SPOILER Thoughts on Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens

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...

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens Review

"I was raised to do one thing... but I've got nothing to fight for." - Finn.

First things first, I won't spoil anything. As much as I would love to write about every single thing that happens, this really is a film that you should watch without having read too much about the plot and character details. So here we go: we have a new Star Wars film and, thankfully, it's a good one. Star Wars was something I really cherished growing up, and was easily a primary factor in kicking off my interest in film from a young age. I was mesmerised by the action and creatures, and learned to appreciate the story as I got older. The first Star Wars film I ever saw was Episode I: The Phantom Menace back in 1999. I was four years old, and soon after, I endlessly watched the original trilogy on VHS. Back then, the idea of Episode VII was just a dream, and I couldn't see it ever being made. Years later, here I am reviewing it.

I'll describe the plot as briefly as I can. The film is set 30 years after the events of Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. After the fall of the Galactic Empire, a new threat has arisen: the First Order. Lead by the mysterious Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), they seek to hunt down any traces of the Jedi, which leads them to the planet Jakku. There, they encounter skilled pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), who possesses a map that will reveal the location of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamil). With the map hidden inside his droid companion BB-8, the map must be returned to the Resistance, a small group that oppose the First Order. Eventually, BB-8 joins forces with Jakku resident Rey (Daisy Ridley) and rogue First Order soldier Finn (John Boyega). The team, accompanied by the familiar faces of Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), set off to join up with the rest of the Resistance in order to stop the First Order from ruling the galaxy.

Like the original trilogy, the focus in The Force Awakens is all on the characters. Star Wars has never been a franchise that has sold itself on the basis of a complex story, and so you need good characters to keep you engaged. The new characters, Rey and Finn, are both very likeable and are given plenty of depth. Finn strives to do the right thing, despite his connection to the First Order and Rey is troubled by her past. The performances of Boyega and Ridley greatly aids their likeability, and the two of them have fantastic on-screen chemistry. Of course, the film would feel empty without the return of some familiar faces. Harrison Ford, much as he did with Indiana Jones seven years ago, slips back into his iconic role with ease. It was such a joy to see the old players in a new Star Wars film, and to have them complimented by such a talented new cast. Kylo Ren is our villain for this latest instalment, and I felt he was a welcome addition to the long line of Star Wars antagonists. I felt the choice to give him some well handled comedic moments was a smart one, as it shows a conscious effort to make him more than just evil. 

As one would expect, the film has plenty of action sequences. Again, I won't go into too much detail for fear of spoiling anything. Compared to the prequels, which certainly placed action as the priority over story, The Force Awakens structures the action in a way that feels better paced and more natural alongside the story. In some moments in the prequel trilogy, it felt like some of the action was there simply because there hadn't been a fight for sometime. In that sense, the action was just there to keep anyone from getting bored by the lengthy exposition. In The Force Awakens, the action works well with the story because the plot is more character driven, and so ensures the action remains exciting rather than simply being a distraction. 

A massive plus for me was the use of practical special effects. I mentioned in my Jurassic World review that I was disappointed by the film using too much CGI when I had heard a more practical approach was going to be used to bring the creatures to life. In The Force Awakens, CGI is only used when necessary, and so the various monsters and set-pieces look far more convincing and impressive. I hope future blockbuster films follow in The Force Awakens' footsteps in this regard. It always looks better if you can have something really there in front of the camera, rather than using CGI all the time.

My only gripe, and its only a minor one, is that the story felt a little too reliant on a previous Star Wars film. Now, this one has plenty new to offer with its well developed characters and old cast returned for expanded roles, but the basic premise felt a bit too familiar. I am willing to be more forgiving for the film's basic plot, however, as it serves as primarily an introduction to the new characters, and needed to be less exposition filled than the prequels. Hopefully the next instalments in this new trilogy can create a bigger scale plot, but not one that falls into the same problems that plagued Episodes I-III.

I really do want to go into further detail, but everyone has remained so tight-lipped on the details of the plot, characters and action, that I can't help but feel morally obliged to stop here. In short, the film has managed to live up to the huge expectations as both a sequel and re-introduction to series. Gone is the awkward dialogue and length exposition of the prequels, allowing for a more exciting and engaging experience. It celebrates everything that is wonderful about Star Wars, and is sure to please both dedicated fans and new audiences. The force is strong with this one!

Pros:
+ Engaging new characters, and good use of the old players.
+ Good pacing for the action, with plenty of room to develop the characters.
+ Excellent performances from the cast (particularly Boyega and Ridley).
+ The championing of practical effects when possible.

Cons:
- The reliance on a previous Star Wars story formula, but this is only a minor complaint.