EndlessSea
Since: Jul, 2012
01/10/2016 00:00:00
I feel like I'm reading a streamlined version of my own review. This echoes my thoughts exactly.
but HOW?
frogwidget
Since: Dec, 2010
01/15/2016 00:00:00
I could have probably said more but I hit the word limit.
And really - it's not a bad movie! It's just not a great movie.
May or may not have been raised by egregious Brazilian wolves.
HammerOfJustice
Since: Apr, 2013
09/02/2018 00:00:00
Everyone in the Star Wars Universe can speak (or at least mutually understand) multiple languages. That\'s not unique to Rey. And the entire point of Kylo Ren is being a poor man\'s Darth Vader. It\'s frustrating when people call him that, because he isn\'t supposed to be Vader. He\'s supposed to be a Vader fanboy who idolizes him without regards to his deep flaws.
If you're going to put up a review of something, MAKE SURE IT HAS A PAGE FIRST!Leave a Comment:
It's a reboot, not a sequel - spoilers ahead
I kept my expectations low and almost - almost!! - went into this completely spoiler free So very close.
That said, I was right about one thing... this is a J. J. Abrams movie. And that in itself isn't bad; the fight around the downed Star Destroyer is truly epic and the film itself looked much more natural. There were even actual Muppets(!!) which I am truly grateful for.
Also if you have any motion sickness issues at all be forewarned. Some of the rotating camera shots are just terrible - it's rare to have a genuinely still shot for more than a few seconds.
The downside? As others have said, it's a significantly weaker A New Hope. Same Empire with even more Nazi overtones, same Death Star (well, Death Planet), same battle to take down the Death Star bundled with the same small-scale invasion of the base as seen as Return of the Jedi.
Ultimately though this film's main problem is its main characters. Kylo Ren is a poor (very poor) man's Darth Vader with even less justification for his need to be on the Dark Side. And Rey, the female protagonist, is the best qualities of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo in one... and this isn't a good thing. She can pilot! She's an ace mechanic! She can speak multiple languages! She can use the Force without any training! She can wield a lightsaber! Her only flaw is her fear, which I expect will be dealt with in the sequel.
Props for the other deuteragonist though - Finn's backstory sets him up to be a perfect POV character and his arc from naive, scared stormtrooper to genuine hero is really fun and rewarding.
As for the presence of the characters from the original trilogy... it's clear that they were included just to please already-existing fans and to set up Tragic Backstory for the new group. Their actions pre-movie are shaky at best and Downer Ending done terribly badly at worst.
I know it sounds like I hated this movie but honestly? It's still better than a lot that's come out recently. The action is fun and there is some genuine comedy and really fun characters. It's just not one I'd plan to see more than once, or one that truly feels connected to the previous trilogy. But for around $8 and a bag of popcorn... I got my money's worth. We'll see how well things shape up once the next movie comes out.