Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Director: JJ Abrams
Starring: Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Jon Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford
Primary genre: Space opera
Secondary genre: Epic
Nominated for: Best film editing, original score, sound editing, sound mixing, visual effects
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After years of speculation and the selling of Lucasfilm to Disney, Star Wars seemed to be ready to capture the imagination of a brand new generation. Was it worth it?
The script, co-written by JJ Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan ("Empire Strikes Back" (1980), "Return of the Jedi" (1983)) is a rock solid block of fan service that ultimately copies shamelessly “A New Hope” (1977). Following an almost forty year old story and character blueprint, “The Force Awakens” is too insistent in riding the nostalgia train lacking a fresh vision. Despite some initially nifty story seeds, “Episode VII” feels less than the beginning of a new trilogy and more of an attempt to set up expectations for future (and now known underwhelming) pay offs. While this is not necessarily a bad decision, it distracts from telling a coherent story as character development and motivations are obscured for the sake of a mystery plot box resulting in an overabundance of characters that offer nothing exciting. Without breaking any new ground both visually and story wise, “Episode VII” is a safe but hollow attempt to capture the magic of 1977.
Having Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Peter Mayhew back as Han Solo, General Leia and Chewbacca was a great tactic to appeal to the enduring legacy of these characters. Ford is having a blast at the iconic role but Fisher has unexpectedly little screentime and Chewbacca primarily stands around. The newcomers fail to make an impression paling in comparison to the established “Star Wars“ hero and villain pantheon. Daisy Ridley has almost little characterization and comes across as an overpowered (but likeable) Mary Sue lacking an actual arc and overcoming any obstacle. John Boyega’s Fin is a dull and unnecessary character reduced to the clueless comic relief while well-known actors are glorified cameos (e.g., Max Von Sydow, Gwendoline Christie, Oscar Isaac). But “Star Wars” is nothing without a good villain and despite Domhanll Gleeson’s OTT acting, the main weight rests on the shoulders of Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) who does his best with the material although the character feels like a sinister prelude of things to come. There are shades of a bigger threat looming in the horizon in the form of Snoke (Andy Serkins) that echo the first appearance of the Emperor but his meddling does not have something to do with the current plot.
Abrams' direction is solid and more dynamic than you would expect employing a serviceable display of stellar CGI and practical effects. Yet, his annoying visual style disjoints this seventh chapter from the more static and visually polished entries that came before. Clearly inexperienced in staging fights, he films with several close ups and struggles to really deliver something exciting or spectacular in terms of scale and innovation (the lightsaber duel in particular is very disappointing) which is one of the biggest problems with “Episode VII”. Despite a massive budget, updated special effects and space opera aspirations, it feels relatively small in scale with its blunt action sequences and TV quality direction.
After a decade since “Revenge of the Sith” (2005) put the PG-13 rating in “Star Wars”, JJ Abrams delivered a safe, technically efficient and Disneyfied film that ticked all the right boxes. However, the somewhat intrigue behind the proceedings with a possibly spectacular villain might be enough for someone to see how it all ends but it lacks that emotional punch crumbling under the weight of nostalgia and fan service “Episode IV” knock off.
Adequate with no ambition
+ Kylo Ren can be an excellent villain
+ Likeable main lead
+ Technically well made
+ Interesting plot points
- Too many characters
- Wasted actors
- No ambition
- Banal action
- Plagiarized plot
- Lack of emotional depth