Star Wars: The Force Awakens is almost impossible to discuss without spoiling something, which meant that my review had to be necessarily vague, constraining itself to what we’ve seen in the trailers and basic general knowledge about the film. But I have lots of thoughts still to share, so this article will be filled with spoilers. There’s a lot to discuss in The Force Awakens, both good and bad, and yes there’s actually a bit of bad. I may have given the film an A in my review but I have more than a few complaints, some of which are entirely a reflection of my own views of the franchise but others are legitimate issues with the film itself. I’m not going to dive back into the fact that I consider The Force Awakens to be (really good) fanfiction, but it’s safe to say that the events in the film felt somewhat inconsequential to me knowing that we weren’t seeing the true vision of George Lucas. But I don’t want this to turn into a nitpicky, whining article, because there were many things I loved about the film. And then there are just some observations and questions I was left with after my first viewing. Of course, my feelings on all of these might change the more I see the film, but let’s take a look at some spoiler filled thoughts about The Force Awakens.
Tag Archives: The Force Awakens
Review: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
No matter what the last few years of hype might have told us, bringing Star Wars back was always a risky move. It might seem like our current nostalgia-based pop culture consciousness will turn anything new that happens to be based on something familiar into an instant smash. But there’s always the chance that audiences might rebel, upset with the way their beloved stories have been altered, or fans and casual viewers might split, leading to endless debates over the “true” nature of the franchise. So despite the fact that Star Wars: The Force Awakens is poised to break every box-office record imaginable, gathering rave reviews from critics and viewers alike, and will likely catapult Star Wars, Disney, and a cast of faces both old and new to the highest of heights, the question still remains: is it any good? Put simply, the answer is an unequivocal yes. Almost 40 years after the series debuted, and over 10 years since its last entry, The Force Awakens is without a doubt the film that fans were screaming for. In fact, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the single greatest work of fanfiction ever made.
Tonight’s Movie: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
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All of the trailers and TV spots for Star Wars: The Force Awakens (with screencaps)
By this point, every glimpse, shot, or tidbit of Star Wars: The Force Awakens we’ve seen thus far has been analyzed, dissected, and picked apart by anyone and everyone in the hopes of finding all of the clues to unlocking the story’s secrets. I’ve talked enough about my concerns about The Force Awakens as well as my feelings about how the film has been treated by the general populace, and I’m not going to go into that any more now. But I thought it’d be fun to take a look back at all of the trailers released for the film thus far with an eye not to solving all of the mysteries but instead looking at the larger picture. What I love most about trailers is the way they can evoke emotions with just a few images, a handful of musical notes, or the slightest bit of context. So let’s take it from the top with the very first trailer for The Force Awakens, which conveyed quite a lot from very little.
The Force Awakens, George Lucas, and one blogger’s Star Wars-induced writer’s block
My blogging has slowed down over the past six months or so, and I think Star Wars: The Force Awakens is to blame. It’s like I have a mental block that’s been in place since around the time the 2nd teaser trailer was released (you know, the one with Han saying “Chewie, we’re home”). I used to feature a weekly trailer analysis, but I haven’t done one since the first trailer was released. I haven’t written nearly as many analyses of movies as I would have liked, my Friday Favorites feature has ground to a halt, and in all honesty I even have trouble getting regular movie reviews and TV recaps done. It’s not as if I’ve run out of things to say, and I desperately love writing about movies, but Star Wars is blocking me at every turn. Every time I sit down to write something, I feel like I should be writing about Star Wars and yet I’ve been avoiding discussing my favorite film series any more than I must. But even beyond that, The Force Awakens has almost (but not quite) diminished my ability to enjoy the world of film in the first place. So in an effort to clear my mind of this block, I’ve got to just put my thoughts about the current state of Star Wars before my brain explodes.
Why I’m worried about Star Wars: The Force Awakens – All-Reel Drive: Episode 2
All-Reel Drive is back (finally), with a new episode all about Star Wars: The Force Awakens! Specifically, my unpopular feelings of worry over the new film, whose final trailer was released last night. I’ve written about Star Wars before, and the series is not only one of my all time favorites but was instrumental in developing my appreciation for storytelling in general. So I’m very excited for The Force Awakens, but I also have some major concerns, which I discuss in the video. I’ve already purchased my tickets for opening night, but that doesn’t mean I’ll be going in ready to blindly accept what they put on the screen.
In other news, my The Force Awakens poster giveaway was something of a bust, but I’m keeping it open a little longer in case the new trailer ups the interest level. If not, I’ll be giving the poster to one of the handful of people who actually entered. You can find the giveaway here.
Let me know how crazy I am for being worried about The Force Awakens! Or tell me I’m crazy for defending George Lucas and wishing he was still involved! Or just tell me what you think of the video! Either way, leave me a comment, hit me up on twitter or tumblr, or head to the “Feedback” page to send me a direct message. I’m always looking for suggestions for future video topics.
Final Trailer: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last hour, here’s the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer which debuted tonight during Monday Night Football. I’m going to do an analysis of it with screencaps this week, along with every other blog and website that has anything remotely to do with movies, but for now take a look and tell me your first thoughts below. My first impression is that this is a killer trailer, but I still have concerns about the film in general which will only be dealt with once it comes out in two months.
Introducing “All-Reel Drive” – A new video series/podcast
I’ve started a new video series and podcast called “All-Reel Drive,” in which I talk about movies while in the car commuting to work. The first episode, split into two parts, is now up on YouTube, and it’s all about the movie news from the D23 Expo! You can watch both episodes embedded below, or scroll further down for the podcast versions you can take on the go. I hope you enjoy it!
Videos
Podcasts
The podcast versions of Episode 1A and 1B are embedded below. I’ve also included links to the mp3 files, so you can download them to your computer and then upload them to the portable device of your choice. Simply right-click and choose “Save Link as…” to save it to your computer. (My goal is to eventually have them available on iTunes, but I’m not to that point quite yet.)
All-Reel Drive – Episode 1A – D23 Expo Movie Round-Up – Animation
All-Reel Drive – Episode 1B – D23 Expo Movie Round-Up – Live-Action
Thanks for watching and listening! I’d love to hear what you think!
2015 D23 Expo: Day 2 Recap
Day 1 of the 2015 D23 Expo was a lot of fun, with all of the Disney Animation/Pixar news as well as the Disney Legends ceremony and fun, smaller things like the Muppets! Day 2 focused its larger presentations on live action films and Parks and Resorts, with some exciting news and first looks on both fronts. I lined up early again this morning to get a spot for the Live Action presentation, and I’m happy I got there when I did, because half an hour later would have meant missing out. Clearly people were eager for some Marvel and Star Wars news, not to mention the full slate of films from Disney proper.
My Top 10 (and Bottom 3) at the Movies in 2014
2014 has come and gone, and while there were some definite highlights to the year of movies, overall I’d say it was a bit disappointing compared to years past. There were some movies that I really loved, but I wasn’t nearly as enthusiastic in 2014 as I usually am for the world of cinema. However, things are looking up for 2015, with a lot to be excited about, plus there are still a few movies I need to catch up on from 2014 that I either missed or haven’t gotten around to (Big Eyes, Selma, The Imitation Game, etc.). But now that 2015 is underway it’s time to take a look back at the highs and lows of 2014 at the movies. Instead of a traditional top 10 list of movies, I like to list out my favorite cinema-related things from the year. Some of them are movies, but others might be scenes, characters, moments, or even just announcements. So without further ado, here are my top 10 and bottom 3 of 2014 at the movies.


