Drowsy Emperor

It probably is. It certainly has the best story and the best characters, although as a game, Baldur's Gate II is much better.

In retrospect the most surprising thing is that no one realized that there was a grown ostrich inside the egg as it was quite heavy and you couldn't feel anything sloshing around inside. It felt so solid and alive that putting it somewhere warm was practically a compulsive action. The little fella got away from certain death, cause when mom abandons the nest, its done for - warthogs and other critters usually eat everything that's left behind. Interesting fact - ostriches make fairly good guard dogs. Extremely territorial, and can get used to its owners. The problem is only if anyone else comes to visit as they can deliver a potentially deadly kick. They hit like a brick and have sharp talons.

I was seriously infatuated with Jurassic Park. At the time I was living in Africa and my dad brought back an ostrich egg that was left behind. Everyone thought it was just egg yolk as it usually happens with the eggs that are abandoned. Anyway, my infatuation with JP led to me leaving the egg in a blanket (instead of it being punctured to drain) until a few hours later it cracked. I got shouted at for breaking the new ornament, but the joke was on my parents - a baby ostrich hatched a bit later and had to be driven to a friend's farm. Damn thing is tall when it learns to stand. It was a fun experience. That's how Spielberg saved an ostrich, and one day, when he comes before God, that will make up for a lot of the films he subsequently inflicted upon us. And, for an afternoon, I was a mom to an ostrich <3

Have Kylo Ren betray and pwn him in the next movie so we don't have to deal with him anymore. His purpose in the new trilogy would just to be a device to show Ren's progress as a dark side user. Believe it or not, just moments ago I was thinking that would be the best thing that could happen. Kylo Ren becomes unbalanced after killing dad > slaughters Snokey in a fit of fury > someone new is introduced for the sith as Ren's competitor (so we don't have to watch Ren all the time). Win-win.

Actually I'm not all that enamored with Star Wars, but I do like space fantasy/space opera in general and I've been craving something good in the genre now that effects have reached a point where the only limit is creativity and no they longer look as uncanny valley as they used to (although I really like real physical models, and prefer them whenever possible to CGI). But for some reason, almost all high budget sci-fi films are either in the superhero genre, dystopic "arenas" (I forget what the Maze, Hunger Games etc. genre is called) or remakes/reboots. And made by Nolan The last thing I watched that was genuinely interesting and new was Edge of Tomorrow.

If it wasn't for Jar Jar, a weak script (full of arbitrary ****, like leaving Anakin's mother behind on a practically lawless planet where anything you can get away with goes - only for subsequent drama reasons) and underwhelming performances it would have been quite good. With half a million votes it now holds a score of 6.5 on Imdb, which is mediocre/poor while FA with 250000 votes has 8.7 (although like all new films it will drop substantially over time) which is incredibly high. While there was undoubtedly substantial artificial boosting with fake accounts which is standard practice today (and was not the case when Phantom menace was released and Imdb scores less relevant to cinema attendance), it seems that the audiences liked FA much more. I find this particularly interesting because there were so many weak aspects to FA, even compared to the prequel films. I'd say its a case of everyone getting swept up in the marketing (and it was insane, everywhere I looked there were images of stormtroopers and other SW references). While I don't find it inconceivable that someone could like FA, it doesn't hold a candle even to Return of the Jedi, even perhaps Revenge of the Sith. Anyway, I'm glad that Abrams isn't doing the sequel (frankly, I think he's a very poor imitator of Spielberg, and that is not a man known for making incredibly deep and layered films either)- fingers crossed for something better next time around. I think with all the accumulated lore and ideas - a SW reboot could easily be done much better, although a clean slate would help (how is anyone going to fix Snoke?).

There's a lot of that today and I think that's a garbage approach to be honest. A film should be able to stand on its own two legs through and through.

I actually watched the Phantom Menace yesterday to freshen up my impression - and while it is definitely worse overall than Force Awakens, it still has more SW charm than what Abrams has done. And a better story (which doesn't mean the story is actually good). Its just that PM's flaws are incredibly grating and ruin the experience while FA's are better covered up. And, well, based on an already functional formula - whereas PM does something new. *shrug*

In terms of breaking established rules the one thing that bothered me most was Han's hyperspace jump behind the Starkiller base shields. Good grief why did they drop a ground team on Endor with a stolen shuttle in Return of the Jedi if they could have just jumped right on top of the shield generator, or just jumped straight to the entrance of the second Death Star's superstructure? The film is full of plot holes and nonsense like that. Most movies are, but Abrams really doesn't care about that sort of thing. All he wants is for people to walk away with the impression that they've seen something great and the constant action is there to divert their attention from the many inconsistencies. Make the death star bigger, make an in joke about it being the same thing only ten times as large and presto - you're excused for making the third film about blowing up a death star :D

Having a secret past doesn't preclude her from being interesting in the 2 hours we've already seen. But she isn't really. There's no characterization whatsoever, all she does is move from one set piece to another remaining essentially unchanged, without any background - and without anyone actually asking her anything of importance. And break all the established rules of the SW universe, by being able to use the force and lightsaber untrained. I'm sure they'll find a semi-plausible explanation in the next film, but its a far cry from Luke in the first film. He may be a walking peasant-to-hero archetype but at least its all credible and well executed in the context of the film.

The chance of grabbing any sharp implement coming at you full speed is slim to none. We tried mock sessions, if it was the real thing everyone would be dead. My friend who got stabbed on the street in some ridiculous dispute never even saw the blade coming, he only had time to lift his arm which was skewered instead of his stomach.

The Vatican should know

I don't know about Austrian laws but in Serbia it would be straight to the police station if that thing was found on you. To have deniability it would need to be a folder type of innocuous design. Generally speaking, a knife is not a good option for self-defense since there are no ways of using it without killing or maiming the other person - in other words, getting into a situation where you're the guilty party. If someone is out to murder you yes (not likely, is it?), but if get into a fistfight and pull a knife that's attempted murder and its straight to jail for you, even if you didn't start it. On the other hand, if you're attacked in a determined manner with any tool (bat, tire iron, knife) that would give you the excuse to use it the likelihood of being able to draw and defend oneself in time is remote. If you want to carry a stabbing weapon, there is nothing better than a screwdriver with a sharpened tip, because its impossible to break regardless of what it hits and the handles are usually much better for grip. And its easy to find an excuse to have one on you. And you can't get cut if your fingers slip on it. In the absence of guns, I'd prefer pepper spray, shock devices, caution and quick feet. This coming from a guy with a drawer full of various knives. I used to carry a pocketknife but its utility was low and it was easy to get into the habit of carrying it to the point that I sometimes forgot I had it on me. Not a good thing to walk into a government building with a metal detector with a knife that just sits in your pocket all the time. Police tend not to believe explanations at that point.

Actually I'd say that people their age look just about the same, (or at least you could still find weathered guys if you wanted to) its the hollywood casting process that has gone to ****. Actors were often expected to be good looking, particularly for certain roles (leading man), but then you could get guys like Humphrey Bogart who obviously didn't skate in on looks alone (or at all). Anyway, I agree. Nowadays unless you're a an ex star like Ford or Nicholson, the demands are that you look perfect in every respect - even for movies that are "gritty" and "dark" and these two just don't mesh together at all. Jennifer Lawrence's chubby babyish features shouldn't be the poster face of hardcore surivalism in Hunger games (ever seen anyone who looks less hungry?) unless the comedy is intentional.

But... your example of not casting people who look too young was Indiana Jones, starring Harrison Ford, the man who looks so much younger than his age that they cast a man only ten years his senior to play his elderly, stuffy father and nobody even noticed. That's the kind of mistake that can only come from someone so ancient and stuffy they can't remember what young people even look like... Not someone my age. In short - for my own faith in humankind, I've decided to not even believe you. Its not that Harrison Ford looked younger (he was 36 or so at the time and that seemed about right), its Sean Connery that entered a well preserved state that lasted for the next thirty years. Anyway, they both looked manly... but in Indy 4 we we treated to this: Why is that face in front of the camera? WHYYYY

Wow, how many kids do you have? Only Kylo Ren and I'm disappoint with that boy

Yeah right, a sober Serb. A travesty I know.

Its a thankless job but someone has to do it. Sober!

I'm 28

While I feel like you're ridiculously overstating this and obviously bringing your own baggage of inferiority, I did watch Ghostbusters recently and realized there will never again be a movie cast quite like that. Yes, but my point was exactly that? He's Hitler Jugend. He's a fresh faced true believer for Snoke to use as he will, and he brought his own contigent of resoc'd space marines with him. He's not there to be a leader - he considers his troops to be self-sufficient which comes back to bite him in the butt when Finn betrays him. I've got no issues with either Hux or Kylo Ren's age, my issue with the villains is that Snoke didn't feel threatening. If Snoke felt threatening, they would have. Instead, Snoke is 100% reactionary and not a plot driving force in this movie. Bringing my own baggage of inferiority? Your point makes no sense. Hitler Jugend made sense when there's Hitler and the rest of the men in the nazi party. Grown men fight and die for the remnants of the empire, following a man that no man could ever follow, that looks and acts like a child and can't deliver a speech to save his life. Same goes for Ren. If they're not following them, who are they following then? Snoke? There has to be a face of authority for the whole thing to be credible. I don't usually like to delve deep into trivial things like this, the point that everyone was trying to make (apart from you and Rostere) is that the cast of villains are not convincing for a multitude of reasons and that while you might find that okay from your point of view that justifies their ineptitude, to the rest of us its just damn silly.

Its part of a general trend of having young actors replace everyone unless absolutely necessary. How often do you now a see a full cast of grown men in a film? Like in the Indiana Jones movies? If you're over forty, or you look it - you're not going to get a part most of the time. Society wide obsession with youth, flawless good looks, abs on men, perfectly thin women etc.. If you don't believe me, check out how older women now dress. Exactly the same as the 20 year old girls for the most part. Naturally, having baby faced young men playing galactic leaders and villains is going to be laughable. Its like the superhero nonsense - a power trip for teenagers, getting to be something for nothing, skilled, powerful, experienced - but without all the work that goes into actually becoming it. Wrecking skyscrapers, beating up whole gangs and monsters without messing up your hair, clothes and good looks in the process.

The point is he doesn't look or act the role of a military leader.

This thing bugged me subconsciously during the movie, and the kid who wrote the review was spot on.

Admirable work, but you know... none of that was even hinted at in the film. Instead they had him wrecking computer consoles like a spoiled brat and, well, failing at everything while Han and Leia discuss the whole thing of how their son went astray but without giving much of a background. It was pretty clear why Anakin became Vader, having suffered a lot and loved (too) much while being slowly corrupted by Palpatine - even if the transformation was filled with some ham-handed moments and Christensen's atrocious acting (from an admittedly bad script). Of course, we didn't know any of that in the first SW film, but neither was the character introduced in a transitory state - he was the "ultimate badass" and that was enough - for a while anyway and fleshed out later. This guy... is a mystery, as in inexplicable - not the good kind. Not the kind that is going to be easily explained away. Actually all of the bad guys in the film were surprisingly bad, considering how many Sith villains were made over the years and ripe for plucking from the comics and such. Worst of all was the dude giving the speech, looking like a gestapo wannabe. The female stormtrooper did nothing the whole film, and Snoke... well... yeah. There were four of them and they look and behave like kids (and are actually far too young for their roles) compared to Vader, his generals (who were all, you know, grown men, even with the portrayed ineptitude), Boba Fett and the emperor.

I think it was a good idea to have a villain who isn't completely evil, but he shouldn't have had a helmet from the start. It makes him look like a tryhard. And he shouldn't be so embarrassingly verbose about his inner struggle, it should have just been acted out, implied - and not as an abstract conflict of light and dark, but rather his love for his family vs his (totally unexplained and unfounded) desire to be like vader (what is vader to him?). It would have spared us sentences like "I feel the pull of the light".