Star Wars Discussion Thread

5,860,122 Views | 43819 Replies | Last: 9 hrs ago by TCTTS
GiveEmHellBill
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TCTTS said:

Btw, anyone know why the Rogue One Blu-ray isn't available for pre-order on Amazon? Surely it didn't sell out? Been this way for weeks. I've never seen a title not available on Amazon this close to its release.
The exact same thing happened with Doctor Strange. It never showed up for pre-order so I just bought it at Best Buy. It showed up online afterwards.

[edit] if that's true about the dispute between Amazon and Disney, then that would explain it.
tamusc
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Yeah, Amazon will sell Disney stuff on release day and after, but no preorders for now.
wangus12
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Dude at Best Buy was having an epic meltdown from not being able to find one of the steelbook copies of Rogue One. Said he'd been to multiple DFW stores and no one had it.
AliasMan02
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Watched R1 tonight upon picking up my copy. Just a really good, solid movie. And so Star Wars. I think the production value overall is better than TFA, but maybe I've just watched TFA so many times it has lost its impact. The sets and costumes, the droids and the tech and the ships are awesome.

Still think Tarkin looks terrible about 2/3 of the time, but he's also flawless at times. Still wish they had recast because it's one of the only real negatives for me.
Buck Compton
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AliasMan02 said:

Watched R1 tonight upon picking up my copy. Just a really good, solid movie. And so Star Wars. I think the production value overall is better than TFA, but maybe I've just watched TFA so many times it has lost its impact. The sets and costumes, the droids and the tech and the ships are awesome.

Still think Tarkin looks terrible about 2/3 of the time, but he's also flawless at times. Still wish they had recast because it's one of the only real negatives for me.
I understand why they did what they did (but wish they hadn't). My real problem with it is how terribly it is going to age. When you show this movie to a child or grandchild in 20 years, they're going to laugh at that part.
Farmer1906
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Buck Compton said:

AliasMan02 said:

Watched R1 tonight upon picking up my copy. Just a really good, solid movie. And so Star Wars. I think the production value overall is better than TFA, but maybe I've just watched TFA so many times it has lost its impact. The sets and costumes, the droids and the tech and the ships are awesome.

Still think Tarkin looks terrible about 2/3 of the time, but he's also flawless at times. Still wish they had recast because it's one of the only real negatives for me.
I understand why they did what they did (but wish they hadn't). My real problem with it is how terribly it is going to age. When you show this movie to a child or grandchild in 20 years, they're going to laugh at that part.
There will be a special edition that fixes it.
AliasMan02
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There exist lookalikes, especially with makeup. Hell, I think you could have passed Billie Lourde off as Leia in that one shot.
redline248
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You think they won't laugh at the effects in the original?
Flashdiaz
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redline248 said:

You think they won't laugh at the effects in the original?
if they do in my presence...

jbanda
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Then they'd look at you like...

The Collective
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We watched it last night. I really like the movie, but the first hour seemed jarring. The story is so off kilter early in the film. TFA is a more watchable film end to end.
Zombie Jon Snow
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CJS4715 said:

We watched it last night. I really like the movie, but the first hour seemed jarring. The story is so off kilter early in the film. TFA is a more watchable film end to end.

Sorry.....???...jarring in what way?

Just not a word I would use to describe it so I am curious.
Brian Earl Spilner
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I could see that criticism.

The first hour or so of the movie is not edited that great. It jumps around from random planet to planet, and the plot is fairly unfocused until the after Jyn asks the Rebels to steal the plans. IMO. And then there's Saw Gerrera.

But that said, it's not enough to ruin the movie because the third act is such a home run.
Brian Earl Spilner
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Overall, TFA is a better movie from beginning to end, with much more solid character development, for obvious reasons. But Rogue One does have the better third act.
Urban Ag
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CJS4715 said:

We watched it last night. I really like the movie, but the first hour seemed jarring. The story is so off kilter early in the film. TFA is a more watchable film end to end.
It's interesting how varied the comparison are between R1 and TFA. I find R1 a much better film myself. Not perfect, but very good. I put it solidly behind ESB at the #2 spot in the franchise.

I think I have watched TFA, end to end, at least 4 times now and maybe 5. I find it less watchable each time. For me, I feel like Abrams captured "the feel" of Star Wars well but just didn't deliver on the story, the dialogue, or many of the characters. So now that we are nearly 1.5 years removed from the premiere, this is kind of where I am at with it.

Rey was incredible. Daisy Ridley is an amazing find and she will carry most of the the next two in the series, in my opinion.

Harrison Ford as an aged Han Solo was absolutely nails. Really to the point that his performance touched me emotionally. My dad is the same age. So many parallels there. Still the tough guy but certainly softened on many fronts. Sans some terrible cheesy lines, I thought the return of Han and Chewie was brilliant, touching, and so well done overall.

And at this point I can't say I have much else to offer that is all that positive. Not necessarily negative, just not that positive.

Finn and Poe added little for me. And in Finn's case, the more I see of him the more it feels forced and PC. And the backstory is so implausible. He is supposedly taken from his family as a small child and indoctrinated for likely 20 years or so as a First Order Stormtrooper yet turns his cloak literally within hours of his first mission.

I recently watched ANH and had this thought that the aliens/monsters they delivered 40 years ago were as good or better than what we saw in TFA. Tatooine cantina better than Maz's watering hole. That simple.

Original trilogy war implement, stormtroopers, and officers were, IMO, much better that what was presented in TFA. Hoth battle is still so epic and none of the battles in TFA are even close.

At this point I can't stand the Kylo Ren character. I think Adam Driver is terribly cast here. And the whole vibe for the character, a Vader protege', is just wrong. The best thing they could do here is have him go severe dark side, no redemption, no turning back. I hope they do.


But my single biggest gripe is the TFA is literally a re-telling of ANH. And it's worse than I initially thought when you really think about it.

Luke/Obi Wan = Rey/Han

Vader/Obi Wan = Kylo/Han

Stuck on desert planet Tatooine, flee Imperials on the MF = Stuck on desert planet Jakuu, flee First Order on the MF

Taking droids to Alerdaan only to have it blown up by giant world destroying Death Star = Taking droid to Resistance only to have the resistance planets blown up by giant world destroying Star Killer base.

Hux/Weasley was terrible. Is this guy really the most authentic "military leader" type character they could cast? And the screeching, spittle flying, Nazi-esque, all hail the First Order scene, was truly cringe worthy/laughable.

And then of course, the same mission against all odds to destroy a massive, planet killing, space station just mere moment before it wipes the Resistance (Rebellion) off the face of the galaxy.

Funny thing is, kids are honest. My kids knew, they could feel, how badly I wanted to love this movie. But they are honest - yeah it was ok dad, pretty much the same movie as original Star Wars, right? can we get ice cream?

Don't get me wrong, I am totally invested in this and I'll be there for TLJ with nearly the same anticipation. I am enjoying what Disney is doing with the franchise. Can't say TFA was a swing and a miss, more of a foul ball.

TLDR, rant over.
AliasMan02
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Did you really feel the need to rehash the plot similarities to ANH? I feel like that has been covered.
Brian Earl Spilner
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Quote:

I recently watched ANH and had this thought that the aliens/monsters they delivered 40 years ago were as good or better than what we saw in TFA. Tatooine cantina better than Maz's watering hole. That simple.
Come on. I get the nostalgia but that's just not true.
Urban Ag
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Well, it's an opinion.

I'll put it this way. ANH cantina scene actually feels and looks like a bunch of Air America pilots, mercs, and assorted interstellar low lifes are boozing it up in a third world cantina in sub-saharan Africa.

Maz's place looks like leftovers from MIB.

Urban Ag
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AliasMan02 said:

Did you really feel the need to rehash the plot similarities to ANH? I feel like that has been covered.
Lol. So I DVR'd the OT and prequals around the holidays for material to watch when exercising. It took me awhile to get past bowl games and the playoffs, HBO's holiday season 1-5 GOT marathon, and then Taboo. So I hit Star Wars here recently when I ran out of material, in the order of TFA, prequels, OT. I had an 18 month later, WTF moment.

I also admit I have been in a state of TFA denial since late Dec, 2015.
The Collective
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Man, I like Adam Driver in TFA. I think the Kylo character is perfect. His whiny anger in the snow forest scene is great, imo.

Calling the beginning of Rogue One jarring... IDK, it's the best term I had. The planet jumping is a bit overwhelming to me - and it's not like I'm a casual fan. The Saw character sucks, and the mind reading creature makes the rathtars seem like a cool idea. I'm almost convinced that the same dumbass invented both creatures... he or she should be fired. Still, the beginning has some great moments. I like everything about the opening scene, and really enjoy Cassian the cold-blooded killer on the trading outpost.
The Collective
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My digested ranking:
ESB
ROTJ (come at me bro)
ANH
TFA / Rogue One (we go back and forth, back and forth)
ROTS
TPM
...
...
...
[insert creepy EWOK tv movies here]
AOTC
Brian Earl Spilner
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Swap ROTJ and ROTS and that's not a bad list.
The Collective
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Also, I thought I'd care even less about CGI Tarkin at home, but it looked worse. I felt like I was playing Rebel Assault II on my 386.
Cinco Ranch Aggie
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CJS4715 said:

My digested ranking:
ESB
ROTJ (come at me bro)
ANH
TFA / Rogue One (we go back and forth, back and forth)
ROTS
TPM
...
...
...
[insert creepy EWOK tv movies here]
AOTC

Where does the Star Wars Holiday Special fall in your rankings?
Zombie Jon Snow
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1A. ANH
1B. ESB - sorry yeah originality wins out
3. RO/TFA - tied I cannot differentiate yet, I like them both for different reasons (originality and killing everyone vs. nostalgia and style/music)
5. ROTJ

.......note there is a large quality gap between those above and those below, numerical order only not indication of how close they are

6. ROTS
....another sizable gap....
7. AOTC
8. TPM
.
.
.
.
.
.

.....and then we have pure garbage

Holiday special
Ewok movies
AliasMan02
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Gun to my head, I can only choose one to watch ever again:
ESB

THAT'S NOT AVAILABLE! PICK ANOTHER ONE! *chamberroundsound*
TFA

And so on:
RO
ANH
ROTJ
ROTS
TPM
AOTC

That said, TFA, RO, and ANH are all very close. I love them all for different reasons. Like picking between Leia, Jyn, and Rey.

My expectations for upcoming films are for TLJ to grab the #2 spot, Solo to drop in under ANH or ROTJ.
Brian Earl Spilner
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ESB - Perfect movie.
Saul Goodman
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Brian Earl Spilner said:

Overall, TFA is a better movie from beginning to end, with much more solid character development, for obvious reasons. But Rogue One does have the better third act.


Pretty much how I feel about it
Saul Goodman
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Zombie Jon Snow said:


1A. ANH
1B. ESB - sorry yeah originality wins out
3. RO/TFA - tied I cannot differentiate yet, I like them both for different reasons (originality and killing everyone vs. nostalgia and style/music)
5. ROTJ

.......note there is a large quality gap between those above and those below, numerical order only not indication of how close they are

6. ROTS
....another sizable gap....
7. AOTC
8. TPM
.
.
.
.
.
.

.....and then we have pure garbage

Holiday special
Ewok movies


This. I would only change ESB to outright #1 and ANH as 2.
Urban Ag
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Brian Earl Spilner said:

ESB - Perfect movie.
On this we agree. ESB is not only my favorite SW movie it's probably in my top 5 all time.
Zombie Jon Snow
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I certainly allow for those that put ESB ahead of ANH....I know I'm biased.

I often think or find that those that were old enough (like me) to see and appreciate SW (you may call it ANH, I only use that to differentiate it in things like lists) in theaters in 1977 will have a natural bias towards it.

to me:

ESB - better overall film, darker
SW (ANH) - originality and nostalgia and it's impact

And I just personally give SW (ANH) the edge for that reason. I recognize it's not "better" but it gets 1st place in my book by the narrowest of margins.

You would have to truly understand what movies and particularly Sci-Fi was before 1977 to know what it was like to have your world rocked like that. It changed EVERYTHING.
Urban Ag
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I was 3.5 years old in the summer of 77 when I saw ANH with my family. My only recollections are probably just implanted memories based on my mother telling me I hid my face every time Vader was on screen.

When I saw ESB in the summer of 80 I was between kinder and 1st grade. I can fully remember it, the theater, the excitement when mom and dad told us we were going, etc.

No question some of the bias stems from memories or lack thereof.
jokershady
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Slowing introducing these movies to my kids has been great and allowed me to re-experience my fun with them in a way.

What's I find weird is that while I love ESB, I don't hold it quite as high as others...it's a great movie...I just enjoyed another one more.

I prefer:

1. RO: get goosebumps every time as the end draws near...and after watching a second time and knowing more the story was much easier to follow and I even caught a few things I had missed upon first viewing
2. ESB
3. TFA: I've still only seen this once so can't speak for re-watchability...but man I was loving it in the theatre
4. ANH
5a. ROTJ
5b. ROTS
7. TPM
8. AOTC
Ulrich
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IMO, if TFA and R1 were each one off SciFi movies, TFA is better. After a rewatch, it's that the plot was rehashed that is my only real gripe. The rathtars... aren't great. But they do at least fit into the plot, unlike the mind reader and Forrest Whittaker.

R1 had a killer opening scene, an hour of schizophrenia, and closed very strong.
Zombie Jon Snow
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Yep....3.5 would have been too young to fully get SW....and WAY too young to know how bad everything was before that (in sci-fi particularly).

I was 11 when SW (ANH) came out. A perfect age for it I think and old enough to have been well aware of the garbage that came before it. Sci-Fi before that was a joke really. Literally strings on flying saucer or man in a bad robot suit type movies and/or weird "deep" stuff like 2001. Not kid oriented and high quality - you never got both of those.

I mean the closest was Planet of the Apes and it was not much "sci-fi" really.
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