Star Wars returns to the magical
silverscreen for the 7th time. George Lucas' long-running
space opera inspired a generation of similar sci-fi movies, books and
cultural references. It is a rarity to meet a person who has never
heard of Star Wars.
The 7th installment in
Star Wars movie franchise is titled: Star Wars: The Force
awakens. This movie generated much hype before its release.
Numerous fan speculations, theories and rumors populated the internet.
Suffice to say, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, is probably the
most talked about movie of 2015. My own childhood is colorful with
memories of the original Star Wars trilogy (that is, episode
4, 5 and 6). I used to beg my dad to rent VHS from stores on
regular basis so I could watch them. However, more than a decade ago, Star Wars
prequel trilogy disappointed me when they came out on the cinema.
The Force just wasn't as strong in the prequels as in the original
trilogy.
This is why, I had low
expectations about this new Star Wars movie. But I said to
myself that I would watch episode 7 for nostalgia's sake. Finally,
Star Wars: The Force Awakens arrived at my local cinema
pulsing with The Force. So I put on my Dark Vader t-shirt and watched
this movie in all of its 3D, lightsaber fighting glory. Today, I will
like to share my opinions about episode 7 in a movie review. Let me
first provide a very short synopsis, and I will avoid spoilers.
Synopsis:
30 years has gone by since the Battle
of Endor and the fall of the Galactic Empire. Luke Skywalker, Leila,
and Han Solo became heroes of myths and legends. Luke, especially,
has vanished altogether.
Meanwhile, from the ashes of the
Galactic Empire, The First Order rose to threatened the peace in the
galaxy. The First Order's priority is to seek and hunt down Luke
Skywalker, the last of the Jedi.
And this is where our story begins: On
the remote planet of Jakku, a Resistance pilot and a droid retrieved
a piece of vital information, and the fate of the galaxy depends on
it...
My thoughts about this movie:
I think The Force Awakens is the
best Star Wars movie since The Empire Strikes Back. One
of the best features in the original Star Wars trilogy, is
that each movie made you ask some questions but also fed you answers to
some questions in the process. In other words, the original Star
Wars trilogy installed suspense into each episode, created a
continuity, and made the audience curious about the story. The
prequel trilogy, despite having had good CGI, but the story
was predicable, while its uneven pacing made the movies boring on
several occasions. The Force, was either fading in the prequel
trilogy or the saga was going down the dark side.
The Force, finally, has returned in
episode 7 and it is flowing strong in this movie's veins. This movie
installs an abundance of suspense and thrills into the story. A
constant sense of danger surrounded our heroes. Meanwhile, the movie
raised questions and it will prompt the audience's curiosities wanting to know
more about the story itself. The plot's many twists and turns will
surprise the audience. Some questions are answered by the movie's
end, but the answers to some mysteries will only be revealed in the
sequel. However, The Force Awakens does pack enough materials into its story, and it stands up as a self-contained movie. When I was at the cinema, as
the credit rolled on the screen, I felt as if I have watched a (some
what) complete movie, but I also couldn't wait for the sequel. Now,
that is a sign of a successful Star Wars movie.
The Force Awakens introduced new
characters as well as bringing back the old favorites. Rey and Finn
are the new protagonists in Star Wars and I like them both.
Rey and Finn's characters are interesting, and the movie packed
enough background stories to flash out their characters. The villain
in this movie is Kylo Ren, a masked Sith Warrior worshiping the dark
side of the force, whose origin, is shrouded in mystery. Kylo Ren
appears as a dangerous, spine-chilling villain and he is a very
memorable antagonist. Finally, Han Solo and Chewbacca also returned
in this movie and playing vital roles in the story. My nostalgia
was satisfied as I watched Millennium Falcon soaring through the sky
one more time on the giant silverscreen. Suffice to say, all
characters in this movie are memorable and interesting. I can't wait
to see what will happen to them in the sequel.
The Force Awakens also moves at
a lightning fast pace. There is almost no slow moment in this movie.
Every scene in this movie is “action”. By that, I don't mean
every scene is fighting and combat. What I mean to say is, something
important is always happening in this movie. There is not a scene
that is not integral to the story, and one scene transitions and
renders smoothly into the next. As a result of this, The Force
Awakens tells a story of good versus evil at a breathless pace.
The cinematography in The Force
Awakens is visibily different from any of the Star Wars
movies that came before it. Overall, episode 7 has a gritty look
about it. The fighting scenes are excellently choreographed and
beautifully rendered with CGI, and it really look like a bunch of
guys hacking and shooting at each other, and the actions appeared
mighty dangerous and life threatening (the light sabers, for
example, had a very threatening look in this movie). This is the
stuff that will glue you to the edge of your seat. The fighting
scenes in The Force Awakens do not have the cartoonish,
flashy look in the prequel trilogy and I think the cinematography in
episode 7 is the best of all Star Wars movies so far.
If you are going to watch this movie,
then I highly recommend watching it in 3D. Not every movie should be
in 3D, but The Force Awakens
is one of those movies where 3D is done brilliantly, and it enhances
the viewing experience. When viewed in 3D, the pictures in The
Force Awakens showed excellent depth, and it had plenty of “pop out”
moments. The 3D effects became especially impressive during the
aerial combats where X-Wing fighters engaged Imperial fighters and
soaring across the spaces between giant spaceships. There were also
scenes when a gigantic, Starship Imperial Destroyer was protruding
from the screen and it felt as if you can touch it with your hand.
Overall, I was really impressed by the 3D version of The Force
Awakens, so I highly recommend watching this movie in 3D. It is
worth spending the few extra dollars for it.
The Force Awakens reboots
Stars Wars movie franchise with a powerful kick. In my opinion,
The Force Awakens is the best Star Wars movie since
The Empire Strikes Back. This movie tells a story that moves at a
relentless pace, it has memorable and likable characters, beautifully
choreographed actions, and impressive CGI that offers Star Wars fans
and movie goers a most exciting adventure from a galaxy far, far away.
The Force, I think, has at last awoke and returned to Star Wars.
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