Objective viewing of Episodes 4-7

[edd_jedi]

I had a 13 hour flight over the weekend and to my absolute joy the plane entertainment system not only had TFA, but all the old Star Wars films too it had been four months since I had seen TFA and many months since I'd seen any of the OT, so I decided to watch them all in order together to see if it changed my opinion on which were the best ones. I didn't bother re-watching the prequels as I watched them all in the run up to TFA already.

So I started with A New Hope and watched episodes 4-7 in sequence. Sorry, but all it did was remind me how untouchable the OT are, and confirmed my issues with TFA. I enjoyed TFA the first 2 times I saw it, but I think 50% of that was just the pure joy of watching a new SW film and getting caught up in all the hype. Now that has all died down, I could watch it more objectively.

In my opinion, the OT are better in every way. The acting is better, the stories are better, the effects in most places are better, the light sabre duels are better (back to the old "less is more" argument.) TFA is not as bad as the prequels and I don't hate it, but I just don't understand how anybody can claim it's even in the same ball park as ROTJ (who many people rated it above.)

I havo two main gripes with TFA: Firstly Rae - I just find her character and the actor who played her incredibly annoying. For example, the awful over-acting when Kylo Ren freezes her. The 18th Century English accent. For all their faults, I far prefer Padme in the prequels. And secondly Kylo Ren - Terrible casting. He's fine up until he removes his mask, but the pathetic twit who reveals himself is a mere shadow of the menace of Vader in ESB. Almost as bad as Hayden Christensen in the prequels. I also hate to say that I don't really like Han in it, he's just far too corny -like shooting a Stormtrooper backwards without looking, or his crap par secs joke.

Is it better than the prequels? Yes I think so, and that alone is some comfort. And don't get me wrong, the OT are not perfect, I can pick holes in them too. However I honestly think in years to come, and when all the hype has died down, TFA will be viewed along the same lines as the prequels - yes it's a Star Wars film, but it's not one of THE Star Wars films.

 

[poncho]

We grew up with OT. They will never be beaten and will always be superior always

i chatted to young lad in work the other day he says the PT are better than the OT as they look awful and old . He was born in the mid 90s.. :lol: kids today no taste

 

[Clarkspie&chips]

My thoughts exactly Ed.
I remember getting caught up in the hype for the prequels only to drastically downgrade my opinion of them over time. I think TFA will be no different as the fact it's a new star wars movie has blinded many people.

It is without a doubt a better film than the prequels but on the other hand it doesn't have an original story or original set designs. :lol:

Red letter media posted a vid the other day of Mr Plinkett waking up and seeing the poster. I can't wait to see his review now the hype has died down.

 

[Bonsai_Tree_Ent]

I dont think TFA is as good as the OT so I agree there. But I have to disagree on other counts, particularly in regards to Daisy who I thought was stellar and Portman who I found extremely wooden.

 

[Michael Sith]

The OT in my view will not be surpassed, for me anyway.

As you age you will always bench mark against your early experience, when ANH came out, you couldn't benchmark, it was new, something completely different that burst onto the screens. a combination of that and looking back with rose tinted glasses as we all do ( cadburys chocolate always tasted better years ago syndrome :lol: ) will always keep the OT top of the tree for me.
Having said that I loved TFA, for what it is, a SW film, a start to a new chapter, can't wait for more 8)

 

[theforceuk]

I'm completely split on this, TFA for me is not as good as the OT, neither is it as good as ROTS for me. It's a complete rehash and if that's what you won't out of a new Star Wars film then congratulations and I'm very pleased for you, the hardcore fans at least deserve it after the disapointment of the PT. I also think that we over analise all the Star Wars films, after all they are our favourite films of all time, so it's natural. You can't tell me their's no wooden acting in any of the Star Wars films, just more so in the PT. I can't wait to watch TFA at home and from that perspective at the moment it's the one I most want to watch, it's a fun, fantasy film which all ages can enjoy, friends have been to see it more than once who are not really into Star Wars, so that say's a lot for me.

I don't think Cadbury's chocolate has ever been the same since they were brought out by the US company Kraft. :lol:

 

[sith-smith]

It will always be the OT first and foremost. I too can find problems in them but they will never be surpassed because they started it all and I'll never be five again! I therefore accept that any review I give of any of the Star Wars films will always be completely subject.

I liked TFA for sure. It was a good action movie. It felt to a large extent that it was part of the Star Wars universe and it did create some emotional responses like I get when watching the OT.

It does not rank on par with any of them for the reasons given at the start. Neither will the PT.

My opinion of the prequels has actually improved and I regard them more highly than I did before. There are a number of stupid issues with them, but the over arching story of them as trilogy is really good. I think by and large you could have the same story but change some of the acting, dialogue and special effects and you'd have a much better series.

I may improve my opinion of TFA when the full story is told over the trilogy. But Like I said, in many ways I really liked it.

I do however rank it 5th with the OT followed by ROTS in positions 1-4.

 

[Mr. Tie]

I guess that it's very hard to follow up the OT in every aspect. And I think that the commercial interests of Disney make that they try to please several generations. Only then you can make some real money :roll:

The prequels maybe are not the best SW movies, but they had to tell the beginning of the saga and introduced another kind of world and environment than the OT. So they are unique, from a certain point of view :wink:

TFA is still an amusing movie, but the story line is far from unique because it's in many aspects like the story told in episode IV. There are some flaws and some dull characters, but hey, it also has Han and Chewie and even princess Leia in it

I hope that the next episode will be more darker, hopefully with a strong story line 8)

 

[Woolyniner]

I see the prequels as very original, fits story wise, and feels like a Lucasfilm. However, at times the acting is bad which is what I believe ruins it for many people.

The OT is great.

The TFA has good acting, but does not feel as special as the prequels or OT. It lacks that Lucas touch. But I still love it, and I'm looking forward to all the new films.

 

[jedisearcher]

I think if you watched the PT again Edd you'd find more of a gap between TFA and those, but I agree overall, TFA is 4th for me, comfortably better than anything PT.

 

[jayums]

I dont think TFA is as good as the OT so I agree there. But I have to disagree on other counts, particularly in regards to Daisy who I thought was stellar and Portman who I found extremely wooden.

Agree totally.

The prequels are laughably bad and that's that.

 

[Mr. Tie]

I dont think TFA is as good as the OT so I agree there. But I have to disagree on other counts, particularly in regards to Daisy who I thought was stellar and Portman who I found extremely wooden.

Agree totally.

The prequels are laughably bad and that's that.

From a certain point of view... :wink:

 

[naughtyjedi]

i love star wars.. love it like family.. even if bits are crap. love Rey.

Who's Rae? Wasn't he a scottish footballer? :lol:

 

[robpmarsh]

Don't agree with Rey being a poorly acted character....Carrie Fisher wasnt exactly great in ANH was she....but look at Empire and WOW....what a difference.

Gotta say i think TFA has it's moments (Falcon Reveal, X-Wings over the water) but....its just not as good as ROTS (that opening space battle was epic) and moments like Anakin with the younglings and the final saber battle are awesome.

 

[Cazza]

Agree with a lot of what's been said above. For me, the OT is untouchable, due to my childhood, it's originality, the memories it stirs etc etc. However, TFA is next on my list, not too far behind Jedi. It felt so much more like the OT than the PT ever did to me. It felt like it really was 'Star Wars' again.

At the time of the PT, I got swept up in it all and watched them several times in the cinema. I really like ROTS, but it still has that horrible CGI feel interspersed with moments of horrendous acting and screenplay that all the prequels suffer from. There are fabulous moments which were well executed for sure, but it's the overall feel that I really don't like. CGI babies and clones FFS!

 

[edd_jedi]

I think if you watched the PT again Edd you'd find more of a gap between TFA and those, but I agree overall, TFA is 4th for me, comfortably better than anything PT.

I did a few months before TFA came out:

http://starwarsforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=26785

 

[tiefighterboy]

TFA was an entertaining movie...Attack of the clones was a nap fest. I liked TFA, but I liked the new Mad Max movie just as much. So with that said..no it is not the OT, but it is also not a **** movie.

 

[Joe]

I've been watching it quite a bit this week and I still think it's a great film. I enjoyed it at the cinema and I enjoy it at home, can't really ask for more. I agree that the OT will always be the best movies and I doubt any new SW film could top or rival them but TFA being most peoples "4th favourite SW film" is about as good as anyone could have hoped for after the disappointing and lacklustre PT.

 

[RifleSmile]

I'm going to go against the grain here lads....

TFA for me is a much stronger movie than ROTJ. Whilst I acknowledge its flaws such as a little too much reverence towards A New Hope, I found that it had me rooting for the new characters very very quickly, I thought Daisy Ridley and John Bodega were superb. I thought Oscar Isaac was excellent as Poe. I've watched it several times and I still get emotional at points. The death of Han was handled wonderfully and that moment when the lightsaber flies into Reys hand just gives me goosebumps everytime. Importantly for me, I thought it showed a lot of love towards "our generation" whilst instantly bringing in a new one. My seven year old daughter just thinks Rey is THE COOLEST :lol:

ROTJ never stirred any real emotion in me (except for Leia in the Bikini), I think its a great movie and ties up the original trilogy well but the whole back to Dagobah section along with the dragged out Ewok scenes leave me cold. Always has.

TFA over ROTJ for me !

 

[edd_jedi]

TFA over ROTJ for me !

Banned :lol:

Out of interest are you one of the older collectors? There are many people who don't like Jedi much, and they all seem to be the people that were 7-10 while SW and ESB were out, but a little older by the time Jedi was released so had a kind of rebellious dislike of the Ewoks.