FSW’s Spoiler-Free Review of The Force Awakens
Storm Duper here to review The Force Awakens! Since I live in South Korea, I was able to see the film 3 times before it even opened in the states. Read on after the break to get my first impression of the film.
After years of anticipation, JJ has delivered the newest chapter of the Star Wars saga to adoring fans. I will do my best to keep out the spoilers, but be careful if you don’t want your imagination clouded.
First of all, from the moment the crawl rolls, I really got the sense that this is definitely a Star Wars film. Abrams and company have done an incredible job of recreating the magic of the original trilogy. The story is tight and quickly-paced, with funny moments sprinkled throughout.
Another aspect of the film that fans will be happy with is that both the old cast and new cast do a great job. Particularly, Harrison Ford and Daisy Ridley showcase a lot of acting chops. Daisy is an extremely compelling presence on screen. You won’t be disappointed with the performance of John Boyega as Finn, either. His character is something new to the Star Wars universe, as it affords the audience a closer look into the mechanics of the Dark Side’s war machine, which was very intriguing. His banter is also hilarious.
BB-8 feels a bit like an R2-D2 replacement, but he is a funny and interesting character as well. As far as technical achievements go, bringing BB-8 to life definitely ranks up there. The sets and story beats are logical and seem to fit well in the Star Wars universe. There is just enough exposition to keep you in the plot, but not too much that scenes feel tired or boring. There are so many other good things to say about the film, such as the score, sets, and creature work. Maz Kanata’s Castle is a delightful sequence.
The main shortfall of the film is that the plot and story mirrors that of A New Hope very closely. At times this is satisfying, as an homage, but one wonders if JJ got a little too carried away with trying to duplicate the “delight” of the OT. On the other hand, Adam Driver’s portrayal of Kylo Ren is such an exciting new kind of villain, that the homages can be forgiven since the film does accomplish some new characterization very well. Fans will not be disappointed, but the derivative elements are definitely palpable in the film if you are a super fan.
There are a few more minor story issues particularly at the end of the film that had a bit of a contrived feeling, but you be the judge of that after you watch it.
Storm Duper gives it 4 out of 5 stars. See it once then get back in line as see it again!
