Spoiler Dicussion of The Force Awakens

December 25th, 2015 at 9:56:27 PM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
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Posts: 12569
Quote: Evenbob
I'll tell you why. It's basically a costume drama,...


It's interesting that you would say that because looking back at Disney Examiner's cost estimates, we see that pulling out Harrison Ford's Salary, they paid about the same for the costumes as they did for the cast salaries. Harrison Ford's salary was estimated as high as $25 million.

Real costumes (Chewbacca, R2-D2, C3-P0) = $18,000,000
Casting (namely the legacy cast: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher) = $40,000,000
December 26th, 2015 at 12:01:05 AM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
Quote: Pacomartin
It's interesting that you would say that because looking back at Disney Examiner's cost estimates,


What I actually mean is, it's not an acting
drama, it's a props drama. The old stage
actors used to say about costume dramas,
let the costume do the acting, it's all the
audience see's anyway.

That's the way it is with these types of
movies. Depp and his buddies can ham
it up in the Pirate franchise because
their costumes and the CGI is doing
all their work for them. You fell asleep
because there was a lull, some real
acting had to be done and it paled
to the job the sets and CGI and costumes
were doing.
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December 26th, 2015 at 7:26:02 AM permalink
Wizard
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Member since: Oct 23, 2012
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Quote: Evenbob
I'll tell you why. It's basically a costume drama,
and there can never be good acting because
the actors know you can never out-act the
costumes, so they don't even try.


I don't think I've ever been in such agreement with you about anything.

SW7 seems to play into what the die-hard fans love. It is very fast paced with all the usual chases, light saber fights, and long-lost family members who flipped to the dark side. As usual, the acting is over-acting. All the SW movies had this. I think the only actor who played it straight was Natalie Portman, who was a breath of fresh air.

For purposes of making a lot of money, I think think the movie delivers what the fans want. However, I never said I'm a Star Wars fan, and left the movie unsatisfied.
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December 26th, 2015 at 8:52:09 AM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
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Quote: Wizard
For purposes of making a lot of money, I think think the movie delivers what the fans want. However, I never said I'm a Star Wars fan, and left the movie unsatisfied.


No pause in the money making. Another 5.7 million tickets on Christmas Day.
December 26th, 2015 at 9:26:37 AM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
I regard the story as the most important aspect of any film. In the case of Ep. 7, the story would be good enough, did it not parallel the plot of Ep. 4 so much.

But.

Seen as a reboot, sort of a Star Wars: The Next Generation, it's ok on its own terms.

It also introduces some story questions, which we'll hopefully see answered in the sequels.

Why did Rey's family abandon her, and why does she think they'll return? What about Finn's family? What turned Leia's and Han's son bad? Who or what are the knights of Ren which were so casually mentioned? Did Han and Leia have other children, and if so where are they? Why isn't Leia a Jedi(*)? Why did Luke leave the galaxy to the tender mercies of the First Order?


Among what they should not do:

1) Reveal Finn is Lando's lost son. I mean, is there exactly one black family in the whole galaxy? That would be Tokenism with a capital T.

2) Reveal Rey is the daughter of either Luke or Han. Seriously, we know there were Jedi in other species, never mind other families. But it wouldn't be entirely wrong if she were descended from a known Jedi, say Qui-gon or Obi-wan, or even from a known Sith like Palpatine or one of the disposable ones from the prequels.

3) Copy the plots of the next two sequels on Ep. V and Ep. 6. The one good sign, thus far, is that as far as I know, neither Rey nor Finn owes a massive debt to a gangster lord (though who knows about Poe Dameron).


(*) In Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi , both Yoda and Vader seem to think Leia would do if Luke failed. So what gives? For the record, in "Empire" Kenobi says of Luke "That boy is our last hope," and Yoda answers "No, there is another." (which, really, Obi-wan should have known). In "Jedi" Yoda reveals this to Luke. In the climactic confrontation between the Skywalkers, Vader spurs Luke into berserker attack mode by discovering he has a sister and saying "If you do not turn to the Dark Side, then perhaps she will."
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December 26th, 2015 at 11:33:47 AM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
Quote: Wizard
As usual, the acting is over-acting. .


This is why Johnny Depp does so many costume
parts. He says you can over-act the crap out of
them and nobody even notices. It's not work, it's
fun. We have no idea how much work real acting
is, where you have to pretend to be emotional
in important scenes and make it look real, for take
after take after take.

Depp puts on the pirate outfit and flounces around
like he's making fun of Gay people, and we think
it's great. For him it's an easy $50 mil paycheck.
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
December 26th, 2015 at 5:56:58 PM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
I bought a ticket to see it again later today. I took the seat suggested by the system, as it was well in front and in the middle.

It's seat BB8 :)
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December 26th, 2015 at 11:01:08 PM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
It is worth seeing it again.

Once you get past the similarities with Ep. 4 (<cough> RIPOFF!!!<cough>), you can sort of find the story underneath. It's about Rey (of course), and Finn and Poe and Ren and a new generation taking over the fight from, and with the guidance of, the older generation.

I just wish there had been more of that story and less of the copy of A New Hope.
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December 27th, 2015 at 12:54:43 PM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569
Ten days in and the juggernaut is not even slowing. Over 63 million tickets so far, so it is destined to reach Jurassic World's 79 million tickets soon. It will almost certainly pass Titanic's 100 million tickets in 90 days.

Days Day 7th Star Wars Jurassic World Compare Avatar
1 Fri 13,835,000 9,933,800 3,901,200 3,515,400
2 Sat 7,932,000 8,441,800 -509,800 3,354,700
3 Sun 7,032,900 6,934,200 98,700 3,251,600
4 Mon 4,658,500 3,072,100 1,586,400 2,153,200
5 Tue 4,339,300 2,950,600 1,388,700 2,113,900
6 Wed 4,425,100 2,411,600 2,013,500 2,161,000
7 Thu 3,204,500 2,160,300 1,044,200 1,465,300
8 Fri 5,731,000 3,529,000 2,202,000 3,034,800
9 Sat 6,572,100 4,740,900 1,831,200 3,715,400
10 Sun 5,527,500 4,649,900 877,600 3,186,300
Total to date 63,257,900 48,824,200 14,433,700 27,951,600
Mon 1,402,000 2,551,700
December 27th, 2015 at 1:49:58 PM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
Nareed said 'meh' the first time, then went
to see it again. I'll wait till it hits Netflix and
then never see it.
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.