Really loved this review, not because it affirmed what I already felt about the movie, but the opposite. I probably fell way more into the camp of "Its a New Hope rehash, not original at all, disappointed that they didn't try something new" before this review. This review did an awesome job of showing that they DID do alot of new things along with the obvious story elements that were recycled. Also that point you made around the 27-28:00 minute mark about Abrams not cutting away to shots of the explosions but instead keeping our attention on the characters and building the mise-en-scene with the characters at the forefront of every shot was a brilliant point. It's something so subtle that unless you have a keen eye for these things and really have an analytical view of the film you would totally miss it and not think anything of it (like I did at first). You've got an eye for this Chris, really great work!
Tomás Barreto Gave it an 8/10 when i first saw it, after seeing it again a few times i bumped it up to a 9/10. my only criticisms were the use of CGI unnecessarily and the fact that it used a little too much from A New Hope
+csgskate Now I understand why Michael Bay annoys me so much XD, I kinda got it subconsciously I guess. While in transformers it was like..."omg pew pew... Michael bay
@@tuomaslouhisalo286 Absolutely. They will always want the new movies to be exactly like the original three and that will never be the case. Have to meet the new ones on their own terms.
Thumbs up for the Plinkett-esque voiceover and editing Chris. And very well executed too! Strong enough to be understood by everyone, yet subtle enough to be a tribute but not a ripoff. Kinda like The Force Awakens actually. :-) Respect from Greece.
I guess I'm in the minority, I loved Maz Kanata, she was funny, quirky and I liked how she gave a certain motherly warmth towards Rey. And her character didn't remind of the prequels whatsoever. The only thing that reminded of the prequels was when one character yelled "That's MYYY Ship!"
+123rockfan I really liked her too! I didnt find her CGI bad at all she really fit in well for me. I agree about Snoke kinda sucking (CGI was ok) but Maz was a funny interesting alien character for me :)
+123rockfan But what about that cringey talk she gave about the force? Stating at the beginning that she doesn't really know it then tells it like yoda did.
well done Chris Stuckman you completely changed my mind on the force awakens! I thought at first it was mediocre because I grew up with star wars and too use to knowing it. But you made me realize how well done it is and now I rewatched the movie after I saw this video and you inspired me to appreciate movies more and become a film maker! Thank you so much!
I feel like you're being completely sarcastic. You are becoming a film maker after hearing this video? hmmm. If so, cool. Doubt your sincerity though. :-)
+electricmastro yeah but I can't help but look at that cynically (tho i liked the movie). The one guy who got shat on for his acting (unfairly I think) the entire OT just happens to be both the main focus and not have to say a word? Very convenient. But the 'tell me don't show me' thing with Luke leaves out what people really want to see about the most powerful Jedi. At least in this first part of the trilogy, maybe they fix it in the other 2.
I can understand wanting to see a new plot structure. But to be honest, if it's done right and is well written. I seriously don't have a problem with it. Which is why I liked force awakens so much. It used just the right amount of old and new to be a completely different experience.
+Big Boss (Naked Snake) I slightly disagree with the notion that it used just the right amount of old and new, as I think that it uses a little more old than it probably should have, and I'm not referring to aesthetics, but I'm glad you didn't take any issue in the originality department at all.
Well we all love the Indiana jones trilogy so much and yet theyre basically the same, while the original and prequel trilogy were very aesthetically different, the stories were very similar, but i dont mind
People also seem to forget that the main point of the force awakens was to introduce the caracters and their stories and it did that perfectly. It now made a great foundation for the other 2 movies and probably spinoffs
JJ and Larry Kasdan and Michael Arndt had their balls in a vice. Do something different. Skewered. Do the same shit. Skewered. Have minority casting. Skewered. Have all white casting with a couple of token minority characters thrown in. Skewered. Every decision they made was going to be scrutinized to the tenth degree because Star Wars fans are put plain and simply, psychotic. To think that they could please everyone 100% of the time was silly. And they knew that in spades going in. I'd say they did a pretty decent job regarding the circumstances.
Another thing that people aren't seeing is that the story plots are completely different. The First Order wanted to neutralize the heart of the Republic by vaporizing the galactic senate as well as most of the Republic's fleet. The Resistance wanted justice by retaliation and to find Luke. People are failing to see the bigger picture by thinking the only plot was only to destroy the giant threat. In reality super weapons are just futuristic tools used to get things done.
It's not just that. I mean, young person living in the desert, finds a companion, leaves the planet while being chased, wild cantina with weird things going on, mentor of the main character getting killed by the bad guy, etc. etc.
***** i recommend you "Star Wars Formula" video from Chris stuckman. He agrees with the idea that episode 1 is unoriginal in what matters. It only looks different.
This video was brilliant and so enjoyable to watch. Quite frankly, I'm sad it's already over; I could easyly watch another 40 minutes of you analyzing Star Wars. I'm so glad, you do what you do, Chris. You are awesome, thank you :)
I personally loved the score. Reys theme. Jedi steps. Kylo rens theme. And beautifully tied to the original themes. The best score of all the new films.
Yeah, but they did seem just a tad phoned in to what we could have gotten otherwise. He is right about the action cues. If anything, Last Jedi, like it or not, did feel like the John Williams score we could have gotten with TFA.
Great to see you address reviewers avoiding talking about the filmmaking. I've noticed it recently too, and discussing the practical side is so damn interesting!
I left the theater thinking the worst part of this movie was the new Death Star. Now, the worst part is the haters who seem to have a special mission to force their opinion on others. Great video! You really highlight TFA's strengths. It's proof that it's not the story, but how you tell it!
The Force awakens is basically the story of King Arthur, Rey is a lowly peasant who is secretly more important than she thinks, Kylo Ren is a black knight ( even his sword shows this) along with his Knights of Ren, and in the end when the lightsaber is stuck in the snow, Kylo Ren struggles to grab it, while surprisingly Rey is the one to pull out the lightsaber which is essentially the excalibur of the universe, and in the end she seeks guidance from Luke, who is Merlin
+Angelo Pro or is it just another Disney`s princess story, but somewhat like CInderella`s origin-wise. A lonely forgotten female in a place where she has to do some dirty work for unthankful creatures, yet, suddenly she is extremely powerful, unique and important to everyone she meets due to a line of convenient random ocassions, proving that big naive eyes, selfless generosity and genetic heritage are the keys to everything miss universe wants in her life. Two goofy sidekicks, a parent figure and a couple of shallow handsome boys added to the mix.
ChubberJ Fair enough. Brainless factory assembled Star Wars is the thing for you. I'm sure you'll enjoy everything Disney will have to offer in the decades to come.
It’s amazing how far we’ve come. Peoples main issue with TFA was it was too similar to A New Hope. Now Last Jedi has been ripped to shreds for going out of the box. Now the prequels are being viewed as some underrated piece of art. These movies will be praised when the new trilogy comes out and it has nothing to do with Skywalkers. Star Wars fans are the worst group in the galaxy
Jeff Miller you are a man of facts. I LOVE every single Star Wars film, they are all my favourite films ever and they always have been. I am one of the few who has always loved the prequels, but I guess it’s because I grew up with them and I could be wearing nostalgia goggles, I’m not sure, and love the Disney era. I love every Star Wars film in existence and I always will
Jeff Miller Yeah it’s actually amazing. It’s a real shame because I loved the Force Awakens and I’m not a huge fan of Last Jedi, but I respect it a lot. Strange how first it’s too much like StarWars and now it’s too different.
Jimb0 Yeah. The only redeeming qualities I remember are I like Rey and Kylo Ren was okay but it felt like this redemption arc was already debunked in Rise Of Skywalker.
Jimb0 Yeah I kinda agree. I still like Rey and think she’s fine in this film but Kylo was just odd here. I also think their relationship was well handled in The Last Jedi. Again it felt like the idea of Kylo being redeemed was explored already in Last Jedi so it doesn’t work here.
I wanted to love the movie and I did very much! In my opinion it's one of the best Star Wars movies and it has the best humor, and Kylo Ren is the best villian since Darth Vader and he's more interesting
Also it's confirmed that Captain Phasma will be back in Episode 8 and she'll have a big role XD so very excited for that. She looks super badass and love her armor. Hopefully she actually is badass in the next one lol
Sunset Shimmer the Magical Virgin Smelling Buttshaking Unicorn (Aka Captain Phasma) Yes I was dissapointed we didn't see more of her, so I was glad to hear she will be coming back.
Belz Zebuth The opening of the movie gave me chills! XD I was so happy because it took the classic Star Wars approach with the opening crawl, to the camera panning down, to there being a giant ship. That's how every Star Wars movie should open to give it that dramatic and exciting pull on the audience
Belz Zebuth and of course with the classic 3 paragraph summary of what's been going on in the story since the previous film to instantly keep the audience intrigued with mystery
I think Chris kinda sounding like Mr. Plinkett is meant to illustrate an important point he makes in the video. He may sound similar and do things similarly to RedLetterMedia in the video, but the structure of the analysis is actually quite different. Anybody? Just me? Okay.
Jala Perkins Yeah, just a lot of people have been pointing it out in the comments. I couldn't really be bothered by it, but I like how he does these videos.
TFA is a great movie. Your criticisms are spot on. The Rathtars, Maz Kanata and Snoke were the weakest elements/characters. BUT Starkiller base is AWESOME. It's pure Star Wars. That whole sequence is SUPERB. The aesthetic is excellent, it looks and feels like classic Star Wars. It felt like a new death star. the snow planet was reminiscent of Hoth, the X wing assault and lightsaber duel were both fantastic. A lot of dramatic moments happened on Starkiller base. Moment to moment, the final 30-40 minutes of TFA are brilliant. Starkiller base was the culmination of 32 years of waiting, it was an amalgamation of many great elements from the original trilogy.
+Michael Fraser I really think your just jumping on the same bus if people that just criticise the few points compared to the rest of the movie. I thought the planet shows us the strength of the first order and let's be honest, the first order/imperials are obviously going to have a base somewhere... It was a planet, the first order didn't control every inch of the planet, just a base.
My bigges problem was that it is the same Status Quo than in the OT with Rebels vs Empire. It was a very uninspired choice and Anakin's/Dath Vaders storyarchs are heavily undermined by that, all they did in the PT and OT was pretty much useless in the end
Now i'm more hyped for Rogue One cause it might be the first Star Wars movie not to follow that traditional storytelling weather or not that's a good thing is determined but excited to see the outcome :D.
I understand and enjoyed your analysis... but this video is implying that there are a shit ton of people criticizing the movie. I feel like this video is defending The Force Awakens when clearly doesn't need much defending at all. It's has a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes currently.
+striderpsv An understandable mistake. Strongly critical viewers may be a relatively small minority, but within such an enormous audience that's still a lot of people. And if you go to one negative review on UA-cam, it will link you others, and before you know it, you might find yourself in a world where everybody seems to hate Force Awakens.
Have you seen the RedLetterMedia video about TFA All the top comments are either "Wtf, this movie was the worst" "All reviewers that say it's good are paid by Disney, because there is no way to find that piece of shit good" "I respected you RLM for your reviews but I was disappointed that you liked that Movie" "Fuck JJ Abrams and Disney they ruined Star Wars for me" and so on People complaining about a movie like it started a world war
Thanks for this analysis. I can say the same thing about the Toy Story trilogy (or really any Pixar movie except Cars 1-2, Brave, Monsters University and the Good Dinosaur (because they tried to do something different)). All three follows a formula and they all are excellent movies, Toy Story 3 is definitely my favourite. It pays homage to first two, introducing newer interesting characters, dialogue and a suspenseful escape plan that was better than the first two Toy Stories and ending the trilogy on such a high note, it was so perfect, the only people I can think that don't enjoy it are people who have never played with Toys, or blind YMS fans (by which I mean people who eat up everything he says without considering watching the movie themselves). And as for Toy Story 4, well I hope it will bring more Joy to one of the best franchises every, in the words of Chris Stuckmann: "I grew up loving this franchise, it is very near and dear to my heart, and it could ruin me if it was bad"
Imagine if they weren't announcing Mark Hamill to be in this movie, if they would've said he'll join in episode 8. Imagine the reaction of watching him in that final scene...
+idk That's because like JJ Abrams, Stuckmann is a hack that can only steal other people's styles to justify himself. This literally was a copy of RLM's Plinkett reviews and it brought nothing new to the table.......just like Star Wars VII.
+Andrew Velasquez (TwoHundredLeftFeet) Please explain to me in what ways did Stuckmann rip off Plinkett. I've seen all of Plinkett's videos, and nothing in this video seems like a rip off to me.
Ryan Grille Ok, so either you're kidding me or have never seen Plinkett's Star Wars Prequel reviews before. The easiest comparisons are the fact that Stuckmann literally rips off the monotone narration voice of Plinkett ad verbatim, uses a similar sounding background song as the PT reviews by Plinkett, uses the same pacing as his reviews, uses the same visual formula as the Plinkett reviews and much more. How do you not see it? This guy is a fucking RLM poser.
dabeastlykilla62 I never said the points weren't valid. I just wish he'd use his OWN CREATIVITY to convey them. Instead he resorts to literally copying RLM's Plinkett formula to a T in order to look "cool and funny".
***** I'm one of the folks who thinks of ROTJ as the lesser of the originals (but still good), but I'm curious to hear your thoughts. Like, do you think ANH is more flawed, or do you think ROTJ has greater heights? Both?
***** Practically every good point you listed I thoroughly agree with. I love the entire exchange with the Emperor (except arguably the notion that it's not convincing that Luke is really being tempted) and all sorts. A lot of the things I don't like are a lot of the problems Chris Stuckman brought up in his own review, also some parts feel like padding. I don't see why they couldn't have begin the escape after killing the rancor. Also, considering that Han was originally intended to die, his involvement in the rest of the movie doesn't feel like it has much purpose. He even feels a little less rogue than we know him for. I know he's changed and everything, but when he's with the Ewoks he does feel kind of kids' show-ish (like when he gave that "oh well" shrug when the Ewoks caught the Stormtroopers for him). And while a lot of people like the role reversal of the "I love you" "I know" part, that one kind of gets a groan out of me. All in all, I still really like the movie, but it does feel like Lucas was clawing his way in there at times.
Movie Fans: "BEST MOVIE EVER" or "WORST MOVIE EVER" there is never an in-between. The movie was great and it was what it needed to be. A good Star Wars movie.
+Joe Kresl I think that's not true. Most movie-fans are in-between. The "BEST MOVIE EVER" or "WORST MOVIE EVER" - guys are just the ones, who scream the loudest...
+Joe Kresl Haha, he compares Creed to Force awakens in the area of lacking originality. Thats idiotic on so many levels. Rocky movies are movies with a very limiting premise. Its about boxing and life!!!!!!!! You cant make a rocky movie be about figure skating in another dimension or fighting demons in the underground. That comparison he made is cheap and it really shows how incapable of being objective he is. Do you know why people didnt bash Jurrasic world on lacking originality? Its because its a stupid spectacle movie that has a very limiting premise. There are dinosaurs in a park, they escape and kill stuff. Star wars universe is a universe with unlimited potential... and what do they do.. they carbon copy most the plot points from prior movies. That is beyond unforgivable for anyone that cares about originality even a bit. I face-palmed and shook my head in disbelief when you said that this movie MADE YOU REALIZE WHY YOU LOVE FILM. If this movie makes you realize that: "well then you are lost!"
That quote from Dan Murrel is just my cup of tea. I feel like this video actually taught me something. Thanks Chris! You always make the watch worth it.
The Force Awakens is a by-the-books modern day blockbuster movie with a big budget and Star Wars in the title. It's an extremely safe movie that takes no chances, made by a committee instead of by an artist with a vision. The Force Awakens is essentially fan-fiction with a 200 million dollar budget.
+SuperHns What I mean is that the film feels like a generic Hollywood sci-fi film. The only thing special about it is that it has Star Wars in the title.
+WackySwacky well if it was too different fanboys will moan. the film is basicly a re-introduction to the franchise and its a good base to build the rest of the trilogy. the heart was in the effects the acting the direction ect. you cant say its heartless bexause the story is slightly generic.
TrlSTlx We all saw that coming from a mile away. As soon as Ren told Snoke that he wouldn't be tempted by his father it was as clear as day that Han was going to die. His death was foreshadowed a million times in the movie. Not to mention that fact that Harrison himself wanted his character die in the previous film anyway. I wouldn't call that taking a risk. I would call that a cheap way to get people invested in the plot.
I also liked how 3D was used in this movie. In addition to simply enhancing the visual appeal of the scenery, every time an object popped out of the screen, it appeared to be justifiable as a way to enhance story-telling instead of being mere "in your face" technological show-off. Maybe I'm over-interpreting a bit sometimes but here's a list of each noticeable uses of 3D that I remember seeing and how I think each one served the story pretty well: 1-When BB-8 comes close to the camera in the first shot he's in (or she?), the use of 3D makes it feel intimate and we can easily tell he's afraid of something coming on the horizon despite the fact he doesn't have human facial features to convey emotions in the usual way. 2-When Rey puts her staff in the net pocket alongside her "tractor", the fact that it pops out of the screen and almost feels like it's poking your eyes prevents the audience from underestimating the power she can convey through this apparently technology-less object she caries around for self-defence. She may still be poor and early in her character arc but she already proves to be a strong and independent woman waiting for an opportunity to prove her capabilities. 3-In a scene transition at some point, when we see a static star-destroyer introducing the next scene, the use of 3D enhances the wedge-like and piercing shape of the ship, which helps convey the interpretation of that design as a way to symbolize the ambition of the first-order to pierce through the galactic harmony and force their way in to impose their law with an iron-fist, like the imperial star destroyers used to do. 4-When Kylo Ren approaches his lightsaber to Rey's neck, the use of 3D helps us feel Rey's reaction of fear, which enhances our impression of Kylo Ren as a threatening and dangerous character. Conveying this impression successfully is crucial to his character development since we later learn he's doing his best to appear as intimidating as possible despite a lack of self-confidence. The use of 3D when he stops a laser blast in mid-air earlier in the movie also plays well in those chords in addition to looking really cool. 5-Finally, the use of 3D when Rey stretches her arm to give Luke his lightsaber back symbolizes her attempt to reach out to him through this crucial action. She's not only giving him a long lost object that has precious value to him. She's also asking him for help while providing him the hope he had been longing for.
+Sébastien Laberge Your remarks make me wish i would've watched in 3D, but due to a medical condition, I'm usually not able to see any 3D-effects at all ... which doesn't bother me, as most of time 3D effects in todays films are mindlessly shoehorned in afterwards in post-production.
You're right, also the movie chose to enhance the depth of field and having a slight pop out in the aerial battles immersed me more and really showed how beautiful the VFX are in this movie
Wow. Thank you Chris for your heartfelt review. I was 5 when Star Wars came out and still recall the stir it rooted in everyone I knew. These mixed feelings, at so many levels, formed who I am today. Just wish there were more people (especially reviewers) able to love a move and yet consciously point out the 'wrongs'. Keep up the good, correction, fantastic work. May the Force 'continue' with you!
Dude you out did yourself with this review, simply awesome. It my not be the most popular opinion but after re-watching the originals and watching TFA 3 times, this has become my favorite star wars movie even with its flaws, it has the feel of the originals but with better film making, compelling characters, a story that feels nostalgic but fresh at the same time, and way better special effects.
+Oh hi Mark a story that feels fresh??? i respect your opinion of it being the best of the 7 (it is by far my least favourite) but you can't actually say with a straight face that this story is in ANY way fresh or original.
AvatarDan Well I say it with a straight face. It feels FRESH. Kylo is a is not yet fulfilled as a villain, Vader was. Rey’s past is a mystery, first time a storm trooper is developed, the comedy is good, not to mention the special effects, just to name a few things. What you can’s say with a straight face is that is the worst of the seven, as in the prequels are better.
+AvatarDan how it can be worse that the prequels ? i just don't get it. The Force Awakens managed to do a lot of things right which the prequels couldn't do. OMG, worse than The Phantom Menace ? I'm baffled
johnny1248 yes by FAR worse than the phantom menace, which was completely original and felt like star wars through and through. This WAS a new hope, with WORSE comedy, worse dialogue, and far less mystery and magic. Also the score was abysmal when COMPARED to the original trilogy and the prequels, which had the best scores of any of the movies.
Im realizing halfway into this that the way you wrote and delivered some of this video is strikingly similar to the tone of a plinkett review. And feeling the spirit of plinkett is a ok with me lol
Yea the Plinkett is strong with this one Loool but Chris has said he has seen his reviews and he is doing a star wars review here so it's probably just a good natured homage
+DuesX187 The only thing that bugs me about this is when he mentions badasses in the prequels, he said "Darth Maul, maybe?" and completely forgot about Mace Windu. Say whatever you want about the prequels, because they were definitely bad. But Mace Windu was fucking awesome. Also, him saying "simular" instead of "similar."
People keep overusing the term Mary Sue. Everyone who keeps saying it learned the word yesterday. Its such a stupid complaint. Also saying a beat for beat remake is ridiculous to me like oh no they are using a Star Wars formula for a Star Wars movie!!!!!!!???? HOW DARE THEY!!!!!?
+Triforce96 "It's such a stupid complaint" Actually, it sounds like a pretty fair complaint. A stupid complaint would go something like: I didn't like The Force Awakens because it didn't have enough cats in it. Now THAT is a stupid complaint
+Triforce96 I don't know, maybe Rey's progression to competent Jedi being faster than any other Jedi in Star Wars movie/tv history, regardless of the reason, might not benefit the character or the movie in the end.
+Sir Tips A Lot So they stirred up the plot element by a bit by her not being Luke or Anakin which makes this movie different from the others while still keeping up with the formula, I hardly see it as a negative.
Watching this for the first time post Last Jedi. Enjoyment at the irony is at maximum as the same fans you were talking about who hated on the formula are now melting down over the breaking of the formula. A+ analysis!
THANK YOU. There's only one point people keep complaining about that you didn't address, which was Rey's "overpoweredness"; I'm personally not sure if she is overpowered or not, but I can definitely see how it could be seen that way. It doesn't bother me very much though, even if it was true that she is overpowered, because... well, I think the emotional framing of it - and the fact that there's are still so much we don't know about her origins - makes it still work, at least for me. She's just as shocked about what she's able to do as we are, and we're yet to see what it means. When it comes to the overall movie, I think it really helped for me to go into the cinema with no expectations whatsoever. I'd seen the trailer, said "cool" and that was it. I didn't have any information beyond the trailer, and it's generally very rare that I even see a trailer at all. The catch with internet is that people can indulge too far into their curiosity, and build these huge expectations, like the reviewer said, and what IHE says in his "I hate hypeculture" video. It's so very true. The best thing to enjoy a movie you're excited about is to at most see the first trailer and then try to forget about the movie until it's released and you go to see it for yourself. Otherwise, you're setting yourself up to have a bad time.
Oddivia I have a feeling Rey was one of the Jedi Luke was training. If it's revealed that's what happened watch as everyone flips there opinion and now it'll be "brilliant foreshadowing "
+blurryperson The movie pretty much shows or at least highly hints at it that she's lived on Jakku since a very young age so she couldn't have been trained by Luke.
+James Price she could, Jedi are trained from a very young age (assuming Luke's new Jedi Order functions like the old one). She could be a very new pupil when Kylo Ren betrayed Luke and he quit teaching. Maybe the only survivor of the attack. I don't think that will be the case, but it isn't a completely discarded possibility either.
42Caio (Caio Esteves) Whilst they are trained young the age they show of Rey being on Jakku is only a little older than the infamous younglins from RotS, she wouldn't have had the chance to learn of the force in a meaningful way and you must also consider that the New Jedi Order would have been much smaller that the previous so finding, searching for and training force sensitive children would all have taken longer than before. Your right it is possible but unlikely.
She's not overpowered at all. People are just saying she's a "Mary Sue" mostly because they are sexist, or they just have blind hatred for this film. Like it was established that she's a survivor and a fighter and she knows how to fly ships. If Luke who doesn't have any war experience can fly an x-wing and blow up the death star with ease, then I'm certain anyone like rey can beat a wounded Kylo Ren with the help of the force
The sequel trilogy is no different than the recent trend in Hollywood with the soft reboots. Where they take legacy characters mixed with new characters that retells the original story. It’s pretty irritating.
Honestly, I don't give a shit if people hate FA. All I know is I love this movie and it's the only Star Wars movie that I could watch over and over and still not bored of it YET :). I can't say the same thing about any other Star Wars movie, even Empire. I didn't like Star Wars 1-2 (minus Darth Maul) because they were really boring. At least the 3rd one was better than 1-2. For me they were just not interesting, but they had great characters with Obi, Ginn, and Darth Maul. However the story was just not interesting to care outside of the action and CGI. In FA, I love all the characters and the story is actually interesting. I love that Storm Troopers are actually humanized which is new something new from the OT.
+Rob Tineo I feel that the story in the PT is great. To me the problem is the way it was implemented (poor directing). I like TFA a lot, and you're right, it can be watched over and over and it's harder to get bored of it. But I think the same of ROTS. The other ones can get boring quicker.
+herobrine_trolo I'm curious as to why. Is it because it leaves many questions unanswered, the new "Death Star", ...? I enjoy it, because it's a fun ride, but I don't deny that it definitely has issues.
I am so sick of those "TFA is an absolute copy of ANH" haters. Yes, Starkiller Base is the same thing a Death Star, but the movie's primary focus was NOT the destruction of the Starkiller Base, but Han trying to turn Kylo Ren back, Finn and others trying to find Rey, Rey fighting with Kylo and getting better wwith the force...
Ondřej Saska but the difference is the characters. The original trilogy was amazing for growing and well defined characters. Han and Chewie become hero's. Luke becomes a Jedi. Leia doesn't change as much but grows relationships with the other characters. In TFA, Rey is the same throughout and doesn't face any challenges. Finn grows, but not enough. Po is still the same guy at the end, and has minimal effects on the main characters. they seem more prequel-like than new trilogy material.
I am sick of those “TFA is better than the Prequel Trilogy” haters. Yes, the prequels aren’t as good as the Original Trilogy, but wether you like it or not, they were George’s ideas and they are part of the Saga. If you think The Force Awakens is amazing, thats fine. If you the prequels aren’t that good, ok then. But going all out and adding insult to injury by not only joining the overhyped train but also also jumping on the Prequel hating bandwagon doesn’t make them any better. Tbh, Finn is kind of like TFA’s version of Jar Jar Binks.
Very good video. I do have a few observations: 1. The score is outstanding and deeply layered. It's just not a pop-album like the TPM prequel soundtrack. It's gorgeously realized and has more depth in character than all but the Revenge of the Sith score (and even that has one pop-track). It's easy to miss how wonderful it is on first listen or even first few viewings of the movie... I know because I missed it, but now love it. 2. The scene between Han & Kylo, which I initially thought felt rushed and unearned, feels very much on point now. Han has the type of personality that allows him to believe he can turn his son in that moment. His overconfidence & belief that he can make things right with Leia is what gets him killed. But perhaps, in that final act, he literally and emotionally touches his son... and starts Ben down a path toward the light. 3. From a pure film-making perspective, TFA is superior to the other 6 movies. How anyone can dislike it, much less hate it, is beyond me. But if you go back to reviews of "Empire Strikes Back" they sounded a lot like the negative reviews of TFA. A LOT like it. And we know where that movie stands now. 4. TFA is definitely NOT a "rehash" of the original Star Wars. All 7 movies are part of a circular story-telling that calls back to itself. And the original 1977 movie was a call-back to all the things Lucas was influenced by... those things were pretty clear to any cinephile of the 70s. TFA utilizes pieces of most of the movies, but specifically the first three, while also doing its own thing. To belittle the whole movie because it "rehashes" a couple of elements, is disingenuous and I consider all those arguments nothing short of trolling.
I would love to see a video like this on The Last Jedi or Solo from Chris. I love his takes on Star Wars. Regardless of whether I agree with him or not, he respects the craft of film and gives merit to everybody’s opinion on films. Definitely one of my favorite Star Wars content creators.
+Solomon Beckles Like Chris said It's an extremely well done film. The choreography, cinematography, acting performances, ect. Also the score is great. Chris doesn't know what he's talking about haha. There were only minor flaws at most. Things need to be repetitive in the same franchise and it has a completely different plot. Also this was the only time the giant super weapon wasn't a complete failure. It actually DID what it needed to do and I'm willing to bet Snoke planned the destruction of the base. What you see as flaws aren't to most. Explain what you think is a flaw and I will explain why it isn't.
For me, the main problem I have is that Rey was wayyyyy too insanely powerful, what Jedi powers do we know of? Manipulating people? She did it just completely out of the blue. Moving objects with your mind? She grabbed Luke's lightsaber from the air as if it was nothing! Being good with a lightsaber? SHE FUCKING BEAT KYLO REN (a guy whose been bloody trained by an actual Jedi!) as if he was nothing! She beat the crap out of him, no training, no assistance, not one damn thing and she's basically a Jedi. She just is, she's a Jedi, first movie, no training and she's a Jedi, she can do EVERYTHING a Jedi can do without ever meeting one! Even Luke had to meet Yoda before he could really do anything. It really felt forced down my throat of "SHES THE CHOSEN ONE! SHES THE CHOSEN ONE! LOOK! LOOK!". Very frustrating. Why is she so powerful with no explanation at all? No training. Not anything. It makes no sense! And moreover it makes ALL the villains look incredibly weak and pathetic.
+Reece Wilkins Luke had no combat experience when he started his journey. Living cozy with his aunt and uncle buying and repairing robots. On the other hand Rey had to survive as a scavenger. Climbing through wreckages, dismantling parts from the most dangerous corners. Fighting of others who try to steal her loot. That experience for years is already a better starting point then Luke ever had.
+Reece Wilkins Yea man the exact same problem I have, she can do anything a trained padowan can do but.. HOW? I can't stand how people don't see that problem, it is major fuck up to jedi logic. They better explain that in the next movie...
To me, The Force Awakens was a masterpiece. I hope it sparks the same love of Star Wars the original did back in the 70s because I really do feel like it's deserving of it.
+Silver Fang While I don't feel like The Force Awakens is a masterpiece, I feel like Mad Max: Fury Road fits that description, I do feel like The Force Awakens is an important, exciting chapter into the Star Wars Saga. In the years to come, it will be regarded as a classic, similar to Titanic and Frozen. Similar to those, people will love it, people will hate it, but in time, people will remember this movie more fondly in the years. Trust me, people will respect this movie in the years to come. Honestly, I love this movie. I even like it better than A New Hope. Not as good as The Empire Strikes Back, but its still pretty damn awesome!
+Silver Fang I'd give it an 8.2. Its a wonderful movie that deserves to be appreciated, but its not perfect. I have only seen rare examples or movies that are actually perfect.
Yeah ... But, I think comparing 'The Force Awakens'' lifting its entire plotline from 'A New Hope' to the similarities between the Jones movies is a false equivalence. When you go see an Indiana Jones movie, you go with the justified anticipation of watching this one semi-superhero do what he's superheroically good at: finding treasure, solving puzzles, punching Nazis and saving damsels. In the case of 'Star Wars', this was different. The story thread through the earlier six movies was far more complex, with much more in play. It was about the rise and fall of the Empire, Anakin's corruption and eventual redemption, Luke and Leia discovering who they are ... But mostly about the victory of the Rebellion against the murderous Empire. 'The Force Awakens' felt like an insult because it rendered that victory meaningless by resetting the status quo - OFF-SCREEN - to basically the same situation we had at the start of 'A New Hope'. Replace the Empire with 'The First Order' (who? where? what?), for the Rebel Alliance, read the 'Resistance' ... So, what, all those rebels in the first trilogy died for nothing? How the hell did the First Order get so strong so quickly when the Empire was trashed? If there's a New Republic, then why is there a 'Resistance' fighting the First Order? Shouldn't that war be fought by the New Republic's own fleet and army? This reset was a disrespectful cheat to create - without any explanation - a status quo that allows the writers to steal the plot of 'A Force Awakens'. And then (unlike Indiana Jones), they simply created all-new, poorly fleshed out, cookie-cutter characters to fill the equivalent roles from the first movie. Some coincidence that all these things, plus a new planet-killing base with an inexplicable weakness should come together in exactly the same way again, huh? It was pure laziness on the part of the writers, a shameless, creatively bankrupt money-grab. 'The Last Jedi' seemed to be making an effort to take that familiar story in an unfamiliar, interesting direction, and for a moment there I cared about what might happen. Then 'The Rise of Skywalker' chickened out and ruined it.
One of my biggest issues with TFA. Was that the world felt really small. Hyperspace travel only takes anywhere from 10 seconds to a minute in the actual movie time. They can see other planets from an entirely different system. It takes no time for Han to find the Falcon and the gangs just appear at the same time.. It just felt like they had shrinked the world into a convinient tight cluster.
Chris I have to disagree with you on saying that Indy 4 was bad because it differed too much from the formula. In fact one of the main reasons it was bad is because it played it too safe, but used crap stuff in it, like the aliens and the CGI overkill, as well as Indy being older. I think what it comes down to is Why did so many people state the prequels were different and the sequel is similar? Because that is the overall effect it gave thousands of viewers, and thats what matters, even if the prequels did have the same story... (Also, it appears only Gene Siskel was saying Indy3 was too similar) Casino Royale as I'm sure you're aware was radically different from the established formula, and that is part of the reason it worked, because it gave us something brand new.
+BadMouseProductions I don't think Indy 4 was that bad. It's still the weakest of the bunch but it's lot more watchable then most bad movies of today. It's just an average Indy movie honestly. Very flawed but fun in most cases.
This is one of my favorite videos on the whole site. Congratulations, Chris! I liked all the brief shots of the film's production there, making it look so much fun...then I remember Harrison Ford getting his ankle injured very badly on set (with Lucasfilm ultimately being fined over such negligence!) and the general horribleness of Hollywood that has come to light over the past year and then I feel depressed.
I can cut _RedLetterMedia's Mr. Pinklet_ fog of influence with a knife in your narration and in your editing, from how thick it is :) Which isn't bad. I could also smell Scorsese's cologne all over Pulp Fiction back in the day.
Ok, you crossed the freakin' line at 6:41. That's Mr. Pinklet's _"Oh"._ You can borrow, but make sure you make your own thing with it, just before giving it back.
+Daniel Rosa I thought I could cut the hypocrisy in his video with a knife(attacking those who dare to criticize TFA as "haters" while needlessly and excessively hating on the prequels). It wasn't until I read the comments that I realized he was also essentially plagiarizing another commentary.
+Daniel Rosa Only Mr Plinket is allowed to say "Oh"? Thing is, Mike is faking his accent, while Chris actually sounds like that. If he was deliberatly putting on Mr Plinketts voice, you'd have an argument.
this is why I love stuckmann, he is the only reviewer I've seen that is completely objective and doesn't let previous films distract his opinions of new ones
I actually felt myself that Poe and Finn's friendship was way rushed. Remember how it took a whole movie for Luke, Han, Leia, and Chewie and the droids to warm up to one another? Two scenes together and then their reunion becomes like they are long lost friends.
While I can kind of see your point there, I think it still works because the few moments they shared together felt very endearing to me. It's like what Jeremy Jahns said, they cemented a lifelong bromance in a few lines while the prequels couldn't do that in 6 hours. It's kind of like how I accept Disney movies developing a romance in a few days. Or even how in this movie you accept Rey's attatchment to Han after she'd only known him a few hours (He asked her name when they were nearly arriving on that green planet, as I recall).
Mayeur000Donz I didn't really like the whole Han thing but the whole "old man teaches young girl" trope is in so much stuff I almost just gave it a pass. But they knew each other for at least a few days, whereas literally, Po9e and Finn knew each other for 20 minutes tops before Poe went missing for half the movie
Matt Cotter He wasn't really a mentor so much as a father-figure I'd say, tho. As for Finn and Poe, I think it just felt very real by the time they got to "good to meet you". When they reunited, put yourself in Poe's shoes. There is the guy, the shining beacon of good, who not only rescued you from certain death, struck up a good yet brief rapport with you, but also completed your extremely important mission. Given the nature of being in war and holding onto whatever friends you can get, I can totally see Poe being that happy to see Finn again.
Well the relationships were quite different in nature, so I don't think that is a fair comparison. Han was just a smuggler who was transporting Luke for the money and he was only helping rescue Leia for the reward. Poe and Finn were escaping a life or death situation together. I think that brings you closer a little faster. That said, I too think their friendship was a just tad rushed.
They got the feel of Star Wars. That wasn't what bothered me about this movie. It was a gorgeous movie...really did the universe justice. Film making was grrrreat too. But hey, here's my speal. Rey is too perfect. Kylo Ren, the sith (Or knights of ren or whatever, read: new sith) who annihilated Luke's new cadre of jedi warriors, who put Luke Skywalker...strongest force user/jedi in the galaxy, into such a tail spin that he gave up on it and fled the galaxy, this sith got whipped by a rookie force user who has never even HELD a saber before. Someone who successfully pulled off a jedi mind trick after one try. One who had never held a blaster before, missed one shot, then killed like...five troopers with the pistol before running off into the woods. Who was an expert pilot with very little back story on how she became that besides "Hey living in a sci fiction desert is hard." She worked for FOOD. She couldn't have had the resources to potentially tinker with those ships to the point where she became a skilled enough pilot to put the falcon through the corpse of a star destroyer. Like damn. Every flaw she was shown to have (denying the saber out of fear, a drive to stay on Jakku) was simply just a method to make her look more awesome. Finn was also just a schtick to make her look great, he was basically a bumbling idiot with a lot of heart. Why did he lose every single fight he fought, where Rey literally won every fight she fought, besides one...which she won pretty handily about an hour later in the movie? "But the Force." That's a cop out. She's just sooooo strong in the force is not a viable excuse for poor character development. They could very well have made it much better by just having her have to slog her way through the trenches like all the other jedi's did...and give her support from a more competent Finn and Solo. TL;DR Rey is Disney's next princess...and she's a pretty flat character.
daniel haggard Yeah I didn't like Anakin in Ep. 1 either so I'd consider that moot, and Luke had a decent amount of support throughout the beginning of A New Hope reinforcing the concept he was a decent pilot from the start. On tatooine he was a farmer, had a family, friends, did things besides salvage parts. They said he was a great shot when taking out womp rats and the controls for the jumpers on tatooine worked and acted very similarly to X-Wings (which is why he needed very little training.) Luke got the snot beat out of him almost every time he dealt with Vader until Return of the Jedi, (after maturing as a force user and sword fighter) he also trained under Kenobi from the very beginning before moving on to Yoda. Rey has literally ZERO force support, she is winging it 100% of the time.
daniel haggard Also I don't know where you get Luke not training with his sabre at all, he trains under Kenobi in A New Hope and uses it pretty regularly through Empire Strikes Back. Rey literally turned it on for the first time when she dealt with Kylo.
+daniel haggard Maybe Gandalf trained her and put a spell on her so that the nazguls could not find her or maybe she's the réincarnation of an old god but not fully mastering her true power yet or she's possessed by the phenix and Xavier has blocked her power but sometime it comes through and she becomes all powerfull...Those are all plausible explanations, I wonder which one got picked buy Jar Jar Abrams...
+Trevor Jones And when she turned it on she was extremely clumsy with it and mostly just ran away trying to keep away from Kylo. Also remember, Kylo was under orders to bring her to Snoke so he wasn't' trying to hurt her. She only got good when she gave in to the force, which was an accumulation of her character arc. She ran from it, and now is accepting it.
Sadly this has aged like a warm glass of milk. Lots of setup and then a disaster. I do get that initially TFA looked good. But in hindsight it was a soft reboot that went nowhere.
i love this movie but people are going way too easy on it, this movie has some serious problems with its writing that are going unaddressed. why is finn different from all the other indoctrinated troopers? what makes him special? why is finn on jakku at the beginning? isn't he supposed to be a janitor? finn was uneasy about killing people but has no problem killing troopers that were in the same situation he was? how does rey know about force persuasion? earlier she thought that luke & the force were just a legend, what makes her think that she'll be able to manipulate a trooper? (my question isn't how *can* she do it, my question is how does she even know these are things?) why does poe leave jakku? when he escapes with finn, poe says he has to get bb-8, but when they crash, they get separated, later in the movie he is back at the rebel base, wasn't it his mission to get bb-8? if so, why did he leave without it? & if it's not that important to get it now, then why risk your life re-entering jakku with finn in the first place? how was the first order, a group with a considerably low amount of resources compared to the empire, able to build starkiller base? how does starkiller work? it "sucks" stars, but where does all that mass go? how is the planet where starkiller was constructed on, able to survive now that its sun has been destroyed? how does it even supposed to move? does it have thrusters? im not saying this is a bad movie, it's far from it, i really enjoyed it, these are just some of the many things that really bothered me & it annoys me that people are giving it a pass because things "might" get explained in the next movie but if this were any other movie franchise people wouldn't give that same excuse.
+Richard Moran Finn is a grunt of the FN unit he was only a janitor when he was stationed at Starkillerbase, it is not odd for grunts to do mundane jobs, he felt conflict about killing unarmed people not troopers that flat out want to kill him. -if you watch the movie it is clear she knows about the stories of the original movies one line of dialogue that escapes most people is that when they met Han she says "You are Han Solo the smuggler!" and Finn says "No he is Han Solo the war hero". If you take that it is clear someone told Rey the stories of the first movie, you can even see her in her home a doll dressed up as a rebel pilot akin to Luke, my theory it was her mom that told her those stories so she never forgot about her family but at the same time hiding the truth in bed time stories.
+Richard Moran "how does starkiller work? it "sucks" stars, but where does all that mass go? " Really? logic in a SW movie? Or any scifi for that matter.
I really liked the score. Scores don't have to be particularly catchy, they just have to compliment their film. I thought the score was a nice blend of the old campy themes and the new whimsical feel.
The prequels also suffered the initial reaction of "only one memorable theme" for each film (Duel of the Fates, Across the Stars, Battle of the Heroes). It took some time for the other tracks to be fully appreciated. Hence, it's no surprise that Rey's Theme is being singled out as the standout one. The most popular movie score review site, Filmtracks, has already given the soundtrack 5 stars. A higher rating than Revenge of the Sith.
+Eva Lamar I feel like a lot of people haven't taken a solid look at the score. It's got plenty of incredible themes, I just question is maybe they were drowned out slightly in the final mix.
The Indiana Jones comment of how they're all the same is true, but Indiana Jones has a a typical linear storyline. Star wars is so huge and unique that the storyline simply cannot and should not be the same. The universe is too big in star wars that creating a new plot isn't that insanely hard to do.
Akron162 I could if I wanted to, write a short script, at-least it would be completely different to all the previous movies, and plus this is JJ Abrams and lawrence kasdan, im sure they're capable of doing so
But thats the point Star Wars already has, even Lucas said it himself, did you finish the video? Did you get to the part where you see the OG trilogy playing side by side with the prequel trilogy?
Using the Indy movies to show that “changing the formula is bad” and “keeping the formula is good” is bad reasoning because the old Indy sequels and the old Star Wars sequels followed the rules of a good sequel. They introduced new characters, changed the stakes, etc. Force Awakens did none of that.
I liked how episode VII looked. But i was bored. I was bored a lot. Because the story was repetitive so obviously and before the movie was in half, i expected everything to be as in the first move and wasnt surprised or invested in anything. It was not like Indiana Jones. It was like Indiana Jones if there was an arch again, but bigger. The problem isnt just copying the formula. Its reusing of the same indigence that you used last time. Its like baguette. You can have formula for baguette of: meat, salad, mayo. But if you feed someone baguette with the same meat and the same mayo and the same bread, it will become painfully boring. And also the main character. I didnt like her not because she is a woman (and i am baffled that i have to say it before any criticism). I didnt like the character because she was invincible. For no obvious reason. No training and she gets to be master of force and light saber and a technician. Compare it to Luke, who started with some talent and had to train for 3 movies before he stood up to dart Vader and still beaten him only because Vader didnt want to kill him. On the other way i liked the looks and effects much more than the original trilogy. And if the main character wasnt overpowered as machine gun in knife fight, i would probably like it, even though it was so obviously copied.
Everyone in the comments section is talking about Star Wars so I'll talk about the last minutes of this analysis. I'm glad Chris brought up today's trend where highly anticipated movies have to hit every single beat or else it sucks - Case in point is Christopher Nolan Post-inception. The man has been bashed by a growing minority for TDKR and Interstellar. The criticisms are common blockbuster flaws but highly exaggerated COZ ITS CHRISTOPHER NOLAN!! Nothing about the filmmaking, intent, effort, technical aspects, concepts...... Nooooo it's always about Nolan's characters and exposition. David Fincher has unlikeable characters and delivers way more expository dialogue than Nolan yet he isn't nearly as criticized! Nolan is just too iconic for his own good
@fake channel I've gotta disagree. Nearly all of his movies have depth to their characters as well, and are amplified by the actors playing them. The exposition is usually organic (expect for certain moments), and I don't find the love interests generic (Natalie in Memento, Mal and Catwoman all had depth).
+AwesomeBros65 Feel the same for Kylo. Also please stop comparing him to Anakin in the prequels, because he is nothing like that. Being flawed doesn't mean being a terrible character. He is a badasss, but has a few perks. He only tears up a little once for a few seconds, and I thought his freakout scenes were pretty funny. But overall, he is a strong leader who is doing everything he can to finish what his grandfather started. Also, Adam Driver is a pretty good actor so...yeah...
You can extend that premature opinion on John Williams' music as well. The prequels pretty much suffered the same initial criticism when it came to the score. That each film only had one standout theme: Duel of the Fates, Across the Stars, and Battle of the Heroes respectively. The standout this time is Rey's Theme, and it will take some time for the other tracks to be fully appreciated. Filmtracks, the most popular movie score review site, has given the soundtrack 5 stars. Which is a higher rating than Revenge of the Sith.
He basically just did in this video. All of the points that Chris makes about film structure can be made for almost any noteworthy franchise. Look up 'The Hero's Journey', and you'll see what I mean.
I feel a lot of people miss why people hated the fact that force awakens retreaded similar grounds. People love Star Wars and wanted to see Star Wars because the world introduced is so intriguing. The more it expands the better it gets which is why I think there are fans of the prequels. Force awakens did no world building and just borrowed world elements AND plot elements from other Star Wars films. I think that's why people including myself were very disappointed with this movie.
First, let me say this video shows why you are my favorite "movie critic". I think it was very courageous of you to point out just exactly why "movie critics" opinions don't mean shit. Simply put, I will watch a movie and like it or not, and no one else's opinion matters. I will have a good time or not, regardless of what anyone else says. (In the case of Star Wars 7, I had a great time). I know what I like, and no one's "professional opinion" will ever change that. Great analysis, and props for honesty.
Movie Critics, when you get down to it, are there to offer another perspective. Like, I hold no love for Suicide Squad, but I don't like how people said they were "losing faith" in Jeremy Jahns when he said he loved the movie. I'm pretty sure someone could find reason to lose faith in EVERY critic, if they keep going this way.
“Finns character is amazing, I can’t wait to see what they do with him!” 😔 we all did buddy. We all did
He essentially becomes an extra in the next two films.
dedley01 LMAOOO
Well this comment aged like milk.
Joseph Morris yeah that’s the point
They really fucked that up and the fucked up poe too they could have been the next Han and lando
"Perfect without a single flaw or complaint" *shows Scarlett Johansson*
Me: *slow clap*
Kostas1601 i loved that
can u xplain, I didnt get it..
Milda Šatė cause Scarlett Johansson is considered flawless
She is just as Flawless as The Godfather. Enough said.
Kostas1601 Should've shown Daisy Ridley. Now THAT is what I call perfection 💘
Really loved this review, not because it affirmed what I already felt about the movie, but the opposite. I probably fell way more into the camp of "Its a New Hope rehash, not original at all, disappointed that they didn't try something new" before this review. This review did an awesome job of showing that they DID do alot of new things along with the obvious story elements that were recycled. Also that point you made around the 27-28:00 minute mark about Abrams not cutting away to shots of the explosions but instead keeping our attention on the characters and building the mise-en-scene with the characters at the forefront of every shot was a brilliant point. It's something so subtle that unless you have a keen eye for these things and really have an analytical view of the film you would totally miss it and not think anything of it (like I did at first).
You've got an eye for this Chris, really great work!
+ csgskate Do you like TFA¿
Tomás Barreto Gave it an 8/10 when i first saw it, after seeing it again a few times i bumped it up to a 9/10. my only criticisms were the use of CGI unnecessarily and the fact that it used a little too much from A New Hope
+csgskate Now I understand why Michael Bay annoys me so much XD, I kinda got it subconsciously I guess. While in transformers it was like..."omg pew pew... Michael bay
***** yeah its cool when you realize these subtle differences that make such a large difference when done throughout the movie like that.
+csgskate Share it with more people, then! So many people say it's a rehash.
God I miss when Star Wars was fun to talk about
Bonjamin_Button I hope those times will return in a few years
@@zacharyheller1313 I can just imagine some people 10 years from now still crying about how "Disney ruined my childhood".
@@tuomaslouhisalo286 Absolutely. They will always want the new movies to be exactly like the original three and that will never be the case. Have to meet the new ones on their own terms.
@@zacharyheller1313 I agree. Obviously i like the original trilogy the most, but there are a alot of things in the sequel trilogy that i love.
@@tuomaslouhisalo286 they'll be on their death bed and will still be saying that
You are one of the few people on UA-cam who can keep me interested for a full 40 minutes. Great job with this video, Chris!
He’s not fun to talk to and this video isn’t great.
38 Minutes and 4 Seconds of Chris Stuckmann = 38 Minutes and 4 Seconds of Heaven
^
+TheGamingTacoHD ^^
He can do a video about Star Wars for about 40 minutes, but not a blu ray collection video that last a half an hour....
+Gresh854 lol
+RP it did last half an hour
Thumbs up for the Plinkett-esque voiceover and editing Chris. And very well executed too! Strong enough to be understood by everyone, yet subtle enough to be a tribute but not a ripoff. Kinda like The Force Awakens actually. :-)
Respect from Greece.
+Mikeius Braf Αντε ρε mikieus, σχολιάζεις star wars, plinkett και stuckmann! Άπειρη εκτίμηση!
I agree, love the Plinkett style review. Movie itself wasn't too shabby as well.
Greetings from Macedonia :)
Δεν περίμενα να σε βρω εδώ
I thought I was the only greek guy around here! Keep up the good work Mike!
It's always fun to watch a TFA review that came out before TLJ.... so optimistic^^
I wasn't expecting TLJ to be better than TFA, #3 on my star wars list just bellow empires strikes back
no one hates Star Wars more than Star Wars fans
This is actually spot on.
Holy shit... So true
Yes. Yes.
so true
truuuuuu lol
I guess I'm in the minority, I loved Maz Kanata, she was funny, quirky and I liked how she gave a certain motherly warmth towards Rey. And her character didn't remind of the prequels whatsoever. The only thing that reminded of the prequels was when one character yelled "That's MYYY Ship!"
+123rockfan I also loved Maz Kanata, but I do agree on the other 2 CGI Chars/moments.
He said "THAT'S MIIIINE!" So memorable.
I agree maz is one of best new characters I hope we see more of her
+123rockfan I really liked her too! I didnt find her CGI bad at all she really fit in well for me. I agree about Snoke kinda sucking (CGI was ok) but Maz was a funny interesting alien character for me :)
+123rockfan But what about that cringey talk she gave about the force? Stating at the beginning that she doesn't really know it then tells it like yoda did.
No matter what you like someone will dislike
+Justin Riley Yep.
👍
+Justin Riley And vice versa.
+Adam Lee Yep.
StephenGKTA What up
well done Chris Stuckman you completely changed my mind on the force awakens! I thought at first it was mediocre because I grew up with star wars and too use to knowing it. But you made me realize how well done it is and now I rewatched the movie after I saw this video and you inspired me to appreciate movies more and become a film maker! Thank you so much!
Rewatching a movie and realizing it is better than you remember is a great feeling.
+Karla That was me with A New Hope.
I feel like you're being completely sarcastic. You are becoming a film maker after hearing this video? hmmm. If so, cool. Doubt your sincerity though. :-)
Jeffro Its funny how he goes from you changed my mind about the force awakens to you made me become a filmmaker out of nowhere
Love the new review style (plinkett style)... love it. I agree with you analysis 100%.
+Another Agnostic Yeah, I was thinking the same thing, You are awaited my friend.
IMMORTAN!!... IMMORTAN JOE!
this review is too similar to a plinkett one, basically just a remake of the old ones /s
my thoughts exactly
+Another Agnostic thats nit a new style he's done analized videos before look it up there are fun
Things I'd like to enter in TFA:
1)millinium falcon
2)kylo ren's ship
3)star killer base
4)Daisey ridley
Savage
DAYUM THATS SO DAMN TRUE
Minge, are we in Paris yet?
i know a girl who looks like Daisy Ridley there's just one big problem.
+Elijah blechman what's the problem?
After this homage to the Plinkett review somebody needs to check if Stuckman's wife is chained up in the basement.
and if he has any pizza rolls
This is so true in so many levels, I was wondering if he made the voice for Mr Plinkett lol
I want pizza rolls -_-
Good anal-sysis
How is this an homage
I miss these types of videos. That’s why I rewatch them every once and awhile.
Luke Skywalker is both the focus and not the focus of The Force Awakens at the exact same time.
+electricmastro yeah but I can't help but look at that cynically (tho i liked the movie). The one guy who got shat on for his acting (unfairly I think) the entire OT just happens to be both the main focus and not have to say a word? Very convenient. But the 'tell me don't show me' thing with Luke leaves out what people really want to see about the most powerful Jedi. At least in this first part of the trilogy, maybe they fix it in the other 2.
+electricmastro
I suppose he's the goal..?
I can understand wanting to see a new plot structure. But to be honest, if it's done right and is well written. I seriously don't have a problem with it. Which is why I liked force awakens so much. It used just the right amount of old and new to be a completely different experience.
+Big Boss (Naked Snake) I slightly disagree with the notion that it used just the right amount of old and new, as I think that it uses a little more old than it probably should have, and I'm not referring to aesthetics, but I'm glad you didn't take any issue in the originality department at all.
Well we all love the Indiana jones trilogy so much and yet theyre basically the same, while the original and prequel trilogy were very aesthetically different, the stories were very similar, but i dont mind
People also seem to forget that the main point of the force awakens was to introduce the caracters and their stories and it did that perfectly. It now made a great foundation for the other 2 movies and probably spinoffs
JJ and Larry Kasdan and Michael Arndt had their balls in a vice. Do something different. Skewered. Do the same shit. Skewered. Have minority casting. Skewered. Have all white casting with a couple of token minority characters thrown in. Skewered. Every decision they made was going to be scrutinized to the tenth degree because Star Wars fans are put plain and simply, psychotic. To think that they could please everyone 100% of the time was silly. And they knew that in spades going in. I'd say they did a pretty decent job regarding the circumstances.
Another thing that people aren't seeing is that the story plots are completely different. The First Order wanted to neutralize the heart of the Republic by vaporizing the galactic senate as well as most of the Republic's fleet. The Resistance wanted justice by retaliation and to find Luke. People are failing to see the bigger picture by thinking the only plot was only to destroy the giant threat. In reality super weapons are just futuristic tools used to get things done.
This is Stuckmann at his best
Being Plinkett??
+dualranger plinkett is the best stuckmann
+Jamie Patterson indeed, he always makes movies better than i originally feel. stuckmann is truly a master artist at what he loves
People wouldn't be complaining about how similar both movies are if it wasn't for the Starkiller thing. They clearly went too far on that.
No I think people would have still seen it before this movie people were noticing it with the originals and the prequels
It's not just that. I mean, young person living in the desert, finds a companion, leaves the planet while being chased, wild cantina with weird things going on, mentor of the main character getting killed by the bad guy, etc. etc.
............and you totally misconstrued the actual plot. You see TFA haters are stupid as fuck.
jemert96 episode vi has all that too. So? you may dislike StarWars
***** i recommend you "Star Wars Formula" video from Chris stuckman. He agrees with the idea that episode 1 is unoriginal in what matters. It only looks different.
Chris you just saved my boring sunday by making another Force Awakens video!! Thank you :)
Desert. Saber. Boy. Boy. Girl. Person in Mask. Elder mentor. the force. Nazis. Planet destroying super weapon.
Theres the Star wars formula ;)
+Royboy140 It always comes back to Nazis.
Exactly XD
+Royboy140 Cute robot sidekick.
The Force Awakens and A New Hope have the same skeleton but different flesh.
This video was brilliant and so enjoyable to watch. Quite frankly, I'm sad it's already over; I could easyly watch another 40 minutes of you analyzing Star Wars.
I'm so glad, you do what you do, Chris. You are awesome, thank you :)
I personally loved the score. Reys theme. Jedi steps. Kylo rens theme. And beautifully tied to the original themes. The best score of all the new films.
Yeah, but they did seem just a tad phoned in to what we could have gotten otherwise. He is right about the action cues. If anything, Last Jedi, like it or not, did feel like the John Williams score we could have gotten with TFA.
Great to see you address reviewers avoiding talking about the filmmaking. I've noticed it recently too, and discussing the practical side is so damn interesting!
+Steven Spielberg they hardly do it these days.
+Steven Spielberg Tell us oh master, how did you pull of the fridge-scene in Indy 4! That was the bestest thing eva!
Honestly, I appreciate your focus on film making, Chris. Not only does it draw attention to key aspects in film, but it makes for great discussion.
I left the theater thinking the worst part of this movie was the new Death Star. Now, the worst part is the haters who seem to have a special mission to force their opinion on others. Great video! You really highlight TFA's strengths. It's proof that it's not the story, but how you tell it!
That was 40 minutes of brilliance that actually made sense.
Good job Chris. That was really fascinating!
The Force awakens is basically the story of King Arthur, Rey is a lowly peasant who is secretly more important than she thinks, Kylo Ren is a black knight ( even his sword shows this) along with his Knights of Ren, and in the end when the lightsaber is stuck in the snow, Kylo Ren struggles to grab it, while surprisingly Rey is the one to pull out the lightsaber which is essentially the excalibur of the universe, and in the end she seeks guidance from Luke, who is Merlin
+Angelo Pro Great analysis
I thought the same, the Excalibur thing hit me too
so is that a bad thing?
dudeIII not necessarily, whether its a good or bad thing is subjective, i just thought i'd share what i thought the film meant
Holy crap, I hadn't thought of that. Good catch!
+Angelo Pro or is it just another Disney`s princess story, but somewhat like CInderella`s origin-wise. A lonely forgotten female in a place where she has to do some dirty work for unthankful creatures, yet, suddenly she is extremely powerful, unique and important to everyone she meets due to a line of convenient random ocassions, proving that big naive eyes, selfless generosity and genetic heritage are the keys to everything miss universe wants in her life. Two goofy sidekicks, a parent figure and a couple of shallow handsome boys added to the mix.
Using scarlett johanson to demonstrate perfection? 😂
hes right
+Natalie Herondale Why, how far do you think she is from perfect...?
+Caillou: The Little Brat ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
+Natalie Herondale Scarlett Johanson is fat. Check out Under the Skin. She has cellulite like 50 year old.
Someone link me to that exact pic of Scarlett please. It's for a friend...
I loved TFA. I saw it 3 times. I don't get why people hate it.
+ChubberJ Because it's a rip off, that's why.
TagusMan ah fuck off with that man. I'm tired of hearing that band wagon excuse.
TagusMan If Disney dick pumps out amazing movies like TFA, sure.
Am I cute or am I edgy? Make up your mind.
ChubberJ
Fair enough. Brainless factory assembled Star Wars is the thing for you. I'm sure you'll enjoy everything Disney will have to offer in the decades to come.
It’s amazing how far we’ve come. Peoples main issue with TFA was it was too similar to A New Hope. Now Last Jedi has been ripped to shreds for going out of the box. Now the prequels are being viewed as some underrated piece of art. These movies will be praised when the new trilogy comes out and it has nothing to do with Skywalkers. Star Wars fans are the worst group in the galaxy
Jeff Miller you are a man of facts. I LOVE every single Star Wars film, they are all my favourite films ever and they always have been. I am one of the few who has always loved the prequels, but I guess it’s because I grew up with them and I could be wearing nostalgia goggles, I’m not sure, and love the Disney era. I love every Star Wars film in existence and I always will
Jeff Miller Yeah it’s actually amazing. It’s a real shame because I loved the Force Awakens and I’m not a huge fan of Last Jedi, but I respect it a lot. Strange how first it’s too much like StarWars and now it’s too different.
Jimb0 It is the worst of the trilogy. It tried pandering to too many people making it forgettable.
Jimb0 Yeah. The only redeeming qualities I remember are I like Rey and Kylo Ren was okay but it felt like this redemption arc was already debunked in Rise Of Skywalker.
Jimb0 Yeah I kinda agree. I still like Rey and think she’s fine in this film but Kylo was just odd here. I also think their relationship was well handled in The Last Jedi. Again it felt like the idea of Kylo being redeemed was explored already in Last Jedi so it doesn’t work here.
I agree with just about the whole video, with the exception that I don't have as many negatives. :)
I wanted to love the movie and I did very much! In my opinion it's one of the best Star Wars movies and it has the best humor, and Kylo Ren is the best villian since Darth Vader and he's more interesting
Also it's confirmed that Captain Phasma will be back in Episode 8 and she'll have a big role XD so very excited for that. She looks super badass and love her armor. Hopefully she actually is badass in the next one lol
Sunset Shimmer the Magical Virgin Smelling Buttshaking Unicorn (Aka Captain Phasma) Yes I was dissapointed we didn't see more of her, so I was glad to hear she will be coming back.
Belz Zebuth The opening of the movie gave me chills! XD I was so happy because it took the classic Star Wars approach with the opening crawl, to the camera panning down, to there being a giant ship. That's how every Star Wars movie should open to give it that dramatic and exciting pull on the audience
Belz Zebuth and of course with the classic 3 paragraph summary of what's been going on in the story since the previous film to instantly keep the audience intrigued with mystery
I think Chris kinda sounding like Mr. Plinkett is meant to illustrate an important point he makes in the video. He may sound similar and do things similarly to RedLetterMedia in the video, but the structure of the analysis is actually quite different. Anybody? Just me? Okay.
+SaiTorr It's like lif Mr Plinkett and Tony Zha had a child - The Chosen One!
:)
Have you watched his previous analysis videos? This is what he usually do lol.
Jala Perkins Yeah, just a lot of people have been pointing it out in the comments. I couldn't really be bothered by it, but I like how he does these videos.
He does this for all his analyzed reviews
I agree with you. Hopefully it was intentional, otherwise I don't think it helps his argument.
TFA is a great movie.
Your criticisms are spot on. The Rathtars, Maz Kanata and Snoke were the weakest elements/characters.
BUT
Starkiller base is AWESOME. It's pure Star Wars. That whole sequence is SUPERB.
The aesthetic is excellent, it looks and feels like classic Star Wars. It felt like a new death star. the snow planet was reminiscent of Hoth, the X wing assault and lightsaber duel were both fantastic. A lot of dramatic moments happened on Starkiller base. Moment to moment, the final 30-40 minutes of TFA are brilliant.
Starkiller base was the culmination of 32 years of waiting, it was an amalgamation of many great elements from the original trilogy.
Disagree with pretty much every point you make except for the weakest elements part. Starkiller Base was a rehash. Nothing redeemable about that.
+Michael Fraser I really think your just jumping on the same bus if people that just criticise the few points compared to the rest of the movie. I thought the planet shows us the strength of the first order and let's be honest, the first order/imperials are obviously going to have a base somewhere... It was a planet, the first order didn't control every inch of the planet, just a base.
+Michael Fraser watch the actual review
My bigges problem was that it is the same Status Quo than in the OT with Rebels vs Empire.
It was a very uninspired choice and Anakin's/Dath Vaders storyarchs are heavily undermined by that, all they did in the PT and OT was pretty much useless in the end
I thought that it was fucking stupid that it was pretty much a complete remake.
I’m here 6 years later and this is amazing I still love the force awakens
Now i'm more hyped for Rogue One cause it might be the first Star Wars movie not to follow that traditional storytelling weather or not that's a good thing is determined but excited to see the outcome :D.
+Tici Toty Tony The only bad thing is that we know how it will end. Not exactly but we know they got the plan and most/all of them will die.
+Sami F. S. Can't wait for it,there were talks of Starkiller being introduced in cameo form,it would be awesome but also very very very unlikely
It's gonna have a more human and militar feel to it, just like the original and new Clone Wars animated show in some ways. Can't wait for it.
T.E.D Fine then but i need your help
Can you help me not feel this pain anymore father??
Rogue One should be down and dirty, straight up military movie. I can see all the main characters dying except for the main girl
The Last Crusade is, by far, the best in the trilogy.
I agree!
It's not a trilogy, dipwad.
So what you are saying is that Crystal Skull is good and counts as an Indiana Jones film.
Christopher Clarke
Well, duh. His name is in the title.
It's childish to ignore a part of a series completely just because it wasn't AS good. Not even BAD, just not as good as the others--which is enough.
I understand and enjoyed your analysis... but this video is implying that there are a shit ton of people criticizing the movie. I feel like this video is defending The Force Awakens when clearly doesn't need much defending at all. It's has a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes currently.
+striderpsv An understandable mistake. Strongly critical viewers may be a relatively small minority, but within such an enormous audience that's still a lot of people. And if you go to one negative review on UA-cam, it will link you others, and before you know it, you might find yourself in a world where everybody seems to hate Force Awakens.
+Matt M good for you
+Dangly sadsackontits233 I don't think he ever said he was a maninist. Also, maninist is pretty much one, giant satire of feminism.
Have you seen the RedLetterMedia video about TFA
All the top comments are either "Wtf, this movie was the worst"
"All reviewers that say it's good are paid by Disney, because there is no way to find that piece of shit good"
"I respected you RLM for your reviews but I was disappointed that you liked that Movie"
"Fuck JJ Abrams and Disney they ruined Star Wars for me" and so on
People complaining about a movie like it started a world war
You can like or dislike her character but Rey does not fit the Mary Sue archetype. This is just a fact.
I really don’t care how similar two movies are, just if the movies are interesting, captivating, and well executed
Thanks for this analysis.
I can say the same thing about the Toy Story trilogy (or really any Pixar movie except Cars 1-2, Brave, Monsters University and the Good Dinosaur (because they tried to do something different)).
All three follows a formula and they all are excellent movies, Toy Story 3 is definitely my favourite. It pays homage to first two, introducing newer interesting characters, dialogue and a suspenseful escape plan that was better than the first two Toy Stories and ending the trilogy on such a high note, it was so perfect, the only people I can think that don't enjoy it are people who have never played with Toys, or blind YMS fans (by which I mean people who eat up everything he says without considering watching the movie themselves).
And as for Toy Story 4, well I hope it will bring more Joy to one of the best franchises every, in the words of Chris Stuckmann: "I grew up loving this franchise, it is very near and dear to my heart, and it could ruin me if it was bad"
+Seventy Eight Fonaly someone shed light on the Toy Story trilogy having similar structures in all three, yet almost nobody slammed them for it :)
Kritic1Cing6 im not slamming them, im slamming yms for being a hypocrite about the toy story genre.
Sorry for the poor wording, thats what I actually meant what you just said there, and really I saw TFA the same way you and I saw TS 3 :)
Great job with this review Chris. I hope to see more of these Analyzed Reviews in the future! :)
You can look at his older analyzed reviews if you need
RaiderFOOTBALL Thanks
This video is the Citizen Kane of videos about Star Wars on UA-cam.
Yes, more so than RedLetterMedia's reviews which are overrated as hell.
Imagine if they weren't announcing Mark Hamill to be in this movie, if they would've said he'll join in episode 8. Imagine the reaction of watching him in that final scene...
It's like poetry, it rhymes with the Plinkett reviews.
+idk That's because like JJ Abrams, Stuckmann is a hack that can only steal other people's styles to justify himself. This literally was a copy of RLM's Plinkett reviews and it brought nothing new to the table.......just like Star Wars VII.
+Andrew Velasquez (TwoHundredLeftFeet) Please explain to me in what ways did Stuckmann rip off Plinkett. I've seen all of Plinkett's videos, and nothing in this video seems like a rip off to me.
+Andrew Velasquez (TwoHundredLeftFeet) Does it need to? All points that he makes are valid. Does it matter if he was inspired by another to make this?
Ryan Grille Ok, so either you're kidding me or have never seen Plinkett's Star Wars Prequel reviews before. The easiest comparisons are the fact that Stuckmann literally rips off the monotone narration voice of Plinkett ad verbatim, uses a similar sounding background song as the PT reviews by Plinkett, uses the same pacing as his reviews, uses the same visual formula as the Plinkett reviews and much more. How do you not see it? This guy is a fucking RLM poser.
dabeastlykilla62 I never said the points weren't valid. I just wish he'd use his OWN CREATIVITY to convey them. Instead he resorts to literally copying RLM's Plinkett formula to a T in order to look "cool and funny".
The Force Awakens is very good, not the best STAR WARS, but it's really good.
I rank it third, ahead of ROTJ but behind ANH.
What about you?
1. Empire Strikes Back 2. Original Star Wars 3. Return of the Jedi tied with The Force Awakens.
Jesus Amaya
It took me a while to decide whether I like ROTJ or TFA better.
I think ROTJ's flaws add up more than TFA's does.
*****
I'm one of the folks who thinks of ROTJ as the lesser of the originals (but still good), but I'm curious to hear your thoughts.
Like, do you think ANH is more flawed, or do you think ROTJ has greater heights? Both?
*****
Practically every good point you listed I thoroughly agree with. I love the entire exchange with the Emperor (except arguably the notion that it's not convincing that Luke is really being tempted) and all sorts.
A lot of the things I don't like are a lot of the problems Chris Stuckman brought up in his own review, also some parts feel like padding. I don't see why they couldn't have begin the escape after killing the rancor.
Also, considering that Han was originally intended to die, his involvement in the rest of the movie doesn't feel like it has much purpose. He even feels a little less rogue than we know him for. I know he's changed and everything, but when he's with the Ewoks he does feel kind of kids' show-ish (like when he gave that "oh well" shrug when the Ewoks caught the Stormtroopers for him).
And while a lot of people like the role reversal of the "I love you" "I know" part, that one kind of gets a groan out of me.
All in all, I still really like the movie, but it does feel like Lucas was clawing his way in there at times.
Movie Fans: "BEST MOVIE EVER" or "WORST MOVIE EVER" there is never an in-between. The movie was great and it was what it needed to be. A good Star Wars movie.
+Joe Kresl I think that's not true. Most movie-fans are in-between. The "BEST MOVIE EVER" or "WORST MOVIE EVER" - guys are just the ones, who scream the loudest...
True
+Wolfram Öller I completely agree. Most fans voices get washed out by the extremes.
+Joe Kresl Haha, he compares Creed to Force awakens in the area of lacking originality. Thats idiotic on so many levels.
Rocky movies are movies with a very limiting premise. Its about boxing and life!!!!!!!! You cant make a rocky movie be about figure skating in another dimension or fighting demons in the underground.
That comparison he made is cheap and it really shows how incapable of being objective he is. Do you know why people didnt bash Jurrasic world on lacking originality? Its because its a stupid spectacle movie that has a very limiting premise. There are dinosaurs in a park, they escape and kill stuff.
Star wars universe is a universe with unlimited potential... and what do they do.. they carbon copy most the plot points from prior movies. That is beyond unforgivable for anyone that cares about originality even a bit.
I face-palmed and shook my head in disbelief when you said that this movie MADE YOU REALIZE WHY YOU LOVE FILM. If this movie makes you realize that: "well then you are lost!"
+Derp665 In your opinion. Why reply like you are right and he is wrong?
That quote from Dan Murrel is just my cup of tea. I feel like this video actually taught me something. Thanks Chris! You always make the watch worth it.
The Force Awakens is a by-the-books modern day blockbuster movie with a big budget and Star Wars in the title. It's an extremely safe movie that takes no chances, made by a committee instead of by an artist with a vision. The Force Awakens is essentially fan-fiction with a 200 million dollar budget.
+WackySwacky hahahah it had no soul.... gtfoh
+SuperHns What I mean is that the film feels like a generic Hollywood sci-fi film. The only thing special about it is that it has Star Wars in the title.
the didn't take chances ? did you miss the part where there killed off the most famous and beloved star wars character of all time ?
+WackySwacky well if it was too different fanboys will moan. the film is basicly a re-introduction to the franchise and its a good base to build the rest of the trilogy. the heart was in the effects the acting the direction ect. you cant say its heartless bexause the story is slightly generic.
TrlSTlx We all saw that coming from a mile away. As soon as Ren told Snoke that he wouldn't be tempted by his father it was as clear as day that Han was going to die. His death was foreshadowed a million times in the movie. Not to mention that fact that Harrison himself wanted his character die in the previous film anyway. I wouldn't call that taking a risk. I would call that a cheap way to get people invested in the plot.
I also liked how 3D was used in this movie. In addition to simply enhancing the visual appeal of the scenery, every time an object popped out of the screen, it appeared to be justifiable as a way to enhance story-telling instead of being mere "in your face" technological show-off. Maybe I'm over-interpreting a bit sometimes but here's a list of each noticeable uses of 3D that I remember seeing and how I think each one served the story pretty well:
1-When BB-8 comes close to the camera in the first shot he's in (or she?), the use of 3D makes it feel intimate and we can easily tell he's afraid of something coming on the horizon despite the fact he doesn't have human facial features to convey emotions in the usual way.
2-When Rey puts her staff in the net pocket alongside her "tractor", the fact that it pops out of the screen and almost feels like it's poking your eyes prevents the audience from underestimating the power she can convey through this apparently technology-less object she caries around for self-defence. She may still be poor and early in her character arc but she already proves to be a strong and independent woman waiting for an opportunity to prove her capabilities.
3-In a scene transition at some point, when we see a static star-destroyer introducing the next scene, the use of 3D enhances the wedge-like and piercing shape of the ship, which helps convey the interpretation of that design as a way to symbolize the ambition of the first-order to pierce through the galactic harmony and force their way in to impose their law with an iron-fist, like the imperial star destroyers used to do.
4-When Kylo Ren approaches his lightsaber to Rey's neck, the use of 3D helps us feel Rey's reaction of fear, which enhances our impression of Kylo Ren as a threatening and dangerous character. Conveying this impression successfully is crucial to his character development since we later learn he's doing his best to appear as intimidating as possible despite a lack of self-confidence. The use of 3D when he stops a laser blast in mid-air earlier in the movie also plays well in those chords in addition to looking really cool.
5-Finally, the use of 3D when Rey stretches her arm to give Luke his lightsaber back symbolizes her attempt to reach out to him through this crucial action. She's not only giving him a long lost object that has precious value to him. She's also asking him for help while providing him the hope he had been longing for.
+Sébastien Laberge Your remarks make me wish i would've watched in 3D, but due to a medical condition, I'm usually not able to see any 3D-effects at all ... which doesn't bother me, as most of time 3D effects in todays films are mindlessly shoehorned in afterwards in post-production.
BB-8 is an it not a he or a she
+FinalForkXII he is called "he" in the film. He is not called "it." Droid are respected as people in Star Wars and have male and female personalities.
You're right, also the movie chose to enhance the depth of field and having a slight pop out in the aerial battles immersed me more and really showed how beautiful the VFX are in this movie
+Sébastien Laberge 3-D can be great when used right, like in this film
Hahaha I love the Plinkett tones in this review.
Same
Tone? like how he sounds? he sounds like a fat, old drunk.
Haha, I'm an audio engineer and still not that pedantic.
+MrPete8680 the word is CRAP, no the word is GARBAGE, naw i'm just kidding the word is TONE
+Michael Edwards Oh.... Wait....
We see what he did there
(Email him if you wanna pizza roll)
Wow. Thank you Chris for your heartfelt review. I was 5 when Star Wars came out and still recall the stir it rooted in everyone I knew. These mixed feelings, at so many levels, formed who I am today. Just wish there were more people (especially reviewers) able to love a move and yet consciously point out the 'wrongs'. Keep up the good, correction, fantastic work. May the Force 'continue' with you!
Dude you out did yourself with this review, simply awesome. It my not be the most popular opinion but after re-watching the originals and watching TFA 3 times, this has become my favorite star wars movie even with its flaws, it has the feel of the originals but with better film making, compelling characters, a story that feels nostalgic but fresh at the same time, and way better special effects.
+Oh hi Mark a story that feels fresh??? i respect your opinion of it being the best of the 7 (it is by far my least favourite) but you can't actually say with a straight face that this story is in ANY way fresh or original.
AvatarDan Well I say it with a straight face. It feels FRESH. Kylo is a is not yet fulfilled as a villain, Vader was. Rey’s past is a mystery, first time a storm trooper is developed, the comedy is good, not to mention the special effects, just to name a few things. What you can’s say with a straight face is that is the worst of the seven, as in the prequels are better.
+AvatarDan how it can be worse that the prequels ? i just don't get it. The Force Awakens managed to do a lot of things right which the prequels couldn't do. OMG, worse than The Phantom Menace ? I'm baffled
johnny1248 yes by FAR worse than the phantom menace, which was completely original and felt like star wars through and through. This WAS a new hope, with WORSE comedy, worse dialogue, and far less mystery and magic. Also the score was abysmal when COMPARED to the original trilogy and the prequels, which had the best scores of any of the movies.
AvatarDan
WHAT ? WORSE DIALOGUE AND HUMOR ?THE PREQUELS HAD DONE IT WORSE.
Im realizing halfway into this that the way you wrote and delivered some of this video is strikingly similar to the tone of a plinkett review. And feeling the spirit of plinkett is a ok with me lol
+DuesX187 Noticed the same. Especially the "I know my Star Wars shit, M'kay, M'KAY" part. :P
Yea the Plinkett is strong with this one Loool but Chris has said he has seen his reviews and he is doing a star wars review here so it's probably just a good natured homage
+DuesX187 The only thing that bugs me about this is when he mentions badasses in the prequels, he said "Darth Maul, maybe?" and completely forgot about Mace Windu. Say whatever you want about the prequels, because they were definitely bad. But Mace Windu was fucking awesome.
Also, him saying "simular" instead of "similar."
+theletterB I think Mace's character was underdevelop and a complete waste of a decent actor. But to each their own.
DKPaladinX A hell of a lot more developed than Darth Maul, that's for sure.
People keep overusing the term Mary Sue. Everyone who keeps saying it learned the word yesterday. Its such a stupid complaint. Also saying a beat for beat remake is ridiculous to me like oh no they are using a Star Wars formula for a Star Wars movie!!!!!!!???? HOW DARE THEY!!!!!?
Landis was the one that started that BS.
Mgen Strange Yes I know. Its ok though this stupid term will be forgotten in like a couple of months
+Triforce96 "It's such a stupid complaint"
Actually, it sounds like a pretty fair complaint. A stupid complaint would go something like: I didn't like The Force Awakens because it didn't have enough cats in it. Now THAT is a stupid complaint
+Triforce96 I don't know, maybe Rey's progression to competent Jedi being faster than any other Jedi in Star Wars movie/tv history, regardless of the reason, might not benefit the character or the movie in the end.
+Sir Tips A Lot So they stirred up the plot element by a bit by her not being Luke or Anakin which makes this movie different from the others while still keeping up with the formula, I hardly see it as a negative.
Watching this for the first time post Last Jedi. Enjoyment at the irony is at maximum as the same fans you were talking about who hated on the formula are now melting down over the breaking of the formula. A+ analysis!
Wait... No. Rey didnt want an adventure. She wanted to go back to Jakku.
she wanted an adventure. but also wanted to stay in jakku to wait for her family
she wanted an adventure. but also wanted to stay in jakku to wait for her family
she wanted an adventure. but also wanted to stay in jakku to wait for her family
She fantasized about having an adventure.
+TheVideoInvader I fantasise about her
THANK YOU. There's only one point people keep complaining about that you didn't address, which was Rey's "overpoweredness"; I'm personally not sure if she is overpowered or not, but I can definitely see how it could be seen that way. It doesn't bother me very much though, even if it was true that she is overpowered, because... well, I think the emotional framing of it - and the fact that there's are still so much we don't know about her origins - makes it still work, at least for me. She's just as shocked about what she's able to do as we are, and we're yet to see what it means.
When it comes to the overall movie, I think it really helped for me to go into the cinema with no expectations whatsoever. I'd seen the trailer, said "cool" and that was it. I didn't have any information beyond the trailer, and it's generally very rare that I even see a trailer at all. The catch with internet is that people can indulge too far into their curiosity, and build these huge expectations, like the reviewer said, and what IHE says in his "I hate hypeculture" video. It's so very true. The best thing to enjoy a movie you're excited about is to at most see the first trailer and then try to forget about the movie until it's released and you go to see it for yourself. Otherwise, you're setting yourself up to have a bad time.
Oddivia I have a feeling Rey was one of the Jedi Luke was training. If it's revealed that's what happened watch as everyone flips there opinion and now it'll be "brilliant foreshadowing "
+blurryperson The movie pretty much shows or at least highly hints at it that she's lived on Jakku since a very young age so she couldn't have been trained by Luke.
+James Price she could, Jedi are trained from a very young age (assuming Luke's new Jedi Order functions like the old one). She could be a very new pupil when Kylo Ren betrayed Luke and he quit teaching. Maybe the only survivor of the attack.
I don't think that will be the case, but it isn't a completely discarded possibility either.
42Caio (Caio Esteves)
Whilst they are trained young the age they show of Rey being on Jakku is only a little older than the infamous younglins from RotS, she wouldn't have had the chance to learn of the force in a meaningful way and you must also consider that the New Jedi Order would have been much smaller that the previous so finding, searching for and training force sensitive children would all have taken longer than before. Your right it is possible but unlikely.
She's not overpowered at all. People are just saying she's a "Mary Sue" mostly because they are sexist, or they just have blind hatred for this film. Like it was established that she's a survivor and a fighter and she knows how to fly ships. If Luke who doesn't have any war experience can fly an x-wing and blow up the death star with ease, then I'm certain anyone like rey can beat a wounded Kylo Ren with the help of the force
Man this was awesome, you earned a subscriber.
So should RedLetterMedia, they came up with this first. 🤷♂️
The sequel trilogy is no different than the recent trend in Hollywood with the soft reboots. Where they take legacy characters mixed with new characters that retells the original story. It’s pretty irritating.
Honestly, I don't give a shit if people hate FA. All I know is I love this movie and it's the only Star Wars movie that I could watch over and over and still not bored of it YET :). I can't say the same thing about any other Star Wars movie, even Empire. I didn't like Star Wars 1-2 (minus Darth Maul) because they were really boring. At least the 3rd one was better than 1-2. For me they were just not interesting, but they had great characters with Obi, Ginn, and Darth Maul. However the story was just not interesting to care outside of the action and CGI. In FA, I love all the characters and the story is actually interesting. I love that Storm Troopers are actually humanized which is new something new from the OT.
+Rob Tineo Yeah ikr the story is so interesting, not
+Rob Tineo I feel that the story in the PT is great. To me the problem is the way it was implemented (poor directing). I like TFA a lot, and you're right, it can be watched over and over and it's harder to get bored of it. But I think the same of ROTS. The other ones can get boring quicker.
munozali1 literally the second time i watched this movie, I thought it would be better, but it only got worse
+herobrine_trolo I'm curious as to why. Is it because it leaves many questions unanswered, the new "Death Star", ...? I enjoy it, because it's a fun ride, but I don't deny that it definitely has issues.
IsFriezaABoyOrGirl there is a difference between the same formula, and exactly the same plot points.
I am so sick of those "TFA is an absolute copy of ANH" haters. Yes, Starkiller Base is the same thing a Death Star, but the movie's primary focus was NOT the destruction of the Starkiller Base, but Han trying to turn Kylo Ren back, Finn and others trying to find Rey, Rey fighting with Kylo and getting better wwith the force...
you're not alone my friend
Ondřej Saska but the difference is the characters. The original trilogy was amazing for growing and well defined characters. Han and Chewie become hero's. Luke becomes a Jedi. Leia doesn't change as much but grows relationships with the other characters. In TFA, Rey is the same throughout and doesn't face any challenges. Finn grows, but not enough. Po is still the same guy at the end, and has minimal effects on the main characters. they seem more prequel-like than new trilogy material.
Exactly!
Alex Turlais You're comparing a trilogy to a new one without it's two last entries
I am sick of those “TFA is better than the Prequel Trilogy” haters. Yes, the prequels aren’t as good as the Original Trilogy, but wether you like it or not, they were George’s ideas and they are part of the Saga. If you think The Force Awakens is amazing, thats fine. If you the prequels aren’t that good, ok then. But going all out and adding insult to injury by not only joining the overhyped train but also also jumping on the Prequel hating bandwagon doesn’t make them any better. Tbh, Finn is kind of like TFA’s version of Jar Jar Binks.
Very good video. I do have a few observations:
1. The score is outstanding and deeply layered. It's just not a pop-album like the TPM prequel soundtrack. It's gorgeously realized and has more depth in character than all but the Revenge of the Sith score (and even that has one pop-track). It's easy to miss how wonderful it is on first listen or even first few viewings of the movie... I know because I missed it, but now love it.
2. The scene between Han & Kylo, which I initially thought felt rushed and unearned, feels very much on point now. Han has the type of personality that allows him to believe he can turn his son in that moment. His overconfidence & belief that he can make things right with Leia is what gets him killed. But perhaps, in that final act, he literally and emotionally touches his son... and starts Ben down a path toward the light.
3. From a pure film-making perspective, TFA is superior to the other 6 movies. How anyone can dislike it, much less hate it, is beyond me. But if you go back to reviews of "Empire Strikes Back" they sounded a lot like the negative reviews of TFA. A LOT like it. And we know where that movie stands now.
4. TFA is definitely NOT a "rehash" of the original Star Wars. All 7 movies are part of a circular story-telling that calls back to itself. And the original 1977 movie was a call-back to all the things Lucas was influenced by... those things were pretty clear to any cinephile of the 70s. TFA utilizes pieces of most of the movies, but specifically the first three, while also doing its own thing. To belittle the whole movie because it "rehashes" a couple of elements, is disingenuous and I consider all those arguments nothing short of trolling.
I would love to see a video like this on The Last Jedi or Solo from Chris. I love his takes on Star Wars. Regardless of whether I agree with him or not, he respects the craft of film and gives merit to everybody’s opinion on films. Definitely one of my favorite Star Wars content creators.
you sound like you're trying to be Mr. Plinkett from red letter media
It's like poetry, it rhymes
+Kyle Schneid Its stylistically designed to be that way
+Alex S do it once, very clever. Do it twice then it's just shameful.
+Kyle Schneid Like this video and Chris will skype you a pizza roll.
Chris is the key to all this
Excellent. Insightful. Honest. Bro, you crushed it. Needlessly to say, I agree.
I feel like I'm the only one on earth that thought this movie was just okay. I gave it a 7/10 but nearly everyone else i spoke to gave it 9/10.
ya, I can't see it being just okay. I have seen it twice and it was fantastic.
뿡뿡! ^__^ can you explain it to me then? I saw some pretty large flaws. Like seriously, what was so great about it?
+Solomon Beckles The emotions it made a star wars fan feel
+Solomon Beckles Like Chris said It's an extremely well done film. The choreography, cinematography, acting performances, ect. Also the score is great. Chris doesn't know what he's talking about haha. There were only minor flaws at most. Things need to be repetitive in the same franchise and it has a completely different plot. Also this was the only time the giant super weapon wasn't a complete failure. It actually DID what it needed to do and I'm willing to bet Snoke planned the destruction of the base. What you see as flaws aren't to most. Explain what you think is a flaw and I will explain why it isn't.
+Solomon Beckles
5/10 would be just okay. 7/10 is pretty good.
This was an AWESOME video :)
no it wasn't
Um yes it was :)
hater
Feil Vei no
Agreed good video
For me, the main problem I have is that Rey was wayyyyy too insanely powerful, what Jedi powers do we know of? Manipulating people? She did it just completely out of the blue. Moving objects with your mind? She grabbed Luke's lightsaber from the air as if it was nothing! Being good with a lightsaber? SHE FUCKING BEAT KYLO REN (a guy whose been bloody trained by an actual Jedi!) as if he was nothing! She beat the crap out of him, no training, no assistance, not one damn thing and she's basically a Jedi. She just is, she's a Jedi, first movie, no training and she's a Jedi, she can do EVERYTHING a Jedi can do without ever meeting one! Even Luke had to meet Yoda before he could really do anything. It really felt forced down my throat of "SHES THE CHOSEN ONE! SHES THE CHOSEN ONE! LOOK! LOOK!". Very frustrating. Why is she so powerful with no explanation at all? No training. Not anything. It makes no sense! And moreover it makes ALL the villains look incredibly weak and pathetic.
+Reece Wilkins "Hey, remember that time in Return of the Jedi when Luke got really pissed, and just started wailing on Vader.."
+Reece Wilkins everything will be explained in Episode 8 and Episode 9. So yeah, be patient
+Reece Wilkins Kylo Ren had been shot by Chewbacca. And needed more training.
+Reece Wilkins Luke had no combat experience when he started his journey. Living cozy with his aunt and uncle buying and repairing robots.
On the other hand Rey had to survive as a scavenger. Climbing through wreckages, dismantling parts from the most dangerous corners. Fighting of others who try to steal her loot. That experience for years is already a better starting point then Luke ever had.
+Reece Wilkins Yea man the exact same problem I have, she can do anything a trained padowan can do but.. HOW?
I can't stand how people don't see that problem, it is major fuck up to jedi logic. They better explain that in the next movie...
To me, The Force Awakens was a masterpiece. I hope it sparks the same love of Star Wars the original did back in the 70s because I really do feel like it's deserving of it.
+Silver Fang While I don't feel like The Force Awakens is a masterpiece, I feel like Mad Max: Fury Road fits that description, I do feel like The Force Awakens is an important, exciting chapter into the Star Wars Saga. In the years to come, it will be regarded as a classic, similar to Titanic and Frozen. Similar to those, people will love it, people will hate it, but in time, people will remember this movie more fondly in the years. Trust me, people will respect this movie in the years to come.
Honestly, I love this movie. I even like it better than A New Hope. Not as good as The Empire Strikes Back, but its still pretty damn awesome!
I think it's a distance from masterpiece, with too many weaknesses, but it's definitely a movie I liked a lot.
A solid 8 out of 10, in my book.
+Silver Fang I'd give it an 8.2. Its a wonderful movie that deserves to be appreciated, but its not perfect. I have only seen rare examples or movies that are actually perfect.
Including but not limited to Empire Strikes Back, and Toy Story 2.
+Mayeur000Donz And Kung Fu Panda 2.
Man, what a trip watching this in 2023.
Yeah ... But, I think comparing 'The Force Awakens'' lifting its entire plotline from 'A New Hope' to the similarities between the Jones movies is a false equivalence. When you go see an Indiana Jones movie, you go with the justified anticipation of watching this one semi-superhero do what he's superheroically good at: finding treasure, solving puzzles, punching Nazis and saving damsels. In the case of 'Star Wars', this was different. The story thread through the earlier six movies was far more complex, with much more in play. It was about the rise and fall of the Empire, Anakin's corruption and eventual redemption, Luke and Leia discovering who they are ... But mostly about the victory of the Rebellion against the murderous Empire. 'The Force Awakens' felt like an insult because it rendered that victory meaningless by resetting the status quo - OFF-SCREEN - to basically the same situation we had at the start of 'A New Hope'. Replace the Empire with 'The First Order' (who? where? what?), for the Rebel Alliance, read the 'Resistance' ... So, what, all those rebels in the first trilogy died for nothing? How the hell did the First Order get so strong so quickly when the Empire was trashed? If there's a New Republic, then why is there a 'Resistance' fighting the First Order? Shouldn't that war be fought by the New Republic's own fleet and army? This reset was a disrespectful cheat to create - without any explanation - a status quo that allows the writers to steal the plot of 'A Force Awakens'. And then (unlike Indiana Jones), they simply created all-new, poorly fleshed out, cookie-cutter characters to fill the equivalent roles from the first movie. Some coincidence that all these things, plus a new planet-killing base with an inexplicable weakness should come together in exactly the same way again, huh? It was pure laziness on the part of the writers, a shameless, creatively bankrupt money-grab. 'The Last Jedi' seemed to be making an effort to take that familiar story in an unfamiliar, interesting direction, and for a moment there I cared about what might happen. Then 'The Rise of Skywalker' chickened out and ruined it.
One of my biggest issues with TFA. Was that the world felt really small. Hyperspace travel only takes anywhere from 10 seconds to a minute in the actual movie time. They can see other planets from an entirely different system. It takes no time for Han to find the Falcon and the gangs just appear at the same time.. It just felt like they had shrinked the world into a convinient tight cluster.
+Christian Skelmose Jensen It felt indeed small.
Chris I have to disagree with you on saying that Indy 4 was bad because it differed too much from the formula. In fact one of the main reasons it was bad is because it played it too safe, but used crap stuff in it, like the aliens and the CGI overkill, as well as Indy being older.
I think what it comes down to is Why did so many people state the prequels were different and the sequel is similar? Because that is the overall effect it gave thousands of viewers, and thats what matters, even if the prequels did have the same story... (Also, it appears only Gene Siskel was saying Indy3 was too similar)
Casino Royale as I'm sure you're aware was radically different from the established formula, and that is part of the reason it worked, because it gave us something brand new.
No a lot more reviewers at that time were sayin the same thing about Indy 3, and Roger ebert even agreed with him but said why he didnt care
+BadMouseProductions I don't think Indy 4 was that bad. It's still the weakest of the bunch but it's lot more watchable then most bad movies of today. It's just an average Indy movie honestly. Very flawed but fun in most cases.
Thanks Chris! You really proved your point.
This is one of my favorite videos on the whole site. Congratulations, Chris! I liked all the brief shots of the film's production there, making it look so much fun...then I remember Harrison Ford getting his ankle injured very badly on set (with Lucasfilm ultimately being fined over such negligence!) and the general horribleness of Hollywood that has come to light over the past year and then I feel depressed.
I can cut _RedLetterMedia's Mr. Pinklet_ fog of influence with a knife in your narration and in your editing, from how thick it is :)
Which isn't bad. I could also smell Scorsese's cologne all over Pulp Fiction back in the day.
Ok, you crossed the freakin' line at 6:41. That's Mr. Pinklet's _"Oh"._
You can borrow, but make sure you make your own thing with it, just before giving it back.
+Daniel Rosa I thought I could cut the hypocrisy in his video with a knife(attacking those who dare to criticize TFA as "haters" while needlessly and excessively hating on the prequels). It wasn't until I read the comments that I realized he was also essentially plagiarizing another commentary.
+Daniel Rosa Only Mr Plinket is allowed to say "Oh"? Thing is, Mike is faking his accent, while Chris actually sounds like that. If he was deliberatly putting on Mr Plinketts voice, you'd have an argument.
It's meant to buddy... The theme is "winning formula" and it's a Star Wars review. I'm the only genius to get it ....
+MatthewWolverine He gave the prequels two Cs and a B. How is that needlessly hating on them?
I really love your ideas of the star wars formula and I'm a HUGE FAN of Star Wars, Chris. 40 minutes of WOW!
Jar jar's a Sith Lord
...
Jordan Balli it actually makes sence i know, totally blew my mind when i read/watched that. he should totally end up being snoke hahaha
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is by FAR the best in the series.
Joking right?
Your mom's a Sith Lord
this is why I love stuckmann, he is the only reviewer I've seen that is completely objective and doesn't let previous films distract his opinions of new ones
I actually felt myself that Poe and Finn's friendship was way rushed. Remember how it took a whole movie for Luke, Han, Leia, and Chewie and the droids to warm up to one another? Two scenes together and then their reunion becomes like they are long lost friends.
While I can kind of see your point there, I think it still works because the few moments they shared together felt very endearing to me. It's like what Jeremy Jahns said, they cemented a lifelong bromance in a few lines while the prequels couldn't do that in 6 hours.
It's kind of like how I accept Disney movies developing a romance in a few days. Or even how in this movie you accept Rey's attatchment to Han after she'd only known him a few hours (He asked her name when they were nearly arriving on that green planet, as I recall).
Mayeur000Donz I didn't really like the whole Han thing but the whole "old man teaches young girl" trope is in so much stuff I almost just gave it a pass. But they knew each other for at least a few days, whereas literally, Po9e and Finn knew each other for 20 minutes tops before Poe went missing for half the movie
Matt Cotter
He wasn't really a mentor so much as a father-figure I'd say, tho.
As for Finn and Poe, I think it just felt very real by the time they got to "good to meet you".
When they reunited, put yourself in Poe's shoes. There is the guy, the shining beacon of good, who not only rescued you from certain death, struck up a good yet brief rapport with you, but also completed your extremely important mission.
Given the nature of being in war and holding onto whatever friends you can get, I can totally see Poe being that happy to see Finn again.
Mayeur000Donz Alright I can see that
Well the relationships were quite different in nature, so I don't think that is a fair comparison. Han was just a smuggler who was transporting Luke for the money and he was only helping rescue Leia for the reward. Poe and Finn were escaping a life or death situation together. I think that brings you closer a little faster. That said, I too think their friendship was a just tad rushed.
They got the feel of Star Wars. That wasn't what bothered me about this movie. It was a gorgeous movie...really did the universe justice. Film making was grrrreat too. But hey, here's my speal.
Rey is too perfect. Kylo Ren, the sith (Or knights of ren or whatever, read: new sith) who annihilated Luke's new cadre of jedi warriors, who put Luke Skywalker...strongest force user/jedi in the galaxy, into such a tail spin that he gave up on it and fled the galaxy, this sith got whipped by a rookie force user who has never even HELD a saber before. Someone who successfully pulled off a jedi mind trick after one try. One who had never held a blaster before, missed one shot, then killed like...five troopers with the pistol before running off into the woods. Who was an expert pilot with very little back story on how she became that besides "Hey living in a sci fiction desert is hard." She worked for FOOD. She couldn't have had the resources to potentially tinker with those ships to the point where she became a skilled enough pilot to put the falcon through the corpse of a star destroyer. Like damn. Every flaw she was shown to have (denying the saber out of fear, a drive to stay on Jakku) was simply just a method to make her look more awesome. Finn was also just a schtick to make her look great, he was basically a bumbling idiot with a lot of heart. Why did he lose every single fight he fought, where Rey literally won every fight she fought, besides one...which she won pretty handily about an hour later in the movie?
"But the Force." That's a cop out. She's just sooooo strong in the force is not a viable excuse for poor character development. They could very well have made it much better by just having her have to slog her way through the trenches like all the other jedi's did...and give her support from a more competent Finn and Solo.
TL;DR Rey is Disney's next princess...and she's a pretty flat character.
daniel haggard Yeah I didn't like Anakin in Ep. 1 either so I'd consider that moot, and Luke had a decent amount of support throughout the beginning of A New Hope reinforcing the concept he was a decent pilot from the start. On tatooine he was a farmer, had a family, friends, did things besides salvage parts. They said he was a great shot when taking out womp rats and the controls for the jumpers on tatooine worked and acted very similarly to X-Wings (which is why he needed very little training.) Luke got the snot beat out of him almost every time he dealt with Vader until Return of the Jedi, (after maturing as a force user and sword fighter) he also trained under Kenobi from the very beginning before moving on to Yoda. Rey has literally ZERO force support, she is winging it 100% of the time.
daniel haggard Also I don't know where you get Luke not training with his sabre at all, he trains under Kenobi in A New Hope and uses it pretty regularly through Empire Strikes Back. Rey literally turned it on for the first time when she dealt with Kylo.
+daniel haggard
So because the prequel are abysmal movie TFA could become a great movie just by being a little bit better?
+daniel haggard
Maybe Gandalf trained her and put a spell on her so that the nazguls could not find her or maybe she's the réincarnation of an old god but not fully mastering her true power yet or she's possessed by the phenix and Xavier has blocked her power but sometime it comes through and she becomes all powerfull...Those are all plausible explanations, I wonder which one got picked buy Jar Jar Abrams...
+Trevor Jones And when she turned it on she was extremely clumsy with it and mostly just ran away trying to keep away from Kylo. Also remember, Kylo was under orders to bring her to Snoke so he wasn't' trying to hurt her.
She only got good when she gave in to the force, which was an accumulation of her character arc. She ran from it, and now is accepting it.
This video is so dense...
+HoodoHoodlumsRevenge Damn I see you everywhere!
Every single second has so many things going on
Do you want a pizza roll?
+HoodoHoodlumsRevenge It has so many things going on.
It's like poetry. It rhymes...
Sadly this has aged like a warm glass of milk. Lots of setup and then a disaster. I do get that initially TFA looked good. But in hindsight it was a soft reboot that went nowhere.
i love this movie but people are going way too easy on it, this movie has some serious problems with its writing that are going unaddressed.
why is finn different from all the other indoctrinated troopers? what makes him special?
why is finn on jakku at the beginning? isn't he supposed to be a janitor?
finn was uneasy about killing people but has no problem killing troopers that were in the same situation he was?
how does rey know about force persuasion? earlier she thought that luke & the force were just a legend, what makes her think that she'll be able to manipulate a trooper? (my question isn't how *can* she do it, my question is how does she even know these are things?)
why does poe leave jakku? when he escapes with finn, poe says he has to get bb-8, but when they crash, they get separated, later in the movie he is back at the rebel base, wasn't it his mission to get bb-8? if so, why did he leave without it? & if it's not that important to get it now, then why risk your life re-entering jakku with finn in the first place?
how was the first order, a group with a considerably low amount of resources compared to the empire, able to build starkiller base?
how does starkiller work? it "sucks" stars, but where does all that mass go? how is the planet where starkiller was constructed on, able to survive now that its sun has been destroyed? how does it even supposed to move? does it have thrusters?
im not saying this is a bad movie, it's far from it, i really enjoyed it, these are just some of the many things that really bothered me & it annoys me that people are giving it a pass because things "might" get explained in the next movie but if this were any other movie franchise people wouldn't give that same excuse.
+Richard Moran yup
+Richard Moran Finn is a grunt of the FN unit he was only a janitor when he was stationed at Starkillerbase, it is not odd for grunts to do mundane jobs, he felt conflict about killing unarmed people not troopers that flat out want to kill him.
-if you watch the movie it is clear she knows about the stories of the original movies one line of dialogue that escapes most people is that when they met Han she says "You are Han Solo the smuggler!" and Finn says "No he is Han Solo the war hero". If you take that it is clear someone told Rey the stories of the first movie, you can even see her in her home a doll dressed up as a rebel pilot akin to Luke, my theory it was her mom that told her those stories so she never forgot about her family but at the same time hiding the truth in bed time stories.
+Richard Moran I have answer to all of these questions i just don't want to answer them cause there's like 20 of them and they are all dumb
+D gtz Oh and Poe even if he tried had no idea where to look for BB8 since he already had left with Rey and Finn.
+Richard Moran "how does starkiller work? it "sucks" stars, but where does all that mass go? " Really? logic in a SW movie? Or any scifi for that matter.
I really liked the score. Scores don't have to be particularly catchy, they just have to compliment their film. I thought the score was a nice blend of the old campy themes and the new whimsical feel.
Yeah but every Star Wars film had catchy music soo your wrong
You're*
The prequels also suffered the initial reaction of "only one memorable theme" for each film (Duel of the Fates, Across the Stars, Battle of the Heroes). It took some time for the other tracks to be fully appreciated. Hence, it's no surprise that Rey's Theme is being singled out as the standout one. The most popular movie score review site, Filmtracks, has already given the soundtrack 5 stars. A higher rating than Revenge of the Sith.
+Eva Lamar I feel like a lot of people haven't taken a solid look at the score. It's got plenty of incredible themes, I just question is maybe they were drowned out slightly in the final mix.
Legonater well i guess fanboys are fdef asweell john williuams said himself he did not like it
The Indiana Jones comment of how they're all the same is true, but Indiana Jones has a a typical linear storyline. Star wars is so huge and unique that the storyline simply cannot and should not be the same. The universe is too big in star wars that creating a new plot isn't that insanely hard to do.
+Praetor Good. Since is so easy go write a few scripts and lets see how great they turn out to be.
Akron162 I could if I wanted to, write a short script, at-least it would be completely different to all the previous movies, and plus this is JJ Abrams and lawrence kasdan, im sure they're capable of doing so
But thats the point Star Wars already has, even Lucas said it himself, did you finish the video? Did you get to the part where you see the OG trilogy playing side by side with the prequel trilogy?
AyVee Yes I did, but this film could have taken a different route, one thats not so familiar with the others
You didn't watch the whole movie did you?
Using the Indy movies to show that “changing the formula is bad” and “keeping the formula is good” is bad reasoning because the old Indy sequels and the old Star Wars sequels followed the rules of a good sequel. They introduced new characters, changed the stakes, etc. Force Awakens did none of that.
It's a false dichotomy. "Oh, this other good sequel was a copycat as well." It took tropes yes, but it wasn't a copycat.
I liked how episode VII looked. But i was bored. I was bored a lot. Because the story was repetitive so obviously and before the movie was in half, i expected everything to be as in the first move and wasnt surprised or invested in anything. It was not like Indiana Jones. It was like Indiana Jones if there was an arch again, but bigger. The problem isnt just copying the formula. Its reusing of the same indigence that you used last time. Its like baguette. You can have formula for baguette of: meat, salad, mayo. But if you feed someone baguette with the same meat and the same mayo and the same bread, it will become painfully boring.
And also the main character. I didnt like her not because she is a woman (and i am baffled that i have to say it before any criticism). I didnt like the character because she was invincible. For no obvious reason. No training and she gets to be master of force and light saber and a technician.
Compare it to Luke, who started with some talent and had to train for 3 movies before he stood up to dart Vader and still beaten him only because Vader didnt want to kill him.
On the other way i liked the looks and effects much more than the original trilogy. And if the main character wasnt overpowered as machine gun in knife fight, i would probably like it, even though it was so obviously copied.
Everyone in the comments section is talking about Star Wars so I'll talk about the last minutes of this analysis.
I'm glad Chris brought up today's trend where highly anticipated movies have to hit every single beat or else it sucks - Case in point is Christopher Nolan Post-inception. The man has been bashed by a growing minority for TDKR and Interstellar. The criticisms are common blockbuster flaws but highly exaggerated COZ ITS CHRISTOPHER NOLAN!! Nothing about the filmmaking, intent, effort, technical aspects, concepts...... Nooooo it's always about Nolan's characters and exposition. David Fincher has unlikeable characters and delivers way more expository dialogue than Nolan yet he isn't nearly as criticized! Nolan is just too iconic for his own good
How is Nolan too iconic for his own good?
@@captainjakemerica4579 that's what he just explained
Yeah TDKR was really great and Interstellar had some flaws
@fake channel I've gotta disagree. Nearly all of his movies have depth to their characters as well, and are amplified by the actors playing them. The exposition is usually organic (expect for certain moments), and I don't find the love interests generic (Natalie in Memento, Mal and Catwoman all had depth).
Nolan is stuckmann's favorite director lol
Not to mention that Daisy Ridley is so damn loveable
Agreed. She played an intelligent badass, but most importantly, isn't perfect and flawed.
+AwesomeBros65 Feel the same for Kylo. Also please stop comparing him to Anakin in the prequels, because he is nothing like that. Being flawed doesn't mean being a terrible character. He is a badasss, but has a few perks. He only tears up a little once for a few seconds, and I thought his freakout scenes were pretty funny. But overall, he is a strong leader who is doing everything he can to finish what his grandfather started. Also, Adam Driver is a pretty good actor so...yeah...
Isn't perfect and flawed? Did we watch the same movie? Rey is one of the biggest Mary Sues the theaters have seen in years.
lmao what you just said is literally the opposite HAHAHAHAH I CANT STOP LAUGHING
Oh yeah because nothing says good acting like mouth gaping, eye brow wiggling and eye bulging.
Watching this after Rise of Starwalker... it's sad lol. So much potential and the new trilogy could have been so much more.
You can extend that premature opinion on John Williams' music as well. The prequels pretty much suffered the same initial criticism when it came to the score. That each film only had one standout theme: Duel of the Fates, Across the Stars, and Battle of the Heroes respectively. The standout this time is Rey's Theme, and it will take some time for the other tracks to be fully appreciated. Filmtracks, the most popular movie score review site, has given the soundtrack 5 stars. Which is a higher rating than Revenge of the Sith.
Could you do a Harry Potter franchise analysis of the formula that they use in each film?
He basically just did in this video. All of the points that Chris makes about film structure can be made for almost any noteworthy franchise. Look up 'The Hero's Journey', and you'll see what I mean.
SullinatorAndBenj ok thanks mate
No problem
Alex Townsend that a good idea
I feel a lot of people miss why people hated the fact that force awakens retreaded similar grounds. People love Star Wars and wanted to see Star Wars because the world introduced is so intriguing. The more it expands the better it gets which is why I think there are fans of the prequels. Force awakens did no world building and just borrowed world elements AND plot elements from other Star Wars films. I think that's why people including myself were very disappointed with this movie.
Chris put my exact thoughts on The Force Awakens into a organized, factual video essay. This video is great.
First, let me say this video shows why you are my favorite "movie critic". I think it was very courageous of you to point out just exactly why "movie critics" opinions don't mean shit. Simply put, I will watch a movie and like it or not, and no one else's opinion matters. I will have a good time or not, regardless of what anyone else says. (In the case of Star Wars 7, I had a great time). I know what I like, and no one's "professional opinion" will ever change that. Great analysis, and props for honesty.
Movie Critics, when you get down to it, are there to offer another perspective.
Like, I hold no love for Suicide Squad, but I don't like how people said they were "losing faith" in Jeremy Jahns when he said he loved the movie.
I'm pretty sure someone could find reason to lose faith in EVERY critic, if they keep going this way.
This movie lived up to the hype i'm sure
+Ismael HDalyth No, The Force Awakens is fantastic.
I'm not being sarcastic the movie is fucking great!!
sweet picture
"I LOVED this movie." (scratch) "What?" Lol I died
Keep these coming, Chris. Yours is one of the very best critical film channels on UA-cam. I love these!