Internet chat rooms didn't exist back then. I could say the exact same thing about TLJ, and did say it earlier in this thread. No one I know, family, friends, at work, anyone... didn't like this movie. Some loved it, some liked it, no one disliked it. Only online have I seen the backlash.

Yes it is... it's a discussion chat room.

You've missed my point....

You said that before. There's simply no way that's true, if any remotely reasonable number of people are involved.

LMAO

You don't have a point

It is true. My family, all of which has seen the movie, include my folks, my brothers and their wives and kids, my sister an her husband, myself and my wife and kids. Varying levels of fandom in there, but all liked it to loved it. Friends include my really good friends (5 dudes) and then a smattering of soccer and softball dads and moms, and then coworkers - about 15 or so that I've talked to about it. Again, all varying degrees of fandom, some very casual, some star wars tshirt everyday wearing geeks, including a guy that works on Star Wars video games, liked it to loved it.

So, I don't know if you consider that a "remotely reasonable" number, but it does surprise me that there is so much backlash online when I see no evidence of that backlash in person.

Dane is suggesting the same experience with Empire, and based on my experience here, I have no reason to doubt him.

I am also not doubting that the backlash online is real. I just know as with most things, people do not tend to speak out on something unless they are angry or disgruntled about it. I think that might be why the opinion online is so one-sided.

You have just described a plot hole that I myself agree with. This is not the same as calling the lack of a short-distance hyper jump a plot whole. The fact that the FO didn't hyper jump to a point just infront of the retreating rebel fleet, to me, is not a plot hole. It has never been established that short jumps are possible. Holdo's suicide jump was, I assume, a course that would go through the FO fleet, not end at the FO fleet.

Why are you laughing at this? You yourself had a similar experience with ESB.

I'm "laughing" because it's pretty clear that the public doesn't care for this film, either, as it'll earn just a few hundred million more than Rogue One, which was a standalone film without any superstar actors or known characters, while earning $700 million less than its predecessor.

That's proof enough that people aren't seeing it multiple times and the only reason it opened so big is due to name only.

Once word of mouth hit the streets, the film has plummeted.

Ok... this still seems similar to the way in which ESB didn't enjoy the same long run that ANH did... possibly because of word of mouth as many have claimed. And despite a larger production budget of nearly 7 million bucks, brought in around 70 million less in box office revenue.

And yet is widely considered today to be the best of the original trilogy.

I've heard even it's most ardent haters are seeing it multiple times. :hmmm:

- Okay. Well I don't know anyone who was alive who didn't hate it before they loved it. So if it's revisionist history it's the internet's revisionist history. Like I said, I was too young to remember it.

- Exactly. I thought I made that clear.
- Again, very true. I never pretend otherwise. That's why I worded my post with a lot of "I think" statements. I have no idea what's going to happen.

I'm just basing this on my own experiences. For example, I post on a Pearl Jam message board and it's amazing how every album from Binaural on has been a "complete disaster" and the "worst thing PJ has ever done" until the next one comes out.

My feelings aside, sometimes it's difficult for the most recent part of a franchise or saga or brand to bear the burden of the entire catalog. Sometimes perceptions changes with the new installment. Will that happen with TLJ? Who's to say? Maybe it will or maybe it won't. But like I said before -- I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED if it did.

If true, it's even a bigger failure because the numbers are sooooooo low.

Wait a second: You're telling me that your friends and family initially "hated" The Empire Strikes Back? What?

Also, while Empire didn't gross as much as the original film or Return of the Jedi, it did put up huge numbers, more so than ROTJ, when it was re-released a few times.