Star Wars Thread - Spoilers, yo.

[Lorne Malvo]

Really enjoyed the first two episodes of the Mandalorian! I'd completely forgot about Nick Nolte and Werner fuckin Herzog being in it so they were a great surprise.

[FLips]

21 minutes ago, Lorne Malvo said:

Really enjoyed the first two episodes of the Mandalorian! I'd completely forgot about Nick Nolte and Werner fuckin Herzog being in it so they were a great surprise.

Episode 3 is up now and is also fantastic.

[FLips]

Right, it's a little bonus side review for The Mandalorian as I've binge-watched all of those online because Disney+ is tight. I will spoiler the entire post as if you're on UK time you're only up to Episode 3.

Good: 

The cast of characters. I'd say it's arguably the strongest cast since the original trilogy
Mando is better than Jango and Boba
Baby Yoda is adorable
The "monster of the week" pacing really works because they intertwine the episodes and stories well.

Bad:
Some strange pacing, e.g being told to use his Whistling Birds scarcely and he shoots his load in the next room, or being told his jetpack won't work immediately and five minutes later he's blasting through the sky.
They shouldn't have shown his face because no matter who was under it, it would never be as cool.

Overall:
I'm not going to rank it among the films, but I will say Mando is the coolest Star Wars character including both Fetts and Han Solo. The series blew by without a bad episode and it felt at times like I was watching an RPG the way he was doing missions to upgrade armour and weapons and then there's a really fucking cool bad guy emerges when you think the final boss is dead. I'm puzzled by the period it's meant to be set in yet nobody remembers or knows anything of the past even though it's in Mos Eisley/Tatooine. As if everyone who lives there has no memory or history noted.
Some standout moments for me were the Imperial Walker and his big red eyes being terrifying, Episode 6, the hunter/nurse robot and the final scene of episode 8 where he's got some mad longsword saber.
My dream now is that CD Projekt Red or someone makes a game out of it because it would be ace.

[LaGoosh]

It's set 5 years after Return of the Jedi. 

But time has always been a bit of a mess in Star Wars. Like the Empire basically changed the entire galaxy despite only being in power for about 20 years. Barely anyone can remember the Jedi even though a few decades ago there was something like 15,000 of them.

[FLips]

Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens

Good:

Rey is a cool protagonist, she comes across as genuine rather than "Look it's a woman Jedi"
Han and Chewie! (and Leia I guess)
Kylo Ren with his mask on is as close to Vader as they've came for a ruthless bad guy
BB-8

Bad:

It felt like a tribute act. Oh look it's a THIRD Death Star but this one is massive and can blow up multiple planets, but it still has one massive weakness andddd it's blown up. Father/Son, Millenium Falcon, etc.
Why can Finn just pick up a lightsaber and use it? I thought that was a Jedi thing. I get he's not as good with it, but he held his own.
Han dying was a bummer
Kylo Ren without his mask. Jesus christ. I was getting Kane unmasking vibes when he took that thing off. My wife thought he looked like a bitch and I agree. Then he's a mopey faced crybaby the rest of the film.

Overall, for the first time I'm struggling where to put a film in the ranking. Some parts were really good, but some felt like a lazy "best of" similar to 6. Kylo Ren's mystery and coolness went from 100-0 from start to end and killing Han off took the air out of me. Based purely on the fact that it was at times as entertaining as Solo but never as boring as 6, and the fact it's a main film so had all the lightsabers and cool Star Wars stuff Solo didn't, the order is

5, 4, 7, Solo, 6, 2, 1, 3, Rogue

But let me tell you it was close between 7 and Solo. Solo never hit the lows this did, but it also never felt like a proper Star Wars film. 

[Mr_Danger]

Adam Driver and his ace face is too good for Star Wars anyway.

[LaGoosh]

Kylo Ren isn't supposed to be a badass villain. He hides himself behind the mask. That's why he's so different without it. I can understand why you felt that way though. Personally I came out the film thinking he was one of the most interesting characters in Star Wars.

My first viewing of ep 7 was one of the best cinema experiences I ever had. I hated the prequels so much and to see a film that felt like the originals, was loads of fun, had practical effects combined with great CGI and appearances from all the old gang...I left the cinema on cloud 9. Now I can see the flaws of the film, a lot of it is bang average, but I'll always love it because of that first viewing. 

[HarmonicGenerator]

I had the same feeling after seeing Force Awakens the first time - buzzing and hyped and happy for such a Star Warsy Star Wars Star Warsing back into my life. I still really like it, and I think it's my favourite of the sequels, but a lot of the initial joy probably came from there having been such a gap between films. Really interesting to hear how it plays for someone watching for the first time so soon after seeing the rest for the first time.

 

(It should be noted I also loved each of the prequels immediately after seeing them the first time. The only Star Wars I haven't had that with was Rise of Skywalker...)

Edited April 2, 2020 by HarmonicGenerator

[cobra_gordo]

Add me to those that walked out of the cinema buzzing after Force Awakens. Me and my Mrs were at the midnight screening and the atmosphere after was amazing, went to work after a few hours sleep, booked half day and fucked off at 12, picked my son up from school and went to see it again. For all of the flaws that can be found in Episode 7 in hindsight and as much as I loved parts of The Last Jedi and The Rise Of Skywalker neither of those two subsequent films made me want to go straight back in to a cinema to watch it again.

[FLips]

Don’t get me wrong, Kylo Ren is interesting and the being tempted to the Light Side thing is a really cool plot, I’m just saying that the difference between him masked and unmasked is night and day. Though I suppose that’s the point.

[ColinBollocks]

I remember when I watched it at the cinema enjoying Ren with his mask on because there was a lot of mystery to him. All the rumours of him actually being a dark side Luke or some super powerful Sith - he was a proper engrossing character. Only he turns out to be just some skinny dude (well, made from the might of Han Solo's cock). I guess the reveal was supposed to be underwhelming, as they story is Ren is some angst-ridden knob that is trying to get some respect.

Force Awakens goodwill has sadly diminished with each passing visit. Undeniably satisfying when it first got released, but clearly just a (well made) film with "remember this" thrown together. It doesn't help The Last Jedi (for all it's positives as a standalone film) did a lot to wipeout some of the intrigue Force Awakens set up.

[LaGoosh]

What you call intrigue I call JJ Abrams presenting vague questions which he never bothered coming up with explanations for. It's his speciality. 

[Factotum]

Yeah Force Awakens was a great experience in the cinema. It was a huge sigh of relief. Plus it felt like a huge event.

Looking back now, its an OK film with a really good central performance from Daisy Ridley.

I'll always stick by my guns that SOLO was the best film they released of the new ones. Rogue One has grown on me a lot more over time as well.

[ColinBollocks]

4 minutes ago, LaGoosh said:

What you call intrigue I call JJ Abrams presenting vague questions which he never bothered coming up with explanations for. It's his speciality. 

Perhaps, but some of the threads left dangling were interesting. Some of the conclusions to them were not.

Looking back, it's a shame they never gave the whole trilogy to Rian Johnson. Sadly, he's busy being above this shit.

[FLips]

Star Wars Episode 8: The Last Jedi

Good: 

Leia blasting herself out of space was really cool, it's a shame they never had her using the force more often though.
Ade Edmondson!
Mark Hamill was brilliant in it, his acting chops are night and day between now and the originals. 

Bad:

Too long by far, we got to the 2 hour point and my wife asked how long was left because it felt like we'd been watching forever.
Kylo Ren playing both sides but never coming out on top because he's a complete dork.
It suffered the same as 6 did where lots was always happening but it never felt like it was moving forwards.
Too much comedy, it's like every character needed a Han Solo one-liner or moment.

Overall not a bad film but not a great one. At times it felt like a plodding slog never moving anywhere, and despite the Leia bit being cool, it was first in many shark-jumping moments in the film where people were just doing mad shit with the force willy-nilly. Projecting themselves across galaxies, moving entire rockslides, communicating constantly but miles away and projecting themselves at the same time, Ghost Yoda shooting lightning from the sky. I know it's picky, but at times it seemed too much. Luke Skywalker couldn't even lift an X-Wing and Rey has been a Jedi all of 2 seconds and she's doing all sorts of stuff.
At times it seems like everyone was making just the worst choices they could have, most notably Poe and Kylo who were out to just shoot themselves in the foot constantly. It was a good film but it felt like a once and done. I've not interest in rewatching it unless I for some reason watch all these again. It never felt like a proper film as much as it did a big explanation about nothing.

5, 4, 7, Solo, 6, 8, 2, 1, 3, Rogue
 

IX isn't on Disney+ so this will be the end of the road for me for now. I will watch it as soon as it's up and update the order, but that's my order for the time being.
On the whole, it's a strange one. Of the 10 films (8 main, 2 spinoffs) we've watched, only 4 have really impressed me, 4, 5 and 7, and Solo. I know I ranked 7 higher but only just and based on some slight merits. If I was to pick to rewatch 7 or Solo, it'd be Solo.
2 have been good but nothing great in 6 and 8, and 4 have been quite frankly dogshit in 1, 2, 3 and Rogue. I've heard almost unanimously Rogue is a good film, but I'm not looking for a War film with Star Wars bits in so it just wasn't for me.

If the series started at 1, it would never have had a 2, never mind 8 sequels. 
Rating the trilogies, even without seeing IX yet is easy as it's Original, Sequel, Prequel.

Once IX is watched I might do a little awards for Best and Worst Characters, Moments, Fights, etc. 

Edited April 2, 2020 by FelatioLips