Rewatching Episode VII way too many times during the last 2.5 weeks, I gotta say I don't love The Force Awakens as much as the first couple times I saw it in the theater. Esp the first time in IMAX 3D which was awesome. There are huge flaws like when Maz's castle got destroyed and the only ones fighting were the main group. All those Troopers shooting who again? I don't like Kylo Ren as much as the first time but you never know how Ep 8 and 9 will play out that 8 might change my mind on him again. Will he surpass Vader? Nah! Don't really care for Finn and Poe. The only standout and easily best new character in it is Rey and maybe Artoo's update, BB-8. But I am not running out to buy their merchandise.
The story was obviously a rehash which was what I already felt BEFORE I saw it and perhaps SW7 is only an appetizer of the main course like every other first entry to a SW trilogy. Except the only characters I like in Ep 7 is as few as the Prequels which still had Yoda and Obi-Wan. Rey is good. I dig her and I would tap that Daisy Ridley. Perhaps less annoying than Luke and Anakin. Whether she is Anakin reincarnated is an interesting theory considering how she practically started to own Kylo Ren after she heard the Force and closed her eyes. But Poe and Finn and having a potential gay relationship? Are you serious? I don't like where SW is headed which is MCU territory.
Which leads to think that while Rogue One could be better than The Force Awakens, I still don't think any newer SW film whether the numbered or Anthology films will ever recapture the magic and likeable cast from the OT. By A New Hope, I already loved the cast. Perhaps their nostalgia is too powerful on me since I grew up on them. When I first saw TFA, I ranked it above ANH and ROTJ. Not it is below ROTJ but still superior to Ep 1 and 2. I flipped Empire over Sith because TESB was the only film where all my fav characters were there - Vader, Yoda, and Han and in fine form. They were all there in ROTJ but Yoda was dying by that point.
Before
1. III
2. V
3. VII
4. IV
5. VI
6. I
7. II
Now (coming back to my senses)
1. V
2. III
3. IV
4. VI
5. VII
6. I
7. II
I predicted before seeing the trailer that Rogue One will be in the bottom tier maybe around where VII is. But after seeing TFA too many times and thinking it is below every OT film, it changed my predictions quite a bit because there aren't many new characters I can root for! My Top 3 favs are all dead! *Spoiler theory alert* Another beloved character could be killed in Episode VIII. Perhaps kill off all the old ones by Ep 9. While I think Episode VIII will be the BEST of this Sequel Trilogy for being the darkest and leaving a cliffhanger like TESB did, I still don't know if I could ever love a Disney/non-George Lucas SW as much as the other ones. Same with what they will do to Indiana Jones. It just doesn't feel the same.
2020 Prediction Now
1. V
2. III
3. IV
4. VI
5. VIII
6. Han Solo
7. IX
8. VII
9. Rogue One
10. I
11. II
12. Boba Fett (if Obi-Wan solo film, maybe #7). No interest in Fett.
The Han Solo is the real SW Anthology film I want to see. That could fall anywhere in the Top 4-6. Weird seeing Han not being Harrison Ford but it has a story and character I very much am interested in like the Kessel Run, meeting Chewie, and Jabba's bounty on him.
I will still go and watch Rogue One on opening day. Still Star Wars, baby. I still respect The Force Awakens for trying to appeal to a different demographic too and making SW popular and respectful again. I just can't expect them to be much better than all these cookie cutter MCU films.
I just watched Ip Man (2008) last week and can't wait to see Donnie Yen in SW. And perhaps Vader...
The story was obviously a rehash which was what I already felt BEFORE I saw it and perhaps SW7 is only an appetizer of the main course like every other first entry to a SW trilogy. Except the only characters I like in Ep 7 is as few as the Prequels which still had Yoda and Obi-Wan. Rey is good. I dig her and I would tap that Daisy Ridley. Perhaps less annoying than Luke and Anakin. Whether she is Anakin reincarnated is an interesting theory considering how she practically started to own Kylo Ren after she heard the Force and closed her eyes. But Poe and Finn and having a potential gay relationship? Are you serious? I don't like where SW is headed which is MCU territory.
Which leads to think that while Rogue One could be better than The Force Awakens, I still don't think any newer SW film whether the numbered or Anthology films will ever recapture the magic and likeable cast from the OT. By A New Hope, I already loved the cast. Perhaps their nostalgia is too powerful on me since I grew up on them. When I first saw TFA, I ranked it above ANH and ROTJ. Not it is below ROTJ but still superior to Ep 1 and 2. I flipped Empire over Sith because TESB was the only film where all my fav characters were there - Vader, Yoda, and Han and in fine form. They were all there in ROTJ but Yoda was dying by that point.
Before
1. III
2. V
3. VII
4. IV
5. VI
6. I
7. II
Now (coming back to my senses)
1. V
2. III
3. IV
4. VI
5. VII
6. I
7. II
I predicted before seeing the trailer that Rogue One will be in the bottom tier maybe around where VII is. But after seeing TFA too many times and thinking it is below every OT film, it changed my predictions quite a bit because there aren't many new characters I can root for! My Top 3 favs are all dead! *Spoiler theory alert* Another beloved character could be killed in Episode VIII. Perhaps kill off all the old ones by Ep 9. While I think Episode VIII will be the BEST of this Sequel Trilogy for being the darkest and leaving a cliffhanger like TESB did, I still don't know if I could ever love a Disney/non-George Lucas SW as much as the other ones. Same with what they will do to Indiana Jones. It just doesn't feel the same.
2020 Prediction Now
1. V
2. III
3. IV
4. VI
5. VIII
6. Han Solo
7. IX
8. VII
9. Rogue One
10. I
11. II
12. Boba Fett (if Obi-Wan solo film, maybe #7). No interest in Fett.
The Han Solo is the real SW Anthology film I want to see. That could fall anywhere in the Top 4-6. Weird seeing Han not being Harrison Ford but it has a story and character I very much am interested in like the Kessel Run, meeting Chewie, and Jabba's bounty on him.
I will still go and watch Rogue One on opening day. Still Star Wars, baby. I still respect The Force Awakens for trying to appeal to a different demographic too and making SW popular and respectful again. I just can't expect them to be much better than all these cookie cutter MCU films.
I just watched Ip Man (2008) last week and can't wait to see Donnie Yen in SW. And perhaps Vader...
