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| Directed by J.J. Abrams Written by J.J. Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan, and Michael Arndt |
VERY MINOR SPOILER WARNING
Alo Party Peoples.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens will likely go down in pop cultural history as the single most anticipated film ever. Disney spent upwards of four billion dollars just to get the rights to the property and Fandango crashed when the first trailer was released during the Super Bowl. Speculation on every single detail ran rampant for months prior to release.
Alo Party Peoples.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens will likely go down in pop cultural history as the single most anticipated film ever. Disney spent upwards of four billion dollars just to get the rights to the property and Fandango crashed when the first trailer was released during the Super Bowl. Speculation on every single detail ran rampant for months prior to release.
Disney has been so confident that they have a guaranteed mega-hit on their hands that the advertising has eschewed any discussion of plot or themes in favor of building as much hype as possible among. "Look! We're using practical effects and models and matte paintings and shooting on film again! Look! Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill are back for one last red carpet before they retire! Love us! Please, love us!" They even chose World's Best Style Mimic of 80s Genre Movies J.J. Abrams to direct, say what you will about his actual skill as a storyteller, there is nobody working today that is better at building up anticipation among audiences. Everything about the build up to The Force Awakens has been deliberately calculated to get original trilogy fans to weep with joy while providing Disney with terabyte after terabyte of free marketing.
And it's paid off for them, The Force Awakens is exactly the sequel to Return of the Jedi that die-hard fans have been wanting for decades but didn't dare dream of happening ever since The Phantom Menace went down in pop-cultural history as the one of the industry's biggest disappointments. It's no masterpiece, but it's better than any of the prequels, and considering that it had no earthly reason to be anything other than passable (I'll be surprised if this doesn't make over 2 billion worldwide) that's remarkable in and of itself.
Make no mistake, what The Force Awakens wants to be is a two hundred million dollar original trilogy fan film. It plays out as an extended remix of A New Hope with liberal sampling of Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, as we find ourselves following another droid sent to a desert planet with top-secret information to be taken to a rebel base in aims of defeating another planet-destroying super-weapon. It's like Abrams came across a case of the original trilogy's vintage toys, and not only is he re-enacting his favorite scenes, he's adding his own tweaks and revisions. The ingenious thing is that this level of reverence for the events of the original trilogy is when into the plot of the film itself, as our new bad guys, the First Order appear to be a cult of dedicated to recreating the Empire, and all of our heroes are seeking on one level or another to emulate the deeds of Luke, Leia, Han and company, who are regarded by them as near literal legends.
Make no mistake, what The Force Awakens wants to be is a two hundred million dollar original trilogy fan film. It plays out as an extended remix of A New Hope with liberal sampling of Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, as we find ourselves following another droid sent to a desert planet with top-secret information to be taken to a rebel base in aims of defeating another planet-destroying super-weapon. It's like Abrams came across a case of the original trilogy's vintage toys, and not only is he re-enacting his favorite scenes, he's adding his own tweaks and revisions. The ingenious thing is that this level of reverence for the events of the original trilogy is when into the plot of the film itself, as our new bad guys, the First Order appear to be a cult of dedicated to recreating the Empire, and all of our heroes are seeking on one level or another to emulate the deeds of Luke, Leia, Han and company, who are regarded by them as near literal legends.
This would come off as a little insufferable, if it weren't for one thing. Abrams has taken the most important lesson of the original trilogy to heart, that a lot can be forgiven in terms of wonky screenwriting if you have compelling enough characters, and The Force Awakens absolutely delivers. One-time Stormtrooper Finn, scavenger and would-be Jedi Rey, and ace Resistance pilot Poe Dameran are all fun, engaging characters with great chemistry, and there's consistently more to them than just being the Luke, or the Han, or the Leia from scene to scene, but it's Adam Driver's Kylo Ren, our would-be Darth Vader, that is by far the most interesting new character. It's impossible to get into detail as to why without a huge amount of spoilers, but of all the new cast, his is the story I'm most excited to see continue.
If The Force Awakens is a fan film, it's a fan film in the best possible way. It's a fan film made by people that totally get and respect the source material, and want to express that enjoyment in the best possible way. If the goal was to emulate A New Hope, then mission accomplished. They're both wildly imaginative space adventures from directors that are probably better as technicians than they are as auteurs, that constantly hint at a big, wonderful world just outside the frame. Now let's hope that this emulation continues with the next one being a meatier, more ambitious, more emotionally satisfying film handled by a better director.
Have a nice day.
Greg.B
FINAL RATING: 4/5
Have a nice day.
Greg.B
FINAL RATING: 4/5
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