Hi!
So,
it's a new year, and one of my resolutions is to utilize this blog more
effectively and more regularly than I did in 2015. I want to write
something weekly, and have it be something I care about, something I can
express an opinion on without causing too much controversy, and, most
importantly, be something that you would actually want to read.
It's not been easy, coming up with ideas, let me tell you! It’s much easier writing books!
But,
I did have a moment of inspiration, which is why, from this moment on, you are
looking at my MOVIE REVIEW BLOG! I'll strive to provide an honest, impartial
and informative review of a new film for your enjoyment. Any opinions expressed
are my own, and I will refrain from posting any spoilers, so as not to anger
the masses.
And
now, for the first time in 2016, here's my first review:
MOVIE
REVIEW: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Yes,
the much-hyped and long-awaited new addition to the biggest sci-fi franchise in
history hit the big screen just before Christmas 2015. Many people were
excited. Some people were nervous. A few simply didn't care. Me? I was a bit of
both, and definitely cared. Not wishing to make anyone feel old or anything, my
childhood consisted of Return of the Jedi
playing on TV over Christmas, so that was my favorite growing up. I played
Star Wars with my friends in the school playground (I was always Luke Skywalker,
and I loved the bit where R2-D2 throws him his lightsaber as they hovered over the
Sarlacc pit, so I re-enacted that daily), I had a few of the toys, loved the
films, and even owned a couple of lightsabers in my twenties. As I got older, I
found more appreciation for The Empire
Strikes Back, which is still widely-regarded as the best entry in the series by a
long way, but I loved all of them.
Then
there was the prequel trilogy... Hmmm. We'll skim over the truly awful Phantom Menace, ignore the
mostly-insignificant Attack of the Clones
(which was saved only by the Yoda vs. Count Dooku fight, which was awesome) and
briefly pay homage to Revenge of the Sith.
Again, not the best film. But, having seen the originals many times, witnessing
Anakin's eventual descent to the Dark Side, and seeing Vader's mask lowered
onto his burnt face was pretty cool, and provided a level of closure for me, as
a fan.
So,
when the new film was announced, I was nervous. My lightsabers were crossed,
hoping for another Yoda, and not another Jar Jar Binks. Confidence was high
with J. J. Abrams at the helm. Bit of a weirdo (Lost, Fringe), but
someone I have faith in to always make a half-decent film (Star Trek, Super 8), and
someone whose occasional shortcomings I can still happily overlook (Mission: Impossible 3).
So,
along with my 11-year-old son (who I had spent a year educating in the ways of
the Force), I secured two tickets to the opening night in the UK, refrained
from dressing up, and settled in for Episode VII: The Force Awakens.
Like
so many of us, I had theorized what would happen based on the influx of teaser
trailers online, and I'm happy to say, I was wrong on nearly everything! I like
being surprised, and this film was just that. A very pleasant surprise. It's
Star Wars, like Star Wars should be. Not too heavy on the CGI, plenty of action
interlaced with character-driven dialogue and sub-plots, and yes, someone says
"I have a bad feeling about this..." which is just ace!
So,
the story. (No spoilers here, promise!) We join the action some 30 years after
partying with the Ewoks on Endor. The Empire is no more, yet, like an evil
phoenix, The First Order has risen from its ashes and is doing much the same
thing—being awful to everyone and trying to rule the galaxy. Same old, same
old.
There
are plenty of new faces—the three main ones effectively being modern-day
re-tellings of our old favorites. First up is Oscar Isaac's excellent Poe
Dameron, who is this year's Han Solo. A hot-shot rebel fighter pilot, with
rogue-ish good looks, a cheeky grin, and wise-cracking dialogue.
Then,
we have the Stormtrooper with a conscience, played by John Boyega. A really
good performance by him, and despite his character’s beginnings, it doesn't
take long for you to genuinely care what happens to him. He's this year's Luke
Skywalker, definitely.
And
finally, there's the mysterious Rey, the tough-as-nails tomboy who's hotter
than you first realize, brought to life by the uber-talented,
destined-for-great-things, Daisy Ridley. Not much is known about who she is,
but she's this year's Princess Leia, without a doubt.
And
that was the first thing that really struck a chord with me—how the film
acknowledges the original characters, but gives them a twist for the newer,
younger audience. The comparisons are immediate and obvious, but they work.
Instead of the kick-ass princess, you have the hard-done-by street kid...
instead of the teenager dreaming of escaping his dead-end life, you have one
who struggles to accept he's not meant for the exciting one he has. Kids today
will relate to these things, yet the film manages to keep the essence of what
made the main characters from the classic films so memorable.
We
also have the new lovable droid, BB-8, who, like R2-D2 so many years ago,
unwittingly finds itself with a garbled message in its memory banks, and in the
possession of one of our heroes.
In
much the same way that Episode IV didn’t hang about getting Darth Vader on the
screen, it's not long before we're treated to our first look at the big bad—Kylo
Ren. Let's run through the checklist:
·
Looks cool wearing black? Check.
·
Masked, with scary voice? Check.
·
Mean? Check.
So,
Mr. Ren starts out doing everything we would expect, which is nice. We know
he's working with The First Order, we know he's looking for something... so
far, so Star Wars.
The
film moves along at a good pace. Plenty of action and fighting, slowed down by
great interaction between the main cast where needed. Then we start getting
drip-fed the old-timers, which is where the fanboy in you will get really
excited. We first get a look of Han Solo and Chewbacca, which we already knew
from the trailers, when Han says, "Chewy, we're home." Harrison Ford
steps back into the role like putting on an old pair of shoes—a little awkward
at first, but you soon remember how comfortable they are, and you're off and
running in no time. It's almost like he's not played any other part since 1983
(and after Indiana Jones and the Kingdom
of the Crystal Skull, I bet sometimes Mr. Ford wishes that were the case!).
Accompanied by his long-time friend, he effortlessly goes through the motions
as the scoundrel looking to make some money, but always ending up owing someone
more than he has.
It's
not long before a twist of fate puts him and Chewy alongside our new heroes,
and they're on their way to see another familiar face, Princess Leia. Except
she's not a Princess anymore, she's the General of the Resistance. I won't say
too much about her, as her parts in the film are integral to the main
storyline, and I don't want to ruin it. Suffice to say, like any couple
reuniting after 30 years, her and Han are a joy to watch on screen together.
I
don't want to delve into the storyline too much, because a) you've probably
pieced together the gist of it from all the trailers, and b) it's hard to do
without telling you things you won't know if you haven't already seen it. So
I'll leave it there, but will finish by saying it's a pleasure from start to
finish, it cues up the inevitable sequels well, and it does nothing more than what
it should do—it gives you a Star Wars experience that leaves you wanting to
watch it again the moment it finishes.
So,
the downsides. There aren't many, but, for me, there are some. They don't take
away from the movie as a whole, but they detracted from the experience enough to
make them worth mentioning, so here goes.
Princess/General Leia.
I'm sorry, but poor Carrie Fisher has had so much Botox, I genuinely thought it
was a different actress when she first appeared on camera. We see her go
through an emotional reunion, some heartache, some humorous banter, some
thrilling, edge-of-the-seat action, and a nail-biting, jaw-dropping finale...
and not once did her expression change! Probably because it couldn't. She's the
only one who looked like they were struggling to revive their character,
because she didn't look like a natural, older version of herself… she looked
like she was trying to be a younger version of herself, and it made me not want
to see her as much as other characters.
Kylo Ren.
This guy starts out as being awesome. His mask is suitably evil, his voice is
menacing, his lightsaber is just brilliant… But then he takes his mask off.
He's doing something (which I won't detail, but is another obvious and
much-appreciated nod to the film's predecessors) and he just takes off his
mask. Now, no disrespect to Adam Driver, but... have you seen Harry Potter?
Well, Kylo Ren, without his mask, kinda looks like he's related in some
distant, in-bred way, to Neville Longbottom. He continues with his evil
gestures and scary intentions, but without the mask, you just kinda think... Really?
Am I meant to be scared here? When I was a kid, Darth Vader terrified the crap
out of me! This guy... you could probably flush his head and steal his lunch
money, if he doesn't force-choke you beforehand.
I
think he’s another Hayden Christensen—horribly miscast for an important role
that could’ve defined the right actor’s career, but is likely to end up ruining
it for him. Should've kept the mask on, Kylo!
Captain Phasma.
The name might not mean much to casual fans, but I’m referring to the chrome Stormtrooper
who has inexplicably developed somewhat of a cult following since their
appearance in the trailers. They’re the tall, imposing, assumed leader of the Stormtroopers,
and certainly looks the part. However, that part is so insignificant, it’s like
it was written in as an after-thought. The character will apparently play a
more significant role in later films, but that’s hardly the point. We first see
him at the beginning, and they’re all evil and shooty, which is fine. But then
we see him only a couple of times after that and, at one point, he’s taken
hostage in possibly the most unimposing, least-threatening way imaginable, and
he just goes along with it. What the hell?! Oh, and I say “He”, but the
character is actually played by a woman—Gwendoline Christie, the tall,
sword-wielding blonde from Game of Thrones who protects Sansa Stark. Anyway…
The
final thing that annoyed me a little bit is tough to talk about, because it's
riddled with spoilers. But I shall simply say this: the way a certain character
(who I haven't mentioned previously) was handled could've been done so much
better than it was. That's it. I'll say no more. Watch the film, then read this
again. You'll know what I mean.
So,
to sum up. This is a great addition to the franchise, no doubt. But, forgetting
it's Star Wars for a moment, it's simply a great film. It provides everything
you would want from this genre, and it leaves you wanting more at the end (with
a clear indication it's going to provide it at some point in the future).
Disney
are likely looking at the $4 billion price tag George Lucas put on the
franchise as a bargain, given that it's already made $1.5 billion, and is on
track to surpass Avatar as the highest-grossing movie ever made, ever, in the
history of cinema. And that was always going to happen, let's be honest. The
hype alone can account for half of the profit, and Disney's expert marketing
along the way has secured this movie's place in the annals of cinematic
history.
Now
go. Enjoy. Even if you don't like Star Wars, it's worth a watch. Though I'm
pretty certain after seeing it, you'll want to watch the others.
9 / 10
A
great film, and an instant classic. The flaws are minor, and will only grate
slightly on Star Wars fans, not movie fans as a whole.
Is there a particular movie you'd like me to review? Just drop me a line by
visiting my website, www.jamespsumner.com.
©
Copyright James P. Sumner 2016.
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