MOVIE REVIEW!!!
At long last, The Force Awakens is here! Does the Millenium Falcon soar again, or is it worse than Bantha poodoo? FIND OUT NOW IN THIS SPOILER FREE REVIEW!!!!
Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Starring: John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, Harrison Ford, Adam Driver, Carrie Fisher
Directed By: JJ Abrams
SPOILER FREE
This is a tough review to write. Not just because I’m not going to spoil anything plot wise about The Force Awakens, the movie that is arguably the most hyped up film of the past ten years, but also because of just how much love I have for Star Wars. So, if you’re skeptical at all about JJ Abrams’ revival of the beloved franchise, take the fact that I’ve worn a different Star Wars shirt each day of this week while I waited for today as your “grain of salt”. But I honestly feel that even if I didn’t already have a deep seeded passion for the Galaxy Far, Far, Away that I’d be confident in saying this: Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a fantastic return to form for the series, and one of the best times I’ve had in the theater in a long time.
Much of this comes from the fact that Abrams has (wisely) removed any and all references to the prequel trilogy, and crafted a movie that feels very much like a natural progression of the original trilogy of movies. While there are some CGI creatures, there’s even more that are people in costumes. The same can be said of the scenery, which is all done on practical sets with, again, minimal CGI. Abrams and Kathleen Kennedy of Lucasfilm clearly know what works for fans when it comes to Star Wars, and they execute it beautifully.
Han, Leia, and Chewie have all aged gracefully, and the thrill of seeing them all on the screen again is absolutely delightful. Harrison Ford seems to be having a blast stepping into the role of Han again, and hearing him talk with Chewie again was all it took to bring a tear to my eye. He may be a little greyer, but man, Ford still has it, and every moment he’s on screen is incredible.
But this adventure isn’t just for the old characters we know and love. Force Awakens also serves as an incredible introduction to our new cast of characters. Daisy Ridley’s Rey, John Boyega’s Finn, and Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron are all excellent new additions to the Star Wars legacy, and I can’t wait to see more of their stories. These characters have all the mystery, excitement, and badassery that Han, Luke, and Leia did back in A New Hope, and they all have great chemistry with each other. Oh, and in regards to BB-8, you’ll fall in love with him in about 4 seconds.
On the villain side, I was very curious about Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren, and I have to say, I was very impressed by him. This is a villain that will have people talking, and in a lot of ways he’s more fanatical to the dark side and the Force than even Vader and Palpatine are. There’s a really unhinged menace that Driver brings to the roll, and after seeing what he brought to this character I can see why he’s such a hot commodity in Hollywood.
Of course, Force Awakens has some problems. With so many moving parts, there are times where the film seems a little too rushed, jumping from place to place without really giving you a concrete reason for why things are happening, and people looking for a full adventure with all of the heroes of the original trilogy might be more than a little ticked off. Like Abrams’ Star Trek reboot, this is a film designed to honor to past of a franchise while also bringing it into new territory, and in that regard, it accomplishes it.
Force Awakens is a huge film. It’s going to be unstoppable, and I’m immensely happy that a whole new generation gets to experience this universe. Walking out of a theater and being happy with a new Star Wars film is a very good feeling, and hopefully it’s one that will happen with each new installment.
Verdict: A-
Jonwahizzle is a comic book slinger for Jetpack Comics. Find him on PSN (Jonwahizzle), follow him on twitter and check out his blog, The Collective: Examples of Nerdery for more!
While I’d personally give it a C-, I’m glad others are enjoying it enough to rate it highly.
I agree with the A-. The problems I have with it are all minor and they fade into the background on a second viewing. Captain Phasma gets short-changed, Luke… goddammit, Supreme Leader Snoke is a CGI Voldemort, and I don’t think the movie explains the status of the factions at play very well – how powerful is the New Republic and how big is the First Order? With that last question I feel we’re going to get a LOT of tie-in novels and comics to explain things.
Overall though, liked it the first time and loved it the second time.
Yup, when they said Snoke, I thought for a second I was watching Harry Potter. And I really hope it turns out that he is a smokescreen some a more intimidating villain, because he felt really generic. Hoping for kind of a Dark Empire twist.
I liked the movie, but I had alot of problems with it. Chiefly the dialogue, which tends to overstate things that the audience should be surmising themselves.
I have some grievances about The Force Awakens but I still heavily enjoyed it and want to see it a second time in theaters (I’ve never done that before for a movie). I’d go into the details but I wanna keep this thread spoiler-free. Maybe when you guys record a reaction podcast to the movie?
I really liked it, the last bit felt rushed. NEEDS MORE PHANTASMA