# Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Seen It (Assume Spoilers Within) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 16, 2015, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-the-force-awakens-seen-it-assume-spoilers-within/740645 "2015-12-16T23:16:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 76
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-the-force-awakens-seen-it-assume-spoilers-within/740645/1501 "2016-03-27T09:30:22Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > Ok, thanks for expressing the intricacies of your opinion. I now know where you’re coming from. > > Another issue with the film, IMHO, was the fact that the damn thing was a retelling of the original movies. Running away from the empire, looking for droids, into a tavern full of space pirates, into the millennium falcon, and at the end you’ve got the death start v2.0.1beta and you gotta send int he Xwing’s to take out it’s weak spot… I mean, I know they must have done this on purpose, but instead of making me feel like they were paying homage, it just looked lazy. 1. You come months later to ask if people really liked a movie that has grossed just over $2 billion and ask if people didn’t like it (in a 30-pages long thread about it). I don’t expect you to be serious about that, just in case you asked seriously. 2. A lot of the complains, even from those who liked it, are comments that can be said about at least one of the previous films. Some people have reacted negatively to those things in this movie, but ignored that they are homage or perhaps even better explained in this film than in the previous movies. 3. Like **Guanoland** said, it was a reboot via sequel. If they continue this, and if say, the second movie takes a lot from Phantom Menace, then yes, I will then criticize it. But considering what it had intended to do, I consider it overall successful. And yes, perhaps you’re someone who likes the original trio and wouldn’t want to get them altered. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-the-force-awakens-seen-it-assume-spoilers-within/740645/1502 "2016-03-27T10:21:27Z")
> [@quartz](#): > > how long did it take hitler to rebuild germany? > [@lorne armstrong](#): > > 12 parsecs. FTW 😃 abc ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-the-force-awakens-seen-it-assume-spoilers-within/740645/1503 "2016-03-27T11:18:22Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > - Mark Hamill looked badass. What was he eating while living on that rock though? That was the only time the movie managed to wrangle emotion out of me. It was a really cool last scene. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-the-force-awakens-seen-it-assume-spoilers-within/740645/1504 "2016-03-27T11:24:45Z")
> [@KarlGrenze](#): > > 1. You come months later to ask if people really liked a movie that has grossed just over $2 billion and ask if people didn’t like it (in a 30-pages long thread about it). I don’t expect you to be serious about that, just in case you asked seriously. > > 2. A lot of the complains, even from those who liked it, are comments that can be said about at least one of the previous films. Some people have reacted negatively to those things in this movie, but ignored that they are homage or perhaps even better explained in this film than in the previous movies. > > 3. Like **Guanoland** said, it was a reboot via sequel. If they continue this, and if say, the second movie takes a lot from Phantom Menace, then yes, I will then criticize it. But considering what it had intended to do, I consider it overall successful. And yes, perhaps you’re someone who likes the original trio and wouldn’t want to get them altered. I don’t know why you’re getting so defensive. It’s just a movie man. I’d be interested in hearing about the things you liked and why, if you want to engage me, otherwise just ignore me. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-the-force-awakens-seen-it-assume-spoilers-within/740645/1505 "2016-03-27T11:36:45Z")
> [@KarlGrenze](#): > > 1. Like **Guanoland** said, it was a reboot via sequel. If they continue this, and if say, the second movie takes a lot from Phantom Menace, then yes, I will then criticize it. But considering what it had intended to do, I consider it overall successful. And yes, perhaps you’re someone who likes the original trio and wouldn’t want to get them altered. I hate the short edit window… i wanted to say that the problem was that it felt exactly LIKE this. Like it was a paint by numbers, “we gotta hit every item on this list” that some suit somewhere wrote down on his napkin. It didn’t feel like there was this story the artists wanted to tell and were given the leeway to tell well. It felt like some sales presentation, they might as well have flashed the following at the bottom of the screen: remember Star wars? REMEMBER STAR WARS!You better remember star wars, we put a ton of money into this thing! Buy Star Wars!!! I don’t think they had to do that. I think they could have crafted a great film first and foremost. I doubt sales would have been negatively impacted. There are stories to tell in tat universe, unforgettable ones, I’m certain of it. This wasn’t one of those stories. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-the-force-awakens-seen-it-assume-spoilers-within/740645/1506 "2016-03-27T12:00:45Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > There are stories to tell in tat universe, unforgettable ones, I’m certain of it. This wasn’t one of those stories. Stay tuned. They’re coming thick and fast. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-the-force-awakens-seen-it-assume-spoilers-within/740645/1507 "2016-03-27T14:11:13Z")
I loved it when I first saw it and I saw it three times in the theaters but I suspect it won’t age well. It will probably lose something on the smaller screen of a home theater and with repeat views the issues with the plot and the fact that it really is a remake of Star Wars will become more and more glaring as the aspects that were initially novel get more familiar. I guess we’ll see. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-the-force-awakens-seen-it-assume-spoilers-within/740645/1508 "2016-03-27T15:10:21Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > I don’t know why you’re getting so defensive. It’s just a movie man. I’d be interested in hearing about the things you liked and why, if you want to engage me, otherwise just ignore me. Because to a certain extent, you failed to engage the thread. There are 1500 posts of people explaining why they did or did not like the movie. Read them. That will certainly answer the question of whether people “really” liked the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-the-force-awakens-seen-it-assume-spoilers-within/740645/1509 "2016-03-27T18:07:28Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > Because to a certain extent, you failed to engage the thread. There are 1500 posts of people explaining why they did or did not like the movie. Read them. That will certainly answer the question of whether people “really” liked the movie. I am actually reading through it, but wanted to share my thoughts before reading through 1500 posts. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-the-force-awakens-seen-it-assume-spoilers-within/740645/1510 "2016-03-27T21:30:48Z")
> [@peter morris](#): > > ftw :d > > abc ftl? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-the-force-awakens-seen-it-assume-spoilers-within/740645/1511 "2016-03-28T01:01:17Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > I loved it when I first saw it and I saw it three times in the theaters but I suspect it won’t age well. It will probably lose something on the smaller screen of a home theater and with repeat views the issues with the plot and the fact that it really is a remake of Star Wars will become more and more glaring as the aspects that were initially novel get more familiar. I guess we’ll see. I find it fascinating that people go back and see the same movie again. The only movie I’ve gone back to see was The Rocky Horror Picture Show and that was for the audience. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-the-force-awakens-seen-it-assume-spoilers-within/740645/1512 "2016-03-28T01:15:25Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > So, did people actually like this film? Yeah, it was okay. Not as good as the original, but I am glad I saw it and don’t feel I wasted my time. > [@Magiver](#): > > I find it fascinating that people go back and see the same movie again. The only movie I’ve gone back to see was The Rocky Horror Picture Show and that was for the audience. There’s a thread or two about movies people have seen multiple times in the cinema. It’s not my habit but sometimes. I did see the original _Star Wars_ 19 times in the cinema, and that’s definitely my record. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-the-force-awakens-seen-it-assume-spoilers-within/740645/1513 "2016-03-28T12:57:32Z")
I just rewatched this last night. I still enjoyed it, but since I was at home I had the freedom to do some “MST3K”-ing. While these are mostly just joking, I think there’s some legitimate criticism in there: [ul] [li]First of all, you know that droid everyone is looking for? _Maybe we shouldn’t bring it with us everywhere we go_…[/li] [li]If the bad guys had the entire “missing Luke” map except the section BB-8 was carrying, isn’t it a simple process of elimination to fill in the missing bits?[/li] [li]Hey, the bad guys have built gigantic world-obliterating weapons at least 3 times now; it’s really their only plan. Maybe we ought to invest in one of those things, “keeping up with the Joneses” and all. At this point they’ve proven they had one good idea like 70 years ago and then they had nothin’; you really think they’re not just going to build another one?[/li] [li]And bad guys, while we’re talking about world-obliterating weapons and retaining the same basic plan 3 times in a row, how about the next time we build one of these things, _we_ figure out the critical weak point and like, put a guy at the door or something?[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-the-force-awakens-seen-it-assume-spoilers-within/740645/1514 "2016-03-28T14:02:53Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > Nothing about this movie felt sophisticated, or well written, or even just FUN. I’ll take some silly space opera fun - that’s what the original movies were, on top of some fantastic casting and characters that were excellently written. I mean the damned thing was essentially a retelling of the original series. Big planet killing machine, have to send the xwing’s to hit weak spot. Running from the Republic into a tavern full of space pirates, jeebus, not a single original plot point. Note that the franchise has been rehashing itself since before some of us were born. See: Sending the X-Wings to hit the planet killing machine’s weak spot, which has only had variations done like four times in the previous six films (Death Star, Death Star II, Super Star Destroyer, Trade Federation Mothership, note that some of these multiples happened in the same film, and I’m leaving out minor examples like a speeder taking down an Imperial Walker). Also, the original movies had their fair share of cheesy writing. Like the famous Soap Opera familial reveal plot twist. No, the _other_ one. 😃 Supposedly Harrison Ford once called out Lucas for the terrible dialog he wrote for the original films. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-the-force-awakens-seen-it-assume-spoilers-within/740645/1515 "2016-03-29T04:44:02Z")
“You can type this shit, George, but you sure can’t say it,” is what I’ve heard Ford ruefully said. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-the-force-awakens-seen-it-assume-spoilers-within/740645/1516 "2016-04-16T12:45:09Z")
Info about Rey’s parents here, don’t click if you want to avoid the info. Semi-spoiler about future movies [J.J. Abrams gives a big clue about Rey's parents in 'Star Wars'](http://money.cnn.com/2016/04/15/media/star-wars-force-awakens-jj-abrams-rey-parents/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-the-force-awakens-seen-it-assume-spoilers-within/740645/1517 "2016-04-16T16:35:58Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Info about Rey’s parents here, don’t click if you want to avoid the info. Semi-spoiler about future movies > > [J.J. Abrams gives a big clue about Rey's parents in 'Star Wars'](http://money.cnn.com/2016/04/15/media/star-wars-force-awakens-jj-abrams-rey-parents/index.html) Maybe Snoke is her grandfather and her father or mother (whichever was on that side) had run away and gone into hiding from him. Maybe they left her on Jakku to hide her from him. We may end up having an “I am your papap!” scene… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-the-force-awakens-seen-it-assume-spoilers-within/740645/1518 "2016-04-16T17:03:21Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Info about Rey’s parents here, don’t click if you want to avoid the info. Semi-spoiler about future movies > > [J.J. Abrams gives a big clue about Rey's parents in 'Star Wars'](http://money.cnn.com/2016/04/15/media/star-wars-force-awakens-jj-abrams-rey-parents/index.html) JJ Abrams is the guy who went on and on about John Harrison, right? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-the-force-awakens-seen-it-assume-spoilers-within/740645/1519 "2016-04-16T17:48:19Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > JJ Abrams is the guy who went on and on about John Harrison, right? The guy who figured out how to calculate longitude at sea? ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-the-force-awakens-seen-it-assume-spoilers-within/740645/1520 "2016-04-16T18:50:25Z")
> [@galen\_ubal](#): > > Excellent movie. Go see it. > Actually, this has been a great year for movies - this, Fury Road, The Martian. Anyone notice that all three of these movies contain a ‘thumbs up’ gag? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-the-force-awakens-seen-it-assume-spoilers-within/740645.md?page=75) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-the-force-awakens-seen-it-assume-spoilers-within/740645.md?page=77)