General grievances (random fan rants)

I'll see this later, but I think that generally people who hate that Lucas didn't meet their expectations, give the other team members credit that they didn't deserved (if I can say so). That's why Kasdan and other are somehow overestimated and Lucas is "the bad" and "non-talented" one that is, of course a total nonsense.

All of that can be recognised, and yet...

TFA does have some delicacy and nuance to it. It's a little soft and tender; and the whole thing plays like a little dream.

I was watching it again last night. Well, the second half. I figured I'd just put the film on after Rey opens the chest and goes through that vision sequence in Maz's castle. "I'll just watch the next 10 or 15 minutes," I said to myself. I watched all the way to the end credits. 

A fine little film with some cool stuff in it. The one thing that really stands out after the prequels, though, and has since it came out, is the amazing lack of scale and grandeur. JJ definitely threw the gear stick in reverse there. Still, it plays out in something of an enchanting way, and I noticed the beauty of Han's characterisation like never before, having recently watched "Solo" for the first time. The beautiful colours and filmic appearance of the image were also really appreciated after watching the Obi-Wan series. Even the effects work, while never astounding, is controlled and satisfying. The green holograms on the Resistance base actually do look pretty nice; the way JJ has them stretched like a gauze over the actors' faces brings a lullaby feel. And the crust of Starkiller Base rupturing is a pretty cool moment as parked TIEs are swallowed up and a critical alarm wails inside the control room. Slick camera work, JJ.

Heck, even the duelling at the end seemed less absurd than it used to. I really noticed this time how Finn and Rey were doing their best to withstand Kylo in his weakened state. Finn does more to wound Kylo early on than Rey manages (she flails more than he does and basically retreats), but Kylo quickly recovers enough strength after thumping his flank to see Finn off. He is comfortably pushing Rey back, all the way to the cliff edge, until he goes a bit soft on her and pledges himself, a bit Anakin-at-the-fireplace-like, to be her teacher. This is when the tables are suddenly turned and Rey goes deep inside and uses the Force to get the better of him. I used to think the film turned the Force into a bit of a joke when Kylo captured Rey and she broke out of her shackles by mind-tricking that stormtrooper. But this time, it seemed more like she was feeling behind her surface emotions, concentrating on a deeper feeling she likely began to grasp more distinctly after Kylo invaded her mind, capitalising on what Maz told her. 

I dunno. TFA... sorta seemed.... better... this time. Not perfect, not ideal, but better. I've always liked the lush feel JJ gave the movie. The end of the movie with Luke standing at the cliff edge made me think Star Wars is more like some ancient Celtic nature poem or something; all the machinery and technology being, of course, hints of a dystopian onslaught, some strange cosmic transformation, to come. Luke looks very Druidic at the end. Rey holding out Anakin's lightsaber to him is very mythical and very meta. It represents JJ asking a question: "What will you (Rian Johnson and whomever) do with Star Wars now?" 

*sigh* 

Then there's the nostalgia angle -- the nostalgia of the movie being a thing in the ocean of time. 2015 already seems like quite a while ago. It's impossible for me to strongly dislike TFA. It evokes a mixture of warm emotions and a sense of comfort I can't quite put my finger on.

Yeah, I believe that comes up in the story conferences in The Making of Return of the Jedi. I feel Kasdan sometimes comes out as needlessly obtuse and unable to read between the lines. IIRC, George was explaining the difference between the roles of Obi-Wan and Yoda, or the roles of a Jedi Knight and a Jedi Master, which is the same difference between a warrior and a priest. Yoda and the Emperor have the positions of "priests". They teach and preach, they don't necessarily go out there swinging their lightsaber and getting their hands dirty. Their role is more spiritual than physical. That doesn't mean Obi-Wan and Vader are not spiritual or that Yoda and the Emperor are not physical. It's simply the archetype or social role they are meant to play in the story.

Yes, I agree for the most part. Abrams and Kasdan weren't brave enough to touch on the spiritual aspects of Star Wars. On the surface, that would be a good thing, considering their ignorance and misunderstanding about the underlying mythology is evident in the many interviews they have given, not just for the movie but over the years. So they played safe and avoided it entirely.

But I think the fact that they placed Han in the role of the mentor (which was meant for Luke) is also part of their decision to play safe and satisfy their own nostalgia.

I've said it before, people can gush for Han all they want and pretend that it's the fan favourite, but (not unlike Han), it's playing a facade. It's a superficial appeal. In the end, Luke is who people really care about. Han was as mistreated as a character in TFA as Luke was in TLJ, but you don't hear people complaining about Han. For the most part, they didn't mind. Some even applauded the u-turn. But you did hear people complain about Luke in a significant scale. Of course, after the damage they've done, they are now using Luke the Jedi as a memberberry in a hollow attempt buy back some goodwill from fandom.

Even if they ignored the sequels, it still rings hollow because it's being done just to get a momentary emotional response from the audience, and not because the story asked for it.

The centrality of Han and the sentimentality surrounding his death certainly show a bias and a deficiency in imagination on the part of Kasdan and Abrams. And yes, having it be Han instead of Luke, when it really should have been Luke, was definitely done for the nostalgia points. On the other hand, Kasdan went on to write "Solo", which doesn't do a half-bad job of trying to lend the character a bit more depth in the OT and in TFA. I could appreciate Han choosing to stay behind and help the Resistance fighters on Starkiller Base with new eyes on my last viewing, as well as his poignant attempt to reach out to his son.  


Yeah, that could be well be reflected in the poor box office performance of the aforementioned "Solo". Fans were still dealing -- or reeling -- with what happened with Luke, and there just isn't the same appeal to Han, no matter how much they tried to capitalise on his popularity from the OT. Fans developed their devotion to Star Wars because of the Jedi and the Force and the mysticism surrounding both. They can be distracted with other characters and ideas for a while, but in the end, it's the "meat" they're looking for, and all the other stuff is merely a side dish. 

tonyg
So did you watch the video i sent you?

People are always complaining about something, Joe.

Sort of. You really need to quote whomever you're quoting properly and give a name/source and maybe use a quote box. 

Either way, don't worry too much about random complaining. It isn't worth it.