An Extra Star Wars Talk-Spoiler Free!

[JNAProductions]

My opinion? Episode 7 was good. It's worth watching. I do have some complaints with it, and I don't think it's as good as the original three, but I thoroughly enjoyed my self while watching it.

[Killer Angel]

It's certainly more "Star Wars" than Ep. I-II-III put together.

[VanaGalen]

As much as I hated episodes I-III before, this film taught me to appreciate the prequels more. In my opinion this movie wasn't just bad, it wasn't Star Wars at all. I think the main quality that made the original movies so amazing and is the very soul of Star Wars is, that Lucas took every cool thing he could think of: samurai, princesses, lasers, WW2 fighters in Norwegian fjords, Kurosawa's films, tanks and so on - things that you wouldn't imagine could ever coexist - but he made them work perfectly together, and to top that, put it all in space. For me, this unpredictable mix of pure awesomeness is Star Wars. Even the prequels, with all their faults, had some of that quality in them, with things like podracers or Darth Maul.
There is not a trace of it in "Force Awakens". There is nothing unexpected, new, cool or even interesting in that movie. The plot is recycled and painfully predictable, there is not a single new world or new character and in short, it doesn't have any of the true Star Wars feel, it's just another cheap disney film. The only redeeming quality of this movie is Han Solo, because, let's say it, there are some things that even disney can't spoil, no matter how hard they try. But they did try, and succeeded, with everything else.

[lt_murgen]

As much as I hated episodes I-III before, this film taught me to appreciate the prequels more. In my opinion this movie wasn't just bad, it wasn't Star Wars at all. I think the main quality that made the original movies so amazing and is the very soul of Star Wars is, that Lucas took every cool thing he could think of: samurai, princesses, lasers, WW2 fighters in Norwegian fjords, Kurosawa's films, tanks and so on - things that you wouldn't imagine could ever coexist - but he made them work perfectly together, and to top that, put it all in space. For me, this unpredictable mix of pure awesomeness is Star Wars. Even the prequels, with all their faults, had some of that quality in them, with things like podracers or Darth Maul.
There is not a trace of it in "Force Awakens". There is nothing unexpected, new, cool or even interesting in that movie. The plot is recycled and painfully predictable, there is not a single new world or new character and in short, it doesn't have any of the true Star Wars feel, it's just another cheap disney film. The only redeeming quality of this movie is Han Solo, because, let's say it, there are some things that even disney can't spoil, no matter how hard they try. But they did try, and succeeded, with everything else.

That seems to be a bit contradictory. If everything is a copy of Star Wars, how can it not be Star Wars? If anything, it was too much Star Wars, A New Hope. If your point is that, back then, it was unpredicatable and awesome, then nothing could ever be Star Wars ever again.

Which brings us to the sticking point- what IS Star Wars? Is it the setting (as mentioned above)? Is it the classic "hero's journey" as Campbell would suggest? Is it a fairy tale for children, or a complex morality play best suited for discerning adults?

[Reddish Mage]

Wants the point of a spoiler free Star Wars episode 7 thread at this point? I mean, even if there is someone out there in any Galaxy that hasn't watched Episode 7, wouldn't they have been spoiled already?

I am doubtful that anyone on these forums that doesn't know the plot already, and if they do, by now they likely don't care if they get spoiled.

[JNAProductions]

This was specifically made to avoid cluttering up another thread with spoiler-free talk on Star Wars. So yes-there actually is someone who hasn't seen it and hasn't had it spoiled yet.

[VanaGalen]

That seems to be a bit contradictory. If everything is a copy of Star Wars, how can it not be Star Wars? If anything, it was too much Star Wars, A New Hope. If your point is that, back then, it was unpredicatable and awesome, then nothing could ever be Star Wars ever again.

Which brings us to the sticking point- what IS Star Wars? Is it the setting (as mentioned above)? Is it the classic "hero's journey" as Campbell would suggest? Is it a fairy tale for children, or a complex morality play best suited for discerning adults?

I don't consider any of these things "a copy". There is a difference between copy and inspiration. While Star Wars is obviously inspired, for example, by Kurosawa's films, there isn't any character, place, plot or anything else directly copied from these movies. Moreover, each and every Star Wars movie brings something fresh and new to the picture: when you think it can't go any better after the New Hope, you get AT-ATs and master Yoda in ep. 5, and then Jabba, space bikini and the Emperor in ep. 6. Even the prequels have some great, new ideas in them (although whether the good outweighs the bad, in the case of prequels, is still an open question).
As you've stated, the new movie is nearly a copy of "New Hope". We've already seen all that. There isn't any new character, planet or any trace of fresh plot. And New Hope, while it has some minor flaws, is still so good it definitely doesn't need a reboot.
And Star Wars is a fairy tale, with it's classic epic-fantasy setting, but I think adults are allowed to enjoy fairy tales (especially so great as this one).