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As Good As Empire – Star Wars: The Force Awakens – The Bleeding Cool Review (No Spoilers)

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyGcx-SLKAc[/youtube]

Rich Johnston's take…

Yesterday I went to Leicester Square with my passport, embargo form and ticket to see a film I had very strange expectations of.

I saw the original Star Wars film aged five in 1978 (it took a while to reach Yorkshire) and can tell the immediate impact it had on me from the Star Wars wallpaper, duvet cover and dolls – sorry, action figures I acquired later. I thorough enjoyed the sequels (though someone at church spoiled me on Luke and Leia) and while they haven't taken over my life, they are a fond memory and if I find one on the TV, I know I'll watch it till the end. They are comfort foods of films, I can see all the flaws and simply don't care.

The prequels – I didn't hate them as much as some, but they didn't really sit right.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens kinda does. I could never say it's a great film, a good film might be pushing it, but it's a hell of an enjoyable film.

There's certainly the fan service in bringing back the old icons, with audience applause when they first appear, and plot repeats and references to those previous movies occurring like George Lucas Tourettes in some place. The Cantina, the Millenium Falcon, the attempt to eke out an existence on a dust-filled planet, the switching environments, the familial revelations, the English as the bad guys, a shameless use of coincidence to move the story along as if it were all Force destiny, information held by a droid, temptations by the Force, "I've got a bad feeling about this", the trash compactor, it's all here…

What most appealed to me was the new. Rey, Finn, Kylo Ren and BB-8 are going to be legendary. This is what will be played in the school playground, no one will want to be Han, Leia, Chewie, C-3PO,R2D2 or Luke. This film is completely about the new crowd – but yet it remains totally and utterly Star Wars.

And then there is the new take on the old. Original force tricks from mesmerising Adam Driver as Kylo Ren whose Darth Vader-lite is classically and tragically flawed, Scottish accents (two I think), and in Rey played by Daisy Ridley, a woman who doesn't need rescuing, is perfectly capable of looking after herself but might need a little help from her friends, while doing her best Kiera Knightley impersonation. This is a blatant attempt to solve some of the problems from previous movies, although the Bechdel Test is only passed with seven little words at the end. And John Boyega as Finn is the Stormtrooper who could – there's even a possible explanation here as to why Stormtroopers are often such bad shots if you want to see it. He's the heart of the film and definitely owes Joe Cornish a pint for Attack The Block getting him here.

It has learnt. No lens flare, but a sense of humour lacking in much of the originals. Indeed, it's often closer in tone to Firefly and Serenity, and has far more of that dubious moral centre as well. Hell, there's even a scene right out of Cabin In The Woods. JJ Abrams may have given us something closer to Joss Whedon than I was expecting.

We see scenes from the Stormtroopers personal points of view, including their reactions when their members are killed by the Rebel Alliance. There are decisions that Finn makes that are callously selfish. Rey has real psychological issues that constantly threaten to stymie the heroic misson. It's no wonder that Poe Dameron, the Rebel's finest pilot, is put to the side for much of the film, he's just too goody two shoes to fit in with everyone else.

Oh, and it looks really pretty.

There is a lot you can predict about this film, the surprises are so foreshadowed that you will see them coming, spoilered or not, but again, there's comfort in this as well.

They say you can never go home. Star Wars: The Force Awakens proves you totally can. And yes, it's as good as Empire…

Patrick Dane's take…

Star Wars is the cultural touchstone of blockbuster cinema. It's DNA runs through almost all modern franchise films, and that doesn't even nearly begin to describe its entire reach. It's a defining presence within pop culture, up there with the most beloved franchises the world over. So, yeah, The Force Awakens is a pretty big deal. You know of this already though. This is quite possibly the biggest movie since the turn of the century, and that includes the post-2000 prequels. This is the first film to bring this story forward since 1983, and the real question I know you have, intrepid reader, is, "does it sit alongside that original trilogy?"

To state it plainly and succinctly: It does. It's a really good, maybe even great movie in the franchise. I will say, if you are looking for a masterpiece that will change the landscape or be in Oscar contention…it isn't that. All considered though, it more or less goes as well as you could've hoped for, and importantly defines what this franchise will be going forward.

How that definition will affect the future is one of the key things to understand about this movie in fact, and a lot of that comes down to the structure of how the narrative is built. Not to get into deep film specifics, the mirroring between the plot of The Force Awakens and A New Hope is extensive. It's a deeply referential movie, for example starting off with a droid who has an important piece of information, three younger leads being the stars – two boys and a girl, and…well, I won't go further than that, but there are many points within this movie where something that happens in the narrative, directly mirrors the 1977 original. (I'd almost be interested to see these movies played side by side to see if and when moments matched up). Don't fret over this though. This feels like a very clever, and eventually, necessary framing device going forward. We're seeing a similar story play out in front of us, but the tone of this movie feels quite different from anything in the previous films. It's a litmus test for understanding what Star Wars 'is' in 2015, laying down the groundwork for the entire franchise's future in the process. It's most definitely Star Wars, no mistaking that, but it's Star Wars with a lens change.

That lens is one of youthfulness. Not a glorified toy commercial or pandering like The Phantom Menace could be at times, but rather a childlike wonder brought to something old. This is a new generation being given the the keys to the Star Wars sandbox, and the excitement and enthusiasm that J.J. Abrams and his younger cast brings to The Force Awakens inspires a sense of love that's infectious. The reference of the franchise is entirely fuelled by reverence, making the entire movie, particularly the first two acts, feel like a celebration of Star Wars in a way new blood could only infuse. The sheer enthusiasm, even love, for what the cast and crew are doing here seeps from every pore in a way that should be irresistible to even the most stubborn of Star Wars fans.

Abrams is on stellar form here, stepping up to the plate of this franchise as if he's been destined to. Make no bones about it, this very much feels like a J.J. Abrams movie, barring more than a passing resemblance to his first Star Trek movie. Except, this time, he isn't making a Star Trek movie with Star Wars qualities. He is just making a Star Wars movie, which means that his sensibilities for action and adventure are allowed to run wild, and it's absolutely a joy to watch.

The cast is also one of the key delights here too, with the new and old blood being quite stellar across the board. Oscar Isaac's Poe Dameron is really channeling a panache reserved only for the most classical of movie stars, existing somewhere between the new and old class of heroes. While he gets overshadowed somewhat by the narrative's focus, it's clear his part to play in the future is important and in good hands. Harrison Ford is also on great form, putting in a substantial performance, far reaching that of a cameo. Daisy Ridley also runs a gamut of emotions and proves to be more than capable of shouldering the burden of this franchise, which is no small feat.

The two standouts are John Boyega and Adam Driver as Finn and Kylo Ren respectively though. Finn is something few in the Star Wars universe are and that's being genuinely funny. While at times in the past movies, characters say jokes and funny lines, Finn proves to be the most competent of all the main characters in any of the previous films when it comes to delivering a line. He is far from comic relief though, playing a huge part in momentum of the adventure, able to turn his quips into more serious reflections when the time is called upon. For me, Kylo Ren is such a wonderfully realised villain too. He's genuinely imposing, harnessing a real sense of malice and pain, yet crucially, he too shows a fair amount of nuance. Darth Vader was an intimidating bad guy, but taking away his final few moments, he's a very one note character. Ren on the other hand actually has a key sense of levity to him, even pulling some of the biggest laughs in the movie. This adds texture to this character, making him a complex, twisted, emotionally mutilated and menacing presence that makes him one of the most fascinating in the Star Wars canon to appear on screen.

Where Star Wars: The Force Awakens does stumble a little though, is in the downsides of that previously expressed enthusiasm. The movie feels incredibly brisk, creating a snappy and enthralling pace, however this leads to moments that should've been allowed to breathe a little more. A lot is only touched on briefly here that I wish was explained better or allowed to emotionally resonate longer, but the film's enthusiasm pulls it to the next thing before a couple key moments are allowed to linger. Facts such as who are the First Order and Resistance and the parameters of their conflict are are glanced over, surely to be picked up in later films or the expanded universe. Indeed, The Force Awakens doesn't necessarily stand on its own two feet as a single feature, especially by the time the credit rolls. Ultimately that's fine by me as this is a stepping stone in the franchise, but if you're coming in expecting it to be a rounded package, you might wander out a little unhappy.

Ultimately, the bottom line is that The Force Awakens is a really good movie that fits comfortably within the company of its predecessors. It has a genuine reverence for the original trilogy, with the cast and crew clearly imbuing their movie with love and respect, while laying a foundations for the future with youthfulness and modernity. There is brilliant character work, bringing a great group of leads together who have electric chemistry, on top of a directorial command of action that simply makes for a satisfying adventure. While at times it could use a little more focus and patience, there is plenty to like on display here. The Force Awakens is the droid you've been looking for, provided you've been looking for a fun filled adventure that will likely melt the hearts of many a Star Wars fan, and keep those who are not as initiated smiling. All considered, that's about the best possible outcome you could have hoped for here.

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