Star Wars VII - The Force Awakens, on BluRay and Dvd April 5th, 2016

[Duke Togo]

You're not saying Phasma?

I'm wondering whether or not they'll make Mara Jade canon, or if it'll be a new character of the female Imperial persuasion.

[danth]

Originally, TFA opened with the lightsaber floating through space and falling into the atmosphere of where Maz has her establishment. That was dropped just before the film went into principle photography.

Interesting! I'm glad they cut that. It sounds like a ridiculous idea. What, did it make the jump to lightspeed from Bespin?

[Duke Togo]

Interesting! I'm glad they cut that. It sounds like a ridiculous idea. What, did it make the jump to lightspeed from Bespin?

No idea, but that was the start of the movie for a long time.

[Kelsain]

Considering that JJ has no grasp of space, I doubt he'd thought about that aspect.

[Duke Togo]

Considering that JJ has no grasp of space, I doubt he'd thought about that aspect.

You do realize Lawrence Kasdan co-wrote the script, right?

[Kelsain]

Well, now that you mention it, the travel between Hoth and Bespin was poorly presented as well.

Perhaps Kasdan did plan the path of the falcon from Jakku or indicate interstellar distance with regard to Starkiller base.

However, between the 2 Trek movies & elements of SW7, I feel like JJ either cannot grasp how big space is, or how space travel works within the fictional universes he's working with.

Edited March 3, 2016 by Kelsain

[Duke Togo]

You guys have seen the other SW movies, right? They have zero respect for distance when it comes to space travel. They go with whatever serves the story at the time.

Edited March 3, 2016 by Duke Togo

[Kelsain]

Yeah, that's true. And we didn't notice because we were kids and then had plenty of time to forgive them, while West End Games gave us hyperdrive modifiers & back ups to explain things away.

The new one is fresh & I'm older. And as an older & slightly curmudgeonly Star Wars fan, the Hosnian Prime explosion seen in the sky of Takodana really bugged me. I love TFA, and was able to see beyond some of its failings, but that one is a tough pill.

JJ Abrams gets great performances out of his actors and hooks your emotions well. But I personally have issues with some of his world building decisions, when some of the rules have already been established and would take five minutes to look up - especially when reigniting franchises that fans are notoriously picky about.

I.e.: systems are different stars, not right next door; the lightsaber turns on with the big rectangular thing on the side, not the button at the front.

In Trek: the original Enterprise was ~400m, your team redesigned it at ~400m, why did you make it 700m? Virtually 0 travel time in warp & of course, the backseat trans-galactic beaming.

Why were these decisions made? Was it laziness of lack of care?

While I know I'm not alone on this, ultimately it's my responsibility to let go of my annoyance with this otherwise enjoyable movie. I'm hoping that Ryan Johnson does a little better on 8.

[Dobber]

I know what you are saying Kelsain and agree with your observations. We all have different tolerances/cut-off lines for how much we can tolerate. So I don't hold it against anyone, for some reason I can just forgive a lot of the "science" flaws in Star Wars more than other franchises. Maybe because it is more Fantacy than anything else and like you said the Originals had just as many flaws...we just tend to over look those. Where as Trek's issues with space travel, beaming distance, and ship size really did bug me. If the story or acting was bad, I'd probably be less forgiving....I know people do have issues with TFA story but I didn't. I agree, though, that hopefull Johnson will deliver something more original.

I am really glad the hand thing was dropped. When I first read that rumor a year or two ago, it filled me with dred.

Chris

Edited March 3, 2016 by Dobber

[Dynaman]

Star Wars is fantasy wrapped in the cloak of science fiction. Any relationship between Star Wars and actual science fact is purely coincidental.

[miles316]

Yeah, that's true. And we didn't notice because we were kids and then had plenty of time to forgive them, while West End Games gave us hyperdrive modifiers & back ups to explain things away.

The new one is fresh & I'm older. And as an older & slightly curmudgeonly Star Wars fan, the Hosnian Prime explosion seen in the sky of Takodana really bugged me. I love TFA, and was able to see beyond some of its failings, but that one is a tough pill.

JJ Abrams gets great performances out of his actors and hooks your emotions well. But I personally have issues with some of his world building decisions, when some of the rules have already been established and would take five minutes to look up - especially when reigniting franchises that fans are notoriously picky about.

I.e.: systems are different stars, not right next door; the lightsaber turns on with the big rectangular thing on the side, not the button at the front.

In Trek: the original Enterprise was ~400m, your team redesigned it at ~400m, why did you make it 700m? Virtually 0 travel time in warp & of course, the backseat trans-galactic beaming.

Why were these decisions made? Was it laziness of lack of care?

While I know I'm not alone on this, ultimately it's my responsibility to let go of my annoyance with this otherwise enjoyable movie. I'm hoping that Ryan Johnson does a little better on 8.

What bugged me was they made the capital City on Hosnian prime look like Coresant "Woo it's Coresant" Going through my mind as the planet was being destroyed.

[Kelsain]

Star Wars is fantasy wrapped in the cloak of science fiction. Any relationship between Star Wars and actual science fact is purely coincidental.

And I largely accept this viewpoint with some hand-waiving technology. Hyperdrives & the instantaneous communication network have made Relativity and time dilation irrelevant in SW - I don't expect to see those things. Though I did think it was a bit of a cop-out when Pablo Hidalgo said "We don't know if the Star Wars galaxy experiences physics the same way as we do." Physics is pretty universal - literally - and I always preferred to think that their level of technology just meant that these things have little effect on their daily lives, but still exist.

[Duke Togo]

The Hosnian Prime thing bothered me too. 1. They cut the scene that tells us that it's the capital and the significance of the people we see getting blown up, and 2. The crowd standing around outside at Maz's watching it get blown up is just not believable. Even if it's a close, neighboring system.

We know they have hyperspace communication. There are other ways they could have found out that are still dramatically compelling.

Edit: John Boyega is the only one handling a saber who turns it on wrong.

Edited March 3, 2016 by Duke Togo

[Mommar]

You do realize Lawrence Kasdan co-wrote the script, right?

Co-wrote means that JJ still worked on the script and the movie shares many of the same problems both of the Star Trek movies have suffered. JJ is good at getting emotions from actors, but he's bad at consistent world building or stories that are anything more than paper-thin point A to point B moments.

[Kelsain]

I thought Rey used the wrong button too. I've only seen the end twice, so I'll admit that I might be wrong.

Edited March 3, 2016 by Kelsain

[Duke Togo]

Co-wrote means that JJ still worked on the script and the movie shares many of the same problems both of the Star Trek movies have suffered. JJ is good at getting emotions from actors, but he's bad at consistent world building or stories that are anything more than paper-thin point A to point B moments.

JJ didn't write either of the Trek movies.

Kasdan constantly pushed JJ to slim down and simplify the narrative as much as possible, and to "trust the audience." Kasdan wasn't on board as a script doctor; his work is a significant part of what you see on the screen, and he had his hands on all of it.

It's all there in their interviews together. The story we got was heavily molded by Kasdan. And, nitpicks aside, I love this movie.

Edit: You can't exactly tell how Rey turns the saber on, but her thumb never goes near the button that Finn wrongly uses.

Edited March 3, 2016 by Duke Togo

[Mommar]

JJ didn't write either of the Trek movies.

Kasdan constantly pushed JJ to slim down and simplify the narrative as much as possible, and to "trust the audience." Kasdan wasn't on board as a script doctor; his work is a significant part of what you see on the screen, and he had his hands on all of it.

It's all there in their interviews together. The story we got was heavily molded by Kasdan. And, nitpicks aside, I love this movie.

Edit: You can't exactly tell how Rey turns the saber on, but her thumb never goes near the button that Finn wrongly uses.

You always blame his writers for the problems with his films and yet every problem this movie has the previous two Trek movies also have. Face it, JJ is the common factor and they've all suffered because of him.

[Duke Togo]

You always blame his writers for the problems with his films and yet every problem this movie has the previous two Trek movies also have. Face it, JJ is the common factor and they've all suffered because of him.

How can one not point fingers at Lindelof? He mangles everything he touches. Sure, maybe JJ should stop working with him, but he had no role in this movie. And if the Hosnian Prime explosion is JJ's great crime in TFA, then I'd say he did quite well.

Edited March 3, 2016 by Duke Togo

[areaseven]

[Mommar]

How can one not point fingers at Lindelof? He mangles everything he touches. Sure, maybe JJ should stop working with him, but he had no role in this movie. And if the Hosnian Prime explosion is JJ's great crime in TFA, then I'd say he did quite well.

Like I said, this film suffers from all of the same problems as the previous Treks. It's not a Lindeloff problem, it's a JJ problem. And it goes far deeper than the Hosnian Prime explosion, which I never mentioned. The writing in many spots is almost as bad as the Prequels, the opening crawl reads like a bad thirteen-year-old fan-fiction. JJ can't keep internal consistency with his own universe, he keeps the pacing fast so you don't notice there's no true connection or chemistry between the characters. Into Darkness and The Force Awakens both feel like watching a series of video game cutscenes of a game based on a film, you get a sense of the story and characters but without the actual meat of a real story.

Edited March 3, 2016 by Mommar

[sh9000]

http://m.target.com/p/star-wars-the-force-awakens-blu-ray-dvd-digital-target-exclusive/-/A-50807487

[Duke Togo]

Like I said, this film suffers from all of the same problems as the previous Treks. It's not a Lindeloff problem, it's a JJ problem. And it goes far deeper than the Hosnian Prime explosion, which I never mentioned. The writing in many spots is almost as bad as the Prequels, the opening crawl reads like a bad thirteen-year-old fan-fiction. JJ can't keep internal consistency with his own universe, he keeps the pacing fast so you don't notice there's no true connection or chemistry between the characters. Into Darkness and The Force Awakens both feel like watching a series of video game cutscenes of a game based on a film, you get a sense of the story and characters but without the actual meat of a real story.

You watched a very different movie than I did. But, whatever, don't care.

[Dynaman]

And I largely accept this viewpoint with some hand-waiving technology. Hyperdrives & the instantaneous communication network have made Relativity and time dilation irrelevant in SW - I don't expect to see those things. Though I did think it was a bit of a cop-out when Pablo Hidalgo said "We don't know if the Star Wars galaxy experiences physics the same way as we do." Physics is pretty universal - literally - and I always preferred to think that their level of technology just meant that these things have little effect on their daily lives, but still exist.

I'll take it one step further than what that guy said, we KNOW the physics in the Star Wars universe does not operate the same way as ours - there is sound in space and apparently atmosphere of some kind, both of which are impossible in our reality. As long as it stays reasonably internally consistent I'm good with it.

[Duke Togo]

I'll take it one step further than what that guy said, we KNOW the physics in the Star Wars universe does not operate the same way as ours - there is sound in space and apparently atmosphere of some kind, both of which are impossible in our reality. As long as it stays reasonably internally consistent I'm good with it.

This

[jvmacross]

[Duke Togo]

[Mommar]

You watched a very different movie than I did. But, whatever, don't care.

Dismissive because there's no way of hand waving what I'm complaining about like you can pretending that stiry will be revealed later. These ate problems inherent to the film, period. Rian Johnson may fill in the gaps for a good many things people are already crying about but he'll also expose how poorly crafted TFA was by JJ.

[jenius]

No one is saying it's a flawless film, just that it's good. You don't think so but that doesn't mean anyone needs to care what you think.

[Dio]

Still speculating that Phasma is going to be the assigned nemesis for Finn, the setup is obvious and he needs one since Kylo v Rey ended up being the primary hero/villain pairing. Who goes up against Poe is up in the air though, the First Order needs to churn out a Red Baron next movie.

Maybe they'll flesh out TR-8R with some kind of unlikely survival/revenge story too, though that's high-school-lunch-table levels of speculation.

[jenius]

I think Finn and or Poe should die in the next film to set up some more drama.

[kajnrig]

I think the Trek movies suffered more from having Roberto Orci penning them than anything Jujabrams did. The guy also wrote the Transformers and Amazing Spider-Man movies. And none of those can be called good in any respect. I don't care if you think any of them were good, you're wrong and there's no two ways about it they were bad bad bad terrible films.

That being said, the first Trek wasn't bad at all. A bit derivative and barebones, but hey, it was the best way to move forward given the amount of source material.

Anyway. Cool on the DVD/BD release date for those who liked the movie, but isn't it still playing in theaters?

[Duke Togo]

It's certainly still playing here

[Dynaman]

Just saw the release dates, pre-ordering it. Warts and all it FELT like the Star Wars of old.

[Kelsain]

Exactly. I've got a few issues with it, but I love it over all. It's at our local 2nd run theater now, so little girl & I might go again. I'm wondering which blu Ray I should preorder, based on the exclusives. Target sounds good, but the box looks terrible...

[Duke Togo]

Exactly. I've got a few issues with it, but I love it over all. It's at our local 2nd run theater now, so little girl & I might go again. I'm wondering which blu Ray I should preorder, based on the exclusives. Target sounds good, but the box looks terrible...

I only ever order from Amazon. I don't need special boxes, and any extra few minutes of video can easily be found online.