Star Wars: The Force Awakens- Review

                                                                                               

“For a while there, force was real” and believe me there is nothing like that. “If the word nostalgia could have a physical form then this movie embodies it perfectly”.

Welcome to the review of the movie of the decade- Episode VII: The Force Awakens. It isn't star rated because 'I had a bad feeling about it' (couldn't be helped). Now I’ll try my best to not reveal much, no matter how tempting that might be and also just review the movie without going much into the universe of the land far, far away.

Sequels carry the heavy burden of living up to the hype and how it remains relevant to the source material. With a franchise of this stature it was almost impossible to make something which could be true to its philosophical roots and still gives an enthralling experience of spectacular action and adventure. But JJ Abrams delivers and does so in the most remarkable way. The movie will surprise you, make you cry and will take away your heart. The word nostalgia can’t do the movie justice. There is so much to look out for without anything in being excess. But seriously, can anything related to star wars will ever be considered too much? I guess not. The movie will be appreciated by purist fans and new audiences alike. If you’re a hardcore fan then this movie is the thing you should walk down the aisle with.

Just the first screen when the customary back story appears on the screen sliding upwards with the magnificent score by maestro John Williams playing in the background, you know what you’re in for. If you’re dreaming about it since the announcement, your dream is about to come true. It’s right in front of you, a legacy 38 years old. In 1977, what once amazed the audiences all around the world and now back once again to make more money amaze us, once again.

Adam Driver and John Boyega in a still from the movie

The movie begins with the search for master Luke who’s disappeared after causing Anakin 2.0 aka Kylo Ren, a promising force sensitive kid who turned to the dark side. There enters two great characters and one whose greatness is debatable at best. Lor San Tekka who’s got a piece of map to Luke’s location and to retrieve it the rebellion has sent Poe Dameron, best rebellion pilot and a very charming character played by Oscar Isaac. Now enters the ‘First Order’ into the picture. The new name of evil after The Sith and The empire. Thus, begins a tale of acquiring a precious find. On the way we are introduced to some old and some new characters all of whom are equally endearing and fit very well into the whole scenario as the ones with us from as early as episode IV. The exception here being maybe the most important character, Kylo Ren played by Adam Driver. He starts out as a great villain with a lot of anger and copious amounts of depravity but as the movie progresses we discover him to be not as powerful as he should’ve been. And this is sometimes frustrating because someone aspiring to fill Darth Vader’s shoes can’t be defeated by a novice force user.

Now the aesthetics of the movie feel very much like the original trilogy. There are few scenes which feel like directly taken from the original trilogy footage which does imply slightly old but in the most astonishing way. The movie has sufficient style and a great momentum, top notch writing by Lawrence Kasdan who also co-wrote episode V and VI. There is nothing new about the plot nor do they try to step into uncharted territory but what works is that its exactly like it should’ve been. The old rusty flying machines and space battles which we’ve seen plenty but isn’t that what we all wanted? More of exactly what we had.

Star Wars never was about a much visceral plot anyway. Star Wars is about character development. Star Wars is about HAN SOLO!! (or should I say Han Yolo). That moment when they stepped again into the Millennium Falcon or more so when Rey first put it into flight to escape stormtroopers were a total bliss. There are quite a few scenes which will make you go ‘woohoo’ or ‘aah’ and also enough ‘blimey’s’. The first half of the movie is at the top of its game. The second half stumbles a bit in between but triumphantly finds its true path (through the force).

"The Millennium Falcon *sobs*" 

This movie like all movies which are remade from really old source material are about particular moments just as this one. The trick is having to show the right moment at the right time without having too much of old stuff. But with this exception where too much old stuff is actually a good thing. There would be times where you’ll feel ecstasy and absolute happiness over how JJ Abrams brought this spectacle of Dark Vs Light to life. There are Luke, Han, Leia, Chewie and our very old duo C3P0 & R2D2 *nerdgasm*. Like seriously, I had goosebumps and my heart was racing during the movie, all the while thinking “this must be how it feels to be in love”. C3PO which was according to me just introduced as a comic relief in the earlier films is now a very very integral part of the whole emotional balance of the movie. The moment he speaks with the same old eccentricity and innocence, it will bring whale size tears from your eyes. Add to that the adorable new droid BB-8 which rolls its way into your psyche as not just another droid but something as essential as the lead pair itself.

The action is particularly thrilling. All the chase sequences and battle scenes are very well arranged. TIE Fighters, X-wing Fighters they’re all here, running smoother that ever, swinging better that ever with lasers delightful as ever. Here cinematographer Dan Mindel and JJ Abrams are at their visual best doing a real commendable job by bringing to life every blast, every shot fired and every tailspin enhanced beautifully by the 3D format. Speaking of lethal weapons, we also have another Death Star, though it is only known as ‘The Weapon’ throughout the film. If you ask me, then using a weapon of mass destruction again as a threat to the galaxy was a big risk because the same formula has already been used twice in the original trilogy itself. But as it turns out, it can be recycled for a third time use as well. The difference this time is, as Han puts it “Its bigger so what”. But this weapon is truly terrifying in the way it annihilates whole systems from the galaxy. Its modus operandi is equally sinister as it drains a whole sun for a single charge but that isn’t a hefty price to pay, in the eyes of the First Order, to wield a power so destructive.

Now coming back to the characters. All new introductions are very well placed, from Lupita Nyongo’s Maz Kanata to the emperor’s  replacement- Snoke about whom not yet much is known except that he seduced young Kylo to the dark side. As a bonus we have Gwendoline Christie (aka Brienne of Tarth) playing Phasma. Finn and Poe are the standout stars of the movie and also Rey with whom there’s a connection to the force. The movie begins with Poe’s magnanimous spirit and heroic nature and Finn’s moral conflict while being a stormtrooper. Not much time is given for Finn to explore his loath for evil before turning against all and becoming a rebel in the process but its alright as it would’ve been hard to imagine Finn as a bad person ever. Another major character was Kylo Ren, leader of the Knights of Ren and grandson of Darth Vader. His backstory is tragic. He is angry, cruel and supposedly the last force sensitive person. What is there not to love? He starts out as a very promising character. He feels like the dark conscience of Darth Vader. He performs all of Anakin’s fantastic gimmicks while also crafting his appearance as somewhat similar to Darth Vader, right down to the voice. And he also looks cool with that red lightsaber (well, let’s admit it, who wouldn’t). What brings him down is that one scene which turns him into a deplorable monster right on the level of Joffery Baratheon and Ramsay Bolton which is an achievement in itself for a universe which only has cartoony or conventional forms of villainy. But another irritating thing as it turns out is his weakness in the ways of the force.( I mean, c’mon, Rey defeating Anakin’s heir, that’s silly)

But, truly, that’s just the only thing I can complain about in the whole movie and that too is a very mild annoyance. Maybe not even that because the whole plot is woven around it or maybe I just expected too much from Kylo. Our lead pair, Rey and Finn does a fantastic job as being the catalyst agents in the events that take place in the movie with keeping up the tradition of young good hearted people who’re yet to discover their full potential being the ones who save the galaxy much like Luke Skywalker.

The Verdict

So we finally have what we wanted. We’ll always want more but I wish more looks just the same as what we have. This was what JJ Abrams kept in mind while making episode VII. Star Wars proves once again to be a truly timeless masterpiece which continues to astound us and make us go gaga through its innocent acts of decency and perpetual fight between polar opposites while exploring the duality of creation. Perfectly blending elements of love, loss, darkness, destruction, uprising and spiritualism. Also throw in breathtaking space dives, humongous weapons and cute robotic companions and skadoosh! You got  Chewbacca's next adventure. I suggest go for it. Go for it as many times as possible. There is no better way to end and remember 2015 by. What we have in front of ourselves is a movie which is fresh yet keeps the aesthetics and sentimental value of the original trilogy intact. And yes that funny stormtrooper is Daniel Craig.

"If true love can be surmised into a single endless rapture, then I have felt the force run through me"

-by the revered author himself 

"Where we'd be today without Akira Kurosawa?"

-the same author being a silly Kurosawa fanboy