Cape and Cowl Review - 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'
The Ultimate Christmas Present
By Alex Burns
(No Spoilers - Read in peace)
'The Force Awakens' is to put it quite simply, a triumph. All at once the movie brings back the joy of the original trilogy whilst resolving any lingering bad feelings that the prequels had left behind. This is Star Wars for the next generation and as the older fans have always wanted it. The deal with Disney has done it's job and while creator George Lucas may be staying away from his "ex-girlfriend" he can absolutely hold his head high, knowing the incredible universe he created is in very good hands.
Director J.J. Abrams and co-writer Lawrence Kasdan have concocted a story full of affection that plays out at first like a classy covers album, all your favourite songs are present and sure they might sound a little different but the cover artist gets what made the song a hit in the frist place and you kinda like it, you start wondering if maybe you like it even a little more than the original...? Now before you start screaming blasphemey don't worry things aren't completely nostaligic for long and before you even realise you've made the jump to hyperspace you're launched into a new, original, hit debut album and believe me, you won't skip one track. It all boils down to the fact that 'The Force Awakens' is the movie die-hard fans thought they were going to get when 'The Phantom Menance' launched back in 1999, it turns out that expectation was naive and almost unfair, the only truly fulfilling Star Wars sequel for these fans could be one that explored what happened to all those iconic characters AFTER 'Return of the Jedi'.
So it's fitting the film begins as a beautiful self-indulgent nostalgia trip back to those original movies with so much echoing 'A New Hope'. Audiences will enjoy the familiarity; secrets hidden in droids, crash landings and a barren, sandy planet all begin a whirlwind emotional ride that spikes with the reappearance of Han Solo, Chewie and later Luke and Leia. So much of the film works simply because these characters evoke a hugely positive response from us and you won't be sure whether to weep tears of joy or stand and applaud.
It's not just the old faces though, the film spends a great deal of time with the new additions to the Star Wars universe and it's John Boyega's Finn who comes out as the most successful. Finn's arc from disillusioned Soldier to all out hero is believable and while there's a great deal of humour involved it's more the moments of moral uncertainty and overcoming fear that really nail it and make the character gel. Daisy Ridley's Rey is the big surprise in terms of story but unfortunately she is lumbered with the straight-laced Luke Skywalker role which seems almost old hat now. Her unique characteristic seems to be simply the fact that she's not a boy which admittedley feels like a missed opportunity to take a stab at updating the traditional hero role. That is a real minor gripe though, Ridley is a very powerful presence on screen and is the spitting image of 'Curse of the Black Pearl' Keira Knightley but with a whole lot more fire behind those eyes. Rey handles blasters and rides spaceships with aplomb and there's nothing patronising about it, she's a true Star Wars hero, Princess Leia Mach 2.
The fan-favourite is bound to be Oscar Isacc as Poe Dameron, there's not a great deal going on with character development here but trust me when I say this guy does a whole lot of epic stuff in this movie and he does it with a flair that bring something new to the franchise. As for BB-8, the new droid is a great mascot and rumbles a few chuckles but there's work to do if the charm of R2D2 is ever to be topped and you have to aim high right?
Then there's the villains and I have to say it, Kylo-Ren is incredible, not just a great Star Wars villain but a truly epic movie villain in his own right, a character destined to go down in cinema history for all the right reasons. A villain born out of Vader emulation but not stuck in the Sith Lord's Shadow, Kylo-Ren is a petulant tower of aggression and evil, actor Adam Driver brings a gangly menance to the role and is a real stand-out. Steadfast in his warped beliefs, Kylo-Ren will draw comparisons with a modern day terrorist and they are there to see but in no way is that message pushed onto the audience. The supporting villains include Captain Phasma played by Gwendoline Christie and Genral Hux played by Dohmnhall Gleeson and both are servicable if a little undercooked, in fact, while the entire First Order is a fantastic looking evil organisation their motives are vague even by shadowy sci-fi villain standards. Some light is shed when Kylo-Ren answers to Andy Serkis' Supreme Leader Snoke and it's made clear that the future of the franchise involves a villain that could supersede Emperor Palpatine as the Universe's ultimate big bad.
J.J Abrams has delivered a stunning picture complete with all the beautiful vistas and exciting locales you'd expect in a film of this magnitude. Tellingly though he has also held back his approach somewhat, when compared to the abundantly frenzied action sequences in his Star Trek movies, The Force Awakens feels more grounded, there's plenty to see for sure but the action beats are more nuanced and humble, feeling like a perfect update to the original trilogy and less akin to the CG experiments that occurred in the prequels.
The Lightsaber duels are incredibly realised and again there is a definitive stance that the creative team have taken here to ensure that unnecessary flamboyance is done away, instead it's the story that drives every swing of those iconic blades and that will always triumph over style.
This is a true blockbuster cinema experience and I implore you to stay away from all the spoilers and go in fresh and out of the know. Mark Hamill's return is an absolute peach, the new roles for our old friends are what we're there to see right? It's how those 30 years after defeating the Empire have shaped all of their lives. Go cold turkey, you'll be cooking with gas once the credits roll. 'The Force Awakens' shines a bright light on the realm of family cinema experiences, full of hope and optimism and rolling along at a pace where no eight year is going to want to leave their seat for the bathroom.
The energy on display is infectious and anyone out there who isn't satisfied with this instalment is seriously just swimming against a tide of truth and awesome. If you're a die-hard fan of the original trilogy, if you hate the prequels with a passion or find that they just offer something different and if you've never even heard of the dark side it doesn't matter, there really is no debate, you will get something from 'The Force Awakens' and it will be positive. This is movie-making at it's most accomplished and magical. It's Christmas time and this is the ultimate present.
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