• [Article] Four Reasons Why 'The Last Jedi' Isn't One for the Ages

    From Your Name@21:1/5 to All on Mon Dec 18 14:57:00 2017
    XPost: alt.fan.starwars

    From a long article (including explanations of the author's four
    reason) at Variety.com ...

    Four Reasons Why 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' Isn't One for the Ages
    ------------------------------------------------------------------
    ...

    A stupendous "Star Wars" movie is something you'll know if you see
    it; it's not something you have to convince yourself of. Yet in the
    new, born-again, rebooted-by-angel-craftsmen era of the "Star Wars"
    franchise, there is so much sheer collective pop fundamentalist
    desire for these films to be great that it's almost as if we can't
    allow ourselves to confront the ways that they fall short. Even
    when those shortcomings are staring us in the face.

    Here are four ways that "The Last Jedi" doesn't measure up - even as
    the film seems, on the surface, to have delivered exactly what it
    promised. You can call me a curmudgeon if you want, but the issue at
    the heart of my quibbles is simple, and not really so negative.
    Forty years later, we're still talking about "Star Wars" and "The
    Empire Strikes Back." Decades from now, are we going to be talking
    about "The Last Jedi"? If the answer is "no," then I say: Someone is
    doing something wrong. Because even as a non-"Star Wars" fanatic,
    I want these movies to be great. Don't you? The enemy of greatness,
    at this point, may be nothing less than the overly facile and
    calculated imitation of greatness.

    1. Rian Johnson doesn't know how to structure a movie.
    ...

    2. You can feel the force of repetition.
    ...

    3. Watching a "Star Wars" film has become a postmodern experience.
    ...

    4. Critics and fans have traded places.
    ...

    The movie has received a 93% Fresh rating from the reviews compiled
    by Rotten Tomatoes, but - tellingly -only 56% of viewers on the
    same site have given it a "Like" rating. My own admittedly
    unscientific anecdotal survey is that the average person I've talked
    to feels underwhelmed by the movie, though in ways they're not always
    sure how to define. (The most consistent idea I've heard is: It's no
    "Empire Strikes Back.") I've seen countless movies I've loved more
    than audiences, but when critics start to sound like fans and fans
    starts to sound like critics, we may finally have reached a moment
    when the "Star Wars" galaxy, even in the hyperspace of its success,
    needs a realignment.


    <http://variety.com/2017/film/columns/star-wars-the-last-jedi-four-reasons-why-its-not-one-for-the-ages-1202643241/>

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  • From Mr. Man-wai Chang@21:1/5 to Your Name on Tue Dec 19 01:13:09 2017
    XPost: alt.fan.starwars

    On 18/12/2017 9:57 AM, Your Name wrote:

    From a long article (including explanations of the author's four reason)
    at Variety.com ...
    ....

    Any spoilers? :)

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  • From Your Name@21:1/5 to Mr. Man-wai Chang on Tue Dec 19 09:20:38 2017
    XPost: alt.fan.starwars

    On 2017-12-18 17:13:09 +0000, Mr. Man-wai Chang said:

    On 18/12/2017 9:57 AM, Your Name wrote:

    From a long article (including explanations of the author's four reason)
    at Variety.com ...
    ....

    Any spoilers? :)

    Depends what you term a spoiler. It does of course mention parts of the
    movie's storyline, but there's no huge amount of detail that I could
    see in a quick skim-read.

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  • From Mr. Man-wai Chang@21:1/5 to Your Name on Wed Dec 20 23:03:59 2017
    XPost: alt.fan.starwars

    On 19/12/2017 4:20 AM, Your Name wrote:

    Depends what you term a spoiler. It does of course mention parts of the movie's storyline, but there's no huge amount of detail that I could see
    in a quick skim-read.

    I think I should have closed my eyes and ears... maybe my nose as well. :)

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  • From Your Name@21:1/5 to Mr. Man-wai Chang on Thu Dec 21 09:24:52 2017
    XPost: alt.fan.starwars

    On 2017-12-20 15:03:59 +0000, Mr. Man-wai Chang said:

    On 19/12/2017 4:20 AM, Your Name wrote:

    Depends what you term a spoiler. It does of course mention parts of the
    movie's storyline, but there's no huge amount of detail that I could see
    in a quick skim-read.

    I think I should have closed my eyes and ears... maybe my nose as well. :)

    Well, the JarJar Abrams' new movies do somewhat stink, ;-)
    thanks to be largely being just lazy-ass knock-offs of what George
    Lucas had already done. :-(

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  • From Mr. Man-wai Chang@21:1/5 to Your Name on Sat Dec 23 01:13:09 2017
    XPost: alt.fan.starwars

    On 21/12/2017 4:24 AM, Your Name wrote:

    Well, the JarJar Abrams' new movies do somewhat stink, ;-)
    thanks to be largely being just lazy-ass knock-offs of what George Lucas
    had already done. :-(

    If all these 3 new Star Wars sequels were just about attracting new
    audience with new characters, I think not even George Lucas could do the
    job right. It's still interesting to see how Leia, Luke and Han Solo
    vanished from the series. :)

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  • From Your Name@21:1/5 to Mr. Man-wai Chang on Sat Dec 23 10:09:16 2017
    XPost: alt.fan.starwars

    On 2017-12-22 17:13:09 +0000, Mr. Man-wai Chang said:
    On 21/12/2017 4:24 AM, Your Name wrote:

    Well, the JarJar Abrams' new movies do somewhat stink, ;-)
    thanks to be largely being just lazy-ass knock-offs of what George Lucas
    had already done. :-(

    If all these 3 new Star Wars sequels were just about attracting new
    audience with new characters, I think not even George Lucas could do
    the job right. It's still interesting to see how Leia, Luke and Han
    Solo vanished from the series. :)

    The franchise doesn't need silly knock-off reboot movies to attract new audience. It's been doing that for decades all by itself simply as fans
    grow up and watch the movies with their children (and grandchildren).

    What the fans wanted were new stories which fit within the established universe. Not lazy-ass, "Politically Correct" recreations of the
    originals.

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  • From Mr. Man-wai Chang@21:1/5 to Your Name on Sat Dec 23 14:30:28 2017
    XPost: alt.fan.starwars

    On 23/12/2017 5:09 AM, Your Name wrote:
    The franchise doesn't need silly knock-off reboot movies to attract new audience. It's been doing that for decades all by itself simply as fans
    grow up and watch the movies with their children (and grandchildren).

    I don't know how far this could go. New-born might not find Star Wars philosophy interesting. BTW, TV stations in Hong Kong periodically
    rebroadcast old movies including Star Wars.

    What the fans wanted were new stories which fit within the established universe. Not lazy-ass, "Politically Correct" recreations of the originals.

    Hollywood is always about selling peoples called stars, right? And toy manufacturers want to cash from Star Wars by selling items.

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  • From Your Name@21:1/5 to Mr. Man-wai Chang on Sun Dec 24 09:13:03 2017
    XPost: alt.fan.starwars

    On 2017-12-23 06:30:28 +0000, Mr. Man-wai Chang said:

    On 23/12/2017 5:09 AM, Your Name wrote:
    The franchise doesn't need silly knock-off reboot movies to attract new
    audience. It's been doing that for decades all by itself simply as fans
    grow up and watch the movies with their children (and grandchildren).

    I don't know how far this could go. New-born might not find Star Wars philosophy interesting.

    Obviously it's when the kids are old enough to watch them.



    BTW, TV stations in Hong Kong periodically rebroadcast old movies
    including Star Wars.

    It's Christmas time, which means broadcast TV here in New Zealand plays
    a pile of movies (partly due to regular shows having a break) ... so
    that means the entire Harry Potter series played one-per-week, yet
    again.

    Occasionally they play the Star Wars movies, normally around teh time a
    new one was released, but they haven't done that in a while. Probably
    something to do with Disney's buyout changing the rights.



    What the fans wanted were new stories which fit within the established
    universe. Not lazy-ass, "Politically Correct" recreations of the originals.

    Hollywood is always about selling peoples called stars, right? And toy manufacturers want to cash from Star Wars by selling items.

    Star Wars tends to use mostly unknowns, so "stars" doesn't really come
    into it. As for toys, they'll sell those no matter what the sotry is,
    so rehashing the originals isn't relevant there either.

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  • From Mr. Man-wai Chang@21:1/5 to Your Name on Sun Dec 24 20:35:15 2017
    XPost: alt.fan.starwars

    On 24/12/2017 4:13 AM, Your Name wrote:

    It's Christmas time, which means broadcast TV here in New Zealand plays
    a pile of movies (partly due to regular shows having a break) ... so
    that means the entire Harry Potter series played one-per-week, yet again.

    Occasionally they play the Star Wars movies, normally around teh time a
    new one was released, but they haven't done that in a while. Probably something to do with Disney's buyout changing the rights.

    And Transformers ...
    And Avengers ...
    And Ironman ....
    And Die Hard... but less frequently!
    And Lethal Weapons... again less frequently!


    Star Wars tends to use mostly unknowns, so "stars" doesn't really come
    into it. As for toys, they'll sell those no matter what the sotry is, so rehashing the originals isn't relevant there either.

    I always prefer story-lines and action scenes over movie characters,
    whether they are sexy or not. :)

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  • From Mr. Man-wai Chang@21:1/5 to Mr. Man-wai Chang on Sun Dec 24 20:35:53 2017
    XPost: alt.fan.starwars

    On 24/12/2017 8:35 PM, Mr. Man-wai Chang wrote:
    On 24/12/2017 4:13 AM, Your Name wrote:

    It's Christmas time, which means broadcast TV here in New Zealand plays
    a pile of movies (partly due to regular shows having a break) ... so
    that means the entire Harry Potter series played one-per-week, yet again.

    Occasionally they play the Star Wars movies, normally around teh time a
    new one was released, but they haven't done that in a while. Probably
    something to do with Disney's buyout changing the rights.

    And Transformers ...
    And Avengers ...
    And Ironman ....
    And Die Hard... but less frequently!
    And Lethal Weapons... again less frequently!


    Oh how could I forget to list Indianna Jones! My bad, Master! :)

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