Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

[Galvatron]

I'd actually prefer a composer who will deftly recycle the classic themes to Williams composing bland new stuff just for the sake of having Williams back.

Don't get me wrong, John Williams is perhaps the greatest film score composer of all time, but even artists like him can run out of gas.

[Grumman]

tbh ANH was rather small too and the universe didn't really open until ESB, ROTJ and the old EU.

In A New Hope the story was small because the Rebellion was small. It did not portray the Galactic Empire as being small - the Empire sent only one capital ship at a time because one capital ship was all they needed to capture Leia's corvette, one capital ship was all they needed to blow up Alderaan, and one capital ship was all they thought they needed to blow up Yavin IV. As soon as it became apparent that the Rebellion was more than simple pest control - when they managed to sucker punch the Empire's flagship - they called upon the full might of the Imperial Starfleet to crush the problem.

[Galvatron]

FWIW, we saw two star destroyers in ANH when the Falcon escaped Tatooine. Unlike TFA, this showed us that Vader's ship was neither unique or special.

It's too bad we never got to see more than one Executor in the OT. Maybe then Han's "there are a lot of command ships" line would have sunk in more with the EU writers who treat it like a rarity.

[Borgholio]

I'd actually prefer a composer who will deftly recycle the classic themes to Williams composing bland new stuff just for the sake of having Williams back.

Don't get me wrong, John Williams is perhaps the greatest film score composer of all time, but even artists like him can run out of gas.

I personally had no complaints about the music. Yeah it wasn't anything special, but it wasn't bad...and I'd much prefer a ho-hum musical score to one that makes me cringe.

Plus, although John Williams is truly a legend...I'm certain whoever takes over for him will do at least a passable job.

[Batman]

FWIW, we saw two star destroyers in ANH when the Falcon escaped Tatooine. Unlike TFA, this showed us that Vader's ship was neither unique or special.

Three, actually. After noticing an 'imperial cruiser' is on their tail, Han mentions there's 'two more' coming in.

[Battlehymn Republic]

I thought the movie had a good amount of storytelling minimalism, not in the Saxton Star Wars sense, which is why they barely explained a bunch of things. On the other hand, the opening scene had a bunch of maximalism mixed with the minimalism, in that there's a quick bunch of exposition from a character who is never explained.

[Col. Crackpot]

Anyone that ranks this movie higher than ANH or TESB is quite frankly a moron and knows nothing about movies. It is at best, on par with ROTJ.

Anyone who ranks this movie much higher than the Holiday Special needs his head examined.

Cue the pedantic hyperbole. Don't you have damn pesky kids to chase off your lawns with a rake?

Edit: I can't type for shit

[Guardsman Bass]

Apparently, like, John Williams is the only remaining composer with any talent left on Earth, and once he's dead we basically have to settle for generic background music.

It's going to be nothing but one Hans Zimmer horns-fest after another in big budget movies when that happens.

[Galvatron]

Apparently, like, John Williams is the only remaining composer with any talent left on Earth, and once he's dead we basically have to settle for generic background music.

It's going to be nothing but one Hans Zimmer horns-fest after another in big budget movies when that happens.

Unless they hire Howard Shore instead.

[Iroscato]

Apparently, like, John Williams is the only remaining composer with any talent left on Earth, and once he's dead we basically have to settle for generic background music.

Michael Giacchino, John Powell and Steve Jablonsky might have something to say about that.

[Ziggy Stardust]

Aren't you just all glad that we have some new Star Wars to act like complete assholes to one another over?

[Batman]

No.

[Battlehymn Republic]

I'm still waiting for Wong's review.

[Guardsman Bass]

Now that Elfdart has described it as little better than the Holiday Special, I want to hear his broader thoughts on it. He's defended the prequels pretty vigorously in the past.

[Pint0 Xtreme]

After seeing it twice and digesting the film for a couple of days, I am leaning towards ranking it on the same level as Episode 1. Its strengths and weaknesses are almost a mirror opposite to the Phantom Menace. While its execution (in terms of acting and writing) were superior, its story was unoriginal and subpar.

[Vympel]

FWIW, we saw two star destroyers in ANH when the Falcon escaped Tatooine. Unlike TFA, this showed us that Vader's ship was neither unique or special.

It's too bad we never got to see more than one Executor in the OT. Maybe then Han's "there are a lot of command ships" line would have sunk in more with the EU writers who treat it like a rarity.

TFA showed us a crashed Super Star Destroyer on Jakku, recall.

[Noble713]

Apparently, like, John Williams is the only remaining composer with any talent left on Earth, and once he's dead we basically have to settle for generic background music.

Can we pry Jeremy Soule out of the video game industry's hands?

[Col. Crackpot]

FWIW, we saw two star destroyers in ANH when the Falcon escaped Tatooine. Unlike TFA, this showed us that Vader's ship was neither unique or special.

It's too bad we never got to see more than one Executor in the OT. Maybe then Han's "there are a lot of command ships" line would have sunk in more with the EU writers who treat it like a rarity.

TFA showed us a crashed Super Star Destroyer on Jakku, recall.

You sure that was an SSD? Looked vert much like a run of the mill Imperator to me.

[Col. Crackpot]

After seeing it twice and digesting the film for a couple of days, I am leaning towards ranking it on the same level as Episode 1. Its strengths and weaknesses are almost a mirror opposite to the Phantom Menace. While its execution (in terms of acting and writing) were superior, its story was unoriginal and subpar.

John Boyega and Daisy Ridley ran circles round Portman, McGregor and Neeson. This movie actually had vibrant charming characters. There was fire and spirit... For all his faults Adam Driver does "damaged goods" well. At its worst, TPM had cardboard cutouts.

[Vympel]

You sure that was an SSD? Looked vert much like a run of the mill Imperator to me.

You're thinking about the ship Rey was scavenging in. The ship the Falcon flew through was 100% an SSD. The novelization confirms it, but we can see it for ourselves really easily here.

Once you realise the ship crashed upside down, its super obvious. Note the number and position of the visible engines. Other identifying features will have to wait for the home release, but they're there.

[wautd]

You sure that was an SSD? Looked vert much like a run of the mill Imperator to me.

You're thinking about the ship Rey was scavenging in. The ship the Falcon flew through was 100% an SSD. The novelization confirms it, but we can see it for ourselves really easily here.

Once you realise the ship crashed upside down, its super obvious. Note the number and position of the visible engines. Other identifying features will have to wait for the home release, but they're there.

+ you see it crashing in the background during the Battle of Jakku (Star Wars Battlefront)

[Captain Seafort]

You're thinking about the ship Rey was scavenging in. The ship the Falcon flew through was 100% an SSD. The novelization confirms it, but we can see it for ourselves really easily here.

Once you realise the ship crashed upside down, its super obvious. Note the number and position of the visible engines. Other identifying features will have to wait for the home release, but they're there.

It's an SSD of some kind, but I don't think it's an Ex. Comparing your image to the Ex herself here and at SWTC (second line of images), I think the outer starboard engine bank is too far inboard, too far aft, and is comprised of three identical engines rather than the central one being larger. It also looks like it might be missing the intermediate two-engine bank - although that might be hidden by the superstructure, I don't think there's enough lateral depth between the innermost engine of the starboard bank and the outermost of the central bank to fit them in. It might be a Super-class ship (aka the mangled nine-engine, 8km Ex).

[Guardsman Bass]

After seeing it twice and digesting the film for a couple of days, I am leaning towards ranking it on the same level as Episode 1. Its strengths and weaknesses are almost a mirror opposite to the Phantom Menace. While its execution (in terms of acting and writing) were superior, its story was unoriginal and subpar.

I agree. Phantom Menace had an interesting idea and potential story buried under bad execution - TFA has a mediocre story that's made better with good execution and characters.

[Channel72]

After seeing it twice and digesting the film for a couple of days, I am leaning towards ranking it on the same level as Episode 1. Its strengths and weaknesses are almost a mirror opposite to the Phantom Menace. While its execution (in terms of acting and writing) were superior, its story was unoriginal and subpar.

John Boyega and Daisy Ridley ran circles round Portman, McGregor and Neeson. This movie actually had vibrant charming characters. There was fire and spirit... For all his faults Adam Driver does "damaged goods" well. At its worst, TPM had cardboard cutouts.

Yeah, and that's really the key thing that elevates this movie to stand alongside the OT. But I suspect the average SD.net poster is more inclined to care about things like world building and plot/technical consistency. And I can perfectly understand having those priorities, and indeed I also care very much about world building and plot consistency - it's just that to me, the core element of Star Wars was always just fun characters going on an exciting space adventure. And that's basically exactly what TFA is. People complain that TFA is just "a series of action sequences with little plot." Well, what do you think ESB was? It was basically Han and Leia running around in the Millenium Falcon from action sequence to action sequence, while quipping at each other sarcastically. But it's considered a masterpiece because of the characters and amazing visuals. You can basically tell that Abrams and co. looked at the task in front of them, and basically said, okay let's distill Star Wars down to its essence, and make a film about that. And they did, and it's pretty awesome. A bit too derivative of ANH in terms of plot structure and imagery, definitely, but there's enough new elements (especially Kylo Ren) that set it apart and make it a unique film.

[Borgholio]

indeed I also care very much about world building and plot consistency - it's just that to me, the core element of Star Wars was always just fun characters going on an exciting space adventure. And that's basically exactly what TFA is.

This.

I fully acknowledge the fact that this movie was light on plot and worldbuilding, but I really don't care at this point. I had a fucking amazing time at the movie. I had a grin from ear to ear and I felt like an 8 year old again watching Luke and Leia swinging across a chasm being chased by Stormtroopers.

I believe that the idea of this movie was to re-invigorate the franchise and make a movie that was simply FUN. They needed to attract people who may have been turned off the by PT as well as a new generation and they fully succeeded in that goal. There's plenty of time in the next two movies to get into the backstory and plot and do more storytelling now that everybody knows Star Wars is back.