All Things Star Wars Thread (Spoilers)

[gkIrish]

Enter this thread at your own risk. All spoilers permitted without the need for a warning.

Please use this thread to discuss reactions to the movie and anything that could be considered a spoiler.

 

[GATTACA!]

(SPOILERS) Star Wars Episode VII (SPOILERS)

(SPOILERS) Star Wars Episode VII (SPOILERS)

IT'S SO DAMN GOOD.

I had tempered my expectations and it absolutely blew me away. I don't even know what to say right now i'm so emotionally drained.

Han's death was so perfect. The way the sun turns dark as his son turns to the dark side. While it was crushing, it was also a perfect death for the character.

BB-8 was handled perfectly. He was exactly what George was shooting for with Jar Jar. The humor he brought to multiple scenes cut the tension in such a great way. His thumbs up to Finn had me belly laughing.

Finn was a great new addition. You can tell Boyega was so excited to be in SW he brought such great emotion and energy to the character.

Rey! Wow! Totally stole the show! Daisey Ridley is that character in the same way Mark Hamill is Luke. There is something so satisfying about a total newcomer being cast as the lead. I 100% buy her as the character of Rey. And wow is she hot af.

Kylo Ren is a badass. He's set up to be a super intimidating villain in the movies to come. Adam Driver killed it, especially in the one on one scenes with Rey and Han.

I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THIS MOVIE AGAIN!

 

[BeauBenken]

Needed less "haha" and more brooding nature.

Even if you're going to make a joke, don't set it up like you're going to stare into the camera like on The Office. They often killed what should have been a VERY serious mood.

Also, how many freaking closes ups of Boyega's face are we gonna get?

 

[GATTACA!]

Needed less "haha" and more brooding nature.

Even if you're going to make a joke, don't set it up like you're going to stare into the camera like on The Office. They often killed what should have been a VERY serious mood.

As someone who often hates on Marvel movies for being too funny (or attempting to be at least) I had no problem with the laughs in this movie. Maybe i'm forgetting some already but I can't really think of any stare at the camera type lines that you're referring to.

Also I think some of the lightheartedness is due to this being the first film in the new trilogy. As the story progresses and becomes more dark i'm sure we will lose some of the humor.

Also, how many freaking closes ups of Boyega's face are we gonna get?

Gotta say this is a unique criticism lol. I didn't notice an over abundance of close ups on Finn, but we can replace as many as you want with close ups of Rey

 

[Buster Bluth]

I loved it but at the same time I totally agree with the general criticism that this was just A New Hope 2.0. I'm okay with that, because that's what the franchise needed, it will allow VIII and IX to reach for Empire levels of greatness.

But the similarities with A New Hope will hold it back as time goes on. I mean think about it, the movie opens with Empire 2.0 looking for R2 2.0, who is running around on desert planet 2.0 with special plans 2.0 where he runs into force-able orphaned main character 2.0 and they leave on the Millennium Falcon again in search of the Rebels 2.0 only to take a tractor-beam detour but ultimately connect with the rebels and learn of a revolutionary planet(s)-destroying weapon 2.0 and they go take it out moments before it blasts them away. Oh and throw in a main character dying in a pretty similar fashion to Alec Guinness.

That sounds like a lot of criticism from my end, but I really did love the movie. Kylo Ren is borderline genius. The visuals were spectacular. It felt so damn real. Most importantly it sets up Luke and the next movie wonderfully.

Oh and r/starwars is going nuts saying Rey is the daughter of Luke or Leia or some shit...that would be awful. The prequels did so much damage by making the universe too small, I thought Abrams and Co. handled it perfectly by just saying she was abandoned on the planet and let her parents just be a mystery. God I hope they don't ruin that.

I know that Harrison Ford suggested to Lucas that they killed him off back in ROTJ, so as soon as he saw Kylo in that buildinh I knew he was dead and figured "that's why they introduced him last and gave him the biggest spotlight at all of the promos, it's his last Star Wars.." I was moved by the scene. Very well done.

Lastly fuck George Lucas and his shit prequels. I'm so glad they ignored them. Lightsaber encounters went back to being passionate broadsword battles, none of that jumping 90 feet triple reverse back flip gymnastics crap that frankly took a shit on well-built characters like Yoda but really all jedi/sith.

 

[DomerInHappyValley]

I mean obviously it's Star Wars and no matter what I'm going to a theater to see it. Even if someone posted a boot leg link.
But really guys couldn't give people 24 hours.

 

[Johannes]

I mean obviously it's Star Wars and no matter what I'm going to a theater to see it. Even if someone posted a boot leg link.
But really guys couldn't give people 24 hours.

This thread is just a place to discuss it without ruining it for those who have yet to see it. A few preliminary comments:

First what I didn't really care for: the Maz Kanata cantina sequence and the face-off between Han's "criminal partners." The Maz character would have been better without being CGI, and the whole sequence felt forced (har har). It would have been better without portraying her as some ocular phrenologist / seer. The showdown in Han's freighter was the low point in the film, IMO. Its only purpose was to establish a reason for the group to abandon the big freighter and escape on the Falcon. It was the only part of the film that was eye rolling for me, and yet the introduction of Han and Chewie helped pull it off.

And that says something, because that's it. Those two parts of the movie are all I really had a beef with, and they didn't tarnish the film as a whole. That freighter sequence would have been one of the better points in the prequels. Instead, it was a brief bit of campiness that is quickly forgotten. The rest of the movie was gripping. Yeah, there was the occasional comic relief, but it was tastefully done and helped relieve the tension from the constant action. The reintroduction of practical effects into the saga makes such a difference visually. I am excited to see it again on Saturday in IMAX.

Final comment: Adam Driver's Kylo Ren is everything that Hayden Christensen's Anakin could have been and should have been. That makes me sad. I hope someone remakes the prequel movies someday with real dialog, real acting, and... well, a real plot, I guess.

 

[ColinKSU]

I really didn't enjoy the movie, and I don't have any interest in seeing the next movies because of how much I disliked this one. Oh well.

 

[GrangerIrish24]

Final comment: Adam Driver's Kylo Ren is everything that Hayden Christensen's Anakin could have been and should have been. That makes me sad. I hope someone remakes the prequel movies someday with real dialog, real acting, and... well, a real plot, I guess.

The scary thing is that its rumored that Hayden Christensen will be in Episode 8. To what extent, who knows.

 

[NDohio]

I loved it but at the same time I totally agree with the general criticism that this was just A New Hope 2.0. I'm okay with that, because that's what the franchise needed, it will allow VIII and IX to reach for Empire levels of greatness.

But the similarities with A New Hope will hold it back as time goes on. I mean think about it, the movie opens with Empire 2.0 looking for R2 2.0, who is running around on desert planet 2.0 with special plans 2.0 where he runs into force-able orphaned main character 2.0 and they leave on the Millennium Falcon again in search of the Rebels 2.0 only to take a tractor-beam detour but ultimately connect with the rebels and learn of a revolutionary planet(s)-destroying weapon 2.0 and they go take it out moments before it blasts them away. Oh and throw in a main character dying in a pretty similar fashion to Alec Guinness.

That sounds like a lot of criticism from my end, but I really did love the movie. Kylo Ren is borderline genius. The visuals were spectacular. It felt so damn real. Most importantly it sets up Luke and the next movie wonderfully.

Oh and r/starwars is going nuts saying Rey is the daughter of Luke or Leia or some shit...that would be awful. The prequels did so much damage by making the universe too small, I thought Abrams and Co. handled it perfectly by just saying she was abandoned on the planet and let her parents just be a mystery. God I hope they don't ruin that.

I know that Harrison Ford suggested to Lucas that they killed him off back in ROTJ, so as soon as he saw Kylo in that buildinh I knew he was dead and figured "that's why they introduced him last and gave him the biggest spotlight at all of the promos, it's his last Star Wars.." I was moved by the scene. Very well done.

Lastly fuck George Lucas and his shit prequels. I'm so glad they ignored them. Lightsaber encounters went back to being passionate broadsword battles, none of that jumping 90 feet triple reverse back flip gymnastics crap that frankly took a shit on well-built characters like Yoda but really all jedi/sith.

Good review. I agree completely that this was a much needed movie to re-set the Star Wars franchise. I will say that the way episode VIII is being set up looks amazing. I really like the new characters and wow, the future Rey and Kylo battles are gonna be good.

 

[BeauBenken]

As someone who often hates on Marvel movies for being too funny (or attempting to be at least) I had no problem with the laughs in this movie. Maybe i'm forgetting some already but I can't really think of any stare at the camera type lines that you're referring to.

Also I think some of the lightheartedness is due to this being the first film in the new trilogy. As the story progresses and becomes more dark i'm sure we will lose some of the humor.

Gotta say this is a unique criticism lol. I didn't notice an over abundance of close ups on Finn, but we can replace as many as you want with close ups of Rey

It wasn't literally stare at the camera moments, but its just the forced jokes when there's no need to be. There wasn't any specific character for comedic relief, they ALL made jokes and you just wondered, "is anyone taking this Death Star x1000000 thing seriously?" I'm okay with Han making smart ass comments, that's his character. After Fin's intro scene where he is staring upon his killed comrade and he watches a group of innocents be slaughtered...he spends the rest of the movie being the comedic relief...including his over forced affection for Rey. Let the kid stare at her dreamily and let something build over the course of the movie. Instead he's overly clingy the entire freaking time because people found it funny.

We had a freaking mega Death Star (which is hardly ever discussed compared to the find Luke narrative, which IS NOT THE REAL PLOT FOR THIS MOVIE) and no one was really all that worried.

As for the Boyega close ups, seriously, almost ever scene he is in, he runs, stops, and the camera zooms in for a "dramatic close up" which really loses effect after the first couple of times.

 

[connor_in]

I thought the whole Kirk -Spock thing with the sometimes the needs of the few or the one can out weigh the needs of the many was so over done here.

 

[BeauBenken]

Also, I still don't get why Luke now has a completely robotic arm. Like, why would he opt out of the perfectly synthetic one (you know, the one that looked just like his old arm) for that thing?

 

[NDohio]

It wasn't literally stare at the camera moments, but its just the forced jokes when there's no need to be. There wasn't any specific character for comedic relief, they ALL made jokes and you just wondered, "is anyone taking this Death Star x1000000 thing seriously?" I'm okay with Han making smart ass comments, that's his character. After Fin's intro scene where he is staring upon his killed comrade and he watches a group of innocents be slaughtered...he spends the rest of the movie being the comedic relief...including his over forced affection for Rey. Let the kid stare at her dreamily and let something build over the course of the movie. Instead he's overly clingy the entire freaking time because people found it funny.

We had a freaking mega Death Star (which is hardly ever discussed compared to the find Luke narrative, which IS NOT THE REAL PLOT FOR THIS MOVIE) and no one was really all that worried.

As for the Boyega close ups, seriously, almost ever scene he is in, he runs, stops, and the camera zooms in for a "dramatic close up" which really loses effect after the first couple of times.

I understand what you are saying, but I think the comedic situations you are criticizing are very similar to the original movie. I like the fact that they really worked hard on having the movie have a similar feel to A New Hope and get the franchise back on track. The inappropriate timing of many of the jokes is kinda a Star Wars thing.

I thought the whole Kirk -Spock thing with the sometimes the needs of the few or the one can out weigh the needs of the many was so over done here.

It was funny. I watched the Big Bang Theory before going to the movie and there was a scene where dude walks into the Star Wars movie dressed for Star Trek and everyone boos. And then that happened at the theater I was at. Some people even threw popcorn at the guy.

 

[GATTACA!]

Looks like gk wanted his thread to survive

Sorry I didn't see this one when I created mine last night.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Looking forward to seeing the movie. My friend knows Adam Driver so we always make it a point to go see his films when they come out. The spoilers don't ruin it for me. Sounds like he nailed it.

I was never a huge SW fan to begin with. 4,5,6 were too old for me to really enjoy and I thought 1,2,3 were horrible. Regardless, I'll still take the time to watch 7.

 

[BeauBenken]

I understand what you are saying, but I think the comedic situations you are criticizing are very similar to the original movie. I like the fact that they really worked hard on having the movie have a similar feel to A New Hope and get the franchise back on track. The inappropriate timing of many of the jokes is kinda a Star Wars thing.

Not at all like they did in this movie. Again, it's pretty much just Han who makes wise cracks and smart ass comments in heated situations in the originals. (Exceptions: Luke meeting up with his old friend before the attack on the Death Star. Trying to shake off the scare laughing and joking with his friend, but it's still obvious that everyone is nervous as hell.) The only potentially goofy scenes in 4 and 5 are those that involve C3PO. (Crying about how he is going to let the crew die because he blew it, but everyone else in that scene is still in very real peril and act like it.)

I don't know. Perhaps all the laughing from the audience killed the mood for me. I'll be seeing the movie again on Christmas day, and we'll see if my opinions change at all.

As it has been acknowledged, this is essentially a revamped Episode IV which was good in getting the series back on track maybe, but stale in some cases. Don't get me wrong, I liked the movie. Just had really high hopes.

Also, something tells me that the next one will be darker and better, just like V was to IV.

 

[NDohio]

Not at all like they did in this movie. Again, it's pretty much just Han who makes wise cracks and smart ass comments in heated situations or possibly other characters if it's called for in the dialogue. (Luke meeting up with his old friend before the attack on the Death Star. Trying to shake off the scare laughing and joking with his friend, but it's still obvious that everyone is nervous as hell.) The only potentially goofy scenes in 4 and 5 are those that involve C3PO. (Crying about how he is going to let the crew die because he blew it, but everyone else in that scene is still in very real peril and act like it.)

We just see this differently. I thought the comedy was done in the spirit of Star Wars past.

I don't know. Perhaps all the laughing from the audience killed the mood for me. I'll be seeing the movie again on Christmas day, and we'll see if my opinions change at all.

As it has been acknowledged, this is essentially a revamped Episode IV which was good in getting the series back on track maybe, but stale in some cases. Don't get me wrong, I liked the movie. Just had really high hopes.

Also, something tells me that the next one will be darker and better, just like V was to IV.

Agree completely. This movie set up the franchise for some really great movies going forward.

I am looking forward to going back on Tuesday to see it again.

 

[ulukinatme]

I loved it but at the same time I totally agree with the general criticism that this was just A New Hope 2.0. I'm okay with that, because that's what the franchise needed, it will allow VIII and IX to reach for Empire levels of greatness.

But the similarities with A New Hope will hold it back as time goes on. I mean think about it, the movie opens with Empire 2.0 looking for R2 2.0, who is running around on desert planet 2.0 with special plans 2.0 where he runs into force-able orphaned main character 2.0 and they leave on the Millennium Falcon again in search of the Rebels 2.0 only to take a tractor-beam detour but ultimately connect with the rebels and learn of a revolutionary planet(s)-destroying weapon 2.0 and they go take it out moments before it blasts them away. Oh and throw in a main character dying in a pretty similar fashion to Alec Guinness.

That sounds like a lot of criticism from my end, but I really did love the movie. Kylo Ren is borderline genius. The visuals were spectacular. It felt so damn real. Most importantly it sets up Luke and the next movie wonderfully.

Oh and r/starwars is going nuts saying Rey is the daughter of Luke or Leia or some shit...that would be awful. The prequels did so much damage by making the universe too small, I thought Abrams and Co. handled it perfectly by just saying she was abandoned on the planet and let her parents just be a mystery. God I hope they don't ruin that.

I know that Harrison Ford suggested to Lucas that they killed him off back in ROTJ, so as soon as he saw Kylo in that buildinh I knew he was dead and figured "that's why they introduced him last and gave him the biggest spotlight at all of the promos, it's his last Star Wars.." I was moved by the scene. Very well done.

Lastly fuck George Lucas and his shit prequels. I'm so glad they ignored them. Lightsaber encounters went back to being passionate broadsword battles, none of that jumping 90 feet triple reverse back flip gymnastics crap that frankly took a shit on well-built characters like Yoda but really all jedi/sith.

Saw it last night, that was my impression. It felt very much like New Hope 2.0. My thoughts as I was watching it were similar to yours: movie opens with a Star Destroyer-like ship in space, it's shadow covering the planet to show it's dark nature and long reach etc etc. We find ourselves on a Tatooine-like planet with a droid being split from it's master with an important message within. Meet a Skywalker (I'm assuming Rey is Luke's daughter from everything we've seen) who finds the droid (Along with Finn who is probably the son of Lando since this is a family affair). They escape aboard the Millenium Falcon from the desert planet. We have a cantina scene very similar to the original, there's even some Bounty Hunters looking for our heroes. The Skywalker lightsaber is passed down. Girl is captured by the new Empire and must be saved. The Empire has a planet killing weapon with a big fuckin' laser. Our mentor person dies (Han) at the hand of a Sith. Heroes rescue the girl and blow up the weapon to save the day.

There's probably a lot more similarities, but those were the ones from the top of my head. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the movie, and I think they approached it the right way, I was just really surprised how similar both movies were. I hadn't even heard the New Hope comparison until I saw the movie for myself and noticed it. It's much, much better than the prequels in every way. It felt like all the locations were very real, it didn't feel like a bunch of sterile green screens. I don't think it's better than IV or V, and I won't say it's better than VI since VI is my favorite minus the Ewoks. I think the new movie is somewhere between the two trilogies as far as quality goes. It felt like they went back to the well a little too much, and unfortunately I think a lot of people deduced that Han was going to die which ruined that scene a bit.

 

[ulukinatme]

Also, I still don't get why Luke now has a completely robotic arm. Like, why would he opt out of the perfectly synthetic one (you know, the one that looked just like his old arm) for that thing?

He honors his father's memory with a shitty robot hand.

 

[Buster Bluth]

Saw it last night, that was my impression. It felt very much like New Hope 2.0. My thoughts as I was watching it were similar to yours: movie opens with a Star Destroyer-like ship in space, it's shadow covering the planet to show it's dark nature and long reach etc etc. We find ourselves on a Tatooine-like planet with a droid being split from it's master with an important message within. Meet a Skywalker (I'm assuming Rey is Luke's daughter from everything we've seen) who finds the droid (Along with Finn who is probably the son of Lando since this is a family affair). They escape aboard the Millenium Falcon from the desert planet. We have a cantina scene very similar to the original, there's even some Bounty Hunters looking for our heroes. The Skywalker lightsaber is passed down. Girl is captured by the new Empire and must be saved. The Empire has a planet killing weapon with a big fuckin' laser. Our mentor person dies (Han) at the hand of a Sith. Heroes rescue the girl and blow up the weapon to save the day.

There's probably a lot more similarities, but those were the ones from the top of my head. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the movie, and I think they approached it the right way, I was just really surprised how similar both movies were. I hadn't even heard the New Hope comparison until I saw the movie for myself and noticed it. It's much, much better than the prequels in every way. It felt like all the locations were very real, it didn't feel like a bunch of sterile green screens. I don't think it's better than IV or V, and I won't say it's better than VI since VI is my favorite minus the Ewoks. I think the new movie is somewhere between the two trilogies as far as quality goes. It felt like they went back to the well a little too much, and unfortunately I think a lot of people deduced that Han was going to die which ruined that scene a bit.

Yeah agreed. I need more views to weigh it against Return of the Jedi. I think VIII and IX will in a way make or break this movie. If they follow the Original Trilogy too closely then the whole reboot is ruined.

 

[connor_in]

 

[Canton_Irish]

Saw the film last night and I left a bit underwhelmed to be honest.

The Good:
I thought the protagonists were fantastic and Rey really stole the show. Rey, Finn, and Poe felt authentic in a way that some of the PT heroes (Anakin and Padme) never did. They're regular people and they relate a lot better to the average audience than what we got in the PT.

Han Solo was spot on and his interaction with his son before his death was perfect closure for his character.

Kylo Ren's psychological makeup and the internal struggle he felt certainly lays the groundwork for him to be fearsome antagonist in the future with some substance.

The Bad:

The parallels with ANH were a little too strong for me as a hardcore fan. Episode I was a little eye rolling with the good guys trying to destroy a spherical spaceship at the end of that film which mirrored Episode IV so this felt a little like that. I think we would have been served better with a different attack plan than almost exactly what we've got from the first installment of both previous trilogies.

Kylo Ren is also a weakness in this film in my opinion. He's potentially a great villain but he's not one yet. The idea that Finn is even capable of blocking his attacks and resisting more than one or two blows when he's never held a lightsaber before is a little ridiculous. Same with Rey. She at least seems to have inherent Force ability but even then, so much of being capable with a lightsaber is training. Rey and Finn have none and they made Kylo look like a novice. Makes me wonder what Kylo would have done if he had been able to find Luke, certainly not fight him after what we saw out of him.

All in all, a very good Star Wars film. I'd put it in the middle of the pack as far as the entire saga goes.

 

[Corry]

So freaking good. I really don't get the criticism at all. I was so immersed in the movie that any negative thoughts were just gone. But, hay I went as a fan, not a critic.

 

[Corry]

So I guess Rogue One is the next film due out next year.

Rogue One is the first film in the Star Wars Anthology series, a collection of stand-alone stories set in the Star Wars universe. The story is set in between the events of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) and Episode IV: A New Hope (1977), and centers on a group of rebel fighters who come together to carry out the mission of stealing the plans for the Death Star.

Premise:
Following the foundation of the Galactic Empire, a wayward band of Rebel fighters comes together to carry out a desperate mission: to steal the plans for the Death Star before it can be used to enforce the Emperor's rule

Rogue One will be released on December 16, 2016

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_One:_A_Star_Wars_Story

 

[ShamrockOnHelmet]

I'm pretty pleased, it's not perfect, but viewed within the lens of the SW universe, it works well.

Three surprises for me;

1- Han was much more pivotal than I expected. A welcome surprise, to be sure.
2- Phasma was surprisingly useless. I expected more from this character, hope they flesh her out more in episode 8.
3- no one seemed all that concerned about Starkiller base. If it's infinitely more powerful than the Death Star, they all should have been wetting their pants. But it was really just an obstacle to overcome, nothing more. That left me a little wanting.

But these are minor criticisms. Thrilled about most everything else.

 

[GATTACA!]

Kylo Ren is also a weakness in this film in my opinion. He's potentially a great villain but he's not one yet. The idea that Finn is even capable of blocking his attacks and resisting more than one or two blows when he's never held a lightsaber before is a little ridiculous. Same with Rey. She at least seems to have inherent Force ability but even then, so much of being capable with a lightsaber is training. Rey and Finn have none and they made Kylo look like a novice. Makes me wonder what Kylo would have done if he had been able to find Luke, certainly not fight him after what we saw out of him..

That was the whole point of the character. He isn't some super powerful Sith Lord like Darth Vader or even Darth Maul. Ren is just a petulant teenager that thinks he knows everything. He ran away from his training with Luke and it's clearly showing in his erratic abilities. Rightfully he isn't a polished force user or a great with his lightsaber. This is shown with his crazy unstable saber, he didn't finish his training so he doesn't know how to properly build his weapon.

Also you have to add that fact that he was wounded by Chewie inside the base. Not only is he not a polished fighter or force user he is also injured. Taking that all into consideration I really didn't have an issue with Finn putting up some resistance and Rey being able to hang with him.

 

[ulukinatme]

I'm pretty pleased, it's not perfect, but viewed within the lens of the SW universe, it works well.

Three surprises for me;

1- Han was much more pivotal than I expected. A welcome surprise, to be sure.
2- Phasma was surprisingly useless. I expected more from this character, hope they flesh her out more in episode 8.
3- no one seemed all that concerned about Starkiller base. If it's infinitely more powerful than the Death Star, they all should have been wetting their pants. But it was really just an obstacle to overcome, nothing more. That left me a little wanting.

But these are minor criticisms. Thrilled about most everything else.

All great points, but I forgot about #3 there. It would have been nice if they went a different route from a giant laser, planet killing weapon. The fear of the Starkiller base just didn't seem as genuine as the Death Star. The Rebels were like "Meh, another big weapon. We'll just take the shields down again and destabilize the planet," like it was no big thing. It's got to be old hat at this point. The lead up to Starkiller, the demonstration of it's power, and the planning and execution to take it down were all kind of rushed it seemed. What I would like to see in the next movie is a threat that actually survives into the next movie, something they can't game plan around right away and has them on the run.

 

[ulukinatme]

That was the whole point of the character. He isn't some super powerful Sith Lord like Darth Vader or even Darth Maul. Ren is just a petulant teenager that thinks he knows everything. He ran away from his training with Luke and it's clearly showing in his erratic abilities. Rightfully he isn't a polished force user or a great with his lightsaber. This is shown with his crazy unstable saber, he didn't finish his training so he doesn't know how to properly build his weapon.

Also you have to add that fact that he was wounded by Chewie inside the base. Not only is he not a polished fighter or force user he is also injured. Taking that all into consideration I really didn't have an issue with Finn putting up some resistance and Rey being able to hang with him.

I thought the same thing as Canton at first. Kylo initially seemed a bit weak as a Sith at the end of the movie, but we have to remember he took the easy route to the dark side, you can tell he's very new to the force and his powers. He asks his master to show him the power of the dark side again if I recall, he's so new to it that he hasn't gotten much exposure. I expected Ren to outmatch Finn quickly with the saber, which he somewhat did. Maybe he should have taken him down sooner, maybe the injury he suffered by Chewie affected his fighting. I'm not surprised that Rey beat Kylo though. Why? She has been surviving on her own for some time and was very proficient with that staff she carried. I'm sure some of that training and proficiency carried over to the light saber battle, and we don't know if Luke has trained her some in the past. I expected Kylo to be more proficient in the force than her though since she just now seems to be learning how to use her powers.

 

[BeauBenken]

I'm pretty pleased, it's not perfect, but viewed within the lens of the SW universe, it works well.

Three surprises for me;

1- Han was much more pivotal than I expected. A welcome surprise, to be sure.
2- Phasma was surprisingly useless. I expected more from this character, hope they flesh her out more in episode 8.
3- no one seemed all that concerned about Starkiller base. If it's infinitely more powerful than the Death Star, they all should have been wetting their pants. But it was really just an obstacle to overcome, nothing more. That left me a little wanting.

But these are minor criticisms. Thrilled about most everything else.

Glad we agree. The fright just never really seemed to be there.