assertion, more of a suggestion about how to make a better movie. But you're right — Disney probably won't follow it, and we'll have some banal bull**** that apes Empire.
Follow what? FYI, Disney has let some properties not get "Disneyed" just look at Marvel, Marvel always had their films "Disney'ed," Fox did it with Daredevil, Fantastic Four (especially its sequel), X-Men: Origins Wolverine and Fant4stic. The MCU movies were "Disney'ed" prior to Disney taking control with Guardians of the Galaxy (that was the first Disney era project pushed through) just look at how long Ant-Man took to happen and Joss Whedon being forced to use Black Widow over Wasp for The Avengers. Star Wars also was rather "Disney'ed" under Lucas.
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Fair enough, but if it turns out that von Sydow's character was watching over Rey, who happens to be Luke's daughter, I'm going to throw something at the screen ...
Perhaps but it is likely going to be a throw-away line if did happen.
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