Sunday, December 20, 2015

Five Reactions to Star Wars: The Force Awakens – A Non-Spoilery Non-Review

I’ve now seen StarWars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens twice, so I’m finally ready to say something about it.  Since there are plenty of good reviews already (see a bunch on Rotten Tomatoes), since reviews always carry the risk of spoilers, and since people are taking Star Wars spoilers extra seriously, I thought I’d try something else. 

Rather than a review that explains specific elements of the film and my opinion about them, I’m giving my general reactions.  Five of them to be precise.

1. This feels like a Star Wars movie.

From the look of the film to the John Williams score, from the lack of everything that made Episode I so terrible to the presence of most of what made the original trilogy so great, this is a real Star Wars movie.

2. It’s fun to see old favorites.


There are plenty of old favorites, and we knew they'd be there from the trailers and promotions (I won’t say who, just in case some readers were in a galaxy far, far away from all Earthly communication).  It’s a lot of fun to see the old characters; it's like catching up with old friends.  As someone who grew up with the original trilogy, I admit I got a little misty eyed from time to time.


3.  It’s just as fun to meet new characters.

One could imagine curmudgeonly fans of my generation resisting the new characters as young whipper-snappers butting into a perfectly good reunion (and who should get off our lawns!).  But that’s not the case for me.  The new characters are every bit as likeable and interesting as the old ones, perhaps even more so in some cases.  Also, the galaxy of Star Wars looks every bit as diverse as other places known for their diversity, such as Earth.

Veering into some specificity, I can’t resist saying that a certain droid may be the cutest robot since Wall-E.

4. The philosophical core of Star Wars remains.


How can you become a good person, and why is it sometimes so hard? What does it mean to be a good person, anyway? How should we react to evil, both within and without? What do you owe others, and what do you owe yourself? What follows from the fact that everything in the universe is in some sense connected, whether through the Force, traditional religious metaphysics, or plain old science? When are wars, whether of the star variety or not, justified? How should we think about diversity and unity among humans (and droids and aliens)?

These are just some of the philosophical issues that Star Wars movies have always dealt with (yes, even the prequel trilogy). The Force Awakens is no different.

5.  We don’t get all the answers.


I’m keeping this spoiler-free, so I don’t even want to say what the questions are, but rest assured, we don’t get all the answers.  There’s plenty for fans to speculate about, and plenty for the remaining sequels to sort out.  I’m extremely eager for Episode VIII!  May 2017 can’t come soon enough!

8 comments:

  1. Just came back from seeing the movie. I agree with all your reactions. The 3-D was a nice addition.

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    1. I thought the 3D was nice, too. Now I need to see it in IMAX! Thanks for your comment!

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  2. For a response to your first comment: I actually really love Episode I. I'm wondering why you didn't like it so much. Perhaps it is because I think the Darth Maul/Qygon Gin/Obie One Kenobi (however you spell the names, sorry) light saber fight at the end is the best one out of all of the series, or because it came out in 1999 and was like my experience growing up seeing it as similar to others who experienced it for the first time in theaters in 1977. Also, there are a lot of new movies coming out in the next few years that detail the unknown sequence between episode 3 and 4, the life of Han Solo, and so on. So that should be really interesting.

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    1. Thanks for you comment! Episode I isn't all bad. The space stuff is always fun. That light saber duel is really cool, but then they take this really cool character (Darth Maul) and kill him off right away so we never learn anything about him. It will be heresy in some circles to say this, but I don't even mind the midichlorians (the Force has to work somehow!). My biggest problem is Jar Jar. I don't mind that there are economic and political aspects, but they're handled in such a ham handed way. And then there's George Lucas's clunky, awkward dialogue, which is campy and charming in Episode IV, but just doesn't work in Episode I. The whole thing between Padme and Anikin just comes off really weird and a bit creepy. A lot of these things would've been better if Lucas had given up more control of the movie. That Lucas wasn't involved directly is probably part of what made Episode VII such a success. It's also why I'm hopeful for all the upcoming movies. I just hope they don't do a Marvel-style money grab and oversaturate the universe with Star Wars movies. I can just see it: Coming in 2024: Star Wars: Salacious Crumb Gets Jabba Some Coffee! (Okay, I might actually watch that movie).

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  3. For a response to your first comment: I actually really love Episode I. I'm wondering why you didn't like it so much. Perhaps it is because I think the Darth Maul/Qygon Gin/Obie One Kenobi (however you spell the names, sorry) light saber fight at the end is the best one out of all of the series, or because it came out in 1999 and was like my experience growing up seeing it as similar to others who experienced it for the first time in theaters in 1977. Also, there are a lot of new movies coming out in the next few years that detail the unknown sequence between episode 3 and 4, the life of Han Solo, and so on. So that should be really interesting.

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  4. A lot of people out there are trying differentiate between episodes 4,5, and 6, with 1, 2, and 3. I think there are aspects of all movies including episode 7 that I enjoyed and some parts I didn't enjoy. As a series, I feel that it kept very well to the spirit of the Star Wars universe. A sad part of me also realized how old the original actors are (Harrison Ford is pushing 74), and I am glad I had the opportunity to see them at least one more time in the Star Wars films before a new generation begins.

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    1. Good to hear from you! I do see some bigger differences between 1-3 and 4-6, but I did like Episode III and I actually thought it was nearly or maybe even on part with Episode IV. Capturing the spirit of the Star Wars universe is a good way of putting it and what I think Episode VII did better than most (all?) of the prequel trilogy. But maybe I need to see it again and let it sink in more before I can really say.

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