Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

[Victory2004]

Theatrical Poster

Final Trailer

 

[HIStoric]

The new trailer is officially the greatest trailer I have ever seen :bow:

I literally have never been THIS hyped for ANYTHING before in my entire life :woohoo: (that was literally me in my room when I watched the trailer )

 

[HIStory]

Awesome. So great to see the old characters back.

And the new bad guy, Kylo looks badass.

 

[Galactus123]

That trailer was awesome but they could have shown Luke. I think they are making us to wait until the movie comes until we really see him.

 

[HIStory]

This is going to be epic!

 

[HIStory]

That trailer was awesome but they could have shown Luke. I think they are making us to wait until the movie comes until we really see him.

It's interesting that Luke isn't on the poster either. So what happened? Did he turn to the dark side and is he the new Sith? LOL.

 

[Galactus123]

It's interesting that Luke isn't on the poster either. So what happened? Did he turn to the dark side and is he the new Sith? LOL.

I don't think he will be the sith. This picture of him leaked some time ago:
http://media.melty.com/pmedia-4183-...the-leaked-set-image-of-mark-hamill-as-an.jpg

Look at your own risk.

 

[HIStory]

^ Yeah, I was just joking. In fact, it would be a bad plot to make him turn to the dark side. It's not in his character. But it's really interesting that he is so missing from the trailer and the poster.

 

[nickzark]

come on.Luke didnt go to the Dark side although the emperor and his father told him and fight him about it..He won.Why now go to the dark side???.It dont fits now.Dont believe he is evil.( we saw Luke in the trailer.He is the hand touchinG R2D2)

 

[HIStoric]

A lot of people are wondering (both joking and seriously) if Luke is going to be the new 'sith lord' and the answer is no, he isn't. Kylo Ren isn't Luke either; Kylo Ren is played by Adam Driver and you can see him unmasked here (he's also unmasked as he moves in to attack Finn at the end of the trailer). On top of that, they wouldn't throw away all the character development and conflict from Return of the Jedi by making him turn to the dark side.

Technical fun fact, Kylo Ren isn't a Sith Lord. The Sith are all but dead now (as far as we know). Kylo Ren is part of something called The Knights of Ren and that shot you posted Respect77, is rumoured to feature other Knights of Ren.

Personally, I have a feeling Luke Skywalker is in hiding. As surprised as you are that Luke Skywalker is not on the poster for The Force Awakens, just know that Yoda didn't make an appearance on the poster or trailer for The Empire Strikes Back either! (his first appearance). Like Luke, his appearance was kept secret until the film came out!

Also note that this film isn't going to prominently feature Luke or Leia. It's a new chapter in this amazing saga so just don't be disappointed if you only see Luke and Leia for a few minutes in the film tops. Han Solo's pretty prominent thankfully! He's my favourite actor so I'm SUPER stoked to see him back!!! Words can't express how excited I am for this!

 

[HIStory]

There are rumours and speculations that Han Solo will die in this episode, so that may explain why he is the one who is more prominently featured in this episode from the original cast. This could be his swan song. BTW, I love the character too. Maybe Leia will die in the next episode and Luke in the one after that before they fully give space and they fully pass the torch to the new generation.

Doesn't it look from this trailer that while Kylo might not be a Sith (yet) but he is seeking to become one? I think he is looking for that knowledge and I think before the end of this trilogy he will become a Sith. Maybe already in Ep. VIII. Yes, this is my guess:

Episode VII

As the title signifies: the force awakens. In both sides (light side, dark side) certain individuals start to discover their connection to the Force. They get mentored by the old characters to find their way.

Episode VIII

This episode will focus on Finn and Rey's journey to become jedis and Kylo's journey to become a Sith. Finn and Rey will be trained by Luke, so he will have a similar role here as Yoda in the ESB.

Episode XIX

This episode will culminate in the final big battle between Finn (and/or Rey) and Kylo.

 

[Victory2004]

That trailer was awesome but they could have shown Luke. I think they are making us to wait until the movie comes until we really see him.

Did you ever stop to think that there may be something involving Luke that might be a spoiler hence why they've not shown him at all in any of the promotion?

 

[Amaya]

^ Yeah, I was just joking. In fact, it would be a bad plot to make him turn to the dark side. It's not in his character. But it's really interesting that he is so missing from the trailer and the poster.

Some people are claiming that the guy that touches R2 on the head at the 1:40 mark in the trailer is supposed to be Luke. The robotic right hand is a pretty big clue.

Trailer looks great! Can't wait to see this although I don't know when that will be, as I'm sure tickets are gonna be sold out for a while, heh.

 

[krikzil]

Football certainly not as fun as seeing it at the SW Celebration with thousands of other geeks but still awesome trailer -- love me some Han!

 

[Zakk]

who knows of Harmys work, the 'Despecialized' versions? they're in 720p right now.. first & empire strikes back are in 19gb, ROTJ is 8gb.. i heard he's doing v 2.5 for all and maybe 3.0 if there won't be an official release? anyway, i think it's awesome.. hope he sticks to his plans for the 1080p versions in the future...

 

[HIStoric]

who knows of Harmys work, the 'Despecialized' versions? they're in 720p right now.. first & empire strikes back are in 19gb, ROTJ is 8gb.. i heard he's doing v 2.5 for all and maybe 3.0 if there won't be an official release? anyway, i think it's awesome.. hope he sticks to his plans for the 1080p versions in the future...

Trust me, whenever Disney/20th Century Fox will be able to release a boxset with the originals, they will do so. It'll be an instant money maker. There's some issues with rights though as 20th Century Fox still own the distribution rights to A New Hope in 'perpetuity" where as for Episodes I-III, V-VI it will own the theatrical, nontheatrical and home video rights until May 2020 at which point they switch over to Disney. I think that's right. Anyway, so it complicates things a little but I'm sure someday we'll get them in good quality (I own the 2006 DVD that contains one of the original versions of Star Wars. I say 'one' because there were actually a few different versions of Star Wars that came out in 1977 haha).

Personally, the special edition changes have never really bothered me. There's a couple I'd change (like the digital rocks in front of R2D2, Han meeting Jabba and maybe Jedi Rocks) but on the whole, it really doesn't bother me all that much. In fact I think a good number of the the changes are for the better. I'd buy the boxset with the original theatrical editions on Blu-ray, sure, but I'd be lying if I'd say I was begging for it. Personally, I think some people blow some of the changes out of proportion, but that's just me ¯\_(&#12484_/¯

It's actually pretty interesting from an editing perspective with how Harmy makes his Despecialised editions though!

 

[Galactus123]

Personally, the special edition changes have never really bothered me. There's a couple I'd change (like the digital rocks in front of R2D2, Han meeting Jabba and maybe Jedi Rocks) but on the whole, it really doesn't bother me all that much. In fact I think a good number of the the changes are for the better. I'd buy the boxset with the original theatrical editions on Blu-ray, sure, but I'd be lying if I'd say I was begging for it. Personally, I think some people blow some of the changes out of proportion, but that's just me ¯\_(&#12484_/¯

It's actually pretty interesting from an editing perspective with how Harmy makes his Despecialised editions though!

Lucas also changed the color timing. It makes the movies too dark sometimes and Vader's lightsaber looks pink in the Blu-Ray release:

Also Lucas has changed the Han and Greedo scene in almost every release. Originally Han is the only one who shoots.

 

[HIStoric]

Lucas also changed the color timing. It makes the movies too dark sometimes and Vader's lightsaber looks pink in the Blu-Ray release:

Also Lucas has changes the Han and Greedo scene in almost every release. Originally Han is the only one who shoots.

Yes I know. I would alter it slightly, but it's not something that bothers me greatly.

As for Han and Greedo, once again not something that bothers me that much, though I thought it worked best the original way. It's not that bad now on the original release, rather than have Greedo shoot then Han, they shoot at the exact same time. Some people over dramatise and cry that it 'ruins his character arc' but it barely does. They say he was originally dangerous and morally ambiguous, that he was willing to kill in cold blood if necessary but I reckon he still is just that. 1: In the latest version (which is canon), they shoot at the exact same time so it is no longer self defence necessarily. 2: He was always up for a fight and willing to kill in cold blood, in the Death Star he exclaims that he'd "prefer a straight fight to all this sneaking around!". Never mind the fact that when they follow the TIE Fighter right before they're pulled in by the Death Star's tractor beam, he tries to shoot down the damn thing. There's also more to Solo's character arc than just being dangerous and morally ambiguous, for example he is extremely selfish at the beginning and will only help others for the money. By the end of the first film, he has had some form of an arc in that respect because he went out of his way to help Luke and the rebels for no monetary reward on what was pretty much a suicide mission. I know you didn't claim any of this, it's just something that bugs me slightly from the fans

Here's a selection of some of the good changes made to the trilogy over the year though:

Very subtle, but language in the film has been altered from English to Aurabesh, a language that is used in the Star Wars universe.

This corridor has been altered, so that it actually looks like it goes on forever rather than just some wall with a bad forced perspective:

Han runs into a hanger full of stormtroopers, rather than just a dead end as in the original. I like this, it always feels like an "OH ****" moment rather than "oh shit!" and all the stormtroopers in the hangar just turn around like wtf

Sometimes glitches were fixed (no glow on Vader's saber)

Rather than just see white balls fly to the sky, you actually see X-Wings now:

Emperor is now actually the Emperor as played by Ian McDiarmid, rather than some random woman (was actually played by a woman I believe)

Some of the windows now show the exterior of Cloud City:

Continuity issues were sometimes fixed: here the badges and insignia are on the wrong side of their uniform. The special editions have fixed this continuity issue by digitally fixing it.

Originally Han seemed to be dangling by his toes, so they added in rope to help support him.

Sebastian Shaw, who originally Anakin Skywalker briefly was digitally replaced with Hayden Christensen. This is one of the most controversial changes imo but I think it makes sense.
1. People claim that Luke wouldn't have recognised Hayden's version of Anakin. Not true. Neverminding the fact that Shaw's character still looks a bit different because he isn't covered in 23 year old scars, Luke would be able to sense that that figure is Anakin Skywalker. Similar way to how Vader senses Obi-Wan aboard the Death Star in A New Hope.
2. "When Anakin died, he was a Jedi once more and thus his last time as a Jedi wasn't Episode III, but Episode VI and thats why it should show Shaw". The force enables them to choose their appearance. Looking at Shaw, he has all of his scars removed, his hair has returned and he now has his limbs back (he lost his right arm to Dooku, then the rest of his limbs to Obi-Wan at the end of Revenge of the Sith). If he can do this, it's not unrealistic that he is able to take the appearance of himself as a Jedi before he became corrupted, fell to the Dark Side and committed all those atrocities (if anything, that's his most pure form and perhaps the one he wishes to appear as most).
3. Shaw was in his late 70s, Anakin Skywalker died at the age of 46. Hayden Christensen is far closer in age to Anakin Skywalker and thus a more accurate representation of him, though admittedly I think they should've aged Hayden a bit. Seriously, Shaw looks older than Alec Guiness and Anakin's 16 years younger than Obi-Wan. It doesn't feel as right.

These aren't necessary the best changes that were made, they're only a couple I thought of that I think helped the films in one way or another, but there are more. A huge nerdy rant too but I'm really just bored and looking to procrastinate a bit

This website has all the changes listed, it's really interesting to look at actually. Many complain a good deal of changes were "meaningless", I don't think that's necessarily good or bad though. There are a great deal of VFX improvements to the VFX shots too, such as the removing of matte lines in some of the shots (i.e. cockpit of snowspeeders during Battle of Hoth). I think the best route for releasing 'theatrical editions' would be saving those improvements so that it looks as best as possible visually, but cutting those that made huge differences (i.e. Han running into a hangar of stormtroopers rather than a dead end, the CGI creatures at Mos Eisley or the Christensen head replacement)

 

[Galactus123]

The worst change of them all is the added Nooooo for Vader in Return of the Jedi. It ruins the whole scene. There is one change I like and that is the new celebration music:

 

[HIStory]

The "Noooooo!" was already awkward in Revenge of the Sith.

I got a Star Wars book from a friend a couple of years ago (Heir to the Empire). Didn't read it so far but now I started to read it. (And yes, I know that the whole Expanded Universe has been deemed irrelevant by Disney, so the movie's story will not necessarily go into that direction.)

If I like it the next book I want to read is Darth Plagueis. I'm really interested in that. I'm drawn to the dark side, I guess.

 

[HIStoric]

BTW Edited my post above to actually show images, rather than just a 'no hotlinking!' placemarker.

The worst change of them all is the added Nooooo for Vader in Return of the Jedi. It ruins the whole scene. There is one change I like and that is the new celebration music:

[video=youtube;AiM5zEEI_Jo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiM5zEEI_Jo[/video]

Agreed on the music thing, the music before was just so... anti-climatic. It didn't feel like an acceptable way to end the trilogy, let alone an entire saga once you consider the prequels. The new music though is incredible, it's classic John Williams, who is honestly one of the greatest composers there is.

As to the Noooo issue... I prefer the version without the no, I just love how you can see Vader having inner conflict over what to do in that exact moment, all by the camera moving in on his mask. Even if it's less subtle, I don't know if I hate the new version though... perhaps disagree with it being there moreso. I've read reviews from other people though who've seen the scene in the context of the whole film (so have been taken on the emotional journey rather than just clicking play on a YouTube video) and they say it isn't as bad as it's made out to be, it's just that fans are used to Vader not saying anything. I'll decide that when I watch my Blu-ray set for the first time come the week before The Force Awakens. I think I'll still be in the camp of "Prefer it without, but not overly bothered" though.

I think I know why it was added though. It fits within Lucas' 'ring theory'; see George Lucas is very much interested in the idea of making the saga like a piece of music, in that certain motifs reoccur at times: “[Star Wars] is purposely written like a piece of music, with themes that repeat themselves in different ways, and ideas that reprise from one generation to the next.” However, in The Beginning, a documentary on the making of Episode 1, he instead likens the repetitions to poetry: “Instead of destroying the Death Star [like Luke], [Anakin] destroys the ship that controls the robots. It’s like poetry. Every stanza kind of rhymes with the last one.”

Watching the saga, you'll notice that many moments, ideas, motifs, themes and such mirror in the other trilogy. You can see it in motion in this short video (admittedly there is the odd one or two shots in there I think are coincidental, but on the whole the editor hits the nail on the head). It also goes far more in depth here. So at the end of Episode III, right after his rebirth as the mechanical dark lord and upon discovering his wife just died, Vader screams NOOOOOO out of anguish. Now in Episode VI, right before the rebirth of Anakin Skywalker and with his son on the verge of dying right before his very eyes, this idea is repeated in a similar manner and Vader screams NOOOOOO.

Thinking about the significance of this NOOOOO though, it's actually quite interesting in that his 'slavery' to Palpatine as such began and ended with this motif in the climax of both trilogy's finales.

 

[Galactus123]

This review series is the best thing that came from the prequel trilogy:

He is playing a character but all the points that he makes are good. Episode 1 is my least favorite of the movies. Great review.

 

[Zakk]

watching Star Wars despecialized for the first time, it's fantastic.. but will probably download the MKV's.. they seem higher quality than AVCHD.. i do own the crappy special edition Blu-Rays but it's incredible seeing the film the way it was originally intended.

 

[CaptainEoLove85]

I think the marketing for this film is brilliant. Nothing too spoilery, while giving you just enough to keep you excited. Hopefully it lives up to the hype. I think it will. Luke Skywalker turning to the dark side would be a really interesting twist, even if it's unlikely to happen. I wouldn't be opposed to it. I actually really like that theory. Mark Hamill can play a good villain.

 

[HIStoric]

it's incredible seeing the film the way it was originally intended.

Well technically, the special editions are what Lucas originally intended, but resources available at the time meant he wasn't able to bring his vision fully to life. That is one of the reasons Lucas gave for revisiting them

...

I'm only pulling your leg (though Lucas did give that reason), but if you're going to watch despecialised, definitely go with the MKV cos I've watched portions of them and they're actually pretty good quality. I'm interested to see how they'll do the 1080p versions because sometimes the only available source they have for a shot is from that 2006 DVD where the quality is abysmally low, it's already a struggle having it look good at 720p.

I think the marketing for this film is brilliant. Nothing too spoilery, while giving you just enough to keep you excited.

Yeah! Me and my friend have been discussing what we might think will happen and apart from Kylo Ren having a thing for Darth Vader, we seriously don't even know what's going on! I don't know the connection between the characters either, which I'm really fascinated to see how everyone and everything comes together.

I have a feeling Rey is Han and Leia's daughter; I saw a comparison picture a few months ago and she actually looks quite a bit like her grandmother (Padmé) and great-grandmother (Shmi, Anakin's mum). I don't know if I want everyone to be related to someone, but Poe could also be related to Luke. Poe is an excellent starfighter pilot (like Luke and Anakin) and Kylo Ren seems to take quite a particular interest in him... which is interesting giving Kylo's interest in Vader and possibly Skywalker. Who knows, I have my fingers crossed for Rey being related to Han for whatever reason hehe.

God I'm so excited for this film. I got my tickets to the midnight showing at the biggest cinema in the entire country

 

[HIStory]

Some speculate on The Force board that Kylo and maybe the Knitghs of Ren might have been Luke's jedi apprentices gone astray. At the end of ROTJ, as the last jedi, Luke was supposed to pass his jedi knowlege on to the next generations, so what did happen since? Why don't we see Luke with a group of apprentices? Why is The Force, the Jedi, the Dark Side a legend to this new generation rather than reality? (At least based on Han Solo telling someone "it's all real"). In the Old Republic the Jedi were pretty much a part of everyday life, but in this new movie it sounds like they are just some old legend to people. So apparently Luke hasn't done his homework very well or something has gone astray.

And I'd also like to know if Han and Leia have been together all along or they will be just reunited. In the Expanded Universe they have three kids (one of whom goes to the dark side as Darth Caedus).

 

[Zakk]

Well technically, the special editions are what Lucas originally intended, but resources available at the time meant he wasn't able to bring his vision fully to life. That is one of the reasons Lucas gave for revisiting them

...

I'm only pulling your leg (though Lucas did give that reason), but if you're going to watch despecialised, definitely go with the MKV cos I've watched portions of them and they're actually pretty good quality. I'm interested to see how they'll do the 1080p versions because sometimes the only available source they have for a shot is from that 2006 DVD where the quality is abysmally low, it's already a struggle having it look good at 720p.

Well, they have a 16mm film source at their disposal that was scanned by a group of fans.. i believe it's called something like 'Proggo Gande'? anyway, there's also a 35mm print of the Mos Eisley sequence, 70mm Matte Paintings.. and other's of course, not to mention the 5.1 audio from the original 70mm negatives. Harmey said that if it's not officially released then he will work on versions 3.0, all originally in 1080p from their respective sources.. will be cool, we'll see. The Force Awakens should be great, will be a leap from seeing the prequels in the theaters as my introduction to the saga..

 

[HIStoric]

Why is The Force, the Jedi, the Dark Side a legend to this new generation rather than reality? (At least based on Han Solo telling someone "it's all real"). In the Old Republic the Jedi were pretty much a part of everyday life, but in this new movie it sounds like they are just some old legend to people. So apparently Luke hasn't done his homework very well or something has gone astray.

A few things to remember: While the Jedi were relatively prominent (and they would seem even more prominent than they were simply because the prequels focused on them), they were no more than ~10,000 strong (give or take) in a galaxy of trillions and trillions of beings. Many people in the galaxy could have gone their entire life without ever seeing a Jedi; perhaps they've heard stories about the Jedi but they've never seen them and it might as well be legend to them. Along with the purge of the Jedi in ROTS and the subsequent downplaying of them by the Galactic Empire over the many decades, it's not too hard to believe that many ordinary people would see them as legend.

Remember in Episode IV when even Han doubts that there is some 'all powerful' force? Even just 19 years on from Order 66 are the Jedi starting to be seen as legend and tales... and Episode VII is set 49 years after the Jedi purging which is quite some time.

My friend and I are actually very fascinated by this concept actually! I just love how we get to see the Jedi in all their stages, their prime in the prequels, their downfall in ROTS, and then the attempt by the remaining few to bring balance to the force in the originals.

 

[HIStoric]

Well, they have a 16mm film source at their disposal that was scanned by a group of fans.. i believe it's called something like 'Proggo Gande'? anyway, there's also a 35mm print of the Mos Eisley sequence, 70mm Matte Paintings.. and other's of course, not to mention the 5.1 audio from the original 70mm negatives. Harmey said that if it's not officially released then he will work on versions 3.0, all originally in 1080p from their respective sources.. will be cool, we'll see. The Force Awakens should be great, will be a leap from seeing the prequels in the theaters as my introduction to the saga..

Yeah, I saw Harmy discussing some of those. Some don't look the best of condition (at least from what I recall), but they're better than nothing I suppose!

My introduction was mainly to the original trilogy and Attack of the Clones when I was 9. I can recognise the many flaws in the prequels and there are definitely things I would've done differently if I was George, but I honestly still love them regardless. It's Star Wars!

I used to think they were more amazing when I was younger but as I've grown up, I've begun to recognise the flaws with them more and more, but even then I still find them highly enjoyable. Admittedly I do think there is a good deal of bandwagoning going on when it comes to George Lucas; it's the popular thing to do to hate on his later films and while some of the arguments made are honestly correct and ones I even agree with, I think there are others who just blow the flaws out of proportion. But whatever ¯\_(&#12484_/¯

Like I don't even think The Phantom Menace is that bad of a film, in fact even with it's flaws I find it quite enjoyable and it's my second favourite of the prequels. I'm looking forward to rewatching them all right before The Force Awakens

 

[Victory2004]

Here are reviews from one of my favorite YouTube Movie Reviewers Jeremy Jahns. Here are his reviews of the Original Movie Trilogy where he talks about the theatrical and special edition cuts: