'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Review

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Review:

A New Hope

BY IAN TAN

And the Best Poster of 2015 goes to...

There are several things to praise Disney and Lucasfilm for their attempt at reinvigorating Hollywood’s most beloved sci-fi franchise. At the forefront of what they managed to get right is the magic and wonder of the Star Wars universe. Once again you are transported into a galaxy far, far away with exotic locales, unique aliens and great special effects, both practical and CGI.

Speaking of practical effects and CGI, Abrams’ mix of the two is commendable, even if it doesn’t quite nail the perfect mix of both the way Mad Max: Fury Road did so seamlessly. The practical effects – creatures, sets, locations and some ships – all look great on the big screen and definitely add to the Star Wars aesthetic of the Original Trilogy. The CGI works when it needs to as well. Space battles, X-Wings, TIE fighters and the Millennium Falcon look better than ever. Besides that, the motion-capture performances by Lupita N’yong o (who plays the Yoda-like Maz Kanata) and Andy Serkis (playing a mysterious Supreme Leader Snoke) are both well done, even if the latter looks a little too CGI.

AT-ATs make good homes too.

Enough about special effects, this film is about its characters, and what great new characters it has. Daisy Ridley is captivating as the hopeful scavenger Rey and injects a lot of heart into the film. Finn, a Storm Trooper who doesn't quite fit in, is also a great addition to the Star Wars universe and the energetic John Boyega gave the character just the right amount of humour and charisma. Additionally, Oscar Isaac is ever so likable as “the best friggin’ pilot in the galaxy”, Poe Dameron. As for villains, Gwendoline Christie is given a thankless role as Captain Phasma and Domhnall Gleeson is serviceable as General Hux. Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, however, was great. Driver portrayed Ren with a great amount of complexity and intrigue. An interesting individual, Kylo Ren is. The returning cast members also give the film gravitas, most notably Harrison Ford as Han Solo, who is in the film more than I thought he would be. And Chewbacca looks better than ever here.

Just look at all that well-groomed fur

As many good things as there are to say about the film, it isn’t without its flaws. First of all, the plot does take one too many cues from A New Hope. Character tropes are also identical, but I didn’t have too big a problem with that. I felt like those came off more as inspired than straight-up rip-off. I can’t say the same about the plot, unfortunately. The biggest issue that most might have with the film, whether you’re a fan or not, is that it does have plot holes and unanswered questions that will most likely be resolved in sequels (they'd better be).

Another drawback is that our two new characters – Rey and Finn – aren’t too involved in a certain big sequence towards the film’s climax, which really dials down the audiences’ investment in the bigger picture. Then again, I have to give Abrams and writer Lawrence Kasdan credit for trying. It was a tough scene to strike a good balance between sub-plot and central plot, considering all that was at stake character-wise.

"The darker the better, General."

Overall though, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a fun, return to form for Star Wars and another great example of J.J. Abrams’ talent for handling ensemble casts and characters. Despite its flaws, you have to admit that the film could have been a lot worse if it got into the wrong hands. Thankfully, this seventh film in the generational space opera franchise serves as a good set up for future Episodes.

Side Note: Don’t bother thinking about Luke Skywalker’s whereabouts. It will only distract you from the film’s central characters and story.

Final Verdict  (I have a new rating system!)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is:

Garbage

Wasted potential

Not bad. Worth a watch.

Pretty darn good

Near-perfect. An absolute must-see.