Force Awakens was over rated. But please for the love of all give me a break, the prequels were hot garbage. While the format of the movie echoes episode 4, there are so many new foundational storylines that makes this trilogy different. Obi wan's random presence in the movie, A defected stormtrooper who's seen life on the inside of the first order. A 'dark force user' that is being tempted to the light. A jedi master who has been hiding from everyone rather than eager to train. A mother and son relationship that we haven't seen yet. From a story telling perspective it was a carbon copy. But you are blind if you think that it was lazy writing or just a copy cat film. There are so many questions that we don't know the answers to and watching empire strikes back won't help us find the answers.
I loved TFA when I saw it for the first time in the theater, but I will admit it was mostly for nostalgic reasons. I watched it on STARZ last week and noticed all the plot holes and cheeseball writing. Some things really bothered me about it: 1. The First Order - if it was the remanence of The Empire, why not just call it The Empire? I just couldn't identify with it. 2. New Stormtroopers - they just looked silly. Should have kept them exactly the same 3. Kylo Ren removing mask - why? He was actually very compelling until he took his mask off. There was no reason to remove his mask in this movie at all.
The only thing that bothered me a little from TFA was Disney's cowardly adherence to the "New Hope" storyline. Episodes 4, 6, and 7 (and now "Episode 3.8", out today) have all given us some version of a Death Star. They're afraid to go with originality. Thank goodness for "The Empire Strikes Back". If you want to nitpick? Carrie Fisher was actually pretty good in "Empire"; but in "Return of the Jedi" (coked out) and again with "TFA" she seems to have left any semblance of acting skills by the wayside. Did she really have to mail it in? (Not that her dialogue was scintillating. They should have let her ad lib a bit, she would have been better.) But TFA was a lot of fun. I liked the new characters. Daisy Ridley owned her part. Special effects were great. Looking forward to Episode VIII. (And "Episode 3.8", which I will be seeing at 7:00 today.)
I don't think Carrie mailed it in, I think she's just not a good actress and is now old without nerves in her face. She was like 18 or 19 when she did Empire?
She was 19 when she made New Hope, when she and Harrison Ford were, like, you know. So she was 22 for Empire. Kinda yummers. When Return of the Jedi came out, it wasn't that my teenaged hormones weren't stirred by the Force of her Jabba-imposed slave outfit. But she should've said "no thanks" when the coke spoon came around. She was good in "When Harry Met Sally," but I think the neurotic New York sarcastic friend is well in her wheelhouse. Reading exposition to explain what happened between Episodes VI and VII? Not so much. "Then our son was trained by Luke. Then Luke screwed up. Just like our son's namesake screwed up with Darth Vader." (flip script card) "Then our son Ben became seduced by Andy Serkis' latest CGI creation." (flip script card) "Then he put on the tin foil mask. Then we separated because our family couldn't take it and, let's face it...." (flip script card) "you never were going to leave Chewbacca for me. Then...."
Does the Force Awakens have one scene as good as Pod-Racing, or Neeson, McGregor, Maul showdown? I must have missed it. Kylo Ren, what an awful, prepubescent wiener boy chode of a villain.
Are people really trying to argue that The Force Awakens wasn't better than ALL of the prequels, let alone the worst of them all The Phantom Menace? That movie was straight up garbage with little to no redeeming qualities.
Middle school. Got it. Pulling the member berry card on you - the vast majority of people online who think TPM > TFA are Milennials.
You're actually missing a lot. First of all the Pod Racing scene was the biggest waste of time ever, and was only put in the movie to show (for 30 minutes) that Anakin had piloting skills, and tell sell butt loads of toys. Most people say it was the one of the most meaningless parts of all of StarWars. The Obi Wan Qui Gon Maul fight was absolutely epic and every single person who loves Star Wars would say that that is one of the best scenes and scores in all of StarWars.. Kylo Ren is a prepubescent weiner boy. That's the subtle twist. Vader was scary af and ended up being a weak old slow robot that really only was victorious over a prepubescent weiner boy in Empire strikes back, once luke gets a tiny bit of training he comes back and is a worthy adversary. We learn that Vader isn't really the bad guy but Sidious is the real bad guy. Kylo isn't the real big bad guy, he's a kid. He's passionate, irritable and psychotic, he's a character.. That sounds much better than a mute with spikes on his head who gets cut in half than after one movie. Why am I arguing with someone who likes the prequels...?
I think the purpose of removing the mask is to show that he's a dark version of luke in the OT and anakin in the prequels.. He's just trying to figure ish out.. He's a kid.. We're either going to see him become the spawn of satan or the redeemed hero, because we are going to see him develop through the trilogy.
Yeah, but the pod racing scene was nice. Of course it was interspersed with the crap dialogue/acting/kid/CGI. It was like 75% of the way to a great great scene. I think Episode III can be put up against The Force Awakens. TFA was solid, but took no risks whatsoever and I think doesn't really hold up amazingly in the year since release. I'm not jonesing to see it over and over... which is the same as the prequels. I don't see myself having to leave it on if it popped up on TBS for example.
