"Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens" review

 

The Force Awakens, but has trouble getting out of bed

After the cinematic lobotomy that was the Prequels, many Star Wars fans, myself included, were very excited about the prospect of the franchise continuing without George Lucas.  JJ Abrams seemed a good choice given his success with the reboot of “Star Trek.”  Yet the sequel “Into Darkness” proved to be an overlong, chaotic mess, and unfortunately “The Force Awakens” shares more than a few similarities.  Overall, it’s a good film, but it suffers from trying to balance the demands of fan service with the necessity of forging its own unique path.

When “The Force Awakens” is telling a new story with new characters, it works like gangbusters.  The film begins with the two principals, Rey and Finn, and their introductions are compelling because even though they take place in a very recognizable setting, it doesn’t feel like a slavish imitation. In particular, Rey’s story reveals many things new and old, but it all blends seamlessly because it is a logical expansion upon a very familiar world.  This first act is by far the best part of the film.

Instead of retreading old trails, Rey and Finn’s stories widen the scope of the Star Wars universe, adding a breath of fresh air to what had become a very lugubrious landscape.  The downside of this new, youthful vibrancy is that the appearance of original trilogy characters somehow feels awkward, much like going to a family reunion and meeting aunts and uncles whom you recall but don’t really know anymore.  I know I should be happy to see these faces, but it just felt weird.

The narrative of “The Force Awakens” is also befuddling because the main goal changes suddenly towards the end of the film.  At first, everyone’s looking for Luke, and then the focus radically shifts to something else.  One of the main reasons that the original Star Wars films worked so well is because they told a simple story on a grand scale.  The hero’s journey is often long and arduous, but the goal always remains the same.  Asking the audience to suddenly switch their allegiance in the third act is confusing because it negates all the buildup that occurred previously.

Of course, this is just the first of many movies.  Disney is going to make it rain Star Wars films for years to come, so it’s a good bet that a more tightly constructed and less nostalgic tale will eventually be told.  That is where I see the successful future of this franchise.  If Star Wars is going to maintain its relevance for all the succeeding generations, then it must continue to add fresh faces exploring different places while laying the foundations of a new mythos.  It needs to take us to another galaxy far, far away.