Imagine a time before Star Wars. Before light sabres, Skywalker and the Millennium Falcon. “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.” Imagine a time when these words were unfamiliar. When a bombastic overture inspired awe. When a stream of yellow letters evoked wonder.
Generation X are cynical, yet nostalgic. Now middle-aged, they cling to Star Wars. They overanalyse the original trilogy, hoping to recapture their childlike wonder. Neckbeards clamber to curse the (admittedly dull) prequel trilogy.
In 2012, Disney acquired of Lucasfilm and announced plans for an Episode VII. Millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror. Could Disney please this fickle fanbase? Could they make Star Wars exciting once again? Would their effort descend into mere fan service? Yes, yes – and yes.
First, the good news: The Force Awakens is a good film. Thumbs up. The bad news: it is a “safe” film. It takes few creative risks. Disney’s choice of director was uninspired: Star Trek rebooter J.J. Abrams. Toy Story 3 writer Michael Arnt was also hired – only to be jettisoned months later. Apparently he wished to focus more on new characters. This worked for Toy Story 3: few missed Wheezy the Penguin or Little Bo Peep. But Abrams over-ruled hit, bringing the original cast to the fore.
“Turmoil has engulfed the Galactic Republic. The taxation of trade routes to outlying star systems is in dispute.” That is the tedious introduction of The Phantom Menace. Thankfully, Episode VII starts stronger. Its opening crawl is brief, yet tantalising. Mimicking THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY, it uses FULL CAPS to emphasise certain PROPER NOUNS.
The Force Awakens’ first act remains its best. A beautiful silent sequence reveals our feisty hero, Rey. Stunning cinematography captures her junkyard home. Think Pixar’s Wall-E. (In contrast, Attack of the Clones introduces the adult Anakin Skywalker chatting in an elevator.) Spherical droid BB-8 is adorable. And Finn’s background is most original. Action scenes are inventive. Seamless CGI offers space battles and surface skirmishes. TIE fighters – and one “heap of junk” – glide and bounce off sand dunes. Thankfully, the quantity of spacecraft remains modest. Unlike Revenge of the Sith’s cluttered opening, there is a clear visual focus. You understand what’s happening on screen. The stakes are clear. It’s thrilling. It’s fun. It can’t possibly last.
I grinned goofily upon seeing a certain scruffy-looking nerf herder. But the movie is over-familiar. Entire locations and characters are riffs on the original Star Wars. It is could be a beat-for-beat “reimagining” of the classic. The 1977 film is a masterclass of pacing – a template of film structure. In contrast, The Force Awakens feels ten minutes too long. It loses momentum faster than you can say “cantina”. Its finale lacks the tension and weight of the Death Star trench run. Episode VII simply isn’t unique enough to be truly memorable.
Despite its flaws, I heartily recommend The Force Awakens. Unlike the prequels, it actually feels like Star Wars. It’s fun. It doesn’t take itself too seriously. The dialogue pops. It looks gorgeous – at least on the big screen. Characters are believable, well-acted – with two notable exceptions. Domhnall Gleeson is woefully miscast. Young and callow, he simply doesn’t convince as a First Order general. Do we really expect General Ginger Nut to intimidate Kylo Ren? Co-star Lupita N’yongo deservedly won an Oscar for 12 Years a Slave. Beautiful, talented – and utterly wasted here. Her mystical shrivelled prune is a CG-eyesore! It’s like Hans Moleman from The Simpsons. Did these people learn nothing from Jar Jar Binks?
Lastly, our heroes and villains often seem too “nice”. Like the product of a focus group. Nobody shoots first. Nobody quips “Sorry about the mess.” Heck, the sole trace of sarcasm comes from C-3PO. Oscar Isaac’s pilot is soft around the edges. The Inside Llewyn Davis actor seems wasted. Mysterious origins aside, Rey is two-dimensional. Likeable and practically perfect in every way. She is somehow an expert in every field. As a result, she feels like a Mary Sue. To quote actress Olivia Wilde, “Female superheroes do have complexity and flaws. But… when translated into film, the women become ultimate goddesses of perfection. In order to be powerful, they are flawless.” Sorry, Beyoncé: being feminist is not being flawless.
I look forward to Rian Johnson’s (Looper) take on Episode VIII. Let’s hope its characters are as 3D as the film itself.
And let’s hope I’m in it too.
Corzies 
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