how many sentences need to go by for the comment section. Cause I can just bullshit for a while. Jar Jar is the Sith Lord!!!!! This movie is all about midicholorians. Jabba returns from the dead!!!

Ok are we clear, good

So first the spoiler review, Wowowowowowowowow what a movie. Right from the start, Luke Skywalker is missing, we already have a big mystery. What happened in those 30 years. Where did this first order come from? The start is electric, I was convinced Poe would steal the movie, the humor and the energy from the originals was back. Kylo shows off some insane force power, stopping a laser blast in mid air, wtf? Such a cool scene.

First thing we learn is that troopers are basically brainwashed, interesting. Finn has no name, he is just a trooper who fought the brainwash, or is he? The entire escape is just amazing in every way, music, visuals, dialogue "I can fly anything" so good.

then you have BB-8 stealing the show, man that robot will become a kid favorite for years. So much personality for a rolling ball thing, more personality than many characters in most summer movies. Then you meet Rey who commands the screen any time she is on. This girl can be really special, I hope Ridley doesn't get trapped in the Star Wars curse.

The millennium Falcon reveal was so good, that camera turn!  The falcon action sequence was ridiculous, the turret getting stuck and that turn, great stuff. Rey and Finn are so good together, great chemistry and they fit each other well. He is basically a child, this is the first time he is free in the galaxy and she has been tied to that planet for her whole life and now they are flying in space. Omg the BB-8 lighter!!! The theater erupted in laughter.

Then Han showed up, what a moment. Ford steps into Han like a glove, it's absolutely Han. This isn't old fart Indiana jones, this is Han, totally Han. And Chewie, let's not forget him cause he is fantastic in this movie too. I love that they made them vulnerable, Chewie gets shot early on, these heroes aren't going to be invincible. Han has perfect chemistry with Rey and Finn, this is the best Ford has been in years.

I love to see him actually smuggling, he talks about it but we never really got to see him and Chewie in action. The whole giant monster thing was kind of weird, it's the only thing in the movie to me that didn't feel all that Star Wars. The monsters were all CG, it was just an odd sequence but it was exciting at least. What a waste of the cast of the raid though, just to have them be pirates that die quickly.

We get some backstory finally, we learn Kylo is Han's son, I figured that would be the case, leads to all kinds of drama. But then we learn that Luke did have a Jedi academy! It was Kylo who turned due to Snoke and he murdered the other members. This basically made Luke snap as he probably couldn't handle failing his nephew and best friend. So now we have this terrible tragedy that occurred, damn I want that movie! The backstory has so much potential, that one event leads to the break up of Han and Leia, starts the first order and leads Luke to exile. And what is with this Snoke guy, he has terrorized our heroes for years it seems.

Maz Kaneda, ok I get it we need the wise old character to guide our hero but she sort of just pops out of nowhere and has Luke's light saber. That's my biggest issue with the movie, too much was crammed into one movie so some stuff just pops in out of nowhere, certain plot points don't feel earned. That said a lot of Star Wars is like this, so it sort of fits with tradition. Rey's flash forward flash back scene feels like the key to everything, I need to rewatch it.

our heroes breaking up and having those moments of doubt was great, nice character building there before the shit storm hit and Kylo Ren shows up again. I love everything with light sabers, I especially love how raw the fighting is, no one is properly trained here so they fight like two people who don't know what they are doing and it works. It's savage in a way.

Starkiller base is super impressive but not given enough time to feel all that scary. There goes a solar system run by the republic, you got to see two seconds of it ok let's move on. At Least alderaan served as a sort of hub for all our characters to intersect, this movie blew up planets for no reason at all. I liked Hux, I good traditional imperial shithead. There seemed to be plenty of animosity and backstory between he and Kylo that really needed to be explored more and I am sure it will. The purpose of the first order and why they exist is still fuzzy.

Han meeting Leia was of course an emotional moment but I wonder how much they could do with Leia since fisher seems limited.  C3PO has the best introduction of the movie. Hey Poe is back randomly! Oh that tracking shot of him blowing up everything in the xwing was ridiculous, JJ really outdid himself.

the entire final act was damn near perfect. You had the space battle which was obviously a nod to ANH. The Rey escape and rescue is basically them escaping the Death Star. That is where the similarities end, the Han and Kylo moment is one of the most gut wrenching things I have seen. Han pleading with his son, Ben! It wasn't a shocker, anyone can tell Kylo was stalling for time and was going to attack his father, still the brutality of the moment was shocking. What happens in this little shits life to make him hate his father that much. At that moment I lost it, I was crying, I yelled out in anger to kill the son of an awesome princess. The whole light saber battle was epic. That moment when Rey takes the saber, woooo!!!

So good. Almost a perfect movie. Except for the cramming and random things happening. Like R2 turning on for no reason at all, hey now we can get Luke, uh ok. Hey why didn't Chewie hug Leia, they are the two closest to Han. Rey becoming the falcon pilot is perfect, in fact Rey is basically the ultimate character. She is a great pilot, a string force user, smart, powerful, she is every hero rolled into one. But why is she so strong, there has to be Skywalker blood in her. The final shot is so hype inducing, Luke looked perfect! Also a bit crazy, but still perfect!!! I can't wait for the next one!!!!

phantom_leo said:

There are a few things I'd like to post, ask and explore but I have to do the whole "comment section ramble" now too...

I love how they basically showed Rey knew where Luke was all along. She longed to see the sea. Ren seeing in her mind visions of an island in the sea. Luke was calling out to her from across the galaxy the whole time, she just didn't know it!

There was absolutely a clue as to Rey's parents in the movie. You just have to listen to the voice of the person that dropped her on Jakku in her flashback scene! She is either Luke's child or somehow a grandchild of Anakin Skywalker.

It's been suggested that Finn's last name is Windu, but that's just a rumor.

No chance on windu. It's almost certain she is related to the family. Han seems to know more than he lets on. Maz says you know your parents aren't coming back but someone else might, and she says Luke. Luke may not be the father but he is absolutely involved in some way.

travo said:

Yay for the spoiler thread and typing gibberish, like this, to get spoilers off the front page.  I love how we have so many unanswered questions.  Rey is awesome and the mystery of her past is intriguing.  I feel like she's a Skywalker, but that doesn't necessarily mean that Luke knows.  Maybe her mother left without telling him.  Will we see her mother?  Maybe Luke does know her.  Who knows?  Why abandon her at a young age, perhaps protection from Snoke.

Speaking of Snoke, the Internet is running rampant with theories on who he is.  Many speculate that he is really Darth Plageius, the Wise.  Remember him?  Palpatine told the story of how he could create life using the force.  I LOVE the idea that this could be Plageius, left for dead by Palpatine.  Just think of the awesome backstory.  Why did he not resurface until now?  Was he truly afraid of the Emperor and Vader?  That would explain why he was in hiding.  Oh, one more thing.  Ren actually says something like Supreme commander is wise...hmmm.

Listen to the soundtrack, guys.  Rey's Theme really is the centerpiece.  I love it when I hear it. In fact, my favorite scene in the movie is at the end when Chewie and Rey are in the Falcon.  The anticipation!  I've been waiting to see Luke since forever.  Then Rey's theme starts and builds as they fly through hyperspace.  The whole part just seems so masterful.  You can tell Chewie and Rey will make a great team.  Finally, the steps and the music teases us again.  It continues till we finally see Luke and get the Force theme.  What an ending!

Finally, when we left the theater,my wife told me it would be awesome if Snoke was actually the size of Yoda.

Lol yes please!!!!

My issue with Snoke is that he looks like a reject LOTR character dropped into a Star Wars movie. He totally had gollum face at one point, it's hard not to notice. It should have been something less human.

Dvader said:

There are a lot more hints going on in the novel and other media about this. But first here is something totally irrelevant, KH3 trailer, yipee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ok so it seems Kylo and Snoke know who Rey is. She must be someone important. it's tied to Luke, how exactly we don't know but she might have been put in hiding to avoid Snoke.

So this Snoke guy let's try to piece this together, everything is going great. Republic is good, there is a Jedi academy, Han and Leia are happily married. Now this Snoke dude shows up, seduces Ben to the dark side, destroys the Jedi temple, makes Luke run into exile and those events tear apart Han and Leias marriage.

Then somewhere this first order starts, had to be before the Jedi temple attack since stormtroopers are grown up so at least 18-20 years ago they started training. The republic doesnt have a centralized military so the resistance is formed to fight them for who long who knows. Seems like the first order is still hanging out in the outer edges in this movie so they are no empire. I guess their goal is the same as all Sith Lords, order in the galaxy through power and fear.

So Snoke has been the main villain for about 15 years or so. I am going to assume his scars come from a battle with Luke. So who is this guy, what kind of alien is he and what is his force teachings, is it sith? Also the force has awakened, clearly the force powers seem enhanced, so I think there is some cosmic shift in force powers or something.

one thing I loved was how Kylo Ren is being seduced by the light side. Snoke warns Kylo he is not ready to face the light, cool role flip. They better work on Snoke cause he is not half the villain Sheev was, at least not in this movie. I love Palpatine so much I wouldn't care if they randomly resurrect him. Always two there are, which is Snoke?

You know what really sucks, we will never got to see Luke and Han together again. I wanted to see them all together one last time.

I got a completely different impression. I don't think Ren and Snoke knew of Rey at all. Snoke seems intent to eliminate or control anyone capable of using the Force. Ren kidnapped her because she had a vision of the map in her mind, not because she was capable. There are so few people left in the galaxy that can use the force that when there's an awakening, it's a big deal. It was once she awoke, they suddenly took notice of her and decided they needed to either get her, eliminate her or train Ren enough to counter her.

I almost get the sense that the Force is a finite... force, meaning it's not completely limitless and the less people who are capable of using that exist, the more powerful those people will be. The more people who use it, the more diluted and "stretched thin" it will be... if you get my gist.

I'll say it again, the thing that got me the most in the movie: Rey was living on a desert planet, she said herself she never knew so much green existed and she never saw the sea. Yet, she was dreaming all her life of an island in the sea. She was dreaming of the Jedi Temple where Luke was the whole time! Even Ren got a glimpse of this, even before the Force awoke within her. He just didn't know what he ws seeing! Her purpose in life was calling to her, yet she wasn't even conscious of it. I find that VERY cool!

Dvader said:

phantom_leo said:

I got a completely different impression. I don't think Ren and Snoke knew of Rey at all. Snoke seems intent to eliminate or control anyone capable of using the Force. Ren kidnapped her because she had a vision of the map in her mind, not because she was capable. There are so few people left in the galaxy that can use the force that when there's an awakening, it's a big deal. It was once she awoke, they suddenly took notice of her and decided they needed to either get her, eliminate her or train Ren enough to counter her.

I almost get the sense that the Force is a finite... force, meaning it's not completely limitless and the less people who are capable of using that exist, the more powerful those people will be. The more people who use it, the more diluted and "stretched thin" it will be... if you get my gist.

I'll say it again, the thing that got me the most in the movie: Rey was living on a desert planet, she said herself she never knew so much green existed and she never saw the sea. Yet, she was dreaming all her life of an island in the sea. She was dreaming of the Jedi Temple where Luke was the whole time! Even Ren got a glimpse of this, even before the Force awoke within her. He just didn't know what he ws seeing! Her purpose in life was calling to her, yet she wasn't even conscious of it. I find that VERY cool!

I am not speculating, I am saying that people that read the novel say that Snoke and Kylo know who Rey is.

Yeah that's really cool about Rey. Also what Maz says her parents won't come (must be dead) but someone else will and she says Luke. Luke is a major part of her life, even subconsciously. Let's see why.

Do me a favor. Listen to the voice of the person who drops Rey off on Jakku. He says something like "Stop fussing around girl."

The voice sounds very, very familar.

travo said:

phantom_leo said:

Dvader said:

phantom_leo said:

I got a completely different impression. I don't think Ren and Snoke knew of Rey at all. Snoke seems intent to eliminate or control anyone capable of using the Force. Ren kidnapped her because she had a vision of the map in her mind, not because she was capable. There are so few people left in the galaxy that can use the force that when there's an awakening, it's a big deal. It was once she awoke, they suddenly took notice of her and decided they needed to either get her, eliminate her or train Ren enough to counter her.

I almost get the sense that the Force is a finite... force, meaning it's not completely limitless and the less people who are capable of using that exist, the more powerful those people will be. The more people who use it, the more diluted and "stretched thin" it will be... if you get my gist.

I'll say it again, the thing that got me the most in the movie: Rey was living on a desert planet, she said herself she never knew so much green existed and she never saw the sea. Yet, she was dreaming all her life of an island in the sea. She was dreaming of the Jedi Temple where Luke was the whole time! Even Ren got a glimpse of this, even before the Force awoke within her. He just didn't know what he ws seeing! Her purpose in life was calling to her, yet she wasn't even conscious of it. I find that VERY cool!

I am not speculating, I am saying that people that read the novel say that Snoke and Kylo know who Rey is.

Yeah that's really cool about Rey. Also what Maz says her parents won't come (must be dead) but someone else will and she says Luke. Luke is a major part of her life, even subconsciously. Let's see why.

Do me a favor. Listen to the voice of the person who drops Rey off on Jakku. He says something like "Stop fussing around girl."

The voice sounds very, very familar.

I was thinking it was Max von Sydow, the old man at the beginning.  Why hire a veteran, famous actor for a teensy part like he had?

Same reason they would throw Daniel Craig in a StormTrooper's costume!  

Was he supposed to be someone from the original trilogy? He said Leia is still "royalty" to him and he looks similar to someone from the original rebel alliance. I know he wasn't in them, but I got the feeling he was playing the part of someone who was...

His name is Lor San Tekka and he has been around since the clone wars.

phantom_leo said:

Do me a favor. Listen to the voice of the person who drops Rey off on Jakku. He says something like "Stop fussing around girl."

The voice sounds very, very familar.

It's the junk dealer.

But you clearly hear what sounds like obi wan say Rey at the end of the vision.

Every record will be broken, insane numbers coming in...

So I saw it again, even better the second time around. I was able to focus more on the characters and ended up liking Kylo Ren way more. There is loads of nuance to his performance. This is a spoiled brat sith, basically he is anakin as he was as a Jedi padawan. The cool thing is you see it from the flip side, he is a dark side Jedi who is being seduced by the light side. He is being tortured cause he feels he can't live up to the power of his grandfather. When he meets Rey and realizes she has more power than him he runs and cries to daddy like a little bitch. She hit him right where it hurt "you will never be as powerful as Vader"

The Han scene was also a reversal. There Ben was saying he is being torn apart, not from being dark but because he is being called to the light. He knows his father is the biggest obstacle to him not being seduced, so that is why he asks him to help him. If he could kill Han he would be pretty entrenched in the dark side and that is exactly what he does. Amazing scene.

BTW this is the first SW movie to ever mention the light side by name, that's interesting.  So the flashback forward scene, she is being dropped off on a planet and was handed to Unkar the junk dealer. During the clashes she hears Yoda, Luke, Obiwan who seems to call out to her. Kylo Ren reads her memories and she has dreams of Luke's location further showing how tied up to him she is.

So the old dude at the start pretty much spells out the Kylo is a Solo, he talks about his family. He claims to know Leia and the way he talked to Kylo I have a feeling he was a part of the Jedi academy, not a Jedi but something to do with it'. The opening crawl makes it clear that Luke is the last Jedi.

Some of the coolest stuff I picked up on was what happen with Ben. So I paid attention to the timeline of Han and Leias account. It seems like the problems started way before the Jedi temple. Han and Leia didn't seem to be good parents and they raised a kid with issues, basically the type of kid that can turn into a mass murder. As Han said he had too much Vader in him. Somewhere in here Snoke is the one turning Ben, almost like a boogeyman. So Han sends Ben to Luke's academy as a last resort to maybe save their son. Leia says that is the moment they lost him and they should have never let him leave their side. So at the academy he turns to the dark side and kills everyone, Luke is so ashamed he leaves forever. Snoke is the mAstermind of all this.

So I went to Barnes and Nobel looking for the art book but it wasn't on sale, instead.............

I read the vehicle cross section book that had a crazy amount of info about the governments. So in the book it mentions that the new class of star destroyer is a violation of the weapons treaty the republic had with the first order. which means the first order is a legal government entity recognized by the republic.

The first order was formed in the "unknown territories", this is where they built Starkiller base, trained all the children and builtall their ships to hide it from the republic. They don't have infinite funds like the empire has so they needed to focus more on protecting their investments. The book says that unlike the empire they don't view their pilots as expendable, so the new TIEs have built in shields. The book makes mention that they have far fewer resources than the empire. Because they can't build so many star destroyers they made sure to fix the flaw from endor, so now there is an emergency bridge inside the ship in case the top one is blow up.

Now the resistance is explained as well. Leia knows the first order is run by Snoke, the republic doesn't believe a Sith Lord is running this new group, in fact the republic doesn't know of any of the illegal operations the first order is running. So Leia gets support from all her close friends in the republic to form the resistance. They use whatever ships they can salvage, the transport she arrives in is a modified b-wing for instance. She has no capital ships, it's just a small group of... Rebels basically.

There is a bunch of cool stuff about the Falcon and the freighter Han owns. The falcon has a special room as a wedding gift for Leia. On the freighter There is a mysterious cargo container that has always been locked and Han doesn't know the code so it just sits there unopened. It talks about the falcon ownership line and a few thinks Han and Chewie were doing as smugglers.