ST Tell us what your kids and kids you know thought of TFA and the other Saga films

As most of us know, Lucas from the very beginning said that he intended to create a new mythology for kids who he described as a lost generation in the 70's. (By the way, mission very much accomplished!) That has always been Lucas's core target audience -- much to the frustration of some! So, how did your kids or children you know (especially 6 -12 yr olds) react to TFA? And how did they think it compared to other films from the Saga?



(Please no arguments about how the PT is too kiddie or the OT isn't really kiddie or anything like that!)

 

My son is 7.
He liked it.
-He liked Rey the most, but he doesn't like the fact that she is a girl. (Somehow he's already got the idea that girls are not meant to be cool, or that he cannot admire girls. Argh. That's why it's important to have more women as heroes). I wanted to have a long conversation on how when I was young I liked Luke the best and it never bothered me he was not a girl, but my son didn't want to hear it.
- He thinks Kylo is a piece of **** for what he did. My son hasn't really watched the OT, but somehow he was really upset Han Solo died. And I told him before he saw the film, so that it would be less shocking.
- He thought captain Phasma was annoying, but he still wants her Lego set.
- He didn't like Finn cause he loses and "dies" at the end. (He thought he was dead).
- He didn't like Poe much cause he didn't appear much in the movie.
- He thought the film was way too short. (I have to agree it was too fast paced)
- He hates Kylo but he wants his lightsaber, cause it's pretty cool.
- He didn't compare much to the other movies, because he has watched them in bits and pieces here and there. And he was annoyed that I was asking these questions. He said I sounded like captain Phasma.
- He likes TCW but finds Rebels a little boring.

I think it works for kids. Spaceships, swords, blasters, what's not to like?
What I don't like are the Legos. I hate legos. They are square, hurt your feet, and get everywhere.

 

My kids are 20 and 24 ....we all went to see the movie together. They grew up with a mother who was a Star Wars nerd. They had been exposed to the OT and we saw the remastered versions at the theatre in the 90's...they had also seen the PT....They LOVED TFA. Thought it was really good, edge of your seat. They had no problem with the main character being female. Liked Finn and Poe too....they were shocked by Han's death (I was not- I had been spoiled on this one point)....They are also old enough to understand the nods to the OT. Thought the scene with Han and Ben was very much a juxtaposition of Vader/Luke. Both father's trying to turn their sons to their side. Finn rescuing Poe was like Luke rescuing Leia in ANH. They laughed at the trash compactor joke. Both boys thought it was fine as a stand alone film for anyone not previously exposed to Star Wars. But it is much better if you do have the previous exposure.

 

LOL, it's even worse to get sand in your Legos!

I'm glad your son liked it. It's a funny account that you've given. As Yoda said, "Truly wonderful the mind of child is."

I probably would've reacted the same way to Rey at that age, and I think I wouldn't have liked it that she beat a boy, but don't worry, my wife and I have a very equal relationship.

 

The ten year old cousin of a friend gave it 11/10 (which annoyed me for two reasons).

 

12 year old nephew and 10 year old niece. They both absolutely loved it, and are now demanding that they get every TFA action figure as a Christmas present.

 

I am hoping to get some, myself.

 

My son (12) loved it. He liked Phasma the best 'because she's sooooooo cool' (what, for all her 2 minutes of screentime?). His No. 2 was Rey because 'she's soooo tough!' (in his opinion, girls are always cooler, better and tougher than boys). No. 3 was Chewie because he kinda looks like our dog, and sonny loves dogs. He didn't like Kylo because 'he doesn't use Clearasil'. He liked Finn (but gave no reason why), and he asked me if he was still alive. When I said 'yes', his reaction was : 'Thank God!' He liked BB-8 for all the obvious reasons (he's cute, ain't he?). He liked Maz, but his first reaction was: 'She's this movie's Yoda, ain't she?'. He was really shocked by Rey's visions (he's easily scared). He loved all the spaceship wrecks on Jakku (he loves wrecks and ruins in general) and now would love to live in an AT-AT wreck as well (his room looks like a wreck, anyway, but that's another story).

As for the other movies: all he said so far that there was too little romance in TFA for his taste if compared to the others (even when watching action movies designed for his peer group his first question after the introduction of the main cast usually is: 'Will A and B be together?' For some reason, romance in movies is very important for him). But when I reassured him that there would be two more movies in the trilogy, he was content again .

 

My 11yo daughter watched Episodes I-VI over the last 18 months or so (finishing 2 days before VII) and thought they were just okay. It pains me to say she fell asleep in the middle of at least 2 of them.

She really enjoyed this one though and the reason is simple: Rey. I'm hoping her Force has finally awakened.

 

My friend's 15-year-old daughter thought it was "ok" but didn't particularly like it. However, she wasn't a particular fan of SW going in, so I'm sure that was a big factor. (She had seen the previous movies over the years, but some of them only in bits and pieces and not really with multiple rewatches. A grave parental failing on my friend's part!)

In terms of specific comments, her main one was that she didn't think the characters were "well developed" (she actually used that term; she enjoys writing creatively herself) and she wasn't into some of the action.

 

I AM the kid, and I loved it.

 

"My opinion is that when George Lucas made all 6 episodes, he didn't mean it to be this huge thing, and I think he did a great job with Episode 6, and 1,2 and 3, and I just don't like Episode VII. It's like making a movie called Space Wars. Its main story is focused on Finn and Rey. Finn is just a little wimp, and Rey is just a female Luke Sywalker. It's like when Finn fights Kylo Ren, it's not like Duel of the Fates, rather it's like Duel of the Wimps. And why would they bother to make Jakku? It's basically just another Tatooine? Everything is a remake of Episode 4. Also, BB8 is just a complete ripoff of R2-D2." 9 yr old son.

 

My very young 18 year old son (who was truely and properly indoctrinated into Star Wars at 13 by 'Aunt Paulie' here,) and I have seen it twice together now.

I think he has a crush on Rey

He loves the movie, except when Kylo kills his dad, and comforted me dururing Han and Liea's scene when I cried (I think he got misty eyed too, because THAT scene epitomized his dad and me. )

He longs for Kylo's command ship lego set.

 

He has more to say. "And when it shows Han Solo, it's just another wink wink for the quote unquote fans. It's like they're saying "Oh, remember Han Solo? He was from your childhood. He was in all of the originals. You like him." And it's the same thing with the Millennium Falcon. Yet another wink wink at the fans. Where if George Lucas made his own Episode VII, he would have used them both really well. With Han Solo, it seems like he's just in the background as a decoration to say "Hey, this is Star Wars, everybody." And then he dies. And also, the part where he dies is VERY dumb. Instead of doing the right thing with their movie, they just make it so Kylo Ren is unredeemable. And I think that why they killed him off is because they just wanted to end Han Solo so they wouldn't have to pay attention to the rest of his story. Also, yet another wink wink, when R2D2 wakes up, it's just a very short time where he just wakes up for no reason, and he's just there to be like "Hey, this is Star Wars, everybody," once again. And Kylo Ren's character is very dumb. He's just another Darth Vader, except he's irredeemable." 9 yr old son

 

My 6 year old niece loved TFA.She loves the previous 6 as well.I asked her who her favourite character was and she said Rey.

 

My daughter has liked Star Wars becuase her ole man is into it (she's 13 now). She's enjoyed the saga movies, though she did not like TPM, and though AOTC was mostly boring. She liked ESB best becuase she digs Darth Vader. She LOVED TFA, and and is now into it. She bought me the Sphero BB-8 for Christmas with her savings, and she plays with it as much as me.

 

little boys have been that way since time began. it's not a character flaw, it's biology. he'll grow out of it if he's taught well.

 

My daughter is 7. She loved TFA. It's her favorite SW movie, and she's seen them all. She likes to get a rise out of us by calling the OT boring. She loves the PT, but I think that's more about TCW. Before Rey, Ahsoka Tano was her favorite SW character. She always plays Ahsoka on Disney Infinity, or at least she did before Rey.

She loves all the new characters, Rey and bb-8 being her favorite. She was very upset that Han was killed off and felt it's not right to kill a main character. She thinks they should stop selling Han toys lol. She was confused at first about all the planets being the same as planets we've seen before, but she seems to have them down now.

 

I saw a mom and her two kids, a boy and a girl, at Toys R Us in the Star Wars aisle. The girl was more interested than the boy, though both were interested. The mom noticed and said something like "No, no, let's go to the girl aisles for something, these aren't for you, they're for him." The little girl even pleaded her case that so-and-so (girl) plays with Star Wars, why can't she. But yeah, her mom wouldn't have any of it. Sad.

 

17 year old daughter - didn't even want to go, hates action movies & scifi, ended up being surprised how much she liked it.
14 year old daughter - liked it a lot, generally likes this stuff, but isn't hardcore into it.
12 year old son - loves Star Wars, prefers the PT, but has watched the OT several times. He absolutely loved it and whispered to me "dad this is the first time I've seen a star wars movie in the theater" just before the crawl
8 year old daughter - never really into star wars. tolerated ROTJ because the Ewoks are cute, loves Chewie. She LOVED this movie & absolutely loved Rey. I think the whole theater heard her exclaim "she's so old!" when Leia first appeared

 

My 13 year old brother though the movie was great and entertaining, he has seen bits of the other movies and he likes the saga in general.

 

I turned to my wife and was like, "I feel like I should say something...but I totally can't." I was madder than my wife at that mom...basically thinking, "Great, you're the reason your girl is going to bully and shame my non-existent daughter one day."

 

My second viewing was with my nephew and niece...7 and 3. Nephew loved it and niece liked it even though she said Star Wars is for boys.