YES!
YES! What we have here is a post-1983 Star Wars movie that's done
(mostly) right. Taking place around 30 years after Return
of the Jedi, The Force
Awakens sees the New Galactic
Republic at (never-ending) war with itself as the Empire's remnants –
the First Order – still control many star systems, many of which
are fighting back under the banner of the Resistance, led by Leia
Organa. Both sides are also desperately trying to find Luke
Skywalker, the last Jedi. This is a story that is very similar
Episode IV: A New Hope
in that it takes you to various different locations and includes a
variety of characters with different backgrounds and motives. It's a
very fun and energetic ride which some might consider too derivative
– I mean how many movies can one make about a band of rebel
fighters defeating a giant planet-destroying battle station by
exploiting its one glaring, self-destructive design flaw? – yet it
still holds a lot of potential for new stories.
As was
the case with A New Hope,
our cast of main characters is made up of a bunch of lesser-known
actors, but they each do extremely well: especially John Boyega as
Finn and Daisy Ridley as Rey. These two characters in particular are
truly interesting and complex and I look forward to seeing more of
them in the sequels. Of course the old cast of our childhood heroes
is back, including Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Peter Mayhew, and
Anthony Daniels. There's also Carrie Fisher back as Leia, who I guess
took up smoking since Return of the Jedi, since
her voice sounds so weird. Maybe it's the stress of leading so many
insurrections and the fact that Luke was lying when he said he'd show
her how to use the Force.
The
one character I didn't like (and the film's biggest problem) was the
main villain, Kylo Ren. He's supposed to be this tortured soul who's
at odds with himself, but he kind of comes off as a whiny, angsty
teenager who throws temper tantrums. Also, could they have possibly
picked an actor with a less intimidating face to play him? Cool
voice, though.
Director
JJ Abrams really knows his stuff. In addition to getting the best out
of his actors, he treats us to some well-timed comedy and some
exciting cinematography. However one thing that was really
disappointing was that The Force Awakens
doesn't make as much use of practical effects as you might have been
led to believe. It's still very CG-heavy, but at least the CG is a
bit better than it was in Revenge of the Sith
from 2005. A lot of the classic sound effects have been changed, but
I guess that's not really a big deal. What is a big deal is that John
Williams is back with another great score, which draws less on the
classic themes that we're all familiar with and tries more to
establish its own.
In
addition to having a similar plot, TFA
also has a lot of references to ANH.
Some of them are delightful, others are kind of dumb. The lightsaber
duels this time around are great. Unlike the ones from the prequel
trilogy, they go for a less choreographed/rehearsed spectacle look
and more for a natural/spontaneous feel like those of the original
trilogy.
One
last concern I have is that since there's once again a great evil in
the galaxy that needs to be confronted, does that mean that the
mythos of the previous six Star Wars films is nullified? What
happened to the whole “ Chosen One (Anakin) will bring balance to
the force” thing?
Oh
well, I only nitpick because I care. Overall, Star Wars:
The Force Awakens is a
spectacular adventure for moviegoers of all ages. If you're a Star
Wars fan... who am I kidding? You've already seen it. If you're not a
Star Wars fan but you're slightly interested, then go watch it. The
Force is strong with this one!
Rating:
four out of five.
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