Star Wars: The Force Awakens Review

(There are minor spoilers particularly with giving background to where the story takes place in but no major elements of the plot including character specific developments will be discussed or mentioned here. I will only talk about my reaction to these characters story arcs and how it works or doesn’t work for me in general).

It seems like only yesterday when a Star Wars film would come out every once in a while and would seemingly land with a thud (the prequels specifically) that to have a new film come out about a decade after the last one, it is amazing how it has become the most hyped and anticipated film of 2015.  The reason for this is quite simple, with a new creative team behind it, new cast, the old characters coming back for another adventure, and jumping off from Disney’s acquisition of the property, you have the signs for a major comeback in motion.  That is what we got with the seventh film in the beloved sci-fi/fantasy film series Star Wars with the new entry called The Force Awakens jumpstarting a new trilogy to follow a new/old cast of characters changing, growing, and fighting in a galaxy that has changed over the past 30 years since the last film, Return of The Jedi.  J.J Abrams brings his skills as an action director and makes one of the most vibrantly, energetic and exciting entries akin to the original films as well as bringing back the importance of character development and capable, emotional performances that were sorely lacking in the previous entries.  Let’s dive into a story that has happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away and examine how this film shines and falters as the official film follow up from about a decade ago.

The story takes place approximately 30 years after the events from Return of The Jedi with the Empire vanished into the shadows as the Republic is now formed again to slowly reconstitute its democratic power over the different systems again.  However, a new army has emerged from the ruins of the Empire called The First Order as they systematically invade planets, destroy them with fear and intimidation, and kidnap young kids to indoctrinate them into their army at an early age.  To combat this new threat, a deterrent force was formed in secret by the Republic called The Resistance is set up to fight against The First Order’s reign of terror.  While the conflict rages on for years, all of the characters from the previous films have moved on or simply vanished without a trace such is the case with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). 

We enter this story as the conflict reaches its critical moment as a young, headstrong Stormtrooper named Finn (John Boyega) and the adventurous, skillful scavenger Rey (Daisy Ridley) come to a crossroads in their lives that may very well set them on a path to turn the tide of this shadowy war as well as themselves.  They are being hunted down by cold, ambitious General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) and the mysterious, ill-tempered Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) throughout the galaxy as Finn and Rey come across strange new worlds, aliens, allies, enemies, and familiar faces that come out of hiding to guide our protagonists through a galaxy that has truly changed since the defeat of the Empire all those years ago. To sum it up in general, this plays out like the first entry in the film series A New Hope redux with a modern update and changes to the formula.

That is the general gist of the story without really going into the specifics, but there is plenty of fan service to the original trilogy of films as well as story ideas and threads from the now defunct   expanded universe of books, comics, and so on to be probably introduced in this film trilogy differently.  While it can be a bit overbearing at times with its nostalgia trip down memory lane, it is quite effective in reminding us of the old films but allowing for the new storylines to be developed throughout the film.  The story is fast paced, exciting, and feels like a galaxy expanding adventure that the prequel films failed to embody all those years ago.  All of the new characters have compelling, well-thought out character arcs that makes it easy to root for and against them, creating a new cast to follow easily while paying respect to the older, returning cast members as they weave in and out of Rey and Finn’s journey.  If there is a notable flaw to mention, the worlds and lore surrounding this storyline was not as refined or developed as it was in previous films including the prequels, making it hard to really grasp how the story beats on each world relate to each other.  However, it is a fun, entertaining, and emotionally satisfying entry in the series that truly brings back the fun and grandiose scales of the original films in a unified, organic way in regards to the character stories despite the little details and narrative structure not really connecting as well as it did in previous adventures.  

The last discussion that can be made regarding the story is the tone of the entire story as it happens to be quite different from the original and prequel trilogies altogether.  While the original films were rather grimy, dangerous, and grounded in its dramatic beats with a dash of dark humor thrown in there and the prequel tends to be unintentionally funny at times as well as suffering from tonal shifts between brutally dark to lightly comedic, this film finds a happy balance between being genuinely funny and dramatic when the moments call for one or the other.  This is also due in part to the great, character driven direction given to the exceptional cast to really flesh out the characters even if the plot/storylines aren’t cohesive.  Does it get a bit heavy handed with self-referential jokes to the previous films akin to a Marvel film? Yes, but it is done with a well meaning, respectful attitude to the material that makes it work.  While the plot/story riffs on the past glories of the previous films, it is the character moments, arcs, and relationship chemistry that truly shines above a well-intention, if familiar retread of the very first film of this series. 

Where the film truly excels is in the performances from everyone in the main cast as well as some cool yet underutilized supporting characters.  Rey played by Daisy Ridley is absolutely magnetic in her role as the hopeful, adventurous scavenger looking to discover her true place in the galaxy which she handles with finesse despite feeling like her character might have been rushed writing-wise in her development and arc to get from point A to B in the storyline.  John Boyega as Finn has a fun, energetic presence and charisma to him that makes his character interesting and relatable, having to find a purpose and reason to fight in this war even though his character suffers the same rushed approach for his character development as well.  Another standout that does grow on you despite being a bit timid and anguished at times is Adam Driver as Kylo Ren who really embodies the emotional struggles and turmoil of a fallen Jedi that is consumed with anger and confusion over his true purpose in this war.  

Now, the last truly memorable performance to come out of this film is Harrison Ford as Han Solo who truly brings not only credibility to this story but embodies the character with confidence and reverent fun that seem to be absent in his other performances.  He is a blast to watch as this character again and really serves the character stories well both in the action and dramatic beats of the film.  

Poe Dameron, played by Oscar Issac is another memorable new character who steals the scene comedically and action wise from everyone when he is present.  Despite having a very limited role in the film, he makes this character into his own and exciting to watch which we can only hope will be expanded upon in future installments.  Everyone else from the original cast to the new supporting cast were in top form as they made their bit roles truly memorable and fit into this over-arching storyline that will be developed over the next 2 films.

It is time to get to the technical aspects of this film from the action set pieces, effects work and designs of the world/costumes/aliens, and the musical compositions from the famous composer himself, John Williams.  We start with the action choreography and set pieces themselves where the editing is fast, sharp, and effectively tense for each sequence.  Anytime the ships were flying around in combat or in a chase sequence, it was riveting and exuded a sense of energy and excitement that is enhanced immensely by the likeability of the lead characters.  As for the lightsaber battles that take place, they are quite engaging and exhibit a sense of weight and purpose to the story, harking back to the way the original films handled these lightsabers duels.  Overall, despite one ship sequence drawing heavily on the first film’s climax a little too heavily that makes it a bit ridiculous and way on the nose, each action set piece was exciting and quite spectacular in their scale and execution.

There is a reason some time has to be dedicated to the work that was put into the effects for this film from make-up, costumes, and aliens to the overall look for the galaxy portrayed in this film as it is a marriage of both old and new methods of creating effects coming together here.  Each world seems to be another visual nod to the original trilogy as well with a desert, forest, and ice created planet all there for the nostalgic reasons above.  All of the aliens were really amazing in their look and design along with the fact that a good chunk of them other than 3 of them (2 supporting characters/villain and an obvious monster is CGI) are practically made and look quite believable.  It does make the CGI apparent when you combine the methodology for those characters but it works magnificently with the action sequences and seeing the pilots communicate as the kinetic, intense dogfights happen.  It is good to see filmmakers utilize the strength of both styles of visual effects and create a unique, exciting feeling of suspense and adventure for this new trilogy of films that I hope continues in the next 2 major episodes as well.

Every Star Wars film has had compositional work done by none other than John Williams himself and it was quite a surprise to hear that he was composing this film which is both a compliment and criticism I have for the overall musical score for this film.  He utilizes every familiar, memorable theme from previous films (both the original and prequel trilogy) and does variants of them with only at least 1 or 2 new themes for the character of Rey and a truly remarkably effective theme for the end of this film.  Unfortunately, his work suffers the same issue that is prevalent in most big, action driven blockbusters (an issue that is present in Marvel films as well) and that it is mostly background music at times which means it works to the visuals but not on its own.  It lacks any real standout themes and the new ones do fit in relations to the character Rey but it really doesn’t impart any memorable melody that the other entries were able to have in their films.

Does this seventh entry in the series truly live up to its subtitle The Force Awakens? Yes, it certainly does despite some growing pains in certain parts of this film that I can only hope will be corrected and improved upon in future installments.  The performances are fantastic from everyone in the cast as well as some truly exciting, dramatically engaging character story arcs to really carry the film forward despite the narrative structure and plot feeling thin, disjointed, and relies too much on the same overall story beats of the very first film, A New Hope.  Each character from old to new were quite memorable and were developed wonderfully to the story being told here despite a few other great/cool looking characters relegated to the side or even as a glorified cameo to hopefully have a bigger role in the next film.  The action is fast, intense, and eye popping amazing, bringing in a sense of fun and adventure to the film series again.  It is technically proficient and phenomenal to see both styles of effects in work together quite well despite one or two CGI effects looking a bit out of place in this return to the grounded, grit feel to the world.   While the score is not the most memorable aspect of this film, it does the job sufficiently to keep the action going without feeling too slow paced despite lacking a truly memorable theme to call its own.  This is Star Wars in all of its amazing qualities and its flaws, coming back with confidence and a renewed energy that makes looking forward to the next episode exciting again.

Score: **** out of *****

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is an exciting film revival of the long running series that needed this new jumping point in cinema for a very long time.  With truly charismatic, energized performances from everyone involved as well as some truly effective character drama and story arcs to them that will keep even the most jaded fans entertained and on the edge of their seats.  While it does create compelling new characters and their own stories to follow in the next outings, it is unfortunately tied to the major call backs and plot threads to the original films specifically A New Hope.  This means that the film is not too friendly with new comers as it relies on nostalgic respect and knowledge of the original films to really understand the importance of fan service moments and some truly important character arcs that utilized those moments to drive the story forward.  This means it is relying on the other films to lay the groundwork for the more interesting sequels to come by over the next four years.  It does not allow for some of the new characters to truly be introduced or developed for this world other than the lead characters Finn, Rey, and Kylo Ren.  Despite the narrative structure and plot feeling muddled and disjointed, it is the superb character writing and performances that carries the film through and elevated the material immensely thanks to J.J Abrams ability to really bring out the best in every one of the actors.  The action set pieces are magnificent in their design and creativity with only one ship based sequence near the end that was a bit lackluster overall and was not as exciting as the character driven moments that dominated the last act of the film.  Despite all of these issues, it was still a fun, exciting, and engaging Star Wars film to grace the cinema a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

Creed Review

With some time passing after Rocky decided to bow out of the lime light, it was only a matter of time before someone would give the old reboot method a shot for such a long running sports drama film series.  However, with new creative forces helming this along with a younger cast of new characters and a different approach to a familiar formula, we have here the seventh entry in the series that not only revitalizes the aging film series but makes it relevant and uplifting in the veins of the original film back in the late 70’s.  The sharp, energized writing from director Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station) and Aaron Covington along with the skillful direction of the film from acting to cinematography makes this unique and memorable enough to be separated from the cartoonish but dumb fun entries that came before it.  Every actor has fully realized arcs and personality come to life by their confident yet expertly delivered performances with standouts being the leads and supporting cast.  It is also the most hard-hitting, brutal film in the series with its exceptionally crafted fight scenes and the big, bombastically memorable score that give the film such vibrant energy and strong identity to be a formation of both Rocky and this new character’s story.  Let see how this film surprisingly came out to be a knockout winner.

During the 90’s (and Rocky dealing with that fifth entry that no one likes to talk about), a young black boy gets into fights and Juvenile centers until Apollo Creed’s wife Mary Anne (Phylicia Rashad) takes him in as her surrogate son.  Many years have passed, Adonis "Donnie" Johnson Creed (Michael B. Jordan) is a young man now drifting through life to fight in underground clubs in Mexico and working a 9-5 job in the office in California.  However, the desire to fight still resides in his very being which motivates him to seek out Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) in Philadelphia to train him to be a boxer as good as his father and to become his own man despite others looking down on him as being the illegitimate son of a boxing champion that lost his life in the ring.  This time, Creed has more to prove by becoming a fighter that would honor both the old and new traditions of boxing, allowing him to forge his own path in the face of adversity.

It is essentially a soft reboot of the series by taking the plot structure of the first film and rearranging events as well as giving a much needed update to fit with this present day tale of the underdog rising above the odds despite being seen as a mere shadow of his father’s days as a boxer.  It would be easy to make something as silly as the other entries but this film opts to be as real and grounded as the first and sixth film in the series by making it about the characters themselves rather than how ridiculously campy and fun the fights can be.  There is a uniquely balanced tone of both sentimental and exciting here that even the original films never could do as we see the characters change gradually into who they end up becoming such as Jordan as the brash yet determined Creed and the old, familiar character traits we love to see from Stallone as Rocky.  While it does have some slow bits regarding the repeats of familiar beats near the end of the film, it is still a winner and will absorb you into the drama and struggles of a character that is both relatable and charismatic, thanks to the powerful performances from everyone involved.

Michael B. Jordan continues to surprise audiences with his fantastic performance in the lead as Adonis Creed, a young prideful man trying to prove to himself that he can be a great boxer without relying on a name that shadows his very existence in this world.  Then, you have Sylvester Stallone returning again as Rocky Balboa and he provides the most vulnerable, humane performance we haven’t seen in a long time.  They are developed in a mentor/father and son pairing that not only provides the emotional arc of the story but their character arc as well, allowing for the story to have a purpose to be told.  Everyone else fit their roles accordingly whether it be villainous, roguish, or the prerequisite love interest for this story.  With the great, capable actors and inspired, emotionally charged script, the performances with the writing bring a relatively simple story to grand, epic heights that a good sports drama is able to do with the right creative force behind it, as is the case with this film.

Now for the main event, the boxing/action set pieces with about a total of 4 of them throughout the film.  It is worth examining since this film handles the boxing matches differently from the other entries in the series with an emphasis on the brutality and effective sound design to make each punch, hook, and uppercut feel raw in their delivery to a face.  The most effective use of these elements is the one shot, one take boxing match in the middle of the film where they never stop the scene with one visible cut (there may have been digital manipulation for certain cuts in the veins of the film Birdman) and the fighters get progressively wounded and weary from each round.  It was clear to see and absolutely harrowing to watch which is why the last fight might not be as technically impressive but it still combines the emotional arcs, great and meaty sound design, and the powerfully made orchestra/synth score that makes each fight feel as painful and exciting as you would expect a boxing match to be in this series. This is all enhanced even more by the cinematography for the film.

The camera work in this film is nothing short of amazing that it is inspiring to see upcoming talent utilizing the camera in ways that set this apart from the other entries in this series.  The use of that long take is absolutely stunning to watch despite that fact that it does lessen the technical qualities of the final bout but the use of wide angle lens and natural grit of the place really makes this world come to life.  The use of set dressing and design for certain places (Rocky’s home for one and the Gyms Adonis trains in) are all distinctive and matches the character’s journey into becoming a fighter that will instill the values of his father and his friend in his boxing.  This also allows for the pacing to be pretty brisk for the most part other than the downtime that occurs in the middle for character development.  This film is astounding on a technically level and deserves some recognition for making this different from the Rocky films especially in its musical score and style for this spinoff.

There is a fusion of the grand, classical orchestra with a mish-mash of synth based hip hop music instilled into both the score and the use of the licensed music to project a different identity and theme for this character in particular.  It is quite successful, thanks to the efforts of composer Ludwig Göransson as well as the emphasis on portraying a different yet familiar view of Philadelphia from a new character’s perspective musically.  It is catchy, bombastic, and quite effective in being inspiring and exciting to listen especially during the fights and Adonis’ training.  It is also effective on its own to listen to as that should speak volumes to the quality of music writing and composition to make it stand out from the Rocky films and other sports dramas.

This was quite possibly one of the bigger surprises to come out of cinema as Creed not only breathes new life into the long running series but it works on its own as an effective reboot to the entire series with a new, relatable character to root for as well as the old guard passing the touch in a dignified way for a new generation of stories to be told.  This handles the development of a bitter, angry character smoother and engaging than other boxing films that came before (Southpaw).  This is a reboot handled quite well in the hands of a creative team that respects and evolves the original premise and film for a new audience.  CREED is a truly amazing, exciting return of a beloved, fun sports film series that bring backs the familiar underdog story and uses the ideas of old and new to create a memorable film that will be looked upon with love and respect for the film that inspired it to be made, Rocky.

Score: ****1/2 out of *****
CREED is a resounding winner of a film with wonderful performances from the leads, a fantastic musical direction from Ludwig Göransson as well as hard hitting sound design, exciting boxing scenes (that one take boxing match and the final bout being a satisfying yet less grand way of ending the story), and the film being able to inspire and entertain at the same time, makes this one of a boxing film.  It’s good to have a good boxing film again that can stand on its own without having to be a part of an established series but it ties into the other films with Rocky so well that it feels like a natural evolution/sequel to move the story forward.  Despite some pacing issues in the middle and the final battle being a bit anticlimactic as well as being a bit campy/cliché at times with the character arcs/development, this is still a crowd-pleasing film that will surely win over anyone who has doubts about this film’s quality.