Movie Review: In ‘The Force Awakens’ pure, unbridled joy trumps imperfection

MOVIE REVIEW: “STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS”

Recently, the experience of viewing the entire “Star Wars” saga from beginning to end in a theater — one of the ultimate thrills of my adult movie-going life — put a lot of things into perspective. Firstly, news flash: The prequels aren’t very good. And it goes far beyond their plodding nature, stilted dialogue, and Hayden Christiansen’s wooden performance as Mannequin Skywalker. No, the prequels are really dull because they simply aren’t any fun. True, Episodes I, II, and III are about Anakin’s fall from grace, but that’s no excuse. “The Empire Strikes Back” is plenty dark, but it still emerges as the definitive “Star Wars” movie (debatable, I know) because despite the darker elements of the plot, it’s a rip-roaring good time at the movies.

Thirty-two years following the events in “Return of the Jedi,” we finally get to find out what comes next in a galaxy far, far away, courtesy of fanboy filmmaker J.J. Abrams, new Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy and a team of extremely passionate storytellers. The end result is “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” a movie in which pure, unbridled joy and reverence trumps imperfection.

Going into “The Force Awakens” without delving into spoiler territory would be next to impossible. Since this film’s secrets have been mostly concealed by way of Abrams’ almighty “Mystery Box,” anything that might be written about it could be construed as a spoiler. In this review, I’ll avoid revealing the bigger surprises, but there will obviously be plot elements touched upon, so if you want to go into the film completely blind, stop reading now.

The events in “The Force Awakens” take place in real time in terms of the “Star Wars” timeline. In other words, just over 30 years have passed since the Jedi have defeated the Empire. As “The Force Awakens” begins, the heart of the mystery at the center of this picture is established by way of text during the film’s legendary opening crawl. I’ll refrain from going into the mystery further only to say that “The Force Awakens” offers up a most intriguing McGuffin.

Following the opening crawl, we are witness to an assault on the desert planet of Jakku. Ace X-Wing pilot and freedom fighter Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) stashes a mysterious item within the console of his lovable droid, BB8, just before The First Order — a fierce new foe born out of the ashes of the Empire — arrives to exterminate members of The Resistance.

Led by the evil, mask-wearing Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), The First Order — a sort of galactic Nazi regime — show no mercy in their assault. Ultimately, Dameron is captured and interrogated aboard  an enemy starship until he is aided by Finn (John Boyega) — a Stormtrooper with a conscience — in a daring escape.

Meanwhile, back on Jakku, young Rey (Daisy Ridley) lives a solitary life. She spends her days scavenging for supplies and doing whatever she can to survive. After eventually crossing paths with BB8 and a completely lost Finn, the adventure really begins, an adventure that will unite Rey and her newfound friends with the likes of legendary heroes Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Leia.

Where to begin? Firstly, nostalgia quite obviously plays an important role in “The Force Awakens.” As expected, there are plenty of echoes and call backs in this picture. Some have been quick to point out that the majority of the plot is a retread of the events that took place in “A New Hope.” True, Abrams uses the more memorable elements of the saga as comfort food, but he puts his own spin on the proceedings. This time around, it’s a pilot who hides secret plans in a droid, a young woman leading a mundane life on a desert planet, and a villain who wears a sinister-looking mask because he wants to, not because he has to. And it’s now a weapon of mass destruction that can destroy several planets at once. Get the picture?

Beyond that, Abrams the writer — with iconic screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan by his side — makes a handful of missteps here. “The Force Awakens” isn’t perfect. There are structural issues. Things of striking coincidence abound. Furthermore, the film would have greatly benefited from expanding upon both Finn’s and Rey’s individual struggles before they are brought together. There is also a source of contention in this picture that isn’t really fleshed out, and while the characters at the center of this contention play their most important scene like seasoned pros, a little more backstory would have made said scene all the more powerful.

It comes to reason that some of this stuff could be elaborated on in Rian Johnson’s “Episode VIII,” but I would have preferred that “The Force Awakens” simply tell its own story. “A New Hope” played perfectly as a standalone film even though it was part of a bigger arc. Perhaps that’s because there was no guarantee at the time that there would be an “Empire Strikes Back,” therefore “Star Wars” creator George Lucas simply put everything into that first entry.

Abrams, Kasdan, and crew knew from the get-go that this would be a new series of films, so unanswered questions and ambiguous threads have been built into “The Force Awakens” by choice. Beyond that, there are smaller elements that most fans will be willing to let slide. For instance, disarming a weapon of mass destruction is a hell of a lot easier than it used to be.

Abrams the director is firing on all cylinders. There is fan service, yes, but what imperfections the script might have to offer, Abrams more than makes up for by way of absolute joy, unlimited energy, and a childlike sense of exuberance. “The Force Awakens” moves at a very quick clip. It is nothing short of entertaining, and his tactile approach is beyond welcome.

However, where Abrams truly nails it with “The Force Awakens” is in the character beats and casting. Old favorites like Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) play off of each other beautifully, and the choice to turn Chewie into a full-on ladies’ man is an absolute stroke of genius.  Carrie Fisher returns as Leia, and while I’m reluctant to say where her relationship rests with the old scoundrel Han, I will say that their moments together in “The Force Awakens” reminded me a bit of Indy’s connection with Marion in the disappointment that was “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” It should be noted, though, that the connection here works far better than it did in “Crystal Skull” because as a whole, “The Force Awakens” is vastly superior movie. It should also be noted that for those of you worrying that Ford was going to phone in the performance, rest assured, he doesn’t. He’s fantastic.

While our returning favorites obviously give our nostalgia-loving hearts the comfort food they need, it’s the newbies that are truly worth noting in “The Force Awakens.”

Ridley is absolutely outstanding as Rey. Aside from her resemblance to Keira Knightley (who, ironically, appeared in “The Phantom Menace”), you’ll find that this lovely young actress is an absolute natural. She’s tough, spunky, vulnerable, and positively adorable in this picture, and I can’t wait to see this character grow in future entries.

As deserting Trooper Finn, Boyega (“Attack the Block”) is a bundle of blazing energy in this picture. It doesn’t take long for this charismatic performer to find what’s “worth fighting for.” There is no doubt that Boyega’s energy is infectious, and as a result, he makes those around him even better. What’s more, his chemistry with Ridley is spot on.

Isaac (“Ex Machina”) is the very personification of heroism in “The Force Awakens.” In fact, heroism is a prominent theme in this picture, and no one displays it in grander fashion than Isaac. He simply has a twinkle in his eye, and just like Boyega, Ridley, and the rest of the cast, you can feel how excited he is to be a part of this universe.

Driver (“Girls”) is a compelling force to be reckoned with as the villainous Kylo Ren, and one of the things that’s so fascinating about him as a character is that he seems like everything Lucas wanted Anakin to be in the prequels, only Driver nails it by bringing a real sense of pathos to the role. Kylo Ren is essentially a fanboy with a big chip on his shoulder. Intimidating and powerful to be sure, but prone to childlike temper tantrums when he doesn’t get what he wants. Driver is excellent as a baddie who is scary, unpredictable, and tragic, and his jaggedy lightsaber is a perfect fit for his volatile behavior.

There are other noteworthy characters to be found in “The Force Awakens,” including mystical Maz Kanata (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o), a 900-year-old Force expert whose intellectual status is only rivaled by her fondness for Chewie. Nyong’o is incredibly likable in this role, and it is my hope that she will one day get her groove on with Chewbacca.

Unfortunately, there are characters who don’t fair as well.  Gwendoline Christie of “Game of Thrones” fame looks amazing as Captain Phasma, a lead trooper decked out in shiny chrome, but those expecting a character of Boba Fett-caliber “badassery” are bound to be disappointed. Unfortunately, Phasma doesn’t get to do much in this picture, and worse still, there’s a sense throughout the film that she initially did have more to do that was ultimately left on the cutting room floor. Here’s hoping Phasma gets to show off some real personality in “Episode VIII.”

Sadly, the great Max Von Sydow clocks in about three minutes of screen time as an ally who assists Dameron in his heroic crusade. Who exactly is Von Sydow’s Lor San Tekka? We may never know.

Finally, the much talked about Supreme Leader Snoke (played by the great Andy Serkis) is shown only in holographic form. He’s treated much like the Emperor  in “The Empire Strikes Back,” so it’s safe to say that we’ll be seeing more of him in the future.

Note of interest: “The Force Awakens” offers up a handful of entertaining cameos, including Simon Pegg and Daniel Craig, so be on the lookout.

“The Force Awakens” is surprisingly intimate for a movie of this size. In fact, this is every bit a story of family (some of it of the dysfunctional variety) as it is an operatic sci-fi adventure. Sure, there are battles, lightsaber duels, explosions, and talk of the all-powerful Force, but at the end of the day, “The Force Awakens” is about heroism and the importance of family.

Despite the flaws, there is no doubt that Abrams has risen to the challenge. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is the best picture of the year, but with all due respect to “Return of the Jedi,”  this is the most entertaining chapter in the saga since 1980’s “The Empire Strikes Back,” and as was the case with the ending of that picture, the final moments of “The Force Awakens”  have me anxiously and enthusiastically counting the days until “Episode VIII.”

Summing up, the Force is back, and this might be the best time ever to be a “Star Wars” fan!

Sidenote: See “The Force Awakens” in Imax if at all humanly possible.