Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer (Official) on Disney Video
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is out nearly two weeks now and, as could be predicted after the release-week hype, we are witnessing a critical and fan backlash of sorts.
A friend posts that The Force Awakens is the worst movie to gross more than a billion dollars in its first weekend. Others are calling it derivative, going so far as to call it a form of plagiarism. The acting has been derided, the storytelling questioned, and on and on.
On the other side is the full-bore defense, with point-by-point rebutted.
I can see both sides of this: The Force Awakens is a thrilling ride, well paced and compelling, helping to erase the stench of the three prequels. It also is derivative and was over-hyped.
I saw the movie this week, for the second time, which gave me a chance to temper my initial enthusiasm and let the hype recede. My judgment remains essentially the same: The Force Awakens re-energizes the Star Wars franchise, recapturing the feel of the originals. But I have to admit the film is flawed, but only because the entire franchise is also flawed: It’s really nothing more than a glorified cowboys-and-Indians saga layered with Eastern and Christian mysticism.
I think much of the hype on both sides owes to Star Wars’ place in our imagination. It is generational, and it means we remember the film as being a better cinematic product than it actually is. As I said, the original hits on all of the problem spots: cliches? Got ’em. A overly simple storyline? Yep. Less-than-stellar acting? Got that too.
The new movie is plagued by all of these things, as well, plus it is weighed down by the nearly 40 years of memories that few films have to carry. Even the longest-tenured franchises — James Bond, for instance — have less emotional baggage to carry.
So, what do we make of this latest awakening?
1. It is, as I said, a rebirth of sorts. My friend Vince called it a reboot without the rebooting, and I think that is accurate. It carries all of the old tropes without getting bogged down. It retreads much of the same thematic territory — birth of the hero, good. v. evil, the need to balance the “force” — without tripping over itself.
2. It is derivative and an excuse to sell toys. But we can say that about the previous four films (Empire Strikes Back remains the most complete and fleshed out of the series, while the three “prequels” are just eye candy).
3. The acting is universally mediocre, but consistent with the B-movie-meets-blockbuster sensibility that buttresses the entire franchise.
4. It is great to see Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, along with Chewbacca, but Ford hasn’t turned in a good performance in years. As Vince said after we saw it earlier this week, Ford just mugs his way through this.
5. The decision to have a woman be the newest Jedi savior is genius. After years of essentially reinforcing gender stereotypes, we have a female character who not only breaks the mold, but needs no help from anyone. Ray makes this film work.
6. Finn gets to play a variant of the Han Solo arc — struggling within himself over whether to join the resistance. It is a story as old as stories and serves this movie well.
7. The good-v.-evil storyline has less of a Reagan “Morning in America” feel than the earlier films did and more of a sense of liberty v. tyranny. Leia is no longer a princess, but a general in a rebel army, allowing the film to move away from an endorsement of rightful heirs and monarchical bloodlines.
8. Whatever else can be said about this movie, it moves. Its pacing is, with a few exceptions, exceptional. I found that I couldn’t fully sit back, even on second viewing, even as when I knew what has going to happen.
