**MANY spoilers were used in the making of this review**
It was a Star Wars weekend for my family. And it will probably continue on into a Star
Wars month. I mean, these films must be
seen on the big screen! I must also say
that seeing the film a second time helped increase my opinion of it.
“You must unlearn what you have learned.”
There were many surprises in this film. There were also some earth-shattering shocks.
The Initial Viewing:
The previews left me wondering if I would like the
character Finn. Despite my hesitation, I
really loved both Finn and Rey (especially
Rey). They were a great duo. Of course, another great duo truly led this
film to greatness… as Han and Chewie stepped onto the Millennium Falcon, the theater
audience clapped and cheered. And the
two really stepped up their game. They
were hilarious in their banter and charming in their comradery throughout the
movie.
Ace pilot Poe Dameron did not make much of an impression
on me. He kinda fell into the ranks of
Wedge, which is fine. He had some
attitude, and his wit when confronting Kylo played well. I can tell he’ll be featured more as the
story progresses, but for this film, he was totally outshone by his other half
of this third duo: Poe & BB-8.
BB-8: Wow. My
favorite part of the film was BB-8 giving a thumbs up. Hilarious!
It’s amazing how a character that speaks no English is easily understood
just by the tilt of the head or the energy behind their mechanical beeps. He was definitely a fun, heartwarming, and a
really likeable droid along the lines of R2, who was absent for almost the
entire film sadly. But BB-8 is the type
of humorous character who is necessary to the plot line and also holds your
interest throughout the story. He added
some lightness to a world darkening around the main characters.
In terms of imperials, I think Phasma and Hux were two
characters that should have been combined into one: Capt. Phasma. I found Hux to be a worthless character who
whined and held almost no significance to the plotline. He gave an order. Yippee.
He made a speech. Not
impressive. Someone else could have done
the same things he did. His character
was so 1 dimensional that he could easily have been replaced with someone
else. We’re not talking Grand Moff
Tarkin here who oozed power and malevolence in Episode IV. That was a part that could only be played by
Moff Tarkin whose actions brought about the destruction of Alderaan and
definitely heightened the tensions of the original film. Hux should have been left on the cutting room
floor. He was like a whining teenager, “Kylo
did this, and I thought we should do this.”
Phasma and/or Kylo could have performed his duties easily. He carried no significance and just felt like
wasted space.
Speaking of Kylo… I have never hated a Star Wars
character more than I hate him. When
you have a new character kill a beloved original, there is no going back from
that. There is no redemption. I want him to die (my lightsaber is changing
to red as we speak!). He may be the son
of Han and Leia, but he needs to be gone.
His murder of Solo caused my daughter to cry for the rest of the film,
and Han is not even one of her favorite characters! The silence in the theater after the bridge
scene was ominous. It was heavy and
sad. Han was the guide of this film for
Finn and Rey, much like Obi Wan in Episode IV.
He gave them confidence and hope.
Rey was beginning to find a future with Han and Chewie. Darth Vader may have killed Obi-Wan in
Episode IV, but we did not have episodes I - III to get to know the character
prior to Obi’s death. Han’s death is a
huge blow to fans like me. Even my
husband who was never a huge fan of Solo and always preferred Chewbacca shared
in my abject hatred of Kylo after the movie.
While Darth Vader killed off the Jedi (a feat Kylo is hoping to complete), including children in training, as well as Obi-Wan, his motivation initially was to save the woman he loved. He truly believed he was doing what was necessary to save Padme from death. He was misguided, and he was also pained when he had to kill. You could see in Anakin's eyes that it hurt him to do these things, but he did it with the belief it would help him save Padme. Anakin was not able to save his mother in time. For Padme, he would do whatever was in his power to do. In Episode VII, Kylo comes off as a spoiled child who throws tantrums when he does not get his way. The audience has not been told of his motivations. What caused him to hate his father so much? Maybe we'll know in a subsequent movie, but at this point, his character is not showing any redeeming qualities. He's a jerk and a bully.
But the moment I had been waiting for was Princess Leia. I had grown up as a child wanting to be her. Seeing her 30 years later was a bit of a reality shock, especially seeing that Leia and Han have now separated. Also the fact that the fictional development of their relationship has largely been destroyed (the ‘alternate reality’ excuse is keeping my memories from reading those books alive) was a shock. I kept hoping that perhaps they would twist in the long-loved fictional narratives of the children of Han and Leia and their ongoing relationship as husband and wife. Instead, the relationship has been fractured and their lives largely separated. I felt like Luke when he learned the horrible truth about his father and found myself wanting to cry “NOOO!” I was also hoping to the extreme that Leia would be an active force user. Luke said in ROJ that she would learn to use her power as he did. Sure, she’d still lead the resistance as their general, but she could wield with a lightsaber now versus a gun, right? Unfortunately, none of this really came to fruition.
But the moment I had been waiting for was Princess Leia. I had grown up as a child wanting to be her. Seeing her 30 years later was a bit of a reality shock, especially seeing that Leia and Han have now separated. Also the fact that the fictional development of their relationship has largely been destroyed (the ‘alternate reality’ excuse is keeping my memories from reading those books alive) was a shock. I kept hoping that perhaps they would twist in the long-loved fictional narratives of the children of Han and Leia and their ongoing relationship as husband and wife. Instead, the relationship has been fractured and their lives largely separated. I felt like Luke when he learned the horrible truth about his father and found myself wanting to cry “NOOO!” I was also hoping to the extreme that Leia would be an active force user. Luke said in ROJ that she would learn to use her power as he did. Sure, she’d still lead the resistance as their general, but she could wield with a lightsaber now versus a gun, right? Unfortunately, none of this really came to fruition.
Women in Science Fiction:
In a recent article by Meredith Woerner, Tribune News Service
(link provided below), the role of Princess Leia “ignited the hearts and minds
of little bun-wearing heroes across the galaxy.” This definitely included me. Finally
a woman in the early 80s had an active role in fight scenes and intellectual
planning. There were so few of these
types of roles in film, especially in science fiction (my favorite genre). I was also so mad at the way women were portrayed,
particularly how they were dressed.
“Judge me by my size, do you?”
“Return of the Jedi” is my favorite Star Wars film. While this film is largely ranked last in
many fans’ opinions, my rank is largely due to the fact that Princess Leia’s
role was impactful. She was actively,
physically fighting against the Empire throughout the film. She was on the ground storming the Imperial
base with the troops, she snuck into Jabba’s palace as a bounty hunter and
started a thermal nuclear detonator to get her way (and protect her cover too),
she choked Jabba the Hutt to death, she climbed on a speeder without hesitation
to shoot down some stormtroopers and stop their team’s presence from being
reported (even Luke hesitating in taking such action), she even got shot and
still was able to take down two guards like a sniper! In ROJ, finally, she was a participant in the
main action of the film. Looking at the
first film, yes, she broke free from the stereotypical ‘damsel in distress’
role as she minced words with her captures, resisted torture methods to reveal
the location of the hidden rebel base, and helped take control of her own
rescue when things went awry. Still,
when it came time for the final battle, she sat on the side lines. In “Empire,” she was largely running away to
meet up with the fleet after their escape from the Hoth battle. And while she showed immense courage staying
behind and directing the Hoth offensive, literally being dragged from the
command center by Han Solo, she did very little to move the plot along in the
film. Though her escape from Bespin was
pretty epic with her marksmanship and, again, needing to be dragged away from
the battle as she shot down Stormtroopers still her role was different from Han’s
and Luke’s in that during the biggest showdowns of the movie, she was kept “safely”
on the sidelines. Though you did get to
see her piloting a bit in Empire as well, “ROJ” gave audiences a new look at
female heroines in film. It’s sad to
read in Meredith Woerner’s article that there were female X-Wing pilots filmed
but then left out from the final film in the editing process. Did George Lucas wonder if they would not be
accepted by a largely male audience? Too
bad he did not realize how many young girls were also sitting in that same
audience and how much those pilots would have inspired them. That was one of my main critiques about the
original films: no female fighter pilots.
The films had bridged other gaps, but fighter piloting was never crossed. Seriously, no women want to help free the
galaxy outside of Princess Leia and (very minimally) Mon Mothma?
When “Star Trek: The Next Generation” came to television,
I found an instant favorite in Tasha Yar - a tough, strong-willed security
chief for the flagship of Starfleet.
Then… she died! Damn, I was so
upset that the actress chose to leave her groundbreaking role. Since that time, the roles of women in Star
Trek continued to be minor. I could only
imagine what “might have been” if Tasha Yar had stayed. It wasn’t until “Star Trek: Voyager” that women
really took the front seat in this franchise.
“Truly wonderful, the mind of a child is.”
So what will these new films offer young girls, like my
own daughter, when they sit down in an audience filled with crazy excited adult
fans? Actually, something pretty wonderful.
Rey, one of the main characters of the film, is the best
addition to the SW canon since Mara Jade appeared in Timothy Zahn’s best-selling
series “The Thrawn Trilogy.” After
seeing the film, everyone in my family agreed that Rey was the best character
of the movie. What’s great about her is
that she’s tough, independent, loyal, and still vulnerable. She goes through quite the journey in “The
Force Awakens.” Her battle with Kylo Ren
is definitely the perfect climax to the film.
There is so much more to her, and I will barely be able to stand the wait
for the next film to find out what more there truly is! It’s hard to describe how great her character
is, and this short paragraph barely does it justice, but without her, I highly
doubt this film would have connected with me the way it did.
There was a lot of hype around another female character
in the film, Captain Phasma. Unfortunately,
her role was rather underutilized. I’m
glad to read in the Woerner’s article that she will be returning. However, I hope her role finds
substance. Perhaps she can shove Hux
down a trash compactor.
The Second Viewing:
Yep, I dragged my kids around town to find seats to a
show the next day. I just could not
process everything without another viewing.
After the first wave of information and plot twists, I was able to sit
back with less tension and observe.
The characters truly are great. Han and Chewie steal the show with their team
performance. But Rey and Finn are close
by and lead the plot along through many great character moments. Both have to closely evaluate who they are
and how they want to live their lives.
Do they want to spend their time waiting on hopes and dreams, do they
want to run from the conflict and find a safe place to escape, or do they want
to fight for the people and things that are ingrained in their hearts. As Han Solo says, “The galaxy is counting on
us!” No pressure, right?
“A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and
defense, never for attack.”
There are also those “moments of awesome” that help to
define the Star Wars movies. My favorite
part was definitely near the end when Rey called Anakin’s lightsaber to her after
Kylo was unable to. There is great power
in this moment. For one: Anakin’s life
was not only darkness. There was
goodness and love. The legacy he would
have wanted when he returned to the Force would be one that Rey was following
and not Kylo. And two: Kylo spent a few moments during the movie talking with
the remains of Vader’s helmet and asked for guidance keeping the light away and
for strength in the dark side that Vader found.
But Vader’s true power was ultimately in saving his son. It was his last moment that even he
acknowledged before his death to Luke, “You were right about me. Tell your sister, you were right.” Luke’s sacrifice helped Anakin find the good
still buried within him. And Rey’s
sacrifices were a part of what called that saber to her.
As the battle between Kylo and Rey builds, Rey finds a
moment to reflect on the Force and this newfound inner strength that has become
her guide. She closes her eyes, focuses,
then opens them again and totally kicks
his butt! Now, I was also a little
concerned during this moment because, even though you hear Luke’s theme playing
in the background, her face is contorted in anger. I think perhaps a shadowy reflection running
across the screen revealing Rey’s thoughts and illustrating what she’s fighting
for would have helped to make certain her intentions were not along the lines
of Anakin instead of Luke.
I also found the differences in the lightsaber blade
interesting. Kylo’s was scratchy and
jagged. Whereas Anakin’s was smooth and
straight. Found the difference in
construction interesting.
“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. I sense much fear in you.”
I was given pause watching both Finn and Rey become experts
in the art of sword fighting after picking up Anakin’s lightsaber. However, I found Rey’s moment of fighting
back against Kylo believable. When Kylo
was battling Finn, he was mostly toying with Finn. When Rey took on the fight, she was mostly
deflecting his strikes until she focused for a few moments and was able to beat
him back. She has experience with a saber-like weapon already via the staff she wielded on Jakku, so its not a completely foreign object for her to use. In addition, Kylo was mentally unstable at
that point also. He had killed his
father but still needed to smack his gun-shot wound in order to rally his inner
pain and suffering for the fight. He
also watched an untrained woman call his grandfather’s lightsaber into her
hands when he had failed just seconds earlier.
All his training was nothing compared to her strength of character. And his anger towards her only seems to
weaken him. This is a subtle point that
I think is easily missed: Kylo wants to find strength, but his anger has not
been enough to gain him victory. There
is something more powerful than his anger, and he refuses to see it because it
would mean admitting guilt to his actions.
Overall, there were a few other standout disappointments
for me with this film:
1. John William’s score was less than impressive.
It’s the same music as the past films, but that’s also
the drawback. I love Luke’s theme, Leia’s
theme, etc., but there was nothing new and fresh for this film. Watching “Empire Strikes Back,” the audience was
introduced to “The Imperial March.” In “Return
of the Jedi,” the music that played when Luke stepped onto the gangplank over
the sarlaac pit was amazing. In “The
Phantom Menace,” you had “Duel of Fates” which blew your mind. We’re back once more for “Star Wars,” and the
music did not feel as if it captured many moments. There were a few times when it played up a
scene or two, but overall, the music did little to enhance the overall film. That surprised me.
2. The “Dark Lord Gollum” (as I have dubbed him).
What. The. Hell was up with Andy Serkis’ character? He looked like a “Lord of the Rings”
character being projected into the wrong franchise. I kept thinking orc every time he was on screen.
While none of the Imperial officers really stood out for me, Snoke was
such a disappointment visually. I really
hope that look improves in subsequent films because I’m not buying the look at
this point.
3. Planets destroyed?
Was Corsucant destroyed?
There was not any time spent on mourning the loss of these planets. It looked like 4 or 5 got blown? The impact that this act carried was never
really expressed in the film.
“Patience you must have my young Padawan.”
I do also have a wish list
for the next movies though:
1. I was sure the word at the
tip of Rey’s tongue at the end of this movie as she stood facing Luke was “father?” I was hanging on the edge of my seat waiting
for the final bomb. Perhaps this is a
discovery for another time? I just hope
the “mother” will be called Mara Jade. However, anyone who can call Anakin’s
lightsaber over Leia’s son would most likely be Luke’s daughter, in addition to
the reasons listed above regarding that moment.
2. Leia needs to wield a
lightsaber. Please. I just really want to see her use her
abilities for more than sensing other people.
Maybe she’s a healer or something.
But let the Force flow through her in some way!
3. Get rid of whiny Hux and
have Phasma take over the Imperial Fleet.
She is definitely an “action-oriented” officer who will get stuff done
instead of waste time whining about what someone else did that she didn’t like.
“Try not. Do or do not, there is no try.”
In the end, the movie was great. I cannot rank it over the original movies; however,
it definitely stands out as a great film in the franchise.
As Yoda indicates in this above great quote (which
I use often), “try” assumes a level of uncertainty in a task. I believe J.J. Abrams is definitely “doing”
great work. I know there is more to come
that’s going to be fantastic. I think
characters and relationships are going to make the storylines even better going
forward.
Link to a great article (referenced above):
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