The Force Awakens *Possible Spoilers*

[StillAWarrior]

Just viewed TFA for the second time. Here are a few thoughts between the thread and the movie:
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• The Dark Side: Kylo Ren has his struggles to stave off the light side, but what really struck me was just how dark Rey looked in her final battle with Ren. I thought it on my first viewing, but it kind of slipped my mind in the fanboy "It's Luke, it's Luke" moment after. If not for the earthquake, I think there's a good chance Rey kills Ren. I wonder if we'll end up with a huge bait and switch that leads Rey to be the actual villain while perhaps Ren is drawn back to the light and is the true hero.
  

Honestly, this single item -- as contrived as the "earth"-quake was -- was my favorite plot point of the movie.  I love how ambiguous the end of that scene was.  Would she have spared him?  Would she have killed him?  We don't know.  I think that was a great decision for the development of the story.  Obviously Ren had to live for the sequels, but the fact that we don't know whether Rey would have killed him makes it very interesting to me.

Just viewed TFA for the second time. Here are a few thoughts between the thread and the movie:
.

• New Force Users: I am a bit disturbed how Rey picked up the Force so quickly when seemingly 5 minutes earlier she thought it was all a myth. Also, unless everything they ever said about Jedi was false, Finn is absolutely a force user. No way he is that good with a lightsaber otherwise. And I realize Rey was better, but here's a guy who's been a Stormtrooper for 5 minutes and been in one battle where he didn't fire a shot and suddenly he's holding his own with a lightsaber in a melee battle with a trained, veteran Stormtrooper, followed by holding his own for awhile against Kylo Ren, a trained Dark Jedi, to the point where he even wounded him. The moment Ren turned to Finn on Jakku, and subsequently immediately knew exactly that FN2198 was the Stormtrooper that betrayed him. Why? Because he sensed the light side in him.

You (and some others who have posted) read a lot more into this than I did.  I thought Finn's body language and the fact that he wasn't shooting made it pretty obvious that his heart wasn't in it.  I didn't think there was much more to it than that.  But perhaps there was.  I'll admit that I'm not nearly the Star Wars fan that most on this board are.  I never even saw Episodes 1-3.  But I was anxiously awaiting the new movie, and even had my kids watch A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back Saturday night before taking them to The Force Awakens yesterday (we also rented Return of the Jedi, but it got too late to watch it Saturday night).  I thought it was great and is probably in second place after Empire for me.  Honestly, I hadn't seen the original for probably 25 years and didn't think that it held up all that well.  Blasphemy, I know.

Just viewed TFA for the second time. Here are a few thoughts between the thread and the movie:
.

• See it twice: At least if you're a Star Wars junkie. I missed a lot the first time around. I also was unsure of the pacing the first time I watched it and much more satisfied the second time.

It's been a long, long time since I've viewed a movie twice in the theater.  This might break that dry-spell. 

[tower912]

Watched it for a second time.    When you go in with the questions foremost in your mind and looking for clues, certain things stand out.   During Kylo's interrogation of Rey, he says she dreams of an ocean with an island in the middle.   She found Luke where?   Interestingly, during Rey's vision, it sounds like Ewan McGregor's Obi Wan calling her name.  Lots of clues dangling in the vision scene.    The first time I watched it, I thought Leia's hug of Rey at the end was because of shared loss.    The second time, it felt like the hug from a long-lost relative.   What did BB8 say to Rey as she walked to the Millenium Falcon?   Still seeing the same plot holes and coincidences, but I feel like I can make better guesses. 

[mu03eng]

Watched it for a second time.    When you go in with the questions foremost in your mind and looking for clues, certain things stand out.   During Kylo's interrogation of Rey, he says she dreams of an ocean with an island in the middle.   She found Luke where?   Interestingly, during Rey's vision, it sounds like Ewan McGregor's Obi Wan calling her name.  Lots of clues dangling in the vision scene.    The first time I watched it, I thought Leia's hug of Rey at the end was because of shared loss.    The second time, it felt like the hug from a long-lost relative.   What did BB8 say to Rey as she walked to the Millenium Falcon?   Still seeing the same plot holes and coincidences, but I feel like I can make better guesses.

I caught the ocean/island reference the first time and that's what drove the Luke as her dad narrative for me.  She had been there before in my opinion and/or Luke had planted the vision.

The Obi Wan thing was confirmed online, in fact it was originally the voice actor from the cartoons but changed it to Ewan McGregor, but I don't know what it means.  There has been speculation that some how Rey has Kenobi lineage(grandaughter??) but I don't know why that would be necessary or where that would come from(next to zero mention of Kenobi family ever).  She has to be part of the Skywalker line, just a question of from where it comes.  Really looking forward to the DVD release so we can parse the vision scene.

I'm going in the next week for the 2nd time(finally got the wife through the Machete Order), I'll have to see what I pick up.

[StillAWarrior]

Here's what might be an easy question for the people who know a lot more about the entire Star Wars saga than I do.  Should I recognize/remember Jakku?  There was a lot of wreckage there, including huge ships.  What the hell happened there?  Was that in one of the earlier movies?  And would that, potentially, explain Rey's helmet?

[mu03eng]

Here's what might be an easy question for the people who know a lot more about the entire Star Wars saga than I do.  Should I recognize/remember Jakku?  There was a lot of wreckage there, including huge ships.  What the hell happened there?  Was that in one of the earlier movies?  And would that, potentially, explain Rey's helmet?

I haven't read the books/comics that took place after Jedi but before TFA that is official canon now (Path to The Force Awakens stuff like Aftermarth) but it's my understanding that Jakku was the scene of a battle post Jedi and that it would explain the helmet.  Why Rey would be placed on that planet is a total mystery

[ChicosBailBonds]

$1 billion in ticket sales already and it has yet to hit China.

[mu03eng]

Seems worth the $4 billion they paid for the franchise.

[muwarrior69]

I caught the ocean/island reference the first time and that's what drove the Luke as her dad narrative for me.  She had been there before in my opinion and/or Luke had planted the vision.

The Obi Wan thing was confirmed online, in fact it was originally the voice actor from the cartoons but changed it to Ewan McGregor, but I don't know what it means.  There has been speculation that some how Rey has Kenobi lineage(grandaughter??) but I don't know why that would be necessary or where that would come from(next to zero mention of Kenobi family ever).  She has to be part of the Skywalker line, just a question of from where it comes.  Really looking forward to the DVD release so we can parse the vision scene.

I'm going in the next week for the 2nd time(finally got the wife through the Machete Order), I'll have to see what I pick up.

Maybe Rey's mother is Obi Wan's daughter.

[mu03eng]

Maybe Rey's mother is Obi Wan's daughter.

Very well could be and the Max Von Sydow character could be Obi Wan's son.....but since they never reference him having a family, when he was part of the jedi order it was forbidden(part of why Anakin fell was his disallowed relationship) and he was stuck on Tatooinee so unless he had a secret Tatooinee family I just don't see how it makes sense.

[🏀]

Very well could be and the Max Von Sydow character could be Obi Wan's son....

He's too old, 90 almost. Dates back to rhe Order.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Do you think Poe could be related to anyone? Maybe Reys brother or something like thst?

[tower912]

Try this theory.... Rey is Luke's daughter.   When Kylo Ren brought in the knights of Ren and turned on Luke, his wife (Rey's mother) was killed.   Luke knew of the Max Van Sydow character and took Rey there to keep her safe while he went into seclusion.   He gave MVS the final piece of the map to give to Rey when she was old enough.    MVS wasn't much of a surrogate parent and somehow lost track of Rey.   Explains Rey's vision.   Explains how MVS got the map.   Explains how Kylo went into a rage when he learned 'a girl' was involved.  (he knew of Rey earlier, knew she was his young cousin, knew she didn't die)

Is Finn descended from a force family?    Mace Windu?     Taken from a family he never knew.   Kylo Ren was somehow aware of his decision to not shoot.   A stirring of the force?

[Skatastrophy]

Do you think Poe could be related to anyone? Maybe Reys brother or something like thst?

Poe sure does seem force sensitive

http://comicbook.com/2015/12/22/star-wars-the-force-awakens---is-poe-dameron-force-sensitive-/

[chapman]

Poe sure does seem force sensitive

http://comicbook.com/2015/12/22/star-wars-the-force-awakens---is-poe-dameron-force-sensitive-/

Only issue I can find with that is that it seems he would have been identified as Force sensitive very early, so wouldn't a young Poe have been part of the Kylo-ruined training with Luke?  Though a possible answer to that may be in the opening scroll: "Leia has sent her most daring pilot on a secret mission to Jakku".  He could be Leia's responsibility for the Force side of things.

[mu03eng]

Only issue I can find with that is that it seems he would have been identified as Force sensitive very early, so wouldn't a young Poe have been part of the Kylo-ruined training with Luke?  Though a possible answer to that may be in the opening scroll: "Leia has sent her most daring pilot on a secret mission to Jakku".  He could be Leia's responsibility for the Force side of things.

No certainty of his being identified....Anakin was accidentally discovered during the height of the Jedi Order. So Poe could have been missed when Luke started up the new order.

I'm fine with Poe being force sensitive, I'm fine with Finn being force sensitive, I'm not down if they both are.  Not everyone is supposed to be able to use the force at least that was the way it was always presented.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Try this theory.... Rey is Luke's daughter.   When Kylo Ren brought in the knights of Ren and turned on Luke, his wife (Rey's mother) was killed.   Luke knew of the Max Van Sydow character and took Rey there to keep her safe while he went into seclusion.   He gave MVS the final piece of the map to give to Rey when she was old enough.    MVS wasn't much of a surrogate parent and somehow lost track of Rey.   Explains Rey's vision.   Explains how MVS got the map.   Explains how Kylo went into a rage when he learned 'a girl' was involved.  (he knew of Rey earlier, knew she was his young cousin, knew she didn't die)

Is Finn descended from a force family?    Mace Windu?     Taken from a family he never knew.   Kylo Ren was somehow aware of his decision to not shoot.   A stirring of the force?

I finally saw over the weekend with the family.
I have many of the same questions and theories as already discussed here.

I saw the toppled walking troop transporter sitting in the sand and was thinking Jakku was the snow covered battle place at the beginning of Empire SB (but I think that planet had a different name?).

I didn't think MVS was a former Jedi, but maybe a high ranking official from the days of the Republic?

I think Finn is somehow related to Lando Calrissian?  I agree on his Force family ties, but if Lando then who is the woman with the force ties?   

I do plan to see a second time, so I'm going to be looking for some of the clues mentioned here and see if I change my thoughts and have new theories. 

[🏀]

I finally saw over the weekend with the family.
I have many of the same questions and theories as already discussed here.

I saw the toppled walking troop transporter sitting in the sand and was thinking Jakku was the snow covered battle place at the beginning of Empire SB (but I think that planet had a different name?).

I didn't think MVS was a former Jedi, but maybe a high ranking official from the days of the Republic?

I think Finn is somehow related to Lando Calrissian?  I agree on his Force family ties, but if Lando then who is the woman with the force ties?   

I do plan to see a second time, so I'm going to be looking for some of the clues mentioned here and see if I change my thoughts and have new theories. 

Lando and Leia lovechild from Cloud City. You nailed it.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Lando and Leia lovechild from Cloud City. You nailed it.

Along the lines of what I was thinking.

[brewcity77]

Interestingly, during Rey's vision, it sounds like Ewan McGregor's Obi Wan calling her name.

The voice calling "Rey" was a hybrid of Ewan McGregor and Alec Guinness, McGregor came in just to record that one word, and they edited and old cut of Guinness saying "afraid" from the first movies.

Should I recognize/remember Jakku?  There was a lot of wreckage there, including huge ships.  What the hell happened there?  Was that in one of the earlier movies?  And would that, potentially, explain Rey's helmet?

I saw the toppled walking troop transporter sitting in the sand and was thinking Jakku was the snow covered battle place at the beginning of Empire SB (but I think that planet had a different name?).

I'm fairly confident Jakku was created for the new canon. There are books out that explain much of this, but I've been incredibly busy this past year so I haven't done my pre-TFA reading yet. After my promotional exam hopefully I can check out the new backstory.

Anyway...I do know that (as mentioned) there was a huge battle at Jakku after RotJ. That explains the wreckage of Star Destroyers and AT-AT walkers. It would also give one explanation for Rey's helmet, though I've heard other explanations that include her having been a Rebel Resistance pilot who had her mind wiped, so the helmet actually is hers. The alien writing on the helmet she is wearing translates to "Rhae".

Also...the planet where the AT-ATs were originally seen was the ice planet of Hoth.

Try this theory.... Rey is Luke's daughter.   When Kylo Ren brought in the knights of Ren and turned on Luke, his wife (Rey's mother) was killed.   Luke knew of the Max Van Sydow character and took Rey there to keep her safe while he went into seclusion.   He gave MVS the final piece of the map to give to Rey when she was old enough.    MVS wasn't much of a surrogate parent and somehow lost track of Rey.   Explains Rey's vision.   Explains how MVS got the map.   Explains how Kylo went into a rage when he learned 'a girl' was involved.  (he knew of Rey earlier, knew she was his young cousin, knew she didn't die)

Is Finn descended from a force family?    Mace Windu?     Taken from a family he never knew.   Kylo Ren was somehow aware of his decision to not shoot.   A stirring of the force?

That would explain a lot. I have to think LST (Lor San Tekka, MVS's character) was somehow involved with Luke and Ben before the Knights of Ren thing and Ben turning to the Dark Side. Looking at the timeline, he was also around and likely active during the second trilogy (certainly by the time AotC and RotS occurred). Doubt he's a force-user or Jedi himself, especially with his comment saying he never believed the Jedi were traitors (why would he talk about them in third person if he was one?).

Rey being Luke's offspring would also make sense in that she's a great pilot, a trait that both Anakin and Luke shared in common.

No idea who Finn will turn out to be, but he shouldn't be related to Windu. Unless Mace had a family prior to joining the Jedi (unlikely as he would have joined the order before puberty) and died before he could father more children. Seems unlikely any of the Jedi Council would have had children. I suppose he could be a relative down another path of the family tree, or could be connected to Lando.

When Ren first talked to Snoke about the awakening in the force, I felt he was talking about Finn. Suppose it just as easily could have been Rey, but it didn't seem like she had her "awakening" until she was in Ren's torture chamber.

Poe sure does seem force sensitive

http://comicbook.com/2015/12/22/star-wars-the-force-awakens---is-poe-dameron-force-sensitive-/

If he's force-sensitive, I guess that's okay, but I don't want all three of the main light-side characters to become Jedi. It's like Oprah is having everyone in the Star Wars cast look under their seats. "You're a Jedi, you're a Jedi, Everyone's a Jedi!!!"

[MU82]

All right, Force-Heads ...

I saw the movie on opening night and enjoyed it very much. I saw the "regular" version, not the PDX or the 3D. I am probably going to see it again at some point in January. Does anybody have a comparison -- in other words, you've seen it more than once in different formats -- to guide me whether it would be worth my while (and $$) to see it in a format other than the regular version?

My background: I really like the Star Wars series but I am not obsessed with it or anything. I'd be mediocre at best at trivia. I have seen the original three several times each (twice in theaters when I was a young man, and then on DVD or TV a few times each with my kids), and I saw each of the prequel films once each (which was more than enough).

Thanks!

[brewcity77]

All right, Force-Heads ...

I saw the movie on opening night and enjoyed it very much. I saw the "regular" version, not the PDX or the 3D. I am probably going to see it again at some point in January. Does anybody have a comparison -- in other words, you've seen it more than once in different formats -- to guide me whether it would be worth my while (and $$) to see it in a format other than the regular version?

My background: I really like the Star Wars series but I am not obsessed with it or anything. I'd be mediocre at best at trivia. I have seen the original three several times each (twice in theaters when I was a young man, and then on DVD or TV a few times each with my kids), and I saw each of the prequel films once each (which was more than enough).

Thanks!

I saw the 3D version on my first viewing and the Standard on my second. Honestly, I like the Standard better. Haven't seen it on anything bigger or fancier than that. 3D tech has improved the past few years, and I'm glad they don't overdo it the way they used to (2-3 years ago I was guaranteed a 6-hour 3D hangover headache after a movie) but I just don't think it adds that much to the experience.

Most movies are designed to be viewed in the Standard format. SW:TFA seems to be no exception. There were a handful of moments where you felt the 3D experience, but probably no more than 4-5 that really made me think "oh yeah, 3D, that's cool". For 4-5 moments in a 2+ hour movie, just not worth it in my estimation.

[tower912]

I saw it in 3-d the first time (opening Friday, $7.79 at a 10:30 matinee.   My schedule rocks) and standard the second time.    I enjoyed the 3-d more and found myself noticing its absence when watching the standard.   However, it isn't worth big coin. 

[mu03eng]

A few tidbits that are now apparently canon because there are in official sources*.

1. Rey's comfort helmet, from the Visual Guide to TFA


2. How Poe escapes Jakku is covered in the novelization of TFA apparently
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Force_Awakens_%28novel%29

3. Kylo knows a fair amount of Rey and apparently he didn't have anything to do with her being on Jakku
http://www.inquisitr.com/2660617/star-wars-the-force-awakens-novelization-answers-lingering-questions-from-film-spoilers/

*Novelisation in paper format hasn't released yet so some changes can be made before it's canon canon....the source for this is the eBook of the novelisation.

Let your theories flow through you

[jesmu84]

All right, Force-Heads ...

I saw the movie on opening night and enjoyed it very much. I saw the "regular" version, not the PDX or the 3D. I am probably going to see it again at some point in January. Does anybody have a comparison -- in other words, you've seen it more than once in different formats -- to guide me whether it would be worth my while (and $$) to see it in a format other than the regular version?

My background: I really like the Star Wars series but I am not obsessed with it or anything. I'd be mediocre at best at trivia. I have seen the original three several times each (twice in theaters when I was a young man, and then on DVD or TV a few times each with my kids), and I saw each of the prequel films once each (which was more than enough).

Thanks!

I, personally, have no interest at all in seeing it in 3D. I saw it opening night (4am) in IMAX. I would definitely recommend the IMAX experience. Having said that, there are only a handful of theaters in the country that are showing it the "correct" IMAX way: http://www.slashfilm.com/the-force-awakens-70mm/

I can't speak to the other IMAX variants, but in Indy, it was incredible.

[MU82]

Thanks for the replies so far.

We don't have the "right" IMAX experience anywhere near us in Charlotte, so I won't get to see that.

As for 3D, I might give it a whirl unless a lot of others side with the "don't bother with 3D" group. We'll see when and where it's showing and how that jibes with my schedule.