Star Wars: The Force Awakens

How do you complain about the inherently infantilising nature of sci-fi blockbusters and then praise The Martian of all movies as the best sci-fi of the year?

Anyway, I did a review. Readers are advised to direct their +rep there.

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Because in the realms of the genre, it perfectly works. There is more emotion and thrills in that film, than what is forced in The Force Awakens.

You're probably going to have to go into more detail than just "it works". In any case, I don't think of The Martian as any less forced in terms of its emotions or thrills. The main thing distinguishing it from other space movies like Gravity or Interstellar is the comical element involving Matt Damon joking his way through his explanations as to how he'll survive on Mars - with comedy being extremely subjective, that can still make or break the film. Leaving that aside, The Martian is still incredibly by-the-numbers in its lengthy space-travel narrative, especially considering the whole B-plot about the people back on Earth trying to figure out ways to bring him home. No amount of meticulous scientific explanation is enough to compensate for the incredibly clichéd developments of that side-story, especially with one too many "mission control room bursts into applause" scenes thrown in for good measure (remember when they applauded the emergency shuttle taking off only for it to burst into flames seconds later?). Any thrills also felt artificial because obstacles never emerged organically so much as just coming out of nowhere when things were running a little too smoothly for Damon, and even then the resolutions still felt a little too easy at times (what do you know, the Chinese are building their own shuttle, how convenient). Repeat until conclusion. Emotion is debatable considering how the characters were all barely-defined cut-out characters - Jeff Daniels is the standard obstructive boss type, Donald Glover is the eccentric comic-relief genius, Jessica Chastain and the rest of the crew are all wracked with survivor's guilty, Sebastian Stan and Kate Mara have one extremely ancillary romantic sub-plot, etc. The Force Awakens isn't totally blameless, but to cite The Martian as an example of a sci-fi film that doesn't feel forced does not seem to help your case.

That sounded egotistical.

Yeah, well, I'm bored with people repping posts that link to reviews instead of the reviews proper, egotism be damned.

Yeah I figured, but it could have been worded differently.

I'm open to suggestions.

I once owned a book that meticulously laid out the blueprints for nearly every vehicle that appears Star Wars: Episode 1.

I call BS.

I imagine the argument is that The Force exists, which outside of midi-chlorians, is for all intents and purposes, fantasy.
WITH midi-chlorians, it's biology, which is for all intents and purposes, science.

If you're comparing C3PO's general behavior to R2's distinctly reaction-dependent behavior, then yeah, there's not much distinction between BB8 and R2. He's just the new silent comedy relief character.

True, but there is an invisible line that filmmakers don't want to cross in this regard. A lot of people saw Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and were disappointed that Indiana Jones was portrayed as aged and incapable of being cool like he used to be, even though the clear intent wasn't to flush his character away, but to show he was still the same charming guy, fear of snakes and all.

Imagine, if Star Wars 7 took a more realistic approach to the scenario: Major human characters have probably died in the intervening years, C-3PO finally irritated the wrong person and was scrapped permanently, and R2 with no supervision was hard wiped. Or, what if the movie was blamed for killing off beloved characters, presenting the Millenium Falcon as trash, or presenting no-name actors as functional replacements for classic roles?

How many people are already putting Snoke down for being an inferior Big Bad to Palpatine?

Even if they didn't go as far as they probably should have, they were still skirting the line of what would be popularly considered "acceptable" for a Star Wars movie.

THE STRANGERS is a joke. Star Wars 7 is Mozart by comparison.

I wasn't talking about other movies that would impress you, I was talking about other movies that would make you question humanity. Movies that remind you that we all die someday, and some of us will die only after blowing a ton of money making a series of movies about sowing people together ass to face.

Your idea of "imagination" lacks range.

The 1977 Star Wars IS a copy of a Japanese film from 1958 anyway.

Hidden Fortress:


Star Wars just changed the setting a little bit, from medieval Japan to science fiction fantasy and added a few twists: samurai became jedi, samurai swords became light-sabers, etc. The 1977 film structure and the 1958 film structure are very similar as well and their atmosphere too.

Of course, the 2015 Star Wars didn't even change the setting much. But originality is essentially irrelevant: quality is the only thing that matters in the end, good is good.

I haven't watched the new movie but I am excited about it. Probably will watch it in the coming weeks.

True that. The difference between science fiction and fantasy is that science fiction is concerned with something that might be possible and focuses on that while fantasy is not concerned with possibility or not.

It's actually not easy to differentiate science fiction from fantasy. Miyazaki said that in Castle in the Sky, he doesn't care about explaining how things "work" so it's fantasy in sci fi they would try to claim that like the crystal powering the Castle would be some sort of nanotechnology.

By the way, Castle in the Sky is much more similar to Star Wars than any proper science fiction film and it's classified as fantasy.

Anyway, proper science fiction concerns itself with the ramifications of science/technology on society: "what would happen to society if people switched their bodies with robot avatars?", "how space exploration can change humanity's outlook?", etc.

Star Wars does not concern itself with BS like that. It is in a sci fi universe far removed from our own where there are millions of inhabited planets and space stations the size of moons. It is a universe completely different and far removed from the settings of other sci fi, usually set a few decades in the future dealing with some particular field of science/technology.

Hence, Star Wars is more human and timeless than other typical sci fi because it concerns itself with characters and not sci fi concepts. The sci fi elements are there only for the coolness factor: "why not setting the story with starships and lightsabers?"

That rather conflicts with some movies that are firmly established "science fiction" even though, they literally have no message and any "science" only serves as a backdrop or loose foundation for the rest of the movie.

Take The Quiet Earth for example. A random science experiment basically brings about the rapture and the entirety of the movie is basically just the few survivors screwing around. It's nothing like you describe, but it is a 'fiction' rationalized through 'science'.

Hey Guap, how have you been?

I think that Star Wars does try to present itself as how it would look if that technology was real. It's not up to high standards because they don't try very hard. But I think the genres are defined by technology as apposed to magic, and I think the boarders between genres only go so far. Elements like The Force are pushing those boundaries I suppose. Even a realistic fantasy presents magic and dragons in the way they should appear if they were real. But both genres will sacrifice realism for creativity, entertainment, or target audience.

I have The Hidden Fortress. It's a great movie, much better than Star Wars. But I still enjoy Star Wars (at least the original trillogy) more because it's just so fun and exciting. But while I could see elements that were borrowed, it's not so obvious if you don't know in advance. I actually didn't realise it until after. But Star Wars rips off a lot of things.

"Rips off" may be a bit extreme. All work is influenced in some way by ideas that existed before it. Otherwise we could be saying:

Back to the Future rips off The Time Machine.
The Giver rips off Logan's Run.
Stargate rips off Star Trek.
And Now For Something Completely Different rips off... well I don't really care, that movie's hilarious.

We brave people who dare criticize a star wars film are in a minority---decisively . Because like the people here the crowd in my city in India ( Bombay ) was cheering all the way and clapping when the old characters came back . Sadly , I was not among them .

Got largely bored by the worst of the Star wars series of movies---The force awakens . Nothing new and no new technology . No new creatures . Landscape that is shown is bleak . Above all ,the earlier Star war movies had a grandeur that this movie does not . The old characters look old---could not bear to watch them becoming old and jaded . Should not have come back on screen---my memories of them at least would have remained young . Now whenever they come to my mind they will be old .

The force does awaken---in a most boring way . Simply does not evoke the emotion that was evoked when 'May the force be with you' was said in the old movies .

Wont write a review , I guess . Even in my country ( India ) they will throw rotten eggs at me if I dare say anything against the movie . So skipping the review .

In other news 1+1 is 7 and Mars has collided with Crete.

Why did you even watch this movie in the first place?

It's unfair to the creators to hyperbolize their movie, but it's also unfair to chickens to throw their eggs at someone because you don't agree with their opinion on a movie.

I like Star Wars more than Hidden Fortress as well, but it was clear to me the influence and the atmosphere.

I have been well, thanks for asking.

There has been an awakening and I just felt it. Finally after three excruciating long years, I have seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens and it was friggin’ incredible. J.J. Abrams not only preserved the classic nostalgia of the series, but has given light to a whole new generation. With deep reverence to the original films, he has given Star Wars fans a perfect reason to not give up hope on this franchise. The movie was purely epic, awesome and the cast was superbly stellar.

The cast is superb. Not only the returning members that we all are familiar with over the past three decades, but the new ones as well. The main new figure, Rey played by the wonderful and adorable Daisy Ridley, steals the film with her fantastic approach to someone we all can not only familiarize within ourselves…but a woman who knows how to draw attention in the right places, and the right times.

There is of course humor included and it is portrayed in the best way only a Star Wars movie can bring to you. Cast members Daisy Ridley and John Boyega (Finn) work fantastically off of each other with perfect sync and harmony. Adam Driver (Kylo Ren) also brings a special touch to the silver screen. His evil prescence is powerful and gripping. Making Kylo Ren a villian to be reckoned with.

In the theater there were people spanning generations. Those who were around to see A New Hope in theaters, all the way down to a new and younger generation. The ones who can appreciate the saga from not only what is their first Star Wars experience, but to those who also may know who the characters are yet need a good introduction.

Now of course there are those who go in seeing this, will expect specific things. Some will naturally be turned away because it isn’t what they thought it would be like. Some only want to see certain things and aspects. If that were to happen with anything a person watches, the experience of enjoying a movie gets lost and ruined. Being a Star Wars fan it’s understandable to encounter such feelings, though when seeing this one should have an open mind.


Therefore a whole new experience shall be brought forth, even possibly making one’s experience better than it ever was.

One should firstly note that this not only a continuation of the original trilogy, but something completely new as well. One should not enter expecting the saga to go in only one direction. There are new threats, different worlds and a whole new realm of the force. It is has been over 30 years since Return of the Jedi, and The Force Awakens not only extends the story but gives way for more.

The new main villian here everyone knows is Kylo Ren. People say that he just is a bad guy trying to hard to be evil. That’s the entire point. He’s a villain who isn’t the finished, ready-made villain…but someone who’s in the process of becoming one and making a name for himself. Others may not have found him scary and evil, but he is creepy looking.

The film has an extensive amount of cameos and easter eggs. So be on the lookout during your first, fifth and even 100th viewing. JJ Abrams is popularly known for hidden treats in his movies, and him knowing those he knows in the entertainment biz, makes it even better.

The whole idea of these movies is basically the story of the Skywalker legacy. When watching this and putting together the pieces, you will immediately see the connection. What one may think is not necessarily what is, and the twist to this will leave you speechless with awe.

It is both exhilarating and refreshing. Nothing is left unhinged. The balance of the force has been restored to full peak. Is it as great as the original trilogy? Does this have the same impact as its predecessors? Is it worth continuing such an iconic saga? The answer is yes to all of these.


With what will be in store for the next installment and for the viewers, I am anxiously awaiting for Episode VIII and IX. Episode VIII though will begin production and such Spring 2016 and tentatively hits theaters May 26, 2017. As for the ninth installment, it is expected to hit theaters sometime in 2019.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens will leave you at the edge of your seat wanting more. And it has made way for a bigger and much worthy continuation. Be prepared to bring some tissues because not only does this bring back so much memories, it also has a major emotional beating. Where there’s a rise, there always will be a fall.

I haven’t enjoyed myself this much watching a Star Wars film since 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back. I congratulate the entire cast and crew for bringing such a remarkable and entertaining movie. Praise J.J. Abrams for picking up the torch from George Lucas, and giving us a reason to watch these films once again.

I might be finding myself watching this multiple times just to gather every little morsel. Pieces I might miss and overlook the first time around. As I mentioned earlier, that it holds a vast amount of hidden treasures that even the most careful and concentrating viewer would definitely miss. The more you delve, the more you will appreciate it.

Even if you aren’t a Star Wars fan to begin with, this will surely enliven the necessary feelings. Star Wars: The Force Awakens will make any Star Wars fan (and any movie fan for that matter)happy one way or another. Even if you live in a galaxy far, far away.

Now that I think about it, perhaps the most Disney influence there is to notice in this movie is the significant amount of humor.

Also, another thing thing I'm wondering is what to call the new force power Kilo uses throughout the movie. It sometimes seems to cause people pain, but sometimes tells him their secrets? Is it mind-reading? It's never fully emphasized since it's only after a cut does he explain what he's learned from an interrogation, so are they simply confessing off-screen? If they are then it isn't mind-reading. I dunno.

It's just a strong armed way of reading minds tbh.


The Jedi Council did it to Anakin in Ep 1... "Your thoughts dwell on your Mother"... "See through you, we can".


All Kylo was doing was forcefully (no pun intended) making his captives give up secrets. If you notice, Rey fights it and thinks of other things and Kylo has trouble getting anything out of her.

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