"It's True. All of it." Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Let's not beat around the bush - there will be spoilers. Because by now, if you follow this blog, you've seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And if you haven't, you probably spent this weekend in an emergency room somewhere, in which case, feel better soon. So for the sake of anyone who stumbled in here who hasn't seen it yet, here ye be warned. We've got a lot talk about.
















I mean it.













No, I'm completely serious.











Last chance, Vance...












I can breathe again! After months of suspense and rumor-mongering, and a scary 48 hours where the film was actually loose in the world, I've seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and I dodged the fusillade of spoiler shrapnel unscathed. Now we not only know the secrets, but we're actually able to talk about it. To ask questions and compare notes. So at this point, let's assume we've all seen the film and with a final, obligatory cry of "SPOILER ALERT," discuss this movie in the light of day it so richly deserves.

We live in a cranky age. People will find something to complain about. But I'm wearing my heart on my sleeve here for the world to see - I absolutely loved The Force Awakens. I've got nothing bad to say and I'm frankly delighted by what I saw. J.J. Abrams rose to the occasion like I couldn't believe, and here's the thing - I felt like the coolest time machine imaginable had swept me back to the early 1980's and I was feeling that exact same joy, excitement and amazement that I felt when the original trilogy first came out. And my glee approached euphoria on many different levels. First, we've got a whole batch of new characters here, and we're being asked to accept them alongside some of the all-time icons of fantasy filmmaking. Han Solo, for cryin' out loud. And it's a tall order to come up with not just one, but three new characters that we might care enough about to not just tolerate alongside our long lost compadres, but to like and care about enough so that we'll follow them into a whole new series of adventures?

Mission accomplished. The masterstroke of those involved in mounting Star Wars: The Force Awakens was in bringing on the great Lawrence Kasdan to oversee the script. Kasdan worked on both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and is quite simply a legendary storyteller. He's from the universe of Star Wars and understands the yearning for myth and family that has contributed to the enduring appeal of these films, spanning generations. Pairing Kasdan up with J.J. Abrams is like hooking up Robert Bolt with David Lean. Or William Goldman with George Roy Hill. Together, they make beautiful music.

Because thanks to this duo, we do genuinely like these new characters. They are impeccably cast, and are sensational choices to bring a new generation into an undoubtedly phenomenal series of rip-roaring and soul-tugging outer space adventures. As Rey, Daisy Ridley is remarkable. Marooned since childhood in a galactic backwater that rivals Tatooine, she's a scavenger, living off salvaged bits of abandoned technology to make ends meet. Then we have Poe - the best, possibly cockiest X-Wing pilot in the entire resistance. Oscar Isaac is one fantastic actor, and we instantly buy Poe as the next generation of pilot who'd be entrusted with the most important mission against the bad guys you could imagine. That's two terrific characters right there. But I tell ya, the home run for me is John Boyega as Finn, and it's here that Kasdan does something truly remarkable - he takes one of those generic, faceless stormtroopers and slaps a handprint of blood on his helmet, makes him vulnerable and afraid, and turns him into a human being who doesn't want to march in step. He wants to get the hell out of there and somehow do the right thing. Together, these three create a trio of really engaging, fresh new characters that absolutely feel like Star Wars, but also feel informed enough by the world we live in to make us care about their struggles all the more.

What makes Rey and Finn so relatable to the audience is that they’re both trying to find their place in the world. Rey’s a veritable outcast – a nomad, seemingly abandoned, clinging to hope that a long-absent family will one day come back for her. Finn is just plain scared. He’s seen the violence perpetrated by his fellows and it feels wrong. He wants out. Initially, it’s all about self-preservation for Finn, which may remind you of another character from Star Wars, who ends up having a change of heart. These are two characters who are both yearning for something bigger – something better, than the situation they find themselves in.

As delightful as new characters Rey and Finn are to discover, the weathered soul that truly bridges The Force Awakens to its roots is Harrison Ford. Ford is simply amazing as Han Solo here. Ford seems more alive and dynamic than he has in ages, and he’s Han Solo – period. To see these new characters interacting with the iconic ones of old is nothing short of exhilarating. But Ford’s just sensational – funny, charming, beaten down. The mileage shows, and Ford sells every bit of it.

Then we’ve got the villains – and Abrams and Kasdan have delivered. Kylo Ren is the new dark menace, and his backstory is a killer: He’s Leia and Han’s son, and he turned bad. Luke Skywalker was training him to be a Jedi, but obsessed with the legend of Darth Vader’s power, he adopts the name of Kylo Ren and turns to the dark side. Did he ever. While Adam Driver wears Ren’s mask for over half his performance, he makes Ren into a tangible person. He’s the prodigy who was probably just a little too fast and too smart for his own good. He’s used to getting his way, and when he doesn’t, he’s got a ferocious temper, firing up his flame-sputtering lightsaber and furiously hacking at everything in sight. It’s a ferocious, physical performance and Driver makes Ren into an angry, tormented antagonist.

The villains don’t stop there. We’ve got chrome-domed Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie), who fills the Boba Fett role of perpetually masked bad-ass. Here’s hoping we see more of Phasma in the future, because she seems way more formidable than she’s given a chance to exhibit. 

Oscar Isaac’s Ex Machina costar Domhnall Gleeson is General Hux, a Moff Tarkin military commander who addresses the largest troop formation ever assembled with rabid Obersturmbannführer wrath. Hitler’s SS seems to be a big influence on the First Order, with Ren’s helmet having a definite WW 2 German army vibe. 

So who's orchestrating all this villainy? Ren and the First Order serve the colossal projection of Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis), an alien who certainly seems enormous, but who has the whiff of Wizard of Oz about him. He definitely has knowledge of The Force, and seems responsible for bringing Ren over to the dark side. 

There are a lot of analogs – Phasma = Fett, Hux = Tarkin, Snoke = Emperor.

Yes, the plot of The Force Awakens is familiar – pretty clearly by design. Abrams and Kasdan are reseeding the mythology for a new generation of moviegoers, and the beats of the narrative may hearken more remake than sequel, for some. Secret information is hidden in a droid (instant icon BB-8), the bad guys have a gigantic planet-destroying weapon, which a squadron of X-Wings has to knock out before it has a chance to vaporize the home base of the resistance as the clock ticks. Broad strokes, there’s a lot of familiar ground. But what The Force Awakens does really, tremendously well is serve up those familiar motifs and perils in fresh and delightfully entertaining fashion.

Best of all, The Force Awakens has one heck of a third act. When Han Solo calls out Ren’s real name across that catwalk…me, I got chills. Amazing. What comes after – heartbreaking. And as the X-Wings do their thing over Starkiller Base, Abrams serves up a fantastically visceral – and personal – lightsaber clash in the snow of a darkened forest that’s gorgeous and terrible to behold. Abrams’ Star Trek cinematographer Daniel Mindel does a remarkable job throughout, but his work here is haunting and hypnotic. Mindel and Abrams must have spent a lot of time studying Gilbert Taylor and Peter Suschitzky, because their compositions fit seamlessly into the Star Wars universe, thanks also to their insistence on shooting with film, not digital. Much has been said about Abrams insistence on real locations and miniatures over CGI effects, and that choice makes all the difference, pulling the viewer into the world of the film. Just check out that critter Finn shares a thirsty drink with, or the way Ren’s shuttle swoops down like a bat. The designs all feel like they belong in that galaxy far, far away. As fresh and eye-catching as they are, there’s something comforting and immersive about the look of the film, the vehicles, the characters. 

This is Star Wars, and for me, it’s one of the best. If it seems to echo what’s come before, it’s meant to launch a new generation – a Next Generation – on their own mythic journey, and audiences are embracing this film, across multiple generations. You come out of The Force Awakens with plenty of questions to ponder – but they’re pretty delightful questions. You'll also come out itching for the next chapter, and hungry to revisit this one, likely a lot more than just once.