Judging by the comments here, it seems to me that the movie doesn't make it clear who has dis/advantage, when and why.
I'll agree with that. There's definitely a lot of stuff that you have to assume, or it gets a bit weird.
I think that is somewhat preferable to overexplaining. Like the force-mental-interregation, a long bit where two characters just silently stare at each other and one of them waives his hand around a bit. And from the little motions of the characters and the few lines afterwards you get what happened and it was enough of an explanation without any extra "I'm mind probing you now!" "No! I'm resisting." "How can you be so strong! Oh no!" -dialogue mixed in.
Overexplanation is a result of poor script writing and directing. There aren't enough subtleties in TWA to get what's going on without making assumptions.
Therefore ambiguities are in places where they really don't need to be.
For example: the mind reading battle between Rei and Kylo. Its clear she's resisting yes. If you look again it's literally just a staring contest.
The could have found a very simple way to illustrate that a mind battle was happening. Like a static hair effect. Using more 'force' would could cause more hair to stand on end.
Or even, some subtle light effects CGIed under the skin (might reason why there's a light/ dark side to the force) as mind powers focus and fluctuate.
Or even to actually show visually show what memories Kylo was trying to access only to have them fade away in a fog as Rei resists more. And when the battle is in her favour they could then show what memories of Kylo sje was able to 'see'.
But there isn't anything like that. They just stare at each other, then Rei is declared the winner. Slightly cringe worthy.
I totally disagree. This works because of the changing themes in the music, the camera angles, and all the other movie making stuff that isn't dialogue and special effects.
Rey mind-raping Kylo Ren is where she learns how to do things like Jedi Mind Talk the storm trooper into letting her go, how to do force pulls and pushes, and stuff with the light saber later.
Rey mind-raping Kylo Ren is where she learns how to do things like Jedi Mind Talk the storm trooper into letting her go, how to do force pulls and pushes, and stuff with the light saber later.
Did she actually? Or do you just infer that without any actual reason to believe that?
Before then, how many times had she used Jedi mind trick stuff? Kylo doing it to her made her realize not only could she defeat him, but do similar herself. Her next scene is her trying out her mind powers for the first time. Coincidence? I don't think so.
That is what I thought when watching the movie, anyway. It still makes sense to me.
This review is so suspect. The reviewer keeps pointing out why it's good for fans and calls out references from the original.
Of course, the original fans will always be a huge part of the Star Wars galaxy. And there were delightful moments in The Force Awakens that were created for them: when Han makes a trash compactor joke and when Finn accidentally turns on the holographic chess game in the Millennium Falcon, not to mention Cantina 2.0 and all the fade transitions.
Why does that matter at all to a first time viewer? How does the reviewer know what the references are.
The reviewer doesn't really say why it was good for them personally. More for fans.
He could still tell the film showed appreciation for both new and old fans, just as any good resurrections of franchises do such as Mad Max: Fury Road or Creed. It's the same principal of introducing anyone to a new genre; it's fantastic if a movie can satisfy novices AND veterans. You don't have to be genre/franchise savvy to understand people's reaction.
I feel you could apply all those questions to the Prequels as well if you were trying to find a professional review of someone who didn't know anything about Star Wars before seeing The Phantom Menace in 1999. The hype was just so much heavier because we transitioned from cultural-defining cinema to sloppy filmmaking. Now that expectations are lowered, fans are more receptive to a callback to the originals.
Indeed, it was attempted once before some 16 years ago, and The Phantom Menace failed spectacularly: It managed to neither please the fans of the originals nor provide the potential fans coming of age in the late 1990s their own New Hope.
The Force Awakens does. If Anakin “I don’t like sand” Skywalker was meant to offer my generation a ticket into an unknown galaxy, it’s no wonder I didn’t get into Star Wars as a kid.
This is why I don't blame JJ Abrams or Disney for wanting to take a safer route and reintroduce Star Wars to people using beats from A New Hope. Most people remember The Prequels as the last big Star Wars entry and 95% of the hardcore fanbase/casual audience wants to wash that taste out of their mouths.
Jedi Mind trick stuff: Yes. Force pulls and pushes and light saber combat: No.
Maybe you can make the argument that she is an adept and can understand and mimic an opponent this would at least make it understandable when she for a short moment observes Finn battle Kylo Ren (though I am not sure whether she ever sees Kylo Ren using "force-kinetics").
The problems in any case remains the same: 1) That she has this ability is not properly conveyed, and 2) You don't see her struggle, fail and learn with these skills. This does not let the audience empathize with the character and vicariously grow with the character.
Actually, when she first tries the Jedi mind trick, it doesn't work first time. But it isn't a true failure, because there are no consequences for her. She just tries again, and she gets it.
Yea, the movie really does improve with multiple viewings. A lot of the "plot holes" are just things done subtlety or even not subtly just during a scene with a lot of other stuff going on. My Opinion of the movie is actually increasing as I get farther away from my first viewing of it.
I do like that theory, but there's no way it can be real. The force is not strong with the Moff. Not only is Tarkin dead, with no possibility of surviving in the fiction. Peter Cushing is also dead. Don't hold your breath.
I will forgive all flaws in the franchise if Episode VIII or IX has a dramatic scene revealing that they were wrong about midichlorians this whole time, and the explanation goes back to something mysterious.
Comments
Rey mind-raping Kylo Ren is where she learns how to do things like Jedi Mind Talk the storm trooper into letting her go, how to do force pulls and pushes, and stuff with the light saber later.
That is what I thought when watching the movie, anyway. It still makes sense to me.
I feel you could apply all those questions to the Prequels as well if you were trying to find a professional review of someone who didn't know anything about Star Wars before seeing The Phantom Menace in 1999. The hype was just so much heavier because we transitioned from cultural-defining cinema to sloppy filmmaking. Now that expectations are lowered, fans are more receptive to a callback to the originals.
Maybe you can make the argument that she is an adept and can understand and mimic an opponent this would at least make it understandable when she for a short moment observes Finn battle Kylo Ren (though I am not sure whether she ever sees Kylo Ren using "force-kinetics").
The problems in any case remains the same: 1) That she has this ability is not properly conveyed, and 2) You don't see her struggle, fail and learn with these skills. This does not let the audience empathize with the character and vicariously grow with the character.
There, I just saved you 20 boobless minutes.
this is the only star wars theory i like https://t.co/IaKklzlWgh
2. They have already recovered Vader's helmet, and Luke's light saber, so why not recover Tarkin as Snook?
1. He is a hologram. He can pretend to have the force, and Kylo Ren wouldn't know the difference.