NOTE: THIS DISCUSSION MAY INCLUDE SPOILERS THAT REVEAL THE ENDING OR KEY PLOT POINTS OF THE NEW STAR WARS MOVIE.
What did you think? We liked the movie. I felt that it was essentially a remake of the very first Star Wars (now called “A New Hope”), but in a good way. Interestingly, my kids were not really interested in Han and Leia, but very much liked the new, young actors. We all thought Daisy Ridley was excellent, but were divided on Oscar Isaac (the kids liked him more than my wife and I did).
As for the plot, I was predicting that Luke would turn out to have gone to the dark side, so obviously I was wrong. Still, the identity of Kylo Ren was one of the other most likely choices.
Loved it, and my boys all thought it was close to perfect. I thought Oscar was quite good in his role. Loved having Han back in such a major way. I had no recollection that Kylo Ren even existed before the movie.
All in all it was fun to see Star Wars back on track.
Well, Kylo Ren didn’t exactly exist before this movie. My son, who has read a whole bunch of Star Wars “Expanded Universe” books and other stuff, tells me that the storyline (which may be totally erased by the movies) has been that Han and Leia had twin children, a boy and a girl. I think it could well be that Rey will turn out to be their daughter (who, for some reason or other, they thought was dead, etc.).
One thing that amused me was C3PO’s red arm, which reverts to normal by the end of the movie. My theory is that it existed just so they could sell variant red-arm toys. My wife thinks it was because somebody needs to have a severed arm (or hand) in every Star Wars movie.
It was a bit of a rehash, with too much twincest and father/son issues but still great fun. I hope they will free to branch out from here and not have too many more Death Stars
I really liked seeing the older Han and Leia, Looking normally gray and older.
Dragged to it last night (not much of a sci fi fan) and was depressed seeing Ford, Fisher, and Hamill and realizing that we’re not the hot young ones anymore.
To me it seemed like they are coasting on Star Wars nostalgia. Boomers and X’ers are going to go out in droves to see the movie, and then the millenials will too because of the prequels. Disney will make back half of its $4B investment on this first installment alone.
The new characters were not developed enough for me to care what was happening to them. It seemed like they jumped in to the action too quickly.
I loved this film. I loved seeing the original cast who still look damn good. I loved the call backs to A New Hope, and wasn’t even bothered by the return of the Death Star because it was all executed so well. I especially loved how real it was, they really balanced actual sets with great CGI.
I’ve been having some great discussions on the mysteries surrounding this film.
Rey: Who are her parents? Was she a youngling? I’m leaning towards her being a Skywalker because of her link to Anakin/Luke’s lightsaber. But then who was her mother? Why was she abandoned?
Kylo Ren: What was his motivation for turning? There’s a theory that he’s like Severus Snape, and is actually a double agent, but I don’t think he’s stable enough for that. Anakin had an almost noble reason to turn, his attachment to those he loved. Ren doesn’t seem to have that motivation, so what is it? Did Han miss too many Jedi recitals?
Snoke: Is he Darth Plagueis or Darth Sidious? Both of those Sith Lords supposedly knew the truth of defeating death. Or is he something even more ancient?
Map to Luke: My theory is that Luke has found the first Temple and that’s where Rey and Chewie find him.
I don’t think she’s Luke’s daughter, because there isn’t a plausible character from the first trilogy to be her mother, and usually there’s conservation of characters. As I said above, my best theory is that she’s Han and Leia’s believed-to-be-dead daughter.
I hate the name, but like the look. My theory is that he’s actually about six inches tall.
My question is whether Finn is Force-sensitive. Kylo Ren seems to sense something off about him, so maybe. Perhaps he was stolen from the Windu family.
I just saw the movie and I was not wowed by it. There was no romance, dark side was not dark enough (for goodness sake he was beaten by a girl who was not even trained yet as a Jedi), and he was not handsome enough. There was not enough drama in killing of the father- there could have been, “I feel the force and his training is complete.”
There was just too much shooting and a lot of flying objects without a lot of drama. I was a die hard Star War fan, I think I spent all of my babysitting money to see the first movie multiple times. I was disappointed.
The highest praise I’ve heard so far in this household was, it wasn’t AWFUL. D and I were pleased that Rey had such a leadership role and feel that will appeal to females everywhere.
I think Rey may be Kylo Renn’s sister and he knows it. The particular scorn he put into saying, “so you’re the GIRL I’ve heard so much about”, and how he sneered at her about how Han Solo, “was like your long lost father”. He knows something.
I’m a huge Star Wars fangirl, and I was pleased with the movie. In fact, I was very skeptical walking in, but totally fell in love. Even though it is very derivative of the first movie.
@Hunt I’ve read many of the Expanded Universe books, and they are officially not official – nothing that happens in them apply to this new movie. So Han and Leia’s 3 kids? Irrelevant. Even though one of them (Jacen) did go evil. What’s confusing to us EU fans is that Luke’s son was named Ben in the books, and now Ben is Han and Leia’s kid.
Very happy with Oscar Isaac, and the novelization hints that the romance might be between him and Rey. And beyond thrilled that the main character was a woman. A friend of mine who has a 7-year-old girl says her daughter is absolutely entranced with Rey.
@intparent There were female Jedis in the prequels. Just in the background, though.
If Rey is Luke’s kid, I’d be very disappointed that he just left her on (yet another) desert planet. As it is, I’m disappointed that he abandoned the fight after Kylo Ren turned to the dark side, and sad that Han and Leia couldn’t survive that either.