WARNING: This review contains spoilers!
The following article is intended as a post-theatrical
release full review of Star Wars: The
Force Awakens.
If you have not yet seen the movie, stop reading now.
Introduction:?
Star Wars needs no introduction.
It’s as ubiquitous as sliced bread and quoted more often than
Richard Nixon delivering his keynote resignation speech. It’s been parodied by
more late-night comics, magazines and TV serials than perhaps any other popular
relic we have in our cultural arsenal. “Star Wars” has become the ideal vehicle
for Hollywood to partake in selling mythology
lite to the cynical, post space-race western masses. It embodies the
perfect blend of Kurosawa film technique; Zen traditions, totalitarian fascism,
WW2 Era ace pilot bravado and a “Black and white” mystical dichotomy that dares
to begin venturing yet further into the questionable grey areas of our materialist,
postmodern morality. The latest entry in the saga meets the anticipated nostalgia
quota that gives a degree of fan-service that everyone from the general
audience to the true blue fans, of which I am proudly one, will appreciate.
The core premise of ‘The Force Awakens’ is about reclamation:
This is the grand, overarching theme that runs throughout the course of the
movie. The very future of the Star Wars franchise hinged entirely on J.J.Abrams
ability to distance it from the recent memory of the prequels and establish
vital, binding links with the original trilogy while pumping in new blood and
applying a fresh coat of paint. There is no doubt he succeeded brilliantly. ‘The
Force Awakens’ is, from a canonical perspective, less of an extension of Jedi and more a reboot of A New Hope. This is pulled off with precision
detail and finesse thanks to its ardent cast of characters, engaging score,
pulse-pounding action sequences, and of course, it’s trademark quirky humor and
campy one-liners. All of these factors complement one another. It’s the first
Star Wars movie since ‘83 that truly feels
like a Star Wars movie.
On to the review!
Acting: The cast carries the film, as it should in
any great production. Their performances are invigorating and the cast feels
excited to be there. (Well, most of them). Poe Dameron and Finn are total bro’s
and their energy radiates genuinely on screen. The hotshot ace pilot is a young
Solo incarnate, and perhaps my personal favorite new character. Oscar Issac
could have been granted a bit more screen-time as Dameron, but gave an otherwise outstanding performance. Daisy
Ridley steals the show as Rey, a force wielding savant with riveting screen
presence. She’s also a natural actress and a convincingly force-powerful female
lead that has been pulled off perfectly. Finn's enthusiasm is infectious, embracing the light side and his newfound role as the reluctant hero. Han and Chewie have the ‘grumpy old men’ vibe going that provides comic relief while still displaying a gun slinging chivalry reminiscent
of the first films. Leia mutters a few forgettable lines. Luke Skywalker has
transformed into a grizzled Ben Kenobi and stares intensely for about 10 minutes
straight delivering one of the best wordless cliffhanger endings in cinema
history.
Staging and special
effects: They finally did it right
this time. The usage of physical sets and models combined with real costume
design and strategic use of CGI made all the difference. The atmosphere is quintessentially
Star Wars down to every last detail. Maz Kanata is a wonderful new character brought
to life through CGI and motion capture thanks to the talents of Lupita Nyong’o,
which is exactly the kind of new character that the new trilogy deserved. She had perhaps the most unique and original role in the film, I felt, despite her cantina/castle drawing yet more obvious parallels to ANH through the setting being a facsimile
of the Mos Eisely Cantina. The full IMAX sequence of the Millenium Falcon being chased down by TIE fighters across the dunes of Jakku and through the bowels of a
scuttled Star Destroyer should be more than enough to make a Star Wars fan out of anyone.
Score: A thematic
John Williams score never fails, as it simply wouldn’t be ‘Star Wars’ without
one. Each track is utterly flawless.
Cinematography: Panning, sweeping shots lend themselves to
some of the best scenes yet featured in any of the Star Wars films. Most
notably, Finn and Rey running away from the TIE fighter bombardment all in one
take, referencing a certain ship hidden off screen as ‘garbage’ as they sprint
toward a vessel off in the distance in hopes of escape only for it to get
blown to pieces in front of them, turning back round before the camera swiftly pans to the left unveiling
the Millennium Falcon draped in tarp, was, in my opinion, brilliantly
executed. Rey’s speeder racing across the dunes of Jakku amidst the wreckage
of Imperial and Rebel ships both in foreground and background gives a breadth
of scope that is nothing short of jaw dropping. The shot where the nose of the
Star Destroyer Finalizer begins hovering over the crowd in IMAX was simply
glorious. The Light saber battle which takes place toward the end of the film was
absolutely incredible; feeling authentic and haggard like a novice medieval
sword battle would play out, rather than a highly choreographed showboating
dance number that was the bane of the prequels. I needn't go on. We never feel out of the action
within any of these sequences. There is no blurry, telescopic focus on the characters
as they fight, no cutting rapidly in and out of takes which plagued many action
movies of the past. We feel involved in the battles, and can hone in on the
rich detail of all the characters as they square off.
Plot: Simultaneously its weakest and strongest feature.
It’s the strongest because it’s essentially a retelling of a new hope. It’s the
weakest because...it’s essentially the
retelling of a new hope.
This of course, is the film’s most pressing concern. It is
light years past the point of homage when every pivotal plot point is an echo bounce
off the hallowed halls of ANH. This
can be absolved, however, as the fundamental plot of ANH was a superb modern adaptation
of the Hero’s journey and the monomyth that resonates with audiences to this very
day. The obvious parallels, however tenuous they may be at times, are pulled
off so incredibly well that despite Abrams stratagem of playing it safe by having
gone this route purposefully, we are yet left with a plot that still amounts to
a Re-hashing. When it comes to the integrity of the storyline, what it suffers
from the most is unoriginality regarding the story arc, most notably in the
development of the protagonist (Rey). Rey
is Luke. She follows in his
footsteps and inerrably leads right back to him. She also does this wonderfully
and with magnanimous screen presence. Star Wars needed to come back its roots,
and it has done just that. ‘The Force Awakens’ may be a rehashing, but it is a great re hashing.
Genuinely funny moments abound: cheeky puns and quirky humor
are essential to the Star Wars experience. BB8 giving an ambiguous “Thumbs up”
or “Middle finger” to Finn was pure gold. By virtue of existing in its own
galaxy, Star Wars can bend the integrity of its storyline by never taking
itself too seriously. This is one of
the defining features that make Star Wars unique.
The villain, Kylo Ren, is something of a mixed bag. Having
found his calling in being seduced to the Dark Side by Darth Smeagol and his ‘Attack on Titan’ Sized hologram, he is far
less menacing and confident as Vader appeared in the 1970s by an order of
magnitude, Kylo appeals to the sensibilities of the current times: The
untrained villain, while powerful, is genuinely emotionally unstable. Self-doubting, self-conflicted, and
irrational to a fault, his litany of flaws and weaknesses are purposefully exacerbated;
verging on the whininess of Prequel Anakin. Yet Driver delivers a solid
performance through Kylo harnessing his distinct psychopathy and contempt for
the light which result in his inevitable patricide. We now have the father/son
redemption dynamic in reverse. Evil is portrayed as delirium, a spontaneous
force lashing out of control.
Though predictable, I am not ashamed to admit I found Han’s
death scene to be the most emotionally compelling part of the film. Han knew stepping onto that catwalk would
spell his doom and that his chances at saving his son were slim to none. Harrison’s
expression of anguish upon sacrificing himself followed by pity for his son at what
he had done to him was brutal, still caressing his face before he fell to his
death. Chewies utter ballistic outrage and Finn and Reys horrified look of
shock after their more naïve hopes at Kylo’s redemption were dashed to pieces drove
the scene home. Despite all this, it had to happen to give the film the impact
it needed. Ford wanted this for over 32 years.
Han Solo will always be a cultural icon. He’s the original
space cowboy preceded only by the likes of Flash Gordon. The backdrop of his
death scene resembled the Bespin Shaft where Vader revealed his fatherhood to Luke.
Han’s death itself was a throwback to Obi Wan becoming one with the force right
before being ‘struck down’ by Vader. These are just a couple of the many
parallels Abrams ties with pretty red bowstrings to the original trilogy.
Gripes:
Captain Phasma : No, I am not a Game of Thrones fan, I have a legitimate bone to pick here. Gwendoline
Christie’s character was the most underwhelming of the entire movie for me. She
was primed to be the next ‘Boba Fett’ and did absolutely nothing.
Knocked upside the head, capitulated to the Resistance while muttering an idle
threat, and dumped into a trash chute without as much as putting up what could
have been an epic fight in an exciting scene. It doesn’t get more humiliating
than that. She ended up about as relevant to the plot as Dannik Jericho. Don’t
know who that is? Neither do 99.9% of
moviegoers who aren’t die-hard SW fans. She’s pure ornamentation. She could have
stood on the bridge of the Finalizer throughout
the entire movie as a set piece in her shiny chrome armor and the plot would
not have changed one iota. Ok sure, maybe Han and Finn could have abducted one
of the other ten billion storm troopers aboard the Starkiller to lower the
shields (Oh, like THAT hasn’t been done to death…).
What an utter waste of a fresh character with a badass
costume design.
Suspension of disbelief:
The film stretches itself a bit too thin at times. Coincidence to the point of
absurdity can and will be written off as ‘The will of the Force’ in any Star
Wars film. Jumping out of light speed eight hundred feet off the surface of the
Starkiller? A perfect rift opening up within the span of 30 feet right in
between Ren and Rey at the exact moment there's a lull in their saber fight? Kudos, Abrams!
Leia: While
appearing matronly and reserved, her bittersweet reunion with Han was
believable but she did not project the aura of a Resistance general. She seemed
bored to be there, and sounded like a woman named Blanche after pulling an
all-night binge in Vegas playing slots and smoking menthols.
Upon escaping Jakku and being towed in by the freighter Eravana, Finn and Rey hide out in the
smuggling compartment of the Millennium Falcon expecting to be boarded by storm
troopers. Upon which, they plot to flood the Falcon with poisonous gas to take out
the storm troopers coming on board while wearing re breathers of their own. Finn then has some dialogue with Rey in reference to the threat of invading storm troopers which leads
us to:
The Dumbest line in
the movie award! Which goes to:
“Their masks only
filter out smoke, not toxins!"
Uhhhh...
Yeah, no.
That whole idea is dumb and should have been scrapped.
Conclusion.
Overall, the movie was excellent. Little else needs to be
said on that front.
What I now feel to be the most crucial function the next two
installments must accomplish is for the screenwriters to take risks and head in a completely
new direction, introducing a fresh plot with more twists and turns that
keeps people guessing. Anyone with two brain cells to rub together can
anticipate how Ep VIII will flesh out: It’s going to get dark. Luke will train
Rey. Snoke will train Ren. There will be a pivotal battle. Light sabers will
clash. SOMEONE is going to be related to SOMEONE else. Yawn.
There needs to be
a variety of highly exotic elements coming into play with the following films.
Ep VIII cannot emulate ‘Empire’, else it should become stale
and fall back into prequel mediocrity. ‘The Force Awakens’ was a veritable
success in recapturing the essence of Star Wars and did it so well that it can’t
afford to let the series simply repeat itself like a broken 8-track thinly
disguised as an iphone6, even though the theme of coming full circle is quite charming
and underscores the locus of thought that Abrams felt necessary to execute with
this film, the series now needs to branch out into unknown territory and truly
surprise us.
Ah…who am I kidding? Even if Ep VIII clones ‘Empire’ frame
for frame it’ll still rake in billions.
Much of the script is likely already written and may already
be in pre-production. Let’s hope it breaks the mold and gives us something completely different.
Audiences at large don’t sincerely expect Star Wars to wax philosophic on some
profound soul searching pastiche; delivering deeply intellectual melodrama through
black & white art-house performances by academy award winning actors and
actresses: its pseudo-science and space aliens. It’s about munching on popcorn while
watching laser cannons blasting apart Star fighters to smithereens and receiving
little tidbits of wisdom from sagely old masters in cloaks. It’s about licensing and toy companies. It’s
especially about toy companies. It’s about them selling veritable ass-loads of
action figures to your kids. This is all a great thing, of course…though maybe
not for your checking account if you’re a parent…or a 30 something year old
‘collector’ in a subterranean living situation with your parents.
Star Wars is this
wonderfully crafted modern cultural vessel that ties people together and spans entire
generations through the enduring mythos of a fantasy space opera that has stood
the test of time, but the whole thing now desperately needs an injection of
ingenuity straight to the heart like Uma Thurman getting pumped full of
Adrenaline after overdosing in Pulp
Fiction.
I am incredibly satisfied with ’The Force Awakens’, and can
strongly declare it a worthy successor to Jedi.
Despite a series of minor flaws and a singular glaring one, The Force Awakens
deserves its global success and positive critical reception. The Force has been brought
back for a whole new generation to enjoy. It’s as nostalgic as it is entertaining,
and it left me smiling in my theater seat.
Most importantly, it feels fun.
Final score
9/10