Star Wars: The Force Awakens

edited December 2015 in Movies
http://www.howmanydaysuntilstarwars.com/

Very excited about this.
Too much really.
I want to write "I'm not a mega SWF" (I don't have a Storm Trooper pyjamas or anything), but in some ways, I am (I do have a pretty swish Boba Fett costume (together with a decent EE-3 carbine rifle)).
I was born in 1973, so Star Wars was a big thing for me. The films and their creed seeped, or rather gushed, into my psyche and personality during those formative childhood years.
I suffered the inevitable trauma of the prequels (Jar Jar Binks, etc.,...).
I've been trying to manage my expectations in the months approaching the JJ Abrams sequels, but the trailers look promising. Very promising.
If it weren't for my son, I would have got tickets for the midnight showing on 16/17th. But I'm being a good dad and so we're going immediately after he finishes school on Friday (18th). Can't wait.
Any posts here written in the time between the film's release and my seeing it, I will not read. No spoiler thread subjects please.

Comments

  • I still think the second installment, The Empire Strikes Back, of the first screened trilogy is the best. The second trilogy came out when my kids were young, rather than me being young, I think that is half the problem with the second batch, they can't match up to those childhood, much easier to be impressed, days.
    My kids prefer the second batch, PHILISTINES!!!

    I'm off to watch teasers on Ep.7...
  • I have to admit I've never seen any of the Star Wars Films - I think because it was A levels time when the first one came out - and I've never caught up.
  • edited December 2015
    cj66 said:
    I still think the second installment, The Empire Strikes Back, of the first screened trilogy is the best. The second trilogy came out when my kids were young, rather than me being young, I think that is half the problem with the second batch, they can't match up to those childhood, much easier to be impressed, days.
    My kids prefer the second batch, PHILISTINES!!!

    I'm off to watch teasers on Ep.7...
    Agreed about Episode 5. I bought all 6 Star Wars movies on Bluray recently and was delighted to (re)discover that my love for Episode 5 wasn't just nostalgia. It is a brilliant movie (IMHO).
    Agreed also about us humans basically loving whatever the biggest thing is in our childhood. Objectivity is greatly undermined by this! (With regard to music, I'm pretty sure I'll never find the fondness for any piece of music to the extent that I did for some of those that I discovered in my late teens early twenties.) My son (8) and stepson (18) do overall prefer the give Star Wars episode 3 (Revenge of the Sith) as their single favourite movie of the saga to date, and my son is constantly trying to persuade that the prequels are not the vile abominations that I know them to be. I think overall he does prefer the originals, but not by much.

    All the best with the trailers (my favourites are the original one (released about a year ago, and the Chinese one released last week).

    (EDIT: Terrible to admit, but although I've watched both of those trailers at least 20 times, when I just watched them then I still sobbed a little bit... Weird. Also some small part of me also genuinely (and I mean genuinely) wants to join the rebellion and become an X-wing pilot (at least until the cockpit of the Falcon becomes available anyway...).)
  • uglymusic said:
    I have to admit I've never seen any of the Star Wars Films - I think because it was A levels time when the first one came out - and I've never caught up.
    Understood Dave. I completely agree that one needs to arrive at them as a child to be put under their spell. I think somehow they fitted into a "religion" or "cause" shaped hole inside my brain. I have absolutely no idea how good they actually are. My dad (big film and cinema fan) treats them merely as he would any other big budget film, so they may well be pretty run of the mill as artistic expressions...?
  • I do sometimes think that I need to buy a box set and watch them in one great Star Wars weekend, but I know what you mean about being 'of their time'. For instance I love Woody Allen's early movies, but Sam doesn't like them.

    I also sympathise with your dad about blockbusters. I'm not much of a film buff these days, but few special effects movies float my boat.
  • Please don't sympathise with my dad.
  • Unlike what you may read elsewhere in the Interwebs, I'm a sympathetic sort of chap :-D
  • image

    Our revered tutorial team today and all this week. And our principal, who is a clear missed opportunity for CP30 if ever there was one!

  • Looking forward to it but our son's still a bit young and would get bored half way through so babysitter time and my wife and I will go and see it. I was about 10yrs old when the first one came out and it still ranks as the greatest cinematic experience of my life as it was so ground breaking at the time.

    As for you becoming an X-wing pilot Ben, is that because you were rejected by the Dark Side? :

    “Aren’t you a little short for a stormtrooper?” 

    :D :P
  • Suzy6toes said:

    image


    Our revered tutorial team today and all this week. And our principal, who is a clear missed opportunity for CP30 if ever there was one!

    Good to see you got the R2D2 costume.
  • PAC said:

    Looking forward to it but our son's still a bit young and would get bored half way through so babysitter time and my wife and I will go and see it. I was about 10yrs old when the first one came out and it still ranks as the greatest cinematic experience of my life as it was so ground breaking at the time.


    As for you becoming an X-wing pilot Ben, is that because you were rejected by the Dark Side? :

    “Aren’t you a little short for a stormtrooper?” 

    :D :P
    Guilty as charged. Not sure how well you'd fit the Darth Vader suit tho Paul... :P
  • "Good to see you got the R2D2 costume."

    Yeah, but the caretaker's going to be well miffed when he sees that hole I've cut into the floor.
  • I hear ya Ben, I hear ya. Might actually burst with excitement before the film is released. I've got to wait until 2nd Jan to see it though. Me and four fellow geeks are going to Leicester Square, for the full laser IMAX projector/11.2 surround sound experience :-B
  • edited December 2015
    Loving that ".2" detail on the sound system. :-B
    When just 1 immense sub woofer simply won't do...

    Hasn't Dolby recently launched some ludicrous 62.2 channel contraption...?

    [Edit. I think I mean Dolby Atmos(?) Someone will have to read this (and understand it) and explain it to the bored...)]
  • edited December 2015
    Brumjam said:
    I hear ya Ben, I hear ya. Might actually burst with excitement before the film is released. I've got to wait until 2nd Jan to see it though. Me and four fellow geeks are going to Leicester Square, for the full laser IMAX projector/11.2 surround sound experience :-B
    January 2nd...?!
    That's some will power!
    I would imagine your excitement explosives will indeed be well primed by the new year (stay away from fireworks on New Year's Eve). :-D
  • Darn you all...it will be mid Jan before I get to see it!  Maybe at Bristol's Imax theatre.  I'll have to wear a blindfold and ear plugs until then. %-(
  • edited December 2015
    Seeing it later today. Very excited...

    My minimum hope is that it will be better than all of the Star Wars prequels.
    My maximum hope is that it will be better than any film I've seen. Ever!

    I won't post any spoilers here after I watch it. But I may post a score out of 100 as to how much positive impact the film has on me (by which I suppose I mean the extent to which I experienced being being drawn / engaged / immersed in the goings-on on-screen).
    Films that I've seen that have done this well for me in the past are the films that I'd rate most highly (off the top of my head... Star Wars IV (83/100) & V (89/100), Jaws (78/100), The Good The Bad and The Ugly (76/100), It's a Wonderful Life (79/100), Dead Man's Shoes (75/100), Pulp Fiction (80/100)). If today's showing can, in my mind, count those sorts of offerings as its peers, then I'll be very happy.
    So I suppose I'm hoping for >75/100.
    Fingers crossed...

    (Oh, and my least disliked of the Prequels would be III (Revenge of the Sith) which I would score at 37/100.)

    I didn't sleep well last night. I'm hoping that doesn't spoil things very much.
  • OK. Just got back. No spoilers here.
    Just my score. I haven't quite decided yet. Somewhere in the 80-85/100 range.
    I'm going to post a separate "OPEN SPOILER" thread later.
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