By Brett Blake Is very good good enough? For a movie as hyped as STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS - easily one of the most anticipated of all time - that’s a question viewers will have to answer for themselves. THE FORCE AWAKENS most assuredly is good, a breezy and often thrilling return to form for the franchise. But it’s not full-on a masterpiece, and it is undercut by storytelling choices which - though forgivable - test just how much one is willing to overlook when it comes to writing issues. Those who can overlook that stuff will find themselves rewarded with an incredibly propulsive ride, a host of winning new characters, the return of some old favorites, and engaging action sequences that both exhilarate and say something about the characters involved in them. Spoilerphobia is a very real phenomenon when it comes to this movie (and rightly so), so how does a person even begin to discuss the plot? The official synopsis - direct from the studio’s mouth - reads as follows: “30 years after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, a new threat rises. The First Order attempts to rule the galaxy and only a ragtag group of Heroes can stop them, along with the help of the Resistance.” Treading gently beyond that, it can be said that a disparate band of heroes - Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), and the droid BB-8 - find themselves in conflict with the forces of evil, personified by the sinister Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), the opportunistic and passionate General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson), and their shadowy master, Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis). Aiding the heroes are faces from the past - Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), C-3PO (Anthony Daniels), R2-D2, and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). It is no spoiler to report that all of these characters are most definitely in the movie, but the extent to which any of them factor into things is not something you will find described here. There are reveals in the film (some of which border on being called twists) that should best be discovered when watching for the first time, so nothing more will be said about the specifics of the plot. Director J.J. Abrams had a very important job with this movie: to wash out the taste of the Prequels from the mouths of the audience and remind them what true STAR WARS tastes like. By that measure, the movie is a spectacular success. To say that THE FORCE AWAKENS feels different from the Prequels would be simply a gigantic understatement. What is the difference? Unlike those three movies, this one actually feels like classic STAR WARS, both aesthetically and tonally. The combination of thrilling, exhilarating adventure, humor, earnest humanity, and spiritual/mythological lore (essentially all of which the Prequels lacked) that made the Original Trilogy so beloved is here in full force (excuse the pun). Above all else, the movie is fun, which - even in their better moments - the Prequels rarely were. Simply put, that intangible STAR WARS “magic” is back, and mildly flawed though it may be, THE FORCE AWAKENS is miles ahead of the Prequels in terms of story, character, and overall quality. Now, what of those flaws? The biggest criticism I can level at the movie is that it plays things incredibly safe, and takes no real risks in its plotting. For example, for all the celebrating seen at the end of RETURN OF THE JEDI, we pick up the story 30 years later with the status quo not really having changed much. Yes, we’ve now got the “Resistance” and the “First Order” instead of the “Rebellion” and the “Empire,” and there is an unseen benevolent government supposedly in control of parts of the galaxy, but the power dynamics between the two factions are more-or-less the same. In retrospect, one can’t help but feel this undermines JEDI’s hopeful conclusion in some way. It’s a lazy route to take, as it coasts on the familiarity the viewer has with the “Rebels vs. the Empire” conflict; it’s the same conflict here, just with different names. It seems that flipping the positions - having our heroes be slightly more on the dominant side of the continuing conflict, with the villains being the scrappy, fanatical insurgents with nothing to lose - would have been a far more interesting direction to go. Moreover, the plot of THE FORCE AWAKENS is heavily influenced by the Original Trilogy, to the extent that many of the story points from those films are included here, almost as if we’re seeing a condensed version of STAR WARS, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, and RETURN OF THE JEDI retold in one movie (in terms of plot beats), albeit with enough spins to not feel like a shameless rehash. That’s not to say it all isn’t fun to watch, because it absolutely is, nor is it to say that the entirety of the plot is a retread - in fact, the central mystery at the heart of the film (introduced in the very first sentence of the opening text crawl) is very much the sort of thing we haven’t yet seen from a STAR WARS movie - but one does get the feeling that this new trilogy is most likely saving its truly compelling and gutsy ideas for the next installment, EPISODE VIII (due in May, 2017). Where the movie does fully chart its own course is in its introduction of the major new characters, nearly all of whom are vibrant, distinct, and engaging “types” to appear in the STAR WARS saga. Rey and Finn offer fresh eyes through which to view this universe, and Daisy Ridley and John Boyega light up the screen whenever they’re on it (which is most of the running time); they are instantly appealing, and their characters’ journeys do take them to some interesting places. Boyega proves himself to be incredibly capable with action and humor, while Ridley - something of an unknown quantity - is a revelation, giving a deeply emotional performance that will surely make her a star. Rounding out the core trio of new heroes is Oscar Isaac’s Poe, who exudes the sense of being a truly “good guy” without veering into over-earnestness or schmaltz, and Isaac gives the character a real charisma that infects the other actors around him, particularly Boyega. Domhnall Gleeson and Andy Serkis have kind of thankless parts on the page (the script is pretty much content just to set them up for the future), but they still bring personality to the roles; Gleeson, particularly, has a wonderful moment riling up an assembly of stormtroopers that is striking in its ferocity. However, the true standout among the new characters is Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren, easily the most complex and interesting villain we’ve seen so far in the entire STAR WARS saga. His visual presence alone is instantly iconic, and Driver’s performance (mostly under a mask) is charged with dark, raw emotion. The most intensely dramatic moments in the film feature Ren (including a climactic lightsaber fight which is easily more powerful than the acrobatics found in the Prequel fights), and Driver gives the character a brooding petulance - which is masking his inner conflicts - and an understated fanaticism that is often chilling. He is every inch a worthy heir to the likes of Darth Vader and the Emperor, and is more psychologically compelling than either of them. Of the characters returning from the Original Trilogy, the only one I feel even remotely comfortable discussing - because he’s been heavily featured in the movie’s ads - is Han Solo. Though I have not bought into the argument that Harrison Ford has been grouchily sleepwalking through his roles in the last 10 years (which, unfortunately, is a fairly common perception among movie buffs), it is absolutely true that his return to Solo finds him totally reinvigorated. This is the Han Solo you remember, the charming rogue, and Ford is clearly having the time of his life, which makes his scenes a blast to watch. His interplay with Chewbacca, particularly, provides many of the movie’s best laughs. Beyond the characters, there are so many elements that are just plain delightful. BB-8, the major new droid character, all but steals the entire film, bringing a level of playfulness to the movie that nicely compliments our old favorites, R2-D2 and C-3PO. BB-8 is an instant home-run addition to the STAR WARS galaxy of characters, and kids (and a fair share of adults, I’m sure) will no doubt totally love him. The pacing of the movie is incredible, moving like a freight train from entertaining action setpieces to character beats back to thrilling setpieces without undercutting either; it’s some of the best editing of the year. Also some of the best of the year? The visual effects. Yes, there is a lot of CGI in the movie, but it feels textured and lived-in, and some of the primary digital characters are nearly photo-real. Finally, we have John Williams, who - seemingly effortlessly - has given us the greatest score of 2015, one which doffs it cap to the recognizable themes of the past while giving us at least two (and probably more; an extensive listen of the album will tell the tale) major new themes that take their places comfortably within the Williams/STAR WARS “sound.” That Williams - at age 83! - can still create musical magic at this level is remarkable. Again, the question is asked: is very good good enough? Will you be disappointed if THE FORCE AWAKENS isn’t the GREATEST MOVIE EVER? Because it isn’t. Personally, I’m of the opinion that nobody should ever take a good movie for granted, particularly if it’s a STAR WARS movie, so I'm more than satisfied with the final result here. STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS is entertaining on a grand scale, and it’s the best blockbuster of the year. Bring on the next one.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
January 2023
Categories
All
|