“I’ve got a Bad Feeling About This”
Riddle asks whether the new release really is a new hope and if the new owners and director have managed to reinvigorate the franchise
Review by Andy Barnham
Those not living under a rock will know that a new Star Wars film has descended upon us and will be thinking if the release is worth all the hype. The majority of the news flowing from the international premier in LA last week was gushingly positive, which given the subject matter was not surprising. The emotion that Star Wars exerts over its fanbase is powerful with few sitting on the fence. Whilst the franchise is near universally loved some elements are hated with almost equal passion. Though not box office flops, the last Star Wars releases of I, II and III (otherwise known as the Prequels) sit uneasily alongside the original IV, V and VI (the Originals) in terms of… well, everything. It seems the origin source that is George Lucas needed to be restrained, guided by others, limited by a budget and challenged (even the then unknown Harrison Ford was quoted as saying to Lucas in regards to the script, ‘George, you can type this shit, but you sure as hell can’t say it’). Lucas’ constant tinkering with the originals even led to serious fanboy debate as to whether the films should be considered public domain and taken out of his control. My opinion? #GreedoShotFirst and using CGI to insert Hayden Christensen into Jedi rubbed salt into the wounds.
Which brings us to The Force Awakens and how have Disney and J.J. Abrams done? The magic of the Originals has successfully been recreated and yet for every positive, there is an equal and frustrating negative. Firstly the gloss and shine of the Prequels, which is what made them so fantastic and unbelievable are thankfully gone. The Force Awakens brings back the sexiness of the Originals with the dirt, grit and general scum, and boy do they look great. Added to this, Abrams has used CGI only sparingly which adds to the realism of the universe; ships are dented and scared from battle and blasters have that dull gleam which comes through regular use. The establishing shots are wonderful, from the wide angle war wreckage of crashed Star Destroyers and X-Wings half buried in the sand to the closer, internal views of the much loved Millennium Falcon. And yet once shown, these views are discarded and replaced with close up after close up of the actors’ faces.
Newcomers Daisy Ridley and Oscar Isaac (lone scavenger and ace pilot respectively) mix it up seamlessly with the old hands of Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher; the latter pair bringing history and gravitas to the newer chemistry being forged by the rest of the cast. However Storm Trooper John Boyega comes across as needy with a habit of turning everything into a drama - so much so that I just wanted to punch him every time he appeared on screen. Whilst he is nowhere near as bad as the abomination of Jar Jar, if he were my brother in arms, I’d keep him at arms length as he just has ‘Shit Magnet’ written all over him. No one is doubting a comic element is an integral part of the franchise, which is what Boyega brings to the party, yet compared to Ford Boyega comes second best, as quite frankly once Ford appears The Force Awakens becomes the Han Solo show.
Smaller roles and stars are an equally mixed bag. Some are given solid screen time, such as Lupita Nyong’o as a memorable wise old barkeep, while others, like Game of Thrones’ Gwendoline Christie, hardly get a look in and Domhnall Gleeson’s General Hux is barely out of his nappies and unable to make a decision without referring to a superior rank.
The Force Awakens rips along at a admirable pace but it does so by sacrificing depth to the story and characters. By constantly moving forwards to the next action set piece there is little breathing time to flesh out story lines. While some will undoubtedly be explained in future installments, other gaps in the back story are inexplicably unexplored. Additionally there have always been some inconsistencies in the franchise narrative, yet the abundance of them in The Force Awakens are difficult to ignore, as is the ridiculously small universe where characters bump into each other with near certain regularity.
For those familiar with Abrams’ 2009 reboot of Star Trek, plagiarism of a franchise will not come as a surprise. However the amount of nods, references and in jokes in The Force Awakens are legion. Abrams hasn’t made an original film as much as he has combined elements of IV, V and VI to ensure success. While it is a fun ride, by the end it is painfully unoriginal to an eye rolling degree. The film has already made $57m (£38.2m) on it’s opening night, beating the previous record of $43.5m (£29.2m) held by Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 in 2011, and is predicted to break even more records. It will introduce a whole new generation to the wonders of Star Wars and has undoubtedly pleased the older generation of fans who’ve waited since Jedi in 1983 for the magic and felt let down by the Prequels. However, once the initial excitement has calmed, will it stand up to repeat viewings and generate the same kind of love that exploded onto our consciousness in 1977? 