A spoiler-free review of Star Wars: The Force Awakens

 

To truly appreciate the cultural phenomenon that is ‘Star Wars’ — and to truly understand why even a hundred negative reviews would be about as effective in swaying audiences from seeing ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ as C-3PO in a firefight — one has to grasp how the property has endured for almost four decades, and why it took three for us to witness the events that transpired after the original trilogy.

 

At some point during the development of what would eventually become the first installment of the ‘Star Wars’ franchise, George Lucas realized that he was not telling a story — he was actually writing the middle of it. After two equally successful sequels within the span of six years, plans were made to direct a prequel trilogy; however, subsequent events in Lucas’s life left his fortune vastly diminished, forcing him to put said plans on hold. Advancements in CGI technology and the original trilogy’s enduring popularity in literary form allowed Lucas to return to the ‘Star Wars’ universe with three prequels that, despite being met with mixed reviews, helped keep interest in the franchise alive. If Lucas were to be believed, 1983’s ‘Return of the Jedi’ was meant to be the true ‘end’ of the saga. Nevertheless, when Lucasfilm was sold to the Walt Disney Company in 2012, the company immediately moved forward with plans to make more ‘Star Wars’ films, tapping science-fiction director JJ Abrams to direct and co-write the first film in the sequel trilogy.

 

Disney probably hired Abrams due to his successful reboot of that other popular science-fiction film franchise, ‘Star Trek’. If this truly were the case, then they made the right call — with ‘The Force Awakens’, Abrams and co. have succeeded in catching lightning in a bottle once more.

 

 

‘This is the sequel you are looking for’

 

‘The Force Awakens’ brings along with it many beloved elements and characters of the Star Wars mythos, while introducing an entire cantina’s worth of new ones and deftly setting the stage for future adventures. For longtime fans, perhaps the simplest and most effective way to describe it is that it is pretty much how ‘A New Hope’ would be, if it were made in 2015 - from the loud orchestra music accompanying the opening crawl that sends chills up your spine, to the vibrant and visually distinct creatures that inhabit the various worlds, to the action-packed battle scenes. Every element in this film is carefully crafted and calculated — particularly with regard to fan service; aside from all the nods and references to previous 'Star Wars' movies that attentive fans will definitely catch, they even used an obscure name from the original draft of ‘Star Wars’ as an important plot device — to capture the rush that wide-eyed fans of ‘A New Hope’ felt, even long after they walked out of theaters on that fateful day in 1977.

 

As the film takes place roughly 30 years after ‘Return of the Jedi’, a new set of protagonists are introduced, following in the footsteps of Luke, Leia, and Han. Daisy Ridley delivers a strong performance as the reluctant heroine Rey, and any doubts about her being a strong protagonist should be quickly dispelled. John Boyega brings in some welcome laughs as conflicted Stormtrooper Finn, even though it sometimes feels as if his humorous lines would be more suited in a Marvel film. Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron is perhaps the new trilogy’s own version of Han Solo, and the roly-poly droid BB-8 combines the efficiency of R2-D2 and the adorable charm of an eager puppy.

 

As far as visuals and sound are concerned, this film is undeniably ‘Star Wars’, with its well-choreographed lightsaber fight scenes and suspense-filled spacecraft showdowns. ‘The Force Awakens’ is definitely a treat, not just for your inner child or not-so-inner ‘Star Wars’ fan, but also for the senses. 

 

 

Disturbances in the Force

 

Much like the Force itself, however, ‘The Force Awakens’ has a Dark Side. Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren is sadly no Darth Vader (though for reasons I cannot say, this is certainly not the actor’s fault) and at times, he comes off less like a ruthless manipulator of the Force and more like a petulant child throwing a tantrum. He does have some memorable (and utterly despicable) moments, but for the most part, he would probably rank low on the list of Sith Lords from all seven films in terms of screen presence. 

 

Apart from the humor sounding a bit off at times (for a ‘Star Wars’ film, that is), a handful of characters are either left underdeveloped or quickly dispatched. While it’s understandable for a film burdened with the task of simultaneously bringing new fans up to speed and setting the stage for future events, it’s a shame that we don’t really get to see a few interesting characters become more important in the story.

 

Without spoiling much, there’s a feeling of deja vu as the film goes from scene to scene, as if it had plucked out story beats from the previous movies that it could safely repurpose to satisfy the audience and move the plot forward. To be fair, to call this a rehash of ‘Star Wars’ plot points would certainly not do it justice; it just all feels awfully familiar, especially with the order in which specific events are presented. And perhaps, for a film that banks heavily on nostalgia, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

 

All in all, ‘The Force Awakens’ pays due respect to its predecessors, further expanding the horizons of the franchise and opening its doors to a whole new wave of fans. While it may not really have anything new to offer in terms of story, it makes up for it in everything else. It’s definitely not the best film in the franchise — that honor still goes to 'The Empire Strikes Back' — but it’s still a solid entry. The Force is strong with this one. — TJD, GMA News