Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Directed by J.J. Abrams, Starring: John Boyega, and Daisey Ridley12/20/2015 Today before going to see The Force Awakens I rewatched what little of Attack of the Clones I could get through. It was only about a good 45 minutes before I gave up, and just turned it off. The prequels were not good movies, but they had good moments and lots of potential. It’s time to close the book on them. The reason I watched Attack of the Clones, though, was to familiarize myself with what didn’t work well about those films—what made them the atrocities they are considered by most today. I wanted to know what makes the worst Star Wars film, the worst Star Wars film. I did it so if I saw these problems in the new one I wouldn’t be fooled by the hype, and judge it for what it was. I didn’t, though. Not one bit. No wooden performances, no overly green screened environments, and genuinely good action. Star Wars: The Force Awakens feels like a science fiction/fantasy film lacking of the cynicism or bloat that other fantasy revisits (The Hobbit) contain. In fact it’s the opposite. It may be too thin. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is about a group of people known as the Resistance, and another group called the First Order fighting for power over the galaxy. A young Stormtrooper named Fin (John Boyega) , and girl named Rey (Daisey Ridley) get caught up in the battle leading them to discover things that they never knew about each other. They eventually meet up with series favorite Han Solo (Harrison Ford), and must fight off the evil Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). This film is the main event and I was hooked from frame one. The Star Wars screen crawl is a powerful tool, and the use here is great immediately setting up the story. J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan are having a good time drawing a mostly “show don’t tell game” out of Star Wars here, and they certainly bring enough emotional weight to the screenplay to make it work-even if I kept thinking that some of my attachment could be attributed to the other films. But the relationships are well drawn even if some of them are told to us at times. The plot matters in this one, and it’s exciting to see these new characters build to the spectacular third act. Boyega is especially fun as Fin, and the dialogue that he’s given leans more toward a joking nature. Daisey Ridley isn’t really given too much to say as a character, but Ridley’s a good enough actress that I actually did care about her, and her backstory. Oscar Isaac is going to be amazing in these movies when he’s actually given something to do, and the older cast members feel more like supporting players letting the new ones shine. However, the world, and the effects used were always just as important...in the original trilogy, it was all about the effects in the prequels. Here J.J Abrams has directed and crafted a sleek and colorful film. Everything sounds like it should, and looks like it should. There are no oddities, or Jar Jars; it’s all necessary. There’s not just sitting around and discussing politics like there was in the prequel’s either. The direction here moves at a good clip, and character is revealed through what they do for the most part. Rey’s pilot skills are revealed in one of the most exciting fight scenes I’ve ever seen on screen, and Boyega’s heroic sensibilities are relatable but become immediately abundant when he pulls out the lightsaber we see in the trailers. Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren seems to act childish, but in a super dangerous and intimidating way that really builds on his character. Abram’s visual craftsmanship is excellent here, and I’ll commend Abrams for that. The raw intensity of lightsaber battles are back, and I can only thank him. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the film I wanted it to be, even if it lacked in some aspects. It’s an entertaining sci-fi space opera, and even though it’s stretched too thin at times, it really works pulling out multitudes of emotions. If the last trilogy left a horrible aftertaste for everyone that encountered it, then this one has given us exactly what we wanted to wash that away. There’s nothing from those film’s here tainting the fun. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the most fun I’ve had at the movies this year, and I can’t wait for the fun to come. I give Star Wars: The Force Awakens an 8.5 out of 10.
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December 2017
CategoriesAuthorHello welcome to FilmAnalyst. My name is Stephen Tronicek, and I really like movies. This is a way to get my opinions out to people. Thank you for visiting. |