Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (Spoiler-free)
Having now seen Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, I’m left wondering how in the world I could possibly write a spoiler-free review. The first thing I really need to say is that it’s actually worth watching. After an unfortunate string of prequels, it’s good to find myself enthralled with a Star Wars movie again. I could have easily sat through another hour or two and not even noticed how late it had gotten. Maybe it’s the current culture of binge watching talking, but what I’m really saying is that Episode VIII can’t get here soon enough.
I could fill this review with the sorts of things that critics seem to write to get mentioned in TV ads or DVD packages like “non-stop thrill ride” or “the best one yet” or whatever. The thing is, it would all be true. I was honestly left feeling rather disappointed after each of the prequel films. They had action, aliens, and lightsabers, but just didn’t feel like Star Wars to me. The Force Awakens manages to distill down the essence of the original trilogy and deliver it effortlessly in the most enjoyable way possible. Maybe it’s nostalgia for the originals or maybe it’s a relief at the lack of ham-fisted political intrigue. Either way, I found the pacing of the plot (which I’m trying very hard not to talk about in detail) to be superbly executed. The secret mission, the archetypal hero of humble origins, the shocking reveal, and the betrayal. This is Star Wars at its best.
Of course, in any Star Wars film one of the big highlights is the lightsabers. The whole controversy about the very broadsword-esque design of Kylo Ren’s lightsaber has been nothing if not entertaining with even the likes of Stephen Colbert weighing in on it. Besides the cross guard actually being useful in a fight, there’s another aspect of the aesthetic that I want to bring up: the beams themselves. What we see in the lightsaber wielded by Rylo Ken is a blade that looks very raw and unrefined. It isn’t the solid beam that we’ve come to know in any previous incarnation of the weapon. The frayed, fire-like quality of the lightsaber provides an amazingly poignant manifestation of the wielder’s mental state. Like Rylo Ken, the blade is barely-contained rage and fear given form.
What really makes The Force Awakens work as the next step in the franchise is the inclusion of the characters (played by the original cast) from the original trilogy. The entire theater cheered and clapped every time any one of them appeared for the first time. The magnificent part is that it never felt shoehorned in. The arrival of Han, Chewbacca, Leia, etc. all felt organic and purposeful. I can’t think of a better way to symbolize a passing of the torch from one phase of the franchise to the next. And then there’s the thing of which I dare not write here.
Fans of lens flare need not fear because with J. J. Abrams at the helm, we all knew that there was going to be plenty of it. However, joking aside, I can’t possibly express how well The Force Awakens has turned out under the new management. There is virtually no chance that I won’t be seeing this multiple times in the theater over the coming weeks. I look forward to writing a more examined piece about the actual story details in a couple weeks unless we spend the next two podcasts gushing endlessly about it. So for any longtime fan of Star Wars, you owe it to yourself to see this film just as soon as you can find a theater that isn’t completely sold out. May the Force be with you.
