Director: J.J. Abrams
Cast: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, Mark Hamill
HERE'S A TIP - If you haven't seen STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS yet, STOP READING NOW. I can't promise that there isn't anything in here you would consider a spoiler. In fact it's safe to say there are things in here that will spoil it for you. So, if you haven't seen it yet - STOP READING.
*****************************SPOILERS AHEAD***********************************
I MEAN IT GUYS, STOP READING...
OK, so if you're still here then you've clearly either seen STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS, or you don't care if something I say might spoil it for you. If you're frightened of spoilers, then run, run far far away.
It's been a while since I've taken myself to the cinema and seen a film. That's the real downside of working in tourism, we are gearing up for our busiest time in the lead up to Christmas and I don't get to have anything that remotely resembles a life for about 4 weeks from mid-November to mid-December. So in the last 10 days I've gone and seen 3 films just trying to catch up. First cab off the rank had to be STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS because I didn't want it ruined and I know a few movie ruiners (purposeful movie ruiners and accidental movie ruiners). As is the norm I toddled off to my local cinema with my crochet and settled in for an evening of magic. I took my brother along with me, who is a "take it or leave" kinda guy when it comes to STAR WARS (don't ask me, I don't get it myself), so I will share some of his opinions as well as my own.
Just a reminder guys - SPOILERS AHEAD
THE FORCE AWAKENS has smashed all the box office records, and is still going strong, opening to 97% positive reviews (note that I made that number up, but it's probably pretty close to the truth). There are a few negative Nancy-pants out there, and some of their points have validity I guess. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a negative Nancy-pants, I really enjoyed the film, but as devil's advocate I can see where they're coming from.
For example, Salon said that "For better or worse - and here's where my hoodie-wearing friend's thought experiment comes in - "The Force Awakens" is more like a remake or a mashup of the first two "Star Wars" pictures than a sequel. Yes, in technical terms Abrams and co-writers Lawrence Kasdan and Michael Arndt are picking up the narrative some 30 years after the destruction of the Galactic Empire at the end of "Return of the Jedi". But they barely even pretend to advance the story of the initial trilogy; they rewind it and repeat it, with new characters substituting for old ones but many of the same action set-pieces, narrative dilemmas and hidden connections." I can see where they're coming from, what with the blowing up of planets, and the father son dramas in reverse, and the Leia-Solo tension. I mean really, there is a lot of same same but different about this latest instalment.
HOWEVER, there wasn't a moment when I wasn't entertained during this film, and there wasn't a moment where I was bothered by the same same but differentness of the film. Really, everyone pissed and moaned like a bunch of babies when the prequels came out because they were all kinds of wrong(and let's be honest, they weren't that great), and now they're pissing and moaning like a bunch of babies because it's too much like the original films. Get it together people, you can't have it both ways!
J.J. Abrams has done a really great job with the direction of this latest instalment, and he really kept the momentum of the film going. There is enough in the film that the kids of today can get into without having seen the original films, but it will still peak an interest to get them to go and watch the films because of the snippets of history. Particularly when these guys enter the scene;
Han Solo and Chewie
Image via Disney
General Leia
Image via Disney
C3-PO & R2-D2
Image via Disney
The new characters had some pretty big shoes to fill and some pretty high expectations to uphold and I'll be damned if Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Adam Driver didn't do it. But oh the uproar at a black Storm Trooper. There were legitimately people who were trying to encourage a boycott of the fil because there was a black Storm Trooper. Honestly, what has the world come to *face palm*. I really think that these three key characters brought a bit of life into this film, but the winner for me was BB-8;
BB-8
Image via Disney
I'm not sure how I feel about a different director for each new instalment, I think it's going to change the feel of the film, and I did really like what Abrams did with it, but I will of course reserve judgement until I see the next one (in 18 months or so...ugh).
Oh my glob you guys, there's a black guy in space - shock horror
Daisy Ridley and John Boyega on the run
Image via Disney
There were a few moments where I thought "oh man, I know what's going to happen next" and I was right. Like the Han Solo-Kylo Ren scene...I predicted that was what was going to happen and I was a little bit disappointed when I was right. Also, I was sad, a tear or two may have escaped (don't judge me, I know I wasn't the only one). But, there were also plenty of moments where I thought, "really? How? Why? What?" Like how did Maz Kanata have the light sabre? And was Jar Jar Binx on the planets that got destroyed? He was a Senator after all.
2015 will always be remembered as the year of the Star Wars anticipation, and I hope it breeds a new generation of lovers of the franchise. Even though I have no doubt the kids of today will scoff at the ridiculous looking SFX of the original films, I hope they grow to love them as much as I do. Although if you're anything like the Red Haired Amazona and I, you pretty much believe that if kids today don't love Star Wars then their parents haven't raised them right.
Overall, even though there was a bit of recycled material in there, I think Abrams and co have done a marvellous job with THE FORCE AWAKENS, some have said that J.J Abrams is God, and although I'm not sure I'd go that far, it was pretty bloody good. I will be going to see it again at the cinema, so that's gotta be a sign. If you're into the whole STAR WARS thing and you haven't already seen the movie, then you're a fool and you should definitely spend the 20-something dollars to go see it immediately (also if you're one of those people and you're still reading, sorry if I ruined it for you, but I did warn you). If you're not huge on the idea of STAR WARS, but you like a good sci-fiat ion film then I think it's worth you spending the 20-something dollars on to go and see it. You I got be surprised. Also, you might hate it, but there were people in there who had never seen a STAR WARS movie in their lives and they enjoyed it, so it can't be all that bad.
4.5 out of 5
xoxo
The Blonde Bombshell
No comments:
Post a Comment