#the complete and utter lack of critical thinking skills being displayed

[redmeet]

people trying to cancel keleigh and miles because of their PARENTS views like aren’t you tired. Aren’t you so fucking tired

[tesalionlortus]

LMAOF - those ought to be my fave comments about TFA...

“How did you get so many likes which such an inane and asinine comment? That sentence meant nothing, and even if it had it would have only done what you think it did because it was copy-pasted from ANH. You also talk about how no one really cared about Alderaan's destruction (aka you're critical of the fact that it wasn't fleshed out) but you ignore that this wasn't fleshed out at all either. After "the Republic was destroyed" no one cared either, they immediately just went back to finding Luke and crying about Han rather than even truly mention the Republic's end. Also, it's "destruction" doesn't even make any sense. How does the largest, (nearly) completely galactic government get destroyed just because it's capital planet was blown up? It wasn't even like a centralized capital planet, they voted on which one they wanted to be the capital all the time so it's not even like that system was really important. Every planet would have representatives to replace deceased senators and were supposed to believe this one act destroyed the whole government? Also, how was their entire fleet destroyed? I don't care if the New Republic limited their Navy there is no way they actually stationed 90% of their fleet in one system... Also, there's the whole fact that StarKiller Base lacks any creativity and is stupid, and the fact that it makes no sense the laser would break up into pieces, and the fact it makes no sense that that many habitable planets were that close to each other without being uninhabitable at best, and the fact it makes little sense everyone could see its destruction that well. Sorry for being pissy with you, but the new trilogy is utter garbage is makes my brain not feel like it has increased intracranial pressure if people realize that. P.S. The concept is dark but the execution was not one of the darkest scenes, it was fucking hilarious because of the distractingly blatant Nazi similarities that they pushed so hard and for all the reasons I gave before. Good day, sir. Lmao“

“Assuming the New Order has the resources to build such a weapon - which throws any reasonable assumption of balance out the window between them and La Resistance, if they were so superior in resources certainly they shouldn't have been fought to a stalemate. Furthermore, if we get past all that silliness the New Order loses this weapon in Episode VII along with whatever personnel and materiel were on Starkiller Base at the time of its destruction. Certainly, the loss of such a weapon and resources, already ridiculous in scale, would cripple them going forward, but we all know it won't. The Empire was the continuation of a Galactic Republic which had been building its weapons and forces with no real competition for three decades. The New Order is the remnants of a pack of dudes who were beaten - or at least tied - by a New Republic that has fewer weapons and resources than the old Rebellion. It requires a dozen excuses by see-no-evil fanboys to be even nominally feasible and EVEN PAST THAT it's still a lazy creative idea.“

“Maybe JJ Abrams sat down with his creative team and decided that fans need a third Death Star which can be blown up again, so as to invoke a feeling of nostalgy, which is good for ticket sales, and fans are now creating numerous theories as to how to place this enormous piece of bullshit in the SW universe. Basically, if Abrams had decided to come up with a giant piece of poo as the new superweapon of the new empire, fans would've created a backstory for it the next day, uploading it to the Wookiepedia and youtube as well. There goes your canon. You can come up with a backstory for everything. 'Snoke'! 'Kylo Ren'! 'First Order'! Of course, the SW universe can be expanded as we like, but I hate it, when the creators abuse this right and give us poorly devised, stupid and cheap random stuff that will sell very well among children. The original story deserves so much more than this. Take a look at Yoda (the original one), how much effort they put into his uniquely peculiar personality and his wisdom. And the jungle planet he lives on. Or Cloud City. Or Han's and Leia's relationship as it developed before our eyes. Or the conflict btw Luke and Vader. Or Vader's suit. Everything was original, everything was carefully designed, everything had enthusiasm behind it. I don't feel any of that with the new episode. They just copied everything from the old trilogy, giving everything and everyone a cool-sounding new name, and that's it. I only felt a bit of redemption when I saw Rogue One. That movie again dared do something new and use a lot of creativity.“

“Rogue one, although not even needed since it plays during the old triologies time period, featured a way greater diversity of new and starships in general than Episode 7 which plays aproximitly 30 years in the future. As far as i remember Episode displays 5 different Starships: "The Falcon" "X-Wings" "Tie Fighter" "Star Destroyer" "Kylo Rens Drop Ship", well reagrding the fact that 4 out of 5 featured ships were part of the old Triology that is  absolutly sad and is one thing that shows up the uncreativity which spreads throughout the film. That movie is supposed to play 30 years after Return of the Jedi, yeah cool story does look like the Galaxy just went on a quick nap to skip those years. Leia Organa a politican is the "General"(wtf) of a Resistance consisting of a dozen X-wing(wtf) and which appears to be hunting the First Order. Main tactic could be to destroy the shield generator of star destroyers and smack 1 or two X-wings right into the Brigde to disable them or something like that, pretty effective fighting style isnt it?... wait, huh well something seems to be wrong... list goes on btw Swamp planet, X-Wing support arrives shoots down 10+X Tie Fighters, dont scratch the main targets Drop Ship which is parked stationary at the ground. Damn those undisciplined "Rebel" Pilots, they rather want to show off their skills than to follow their mission objectiv. No wonder Ren got away, the resistance seems to really be a massive threat to the First order which reasons the destruction of multiple planets for that the New republic will stop supporting the Resistance with... wait with what actually ? 1 X-wing per year ? Well i dont think the Resistance even has 30 X-wings, i guess its only political support then, well and of course the First order cant allow that ! Good Idea to blow up planets worth i dont know massive amounts of credits in infrastructure whithout negotiations btw, really good plan tbh. This movie simply consists of made up uncreative shit.“

And finally:

“A new hope's plot hole of the Death Star exhaust port suddenly became the most clever plot in all of Star Wars while diminishing TFA to a child's tale.“

[shepgeek]

The Terminal

Often neglected as a frivolity lurking within Steven Spielberg’s CV of blockbuster hits and historically significant dramas, The Terminal is, in many ways, quite atypical. Sentimentality has always been the stick that Spielberg’s critics reach for whenever they seek to beat him and this film certainly has such a surface. It reunited Spielberg with Tom Hanks, who also had taken praise and criticism for Forrest Gump, another film which can be dismissed for depicting an idealised America but whose narrative also treats its kind and earnest hero with unrelenting cruelty. The Terminal was minimally marketed, with its poster depicting Hanks with his jaw jutting out comedically and, whilst the reception was positive, there was a feeling of uncertainty to what the film was intending to say. Looking back at it there is, from the start, a clear seed of concern at what America was becoming and a resulting film which seems on the surface to be a fluffy romcom but picks steadily at our modern perceptions of America and the wider west. The Terminal is a film of contradictions and extremes: from the hugeness of the set (built to scale) to the smallness of the story, the protagonist and antagonist are utter opposites and, whilst the film has a feelgood veneer it consistently makes interesting and challenging dramatic choices. It is certainly funny throughout and is not afraid to resort to some moments of unabashed clowning, but the script has a sharp satirical edge, consistently nudging the fourth wall with knowing dialogue that combines writer Andrew Niccol’s cynicism with Spielberg’s positivity. These ingredients juxtapose to forge this overlooked film’s greatest strength and, over the five films that Spielberg & Hanks have worked together, this piece is the only one not to receive awards recognition despite its containing many prescient themes, a deftness of storytelling focus and, yes, at its heart, a story about how a good and earnest man keeping his promise can prevail.

 The film begins as audiences might have expected: Viktor is a bumbling, innocent presence who is soon intercepted and cordoned off, bluffing blankly through English he plainly does not understand and then covered with smashed crisps as his predicament, based famously around a true story, is explained to us: a military coup in his home country makes him “unacceptable” to the US, incapable of returning home but unable to be waved through the doors to New York without immediate arrest. The opening is playful but marked by a sudden smash into reality when Victor learns of the coup and his panic is played completely straight, as he desperately but hopelessly begs for volume on the TV screens above his head that casually show pictures of the destruction happening in his home. Spielberg gives this scene considerable emotional wallop, as his camera pulls back to reveal Viktor perversely alone in a packed, indifferent crowd. This is the stuff of nightmares, as Viktor begs passers by who cannot understand him and are apathetic to his horror as a child innocently spins on the edge of the frame. When he finally finds a screen with volume, his lack of a first-class ticket leaves him marooned outside the lounge, his agony blurred by the glass doors separating him from us, from first-class. There is no humanity on display from anyone other than Viktor in this moment and it makes it clear to the audience that, whilst this film will have comic edges, it will not be a comedy.

 Artificiality abounds. Shining mirrors and lights dazzle seductively the but the effect gradually becomes oppressive. Spielberg repeats specific shots and camera moves along the same corridors invoking a feeling of the unwavering inauthenticity familiar to anyone who has done shift work. He also often places the camera low to the ground, so that 20% of the shot becomes ceiling, with squares of brightness caging the characters from above. Muzak twinkles in the background behind the noises of the crowd and the shuttling of the airport signs which move everyone else onwards except Viktor, quietly and subtly sapping the viewer. There is a clear irony behind the product placement since, as with Minority Report, the oppressive nature of their ubiquity undoes what companies must have hoped would be association with some feelgood Hollywood stardust- indeed many companies actively approached Dreamworks asking to be present on set when news of the film got out.  The terminal itself is a mirage of a consumerist paradise, a glimmering wall of capitalist promise. Viktor is told from the start that “There’s only one thing you can do here: shop” with the implication that they are talking about the country as a whole. There are numerous nudges of from the script in this way, with Viktor complaining to Amelia “I can’t go out with you”, or for his friends to be wondering who this mysterious stranger is leading to Gupta’s observation that “This guy is here for a reason and I think the reason is us.”

 The satirical sharpness to the film is fully manifested through its antagonist, Frank Dixon. Played with an understated predatory callousness by Stanley Tucci, he is introduced as a God from the start, cordoned off and surveying the domain of which he is the absolute ruler. He immediately demonstrates his intelligence and an outstanding instinct for spotting the worst in the people, but his lack of ability to see the best is ultimately what comes to define him. As Viktor tries in vain to find a moment’s rest at the end of his traumatising first day, Spielberg cuts to the masters of this universe chatting with nepotistic blitheness about buying boats. The Terminal is potently set in New York and brings to mind the oft-quoted poem mounted on the Statue of Liberty that reminds how America was once built upon “…tired…poor…huddled masses yearning to be free”, but the following line of the poem has arguably greater relevance to this film: “Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” Viktor’s own tempest leaves him marooned upon a bureaucratic technicality, with New York’s golden glow tantalisingly out of reach although, as we will ultimately learn, his purpose here is always to visit: Viktor only ever seeks to be a guest, never a resident. Already sharply clear about how America (and, to be clear, these accusations could equally be applied to our country as well as the West as a whole) has moved away from its roots, the degradation of Dixon that follows is unnerving and, by the climax of the film, he is unravelled and left as a petty, embittered figure.

On the face of it Frank is living the American Dream: he is witty, sharp, ambitious, very hard working and believes that this entitles him to the rewards that his society demands that these skills accrue. The film’s greatest impact comes from contrasting the lengths that pursuing these desires to the exclusion of his fellow man can corrupt and degrade Frank in comparison with Viktor’s quiet and simple truths. Frank is warned, twice, that leadership means setting an example and having empathy for the world he inhabits but ignores this advice on both occasions, and the leadership that the US still enjoys in the world politically would seem to be the the target of this message: Frank is motivated by what he can get, not who he can be. His perfect world obeys clear rules and, despite his complete mastery of those rules, he is undone by a buffoon in a dressing gown, refuses to compromise his ego and ultimately is enslaved by certainty in his own flawlessness. It is inconceivable to Frank that anyone would not ultimately bend to his will and, as Viktor’s quiet and innocent resilience refuses to yield, Frank’s underlying bigot starts to become more steadily revealed. Is Frank how Spielberg really sees America- devoid of empathy? That would seem an unlikely extrapolation, but the film certainly has space to investigate the dualities of the role 21st century America has in the world.

Frank sees all of the people as fish in his river, to be added to his collection. He is often trapped in small rooms, taunted by the pictures of life beyond this box of his own making. Spielberg loves playing with screens, frames & reflections and is clearly having fun with this character’s rigidity: there are many shots where Viktor unexpectedly enters the frame, often to Frank’s exasperation, whilst the moment where Viktor senses the traps which Frank has set for him and starts to use the cameras as a way to stare back is when the momentum shifts in his favour during their chess match. The grin from that point on Frank’s face becomes increasingly fixed and Tucci’s performance becomes slowly but steadily dehumanised to the point where he is left being casually cruel and, finally, openly monstrous, dedicated to thwarting Viktor for no reason other than his own pride. By the end of the story Frank is visibly savouring the idea of crushing Viktor and it is a chilling depiction of a man utterly consumed by hubris. Far from the profound evil that Spielberg has shown with many faces in his films, Frank is a memorable and troubling antagonist for our times, ending his journey obsessed, morally bankrupt, disobeyed and defeated although, it is significant to note, he does get his promotion.

 If Frank is a bleak reflection of what the west might become, the friends Viktor ultimately makes show what it can still be. A vibrant, multicultural cast of characters show him small moments of kindness (the casting of a young Zoe Saldana as a Trekkie is a wonderful piece of serendipity) with the exception of the elderly and aggressive Gupta, whose pride at managing to hide from the world and live a life of what he realises is insignificance is ultimately transformed by Viktor’s example. Kumasi Pallana was 86 when this filmed this role and he twinkles with a weary sadness and raw, angry honesty. He brings a refreshing originality to the film, juggling deadpan beside the lead couple in a beautifully silly flourish. Spielberg loves moments in his films where something completely ordinary is brought smashing against something utterly extraordinary, and the final image of Gupta stopping an enormous 747 with his mop is the director’s most distinctive shot.

 The middle act of the film is arguably the least compelling dramatically as Frank connects with and attempts to woo an American sweetheart. Amelia, played with fragility by Catherine Zeta Jones proves ultimately to be unattainable as, like Frank, she too is trapped by her unwillingness to move away from the limits she has placed on herself by what she feels she needs to make her happy. Like Victor, Amelia is introduced in standard romcom way via a pratfall but her story also goes to far less familiar places. If the writing device of her love of history books feels a little forced, it reveals a character who appreciates Napoleon but whose favourite story is about how he tried to poison himself. Amelia’s self-loathing makes the character credible but gives Zeta Jones little to develop or much for us to invest in as her journey takes her around in a circle, and ultimately she finds herself more of a prisoner to the terminal than Viktor. As the film’s other American lead character, she is another clear example of the difference between what others expect to see in her and what is projected over who she really is. The film was reshot to remove a happier ending and their relationship ultimately proves bleak. Despite Viktor’s almost preposterously romantic courtship as he tries to help her “rewrite history”, he can’t convince her to join him in the real world. The “destiny” Amelia speaks of was shown to us in one of her introductory shots; the callous married lover waiting for her at the end of the unwavering escalator.

 Viktor himself is equally unwavering- the journey he goes on is to illuminate others. His musical theme, conjured with John Williams’ customary and seemingly effortless genius, is a toe tapping, purposeful and optimistic Slavic dance, played with a jazzy elegance by clarinettist Emily Bernstein. Tom Hanks brings enormous charisma to our hero, filling Viktor with the earnestness that has become Hanks’ defining movie-star quality. This is what I suspect Spielberg wanted from the film: honesty, charm, courtesy and optimism facing up to a cynical world and, ultimately, optimism winning out. There are many most interesting comparison pieces to this film but one would definitely be Groundhog Day, where Bill Murray is forced to live in the same day repeatedly. As in that film, there come advantages to having been given almost unlimited time as Viktor’s key victory comes when he uses his newly acquired mastery of paperwork to save a frantic comrade from this American microcosm. Viktor, in his time in the terminal, picks up the perverse rules to surviving in it and, despite having completely missed the nuance of such technicalities earlier in the film, embraces them to help a despairing traveller who is holding a knife to his own throat in a potent and horrifying image of desperation. Frank is outraged at being outmanoeuvred using his own rules, it marks the moment when both characters are publicly revealed. Viktor inspires honesty in everyone he encounters but, significantly, he does learn how to play the game, becoming a myth within the airport and a symbol that the film coalesces around.

The final rebellion is thrilling but, once Viktor crosses into a postcard NYC, it is notable that his only thought is of home. His motivation was always simply to keep a promise to his late father (a hugely significant theme in almost every film Spielberg has made) and it is fitting that, at the climax of the film, after everything he has put up with, Viktor is not taken in by any more shining lights, this time those of the big apple itself.

 The Terminal shows us who we are in danger of becoming and who we should aspire to be: it is a film with a strong humanist message that deserves wider appreciation.