Bkeela
Warlord
I made a vow to avoid The Force Awakens. I thought the Dark Side was defeated perfectly well in the original trilogy, so to continue the story as if Luke's triumph and Vader's redemption meant nothing seemed to me contemptible. In a land where someone like Donald Trump could be considered a serious presidential candidate, I wasn't surprised the public lapped this excrement up, but I for one wanted nothing to do with it.
But yesterday Diablo III Season 7 ended, and I found myself high and dry with Civilization VI still seven painful days away. In desperation I bought Endless Space 2 (early access), and although it looked good and held great promise, the learning curve was too steep for the immediate gratification I needed. In a matter of moments my resolve to avoid The Force Awakens crumbled, and I succumbed to the Dark Side of the Force.
I'd heard the film was a shameless rip off of the first installment, and since I actually hated J. J. Abrams for stringing me through the first season of Lost, I should have been prepared for awfulness. Moreover I've felt for a long time that Hollywood/American blockbuster style films were unwatchable. James Cameron and Christopher Nolan could still make something that looked stylish, but uninspired writing let even their films down. I should have been prepared for awfulness.
There were glaring problems with the story: like Rey's absurdly instant Force skills, and yet another fatally flawed super weapon, but it was the many little things that bugged me the most. For example, Finn staggers into the junkyard settlement desperate for water. He soon finds water but there is a giant creature watering itself there. Any sensible person, let alone an anxious one, would approach such a beast with caution. At the least you would place yourself at the furthest possible distance from the creature. Not Finn. He is written to crouch right next to the bulky snout of the monster to drink, just so he can get butted out of the way for a few cheap laughs. I can just imagine average American, chomping on his/her popcorn and as obese as the beast depicted in the film, laughing with delight at Finn's comedy of error.
The only positives I got from the film were the shots of Star Destroyers and the Falcon leaving the atmosphere of Jakku, seeing Han and Chewie again, and Daisy Ridley. The thing that hurts the most, like with the prequels, is it could so easily have been great. Rather than the Empire and the Dark Side seeming to instantly bounce back from what should have been a fatal blow, it could have been about Luke building up the Jedi academy. The first film at least should have been all about Han and Chewie, since Harrison Ford seemed so keen to retire the character. Any new characters should have been bit parts - not the other way around.
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.
But yesterday Diablo III Season 7 ended, and I found myself high and dry with Civilization VI still seven painful days away. In desperation I bought Endless Space 2 (early access), and although it looked good and held great promise, the learning curve was too steep for the immediate gratification I needed. In a matter of moments my resolve to avoid The Force Awakens crumbled, and I succumbed to the Dark Side of the Force.
I'd heard the film was a shameless rip off of the first installment, and since I actually hated J. J. Abrams for stringing me through the first season of Lost, I should have been prepared for awfulness. Moreover I've felt for a long time that Hollywood/American blockbuster style films were unwatchable. James Cameron and Christopher Nolan could still make something that looked stylish, but uninspired writing let even their films down. I should have been prepared for awfulness.
There were glaring problems with the story: like Rey's absurdly instant Force skills, and yet another fatally flawed super weapon, but it was the many little things that bugged me the most. For example, Finn staggers into the junkyard settlement desperate for water. He soon finds water but there is a giant creature watering itself there. Any sensible person, let alone an anxious one, would approach such a beast with caution. At the least you would place yourself at the furthest possible distance from the creature. Not Finn. He is written to crouch right next to the bulky snout of the monster to drink, just so he can get butted out of the way for a few cheap laughs. I can just imagine average American, chomping on his/her popcorn and as obese as the beast depicted in the film, laughing with delight at Finn's comedy of error.
The only positives I got from the film were the shots of Star Destroyers and the Falcon leaving the atmosphere of Jakku, seeing Han and Chewie again, and Daisy Ridley. The thing that hurts the most, like with the prequels, is it could so easily have been great. Rather than the Empire and the Dark Side seeming to instantly bounce back from what should have been a fatal blow, it could have been about Luke building up the Jedi academy. The first film at least should have been all about Han and Chewie, since Harrison Ford seemed so keen to retire the character. Any new characters should have been bit parts - not the other way around.
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.
