This is a fairly spoiler-free review in that I'm not going to talk about the movie so much as I am going to explain how it made me feel and what sort of expectations you should have going into this film in order to maximize your satisfaction and enjoyment.
Let me start off with explaining what my initial thoughts were on the very idea of a seventh episode. Before it was ever announced, I said that it could never be done, and that the saga had definitively ended, and that you couldn't have any further continuation that felt like it was an absolutely essential part of the story. More or less, I held the same position that George Lucas did, that the saga was about Anakin Skywalker, and that before Episode I and after Episode VI there was no more story left to tell. So when Episode VII was announced, I thought people were joking, until I realized that they weren't.
The question I had was never whether or not it would be good. It's Star Wars, and I basically love the saga. The question to me was whether or not it would feel like a Star Wars movie and like it was a definitive contribution to the main story. Would it, when all was said and done, feel like it was part of the story all along? Will it be Star Wars or jut a really, really good tribute to Star Wars?
Now that it's out, it confirms that Episode VII is what I always suspected an Episode VII would be. Fun, wonderful, and a great escape, although not necessarily an absolute necessity to the saga. I'd say that it feels like the beginning of its own saga and its own separate story, and it works best if you see it that way. The main thing that it continues is not the saga but the franchise. So basically, it has some of the same characters, but it really is a new story. And as Disney marketed this: every generation needs a story. This is definitely a grand, great mystic story that works quite well as a way of uniting a new generation with a story to call their own, so for that I give Episode VII definite reverence.
If you go in super-opinionated about what a Star Wars film should be, I think that this is going to eventually disappoint you with repeated viewings, though, because in so many ways this felt more like a J.J. Abrams movie than a Star Wars film, particularly with the cinematography. You can also tell that this didn't follow George Lucas's ideas for the continuation of the saga, because it definitely feels like part of a separate creative entity. It doesn't feel like this was secretly part of the saga all along, but like I said, that's okay if you see this as a continuation of just the franchise and the mythology in general.
It's subjective, though. I had a special mother-son moment watching this in theaters. My mother introduced me to Star Wars. She was also there in 1977. To her, this was still uniquely a Star Wars film. I think that a lot of people will view this similarly, and it has the potential to be a new favorite for some.
Next subject: this is the first Star Wars film, in my opinion, that has ever done away with the Flash Gordon nostalgia. Instead, it seems nostalgic of itself. There were a lot of references to the older films that older fans would find funny, although it did sort of take me out of the film. To me, that's a little weird, but it was what I expected going in, and it was something I accepted. I think that a lot of people no longer wanted an ode to Flash Gordon and those old Saturday matinees, so it is what it is, and once again it comes down to creating a story for this new generation. This isn't my movie; it's my little sister's movie. The weirdest thing about it, though, is that while it works for someone who's viewing Star Wars for the first time, it's going to stand out when you're going through a Star Wars marathon and you didn't have to wait in-between Episode VI and Episode VII, so I don't know how many of those humorous callbacks are going to work once it's out on DVD.
Speaking of which, the humor was excellent, although pretty different from the humor of the previous six films. Typically Star Wars has relied more on designated comedy relief characters for its comedy, plus some background characters that would color the world with an imaginative quirkiness in the spirit of Jim Henson. I do think that you get a little bit of Jim Henson here, but otherwise the humor is distributed through all of the characters and definitely has a J.J. Abrams quality to it. I would actually say that it's the funniest Star Wars film thus far.
BB-8 was a practical effect, but the use of practical effects in this film has been overemphasized, because there's plenty of CG. Hopefully we've reached the point where we can accept that it serves the story, but I suppose I was honestly expecting a lot of muppets, and there were points where I thought muppets really could have been used. Whether or not you think that's good or bad is purely subjective, but if you go in hyped that this will have the same level of practical effects as Episode VI, you're going to be disappointed. Mostly, I think that the emphasis was on practical sets rather than practical special effects. Given that this has a higher budget than the last three movies and isn't an independent film, that makes sense. I liked it. It's cool to constantly see Star Wars getting bigger and better, although it would be nice to throw in a muppet, even if it isn't entirely convincing.
The casting was all wonderful, although I do have some issues with Adam Driver. This is just me, but he didn't quite feel right for the role. Feel free to disagree, if you've watched the film. He was a good actor, certainly, but for what they were going for I think someone else would have been better.
There was one expectation that I had which this film didn't meet, and I'm not sure how much I can go into this without spoiling anything. The only trailer I saw going into this was the second trailer, which made this look like a very simple event film that told a very simple myth, much like Episodes I and IV. One of the posters also reminded me of The Lion King, which also has some of the simplicity of Episode IV. And to further hammer the point away, I watched this in the IMAX theater in the Minnesota Zoo, so I was subconsciously building up something in my head much like The Lion King. sort of that ultimate big screen experience. Basically, what I thought they would go for would be a straightforward fanfare to light the torch for the new saga. Let me repeat that again, because it's the perfect description for what I expected: I thought that this was going to be an archetypal fanfare for the inauguration of a new saga. This film actually felt more like a transition film. Maybe it's because it literally passes the torch from one generation to the next, but I'm not going to go into a ton of detail on that. It was probably the main thing that I noticed, though. For me, at least, it wasn't the definitive, epochal cinematic experience that we had in 1977.
That's for newer generation to decide, though.
Now I've described how this feels different from past generations of Star Wars. Which might either appeal to you or not. But really, what is there to look forward to? Well, for starters, I love the premise of the opening crawl. I love the way that they're aging this universe, and I especially think that everyone's going to be pleased with how they've handled the iconic characters and where they've gone since Episode VI. When I said that I was looking forward to an episode that revealed a story that, once uncovered, felt inevitable, this was what I was talking about. Luke, Leia, and Han were perfectly handled, and this was definitely the best we've seen of Han Solo to date The humor is good. The action is good. The stormtroopers are good. The balance between male and female characters is really good. The occasional campiness of it is pretty good. I loved the new characters, and even though their story arcs didn't complete, I look forward to seeing them in future episodes.
It was a great movie. I'm going to see it again multiple times. It's interesting, though. This is the first time I think that the middle film is going to be even better than the kickoff movie. Episode VII gives us so much to look forward to, and I don't know where we'll all go from this. All I know is that I'm very excited for Episode VIII now, the way it's been set up. I'll see you then, and may the Force be with you!
And also: Happy Birthday, Steven Spielberg!
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