Rewatching the new movies

[SWSF Hoppus]

I love rewatching the original trilogy every so often.

I enjoy rewatching Rogue One. I didn't care to rewatch episodes VII and VIII though... anyone else find their enthusiasm dampened on reviewing?

Been in an Airbnb during the weeks away from family so watching movies again after many years, caught up on most of the Marvel and Star Wars stuff, but every time I start The Last Jedi I'm just like meh. I liked it in the theater. But the combat scenes, etc... just don't hold up to the stuff in Empire and RotJ, etc.

I'm hankering for some simming regardless as of late! I've been reminiscing about some of the AE battles I was involved in with the Ssi-Ruuvi Imperium and AckbarTB, taking down PDFs, crushing the planetary forces, and converting prisoners to energy for building more of the droid fighters! Also battles in the original New Horizon Universe, as a rebel, where Tim (AckbarTB) had a the SSD Lusitania (I think) and we had F'ing epic battles with like 10-12 players in this huge showdowns. I think I commanded 3 Squads of X-Wings and A-Wings then, and eventually an MC60. I think that was one of my first organized sims with lots of players (before I joined any AE games, I wanna say).

Ah, that was fun.

[Bishio]

They are by far the least re-watched movies of the collection.  Episodes 1-6 are watched pretty often in my house.  R1 is loved.  Solo isn't a fan favorite but honestly we have watched it a whole lot more than TLJ.  I cannot say that about TFA, but it also brought SW back.  

[SWSF Hale]

TFA was extremely derivative, but I felt it was a solid film that effectively established the new timeline/setting/plot. TLJ on the other hand completely crashed in my eyes and failed to execute what TFA set up. We are now hearing reports that KK and JJ never had any "master spreadsheet" when they set out to make these films, which is extremely telling now upon re-watching them. The fact that they gave Rian Johnson carte blanche adds more to this narrative that either: (1) they don't know what they're doing, and/or (2) they aren't respecting the Saga.

On a different note, I saw Endgame recently, and the audience energy was palpable. The last time I felt something like that was for opening night of TFA. I can't say the same thing for TLJ. I really enjoyed Solo, it's a shame it under-performed at the box office ($393 Million compared to Rogue One's $1 Billion); and I think some of that might have been fan backlash/boycott due to the travesty of a movie TLJ was (and the casting choice for Han Solo -- why they didn't go with Anthony Ingruber is beyond me). R1 was absolutely fantastic, and the final action sequence which made the movie contiguous with A New Hope was brilliant.

I've decided that the new films really are for a new generation of fans that I will probably never see eye to eye with. I've had lively discussions with middle school kids about the new films, and they seem really excited about them and really invested in the story... and so maybe I'm just an old curmudgeon fan who has become jaded by the richness of the EU and simming, etc.

[SWSF Eidolon]

I don't dislike VII and VIII at all but R1 and Solo are my favorites and most rewatched of the new ones.  R1s immediate ANH lead in is awesome and the tsunami wave scene is damn powerful. Between the Birth of Frankenstein scene at the end of Revenge of the Sith and Vaders Reveal at the end of R1, I get a lot stronger excitement from the R1 moment.  When I first saw that scene in theaters, that was probably my most peak excitement level since the Disney Flood.  I may have squeeled a bit.
 
  I still enjoy TLJ rewatches and don't share any of the criticisms, thought it was a pretty good movie.  It has it's issues in the minutia but overall I dig it.  Between the 8 films of the Saga I rank TFA as least rewatch value.  I'm pretty excited for Rise of Skywalker and optimistic that itll tie everything up in a satisfying way- but again I didn't take issue with anything really in TLJ so.


  I'm usually pretty cynical and critical of everything but for whatever reason that doesn't extend as heavily in to my love of the cult of SW.

  Solo and R1 I think are such cool movies in the Franchise because they come from the perspective outside of the Skywalker Saga, they probably connect a little more with us all because of the similarity between what we do here.  
  

[Bishio]

My main criticism of the new movies isn't so much story, effects, or setting.  Story in my personal opinion has been a pretty solid B-, effects are a strong A, and setting.. its Star Wars.. so its god tier A+.  The center of my criticism is the characters and it isn't because they are bad.  It is just they didn't have time to grow in the story or on me.  TFA came along and does the introduction tour which is really standard in a trilogy /planned squeal movies and set them up nicely in my opinion.  Then TLJ came along and had one sin before it even was seen by us, and that sin was no time jump between the movies.  Time jump lets characters breathe, explains some growth and change because of time has pasted in the story.  Also it lets the imagination work and solve small problems without having to bring them and you end up not even thinking about them.  But because they made the movie start within seconds of when TFA's ending none of this could occur.  So everyone is still totally in the getting to know each other phase of a relationship but acting like they grew up on the block with each other.  I mean we are talking 2-3 days here?  Ray being super powerful suddenly wasn't just a spark of power that peaked out to defeat Kylo, like it happened in Luke to guide torpedoes to destroy the death star, but instead it was just her being a god tier Jedi person without even a talk.  No Obi Wan with the remote on the falcon.  No force ghost whispering into her ear.  Just a freak-out when she touched the saber and "power, unlimited power" moment on the edge of a cliff in a saber duel.  Then grumpy Luke drinks of freshly squeezed blue milk in front of her, plays some tricks with a branch on her hands, give a 3 point breakdown before laying out the guilt trip because his nephew caught uncle standing over him while he slept creepily and she rivals the strength of a lot of Jedi's we have EVER seen.  EVER.  As a reminder in about 2-3 days TOTAL and lets just be generous and say a week so 7 days.  For me its crazy.  I mean Poe does like this massive mutiny on a ship filled with people he has known since he was a child based around a guys plan that was a stormtrooper 2-3 days ago to save Ray who of which he may have met once at a meeting before she bailed to find Luke and the First Order showed up.  Again, within a couple days time.  Time jump, a little explanation in the crawl, and leave some of it for the imagination and the same exact movie (accounting for some edits because a few cuts cannot happen with time jump) is a lot better in my opinion.  Then the characters actions can be explained to me a bit better.

I feel its going to make 9 a whole lot better of a movie.  It cannot explain something perfectly? Well its been some time and time does things and it will make me wonder and imagine.  Not just throw my hands up and say thanks for the forced plot push.

But with all this said I do want to say I didn't dislike TLJ.  It isn't a horrible movie to me at all.  It is just when I see TFA I pretty much get all I need to know.  They feel like ONE movie.  

[EmperorSeverus]

Those were the days Hop, let's resolve to get back into it asap. I'll be posting in AJ soon. Bring the Ssi-Ruvvi back, that would be badass.

[SWSF Eidolon]

  Bish, you raise a great point on the squandered value of time jump between TFA/TLJ.  It provides so much relief to otherwise strict framework.  Both films would GREATLY improve in the context of overall story if they didn't squeeze them together so tightly.

  Part of the greatness of the Original Trilogy is the "How'd they get from jungle temples to ice caves?? and what the hell happened with that bounty hunter back on Ord Mantell??" a 5yr old me wondered, and then "What was Luke doing before he showed up back on Tatooine looking so metal??" that kept the fans imagination more engaged and seeking.

  Billie Lourds "Ooh No.." moment in the opener is sweet though.  They should have her stab a giant in the eye.