Let's face it, if he's offed his dad when he's half-bad, what is he going to get up to when he's uber-evil. He'll turn R2 into an ashtray, make a rug out of Chewie, make a fleece out of Wicket and worst of all he'll burn Leia's golden bikini when he joins up with Pussy Riot.

Edit - Kylo not G Man. Cheers page turn.

Was just going to pop in and say "exactly what a 2015 Star Wars film should be, really enjoyed it" but have been inspired a bit more.

First, I'm going to pull the "as a parent" card. Lots of stuff in it which, although handled much better in many other films I guess, always gets to me now. Rey abandonment, Finn infant kidnapping, Renn defecting...Yeesh.

Second, the script felt like someone from the Buffy team had been hired to snark it up just the right amount. Much more modern and knowing.

Third, really enjoyed the dynamic between Rey and Finn, felt very natural very quickly, and thought Rey was a fabulous character.

Fourth, the plot weaknesses are obvious: too simple good vs evil, silly actions from both sides, highly predictable - but it really didn't matter to me, and I even felt like the attack on the death star Um star world thing? was knowingly mocked, when Poe (I think) said something perfunctory like "right so we fly in take shield down blow up glowing weak spot and get out" in that deadpan way.

It really is the best possible response to anyone who says "they're all as shit as each other, you are just more nostalgic of the original trilogy cos you're old".

Easily 4 out of 5.

I sort of assumed that Kylo Ren's story would see him gradually succumbing to the light side of the force, in the same way that his grandad succumbed to the dark.  Though that leaves us without any really credible villains given Hux is boring, Snoke is a cipher, and Phasma barely does anything.  So, erm, yeah, maybe Kylo Ren will just become uber-evil after all.

(Though I'm still hoping that Hux turns out to be some sort of amazing bad guy, as I'm assured that I'm a double for Domhnall Gleeson...)

Also there was a handful of utterly honking editing outside of the action bits. Tribute to George, or Abrams floundering when his regular tools are locked away by the House of Mouse?

Gutted at Han's demise, although I knew it was coming and felt myself squeezing Mrs Prime's hand tighter and tighter in the lead up.

Really enjoyed the film, some wonderful action sequences, good comedy (Chewie complaining about being cold) and likeable characters.

Didn't like Ren's hair (should have kept his mask/helmet on), and I can understand the concerns about him not being able to best Rey in a fight, although he was having doubts about his siding to the dark side, and had already been injured.

Rey is clearly no slouch tho, as was alluded to when she wipes the floor with those dudes that try to steal BB8 from her on Jakku. I'm guessing her as yet untold backstory is going to make her one tough cookie when it's revealed in the sequels.
As for Ren, well as I said before, he's actually a bit of a fanny hiding behind an awesome Vader inspired fanboy disguise, so I don't have a problem with that fight as he's also clearly wounded at the time.
Also, I have to say I loved the lightsaber shenanigans in this one. Far more physical and visceral than all that Jedi-fu choreographed bobbins in the prequels. These were just people with (by and large) limited experience battering fuck out of each other with incredibly powerful weapons.

I like dat

g.man

Ren as Solo/Leia's son was a pretty hot theory for ages, based on Driver's casting (check that Ford style nose out) 



The only thing I would have been annoyed at having spoiled would have been the reveal of his name which was a good moment. I know people go mental for the series but I felt it was actually really light on sensitive, spoilable moments myself.

ChopperByrne wrote:

g.man wrote:

Also, I'm glad I saw this on day one, because nobody saw the Kylo Ren is Han and Leia's son twist coming, and that would have been a fucker if it had been spoiled, and while most of us suspected Han wasn't going to make it to the closing credits, I'd hate to have known for sure. His death scene was really well done thankfully.

Except everyone who has read EU books and expected him to be a version of Jacen Solo.

I thought all the comics had since been dismissed.

Boba Fett escaped and the Emperor cloned himself.

ChopperByrne wrote:

They spent most of the film establishing the bowcaster as a very powerful weapon. They also established that Kylo wasn't fully trained. They established that Rey had considerable fighting skill, especially with a melee weapon and that she was unusually strong in the force. They showed Kylo being shot by said bowcaster, bleeding, beating his chest to try to force himself past his injury and when he was swinging his lightsaber, it was predominantly one handed. I'm fine with that scene playing out like it did.

Also, his orders were to bring her to his master (to inevitably replace him as his apprentice) so he wasn't trying to kill her. Exactly like how Vader wasn't trying to kill Luke.

I agree with pretty much everything everyone's said here, I wasn't blown away by it, pretty safe/predictable but lots of fun, nice nods to the old films and a good setting for the future.

BB8 thumbs up was the best bit. Liked him way more than I expected.

I was 9 or 10 the last time I saw a good Star Wars film premiere at the cinema. 30 years later its finally happened again.

Ive even forgiven the utter arsehole that sent me this today:

wonderbanana wrote:

I was 9 or 10 the last time I saw a good Star Wars film premiere at the cinema. 30 years later its finally happened again.

Ive even forgiven the utter arsehole that sent me this today:

Why the fuck would somebody send that to you????

Send him back:

"Guy who sent me this dies. Killed by the the guy he sent it to."

And do it, a jury would understand.

vicinity_of_pie wrote:

Send him back: "Guy who sent me this dies. Killed by the the guy he sent it to." And do it, a jury would understand.

Also, in case you do, do it, to be clear this is a joke.

The guy who sent it didnt realise it was real. His mate sent it to him.

He's not seen the film yet. He knows now, I made sure of that.

optimark_prime wrote:

Tempy wrote:

optimark_prime wrote:

I think the biggest dismissal of the prequels was in the end credits. 'Based on characters created by George Lucas' Ouch!

That's just a standard WGA credit

A deserved (because of the prequels and special editions) kick in Lucas' bollocks, imo.

That's a very interesting way of looking at him being credited exactly how he should be credited according to the WGA.