Chat corner 43: The Force Awakens

[annathecrow]

Welcome to this week’s chat corner!

Optional prompt

This week’s prompt, if you want one, is “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, the first movie in the Sequel trilogy. Old characters return, new characters appear, new story begins.

Because I know this is a sore topic for many, I’d like to remind you to use The Dark Side post as necessary, and keep this space positive-to-neutral. If you slide into a rant, just post it there and link it here (“I have thoughts but they’re mean: <link>”).

And of course, it’s an optional topic - if you don’t feel like it, you don’t have to talk about it ;) I’m sure we can find something else :D

 

Comments

[yourlibrarian]

My main reaction to this movie was relief. Besides being so bitterly disappointed in Ep 1 that I never watched 2 and 3 until the last two years, I was not enthused to hear Abrams would be in charge of this after the mess he made of the Trek franchise.

However while I generally do my best to avoid spoilers, trailers or reviews of movies prior to seeing them (other than knowing if reviews are generally favorable or not) I did read reviews of it, because if it was awful I didn't want to bother. As I recall the reviews I read generally said the same as I felt when I saw it, which is that the film was a variation on New Hope, just updated and less mythic.

And as such, I thought it was fine. I was disappointed about the small amount of the original characters but I was ok with what we knew had happened. And I liked the new characters very much. I thought that the character of Kylo and his storyline could have been wonderfully metaphoric. I saw him with the Vader helmet and thought of Abrams trying to compare himself to Lucas, as well as what many thought of later on which is that he also stood in for the worst elements of the fandom, particularly given their response to the new set of heroes.

So I was hopeful about where the new trilogy would go. And it was after seeing FA that I started watching the TV series, which got me completely hooked on the fandom. So it was instrumental in that respect of re-awakening my interest in Star Wars 😉

[annathecrow]

TFA also got me back into SW and into SW fandom, so it would always get bonus points for that at least :D

The idea of Kylo Ren as a metaphor... that's neat, I'd like that.

I was worried about Abrams messing up the new trilogy too. Oh well. Correct fear, wrong target. :P

[yourlibrarian]

There was a lot of pushback about Pt 2, yes, but I can't say Pt 3 didn't disappoint. And I gather it was rewritten and edited to be a lot less interesting than it could have been.

[fleurviolette]

Initially tho I was entertained by watching TFA in a theater, it seemed like a fun yet generic popcorn flick, much like the first Star Trek reboot movie. Then again, same director lol