Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens—non-spoiler discussion

[Passdagas the Brown]

Not bad. Better than The Phantom Menace (and I hope the film is, too!)

[Voronwë the Faithful]

So far as it goes, it is encouraging. Of course, being a better film than Episode One is not a very high bar. I am hoping for something more in the realm of The Empire Strikes Back.

[kzer_za]

So far as it goes, it is encouraging. Of course, being a better film than Episode One is not a very high bar. I am hoping for something more in the realm of The Empire Strikes Back.

I wouldn't set my expectations quite so high - that's like expecting a gangster movie to be as good as The Godfather! I just want a fun adventure that captures some of the OT's spirit.

[yovargas]

IMO, being as good as his JJA's recent Star Treks would be pretty darn acceptable. (But then, I am one of the 16 or so people alive who don't much like SW soooo.....)

[Passdagas the Brown]

Abrams, along with Ron Howard, are the most paint-by-numbers filmmakers in the spotlight today. Nothing they do veers one bit from the standard Hollywood model. Focus-grouped is the best way to describe their "products."

However, I hold out hope that the original Star Wars characters (and hopefully designs that are close to the OT) will stir some of the old feelings that the prequels utterly failed to stir.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

While I can see what you are saying, I think you do Abrams a disservice by lumping him with Ron Howard. I think there is a wide gap between the two of them.

[Passdagas the Brown]

Depends on your definition of "wide gap" I suppose.

Honestly, I'd rather see Peter Jackson take on Star Wars. Even though I don't particularly care for his style, at least he has one!

[Primula Baggins]

Speaking personally—Star Trek is dear to me, and has been all my life going back to the age of 8. And I thought the first film, especially, felt more like ST as I first loved it than any other Star Trek film. This from a man who, as has been pointed out upthread, was never particularly into Star Trek before he got the job.

But he loves Star Wars much as I love Star Trek (I came too late to Star Wars to love it that way; I'm 8 years older than he is). He has proved (to me) that he knows how to make an exciting and enjoyable film. He hires good actors and lets them act. And he writes so much better than Lucas.

I'm hopeful.

[Passdagas the Brown]

And he writes so much better than Lucas.

So does this guy: https://theperfectdaughter.files.wordpr ... f-wood.jpg

[Passdagas the Brown]

Though I do admit to generally enjoying the first ST film from Abrams. Nothing special, IMO, but enjoyable nonetheless (and it cemented my belief that Karl Urban is a great actor). The second one was a huge miss, though, despite the Cumberbatch presence.

[JewelSong]

I loved both the "rebooted" Star Trek movies. I admit to squealing out loud (in an almost empty theatre at a noontime showing) when Nimoy made his cameo appearance.

I adored the first three Star Wars sagas…at the time, they were ground-breaking and very, very cool indeed in 1977. And great fun with the quasi-spirituality and "The Force" and all that jazz.

But I never got past "The Phantom Menace" in the second three instalments. I remember my son had it on video and I was home from work one day and thought, "Gee, I liked that first ones so much - maybe I'll like this."

I sat there for the entire film, thinking to myself, "It cannot possibly get any worse" and then it would get worse and I would think "Well, it has GOT to get better at SOME point" and then it wouldn't get any better and when it was over I never wanted to hear anything about Star Wars ever again.

[Primula Baggins]

What is this "Phantom Menace" of which you speak?

[JewelSong]

Lord. It was utterly execrable.

(Where's the "puke" emoticon when you need it?)

[yovargas]

Abrams, along with Ron Howard, are the most paint-by-numbers filmmakers in the spotlight today. ... Honestly, I'd rather see Peter Jackson take on Star Wars. Even though I don't particularly care for his style, at least he has one!

I don't know which Star Trek movies you watched but the ones I saw were stylish as all get out.

[kzer_za]

But I never got past "The Phantom Menace" in the second three instalments. I remember my son had it on video and I was home from work one day and thought, "Gee, I liked that first ones so much - maybe I'll like this."

I sat there for the entire film, thinking to myself, "It cannot possibly get any worse" and then it would get worse and I would think "Well, it has GOT to get better at SOME point" and then it wouldn't get any better and when it was over I never wanted to hear anything about Star Wars ever again.

Attack of the Clones is even worse! People sometimes single out Revenge of the Sith as the good one, but it really is only marginally better - still bad (I liked it the first time I saw it in theaters, and every time I've seen it since I like it less).

Anyway, I enjoyed the first rebooted Star Trek film. Only saw it once, though, and no particular urge to see it again - but then, I've never watched much Trek. Haven't seen Into Darkness.

[Sunsilver]

My favourite SW film was Return of the Jedi.

I enjoyed the Star Trek reboot. It was good, not great. And I confess I teared up when they had Nimoy do the voice-over at the end: "Space, the final frontier..."

I was thinking (and I'm sure I wasn't the only one thinking this!) "This is probably the last time I will ever hear Nimoy's voice in Star Trek film!"

[River]

Lord. It was utterly execrable.

(Where's the "puke" emoticon when you need it?)

Here:

I wish I could pretend it never happened, but, alas, I cannot.

[yovargas]

Look, we all know the prequels sucked, but without them, we never would have known Darth Vader's opinion on sand, so we can at least be thankful for that.


(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi5jjXTPtyY)

[Primula Baggins]

It just kills me what Lucas did with a mythic, wonderful story. Told right, it could have been a classic for the ages. Enthralling, emotionally wrenching, unforgettable. What he put upon the screen was the bloodless, desiccated, brainless corpse of that story.

Gah.

[Jude]

Better than the original!