My final review of 2015 was of the most anticipated release of that year, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Now that that film has more than likely been seen by everyone, and my review of the film being spoiler free, I would like to post my thoughts on the moments we all agreed not to reveal. So, for anyone who is still yet to see the film, stop reading now! For everyone else, here are my thoughts on three of the biggest spoilers from the new Star Wars film.
Before its release, much of the build up to The Force Awakens centred around the mysterious new villain, Kylo Ren. With his face hidden behind a mask and a distorted voice, no clues where given as to whom exactly he was. We learn his identity not long into the film, which sets up a key confrontation later. The reveal of Ren to be Han Solo's son was one I didn't expect, though it was hinted by Max von Sydow's character that he initially came from a good family. Like Darth Vader in the original trilogy, having a villain with a personal connection to the heroes makes for greater drama and threat. Having learnt his identity, we then see Ren without his mask in some scenes, which allows him to express himself more and further engage with him. It also gives him a vulnerability, which I thought worked well in developing his character. He had some good comedic moments, too, but was still overall a threatening and engaging villain.
Now the big one. The one thing that nobody saw coming. Han Solo is killed off after a confrontation with Kylo Ren. The scene was very dramatic, with Solo trying to convince Ren that he is being manipulated by Supreme Leader Snoke, the film's Emperor Palpatine-like figure. The confrontation between the two was set up nicely, and you could tell something major was going to happen. I felt as though Ren may kill his father, but there is a brief moment in which he appears to be handing over his lightsaber. Though he ends up using it to kill Solo, this was a very powerful moment in the confrontation, and was superbly paced. Fans of the series will know that Harrison Ford suggested Han Solo to be killed off in The Empire Strikes Back, but this was decided against so that he have a part to play in winning the fight against the Empire in Return of the Jedi. Having him killed off in this first of three films may serve as a pivotal part of the story, as Ren has clearly chosen the dark side, and Rey may seek revenge as she considered Solo a father figure.
The final thing I want to talk about is something people may have suspected when they saw the poster for the film: Where is Luke Skywalker? His voice appears in one of the trailers, but we only see him briefly. On the poster, he isn't there at all. There were all sorts of theories suggesting his absence from fans (one of which suggested the Luke has turned evil and is in fact Kylo Ren). From the opening of The Force Awakens, we are told that Luke has vanished, and that The First Order are after a map that will lead them to his whereabouts. Han Solo reveals that Luke was training Kylo Ren to be a Jedi, but fled once he turned evil. Luke does make an appearance, albeit right at the end of the film, The map leads Rey to the planet Luke fled to, and she offers Luke's old lightsaber to him, all without any dialogue. I liked that there was no dialogue in this scene, as the audience was already anticipating seeing Luke, and so just his appearance in the new film was enough to make everyone excited. It is most likely he will have a key role in the next film, but I felt his brief appearance here was done well. The scene ends rather abruptly, but the scene was so well directed that it felt like a more than suitable way to end the film.
So there you have it, my full thoughts on The Force Awakens. It's not often I do two posts on one film, but the new Star Wars film has offered so many thrills and twists that it felt appropriate to give both a spoiler-free review and my thoughts on those moments that had us talking at length. Next week, I revisit the blood-soaked, fast-talking world of Quentin Tarantino, as I bring you a review of The Hateful Eight...
Now the big one. The one thing that nobody saw coming. Han Solo is killed off after a confrontation with Kylo Ren. The scene was very dramatic, with Solo trying to convince Ren that he is being manipulated by Supreme Leader Snoke, the film's Emperor Palpatine-like figure. The confrontation between the two was set up nicely, and you could tell something major was going to happen. I felt as though Ren may kill his father, but there is a brief moment in which he appears to be handing over his lightsaber. Though he ends up using it to kill Solo, this was a very powerful moment in the confrontation, and was superbly paced. Fans of the series will know that Harrison Ford suggested Han Solo to be killed off in The Empire Strikes Back, but this was decided against so that he have a part to play in winning the fight against the Empire in Return of the Jedi. Having him killed off in this first of three films may serve as a pivotal part of the story, as Ren has clearly chosen the dark side, and Rey may seek revenge as she considered Solo a father figure.
The final thing I want to talk about is something people may have suspected when they saw the poster for the film: Where is Luke Skywalker? His voice appears in one of the trailers, but we only see him briefly. On the poster, he isn't there at all. There were all sorts of theories suggesting his absence from fans (one of which suggested the Luke has turned evil and is in fact Kylo Ren). From the opening of The Force Awakens, we are told that Luke has vanished, and that The First Order are after a map that will lead them to his whereabouts. Han Solo reveals that Luke was training Kylo Ren to be a Jedi, but fled once he turned evil. Luke does make an appearance, albeit right at the end of the film, The map leads Rey to the planet Luke fled to, and she offers Luke's old lightsaber to him, all without any dialogue. I liked that there was no dialogue in this scene, as the audience was already anticipating seeing Luke, and so just his appearance in the new film was enough to make everyone excited. It is most likely he will have a key role in the next film, but I felt his brief appearance here was done well. The scene ends rather abruptly, but the scene was so well directed that it felt like a more than suitable way to end the film.
So there you have it, my full thoughts on The Force Awakens. It's not often I do two posts on one film, but the new Star Wars film has offered so many thrills and twists that it felt appropriate to give both a spoiler-free review and my thoughts on those moments that had us talking at length. Next week, I revisit the blood-soaked, fast-talking world of Quentin Tarantino, as I bring you a review of The Hateful Eight...
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