Movie Review: The Force Awakens
by Michael Archbold
This review is rated SPOILERIFIC by Fly Casual Podcast. Virgin eyes and ears have been warned.
The Force Awakens is here! FINALLY! After a year and a half of all the news, rumors and outright wackiness (at least from the crew at Fly Casual Podcast), we have our first taste of the new age of Star Wars. JJ Abrams and Disney deliver on the most anticipated movie of the year in a BIG way. As I write, The Force Awakens has been crowned king of the domestic box office with $770 Million in gross receipts and has broken myriad records. Worldwide, the film is currently at $1.5 Billion with the movie opening in China today. The movie is at 93% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. What’s not to like about this movie?
There are a million different angles you can take on this, so instead of me trying to rationalize each and show how smart I think I am for having such a broad view, I am just going to give you my background with Star Wars to set the stage for this review so you get the sense from where I am coming. I am a forty-something who has seen all of the films in the theater, albeit A New Hope was at the 1979 re-release. I grew up in the 80’s with my Kenner Star Wars toys and have been there since the beginning. I avidly partook in what was called the Star Wars Expanded Universe (EU) which is all the books, games, and extra-movie material that came out almost from day one. I am what you would call an uber-fan of Star Wars. Not only is The Empire Strikes Back my favorite of the movies, I think it is one of the greatest films of all time. I love John Williams’s scores for the films. I love Ben Burt’s sound production. When people think of how a laser bolt sounds, they are actually hearing Ben Burt hitting a ground wire on a telephone pole with a wrench and the resulting vibrations. I am deeply entrenched in this stuff to the point that I co-host a Star Wars podcast with other Uber nerds and debate this stuff. I appreciate George Lucas’s vision, but I am not an apologist. The man has flaws and they were on full display in the prequels. But don’t get me wrong; I don’t hate the prequels.
Like most people leading up to this movie I had fun debating what we would see with the Disney/JJ Abrams incarnation. Listeners of Fly Casual over the last year and a half know how deeply we delved into these discussions. It’s been lots and lots of fun. BUT, would the movie live up to the hype?
As regular listeners of the show know, I was “not available” on December 17 when the rest of the Fly Casual crew went to see the movie and recorded Episode 70 live, immediately after. Following is my addendum to that episode.
I have now seen the movie 4 times. Believe it or not, I saw it 3 times in the first 24 hours! I didn’t realize this until a friend pointed it out. The first was by myself the evening of the 17th. I couldn’t see it with the guys, but made it happen later at the 11:15 showing at our local theater. This was by far, my least favorite of the four times due in part to my criticisms of the film, a bladder FULL of Diet Coke, and over 3 hours of run time when you include trailers!
My second viewing was the next day with my business partner. We skipped out and saw the film at the same theater at the 11 AM showing. My criticisms remained, but my “under-control-bladder” situation helped immensely with increased enjoyment levels. Later the same evening, my kids begged me to take them, so what’s a dad to do? I felt pretty much the same at this viewing that I did at the viewing earlier in the day, but we were in a different theater that had the volumes MUCH higher and at a far more enjoyable level for me.
My final viewing was in IMAX 3D. Now, our local “IMAX” theaters aren’t true 70mm, but I am not a fan of 3D to begin with and this viewing did little to change that. I am not sure that seeing the film in 70mm would have helped, BUT the sound was even better with the demonstrably superior sound system in the theater.
So let’s just get this out there now. I am not “gaga” over the film as most people are and the way that most of my cohorts on Fly Casual are. I don’t dislike the film. It was good! It has some very strong points. But the movie is not the home run I had hoped for leading up to its release. So let’s get into the nitty gritty.
The Good
Going into the film, EVERYONE was buzzing about the “practical effects” that JJ Abrams planned to employ in the film. For the most part, he did not disappoint. Many felt like one of the things that made the original trilogy great was Lucas’s limitations with special effects that forced him to rely on landscapes and well-conceived camera angles to deliver his film. When the effects-heavy prequels rolled around, Lucas seemingly forgot what made the originals great and embraced what many feel were lifeless performances by his actors due to lack of directing and nothing but green-screen sets to play off while delivering their performances. Abrams seems to have found the right balance of special effects and live sets. The film certainly felt more grounded, even if some of the sets and landscapes were too reminiscent of past films. If it looks like Tatooine and sounds like Tatooine and smells like Tatooine then why are we on Jakku????
In my opinion, Daisy Ridley stole the show. The character Rey was the right amount of everything: vulnerable, strong, gorgeous, expressive, funny, and “Roberta Badass.” Some are actually criticizing the character as being a “Mary Sue,” but I am all about it. She is definitely the new Luke in the series and I am excited about having an intriguing female character like this being the new lead in Star Wars.
Lupita Nyong’o’s character, Maz Kanata, almost, stole the show from Rey… almost. By far she had my favorite line in the movie, “Where’s my boyfriend? I love that Wookie.” The character is a Yoda analogue; a character that has been around for a millennia and has seen it all. With lines like, “I have lived long enough to see the same eyes in different people. I see your eyes. I know your eyes” one would think that in order to portray such a deep character you would need a wizened sage of an actor. Well look no further than barely-30-something Nyong’o. Her performance was brilliant.
Han Solo is one of those iconic characters you don’t want to screw up. Everyone is thankful for Harrison Ford and his $23 million return to the role. Han and Chewie are definitely a highlight of the film. There were a few times that Ford showed his age (running away from rathtars) and one time that Abrams skated dangerously close to the absurd (no-look shooting). But he represented the old guard well going toe to toe with Ridley and Boyega. He brilliantly portrayed a still brash and reckless Han Solo who IS 30 years older AND wiser. He will be missed from the franchise.
I don’t want to say that John Boyega’s character Finn was the “surprise” hit of the film, but it felt that way to me. By all accounts leading up to the film, he was a talented actor and was expected to be the next Luke Skywalker in the series. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was because going in, our only real exposure to him was one or two lines in the trailers and a lot of desert sweating. A LOT of sweating. To my delight, I loved Finn’s character, who, by the way, is closer to a Han Solo than a Luke Skywalker. Finn is a loner who wants to run away as far as he can from the First Order. He does this to the point that he is lying to EVERYONE around him about his true intentions. If not for his affinity for Rey, he would have been long gone, much like Han’s affinity for Leia in the original trilogy and desire to have nothing to do with the Rebellion. He was certainly a heavy part of the comic relief. I am interested to see where this character goes. I think I know where just about everyone else is going. Finn is up in the air.
Adam Driver’s character Kylo Ren has received mixed reviews from the people with whom I have spoken. Most critics are saying that he is not “evil” enough to be the new trilogy’s villain. He is whiny and out of control. To me, these are the things I LOVE about him. Here is a darkside Force user who is being tempted by the LIGHT! He is a Skywalker! I am actually glad that we have a villain that isn’t a scarred-beyond-recognition-amputee! I want to know more about him. Why did he betray Luke and the Jedi? What happened during the rebellion? Why is he so obsessed with Vader? How does Snoke play into his betrayal. I also thought that despite having to set up this character very fast to get to the payoff of the Solo death scene, both he and Ford played it as well as it could be played. From the tear shedding by Ren that had us believing for a moment that he was going to go with his father to the final touch of Solo’s hand on Ren’s face. Kudos on the performance. I am a fan.
The Bad
Anyone who knows me understands that Luke was my hero growing up. The day I heard we were getting Ep VII and that the original cast was back I started conjuring images in my mind of Luke’s return to the silver screen and the badassery that must ensue. Fast forward to December 18. Saying I was a little disappointed would be an understatement. I get it. The movie turned into the quest for Luke. Rumors early on were suggesting a very limited role for Mark Hamill in the film. I was somewhat prepared, but I really didn’t think we wouldn’t even be getting a single line from Luke. Listeners of Fly Casual know about what we call the “Fan Boy Wet Dream.” In said “dream” scenario our hope was more along the lines of Luke being found and participating in the final battle sequences. Instead we get a robed figure turning around and pulling down his hood. Que music. I am taking this as well as I can and hoping for previously mentioned badassery to commence in VIII AND IX. Don’t let me down Rian!
John Williams is THE MAN! He has written every major movie score important to me throughout my youth, formative years, and adulthood. The man is a genius with scores like Star Wars, ET, Indiana Jones, Jaws, Harry Potter, and a million others. The man is also 83 years old. The score for this film felt like an 83 year old man wrote it. What I mean is that it is not very memorable. With the exception of classic trilogy themes, I really don’t remember the soundtrack at all. Even though Attack of the Clones is my least favorite of the films, I still remember the Anakin/Padme love theme which was brilliant. The best I can say about the new score is that I remember hearing the Rey theme and remember liking it, but please don’t ask me to hum it. This is more than a little disappointing. Part of the problem is that the sound track in general is mixed poorly in my opinion (see The Ugly below). It feels like JJ called up Williams, and in his head was like, “What?! Another one?” They paid him a bajillion dollars and he futzed his way through it. I will be frankly surprised if he returns for VIII at 85 years old. I think they should have thought more long term, ripped off the Band-Aid, and made the change now.
I remember our very first cast of Fly Casual in the summer of 2014 and talking about Disney choosing JJ Abrams to direct. We saw JJ’s involvement as a double edged sword. We all knew what he could do with “look and feel” through “Super 8” and the Star Trek reboots. But one of our earliest criticisms of him was that he tended to sacrifice story and originality for said “look and feel.” The more the rumors and images poured in over the next year and a half, the more concerned we became. Unfortunately he did not prove us wrong. In many many ways, this film is almost a complete replica of A New Hope complete with desert dwellers, a young idealistic kid, a sage old man, a rogue, droid carrying secret data, a masked villain, and on and on and on. After seeing The Force Awakens, I am happy that JJ was involved, but I am somewhat relieved he won’t be back for snow planets, metal walking tanks, and a city in the clouds called “Jackee” in Ep VIII.
Can anyone explain who or what is the Republic? I thought there should be more exposition there. Now I do realize that the “Empire” was pretty vague at the time of A New Hope, but I think that was out of necessity at that time. I think they could have been clearer about the status of Coruscant and the New Republic.
Captain Phasma: wait, what?
Rathtars: Unnecessary. Didn’t feel like Star Wars.
The Ugly
Alluded to above, my biggest complaint with this film, by FAR, is the sound track. By “soundtrack,” I don’t mean the just the music. The music was only the tip of the ice berg. I mean the sound effects, the music, and the mix. Why they felt like they had to completely recreate the sound of laser bolts is beyond my comprehension. When they purchased Lucasfilm, they inherited Ben Burt’s sound library complete with the most recognizable laser sound effects in existence. When someone describes a laser blast, I would argue that most people hear Ben Burt’s version in their head. Suddenly laser rifles sound like crappy 1970’s sci-fi. I was stunned. Even light sabers were changed. HOW ON EARTH DO YOU SCREW UP LIGHT SABERS?! I’ll even give them a pass on Kylo Ren’s lightsaber since it is “unique.” But Skywalker’s light saber sounded more like a jet engine! Part of the reason none of the music was memorable to me is that I couldn’t hear it most of the time. Foreign Correspondent Steve Potter in the UK shares many of my criticisms of the film. He has told me that he has purchased the musical score and after listening to it, isolated from the film, he actually likes it. If that is the case, if there really is good music to present, why the hell is it tucked so deep into the sound track?
After my first viewing of the film, I was downright mad. Now part of that was because of previously said full bladder. But even after my second and third viewing, that criticism remained. I will admit that at my 4th viewing at the IMAX Theater, I was able to hear many of the classic and familiar sounds I missed in previous viewings, BUT I still had to concentrate to hear them. I felt like the soundtrack was REALLY rushed on this film… almost to the point that the film was unrecognizable and unenjoyable to me. Call me an uber-nerd if you want and you’re probably right that most people don’t care or recognize this as a problem, but I do. With JJ Abrams reputation for look and feel, this was an unexpected misstep in my opinion.
As previously discussed, JJ’s “return to the well” of A New Hope was a noticeable problem. The icing on the cake is Deathstar 3, aka Starkiller Base. This was an absolute eye roller to me. There HAD to be another way to bring the film to a climatic end. That was just damn poor writing, Mr. Kasdan. When the Resistance was in the war room and Poe pulled up the side-by-side of the Deathstar and Starkiler base, I thought I was going to lose it. JJ is getting a LOT of flack right now from Lucas and other critics for making a “nostalgia film.” Had there not been a Deathstar 3, I would stand in defense of him. He honestly deserves all the criticism he gets for that one. This is a total lack of creativity in my opinion.
My final criticism of the film will only be relatable to fans of the EU. Many of us waited eagerly to see if beloved EU characters Jacen & Jaina (Han and Leia’s twin children) would make their big screen debut in The Force Awakens in the form of Kylo Ren and Rey. We knew there was at best a 50/50 chance these characters would transition over to the New Canon (or Disney’s newly established Star Wars timeline which renders most of the prior EU irrelevant). But not only did they tell us that Jacen and Jaina will not exist, but they also flipped us the bird when they revealed Kylo Ren’s birth name to be ”Ben” Solo. You see, in the old EU, Luke’s son’s name was Ben. I know some in my circle of friends are patiently waiting and hoping for revelations/explanations or even other EU characters to end up in the movies. In my mind this is a clear sign that the EU will have no place in the new movies, and frankly, this disappoints me. I will still enjoy the films. I enjoyed this film. But it would have been nice to feel like the filmmakers threw the uber-fans a bone.
The Lowdown
Star Wars films evolve over time with me. Right now, I can’t give this film more than 3 out of 5 stars. Good movie. I really enjoyed it. My kids enjoyed it. The film will become part of my collection. But it just doesn’t have the classic feel with me yet. I am not certain about the staying power. I will say that I am glad that there is mystery returning to the saga. With the prequels, you always knew where they were headed. That is an inherent problem with prequels. With these new sequels, anything is possible again and THAT is exciting!
My Star Wars order of favorite movies:
- The Empire Strikes Back
- A New Hope
- Return of the Jedi
- The Force Awakens
- Revenge of the Sith
- The Phantom Menace
- Attack of the Clones
3.0 out of 5.0 Stars
Michael Archbold is really just a guy that watches movies and sometimes likes them enough to write reviews. You can hear Mike weekly on Better Kind Media’s Fly Casual Podcast. Follow Mike on Twitter @Mike_Archbold.
Mary Sue, I Love You! – Movie Review: The Force Awakens
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