This episode has so much expectation that I feared going in that it would be a nostalgic mess of cameos. However that was mostly thankfully unfounded, a wise decision all round. The new cast Daisy Ridley, John Boyaga and Oscar Isaac are great and come across very well. By that I mean well cast and just the right amount of playful interaction and dramatic depth. The villains Adam Driver and Dominic Gleeson are more apprentices in waiting in the dark side. This works as they clearly don't get on, like fighting brothers who are both unhinged in different ways.The returning cast how did they do? Well it's really all Harrison Ford and Peter Mayhew with a cameo from the rest. But honestly Han and Chewee are silver screen magic they really add another level of greatness when they do arrive.
Much has been made of the practical effects and real sets and locations. To be honest I didn't think that much about it. There is clearly CGI in there but the difference is 99% of the time my eyes and mind weren't going "oh ffs" at the clear crapness of the cgi like I do a lot. (I'm looking at you Alice through the looking Glass trailer). From and an effects point of view this how every film should be done if you really care about it.
This does feel like a very big new start for Star Wars I'm not 100% sold that Disney can keep it up long term. The main issue with it all long term is lack of making it all special. If you look at Marvel you will see it all becoming more and more like a TV show. Very formulaic and predictable although I do admit I'm not a fan of most of the Marvel films (Guardians Of the Galaxy excluded).
I do hope this is just the start and better is to come because I did enjoy The Force Awakens very much, but I do believe it is near impossible to create something truly special based solely on something that was special from the past. It just not gonna be the same of course and nor should it be.The Star Trek reboots are a good example of that, the first film was fun and interesting but the second was totally forgettable and from the trailer the third looks like it's going to kill the series. What made it special has been lost along the way.
I do hope that they really develop the new cast in future Star Wars films leave the past behind and embrace what they have started. I really would love it if they succeed.
Mooopers
90%
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I don’t think I have looked forward to a film as much as I have Star Wars: The Force Awakens for a long time, and on thinking on it I don’t think there has ever been an event like this in movie history. This is what makes it special.
That is why I was there at 8am on the morning of the opening day. I have never been to the cinema that early before and was alarmed at how many people that decided it was a good idea too, felt the need for nachos, chocolate and popcorn. As an aside, I was disappointed about the lack of serious costumes. I know you are out there cosplayers, I have seen you! Instead I got two people dressed in stormtrooper onsies that from the back looked like easter bunnies. Just saying.
So, to the actual screening. I will be honest, this is what my brain usually does during Star Wars titles. Politics, politics, politics, Death Star, politics, politics' This time I read it properly as it is more like a 'where are they now?' piece without the 'then' and 'now' photos.
I am going to offend a few people now by using the 'F' word. This film is FUN. All the characters are believable, even without all the backstory details. The interaction between the cast is genuine. It is great to see the original cast who bring a sense of gravitas to the story and clearly have approached it with integrity.
There are some great moments of comedy, perfectly timed and not over done. There are also some very subtle nods to the original films dotted around. There are also moments that are just heartbreaking to watch and you will think on them long after you have left the cinema.
Visually it is amazing, as technology gets better and better in film making you know that only now are we getting near to George Lucas's vision of what this universe looks and sounds like. I'm loving it!
I could go on about Rey and how she really does pin the whole story together. Fin, who is openly terrified most of the time in opposition to Rey's pretty unflappable demeanour. Kylo, who seems to be a good guy trying to be bad with an unhinged quality rarely seen in a film and Po, who is a skilled fighter with a lot of well earned confidence and a sweet attachment to BB8.
The music. I have been whistling or humming Rey's theme (used in one of the trailers) consistently. It is my brains' elevator music, always on in the background with occasional bursts out loud. I cannot express how good this composition is and the ways it has already been used.
Okay, as you can tell I really enjoyed this film. I am in no way an expert on the canon of Star Wars but understand there are some messed up histories going on here. I am hoping that the writers have come up with some amazing ideas on how to move this all forwards with un-obvious twists that made Empire Strikes Back so revolutionary. Once the film had finished I have to admit I was straight on the forums, searching through theories of what is going to happen next. It was very enjoyable watching the feeds come through. The fans and their dedication and loyalty to what has gone before are really what makes this story great!
Beakoala
93%
