‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Delivers the Thrills, With a Touch of Humanity

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‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Delivers the Thrills, With a Touch of Humanity
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
MANOHLA DARGISDEC. 16, 2015
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John Boyega and Daisy Ridley in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” directed by J. J. Abrams. Credit David James/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
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The big news about “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is — spoiler alert — that it’s good! Despite the prerelease hype, it won’t save the world, not even Hollywood, but it seamlessly balances cozy favorites — Harrison Ford, ladies and gentlemen — and new kinetic wows, along with some of the niceties that went missing as the series grew into a phenomenon, most crucially a scale and a sensibility that are rooted in the human. It has the usual toy-store-ready gizmos and critters, but it also has appealingly imperfect men and women whose blunders and victories, decency and goofiness remind you that a pop mythology like “Star Wars” needs more than old gods to sustain it.

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J. J. Abrams, the director of “The Force Awakens,” may not have the makings of a god or an empire builder like George Lucas, but he turns out to be what this stagnant franchise needs: a “Star Wars” superfan and pop culture savant. Given that the fans have been doing much of the heavy lifting for a while, holding up the franchise even as the filmmakers let them down with some titanic clunkers (“Attack of the Clones” — why, George, why?), it seems fitting that the new film was directed by one of their own. Mr. Abrams was 11 when he saw the original “Star Wars” back in 1977; by the time he was a teenager, he had a gig cleaning Steven Spielberg’s old student movies.

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You could call Mr. Abrams a love child of Mr. Lucas and Mr. Spielberg, born to the blockbuster world they helped make. At its best, that world taps into the wonder that can come with new visions and realms, sending you into raptures with earthly delights or those in galaxies far away. Too often, though, this world gives privilege to special effects and anonymity over story, character, directorial vision or just a little creative intelligence. Instead, moviemakers bludgeon viewers, numbing them into quiescence with pictorial monotony punctuated by apocalyptic clamor, with the same repetitive story beats, explosions, close shaves and grindingly unsurprising saves. In these pictures, good invariably triumphs over every evil except moviemaking formula.

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Mr. Abrams became a small-screen name with television shows like “Alias” before making a discouraging transition to film directing with the third, prophetically titled “Mission: Impossible.” He scaled down nicely for “Super 8,” getting his Spielberg on with a story about some kids who help an alien return home. Even better was his “Star Trek,” an enjoyable big-screen gloss on the 1960s series that he followed with a disappointing sequel, taking two steps back. Mr. Abrams is still trying to transcend the worst of the blockbuster imperative, but with “The Force Awakens,” he shows that he hasn’t stopped learning and that the lessons have begun to pay off. (He’s backed by some of his regular crewmates, notably the cinematographer Dan Mindel and the editors Maryann Brandon and Mary Jo Markey.)



Adam Driver as Kylo Ren in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Credit David James/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Mr. Abrams’s smart idea — an overarching ethos, really — in “The Force Awakens” is to have returned to basics, largely by dispensing with a lot of clutter. This is no small thing in a complicated movie universe in which the series sequence doesn’t even align with the release dates: The original 1977 film, for instance, is the fourth in the series and now known as “Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope.” “The Force Awakens” is the seventh chapter but also the first film in what’s being called a sequel trilogy. This sounds headache-inducing, but it just means that “Force” picks up years after “Return of the Jedi” (1983), the third release, left off, after Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) prevailed over villainy with his sister, Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), and their pal Han Solo (Mr. Ford).

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Much as in the real world, though, the war has dragged on, and now Luke, Leia and Han have been succeeded by a charismatic, talented trio — played by Oscar Isaac, John Boyega and Daisy Ridley — who look more like the multitudes humankind contains, a genuine diversity infrequently represented in our movies. Yet while these three are variations on the original holy trinity, part of what makes them contemporary isn’t just their skin colors but also the slippery playfulness of their roles. Mr. Isaac, as a resistance pilot, Poe Dameron, suggests a next-generation Han, but so does Mr. Boyega as Finn, stormtrooper turned refusenik. The one seemingly unambiguous note is that the new-school Luke Skywalker is a young woman, a desert scavenger named Rey (Ms. Ridley), who shares Luke’s skill set and love of natural fabrics.

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“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” features some favorites, including Harrison Ford, and new kinetic wows. Credit Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
That Finn saves Rey and she saves him in turn isn’t a new dynamic; Princess Leia, created in the wake of second-wave feminism, was always a thoroughly liberated woman, whether shooting a laser gun or working a metal bikini. Leia is now a resistance general and played with a muted twinkle and tasteful up-do by Ms. Fisher. Like Mr. Ford, she has become more of a supporting player in a crowded room that also includes Adam Driver, who brings intensity and flowing physical grace to Kylo Ren. Among the strongest creations of Team Abrams, Kylo Ren is a kind of baby Darth Vader who throws tantrums in inky-black robes while wearing a leather-and-metal head appliance that looks like a domination mask by way of the grille of a 1952 Chevy.

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Written by Mr. Abrams, with Michael Arndt and the “Star Wars” veteran Lawrence Kasdan, “The Force Awakens” takes off with a battle and closes on a meaningful moment of quiet. Mr. Abrams doesn’t pile on the mayhem, and, for the most part, the pace remains fast without being overly frantic. In the inaugural skirmish, you can follow Poe Dameron as he darts across the screen; he doesn’t get lost among the shadows and editing, a clarity that remains fairly consistent. As for the story, well, it’s as simple as ever, with the usual complications and a bestiary of cute, cuddly and loathsome creatures (humanoid and not) with odd names and habits that keep this circus jumping. It’s the old war of all against all, with fur and feathers, snouts and slapstick, and a guest appearance by Oedipus.

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“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” picks up years after “Return of the Jedi,” the third release, left off, after Luke Skywalker prevailed over villainy with his sister, Princess Leia, and their friend Han Solo. Credit Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
It’s no surprise that paternal problems have made a comeback in “The Force Awakens,” which folds in a father-and-son schism that evokes the one between Luke and Darth Vader. Even so, the more interesting Oedipal struggle may turn out to be between Mr. Lucas and his cinematic sons, starting with Mr. Abrams. He has delivered a more seamlessly diverting movie than Mr. Lucas has in years, but his most far-reaching accomplishment here is casting Mr. Isaac, Mr. Boyega and Ms. Ridley — a Latino, a black man and a white woman — in this juggernaut series. It’s too early to know how this will play out as the whole thing evolves, but the images of Mr. Boyega and Ms. Ridley each holding a lightsaber are among the most utopian moments in a Hollywood movie this year.

Over the decades, as “Star Wars” grew into an entertainment machine, it took on the aspect of a cult. That, at any rate, is how it could feel to those of us looking at it from the outside in, especially as one mediocre movie after another with noxious creations like Jar Jar Binks crushed the box office. Mr. Abrams may be as worshipful as any “Star Wars” obsessive, but in “The Force Awakens” he’s made a movie that goes for old-fashioned escapism even as it presents a futuristic vision of a pluralistic world that his audience already lives in. He hasn’t made a film only for true believers; he has made a film for everyone (well, almost). So, will Rey, Finn and Poe save the day? Will they battle Kylo Ren and Oedipus, too? Stay tuned for the next potentially thrilling, or at least pretty good, adventure.

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). Running time: 2 hours 15 minutes. The Dark Side lives.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/18/movies/star-wars-the-force-awakens-review.html?_r=0

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[size=2REVIEW[/size]
SO THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED TO LUKE
By Xavier Harding  Posted Yesterday at 5:23pm
   


 
Xavier Harding
Star Wars Episode 7 Review
The Force Awakens reinvigorates life into an already beloved series
An entire decade has gone by since Lucasfilm released the final Star Wars prequel flick. But when Disney acquired the studio back in 2012, the company promised a steady stream of movies set in the galaxy far, far away to continue the story set forth in the first six episodes. Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens is the first of a new era for the franchise. And we can comfortably say that this more modern take on the Star Wars film is a refreshing change, arguably the best one in recent years, and fun for the whole family.
Let the spoilers commence.

[Boba Fett]

[Boba Fett]

   
 
Xavier Harding
Star Wars Episode 7 Review
The Force Awakens reinvigorates life into an already beloved series
An entire decade has gone by since Lucasfilm released the final Star Wars prequel flick. But when Disney acquired the studio back in 2012, the company promised a steady stream of movies set in the galaxy far, far away to continue the story set forth in the first six episodes. Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens is the first of a new era for the franchise. And we can comfortably say that this more modern take on the Star Wars film is a refreshing change, arguably the best one in recent years, and fun for the whole family.
Let the spoilers commence.

Star Wars
Star Wars Episode 7
Rey on a mission
The most fun of Star Wars Episode 7 is getting to know the new characters. We’re initially introduced to Poe Dameron—an X-Wing pilot and owner of the fan-favorite BB-8. Within moments we see how this Star Wars film sets itself apart from the other newer entries, when Poe can’t decide who should talk first: he or Kylo Ren. And in the very same scene we see a second way—stormtroopers (on screen) finally thinking and acting on their own. Enter Finn.
Within moments we see how this Star Wars film sets itself apart… storm troopers (on screen) finally thinking and acting on their own. Enter Finn.
Storm Trooper number FN-2187 became Finn when he decided to renounce the ways of the First Order—putting to bed rumors that he was a member of the rebellion posing as a Stormtrooper. Though, throughout the movie, Finn had no problem lying to others about his rebel allies, it’s clear why John Boyega’s Finn wanted out. Episode 7’s updated version of the Imperial Army is much more terrifying than what we saw in A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, and Return Of The Jedi, if only for the clear feelings to Nazi Germany Disney is choosing to evoke. Turning a new leaf, Finn helps Poe escape—beginning the best bromance in The Force Awakens. But a crash landing of their ship has them once again returning to the desert planet of Jakku where we meet another new, yet important, character: Rey.
You may have seen Finn wielding a lightsaber in the promotion material for Star Wars Episode 7, but one of Force Awakens best kept secrets is the force-user in this new group. Only towards the end of the movie do we start getting hints that Rey might be a bit more powerful than we have been led to believe. Confirmation comes directly after hints as Rey learns how to use Jedi Mind Tricks and the force’s telekinetic powers all too quickly. But we’ll chalk it up to her fight-or-flight responses kicking in.

[Boba Fett]

[Boba Fett]

The First Order
The First Order seems markedly more evil than the Imperial forces of previous movies
There are no heroes without villains, of course, and Kylo Ren majestically fills that role. Han and Leia’s son Ben also demonstrates that he has a powerful command of the force, using techniques we haven’t seen on-screen before and powers we don’t fully understand. The Sith shows he can, in a sense, freeze time in an area to stop people and even laser blasts. Ren also shows that he can read people’s feelings and possibly even thoughts when offering his entire focus. While many fans were confused as to the practicality of his lightsaber with a light-hilt, using it to his advantage in the duel against Finn’s traditional saber proved its usefulness.
There are no heroes without villains, of course, and Kylo Ren majestically fills that role.
Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens will be known for the many occurrences that fall in-line with the original movie that first premiered in 1977. A scene early on trusting a droid with a secret message? Check. A desert planet containing our main character force-user with parents of mysterious origin? Check. A “that’s no moon”-sized ship capable of destroying planets? Check. However Force Awakens will be known just as much for its differences.
The humor found in the movie’s dialogue from Finn, Rey—and almost everyone, really—has a Whedon-esque touch that I appreciated. Small changes like seeing different angles beneath and next to imperial starships during transitions led to some beautiful eye-candy. And a broader color palette of racial backgrounds is a welcome change from the original movies’ “White People and Lando” theme. The actors in this movie are a nice balance of newer names like Boyega and Daisy Ridley, as well as older favorites like Game Of Thrones’ Gwendoline Christie, Lupita Nyong’o, and even Daniel Craig, Bill Hader, and Ben Schwartz. Seeing Adam Driver’s face as Kylo Ren added a nice touch to the ominous figure impersonating the persona of his Grandpa Anakin. While removing the mask humanized Ren as the troubled son of Leia and Han, I couldn't help but feel like I was watching a Girls episode when suddenly Driver’s normal voice and face were revealed.

[Boba Fett]

[Boba Fett]

Star Wars 7
Finn wields Luke's lightsaber
More important than what this film has shown us is what it has left to reveal.
More important than what this film has shown us is what it has left to reveal. Kylo Ren is set to receive added training in the ways of the Sith. Which he needs, apparently, seeing as he can’t take down foes with literally no training in how to use a lightsaber. But Rey, too, will receive training from the legend himself, Luke Skywalker. And Luke will have the honor of training the first female jedi and main character to grace the big screen (sorry Ahsoka, you were close). Who better to train her than Kylo’s Uncle Luke—once again placing emphasis on the importance this one family has to the Star Wars universe. Episode 7: The Force Awakens is a wild ride bound to please any Star Wars fan. But perhaps the best parts of Disney’s introduction to its version of Star Wars are the questions that remain unanswered

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http://www.popsci.com/star-wars-episode-7-force-awakens-our-spoiler-filled-review