The Force Awakens
Well, I'm quite happy.
[Spoiler (click to open)]
I'm not sure how I feel about all of it. The chase scene on Han's temporary ship felt a little off in terms of tone to me, and a few other bits I'm also not sure about. The tone of Finn and Poe's interactions felt odd? I'm not sure. The scene where they decide what to call Finn felt very perfunctory to me.
Maz Kanata (sp?) however, was pretty awesome. Her weird 'bun' thing is awesome, and the alien grandma glasses! I hope she survived, and maybe we'll be revisiting a rebuilt version of her establishment in a future movie. I think the entire sequence on that planet was one of the best in the movie. Every scene felt like it rang true to me. From the conversation between Han and Rey when they first emerged from the Millenium Falcon, to the scenes of them speaking with Maz, to Rey's experience when she touches the lightsaber, and the scenes after the First Order shows up, everything worked for me.
The battle at the end of the movie felt very reminiscent of a mixture of the ones at the end of A New Hope and Return of the Jedi. It had to, I think. Plot wise it was almost the same as them, just with an ice planet, that is both planet and superweapon that needs to be destroyed. I still don't know what to think of the last scene between Han and Kylo Ren. (Did he call him Ben? As in his real name is after 'Ben' Kenobi?) Dramatically, it makes sense to me. Kylo Ren needs to do something to be taken more seriously than an emo kid who idolizes Darth Vader. (I do appreciate that character touch though. It helps make the visual similarities between the two feel more organic.) On the other hand, part of me feels like Han isn't actually dead. Like Poe at the beginning of the movie, we don't have a body, though in Han's case we do have confirmation of an injury that is at least very serious, if not fatal. Leia's reactions certainly lend credence to him truly being dead.
I'm surprised that one of my other favorite parts is the very end. The trip that Rey and Chewie take in the Falcon does feel very quick, but here the physical journey really isn't the point. The whole movie has been the journey to find Luke Skywalker, though I do wish the actual trip at the end could have been represented differently, so that it was more symbolically consistent with the journey taken throughout the film. I'm not sure how that could have been done though. The location this last scene was filmed in was absolutely perfect as well as absolutely gorgeous. And Luke! I'm a little surprised at exactly how recognizable he is! Mark Hamill doesn't really look that much like Luke Skywalker anymore. I was a pleasant little surprise in a very quiet but incredibly suspenseful scene.
I really wish we didn't have to wait to find out what happens next! Bring on the next movie!
[Spoiler (click to open)]
I'm not sure how I feel about all of it. The chase scene on Han's temporary ship felt a little off in terms of tone to me, and a few other bits I'm also not sure about. The tone of Finn and Poe's interactions felt odd? I'm not sure. The scene where they decide what to call Finn felt very perfunctory to me.
Maz Kanata (sp?) however, was pretty awesome. Her weird 'bun' thing is awesome, and the alien grandma glasses! I hope she survived, and maybe we'll be revisiting a rebuilt version of her establishment in a future movie. I think the entire sequence on that planet was one of the best in the movie. Every scene felt like it rang true to me. From the conversation between Han and Rey when they first emerged from the Millenium Falcon, to the scenes of them speaking with Maz, to Rey's experience when she touches the lightsaber, and the scenes after the First Order shows up, everything worked for me.
The battle at the end of the movie felt very reminiscent of a mixture of the ones at the end of A New Hope and Return of the Jedi. It had to, I think. Plot wise it was almost the same as them, just with an ice planet, that is both planet and superweapon that needs to be destroyed. I still don't know what to think of the last scene between Han and Kylo Ren. (Did he call him Ben? As in his real name is after 'Ben' Kenobi?) Dramatically, it makes sense to me. Kylo Ren needs to do something to be taken more seriously than an emo kid who idolizes Darth Vader. (I do appreciate that character touch though. It helps make the visual similarities between the two feel more organic.) On the other hand, part of me feels like Han isn't actually dead. Like Poe at the beginning of the movie, we don't have a body, though in Han's case we do have confirmation of an injury that is at least very serious, if not fatal. Leia's reactions certainly lend credence to him truly being dead.
I'm surprised that one of my other favorite parts is the very end. The trip that Rey and Chewie take in the Falcon does feel very quick, but here the physical journey really isn't the point. The whole movie has been the journey to find Luke Skywalker, though I do wish the actual trip at the end could have been represented differently, so that it was more symbolically consistent with the journey taken throughout the film. I'm not sure how that could have been done though. The location this last scene was filmed in was absolutely perfect as well as absolutely gorgeous. And Luke! I'm a little surprised at exactly how recognizable he is! Mark Hamill doesn't really look that much like Luke Skywalker anymore. I was a pleasant little surprise in a very quiet but incredibly suspenseful scene.
I really wish we didn't have to wait to find out what happens next! Bring on the next movie!