I was surprised, even a week after it opened, that the cinema for The Force Awakens was not more crowded - it was almost empty, in fact. But I suppose that's what happens when it's just after Christmas, movies aren't exactly on people's minds.
But Star Wars. I remember as a kid being taken by the brightness and acrobatics of the prequel trilogies; as I grew older I saw through the colour and the extravagance to what was a pretty dull story, mired in politics and the science side of science-fiction, trying to explain what the original trilogy hadn't felt the need to. It's more or less a general consensus that the prequel trilogy isn't on par with the original, and it's clear that resident geek and nostalgia-artist J.J. Abrams feels the same way too.
And so the curtain rises, the screen lights up and, in total silence, the Lucasfilm logo sparkles across the scene, followed by those famous words: "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..."
And suddenly the music swells and you feel your heart catch in your throat as you see, superimposed over a starry background, the two words you've been waiting for: STAR WARS.
This is the entirely spoiler-free review; I'll be posting a spoiler article later tonight where I can examine my thoughts more in depth.
So it's been months. I haven't really been reading, I've not been to see any new movies (I've missed out on The Good Dinosaur and SPECTRE because I've been stressing out through the first half of a year abroad) but of course the new Star Wars was something I had to see. I resolved to see it as soon as possible. And now I have done, so let's take a look at it.
But onto the film. Let's start with the story: It's been several years (probably decades) since the Empire crumbled following the death of Darth Sidious and Lord Vader. Luke Skywalker has gone into hiding and the First Order has risen up against the Republic with a new weapon of mass destruction. Under heavy pressure, the rebel alliance must re-emerge and find Skywalker, with the help of a new trio of misfits who stumble into their midst.
So let's begin with the Rebellion's ace pilot, Poe Dameron, played by Oscar Isaac of Inside Llewyn Davis, among other films. A notoriously accomplished x-wing pilot, he is the first of the new trio we meet, negotiating for some macguffin desired by the First Order. When they attack, he is saved by reluctant stormtrooper Finn, and Dameron quickly shows his character and attitude, demanding they find his plucky robot bb-8 (who was likely already famous before the film premiered). They are separated, and Finn (played by Attack the Block's John Boyega doing another sterling turn here) searches Jakku to finish what Poe started. He meets with Rey (Daisy Ridley, a relative newcomer to acting and only starring in her second big-screen appearance here), a scavenger on Jakku who found bb-8 wandering the desert. From there the story really begins to move as, with nods and winks to the original trilogy throughout, our heroes join forces and meet with the older cast members, now seasoned resistance fighters.
Facing them, the might of the First Order and their own planetary-destruction weapon, a death-star-like superplanet. They are led by Supreme Leader Snoke, but more directly by General Hux - Domhnall Gleeson, doing an impressive turn as the uppity leader of the military branch of the new superweapon - and sith apprentice Kylo Ren - Adam Driver, another relative newcomer but also an Inside Llewyn Davis alumnus with Isaac. Together they control the First Order stormtroopers in a fanatical drive to control the universe as the Empire once did, and in Ren's own words, "To finish what you (Vader) started."
Like I say, this is gonna be spoiler-free, but I will say this: it's a great return to form for the Star Wars franchise, and while it rarely tries to do anything new it certainly treads the same ground in an all-new way. There are twists and turns aplenty, the action comes thick and fast and it gives you whole new worlds to explore and fall in love with. Little references will leave you with a huge grin on your face, and the battles will keep you holding your breath as you fear for the safety of your characters who you will fall in love with.
And you do: Abrams may not know how to do Star Trek, but he knows how to do character. Rey, Finn and Poe are all quirky and interesting, they have depth and character not seen even in the original trilogies. And where Lucas trod down the prequels with politics and zingy one-liners in any opportunity, Abrams spreads them throughout and scatters them in tactical locations, so we have characters with mannerisms and personality which even the original trilogy characters could not have, trapped as they were in archetypes of their own.
These archetypes too have evolved: no longer do we have Han Solo as the typical happy-go-lucky scoundrel, nor is Leia just a warrior princess or a damsel in distress. With age has come softness: Han's more of a father figure to our new heroes, mentoring them and helping them out, giving them security and teaching them confidence, while Leia has moved back from her front-line role in Return of the Jedi and A New Hope and has taken on the grizzled general, experienced in war and expecting the best from her soldiers as she oversees proceedings from behind the scenes. You get the sense that all the old characters we saw have evolved from their last appearances, in the thirty-or-so years since episode VI they've grown into themselves and learned a lot more than we've seen.
It's not all light-side and cantina bands, though: underneath the glitz and glamour lies a prequel-like foreboding. I don't mean it's mired in politics and trashy writing, but there are certain underlying issues with this new film. First, the story: like I say, twists and turns aplenty, but it's not pushing the envelope as I'd have hoped. What could be homages sometimes feel like outright retreads, and it's a good thing we have new characters and evolved personalities for the old guard; without those, it would feel a bit generic, a bit too we've-been-here-before. There is a feeling of repetition, so while Disney and Lucasfilm have learned from the past, it's almost as though the characters and the universe have not.
However, that's a minor niggle to take up an entire paragraph, and if you're a fan of the original trilogy you'll likely love all the little winks Abrams gives you throughout. The characters really carry this film, we're seeing a story we know through different eyes and it looks like it could take some interesting turns thanks to these new personalities. As well as that, the magic is back, hooray! There's no mention of midichlorians, Jar Jar Binks is not the key to everything - although given his appearance Supreme Leader Snoke might turn out to be of similar personality - and the villains are intriguing and very different, I look forward to seeing what Abrams and co. do with the material they've laid out here. As far as origin stories go, it's a good one for our new heroes and villains and I await the next one with interest.
But until then: be good, and don't trust seven foot tall people in all black with breathing problems. They tend to be trouble.
Adieu!
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