The Force Awakens (More Pondering)
I think at this point I need
to vent to get this off my chest and hopefully out of my head.
I was watching the local news
this morning. The gentleman who is
referred to as the entertainment reporter (Sam Rubin, you might remember him as
the guy who couldn’t distinguish between Samuel L Jackson and Lawrence
Fishbourne a few months back) was at the Critic’s Choice awards. Well it wasn’t the actual awards yet, it was
6:15 this morning and he was just wandering around the tables. He was showing us where the various
celebrities would be sitting and then got to one and informed us it was for JJ
Abrams. He leaned in towards the camera
and in a hushed, almost reverent voice told us that Star Wars was nominated for
Best Picture and that often the Critic’s Choice awards make up for the missteps
of the Academy. WHAT?!?!? I checked to see if I had mysteriously jumped
back in time to 1977 but then in 1977, who the heck was JJ Abrams? This was on the heels, by the way, of the
Academy Award nominations yesterday.
After the first 11 were announced, Mr. Rubin came on and mentioned that
Star Wars had gotten a lot of nominations.
Those were his words, A Lot! Of
the first 11, Star Wars had gotten 2 nominations. Hell if there were only two categories, and a
movie was nominated in both the term a lot still wouldn’t apply. I wonder whose ass at Disney is providing the
shading for Sam’s nose these days.
I’ve said it before and I
will say it again, I enjoyed the Force Awakens but it is by no means a great
movie; an award winning film. Gotta be
totally honest here, I’m starting to have trouble considering it as a full
film. I read recently that a story has a
beginning, a middle, and an end. This
had the middle part down pat, just seemed to be missing a lot of beginning and
it just kinda hung there, instead of ending.
Even Fellowship of the Rings, a clear Book 1 of a trilogy, started and
ended. Star Wars (the original) was said
to be the first chapter of the 3rd book of a trilogy had a beginning,
middle, and end.
I am a diehard Star Wars fan
(I am also a Die Hard fan, but that’s a blog of a different color). As I mentioned before I awaited the opening
of the film, I saw it a bunch of times (and yes I have the movie stubs from the
first 25 times I saw it). I could never
get enough. I couldn’t wait to see the
Holiday Special (that was a mistake). I
had great discussions for the three years between Empire and Return of the Jedi
about who the other was and if Darth Vader (who we knew since 1977 was named
such for “Dark Father”) was Luke’s dad.
My big argument was that Vader was suing the force to manipulate Luke,
no way he was the dad (but as we said in the 90’s, “Way!”). I have toys and books and magazines. Everywhere I’ve lived has been decorated in
what I lovingly refer to as “Early American Star Wars.” I lived and breathed the movies. They were and are such an important piece of
my life.
Let’s hold off on the
prequels for a few minutes now.
So the Force Awakens comes to
us with huge fanfare. But then why are
most of the marketing connections tied to the original trilogy? Darth Vader and Yoda all over the place. Even Boba Fett. Well, I love my Star Wars stuff so I’m not
complaining, but seemed very strange to me.
I’m not going to resurrect my
review again. Just, as I mentioned and
felt on all 4 viewings. It isn’t Star
Wars. It lacks the heart. It lacks the originality. Hell in one flick we visit Tattooine, Hoth,
and the forest moon of Endor (never was sure if the planet was Endor and it was
one of many moons, this one featuring a forest or if the moon was named Endor
and they just said forest moon as they might say the comedy styling’s of Kevin
Pollack). There was a cantina, The Death
Star 3 (oh wait, 3.0 bigger, badder and called Starkiller to make the long time
fans squirt). The one thing that wasn’t
copied very well, a story. A real
dramatic conflict. A villain of any
strong sense. Drama. Oh sorry, I’m reviewing again.
The first comment most of my
friends and fellow fans made about this movie was some version of “It was
better than the prequels.” So, you hated
the prequels and this was better than them.
Not really saying much. I will
admit, I disagree. I liked the prequels
better but then I never hated the prequels, I happened to enjoy them (and had quite
long discussions after Clones as to what Sith would be like and how they might
show the transformation of Anankin to Vader and how they would hide the fake
that they were twins so there was some surprises for those who watched numerically,
not chronologically). And I longed for
the battle I had waited to see since 1977 between Obi Wan and a young Darth
that caused him to be enclosed in that armor.
But back to the comparison. It
was good; I liked it better than the prequels.
That says so much about the movie.
Well, as usual I ramble. I’m just really bothered by the movie itself
and the way it is being admired, in my opinion, without real
justification. Many have compared it to
the original. Other than a bit of a rip
off (see above or better yet watch the two back to back), it lacks the heart,
the originality, and the spirit of the original. Wait, I got it, it lacks the force and in
this case Han, that IS how the force works.
I’m not done yet. Everyday more comes to mind as I think about
it. Writing this hasn’t given me the
release I had hoped for. Just raised
even more issues.
I welcome discussion. I love talking about Star Wars (even this
alternate universe version). And, like
it or not, I will return.
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