Not many films can garner such worldwide attention and excitement as a new
STAR WARS film.
They mean such much to so many people and for different reason that it is almost a worldwide holiday when a new one comes out.
I was
10 when the first Star Wars movie hit, (do the math and you'll know why I'm considered a longtime fan) and like everyone else back in '77 I was blown away with the movie!
From the famous opening musical blast of the legendary John Willian's Score and the fade to the stars of the titles to reading the opening crawl a fast as a 10 year old could, it was all there and bigger than anything seen in sci-fi movies before then.
And if that didn't blow my mind, the overhead shot of the Star destroyer chasing the Tantive IV, which seemed to go on forever, had me hook for good. For life!
I have, and will always be at the opening for every and any Star Wars movie.
I was there for the first and every sequel of the Original trilogy and for The Prequels!
And while I have enjoyed some of the movies more than others, I REALLY LOVE all of them!
The scope of the movie. The characters. The music. The SFX. The Adventure. That sense of Wonder!
The revealing of more and more things about this galaxy and how it came to be and the key players that shaped it have keep me enamored with Star Wars for over 40 years!
George Lucas "little space movie" literally changed the way sci fi and movies were made as well as merchandised to the public.
Now a new STAR WARS movie is in theaters too much anticipation and hype from new and old STAR WARS fans alike.
J.J. Abrams is at the helm this time to pick up where the series left off after RETURN OF THE JEDI with a new cast of young actors to mix it up with the original cast members in this highly anticipated film.
That's quite a big task coming in to direct a Star Wars movie with the fandom being so intensely scrutinizing every little detail and extremely vocal on the intraweb when they are disappointed if things don't turn out to be what they wanted or expected.
With
THE FORCE AWAKENS Abrams certainly went out of his way to try and give all the fans what they want and more from what they enjoyed from the OTs with a smidgen or two here and there from the PTs if you pay close enough attention.
But Abrams put his own persoanl mark familiar ground to give this STAR WARS a touch of his own (but not so much as there is countless lens flare at every chance he get).
From the start...this is a
beautiful looking movie.
The sets, the locations and the visual imaging are absolutely
stunning.
The aerial starship battles are top notch and the angles and point of views of the fighters and the star destroyer dwarfs anything that has ever been seen in any Star Wars movie that comes before.
Additionally, the actors and the acting is top notch and they really immerse themselves in their characters development throughout the film.
Especially engaging is
Daisy Ridley as Rey.
The mysterious scavenger of the planet Jakku that hopes to one day reunite with her family that have abandon here there, but her linage may be more of a familiar family in the Star Wars galaxy as she displaces evidence that she is strong with the force more and more throughout the movie.
Every scene she’s in commands your attention and she balances the scale between warrior and victim flawlessly.
Notwithstanding, veteran actor and original trilogy cast member,
Harrison Ford, turns in perhaps one of his finest performance that proves he still have the gift of being charming and devilish without a hint of reservations for his bravado that made Han solo the scoundrel of a hero we know and love.
The remaining actors are formable,
John Boyega as Finn,
Carrie Fisher as General Organa, and
Adam Driver as Klyo Ren, but Daisy Ridley and Harrison Ford’s performances stands out more than the others.
And I like to draw special attention to
Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron.
Although not in the movie as much as the main actors, his brief time on screen was great moments for him to shine as a dashing pilot with the resolving charm and gleefullness for his mission that reminds you of a young Harrison Ford.
And I really love
BB8! The humor in this film is perfectly tied and don’t take away from the suspense.
The new threat to the Galaxy,
the First Order, is a formidable foe lead by a mysterious leader that more than show leanings toward the Dark side using fanatical military generals that hell bent on bringing down the republic.
There are plenty of familiar faces from the OTs scatter throughout the film as well as new ones that will garner their own fan base and the first time you see the Millennial Falcon well make your inner geek go into hyper drive.
And the last scene explains where the most popular member of the Star Wars universe has been but do leave it a mystery as to why he is really there. Something to whet the appetite for episode 8.
And least to mention there is some really touching scene between Han and Lia that will pull at your heart strings that you might moist up in the eyes a little.
This is a well craft movie that is stylized in a way to reflect original Star Wars trilogy movies that infused a little of today’s movie making techniques without being overly gaudy in its approach.
However, the movie is not without its faults. Some
obviously glaring ones!
The most obvious one is that the movie feels more like a rehash of Episode IV rather than a sequel that follows Episode 6.
Abrams played it really
safe with this movie by making almost every event that forward the progression of the movie be a mirror of what happened in “
A New Hope” almost to the point of being a
remake and never really introduce anything to the movie that is new or different to shake things up.
I’m assuming he stay in the safe way for the film in lieu of perhaps introducing something radically new to the Star Wars Galaxy for fear of the backlash from the fanboys once they get to their computers and on social media.
“The First order” is basically a scale down version of the
Empire 2.0
Rey’s story arc is basically Luke’s from ANH and Empire and I’m assuming in the next installment we’ll hear Luke tell her
“I am Your Father.”
BB8 get a secret mission very similar to R2D2 (I was waiting for Leia image to come out and say “
Help us Luke, you’re only hope.”
The weapon used by the First order is a planetary version of the Death Star.
Maz Kanata is this movie’s Yoda.
And he closing battle is basically the battle of Yavin with a trench and all.
I understand that Abrams wanted to give new and old Star Wars fans something that will pay homage and bring up feelings of nostalgia of a time long ago when it seem Star Wars was without flaws to the mainstream movie going public, but playing it that close to the vest with the nostalgia, hindered what could have been some real progression to the series with introducing more
new elements to the lore than repeating the already established one.
I don’t need to see another world destroying death ray shooting a laser (or in this case many lasers) from a circular object be it a space station or a planet in a Star Wars movie ever again.
I’m probably the most nostalgic person on this site, but I don’t need to be beaten over the head with it to reminded me of the greatness of Star Wars by seeing almost everything that’s gone before all over again but done with today’s movie making technology.
And the other glaring criticism against the movie is the
villains.
Klyo Ren is the “millennial generation “equivalent of Darth Vader as One direction is to the Beatles.
For all his skill and knowledge of the Dark side the only thing he really manages to do that’s worthwhile “evil
” was Kill Han Solo.
And while that is a big event
, he had to trick Han into getting him close enough to strike him down by feigning his ambiguity to going either to the dark or light side while Han had his guard down and it was so obvious that he was going to kill him as soon as Han address him by his real name.
But the biggest flaw I had with Ren was that he threw
“temper tantrums” when things don’t go according to plans.
He takes his light sabre out and destroyed thing as opposed to Darth Vader who coldly and precisely force choke his admirals while leaving the Empire properties intact!
Even worst is
Supreme General Hux!
An over the top younger version of
Grand Moff Tarkin that is cringe worthy every time he appears on screen. Instead of being intimidating I couldn’t help but laugh when he “sneered”.
Luke Skywalker ONLY being at the end of the film was a bad call.
I understand what Abrams was trying to do but while I love Han an Chewie and Leia and all the other characters in Star wars,
LUKE SKYWALKER IS THE HEART AND SOUL OF STAR WARS AND NEEDED TO BE MORE INVOLVED IN THIS MOVIE.
So we really don’t’ get to see the original trilogy stars interact together again and now with Han Dead it will never happen.
On a side note,
I think this is the first Star wars movie without a decapitation or someone losing a limb. Now that’s some nostalgia he should have keep in.
Still, the flaws don't take away what is such a highly entertaining movie.
I just wished Abrams would’ve taken a few more chances and shaken things up with a twist or two or a curve ball that make us look at the Star wars galaxy in a different perspective.
Not so much that it changes the basis of what have gone before but a revelation that shakes up what we already seen and know in the previous films.
Ironically the perfect example of doing that is in the Empire Strike back when Vader reveals to Luke that he is his father. That one scene changes the whole dynamic of how we viewed the first Star Wars movie forever.
In conclusion:
A very entertaining movie that was very well done, well-acted and looks phenomenal, but it really only rehash the better parts of “A New Hope and 'Empire' for nostaglia sake without adding really anything of SIGNIFICANCE to the legacy.
So I give it a
4 out of 5 stars or a solid “B” depending on your rankings.
May the Force be with you.