Screen Anarchists On: STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

Jason Gorber, Featured Critic

There’s a weird thing that’s happened since I first saw The Force Awakens a week ago – I’ve had plenty of opportunity in both print and on air to provide analysis, taking in the film with a bit of (shall we say?) professional detachment and critical acumen. Meanwhile, some of my colleagues are gushing enthusiastically and unreflectively, even dismissing any of my “nitpicks” as being due to fanboy proclivities.

Here’s my somewhat ambivalent take – yes, I’m a fan of Star Wars, and yes, I like many parts of the prequels. With TFA I’ve seen most if not all of this before, and felt we got exactly what was expected, which in turn lacked the sense of real discovery we got even from Episodes I-III. At the same time, this is exactly the film that Disney/Lucasfilm needed to make, exactly the right level of nostalgia mixed with some fantastic new characters.

The performances of Boyega and Ridley are ace, and Poe gets to have his moments whooping it up. On second viewing Driver’s take grew on me considerably, and I like the flawed characterisation they made of Ren. Ford’s having fun for the first time in forever, and Fisher’s seemingly the worst general ever, having less than anything to do.

There’s still glaringly weak elements, from dropped story points to overly convenient emotional moments that aren’t earned, while others are executed clumsily. Yet there’s other moments where the film soars, where the one-liners land hard and fast, and where we get a sense of thrill watching a Star Wars film on the big screen.

We’ll see how it ages, especially in context of a marathon where its echoes to Jedi, Empire and A New Hope will become even more glaring (where’s Death Star II when they show the size difference?) I’m betting in time this will feel even more of a stepping-stone film, outclassed by what’s to come in subsequent episodes. At the same time, I’m betting some elements – Rey’s dream, for one – will take on new and greater import when some of the story holes are filled in, meaning that the bits of the film being loved now may diminish, while other elements skipped over will take on more import. Time will tell, for now I’m just pleased it’s not the mess it could well have been, that the balance between meta-narrative interests and just telling a decent tale are struck, and that the stage is fully set for what’s to come.

Kurt Halfyard, Contributing Writer

The movie-magic for me, was not in any way ‘awakened’ by this new tale in the all too familiar galaxy far, far away. I believe the chapter-title, The Force Awakens, is intended to evoke a return to 'a feeling' for a certain type of Star Wars fan. Perhaps I am older and my tastes have simply (sadly) evolved out of this universe; one where nearly everyone of any importance is (alarmingly) related to everyone else of importance. A bloodline dynasty of coincidences that reduces the vast reaches of space, millions of worlds with trillions of sentient folks struggling with their lives, to the midichlorians in the Skywalker blood. The force in this extended family and ancestry apparently being the only thing to enact change. To adult me, this seems ridiculously small, and safe -- downright timid in scope.

In the fuzzy 21st century fashion of reboots, remakes, and re-envisioning, we get J.J. Abrams, the filmmaker we deserve (the masses have voted via box-office dollars), a fan-first, filmmaker-second studio hack, who does spiffily renovated homage, sparkling with high sheen, but fails to follow through bold new ideas or concepts. You know, the thing that makes a story memorable to a generation. He hears the notes, but fails at constructing any kind of memorable symphony. A beat by beat redo of Star Wars (Episode IV for the kiddies out there) with a few colour and gender fixes, little more. This is Abrams’ rebooting of Star Trek all over again: action over ideas, momentum over thought, with superb casting and an eye for visuals, cut short by fan-boy glee and worship. If Lucas went to Campbell, Kurosawa and world religions for inspiration, Abrams goes to the original Trilogy, and a smidge into the Prequels; the pop-cultural snake is eating its own tail.

That all is to say, I paid to see the most expensive fan film that money can buy. Slavery to 'the rules' is no way to make a movie, no matter how good the characters are. Poe, Rey, Ren and Fin(n) are all wonderful new faces and iconic-ly memorable three-letter handles. The gender and racial balancing to the Force are more than welcome, too. Nevertheless, no matter how sharp the one liners, nor how beautiful the cinematography, this is still fan service on the $250 million dollar scale, to be lapped up by an undemanding (or nostalgia eager) audience. Who ever made the They Live mashup of the poster for The Force Awakens was a genius. Too much fan-culture is toxic and stunts us collectively as a species.

For the sake of going forward do NOT give us what we want, give us what we are unaware we need. Ridley Scott’s R-rated Prometheus, with its corporate mission full of schemers and fuck-ups is looking better and better in hindsight of safe Marvel-Disney pandering for box-office. To re-ignite the tiniest flicker of hope remaining towards getting a great Star Wars film in the cinema again, it will take an artist with big ideas (and a willingness to fight his corporate Empire if necessary to use them), a sense of risk and adventure, not just a snappy sense of polish.

(Note: A longer version of this take appears on Kurt's other site, Rowthree.com)

Ben Umstead, U.S. Editor

There are two halves to Star Wars. The pop culture and the personal. Like the Light side and the Dark side, one cannot exist without the other.

In the summer of 1977, Star Wars was a watershed event. And it took the whole summer and even into the fall to reach most parts of the globe. In the winter of 2015, The Force Awakens is playing every half hour, on every kind of movie theater screen imaginable, the world over. In a culture of volume and over-saturation, where we seem ever connected in our disconnect, when the moment doesn't even feel like ours, can a remixed Star Wars movie bring us together in the glory of shared experience? My answer is an enthusiastic, if tempered, "yes".

As a child I obsessed over every detail of the Star Wars universe. It was my way of both sheltering myself from the world at large and lensing it in a way I could understand. As a self-loathing teenager, in the time of the prequels, I left Star Wars behind. The Force Awakens is the first Star Wars movie I have seen as an adult. An adult who has learned self-love. Yes, my experience with the film was so extremely personal that it is hard to describe. I had unfinished business here. I reconciled with that teenage self. I made amends. I am grateful for that experience. I am grateful for my tears. I am also pretty much ready to leave the world of online conversation behind. I want to talk in person. I want to live this with you. But before I log off, I leave you with this:

When it gets down to it Star Wars has never really been about space battles or lightsabers, cantina creatures or faraway worlds. Those are all avatars and manifestations of our inner dreams and fears. Star Wars, at its most valuable, is a heart machine. Its motion is emotion. And I felt (literally felt!) that The Force Awakens delivered on that front.

Yes, the storytelling mechanics are less than elegant, perhaps even at odds with themselves, but boy how I loved the characters and their emotional journeys. I am so ready to go on the next adventure with Rey, Finn and Poe, but especially Kylo Ren (in private I am not calling him that). So, while The Force Awakens isn't totally able to transcend the current pop cultural excess (and we could even argue that Star Wars helped lay the ground for that), Star Wars as a whole could be on the path to remedying it. Making it all a little more relatable again. A bit more down to earth. More human. That's never something a Transformers sequel will be able to give us.

Pierce Conran, Contributing Writer

Living in Switzerland, I didn’t grow up on Star Wars and only came around to the original trilogy in my late teens. That said, the hype (and optimism) surrounding Episode VII has been infectious and when those yellow letters and that theme came on, my heart was already in my throat. Call it fandom by osmosis.

J.J. Abrams and co. pay ample reverence to the originals, perhaps too much, leading many to not unjustifiably liken it to a A New Hope redux, but what elevates The Force Awakens is its craft. With its mix of mattes, in-camera effects and CGI, the film is a stunning visual experience but what really makes it pop is the editing. The sharp, intelligent cutting by Maryann Brandon and Mary Jo Markey (both frequent Abrams collaborators) tells us as much about the new characters as the dialogue or performances do.

And what a great bunch of characters Rey, Finn, Kylo, Poe and BB8 are. Instantly coming to life, Star Wars is in safe hands with this bunch going forward. I do hope more narrative risks are taken next time around, but I cannot wait to see Rian Johnson tackle Episode VIII.

Ernesto Zelaya Miñano, Contributing Writer

I’m not a Star Wars nut, but even I couldn’t help but get excited for Episode VII. There was something really special about seeing Han in the Falcon’s cockpit smiling like a doofus. The audience cheered when they were supposed to, they groaned when C-3PO popped back up, and they were all wondering when the hell Luke was going to appear.

The best thing to happen to this franchise was George Lucas stepping down. The Force Awakens keeps cringeworthy dialogue to a minimum (No “You’re breaking my heart!” here, thankfully) and the entire universe looks lived in and real, instead of just showing actors standing in front of greenscreens (see: the prequels).

Abrams goes the Superman Returns route; he doesn’t just pay tribute to the original trilogy, he reproduces scenes wholesale, which can bring on massive cases of déjà vu. It’s both a good and a bad thing; someone should tell the bad guys that planet-sized weapons of mass destruction (with one single specific weak spot) aren’t working out for them.

Loved the new cast; they look so happy to be there it’s infectious. Loved Kylo Ren until he took his mask off and magically turned into a wimp; and I loved the direction in which this is going. Abrams brought me back into this universe and I will dutifully plant my butt on a theater seat in two years.

It’s got flaws; I had Nick Offerman’s voice in my head repeating “It’s EXACTLY like last time” over and over, but it’s still solid entertainment. However, the Internet and the ever-present threat of spoilers has ruined movies like this: they went from events to Standard Well-Made Hollywood Blockbusters, the kind you watch a couple of times and then probably don’t revisit again.

Michele "Izzy" Galgana, Associate Editor

What can I say about Star Wars that my fellow movie geeks haven’t already covered? By now, quite a few people have seen the film, but for those who haven’t, ScreenAnarchy is employing a “no spoilers” policy for this article. At any rate, I’ll say that it’s about time that Lucas Film has a female protagonist. There will be generations of little girls who have Rey — a fiercely independent asskicker — to look up to. Yeah, sure, you can say that Princess Leia is a “strong female character,” but give me a break. She was forced to wear a bikini and was chained by the neck by a giant space slug. Yes, she got revenge, and rightfully so. However, Leia has barely any dialogue in ANY of the films — does that sound like agency to you?

You can say that we’ve had Ripley — and Sigourney Weaver is indeed AMAZING. You can say we’ve had [insert whatever name here]. The point is that I don’t think that the female side of our population — even though we are roughly 51% of human beings — has been gifted with such a positive role model in such an enormously popular capacity. The Star Wars films are among — if not THE MOST — widely seen on Earth. It’s validation that yes, women are strong — and OUR STORIES ARE WORTH SOMETHING, TOO. We are compelling. We are powerful. And we are capable of saving the universe. The Michael Bays of the world, with their lingering shots of supermodel butts and other body parts, are a dying breed that are hopefully, FINALLY on the verge of extinction.

In other words, it’s goddamn time.

And about “that” scene — well, I nearly screamed obscenities at the screen. I’m honestly quite amazed that no one else did in the sold-out screening I attended.

Jim Tudor, Featured Critic

If The Force Awakens is any indication, the post-George Lucas/Disney era of Star Wars will be like a Paul McCartney concert: It's great, with a lot really great moments - but it's not the Beatles. They're playing the Beatles, and there's even a Beatle on stage. But it's not the Beatles. It knows that, and compensates for that in every way possible, sparing no expense and scope. It's a state of the art show with heart, a must-see that deserves its anticipation. Yet, it also can't help being a reminder that the Beatles are over, and really can't come back. Therefore, a Paul McCartney concert is something to be thankful for, while it lasts.

A lot of other people are making a lot of money through the nostalgic blast of sound and light, but who are we to mind? The Beatles, or Star Wars, are at our very centers, making up much of who we've become. Do we really want to let them go forever? To continue the analogy, the 1997 Star Wars special editions, so scorned now, were the Beatles Anthology of their day: A welcome, if revisionist, ride down memory lane. (Incidentally, both were circa 1997.) As Star Wars persists for encore after encore, refusing to leave any money on the proverbial sabacc table, who are we to complain? The Force Awakens is far from perfect, sometimes fraying like a threadbare Jedi robe. But if we stand back and don't look too closely at such details, it looks an awful lot like Star Wars. And isn't that what we're looking for as we buy our tickets for our umpteen trips across the universe?

Shelagh Rowan-Legg, Associate Editor

On one hand, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a masterpiece, if not the masterpiece, of the 21st century cinema of attractions. In the age of remakes, sequels and reboots, none has more nostalgic power and potential than this franchise, the epitome of fanboy culture. And as a piece of the cinema of attractions, it exceeds all expectations. The core themes of friendship, loyalty, camaraderie and the power of the light against the dark hold steady, moving into the hands of a new generation. The film, frequently though not entirely, is exciting, more or less keeps a steady pace (though is maybe about 15 minutes too long), adheres to its B-movie roots while updating the action with better cinematic technology. Each actor knows the part they play, and newcomers Daisy Ridley and Joe Boyega carry the film, infusing their characters with pluck and heart that you root for them the whole way through. And yes, Rey is the heart of the story, and as a woman who has been longing for women characters like these in Hollywood films her whole life, I thank J.J. Abrams and the writing team for creating Rey, and Ridley for fitting her like a glove.

On the other hand, the film is riddled with some of the laziest writing and directing, sadly also indicative of contemporary cinema of attractions. Forget about the effects, CGI, actions sequences; all this is a given, we know thy're going to be good, because the film has a big enough budget and that's what the Cinema of Attractions is about. I understand that, given this is tied into the previous Star Wars films in story, there will be discussions of this. Also, seeing that it is made by a fanboy for fanboys and girls, there will be the occasional knowing wink. But most of the story is simply switching certain characters out for others; rather than a continuation, this is a rehashing. As my colleague Kurt Halfyard noted in his review on Row Three, Abrams is a fanboy first, director second, and I doubt anyone would mistake him for a director of originality. And while I have enjoyed his work in the past, it just feels like he phoned it in on this one, copying past action sequences from his other films and practically copying the narrative from the earlier film, rather than finding a new direction for the story, or even a new path in the same forest. This is his fan movie; which is fine, it looks like that’s what Abrams wanted to make and that’s what the fans wanted to see. But I think the only things that will get me to the next installment will be knowing that Rian Johnson is at the helm, and Ridley and Boyega are right behind him.

Zach Gayne, Contributing Writer

I'm the last guy you'd likely find at an opening Thursday Star Wars premiere, but when a friend's ticket was otherwise going to waste, I couldn't resist the chance to see it in IMAX 3D - free. Walking into the theatre apathetically late for trailers, “Won’t get fooled again”, was the tune I was singing. Yet within minutes of watching Episode VII, I was amazed by how much I found myself loving something I couldn’t care less about only 10 minutes prior. Considering that the last 20+ years of bad sequels have solidified the genre as a blasphemous joke, the notion of a satisfying follow-up felt extinct, Star Wars or otherwise.

Not only was I immediately immersed in the film, but I actually found myself considering the bedazzling impact the original Star Wars must’ve had on its initial audience in new ways. Why? Because Episode VII is kind of dazzling. What if, by some Back To The Future-esque mishap, instead of a ‘50s high school watching Johnny B. Goode, a ‘77 audience accidentally screened Episode VII instead of IV. Would it have the same impact? I think so! And not just because the effects of today dwarf that of A New Hope. Going further into my thought experiment, imagine a ‘77 audience watching The Avengers instead. Yes, they would be shocked by the technology, but even so, I firmly believe the impact would have been way less than the era-appropriate Star Wars simply because visual cunning MUST take a back seat to story!

The Force Awakens is the perfect transitional installment for the new trilogy. Classic characters drive the film, which helps fans get on board, while new faces are successfully introduced in small enough doses that they're likable. Naysayers seem to object to the film’s ‘pandering to fans by giving them what they want’, but I don’t see what’s wrong with offering a story in keeping with the charms of the original. I can think of a sequel to a George Lucas production that didn’t give fans what it wanted. It was called Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and like South Park so pointedly criticized, it’s a sequel where Indy falls victim to horrors similar to the ones Jodie Foster experienced in The Accused.

Lineage remains a theme, but with an angle distinct enough to be cleverly reminiscent rather than derivative. Also, the way J.J. handles the technological advances of outer space - making the droids and space vessels of yesterday’s stars dated - is a stroke of genius. Sure, the effects are modernized, but in a dignified way I hadn’t anticipated. The vast landscapes of the film’s early long shots evoke movie magic as primitive as the awe-inspiring backdrops of The Thief of Baghdad, and this, at heart, is what the blockbuster is supposed to be about. Just like A New Hope reminded audiences of what movies are capable of in the hands of an imaginative dreammaker, so too does The Force Awakens remind us why everyone gave a damn about Star Wars in the first place. It’s really nice to be back on board.

Ard Vijn, Associate Editor, Features

Oh boy, Star Wars. Where to start? Well, when I was twelve and saw The Empire Strikes Back, it was probably closer to a religion to me than religion itself. Enough for me to be both thoroughly excited and disappointed in Return of the Jedi when it arrived, three solid years of daily fantasizing later.

Mind, flaws and all Jedi was still good enough for me to refer to episodes IV, V and VI as the Holy Trilogy, to this day. And going into Star Wars: The Force Awakens last week, I knew I would encounter the same mix of excitement and disappointment again, and could only hope the mix leaned less towards the Dark Side than it did with the prequels.

Lowered expectations are a blessing, as it avoided me emotionally running into a wall like I did almost seventeen years ago. For Star Wars: The Force Awakens is very, very flawed indeed. Its world-building is far below par for the franchise, its story weak and incapable of withstanding even the slightest scrutiny, and many of the touted cameos are bafflingly unimportant or even invisible (hi there, fans of The Raid and Game of Thrones!). For all the bile the prequels get, each of them added at least two memorable locations and occasionally a classic scene to the franchise. Even The Phantom Menace has its pod race. What does The Force Awakens have to show? What scene will warrant occasionally re-popping the disc in, a few years from now? One of the senseless massacres J.J. Abrams seems to be so fond of?

Nevertheless, The Force Awakens easily beats the prequels, and it does this in the franchise's most neglected area: characterization. New leads Rey and Finn are simply awesome, and the reason to go see this. The story they've been thrown in may be clunky as hell, but I want to follow their adventures, and root for them. And I like Kylo, Poe and BB-8 a lot as well.

A character-driven Star Wars? I haven't seen that in over thirty years, and I'm very happy it's back.