There is a video version of this review HERE
“Star Wars The Force Awakens” This review contains spoilers.
But if you still haven’t seen the film at this point I don’t know what to say
about that.
The most anticipated film of 2015 finally arrived this
Christmas and its box office success continues to pile up as weeks go by. Not
much of a surprise there. Along with the rest of the civilized world I too was
eager to see the film and confirm, or not, my expectations.
When J.J. Abrams was announced as the director of Episode
VII I immediately knew one thing. It would, at the very least, be a solid film.
He did a wonderful job with the Star Trek reboot and I expected nothing less
with Star Wars. In fact I knew he would have to go the extra mile given the
overwhelming responsibility he had.
When the first teaser popped up on the internet I was
excited. It looked great. That excitement extended to the following trailers as
they came out. The film seemed to have its own identity whilst remaining loyal
to the fans and to the original trilogy.
The line “Chewie, we’re home”
gave me goosebumps and blasted me to
my childhood in an instant. The hype was very real now.
So the day finally arrived and I decided to go to a midnight
screening of the film after its release to avoid crowds.
I came out with mixed feelings. The only thing I was certain
of is that it wasn’t a bad film, just as I expected. But I couldn’t make up my
mind of whether or not it was a good film. I had mixed feelings.
At the time I’m writing this review more than three weeks
have passed since I saw the film. I’ve had plenty of time to think about it and
discuss it with friends. I also spent a lot of time reading reviews and
watching youtube videos about it.
In my opinion “The Force Awakens” is unquestionably a good
film and despite its problems it still manages to be strong and solid and an
extremely enjoyable experience. For the most part, the script is very effective
and well paced. Considering it’s part of a trilogy and this is basically the
first act, Episode VII is very strong start and it leaves you with just the
right amount of loose ends without leaving you completely unsatisfied or
frustrated. It even works as a stand-alone film but luckily it is not and it is
so much stronger because of it.
J.J. Abrams manages to deliver what is asked of him but also
leave his personal touch in the film. The balance between his own ideas and the
demanding expectations of the public was a huge task. He passed the test with
flying colors. I think the film has its own identity but also caters to the fans.
The new characters all work very well and I think this new generation will
bring at least two other great installments to the Star Wars franchise.
Daisy Ridley’s Rey surprised me to say the least. She’s a
great new protagonist in this new trilogy and Daisy’s solid performance only
enhances the great writing that brought this fresh new character to the Star
Wars universe. Her story arch in this film alone is very well done and I can’t
wait to see what the future has in store for her.
The same can be said about John Boyega’s Finn. What a great,
great character and what a magnificent performance from such a talented and
competent actor. Boyega’s performance is close to flawless in this film. I
simply adored every single scene with him. I like the idea of humanizing such
an unlikely character like a Stormtrooper. Not only is it original but very
clever on how it also serves as means to deliver exposition to the background
of the First Order and how it operates and of all of this done in a seamless
way. Again, great writing.
Kylo Ren is probably one of the most interesting characters
in the film. Adam Driver delivers a fantastic performance. Unlike his counter
part in “A New Hope”, Vader, Kylo Ren is a lot more conflicted as a character.
I like how you feel he’s not quite sure of who he is or what his destiny is and
how that inner conflict is, at least so far, his perdition. It’s also great to
see this character get even stronger once he removes his helmet for the first
time while interrogating Rey. Another hats off to Adam Driver’s performance.
With less to do but with no less of an impact is obviously
Poe Dameron. Oscar Isaac is wonderful to watch and brings great charisma to the
character. I loved his escape with Finn and how you genuinely love this character
right from the get go. I can’t wait to see what he will bring to the table in
the next two films.
The passing of the torch, so to speak, from the original
cast to these new characters works very well and the franchise is in excellent
hands. Yes BB-8 is adorable. I didn’t forget about him. The R2-D2 of this
generation no doubt.
Of course “The Force Awakens” is not without its flaws and
one of the main issues I have with the film is its predictability at times. Out
of the top of my mind I see two plot points that I saw coming way too early.
One was Luke only showing up at the end of the film, although I did hop he’s
pop up sooner during the 3rd act showdown even though that wouldn’t
have made any sense. The other was Han Solo’s death and that one I saw coming
because of another problem the film has which is the excessive callbacks to the
original 1977 film. Even in the structure of the script. In that structure a
key character had to die. In Episode IV it was Obi Wan and this one it was Han
Solo. Luke was left alone to face his destiny and this time around it’s Rey.
Not to mention the scene itself screams out its outcome way too soon. Unlike
Obi Wan’s death, which comes as surprise and hits a much stronger emotional cue
with the audience, Solo’s death is slightly more gratuitous for its own good.
Never the less it had to happen when you consider structure.
On the other hand I have to mention what I think is one of
the most clever and funny moments of the film. The Millennium Falcon reveal.
It’s a very small moment in the grand scheme of things but it’s so clever and
original that I couldn’t write this review without mentioning. I got goosebumps
and almost jumped off my seat when the camera pans to reveal the falcon seconds
after Rey dismisses it as “gargabe”. What more could you ask from such an
anticipated moment in the film. Every single person had to be wondering “When do we get to see the Millennium
falcon?” and that scene delivers big time. Great writing, acting and directing.
The same cannot be said about Solo and Chewie’s first
appearance and not because it wasn’t good but simply because it came at the
last possible moment. When Rey and Finn are hiding in the ship and wondering
who’s coming in the Falcon, you do the math and think: “Ok it’s been too long
in the film for that not be Han Solo and Chewbacca.” Other that that the scene
works and Harrison Ford returns to his role in great form. You get to enjoy Han
Solo one last time and it’s heartbreaking to see Chewie reacting to his death.
That brings me to Leia. I was a bit disappointed with Leia
and not because of the wonderful Carrie Fisher but because of the lack of
impact her character had on the film. I frequently got the feeling Leia was
only there for marketing purposes. To get as much of the original cast as
possible. Of course I could be proven wrong in the next films. Let’s hope so.
Luke’s appearance was a great moment for me. I grew up
watching Luke Skywalker fight the Empire and face his father. This character is
part of my childhood and imprinted in my brain like few others in film history.
It’s a great way to wrap up the film and leaves you drooling for the sequels.
Mark Hamill is terrific actor and I’m so happy to see him back in the big
screen portraying his iconic role. On a side note, although I love the sequence
I think it has one shot too many. The very last shot for me doesn’t do much. I
would have cut to the credits on a close up of Luke and not on that circling
wide shot of the two. It’s redundant in my opinion. But that’s me nitpicking.
The scene is still very effective and emotionally strong.
“Star Wars” music is part of pop culture. Every one
recognizes it and it’s amongst the best scores every written for film. John
Williams is one of the best composers in film history and his career speaks for
itself. “The Force Awakens” brings great new themes that enrich the already
wonderful repertoire from the previous films. “Rey’s Theme” is a beautiful
piece of music and probably my favorite out of all the new themes John Williams
wrote. This composer still manages to surprise me and thrill my heart after so
many years. I’m already in love with this soundtrack. So glad it’s already
sitting next to the other films in my soundtrack collection.
To sum it up and avoid making this review excessively long I
want to say I think “Star Wars The Force Awakens” delivered and did not
disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and it grew on me as days went by. I
found myself watching the trailers over and over and I can’t wait to see it
again. It’s also a very funny film when the jokes do come up. Well executed and
carefully mixed in keeping the tone and direction intact.
J.J. Abrams’s directing and Lawrence Kasdan’s writing did a
hell of a job rebooting this franchise and I think it will only get better with
the sequels. And no matter how eager I am to see the next one I like that it’s
2 years away. It doesn’t feel rushed and it allows audiences to savor and
appreciate this one for some time before the next one comes out. Yes, I’m
looking at you Peter Jackson.
Go watch “Star Wars” again and go listen to its wonderful
soundtrack. Seriously “Rey’s Theme”. It
blows my mind.
Speaking of Rey. Do you remember the scene where she uses
the Jedi mind trick to get the Stormtrooper to release her? That Stormtrooper
is played by none other than James Bond himself. Daniel Graig. “The Force
Awakens” is filled with hidden cameos.
I honestly hope you enjoyed this review and found it as interesting
as I did writing and producing it for you.
Have a wonderful day and, of course…
… May the force be with you.
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