The Force Awakens - How Disney Destroyed Star Wars

In addition to getting the rights to one of the greatest family franchises and epic stories of all time, Disney is also acquiring all of Lucasfilm's operating businesses, including Industrial Light and Magic and Skywalker Sound. George Lucas is a true visionary and an innovative epic storyteller who has defined modern film making with unforgettable characters and amazing stories. And this gives Disney infinite inspiration and opportunities to continue the epic Star Wars saga. Fans can expect a new feature film, Star Wars Episode 7, in theaters worldwide in 2015.

I bypassed the compressor. Best scene ever, right? Come on. So that's the kind of stuff that like uh you know the investment of character which is the stuff that really is inside the box. You know it's why when people like do sequels or or or ripoff movies you know of a genre they're ripping off the wrong thing. You know if you rip something off rip off the character rip off the stuff that matters. I mean look inside yourself and figure out what is inside you cuz ultimately you know the mystery box uh is is all of us.

>> It's it's kind of sad that we have to tear it down. That's the thing about movies. I'm always like, really? We built this amazing thing and now we have to tear it down. >> Nerdroic.com. >> Greetings you over 1 million practitioners of common sense and the 40% who haven't subscribed yet. Let's start this video with a couple of questions. How long does it take for a film to become a classic? And what makes a classic film? To answer the first one, outside of some rare exceptions, the general consensus is it takes between 10 and 25 years. And to answer the second question, a film becomes a classic through a rare blend of timeless storytelling, artistic innovation, deep emotional resonance, and lasting cultural significance, allowing it to endure beyond fleeting trends by connecting it with audiences across generations through memorable characters, profound themes, and cinematic milestones that influence film making itself, creating a shared experience that stands the test of time. And that's everything Disney's Star Wars Episode 7, The Force Awakens isn't.

Sure. The Force Awakens is the number five highest grossing film of all time without adjusting for inflation, grossing $2.07 billion worldwide and the 11th highest grossing film of all time with adjusting for inflation. And that has everything to do with the hype being built up for this film. The likes that we haven't seen since the original Star Wars. On that infamous date of October 30th, 2012, George famously sold Star Wars to Disney. And at the time, everyone thought it was a good idea except for George. But he did it anyway. And his last act was to hire Kathleen Kennedy as president of Lucasfilm, another thing that everybody pretty much thought was a good idea at the time. They brought back Lawrence Casden, the screenwriter for films like The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Arc. They brought back the greatest film composer of all time, John Williams. And they hired JJ Abrams to direct, a decision that probably made Redletter Media really happy at the time. In fact, J.J. Abrams should have directed the prequels and George Lucas should have directed people to their seats in the theater.

>> To be fair, a lot of people thought that was a good idea at the time as well. And we were going to get Han, Luke, and Leia back together in a Star Wars movie. What could possibly go wrong? It turns out everything because time reveals all. And considering Disney and Lucasfilm are not celebrating the 10th anniversary of the fifth highest grossing film of all time, The Force Awakens, but YouTubers are should tell all. You ever have a plan that seemed like a neat idea at the time, but when you eventually got around to it, it wasn't? That would be my Star Wars episode 7, The Force Awakens 10th anniversary review.

>> There's been an awakening. >> All teams, give it everything you got. >> Stop taking my hand. You don't know what I've seen. >> I bypassed the compressor. Compressor. We're home. >> No. No. No. No. No. No. Hell no. No. No. I ref No, no. This is all for posterity because I wasn't making videos at the time of its release. And it's all from the perspective of hindsight. How did I feel when I first saw it back in 2015? Well, I hated it because they killed Han Solo. But then I saw everybody liking it and thought, "Well, maybe it's just me." So I watched it a second time and started questioning my own beliefs and reality and then watched it a third time and decided I still hated it and haven't watched it since until now.

>> I immediately regret this decision. >> Admittedly, it starts out really good. They got the Lucasfilm Limited logo, although there's no George Lucas. They got a long time ago in a galaxy far, Far Away, right? The powerful and iconic Star Wars theme, the Star Wars logo. But the problems start with the opening crawl. Luke Skywalker has vanished. Ooh, that's interesting. I wonder what happened there. Then from the ashes of the empire, we hear about the First Order, which is essentially the Second Empire. Man, it's only been 30 years. I wonder what the hell happened. Han, Luke, and Leia must have really [ __ ] this one up. And apparently, they aren't going to be happy until Luke Skywalker, the Last Jedi, is destroyed. What are they going to do? Start a smear campaign and unear some problematic 10-year-old galactic tweets? And my favorite part, Princess Leia is now general Leia. Because in the eyes of the intersectional feminist, demoting a woman from the higher feminine rank of princess to the lower masculine rank of general is feminist. And General Leia, with the help of the new republic, is forming a resistance against the First Order, which in truth is the second empire. Now, how exactly do you form a resistance when you are part of the established government known as the New Republic? I'm not really sure. I guess it's easier than calling it resisting the resistance. As we know now, they don't provide any background or context to Princess Leia becoming General Leia, the rise of the First Order, and making a resistance out of the established government in the actual film. Instead, you can read multiple comics and novels. No, not the expanded universe that Kathleen Kennedy and Lucasfilm canled in 2014. A whole new set of comics and books that tell side stories and build the world of the new Disney Star Wars universe that are immediately contradicted in the Disney Star Wars films. Let's not forget Disney hired legendary actor Max vonidau to play the legendary Star Wars character Laura Santeka whose lore you have to get from books and comics that will be immediately contradicted.

>> A good question for another time. >> And the very first line of dialogue not only takes a shot at the prequels, it takes a shot at George Lucas. >> This will begin to make things right. >> Well, I can't imagine why George said this. I sold them to the white slavers that take these things and and uh Okay.

>> And this is where The Force Awakens settles down to be a recel. What is a recquel? And yes, this is a real term. Well, it is both a remake and a sequel. It will usually throw in some old characters to pass the torch and acknowledge that the original film exists, so it can technically be called a sequel, but in truth, it's just a lazy remake. And this one is the granddaddy or the grand mommy of them all in a stunning twist. Instead of the Empire infiltrating a rebel vessel where some secret plans are given to a droid who escapes, the First Order or the Second Empire infiltrates a resistance village where a clue is given to a droid who escapes. See, totally different. Speaking of totally different, the totally not Empire, that's the First Order, is led by Duck Vader and some stormtroopers with a slight redesign. And yes, I know this was pointed out 10 years ago, but hell, I'm going to still do it anyway. Once you see the duck bill, you can't unsee it. On top of George's reaction, there was a lot of speculation in the press and from diehard fans about how we were going to Disneyfy Star Wars. But Lucas fans needed to be reassured that we too were fans first. Respectful of the creator and looking to expand on his legacy, not usurp it. What in heaven's name are you talking about?

>> So, let's dive into the mystery box. What the hell is that, you ask, dear viewer? Good question. It's a storytelling technique popularized by Jar Abrams where the central question or enigma is introduced early on to hook the audience's curiosity building suspense through hints and revelations while often prioritizing the intrigue over a fully satisfying resolution. Or in Jar Abrams case any resolution at all as we will find out with The Force Awakens. Because mystery box storytelling is essentially a shortcut that relies heavily on hype so you could avoid pesky little things like characterization and a coherent substantive narrative. For example, the opening of this film where they could have introduced the new characters through the classic characters who everyone came to this movie to see. But why do everybody expects and you've already waited 32 years when the film came out. So what's another 45 minutes to an hour to 2 hours and 10 minutes? We are introduced to the quickwitted, daring, and brave Ho Damarind, who's the best pilot in the resistance that's sponsored by the established government. How do we know this? Well, we're told it.

>> I had no idea we had the best pilot in the resistance on board. >> See, I did say that. Mhm. >> He is sent to Totally Not Tatooine to find the McGuffin, which is a clue to Luke Skywalker's whereabouts. And we get an example of his quickwittedness when he is eventually captured by Kylo Ren and decides to get a little cheeky with the villagers lives hanging in the balance. So who talks first? You talk first. I talk first. >> Who are sumearily executed and he doesn't give it a second thought. And the only reason he's kept alive is because he has a clue where the clue is, which was given to his droid totally not R2-D2 BB-8 who now wanders the wasteland of totally not Tatooine Jaku. Unlike Po, the one character who was mortified at the slaughter of an entire village is the Stormtrooper who changes sides. Arguably the most intriguing character of the Disney trilogy, Finn. We also meet two of the three of our big baddies, Bill Weasley from Harry Potter and Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver. And you got to give the guy credit. He did his best with absolutely nothing. And yes, he would have been a great Snape. And they are on the hunt for the last Jedi aside from Ahsokaano, Ezra Bridger, and Baby Yoda, Luke Skywalker. And it sure would be a shame for the First Order, who seems to be doing pretty well in his absence to spend so much time and resources looking for a guy who's basically a quitter who went to an island and has no intention of leaving and never does. Anyway, then of course there is our main character, female Luke Skywalker, Ry, the personification of the Mary Sue. So much so it made it a household name, but she's totally different from Luke Skywalker. Her desert planet has a different name, Jaku. And unlike that pathetic Luke Skywalker who needed to be raised by an aunt and uncle and watched over by a Jedi knight, she raised herself after her parents bailed on her. And Disney Star Wars Ray lives in the husk of an allterrain armed transport. That's what you call symbolism. She's a survivalist, a scavenger, a master mechanic, a master pilot, and somehow can live on an inhospitable, lawless planet without getting assaulted. How did she manage all of this? Who are her parents? What's her last name? It's a mystery >> mystery box >> that I'm sure will be resolved in a very thrilling, coherent, and satisfying way in future films, comic books, and novels.

>> A good question for another time. >> But it's time to bring all of these characters and others together in the most contrived way possible. Ray meets BB-8 in a way that's completely different than the first meeting of R2-D2 and Luke Skywalker, where the obvious proponent of slavery, Luke Skywalker, purchased his droid from scavengers. Our beloved Ray frees the droid from a scavenger who just happened to be walking by our house. >> Well, isn't that convenient for you? >> But much worse than that is the first meeting between Finn and Po. Finn, who was just off his failed first mission and told to report to the office by Darth Karen. Apparently, he can just walk freely around the ship and he just happens to run into Po Damron, who just happens to be alive, even though he just gave up all the information needed to Kylo Ren after being tortured. >> How convenient. They immediately become best pals and decide to escape. And then they manage to escape pretty easily. >> Barely an inconvenience >> until they get shot and crash land on Totally Not Tatooine. Now, we are meant to believe that Po is dead and Finn is on his own where he magically runs into Ray and BB-8 who recognizes that he's wearing Po's jacket. And after he gets his ass kicked by Ry, and despite just meeting her and having no idea who she is, he decides to tell her that he helped Po escape from the First Order. And that BB-8 has a map to Luke Skywalker, who Ry thinks is a myth. Now, how does somebody fall into myth and legend in just 30 years? No idea. But that's enough time wasted on plot through exposition. Disney analytics now dictates it's time for some action. And wouldn't you know it, the First Order just magically runs into Ray Finn and BB-8. And to show that this is the modern Disney Star Wars and the Force is female, despite having bigger things to worry about, like being shot at, we find out that Ry really doesn't like having her handheld. >> What are you doing? >> Come on, >> get out of me. >> COME ON, WE GOT TO MOVE. >> I know how to run without you holding my hand. STOP TAKING MY HAND. >> And looking back on this 10 years later, it makes it so much worse. Despite the accusations of toxic fandom and racism from the access media and Jonathan Boyyga, >> let me tell you, Star Wars always had the vibe of being in the most whitest elite space. Like a franchise is so white that it's like a black person existing in that um was something and and you can always tell it's something when some Star Wars fans try to say, well, you know, we had Lando Calissian and has Samuel L. Jackson. It's like telling me how many cookie chips are on the cookie dough. Let's keep in mind that it was Jar Abrams, Lawrence Casden, Kathleen Kennedy, and Bob Iger who all signed off on making him a complete clown along with shrinking him on the poster for China.

>> When you point a finger at someone in blame, there are four fingers pointing back at you. >> Three. That's weird. So, after Ray somehow runs into BB-8 in the middle of the desert on a planet that's totally not Tatooine, and then somehow Finn on a very large ship manages to run into Po, who somehow is still alive, and then they both somehow manage to escape, and then somehow Finn runs into Ray and BB-8. Following that, somehow the First Order managed to find Ray, Finn, and BB-8, who somehow find the Millennium Falcon in a junkyard. And despite saying she doesn't know how to pilot it, Ry somehow figures out a way to pilot it. >> How did you do that? >> I don't know. ships, but I've never left THE PLANET. YOUR LAST DAYS WILL you shut up. >> And somehow they run into Han Solo and Chewbacca in the emptiness of space. But before we get to the triumphal return of two of the most iconic characters in Star Wars history and one of the most iconic characters in cinema history, brought back in the most thoughtful and sincere way. About time we talk about the big bad. No, not Bill Weasley from Harry Potter or Krylo Ren Snoke, who we first see on board the super duper superstar destroyer known as the Finalizer. And he appears as a giant hologram voiced by Andy Circus. Snoke is a mystery wrapped inside an enigma. A dark side force user from Unknown Origins who is powerful enough to turn Kylo Ren, Han Solo's son, originally named Ben Solo, to the dark side, betraying his uncle, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, and slaughtering his fellow children Jedi. And then he joined and took over his own boy band, the Knights of Ren. Who was Snoke? Well, I don't think anybody even at the time thought Jarra Abrams would answer this question, but the theories were many, including, but not limited to Snoke is a Grand Inquisitor. Wrong. Snoke is Darth Pllegus. >> Nope. And Snoke is Mace Wu. Ain't Snoke dead. Actually, no. In my previous video, I explained why his ring can revive him. And if that's true, then who is Snoke? But what if he's Mace Wu? I know it sounds crazy, but big figures like Sam Jackson and George Lucas believe in parts of this theory, so it's worth a listen. >> In my mind, I'm not dead. Jedi can fall incredibly high distances and not die. >> Yes, that was an actual theory that got some channels millions of views because Star Wars theory crafting was eating good back in the day. But on this one, I'll have to agree with Rianne Johnson. Your Snoke theory sucks. That fall must have turned him white and gave him blue eyes. And yes, there were rumors that Snoke was a clone of Emperor Palpatine, which I guess would be better than Snoke being a puppet clone of a clone of Palpatine who somehow gets magically shoehorned in the final movie, ripping off Dark Empire. And the explanation of his return is somehow he returned.

>> Let's see what's in the box. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. To be fair, the Mace Windu theory is better than that one. But I'm sure we're going to get more background on both the Knights of Ren and Snoke in novelizations, comic books, and guide books that will be immediately contradicted. >> A good question for another time. >> Now, back to the triumphant return of Han Solo and Chewbacca, roughly 40 minutes into the film, and this bears repeating. Yes. After miraculously finding the Millennium Falcon in a random junkyard where it is fully operational, yet it hasn't been flown for years, Ry masterfully pilots it and escapes the First Order, where they in a matter of minutes of screen time randomly run into Han Solo and Chewbacca in the vastness of space. And this is the hallmark of Jar Jar Abrams storytelling outside of Mystery Box. He doesn't even put the most minimum effort into things like how far have we traveled, how much time has passed, and there's no random occurrence or contrivance he's afraid to put in to elicit a cheap emotional response. And one of the best worst examples of this is the return of Han Solo in the Force Awakens, who many of the original trilogy fans, this is the most popular character. Generations have grown up with him, and generations have been waiting for him to come back. And you do it like this. It's bad enough that George Lucas made the decision to have Han Solo not pilot the Millennium Falcon in Return of the Jedi. But then Disney brings him back to lose it. And in his 70s, he reverts back to being a smuggler because he lost his son to the dark side. There are many characters in Star Wars who would leave their kids behind. And it would make sense, but this is [ __ ] Han Solo, the guy who smoked Greo and took a shot at Vader and accidentally killed Boba Fett, but we don't talk about that one. Boba. While there are many crimes against imagination in this film and in future films, anybody involved in the production of this scene, from CEO Bob Iger to Bob Horn to Kathleen Kennedy to screenwriter Lawrence Casden to director Jarar Abrams to Craft Services, should never be allowed to make a Tik Tok video, much less a film again. It's bad enough they came up with this cockamame plan to have Han Solo lose the Millennium Falcon and get it back. All so they can have this scene to put in the trailer. Chewy, we're home.

>> While I can't prove it, it is common place in Hollywood to shoot scenes specifically for the trailer instead of the good old days when a movie used to just speak for itself. But it's going to get so much worse. >> I got a bad feeling about this. >> Yes, indeed. He has reverted back to being a 70-year-old smuggler with space scots and space after him. and he's smuggling a bunch of dangerous creatures that killed most of his crew that Han Solo apparently couldn't give a [ __ ] about. >> I got three of them going to King Prunner. >> Three? How'd you get them on board? >> You used to have a bigger crew. >> So, after our beloved Ray spent some time bossing around and then saving our mansel in distress Finn, >> please just No. No. The one I'm pointing to. No. NO. It had ME WITH THE DOOR. >> THAT WAS LUCKY. >> NOW it's time for our beloved Mary Sue to tell Han Solo how to pilot the Millennium Falcon. >> Hey, where you going? >> Uncle Plat installed a fuel pump, too. If we don't prime that, we're not going anywhere. >> Come on, baby. Don't let me down. >> Compressor. >> Electrical overload. >> I can fix that. Coolant's leaking. >> Try transferring auxiliary power to secondary >> tank. I got it. >> Including this iconic moment. This hyperdrive blows are going to be pieces of us in three different systems. >> What' you do? >> I bypassed the compressor. Oh, and our hero's journey has just begun, but it's time to check back in on Bill Weasley from Harry Potter, Krylo, Ren, and Snoke, who's totally an original creation that Disney plans to see through and not reccon in future films, and turn him into something ridiculous, like a meat puppet that you can just inject not only the Force, but also all the training required to become a Dark Side of the Force master. Not even Disney would be that stupid. And it wouldn't be a Jar Jar Abrams joint without taking something from the original Star Wars and making it bigger, batter, and dumber. They reveal their super weapon, which came out of nowhere, the deathier star or more death star or final solution star, Stariller base. Totally unlike Star Wars, Bill Weasley from Harry Potter reveals their super weapon is operational and it's ready to destroy the established government that supports the resistance. Now, how can there be a resistance supported by an established government? I still don't know. And all of this is because Supreme Leader Snoke is still concerned that the resistance supported by the established government is going to find the last Jedi, Luke Skywalker. I mean, aside from Ahsokaano, Ezra Bridger, and possibly Grou. And sure, they could all be dead by this time, but do you really think Dave Fona or Disney is going to kill Ahsokaano and Grou? I mean, Ezra Bridger is probably toast, but I guess we'll find out in future D+ shows later on. There's a scene where Kylo Ren is talking to the mask of Darth Vader. speaking to it as if it's giving some sort of guidance. Now, maybe the part of Anakin Skywalker that was Darth Vader was so powerful it broke off and became its own entity, which admittedly would be dumb, but it wouldn't be as disappointing as just using this scene as a member barrier and never picking up on it again. But the vandalization of legacy characters is far from over. Back on the Millennium Falcon, BB-8 reveals that the map to Luke Skywalker is just a mcguffin that leads to a larger mcguffin. And the quitter, Han Solo, divulges that Luke Skywalker is a quitter after one of his apprentices kills all the children in the Jedi temple. Now, I certainly hope it wasn't brought on by something stupid like Luke Skywalker having a bad dream and trying to kill his apprentice, who just so happens to be his nephew, Ben Solo. Man, it would be a shame if Kathleen Kennedy nicks the expanded universe just so hacks like Jarjar Abrams, Rianne Johnson, and others could rip it off poorly. And we could get things like Obi-Wan Kenobi quitting his job as a babysitter so he could go babysit someone else so Luke Skywalker could grow up to quit on the Jedi because he tried to kill the son of another quitter.

>> You know, this is not like a series of books like Harry Potter where you've already got a template of what the stories might be. my country. >> I have story treatments of seven, eight, and nine and a bunch of other movies and and obviously we have hundreds of books and comics and everything you could possibly imagine. I sort of moved that treasure trove of stories and various things to Kathy and you have complete confidence that she's going to take them and make great movies. You sure about that? You sure about that?

>> Now, apparently Luke Skywalker went off to find the original Jedi Temple. I wonder how that'll turn out. Anyway, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Timu, D2, Mary Sue, and the clown are off to the totally not the Moss Eisley cantina. Then, Han Solo utters one of the most overlooked and ridiculous lines in Star Wars. >> You got another problem. Women always figure out the truth. Always. >> Yeah. And it's at this point the Mary Sueisms are ramped up to ridiculous proportions. When arriving on the planet Taco Donna after knowing her for 15 minutes and finding her so amazing, Han Solo offers Ray a job because one of the hallmarks of the Mary Sue is everybody instantly likes them. Chewy kind of likes you. >> Then because we're over halfway through the film, Jar Abrams decides that it might be time for a little background on Finn. So he decides to run up to Ray and give it all to her in this exquisitly written and delivered dialogue. I'm not a hero. I'm a stormtrooper. Like all of them, I was taken from a family I'll never know and raised to do one thing. But my first battle, I made a choice. I wasn't going to kill for them. So, I ran right into you. So, after the young woman Ry survived on a lawless desert planet without being assaulted and instantly running into a droid and a former First Order Stormtrooper who trusts her instantly with sensitive information, accidentally running into the Millennium Falcon and instantly being able to pilot it so well that when they accidentally run into Han Solo, she can tell him how to pilot it, who is so impressed, he instantly offers her a job. It really shouldn't surprise anybody that Luke Skywalker's lightsaber that just so happens to be in Maanata's bar calls out to her. Oh no, not the new one that he constructed himself before Return of the Jedi. It's Anakin's lightsaber that he received from Ben Kenobi and then lost when he got his hand cut off in Cloud City. How did Ma Canada get it? I have no idea. I'm sure it'll be explained in a series of comic books, novels, and guy books that will eventually be contradicted.

>> A good question for another time. >> And this sets up a series of visions that I'm sure will be paid off in a satisfying manner. >> Mystery box. >> A hallway. Luke and R2-D2 witnessing the destruction of the Jedi Temple, the Knights of Ren, her parents abandoning her, and a future battle with Kylo Ren. I'm sure that'll be tough. Then Mazanata tells Ry that that lightsaber did indeed belong to Luke Skywalker, and it called out to her because she is strong with the Mary Sue. >> That lightsaber was Luke's and his father's before him, and now it calls to you. >> And then Ma tells her there's no reason to go back to Jaku because her parents ain't coming back. Then, in an effort to make Ry look like not as much of a Mary Sue in a forced dramatic scene, she refuses the call to action. >> I don't want any part of this. He >> Don't worry about Ry. She still has things to be freely given to her without earning it and challenges to easily overcome. But let's get back to the First Order because it's time for their big fascist rally with Bill Weasley from Harry Potter. And maybe we'll find out what the First Order's motivations are for conquering the galaxy. Because it's one thing to do that, but then you have to win them over with your ideology, but that would require screenwriters who were willing to give this some sort of thought, which they didn't. And it turns out that the First Order wants to conquer the galaxy and the established government, which is the New Republic that sponsors the resistance, just because they acquiesced to disorder. And with all the resources Jarra Abrams had, including Lawrence Casden as screenwriter, I can't help but think that this was completely outdone with the Empire instead of the First Order, but they're the same damn thing in of all things The Mandalorian in a short speech from Verer Herszog. >> The Empire improves every system it touches, judged by any metric. Safety, prosperity, trade, opportunity, peace. Compare Imperial rule to what is happening now? Look outside. Is the world more peaceful since the revolution? I see nothing but death and chaos. But the Mandalorian didn't have Star Killer Base, which is a base that is a planet with an atmosphere that moves, that powers its energy beams that can cross lighty years instantly by sucking out the energy of the sun without destroying the atmosphere or melting the planet. I guess this will all be explained in future comics, novelizations, and guide books that will be contradicted.

>> A good question for another time. >> But I guess we got to give thanks to the Lucasfilm marketing department cuz Jar Abrams originally wanted the Stariller base to destroy Coruscant. But they decided to compromise on the Hosnian system and move the entire central government of the galaxy from the Old Republic to the Empire to the New Republic, which spanned over 25,000 years. I wish the Paramount marketing department had bigger balls and kept Jarjar Abrams from destroying the Romulan home world Romulus in Star Trek. So they fire the weapon from Stariller base which is 40,000 light years away from the Hosnian system and destroy it instantly. And because Jar Abrams has to go bigger than Star Wars, forget your puny little Death Star that destroys one planet. We have a Stariller base that destroys five. And despite some admittedly cool visuals and some heavy lifting from John Williams, I felt absolutely nothing. And while all this is happening, both the Resistance and the First Order converge on the planet Taco Dudu, Taco Dojo, let's talk about it. I don't care. And apparently, everyone can see the beams from the Star Killer base on Taco Doodoo. How is that possible? Along with energy beams traveling long distances instantly. I have no idea. But so much for the emotional impact of the New Republic and five planets being completely destroyed. We need to get back to Ry. Where's Ry? But before they find Ray, Ma Canada gives the lightsaber Luke lost in the Empire Strikes Back to Finn. And acting as a surrogate for the audience, Han finally asks, "Where did you get that?" Where'd you get that? >> A good question for another time. >> Mystery box. >> So, after introducing a piece of a mcguffin that's part of a larger McGuffin, we now have a side mcguffin. >> McMuffin. >> Speaking of mcguffins, although Kylo Ren failed to get the one held by Teimu D2, he captures Ray because she's seen the McGuffin. Oh, I guess I should be specific. The piece of the map to Luke Skywalker. With the gift of hindsight, I can't help but feel a little sorry for the First Order for putting so much time and resources and sacrificing so many lives to find Luke Skywalker when he's going to be such a disappointment to them and everyone else. Anyway, so Ray gets caught and Finn screams Ray for technically the second of many times. >> Ray, Ray, Ray, I never told you. What? No. No. Thanks to some rather prophetic branding, the resistance, who can now officially be called the Resistance because the established government that sponsored them has been destroyed, shows up and saves the day. And somehow Po returned. Oh yeah, we got our big reunion. Han Solo and the first look at Princess Leia Orana or General Leia Orana, played by the late great Carrie Fischer, who was obviously put in as few scenes as possible. And they spend a whopping 3 or 4 minutes of screen time discussing the trivial little matter of their son Luke Skywalker's nephew Ben Solo turning to the dark side. And Leia tries to implore to Han that there still might be some good in him. And oh boy, I hope they really pay that off in a satisfying manner. And as little effort as I'm putting into covering this in this review is orders of magnitude more than the effort they put into making this an important part of the story. Oh yeah, and C3PO played by Anthony Daniels returns with a red arm that they are sure to mention. >> Goodness. Han Solo, it is I, C3PO. You probably don't recognize me because of the red arm. >> A good question for another time. on the now properly named Resistance base, Finn and Po reunite with a brief hug, sending the shippers into a frenzy where they came up with the hashtag Storm Pilot. And we finally get to see R2-D2 and completing the trifecta of quitters. He's quit as well by going into sleep mode when Luke Skywalker quit. And it sure would be a shame if the now properly named resistance, who was in possession of R2-D2 all along, had spent so much time, resources, and lives looking for a map to Luke Skywalker when R2 had it all along. That will be stupid. And if you're concerned about Ry, don't be. Despite being restrained, she is amazingly untorted. He does manage to find out that despite knowing him for about 3 or 4 hours, Rey feels like Han Solo is the father she never had. And that's the kind of stuff that gets you ladies in trouble. But anyway, Kylo follows that up by saying something unintentionally correct. >> Han Solo, I feel like he's the father you never had. He would have disappointed you. >> Although this has been covered thoroughly by a great many channels in a great many videos, seeing that it's 10 years later, it bears repeating. Despite not having any training in the Force or any real knowledge of the Force, Ry is able to block Kylo's probe and then probe him. And then he has to go run to Daddy Snoke. And while he's gone, despite Ry not having any training or knowledge of the Force or knowledge of a thing called the Jedi mind trick, she's able to figure out the Jedi mind trick. >> Barely an inconvenience >> on a Stormtrooper famously played by Daniel Craig. >> You will remove these restraints and leave this cell with the door open. >> I will remove these restraints and leave the cell with the door open. >> And you'll drop your weapon. >> And I'll drop my weapon. who then walks off to walk into a bunch of bombs, which thankfully rids us of his sad and depressing James Bond, leading to Kylo Ren having a second temper tantrum. And there's nothing like building up your new formidable villain by making him a little [ __ ] And Kathleen Kennedy's Lucasfilm and Jar Abrams are far from done. Back on the now properly named Resistance base, they finally got some reconnaissance on the Stariller base. I wonder how that got by him. Maybe we'll finally get some more information on how this thing actually works. like how giant laser beams can cross vast distances in space instantaneously. And surprisingly, we do from the studio that will eventually bring you somehow Palpatine returned. >> They've somehow created a hyper light speeded weapon built within the planet itself. >> Oh, [ __ ] off. >> And then we get this vital piece of information from Han Solo. >> It's another Death Star. >> I wish that were the case, Major. This was the Death Star. And this is Stariller base. >> So, it's big. Message to the filmmakers of Hollywood. If you don't care about the thing you're working on, why should we? Especially considering that this is Star Wars, the greatest cinematic IP in the history of cinema and American mythology. In Star Wars, the Death Star was terrifying and you felt that within the film. Here, it doesn't feel like anyone could give two sh that five planets were blown up, the entire central government has been obliterated, and billions of lives have been lost. Instead, the Star Killer base is just something you can blow up. >> How do we blow it up? There's always a way to do that. >> Just a reminder, a lot of people were paid a lot of money to write, produce, film, and act that scene. The now properly named resistance finally gets some good intel. >> The First Order, they're charging the weapon again. Now, our system is the next target. Nor good intel would have come in handy when they were building a planet-sized base with its own atmosphere that can move and suck the power out of a sun to destroy planets from light years away. But not to worry, because this is the point where Lucasfilm HR dictates they need some Asian representation. And they bring in a guy who looks like he went to the same acting school as Gavin Newsome to figure it all out. >> In order for that amount of power to be contained, that base has to have some kind of thermal oscillator. >> There is one here. If we can destroy that oscillator, it might destabilize the core and [ __ ] the weapon. >> And then the resistance is off to do something that's completely new to Star Wars. Attack a giant base that's shaped like a planet. Except it's totally different. It's not just shaped like a planet. It is a planet. Han Solo says goodbye to Princess Leia for the last time. And Han, Chewbacca, and Finn are off to disable the shields on the Stariller base and save Ray. But that's completely unnecessary because another hallmark of the hero's journey is our hero can save herself. And I forgot to mention that sexism has been conquered because now we have female stormtroopers. >> Sir, sensors triggered in Hangar 718. We're searching the area. >> SHUT UP, [ __ ] >> Because women can be Nazis, too. And I guess it's time to mention Captain Fasma, played by Gwendelyn Christy. If you all recall, she was hyped up quite a bit, including from Entertainment Weekly, Star Wars: The Force Awakens Gwendalyn Christy on why it matters that Captain Fasma is a woman.Wendalyn states, "We know very little about her at this stage, but what I think people are drawn to is that this is a very progressive female character." The actress says, "We see Captain Fasma and we see a costume from head to toe and we know that it is a woman, but we are used to it in our media connecting to female characters via the way that they look, from the way that they are made flesh." And she was on the press junket everywhere, multiple interviews. You would think that she would be in quite a bit of the film. >> Captain Fasma is Star Wars first onscreen female villain, I believe. and Disney Lucasfilm Bob Iger, Bob Horn, Kathleen Kennedy, and Jar Abrams felt so strongly about this female representation, she got a grand total of 2 minutes of screen time. Honchu and Finn are able to get Captain Fasmouth to lower the shields pretty easily and then toss her into a trash compactor, making her a total clown. But speaking of representation and clowns, it's revealed that Finn is a janitor. >> What was your job when you were based here? Sanitation. sanitation. >> Anyway, now that the janitor and the disgraced legacy characters have lowered the shields, this gives the totally not the rebels their chance to start their raid on the totally not the Death Star. And it's being led by the daring Po Damarind, Greg Grundberg, and X-ray Girl. But back the clowns, because the biggest one of them all is Han Solo. After the gang run into Ray, who successfully saved herself and being intercut with well-made but meaningless action scenes, we get to the moment that essentially killed Disney Star Wars in its crib. The death of Han Solo and there's no better way to put it, he goes out like an idiot. He walks onto a bridge to talk to his son and then walks into a lightsaber and even 10 years later, the scene infuriates me. Knowing what we know now from Disney Star Wars, he could have easily survived a lightsaber to the gut. But as my good friend Chris Gore pointed out, he has the death of a villain. He falls from a high place. And the hero of Generations, arguably one of the most popular characters in Star Wars, the most popular cinematic IP of all time, doesn't die a hero's death. He doesn't die sacrificing himself to save his son or others. He's discarded. He doesn't die anywhere near his friends. He isn't able to utter his last words to his love, Princess or General Leia, or his friend Luke. Sure, Chewbacca is there, but it's not the same. And the other two are complete strangers. Compare this with the death of Spock. And yes, I know they brought him back, but it's still one of the greatest deaths of a hero, not only in Star Trek, but in cinema. That's what Han Solo and Star Wars fans deserve. But if we're doing comparisons to Star Trek, it's a lot closer to the death of Kirk and Generations. [ __ ] that movie. And [ __ ] this movie. I don't care if Harrison Ford wanted his character to die. Don't listen to actors, especially ones who wake and bake to the hippie lettuce every day. That was the moment Disney Star Wars stamped what could be an endless and timeless story with an expiration date, starting their decadel long journey from turning the greatest cinematic IP of all time into a category on a fledgling streaming service. This has been talked about at Infin Item, but it bears repeating in this 10-year anniversary review. Not putting Han, Luke, and Leia in a scene together is the greatest mistake in cinema history. And it must hurt like hell for Star Wars fans to see Star Trek fans get something they didn't in Curtsman Trek. While Curtsman stepped away, the Star Trek fans got the reunion of the Next Generation crew on the Enterprise D. It took a lot of creative gymnastics to get there, but it was glorious. And some of the worst parts about this is Harrison Ford actually put a lot more effort into his role in The Force Awakens than The Return of the Jedi where he mailed it in. And in about half of his 23 minutes of screen time, he only existed to be a supporting character for Ry. And that like this film is a crime against imagination. and anybody involved in writing, producing, and shooting the death of Han Solo. From CEO Bob Iger to Bob Horn to Kathleen Kennedy to screenwriter Lawrence Casden and Jarar Abrams should all be put in prison. Anyway, there's still some things to mop up with this abomination, so let's get it over with. Ho, Greg Grumbberg, and X-ray Girl are still leading their raid on Stariller base. Ray and Finn get separated from Chewbacca and end up on the surface to face Kylo Ren, who was injured after being shot by Chewbacca. Finn has Luke's lightsaber that he lost in The Empire Strikes Back, yet it was inexplicably found. And Kylo makes short work of him. And here is the moment where our beloved Ray's hero's journey is complete. She grabs Luke Skywalker's lightsaber that was lost in The Empire Strikes Back, yet inexplicably found. >> Ray caught it. She hasn't even been the DATA OF HER TRAINING. After appropriating Luke Skywalker's lightsaber, she appropriates Luke Skywalker's theme and then commences to kicking ass. My favorite part is when Kylo Ren just stops attacking her so Daisy Ridley could meditate on the force, something she again had no training in and had no real knowledge of just a couple of days ago. But my second favorite part is not just the fact that she can duel toe-to-toe with him, she physically overpowers him and the hero's journey is complete. What is the hero's journey? Well, unlike Joseph Campbell's hero's journey, which features things like the call to adventure, the mentor, the revelation, the transformation, the atonement, and the return, and usually that diagram is a circle, but with the hero's journey, it's just a flat line. Our hero was great all along, and she just had to figure it out with the added caveat in some instances that her power was being suppressed by the patriarchy. >> I bypassed the oppressor. >> But wait, there's more. After Stariller base is destroyed pretty easily, everyone except for Han Solo returns. Ray gets a hug from General Leia and Chewbacca gets ghosted, proving again that these filmmakers are complete hacks for leaving a scene like that out. Then R2-D2 decides to wake up. Now, it would have been nice if he had done that earlier, and he would have saved possibly billions of lives, including Han Solo, because wouldn't you know it, he had the majority of the McGuffin, the majority of the map to Luke Skywalker. And you're telling me with all the resources of the

Former New Republic and the Resistance, they couldn't have figured out where Luke was? So, they finally figure out where Luke Skywalker is? And do they send, I don't know, his sister, General Leia? No, they send some stranger with his old lightsaber.

And this was the moment Star Wars fans have been waiting for for 32 years. The triumphant return of Luke Skywalker in an under two-minute scene with no dialogue. And by the end, after putting Finn in the friend zone.

>> Thank you, my friend.

>> Now you're in the friend zone.

Our beloved Rey is gifted Luke Skywalker's story, his lightsaber, his droid, and eventually his name. She's gifted Han Solo's ship, and his sidekick without earning any of it. Also, she could start her journey to wipe out what's left of the Skywalker family line. Han Solo was dead. All hopes for the fans getting a Han, Luke, and Leia reunion are dead, and whether anyone knew it at the time, Star Wars was dead.

But this film was a masterclass in creative bankruptcy, filled with nostalgia bait or "member berries" that again elicit cheap emotional responses, all to cover up this derivative, contrived, hollow, soulless piece of content. The Force Awakens was the cinematic equivalent of clickbait and the biggest con in film history, and it made over $2 billion, setting the tone for the era to come. The era of the utter destruction of beloved legacy characters to make way for the era of the girl boss. An era of Hollywood score-settling from grievances, real or imagined, through identity politics. An era of Hollywood using beloved IPs as a platform for their politics and not for entertainment. And an era of blaming the fans and the audience for the studios' failures. Who cared a lot more about the legacy of George Lucas and Star Wars than the studio that owns it and systematically destroyed it? Disney.

The worst part is, now that the trilogy is completed, there are a lot of questions that haven't been answered to this very day. And no, a comic book or a novelization or a "guy book" that will most certainly be contradicted, including the origins of Poe and Snoke, do not count.

>> Where'd you get that?

>> A good question FOR ANOTHER

>> SHUT UP. SHUT UP. SHUT UP.

>> HOW DID the First Order start? How did they get the funds and the resources to build Starkiller base? How did Maz Kanata get Luke Skywalker's lightsaber? How did Han Solo lose the Millennium Falcon? What made R2-D2 deactivate? How did Poe survive the crash? How did Finn learn how to fight with a lightsaber? And if he was a janitor, how in the hell did he end up on Jakku? How did Kylo Ren get Darth Vader's mask? How in the hell did the New Republic not know about Starkiller base? And why in the hell did they let General Leia break off to form a resistance that they sponsored when they knew the First Order was a threat? Why in the [ __ ] would Luke Skywalker leave most of a map to himself with R2-D2 and then another piece with another guy when he doesn't want to be found? Who thought it was a good idea to bring back Han, Luke, and Leia only to make them complete failures and then slowly kill them off over the course of a trilogy? On that note, who in the hell spends billions of dollars on a franchise with lots of lore, cancels most of that lore, and then not have a [ __ ] plan? And one of the greatest mysteries of life, how does Kathleen Kennedy still have a job?

And again, looking back with the gift of hindsight, as universally loathed as The Rise of Skywalker was, watching The Force Awakens again, I realized it's just as bad. And the only cultural impact these films have had over the past decade is the discourse around them. Something the creator of The Acolyte, Leslie Hedland, agrees with.

It made me start to think rather than these fans are toxic or this thing is being mean to me. It made me think more that the content being made about Star Wars is ultimately more culturally impactful than the actual Star Wars. She's not wrong, and nobody's happy about it. In truth, it's really sad because I don't think any real Star Wars fan would have thought someday they might loathe what it's become. And no one, after all this time, would continue to passionately talk about it with their friends or post about it or, I don't know, make really long videos if they didn't care.

Star Wars is not some silly story about space wizards. They cared because Star Wars is meaningful, as with all great stories, and Star Wars was the pinnacle of American culture, ingenuity, and imagination. When it first came out back in 1977, it brought all sorts together who weren't into science fiction and fantasy. Everybody loved it from all makes, shapes, and sizes. It was escapism at its purest. It was hopeful, inspirational, and aspirational. It was a communal experience, showing that art could bring joy or get people through hard times. It was truly something rare, and it was taken from us. With some effort, it could have lasted forever. But instead, the concerted effort was put into making it something broken, ugly, and divisive.

And the worst part about this is Disney, Lucasfilm, and their willing and able comrades in the Access media blamed the divisiveness on the people who love Star Wars the most, the fans. Instead of The Force Awakens being the first chapter in respectfully continuing George Lucas's legacy, it became the first chapter of how Disney destroyed Star Wars. And I leave you with this undeniable fact: 10 years later, Star Wars would be better off if Disney hadn't made any. nerdroic.com.

>> If you like what you heard, please like, share, and subscribe. If you didn't like what you heard, I thank you for listening this long. I will see you in the next video. Anything else?