Star Wars - The Force Awakens

Woodsman

The Living Force
I realized recently that this bizarre entry into the Star Wars canon, (provided by Disney and J.J. Abrams) wasn't just a poor film, but a dangerous film.

I'm not going to go into the endless list of problems with this turkey; that you can find on any number of YouTube videos. (This one nailed many of the key points: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mCQ5OLyc7g but there are several others).

What struck me recently while re-visiting my thoughts several months after its cinematic release, was that The Force Awakens (TFA) is an example of more than just inept screen writing.

TFA, I think, is another example of targeted cultural destruction.

J.J. Abrams similarly gutted the Star Trek mythology. -Turning the many accomplishments of a huge thought experiment, that of a highly successful socialist vision of humanity, replete with respect for other cultures and external consideration for everybody along the various pathways of learning, -J.J. took that, and through a lazy twist of script writing hackery, revisited the story universe's time-line, effectively un-doing decades of writing. He turned the Trek universe into a battle zone and the Federation into yet another expression of an expansionist, warlike Empire populated with narcissistic, violent characters, where on-screen, clever quips were preferred over reasoned thinking.

Where the pre-Abrams Star Trek strove for a healthy political ideal, Star Wars strove for spiritual awareness, (and in the next series of admittedly poorly realized installments, also a political awareness demonstrating how democratic systems can be undone by clever 9/11-like manipulations to give rise to a malevolent Empire).

Star Trek and Star Wars might be thought of as modern day mythology; popular common stories serving to bind a culture together with a foundation of ideas everybody could tap into in order to help keep their internal rudders collectively aimed at a non-ponorized expression of life.

Specifically, the Force, as depicted in the original Star Wars trilogy, became a beginner's rudimentary introduction to the world of spirit and the mysterious energies which drive life and bind the universe together. -If you sought to better understand the Force and awaken your awareness of energy and spirit, you would have to Work hard for that knowledge, face your inner demons and change internally as a person. -It took Luke three films to become a competent Jedi, and even at the height of his accomplishments, his road was fraught with difficulties.

By contrast, in TFA, the force had been reduced to a cartoon of itself, an adornment useful primarily as a weapon, something which you didn't have to work for; The main character, "Rey" became a master Force user without any instruction or effort. Like any other achievement in the Wishful Thinking version of reality, "the American Dream", you already deserve it and don't need to exert any effort in order to obtain it, and you certainly don't have to think too deeply about anything.

Beyond the corrupting of this aspect of spirituality..,

TFA was also a shameless attack on Yin and Yang, throwing the relationship of the male and female energies as far out of whack as could be reasonably gotten away with. In TFA, Women are AWESOME, ALWAYS! HEAR THEM ROAR! -While male examples and role models are featured as hapless cowards, whiny villains, and if you listen to some of the cultural rumblings out there, they should probably also be homosexual pilots (we are a forward-thinking society, after all).

All of which reminds me of a story Laura linked to, "The Plot Against Art":

http://cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php/topic,14103.msg108309.html#msg108309

The thing which I also found stunning with TFA was the insanely positive reaction the public had. It was a staggering feat of social engineering!

-To the point where, unlike with nearly any other film I've witnessed, to have anything but positive things to say about it in social media at the time of its release risked rashes of troll attacks and "unfriendings". -It wasn't as bad as say, speaking objectively about gender issues or food and pharmaceuticals, but it definitely tapped into that vast pool of dangerous collective energy embodied lately by the muggle-stampede desire to punish anybody who doesn't go along with the reigning groupthink. But it was certainly there.

People LOVED this piece of nonsense. LOVED it!

J.J. Abrams and co-writers Lawrance Kasdan and Michael Arnd, with the marketing muscle of Disney's spin division, were able to touch dozens of emotional nerves like skilled acupuncturists to create euphoria with the film, and did so without providing anything but the most infantile story logic. This was a film all about Feeling. -Whereas Thinking was in strict absence.

I think it might even be safe to say that, as a rule of thumb, if you want to know which of your friends will be more easily manipulated into ponorization, (or whatever else the muggle-verse is being directed to think by Official Culture), and those who will more likely resist the programming, just look at who LOVED that movie and who did not.
 
Thanks for this and I've probably shed too much negative emotion over the disappointment in the movie. Like to the point of a bit of "fanboy nerdrage". I haven't watched that youtube clip, but what you wrote makes sense.

It was just too plain and formulaic a movie. The trailer really had me excited, and I thought it would be one of the best movies ever. It certainly could have been. But yeah, I see that the quick accessing of the Force, gender roles, and other flaws are the results of a quick fix, consumerist, and ponerized society. Another sign of the times. Maybe we should make a game of it and ask ourselves, "How bad will this movie be, and how much a reflection of our reality?", and completely drop the anticipation. Episode 7 itself was the traitor / TR-8R. :P
 
BTW, a light assessment of the TFA movie by the honest trailer crew. Warning: crude language towards the end.

_https://youtu.be/vs3sVrm_W4o
 
That 'honest' review is funny... and not having seen this film, if it is a rehash, then that's just a continuation of Lucas's personal issues it seems to me... he's had this problem for quite some time with scripts and story ideas... so maybe Disney/Abrams did do just that... rehash the first film with a touch of updating to make us forget that it's the same thing again. The new stars aren't too charasmatic from the clip I saw... and isn't this another 'superhero' project that skews the original thought and corrupts it into something more palatable for our imperially dumbed down sheeple mass? In that light, this film is just another sign of our times, right? Fake stories for fake people... keep them distracted, and they won't feel a thing... other than one action scene after the next. Isn't this the same problem for most every project out there in recent times? Look at the Wacko brothers, now sisters... isn't that a definite sign? So, why be surprised that Lucas has allowed Disney to do what they always do with any storyline, milk it for all the money they can get... and through reality and truth out the window and into the trash heap... so perhaps we'd be better off looking for projects that don't make so much money... Matrix is an exception, and even that series never left the Matrix, did it? Stuck... the only project that immediately comes to mind that showed any sort of escape was the anime 'Lain'.

I'm watching/listening to that Youtube review/rant... he's saying in many more words, what the comical 'honest' review stated... so fans aren't so fanatic about this? Guess, that is proof that it's a Disney project: take the buzz of the logo and past glories of the story and give it the crash marketing approach... It seems that the 'smart' thing to have done, would be to have let the Pixar team handle this project instead of their usual crew, but then it wouldn't be Disney, would it? :lol: They have a the rep they have in Hollywood for a reason... 'art' or 'creative instinct' etc just isn't in their makeup... look at their tv work... it's rare for any of it to be anything more than basic crap for the masses.. some things do break through the darkness that is Disney... such as the Pixar projects... or even High School Musical or Lemonade Mouth... but those are the exceptions that prove the Disney rule.

It's called Purgatory for a reason... 'Disney' types run the show and have carefully taught us that is this as good as it gets. :shock:
 
Half way through, people left the theatre during my viewing.

One 20 something muttered, "let's get our money back before it's over, this sucks" to his friend as they carried on out the door.

I scoffed at the time, but began to appreciate their willingness to make such a statement.

I realize in retrospect, there are no real heroes in JJs series yet. These characters are deeply flawed to me, so much so that I can hardly pay attention to the plot.

I was very distracted by actress Daisy Ridley's performance later in the film. She portrayed this unabashed fury and rage as she faced her antagonist that, to me, some how emphasizes the dissonance being shoved down our throats. As if she portrayed main stream media's submission to an anti-cathartic, nihilistic madness.
 
zin said:
I was very distracted by actress Daisy Ridley's performance later in the film. She portrayed this unabashed fury and rage as she faced her antagonist that, to me, some how emphasizes the dissonance being shoved down our throats. As if she portrayed main stream media's submission to an anti-cathartic, nihilistic madness.
That sounds like luke's father when he went after his mother... and devastated that village holding her... is that accurate? It seems to put forth the same 'dark side' approach common these days... 'Luke, you don't know the power of the dark side'... etc. Same with sex, violence, greed.. all the 'dark energies'... especially attractive in physical form... most people confuse 'making love' with sex and the utilization of violence with 'unabashed fury and rage' fits right in there... no drugs needed if this ploy works, and our American media is full of it... has been for quite some time... only the 'villians' change names, as the empire expands and finds new ones.
 
Woodsman! How right your are!
I knew going in not to expect much form TFA and waited for the DVD release to rent it - but wow, if people can't see the 'money making machine' of Hollywood they really aren't paying attention.

Anything anyone ever loved about the Star Wars series was not represented in TFA (the only highlight of the whole movie was when Chewy was cold in the snow).

There was no SOUL to the movie. No story, no dynamic of good versus evil, no scifi forward thinking, no gadget's, no idea's, no incite, no mystical/magical brain expansion - anything. Basically a big nothing. I mean you don't even get an adventure. There are more stories and adventure to be had by watching the CW on TV.
 
I agree with Woodman's view 100%.

Imitation of art is now being held up as art. Abrams is a hack; an ex-art student who recreates tried and tested story beats and pop-culture references and arranges them in the correct order for the viewer. He bases his work on that of his influences, Spielberg et al but the resulting 'art' is empty and without soul.

Another example of this is Zack Snyder. The Man of Steel and Superman vs Batman were equally poor imitations of what these characters and stories were originally intended to convey.

Interesting concept, but I see this as a microcosm of our society. Imitation of art; the lazy settling for a facsimile of originality instead of true originality. The same way our society settles for poor paradigms in every walk.

Apathetic art is imitating apathetic life.
 
I felt this movie was a really cheesy extension of the franchise, like Woodsman explained with Abrams doing with Star Trek.

Exactly as the video review shows, a copy of A New Hope.

I watched a video that the original Star Wars was supposed to end with Luke turning to the dark side, as was described to happen in the books (even Yoda hinted at it). Supposedly Lucas pushed hard to redo that because he saw $$$ in merchandising. A messed up realistic ending sells less "feel good" toys and Happy Meals, lol.

Even this movie didn't address that. Luke in an emo rage decides to leave everyone in the mayhem, because he failed in training A STUDENT. Really? At least it would have been nice to learn more, perhaps he himself was showing dark tendencies? We don't know because either the writers don't care or forgot to hint at this.
 
Well, it is Lucas's story, so he can do what he wants with it, and I doubt he gave up control over that... and Disney is known for going for the $$$ and little else, so they wouldn't want Lucas out there, doing interviews about how Disney is wrecking his story... not good for the box office. :shock:

But I haven't seen it.. but "Luke in an emo rage" does sound like a reflection of the times... Yoda he is not! ... but always a slow learner does not make him 'dark', just in the shadows, and perhaps that is where Disney's writers are taking it? Not the obviously easy 'dark side', but the always murky greyzone that befuddles the mind and puts one back to sleep thinking ''There's no place like home". :D

Sounds like the writers are mediocre... typical, especially for this genre, as even Lucas took it in that direction, same with JKRowling's with her Harry Potter.... always taking the real hero into the murky middle, the ignorant zone full of zombie like characters, so popular today.... zombies watching zombies on the screen... mirror imagery repeating the pattern until nature runs its course and the seeds get replanted in more fertile soil. Lucas has always been in this zone himself hasn't he? I don't think he really understood the archetypes Joseph Campbell tried to teach him... a few hours of interview just doesn't let one understand the subject... that was always my take on it... same with his pal, Steven Spielberg... dealing in the exoteric only it seems... just a steppingstone for those on the path... and aren't most of them this way? Thus all the 'mistakes' as we would see them.
 
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