***Spoilers everywhere***
If I had to describe Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens in two words they would be “cheap” and “lazy.”
It hard to know where to begin talking about this movie. Does one start at with the tired, hollow callbacks to the original trilogy that feel even more forced and awkward than your usual cash-grab nostalgia project? Does one start at underwhelming new generation of characters - devoid of motivation, charisma, character development or, in the case of our new lead Rey, flaws of any kind? Should one talk about how it still manages to repeat some of the most damning failures of the prequels? Well, let’s start at the beginning.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….
It’s undeniable to say I wasn’t excited seeing those words up on the big screen once again. The thrilling and familiar orchestral tones washing over the audience as the iconic yellow titles burst into view. By the end of The Phantom Menace, they felt more like an ironic statement. The second and third acts of the prequel trilogy trying to convince us that the unfolding mess of melodrama and overwrought CGI action was somehow connected to that groundbreaking sci-fi series that continues to leave its mark on the pop culture landscape.
But with The Force Awakens we were supposed to believe that peace and justice has returned to our little fandom galaxy. We’ve been reassured through an endless line up of trailers and marketing spin that the slate was wiped clean, and we can all enjoy Star Wars once again.
And the opening minutes are thrilling.
We’re introduced to Poe Dameron, a snarky X-Wing pilot on a secret mission for the Resistance. (Oh, the ‘Resistance’! That sounds cool, I’m sure that will be explained later.) We see the ruthlessness of the First Order. We understand a little about our villain, Kylo Ren. It’s all interesting and it’s all exciting. But it doesn’t last.
By the end of the first act, and the appearance of Han Solo, the film loses all of its steam. The little issues that have started piling up - the whole story in fact - take a back seat as we are treated to 20 minutes of generic space action. CGI creatures tear through a freighter gobbling up mercenaries who are introduced to create unnecessary conflict forgotten as soon as the scene ends. This entire scene feels like it was lifted from a totally different script, inserted because someone decided last minute that the film needed another action scene.
To say that the first original trilogy as ‘perfect’ films feels a little obtuse. However those are films without a single wasted scene in them. Every scene is wholly in service of the plot or characters. The tempo of action scenes allows us to breathe and understand where our characters are, where the villains are, the consequence of every move. In The Force Awakens I was totally overwhelmed. Watching ten X-Wings fly through a barrage of TIE Fighters while dodging lasers, with the camera following closely behind spinning upside down and weaving through the carnage. I had to give up trying to make sense of it. None of the tension comes from whether or not we care about the well being of our main characters. We’re supposed to feel tension because there are lots of things going on at once. It harkens back to the Jedi battle in the colosseum from Attack of the Clones, or the opening scene from Revenge of the Sith. Again bombastic CGI replaces real, human emotion.
As Rey and Finn escape Jakku in the Millennium Falcon, we’re treated to the same action set piece from A New Hope. The Falcon dodges TIE Fighters while a character in the gunner’s chair swings back and forth, blasting away at the pursuers. And just like the original scene, the characters congratulation one another on their miraculous display. Except when Luke gleefully calls back to Han after nailing an enemy attacker, there is a real naivety in his joy. You feel his excitement and relief.
At the end of the same scene in The Force Awakens, the movie quite literally stops to focus on Finn and Rey standing in a hallway talking over top of one another,
“You were great!”
“No, you were great!”
Where is the camaraderie? Oh, no time to ponder that, we’ve already moved on to another scene showcasing what a genius Rey is.
It’s hard to overstate just how amazing Rey is as a character. She lives alone on a desert planet, scrounging for scrap technology and selling them for just enough food rations to survive. Oh and she lives in a downed AT-AT. Isn’t that cool? Wouldn’t you like to live in an AT-AT? Did I mention she’s also a great fighter? Surprised by two other scavengers trying to steal BB-8 from her, she quickly gains the upper hand and effortlessly takes down the her would-be attackers. From a distance a fatigued Finn sees the attack and rushes in to help, before looking around surprised by Rey’s impressive skills.
And what a virtuous character. She refuses to sell BB-8 to a junker despite his generous offer. She doesn’t look forlornly at the small droid she met several hours ago and wanted nothing to do with. She simply hesitates then decides the right course of action. Without really knowing BB-8’s mission (that’s classified, the droid tells her. Did I mention she speaks numerous languages fluently?) she decides that he is worth saving. Even in the face of Finn’s dire warnings about the First Order, Rey insists it is their duty to help the Resistance retrieve their droid. Her constant reminders that she must return to Jakku are nothing but lip service. It could have become a struggle for her to decide which path to choose: Stay on Jakku and wait for her family, or do the right thing and save the galaxy? Well we find out it’s not even a question for her. She already knows her family isn’t coming back, so what is the point in making this dilemma a moment of character development?
Rey is also a natural pilot and genius mechanic. Despite complaining how difficult it is to fly the Falcon without a co-pilot, on her first experience with the huge freighter she performs daring acrobatics and navigates tight spaces with ease. She is perfectly in sync with how to fix the Millennium Falcon and all the little upgrades that have been made. Isn’t Rey amazing? She even uses the Force on several occasions without any knowledge that she can even use the Force. She escapes captivity by sternly telling a guard to let her go for absolutely no reason. However some might say this is a convenience inserted by the writers because they didn’t know how to resolve the scene without it.
Contrast this with Luke in the original trilogy - he’s naive, idealistic, while also rash and restless. You understand his thirst for adventure, and how the death of his aunt and uncle lead him to a just cause greater than himself. Rey is along for the ride because she’s just a great person.
So why do I say this movie is “cheap”? They say that with some films all the money is up on the screen. Where the money went with The Force Awakens, I couldn’t tell you.
There are times The Force Awakens felt like a direct to TV movie. The majority of set pieces look like they were filmed on a soundstage or studio backlot. Say what you will about the prequels, but even in the CGI battle sequences there was at least some sense of scale. But every practical set in this film felt incredibly small. Everything from the set material to the practical effects looked incredibly cheap. One shot of Kylo Ren (as seen in the trailers) pushes in and spins to a dutch angle. Combined with the cheap pyrotechnics and awkward metal shard placed in frame for no reason, it isn’t an exaggeration to say I felt like I was watching a scene from Power Rangers.
And the costumes! Every close-up of Kylo Ren I was distracted by how unbelievably cheap his cloth robes looked; like a thick, woolen blanket someone had made into a costume. His helmet like a bland piece of plastic a convention-goer found in his shed. One shot of Han Solo stunned me when I realised his shirt is literally a polo top with the buttons removed.
Possibly the worst offence was the visage of Supreme Leader Snoke: an incredibly uninspired design portrayed with such cartoony CGI I couldn’t believe what I was watching.
This is a movie full of coincidences. As characters move from one scene to another, they aren’t driven by their own actions or ingenuity. Objects are placed in front of them by the director, and the characters use them as the script demands.
As Rey and Finn escape Jakku, they decide they need to find a ship and escape. Which ship must they use? Why the Millennium Falcon!
As they lose their pursuers, who appears in orbit to capture the ship? Why it’s Han Solo!
Who does Han recommend they visit next? Why, Maz Kanata! Who apparently has Anakin Skywalker’s old lightsaber!
Where is Rey on Starkiller Base? Oh, there she is right outside that window!
In one scene, Leia learns the First Order is charging their new planet destroying weapon by memo. A person walks in to frame and hands her a piece of paper that contains a vital plot point that kicks off the remainder of the film.
This is what I mean by “lazy.” It’s not just the awkward fan service moments. It’s a lack of interesting plot development or visual storytelling to drive the film forward. Things simply happen because they need to happen.
What else is there to say about the new generation of characters? Well, nothing much. There is no character development to speak of. Poe, Finn and Rey start one scene as strangers, and by the next they are risking their lives for one another. Much like the prequels, we don’t know characters are friends because we see their relationship, but simply because we are told they are friends. None give a particularly commanding performance, except possibly Oscar Isaac in the opening scenes. But not enough screen time or even script time is given to any one character to give them the chance to grow. We know where they come from and where they are going, but individual relationships and motivations are ignored in service of keeping the movie chugging along to the climactic battle.
It should be a surprise to mention how awful the older generation of characters are. Numerous franchise revivals over the past decade have brought familiar faces back to cinema, and every time its clear why they left. Carrie Fischer and Harrison Ford have completely forgotten how to play their characters. After decades of retirement or low-rent generic flicks, our childhood heroes no longer act. They seemingly turn up on set to read their lines then go have a lie down. It’s okay Ms. Fischer, you’re used to having a nap this time of day. One take is enough.
This doesn’t really matter in the end since Han and Leia have been revived purely to stand in frame and deliver expository dialogue. While it would be nice to hear Leia is still as feisty and headstrong as ever, or to have an emotional scene where she details why she abandoned galactic politics to lead a militia that don’t appear to have any sort of purpose in the galaxy, we’ll have to do with Carrie Fischer telling Harrison Ford that his jacket looks familiar while winking at the camera. Watching their scenes, I got the feeling the script was written in such a way they wouldn’t need a plan B. If Fischer had another psychotic break during filming barely a word would have to be changed when a new character/actor was inserted to fill in the blanks.
There is so much more to say about this film. Strange editing and shot choices. The lack of any main character we want to root for. The lack of any context or explanation for major story or world building elements. Adequately explaining how this film so quickly derails itself is a significant effort.
This is a film I went into with such little expectation, but quite a lot of hope. Every trailer instilled me with confidence that someone might have been able to save the franchise that should never have needed saving in the first place. Unfortunately, what we got was a meandering, unfocused and pointless exercise, unsure whether it wants to capitalise on 40 year old nostalgia or forge its own path - doing neither with any deft or grace.
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