Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
Dec. 22nd, 2015 01:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
schneefinkI finally saw it! Unspoiled too (except the trailer), which was great.
Even just the beginning – a new Star Wars movie, in the cinema, when I saw the scroll text… There were several times during the movie that I literally squeaked with excitement (I hope LB didn't notice.) When Han and Chewie entered the Falcon the whole cinema applauded, and again after the movie. So great.
I enjoyed it a lot! I liked the new characters, Rey and Finn and BB-8 and the others. I heard theories that Rey is related to the Skywalkers, but I'm not sure, I might even prefer it if she wasn't. There are other Force-sensitive families in the universe than the Skywalkers, and if she really is related to them either they abandoned her on Jakku or they didn't know about her, which is possible I guess, especially because her family/origin is apparently a classified secret. She was how old in that flashback when she was left on Jakku, ten or so? And now she's about twenty. I love that she's a mechanic, and that she got on well with Han and Chewie, and her friendship with Finn.
Finn! He's hilarious. His and BB-8's high five, awww xD He and Poe were fun together too. He kinda had the "Han" role, first trying to run away/none of his business but then going back to save a friend. At first I was surprised that Kylo Ren cared about him, but of course betrayal and switching sides of any kind is a hot topic with him.
Kylo Ren is Leia and Han's son! I wasn't spoiled for it and I'm very glad about that. Named Ben, which is Luke and Mara's son in the EU, I wonder if that was on purpose. He sort of has Jacen's role. (So if Rey is related to him that would make her Jaina.) The actor reminded me of Cillian Murphy, who I still associate with the serial killer from "Red Eye", so that was unpleasant and strangely fitting.
My guess is Kylo Ren will have a similar redemption arc to Vader's.
I loved BB-8, and even more than that I loved how everyone treated him, basically like a person. That was one of the things I hated most in the Clone Wars series so here it was a relief to see. LB is right that to know if the advanced droids really are "people" you'd have to know more about (their) AIs and it's probably quite philosophical, but they are presented with their own personalities and that's enough for me.
I found the politics/general state of the galaxy to be more confusing than even in the prequel trilogy, which I didn't expect. Just because of a lack of explanations though. So both the First Order and the Republic control several star systems, they could be the only two major players in the space of the Old Republic/Empire since nobody else is mentioned, but it's open for more. The Resistance is Republic-supported and in First Order-controlled space, then? I also got very little feeling for their relative powers. Starkiller Base destroyed several Republic planets, including their senate, but that can't have been all of them. And there were hints that the Republic only has one main fleet, that seems not a lot…
I'm a bit surprised that Leia is a General, I expected her to go into politics. Maybe she did both?
I didn't fully understand the layout of Starkiller Base either. So they took a huuuge planet, hollowed it out, and inside the planet built a machine that draws and aims the energy of the nearby sun? "The sun will go temporarily dark" makes no sense in physics, I'm pretty sure.
The plot was entertaining, at least. "We have to blow up this huge death machine that is going to destroy our base in five minutes" did seem awfully familiar. There were a couple of very convenient plot devices, like the old man who gave Poe the map to Luke, or the lady who coincidentally was keeping Luke's old lightsaber. We also don't know anything about Supreme Commander Snoke yet, he sort of came out of nowhere. We only saw a hologram, it could still be Jar Jar *g* Also "we have no idea where this part of the map could belong " seemed a bit funny, especially since we later see R2D2 had a map or all the other & surrounding areas. Nobody else had good star charts, or could download R2D2's memories? Oh well *shrugs*
About Luke disappearing, rumors say to find the first Jedi Temple – on the one hand I can understand that your nephew and apprentice turning to the Dark Side must be a heavy blow, will probably result in a lot of self-doubt and a desire to be by yourself. But the way Snoke was talking it seemed like Luke returning would be an enormous benefit to the Republic and threaten the First Order at its core. Luke better have a good reason to stay away for so long.
I'm really looking forward to the next movies! Now that I've seen this one I can read everyone else's reaction and probably think of many other things that I forgot to mention here or didn't even think about. And in the meantime until the next movie comes out speculating will be fun :)
Even just the beginning – a new Star Wars movie, in the cinema, when I saw the scroll text… There were several times during the movie that I literally squeaked with excitement (I hope LB didn't notice.) When Han and Chewie entered the Falcon the whole cinema applauded, and again after the movie. So great.
I enjoyed it a lot! I liked the new characters, Rey and Finn and BB-8 and the others. I heard theories that Rey is related to the Skywalkers, but I'm not sure, I might even prefer it if she wasn't. There are other Force-sensitive families in the universe than the Skywalkers, and if she really is related to them either they abandoned her on Jakku or they didn't know about her, which is possible I guess, especially because her family/origin is apparently a classified secret. She was how old in that flashback when she was left on Jakku, ten or so? And now she's about twenty. I love that she's a mechanic, and that she got on well with Han and Chewie, and her friendship with Finn.
Finn! He's hilarious. His and BB-8's high five, awww xD He and Poe were fun together too. He kinda had the "Han" role, first trying to run away/none of his business but then going back to save a friend. At first I was surprised that Kylo Ren cared about him, but of course betrayal and switching sides of any kind is a hot topic with him.
Kylo Ren is Leia and Han's son! I wasn't spoiled for it and I'm very glad about that. Named Ben, which is Luke and Mara's son in the EU, I wonder if that was on purpose. He sort of has Jacen's role. (So if Rey is related to him that would make her Jaina.) The actor reminded me of Cillian Murphy, who I still associate with the serial killer from "Red Eye", so that was unpleasant and strangely fitting.
My guess is Kylo Ren will have a similar redemption arc to Vader's.
I loved BB-8, and even more than that I loved how everyone treated him, basically like a person. That was one of the things I hated most in the Clone Wars series so here it was a relief to see. LB is right that to know if the advanced droids really are "people" you'd have to know more about (their) AIs and it's probably quite philosophical, but they are presented with their own personalities and that's enough for me.
I found the politics/general state of the galaxy to be more confusing than even in the prequel trilogy, which I didn't expect. Just because of a lack of explanations though. So both the First Order and the Republic control several star systems, they could be the only two major players in the space of the Old Republic/Empire since nobody else is mentioned, but it's open for more. The Resistance is Republic-supported and in First Order-controlled space, then? I also got very little feeling for their relative powers. Starkiller Base destroyed several Republic planets, including their senate, but that can't have been all of them. And there were hints that the Republic only has one main fleet, that seems not a lot…
I'm a bit surprised that Leia is a General, I expected her to go into politics. Maybe she did both?
I didn't fully understand the layout of Starkiller Base either. So they took a huuuge planet, hollowed it out, and inside the planet built a machine that draws and aims the energy of the nearby sun? "The sun will go temporarily dark" makes no sense in physics, I'm pretty sure.
The plot was entertaining, at least. "We have to blow up this huge death machine that is going to destroy our base in five minutes" did seem awfully familiar. There were a couple of very convenient plot devices, like the old man who gave Poe the map to Luke, or the lady who coincidentally was keeping Luke's old lightsaber. We also don't know anything about Supreme Commander Snoke yet, he sort of came out of nowhere. We only saw a hologram, it could still be Jar Jar *g* Also "we have no idea where this part of the map could belong " seemed a bit funny, especially since we later see R2D2 had a map or all the other & surrounding areas. Nobody else had good star charts, or could download R2D2's memories? Oh well *shrugs*
About Luke disappearing, rumors say to find the first Jedi Temple – on the one hand I can understand that your nephew and apprentice turning to the Dark Side must be a heavy blow, will probably result in a lot of self-doubt and a desire to be by yourself. But the way Snoke was talking it seemed like Luke returning would be an enormous benefit to the Republic and threaten the First Order at its core. Luke better have a good reason to stay away for so long.
I'm really looking forward to the next movies! Now that I've seen this one I can read everyone else's reaction and probably think of many other things that I forgot to mention here or didn't even think about. And in the meantime until the next movie comes out speculating will be fun :)
