Star Wars: The Force Awakens (B) Movie Review
Star Wars: The Force Awakens stars Daisy Ridley as Rey, a scavenger from the planet Jakku, as she joins forces with Han Solo and Finn, an ex-stormtrooper, to fight the oppressive powers of the First Order, a new nefarious organization under the power of Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver.
Ah, the most anticipated film of all time? I'd say so. And while it's true that I'm a nerd, I'm not a big Stars Wars nerd. Still, I can recognize Star Wars: The Force Awakens' giant cultural significance, impact, and importance. It's a momentous event in the world of film.
And while this is a solidly entertaining, pretty well put-together film, I'd say that I felt something similar to a bit of disappointment. I was excited for an imaginative film of great quality, not necessarily to see the old Star Wars gang together again. The problem with this is, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is not a terribly imaginative film. Director J.J. Abrams (who's usually not the best at nailing an ending although he does it well here) seemed more concerned with delivering what fans wanted than creating things that felt fresh and original. But newcomers to the franchise Kylo Ren, the film's villain, and BB-8, the film's central droid, are great additions. BB-8 warmed my heart.
Still, there's a lot of fun to be had here. Abrams includes some set pieces that could be labeled as "the epitome of fun." The battle on Takodana, the green planet, stands out as being a riotous mix of lightsaber duels and explosions. There's even some genuine emotion here that floods the screen sporadically and effectively.
Daisy Ridley and John Boyega more than hold their own against Star Wars veterans like Harrison Ford, Leia, and even Chewbacca. Not that I'm calling Chewbacca a particularly good actor, that's not what he's there for, but I'm saying that Ridley and Boyega are equally as fun to watch. Both are good actors but Ridley steals the show here, delivering as a badass female action heroine and a believable actress. Props to Abrams and cast for depicting women and minorities in a positive fashion.
The techincal aspects of the film are equally impressive. John Williams' original score is exciting, beautiful, and Oscar worthy. I also found the cinematography by Dan Mindel impressive. Mindel captures the action with a welcome utilization of steady cam and films the vast, unforgiving landscapes beautifully. There's not an overwhelming use of CGI here too, giving the film a welcome organic look.
And while the film is solidly entertaining and fans of the original trilogy (4, 5, 6) will really dig this, I felt disengaged for brief stretches. It felt to me like Abrams would lose sight of these characters' mission in the midst of heaping on nostalgia. There were a couple detours that I felt were unnecessary and the film's momentum would suffer from this.
But Star Wars: The Force Awakens is probably the biggest cinematic event of the current millennium so even if you're not a big Star Wars nerd like me, I wouldn't let that stop you from seeing it. Personally, I thought it was a little overrated. But fans of the films will love this and a lot of audience members that aren't fans will probably love this. I had a good time and when a film this hyped meets expectations, that's a pretty big deal.
FINAL GRADE: B
MPAA RATING: PG-13 for sci-fi action violence
Ah, the most anticipated film of all time? I'd say so. And while it's true that I'm a nerd, I'm not a big Stars Wars nerd. Still, I can recognize Star Wars: The Force Awakens' giant cultural significance, impact, and importance. It's a momentous event in the world of film.
And while this is a solidly entertaining, pretty well put-together film, I'd say that I felt something similar to a bit of disappointment. I was excited for an imaginative film of great quality, not necessarily to see the old Star Wars gang together again. The problem with this is, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is not a terribly imaginative film. Director J.J. Abrams (who's usually not the best at nailing an ending although he does it well here) seemed more concerned with delivering what fans wanted than creating things that felt fresh and original. But newcomers to the franchise Kylo Ren, the film's villain, and BB-8, the film's central droid, are great additions. BB-8 warmed my heart.
Still, there's a lot of fun to be had here. Abrams includes some set pieces that could be labeled as "the epitome of fun." The battle on Takodana, the green planet, stands out as being a riotous mix of lightsaber duels and explosions. There's even some genuine emotion here that floods the screen sporadically and effectively.
Daisy Ridley and John Boyega more than hold their own against Star Wars veterans like Harrison Ford, Leia, and even Chewbacca. Not that I'm calling Chewbacca a particularly good actor, that's not what he's there for, but I'm saying that Ridley and Boyega are equally as fun to watch. Both are good actors but Ridley steals the show here, delivering as a badass female action heroine and a believable actress. Props to Abrams and cast for depicting women and minorities in a positive fashion.
The techincal aspects of the film are equally impressive. John Williams' original score is exciting, beautiful, and Oscar worthy. I also found the cinematography by Dan Mindel impressive. Mindel captures the action with a welcome utilization of steady cam and films the vast, unforgiving landscapes beautifully. There's not an overwhelming use of CGI here too, giving the film a welcome organic look.
And while the film is solidly entertaining and fans of the original trilogy (4, 5, 6) will really dig this, I felt disengaged for brief stretches. It felt to me like Abrams would lose sight of these characters' mission in the midst of heaping on nostalgia. There were a couple detours that I felt were unnecessary and the film's momentum would suffer from this.
But Star Wars: The Force Awakens is probably the biggest cinematic event of the current millennium so even if you're not a big Star Wars nerd like me, I wouldn't let that stop you from seeing it. Personally, I thought it was a little overrated. But fans of the films will love this and a lot of audience members that aren't fans will probably love this. I had a good time and when a film this hyped meets expectations, that's a pretty big deal.
FINAL GRADE: B
MPAA RATING: PG-13 for sci-fi action violence