Normally I wait till Sunday to do non-tech posts, but with the memory of the film still burning bright in my mind from last night, I thought I'd write it up today. The first of this review will be spoiler-free and I'll clearly mark the beginnings of spoilers. Also, the comments are fair game for spoilers too, so stop reading where it makes sense for you. This will be long winded and emotional, so if you want the tl;dr - it rocked. See it now.
My memories of the first Star Wars film are a bit hazy. I was four years so I'm not even terribly sure I'm remembering correctly. All I know is that I saw it with my father and the only scene I remember is R2 being lowered into X-Wing.
For Empire Strikes Back, all I remember is the line. It stretched around the movie theater.
For Return of the Jedi, I saw it in a little town in Louisiana. There were - maybe - five people in the theater and I sat in the very first row. (Don't ask me why - I was a dumb kid.)
I've been a Star Wars fan for as long as I can remember. I've certainly seen better sci fi in my life, but nothing has left the impression on me as much as these movies. I love them - warts and all. When I ride my bike, I'm flying through the woods of Endor. As I write this - I'm in an office completely covered in Star Wars toys. (And some Star Trek too - along with Robotech and a few other geeky properties.) For the past few years I've walked my kids to school in a full on Sith robe with a fancy (i.e. not cheap) light saber. I'm actually considering picking up some boots/pants to make it a bit more realistic.
So yeah - I love Star Wars. Really love it. So when I heard about the new trilogy, I was pretty damn excited. Unlike a lot of Star Wars fans, I did not hate the prequels. Did they come close to what I, and many other fans, had hoped for? Not at all. To be fair, there was no chance in hell it could. And in the end, Vader's portrayal was a let down. That being said, the prequels had some great aspects to it. Without a doubt, Ewan McGregor absolutely, 100%, nailed Obi Wan. Ian McDiarmid's Palaptine was wonderfully evil. His scene with Anakin at the Space Opera was chilling. The Jedi being portrayed as all powerful, yet seemingly blind, has been called one of the flaws of the prequels, but to me, this is one of the strengths. They had grown complacent and I think that made for a great part of the story.
I also didn't have the Special Editions. To me - they let me see the movies again on the big screen - and actually remember them this time. Did I like seeing Greedo shoot first? Nope. Did I loose any sleep over it? Nope.
My biggest concern with the new movie was it turning into something cool, but lacking in the original spirit of the movies. I enjoyed JJ Abrams updated Star Trek film, but the more time passes, and the more I watch DS9, the more I feel like he really missed out on the "feel" of Trek. (And yes, I'm a huge Trekkie too.) The trailers that were released really felt like they got the emotional aspect right, but I wouldn't be sure until I actually saw it.
And as the lights dimmed last night and I saw those famous words on screen - my fears melted away.
From the first sentence of the crawl to the last shot - this was everything I had hoped the prequels would be and every bit a "proper" Star Wars movie. You've got great action, incredibly funny scenes, awesome bad guys, and a great story as well. The cast, especially the new heroes, were wonderful. Kylo was incredible. So many movies have trouble getting the bad guys well and I thought he was awesome. I really liked Hux too, even when he was (and maybe this is a spoiler) bat-shit fanatical. Rey and Finn had great chemistry, and while at times they were a bit annoying in their youthful excitement, it was a good annoying if that makes sense. As I told a friend, sometimes the jokes were bad - but even when they were bad, I still grinned like a fool.
"The Force Awakens" met every expectation I had. I won't call it perfect (and few films are) - but I'm so happy now I feel like I can bust. If I had to call out one thing I felt let down by it would have to be the soundtrack. While it was good to hear those old melodies again, not one of the new songs really feels like it made an impression on me. There was no "Imperial March" or "Duel of Fates". I'm going to give it another chance though - I'm buying the soundtrack today. But at least while I watched, I can't say that any of the new music was memorable. It certainly wasn't bad, but John Williams has really set the bar high. (The music in the cantina though was pretty good. I'm not really counting that as it feels like it is set apart from the soundtrack itself.)
Seriously - don't wait - go to the movies today. Now. See it with your kids. Enjoy the hell out of it and lets hope the next movies are just as good!
Here are some random, SPOILER-ish, thoughts in no particular order.
- The shot of the Star Destroyer covering the planet as an opening shot was freaking perfect.
- When Kylo stopped the laser in midair I was convinced I wasn't seeing it. My jaw dropped. That is - single handedly - the coolest thing I've seen in a Star Wars movie ever. Or least tied with the reveal of the Super Star Destroyer in ESB.
- Snoke is... fascinating. I don't recognize his race. He doesn't seem like "just another Emperor". Another thing to keep in mind is that Snoke in person could be quite a bit different than what we see in the hologram.
- I love the new X-Wings. Love em. But I still wish I had seen an A or B wing too.
- If you didn't read the books, I bet you would be pretty confused by the "Resistance" thing. To be honest, I've read the new books and I still find it a bit weird. From what I know, the New Republic is helping the Resistance fight against the First Order, but why there is a separate group as opposed to just "the military of the Republic" is weird. In "Aftermath", they suggest heavily that the government is going to be pacifist, but it still feels like an odd setup. The First Order I get. The Empire was shattered, broken apart, and this is what came from it. But the Resistance seems weird. I'll get over it.
- Love that we have a new Star Destroyer. I find the top portion to be weirdly off center, but that could be my OCD. In case you're curious, and you are - the SD is the Finalizer. The class is called Resurgent.
- Hux's speech was so over the top. I would have loved to have been there for the filming of that. Obviously meant to echo Hitler's speeches, it just shows how this new Empire is much more fanatical, much more a cult than the "dignified while blowing up your planet" days of Tarkin.
Archived Comments
SPOILERS!!!! Rey and Leia? Is Rey the daughter of Leia and Han? Was she fighting her own brother? The whole hug at the end was either a huge plot hole or more to it that we'll get to next movie. Your thoughts?
Possible - but I really don't want to see *all* the characters related. It feels like that would be too much. Could I see that happening? Absolutely. Will I get over it? Yes. I just hope it isn't the case. :) I've also heard it suggested that she is Luke's daughter. That too feels like it would make things too connected... but you could always blame the Force.
Another random spoiler: When the Falcon was revealed, the audience went crazy. Absolutely crazy.
Luke is a Jedi and isn't supposed to have kids. There was no hint of that in the original series I don't see him having had a relationship and kids since.
"Not supposed to" is a far cry from "never will" ;)
Can't these jedi keep their sabres in their pants? Jeez!
What about when the Falcon broke down? Haven't seen the movie...but something always breaks...and with the worst timing.
Dear Mr raym - plz how can I watched the Star Wars? I receved error. Can you give the code s to make watch star wars?
Only if you visit the wish list...
I actually enjoy ‘Rey’s Theme’ in the soundtrack it’s unique and it's a little more adventurous sounding.
http://www.msn.com/en-au/en...
Go see it again. I found it had a level of detail that I simply missed on the first pass. A few:
Solo & Kylo(Ben) - at first I thought the scene was disjointed and oddly acted. Second time it captured a level of intent and strategy within Kylo. He knew what he wanted when he walked out on the platform, he knew solo would follow, he faked(well) struggle to draw solo in. Second time the betrayal was even more powerful.
Phasma - I was initially let down by the all silver captain. She could have been the new Fett, she could have had more active fight scenes. Feels like many of her scenes got cut. On second viewing it changed, she was exact very all knowing. Her initial scene with Finn where she caught him helmet off was very powerful, how did she know he was there? When she was captured later I initially dismissed it as weak but second viewing she was tackled by Chewy. Not much you can do there. I do hope she made it out of the compactor in time. I would like to see more Phasma.
Chewy rampage - After solos key scene his rampage was amazing. In grief he became perfect and destroyed everyone in his path and then detonated the building while still inside. Second viewing this was even more powerful and thought out.
Rey discovery - I thought it initially odd that Rey discovered the force. It was very similar to Luke's path in New Hope but the arc was different. On second viewing this changed, her discovery started in the woods when she was force held attempting to shoot kylo. Her acting there was subtle, she encountered something she knew and rather than terror, I saw a touch of enightenment. The torture scene that followed was the best of the film. Initially if felt it was a touch rough but on 2nd. Viewing it was perfect. Her learning accelerates as she encounters the force and it grows steadily. Mind trick discovery, incredible.
Creatures - on first viewing I though there was decent creatures in the film. Second viewing there are 3x more. The depth of creature shop in Maz cantina was just incredible and second pass was jaw dropping great. Even the human powered ones on Jakku were better. The 8 person human powered hog was much better 2nd viewing.
I am so glad this film happened. It embodied why I am a fan and recapured the imagination. Go see it again, there is a deeper level of detail you miss on first viewing. But it is a hallmark of great Star Wars film that they can be watched over and over with ever more detail and this one indeed does that. I thought it was 30% better the second time and I think that is its secret. Abbrams/Kennedy nailed the essence of Star Wars and the depth and layers of the film got better second time around. I know there is more to discover in the film. While exiting the theater, My friend asked did you see the Fleet exploding like popcorn during the first detonation? I just smiled, I guess the 3+ viewings will only reveal more.
Thanks for the comment Ted. A few responses for you:
1) Do you think Kylo faked the entire thing on the bridge? I thought he really did struggle. According to other sources (not sure what, but I've seen it a few times now), Snoke is intentionally trying to keep Kylo "in the middle", not just light or dark. So I'd imagine his struggle there would be real.
2) Phasma: Yeah, I'm pretty sure she won't be killed. I think they learned their lesson when they gave Fett a lame death. (Although in theory he is back alive now based on the events in "Aftermath".)
I liked the movie even if I feel like it didn't quite live up to the excellent reviews. It's safe to say that it far exceeded any of the prequels, but that's a fairly low bar to set. Was it better than any of the original trilogy? I'm not so sure.
I thought Kylo was a decent villain but still lacks the presence of a Darth Vader. I wasn't that impressed with Snoke - in fact, I hate to say it but I kept thinking of Kaos from Skylanders whenever I saw him http://vignette4.wikia.noco...
I also thought the movie dragged a good bit in the middle.
My biggest complaint is that it payed way too much homage to A New Hope. (SPOILER) I mean it basically followed the plot of ANH to a t - even practically recreating the famous Mos Eisley cantina scene. This is a problem that JJ Abrams has had in the past. I will say that it didn't ruin the movie in the way that it ruined what could have been a great movie in Star Trek: Into Darkness. However, the homage was enough to be occasionally distracting - taking you out of the movie in a way.
The effects overall were fantastic. Even the use of non-digital effects worked fantastically, so much so that some of the digital effects stood out in a negative way. I felt this especially with Maz Kanata. She just didn't feel as "real" as everyone else in her hideout and her close-ups felt fake.
All complaints aside, this was a good movie and I really enjoyed it. I'd also add that it was by far the best acted Star Wars movie ever. The leads were great - but even Harrison Ford had his best performance of the entire series. He managed to convey the swagger and smart ass nature of Han Solo with a tinge of sadness and loss. It was really a much more nuanced performance than I expected from him and he really deserves some recognition for it.
She's definitely the daughter of someone. It doesn't make sense that she'd be Han and Leia's daughter as they had plenty of discussions about their past during the movie and never mentioned a child other than their son. It would seem odd that they never mention a daughter if one exists.
I thought, especially the way the movie ended, that it was leading to her being Luke's daughter - Jedi rules or not. There really isn't anyone else for her to be related to that she could have inherited her force powers from - unless Yoda was getting busy at 900 years old ;)
Ah - I think Brian's point about Han/Leia not mentioning it makes perfect sense.
1. He faked the whole thing. Second viewing it was very clear, first he seemed to struggle but that was just to pull solo in close, then saber to the chest dad!
2. She could have been 3x better.
I was waiting for Han to hit the panel with his elbow, but he didn't.
I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, but that is the first thing I said when I walked out. It felt like a good portion was a reboot, without calling it a reboot.
Kylo Ren was the only real negative I had. Once he took his mask off, Adam Driver came off as a petulant, whiny child (to me, personally). There wasn't a presence as the antagonist. I know, I know, Voldemort there was supposed to be the main antagonist. :)
Unless....they are trying to hide her existence from people who may want to do her harm. Of course, then it becomes too derivative of the original, but I think it is plausible this may be the case.
I think that was purposeful. He is not 'all in' wiht the dark side as Vader was in the original trilogy. He is still young. It is obvious he is powerful, but not as adept at in the force as his grandfather. I like that he did not have the same presence as Vader.
SPOILER: One thought I had when Kylo Ren had his second meltdown/tantrum was 'this is how Anakin should have been portrayed in the prequels.'
Definitely. I'm sure in the scope of the three movies there is more room for development. I just meant, taking this as a standalone movie, he was one of the weaker antagonists (to me, personally).
Same happened over here in Belgium. :)
Finally saw it today. While I enjoyed it a lot, and it definitely captured the Star Wars feel, as others have said it borrowed way too many plot elements from A New Hope.
One observation: everyone in the movie referred to it as "Luke's lighsaber." Given it's blue blade, it looks like the saber from the first movie, which means it's technically Anakin's saber, right? That would probably make it even more important to Kylo Ren.
I was very disappointed in my fellow audience members in this regard. They had absolutely no sense of nostalgia. No response to the Falcon, no response to "I've got a bad feeling about this" (I giggled a bit), and no response to seeing R2 again. (I have a soft spot for R2D2, thanks to Ahsoka in The Clone Wars series)