I feel the conflict within...

[rich_jacko]

With The Force Awakens' imminent release on movie channels and DVD being advertised constantly, now seems as good a time as any to revisit my opinion of it since my initial review. Needless to say, there will be spoilers.

I've come to the conclusion that this film wasn't really made for me. Everything seems aimed at people who hated the prequel trilogy and are in need of some reassurance, from Max Von Sydow's opening line ("This will begin to make everything right.") to the slavish re-creation of so many elements from the original trilogy. As others have said to me, "All it had to do is not suck," and "It was two hours of Disney saying, 'Yes, we get it.'"

That's all very well, and if you set your expectations that low, then you're probably happy with it. But as one notorious Jedi once (almost) said, something's wrong. It's not the film it should be. I want more.

"It's definitely the weakest of the seven," is a contrasting view I've heard. I don't quite agree (Episode II's flaws run deep), but I can see why you might say that. I admit the prequels - with their their dense political machinations, flawed heroes and murky morality - aren't as accessible as The Force Awakens, but at least they try something a bit different.

There is no point in new films re-creating the originals; that's what we have the originals for. I'd much rather filmmakers take risks, maybe fail occasionally, and show us something new. Episode VII plays it far too safe and that, ironically, is its undoing.

It may not have horrible failures like Midi-chlorians or Jar-Jar's cartoon antics during the Battle of Naboo, but neither does it have the soaring highs of the Boonta Eve Podrace or Episode I's final lightsaber battle. It may not have anything as cringe-worthy as some of Episode II's dialogue ("If you are suffering as much as I am, please tell me." - Believe me Anakin, we are!) but nor does it have anything as game-changing as the Jedi going to war and massed ranks of Stormtroopers presented as 'the good guys'.

As I said in my initial review, The Force Awakens is largely a remake of A New Hope, with bits of Empire and Jedi sprinkled in for good measure. Hopefully Disney have now got this out of their system, and the story will head off in a new direction with Episode VIII. But if Rey breaks off her Jedi training with Luke because she gets a vision of her friends in trouble, I'm crying foul. ;o)

Almost everything about the Giant Space Pokéball - sorry, 'Starkiller Base' - annoys me, from its fanservice name to the ridiculous attempt to top its predecessors (Size matters not...) to the half-arsed recreation of the trench run near the end. Having it blow up what looks like Coruscant but isn't (the Hosnian System, apparently) is sloppy and confusing storytelling. Having a second Death Star in Jedi was already stretching the idea a bit far, but at least then it was integral to the plot in new and interesting ways. The Force Awakens' story would work equally well - perhaps better - without the giant planet-destroying super-weapon and if it were more focussed on its main 'quest for Luke Skywalker' arc. But, hey, we've got to have a giant planet-destroying super-weapon, because that's on our checklist. *sigh*

One frequent criticism of the prequels is that having characters such as Boba Fett and Chewbacca turn up for no good reason made the galaxy feel small. Well, if the prequels made it feel small, Episode VII makes it the size of a village. Characters bump into other characters who know them all the time. When the Falcon leaves Jakku, not only are Han and Chewie in the vicinity, but so are the two gangs after them. Takodana is near enough to the Hosnian system that the latter's destruction is clearly and instantly visible from there. The settlements we see are small, and there's little sense of a wider world being inhabited beyond the screen.

That's not to say there aren't a lot of things I adore about The Force Awakens. I love Rey and Finn and the dynamic between them. I love the haunting, hazardous wreckage of the Star Destroyer on Jakku. I love Rey's theme music. I love the Falcon's (re-)introduction. I love Han and Chewie and the scenes between Han and Leia. I love those two troopers turning round and leaving Ren to his tantrum. I love Maz Kanata. I love the vision sequence. I love the bit where Ren unexpectedly removes his helmet and is just a normal guy underneath (although he'll probably be sporting some interesting facial scars next time...). I love Captain Phasma. I love that moment where Rey Force-grabs that iconic lightsaber away from emo boy, setting up the striking image of a lightsaber duel in the snow, and then... Oh. Never mind. Like Samuel L. Jackson said, the kids need to go to lightsaber school.

Kylo Ren annoyed me the first time, with his angsty daddy issues and frequent toddler tantrums. But then I realised you're not meant to be impressed by him. The other characters - First Order and Resistance - may be wary of him (Because, you know, he can kill you with his brain), but they don't respect him. For the most part they either backchat or ignore him. It's an interesting treatment for a major villain which would have worked better in another film. Unfortunately, as it stands, a character who desperately wants to be just like Darth Vader mostly comes across as symptomatic of a film that desperately wants to be just like the original trilogy. The rest of the First Order being an imperial tribute act doesn't exactly help.

There's a lot that needs answering in the rest of this trilogy. We need to know Rey's background. We need to know why Ben Solo turned to the emo side. We need to know where Snoke was hiding all these years. We need to know what Luke's been up to - It's so uncharacteristic of him to run away when friends and family need his help. We need to know what's the deal with the first Jedi temple. Poe Dameron needs to grow as a character (His role in Episode VII is essentially Ace Rimmer, which is fine, but it's one dimensional). And perhaps most importantly, how will Artoo and BB-8 get along together? ;o)

All things considered, my opinion of this film hasn't really changed much since I first saw it last December. I'm still a bit disappointed that it's the first Star Wars film with nothing new in it. There are plenty of things I like; there are plenty of things I don't.

Of course I'm going to buy it on DVD. Don't be silly. ;o)

Comments

[grok-mctanys.livejournal.com]

I've only seen it the once, so I haven't had the chance to see it afresh to properly re-evaluate my own opinion.

However, looking back my thoughts now are basically the same as they were back then. TFA is flawed in many ways - a lot of which you mention - but very few of the flaws get in the way of the film being fun. It's still enjoyable to watch, on the whole, despite its shortcomings. As well as the ones you've brought up, I found Cracked's description of proof that JJ Abrams doesn't understand Star Wars to be very on the nose.

Anyway, I'll certainly agree that episodes I - III had moments, or even scenes, which were tense, or exciting, or well-scripted, or whatever. But on the whole, I just didn't think they were much fun to watch. And Star Wars should be fun.

p.s. "Episode I's final lightsaber battle"?

[rich-jacko.livejournal.com]

I've seen TFA three times, and it is definitely fun. Fun enough to see it that many times at the cinema (although my third viewing was mainly because I wanted to see what Cineworld's new '4DX' was like - Verdict: don't bother, it's gimmicky and distracting).

I'd say Episode I is fun to watch too, a lot of which is down to Qui-Gon Jinn. II and III are patchier, due to the darker storylines. But Obi-Wan's solo missions in both films are a lot of fun, as is the last third of Episode II, the opening act of Episode III, and any moment in which Master Yoda brandishes a lightsaber.

Thanks for the Cracked link. I'd not come across that before. Not sure I agree that mysteries don't belong in Star Wars though. There may not be anything like that in A New Hope, but Empire has both the cave scene on Dagobah and "There is another," to intrigue the viewer. Only one of which is resolved by the end of the film. Plus Empire ends every bit as unresolved as TFA.

When it comes down to it, TFA is more Star Wars, and for that I'm grateful. I wouldn't write a second lengthy post about a film I didn't care for, and I do really want to see what happens next.

P.S. - Yes, I was comparing the bad and good points of I and II. Episode I's final lightsaber battle might lack the emotional punch of those in III, V and VI, but it is spectacular. It's the best choreographed fight in the whole series; of course the music is brilliant; and it's tense and a lot of fun, with some genuine shocks. Even though it's dialogue-free, there's a lot of telling character moments too.

[grok-mctanys.livejournal.com]

Ah - I thought you were contrasting TFA with the good and bad points of all the prequels, and typo'd mentioning ep III's lightsaber battle as the soaring high. Yeah, the ep I one was very good too. Even if Darth Maul did have the high ground. ;-)

[ukwarwickdood.livejournal.com]

It's a fairly braindead film, but very enjoyable. Yes it's the plot of Episode IV rehashed but it does work on an enjoyment level.

I do think they have played it safe after the mess of the prequels.

[pharrap.livejournal.com]

In the prequels George got the big galactic storyline stuff bang on and all the close character-level stuff very badly wrong. In episode vii that was reversed.