Mercurius
Legend
Let me start by saying I liked the film, maybe even really liked it. It was far better than the prequels, or at least as far as I can remember (haven't seen them since they came out; might be time for a re-watch). I went with my wife and two daughters and we all had fun. I enjoyed many of the new characters and feel like it was a worthy entry into the Star Wars universe.
That said...(you knew it was coming)...
OK, issue number one - and this is the main one, which colored my whole experience of the film. The overall feel of it. It didn't feel like canon. It felt like a fan-made flick, like one of the extended universe novels. It didn't have that George Lucas vibe. Despite the flaws of the prequels, they were still Lucas. Understand that I did not go into the theater caring about this, or even having thought about this. But I came out with a weird feeling, like I saw an excellent homage, but not a "real" Star Wars film.
Issue number two. Derivation. I know, give the fans what they want. But this was just too re-hashed, to the point of feeling like a re-boot. And of course that is what it was: a re-boot of the franchise, the product line, so that Disney could make billions. So they made sure they included some of the best parts of the original trilogy, and they also wanted to give the wink, wink moments for us Gen Xers who grew up with it. In a way I was reminded of the Star Trek reboot, which just didn't capture me like the old Shatner/Nimoy/Kelley originals. For me the worst moment was the whole Khan sequence. I like Benedict Cumberbatch, but Ricardo Montalban is Khan. Yes, he is.
Anyhow, this is a larger issue for me with contemporary cinema and literature: copies of copies, and in some cases copies of copies of copies. Where are the new ideas? Why can't we see a new science fiction franchise rather than another re-hash of Star Trek or Star Wars? Where are the fresh ideas? I'm reminded of a quote from Jim Morrison: "Where is the feast that was promised us? Where is the wine, the new wine? Dying on the vine." I get why they do what they do, but I don't like it.
I'd even go so far as to say that the film felt like it was created by an AI algorithm, an answer to the question: "How to make a Star Wars film for 2015 and a new generation?" It succeeded as well as any computer program might, but also lacked the mythic resonance that can only come through organic imagination.
Issue number three. Han Solo?! Really? OK, I get it. It makes sense. Even if Harrison Ford was willing to do more films (which is probably unlikely), Han Solo is probably the greatest character in the entire Star Wars canon - aside from non-Hayden Christiansen Darth Vader, of course. I could have accepted him being crippled, critically injured, but dead?! I'm having a hard time swallowing that.
OK, all that said, I will end where I started: I really liked the film - one of my favorite science fiction films of the decade. But it is not a new classic, imo. It is a nostalgia piece, a re-boot of a classic - but it doesn't have the same magic of the original trilogy. IMHO, of course. Am I disappointed? Not really. I enjoyed the film too much. I'd even say that in some cases the film was better than the originals; for instance, as much as I have a soft spot for Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley's Rey is a more dynamic protagonist than Luke Skywalker (and Ridley a better actor than Hamill). But I am still left with the weird feeling that I didn't see a real Star Wars film, but a fan's take on what a Star Wars sequel might look like.
Addendum: A Quibble. Captain Phasma. Totally useless. She was really touted by the trailers, but after seeing the film it is clear to me that Disney (and Abrams) was trying to accomplish two things: Establish a new Boba Fetish, and advertise toys. Oh yeah, and why did she so easily cave to their demands? Shouldn't her training keep her mouth shut? Too easy.
That said...(you knew it was coming)...
OK, issue number one - and this is the main one, which colored my whole experience of the film. The overall feel of it. It didn't feel like canon. It felt like a fan-made flick, like one of the extended universe novels. It didn't have that George Lucas vibe. Despite the flaws of the prequels, they were still Lucas. Understand that I did not go into the theater caring about this, or even having thought about this. But I came out with a weird feeling, like I saw an excellent homage, but not a "real" Star Wars film.
Issue number two. Derivation. I know, give the fans what they want. But this was just too re-hashed, to the point of feeling like a re-boot. And of course that is what it was: a re-boot of the franchise, the product line, so that Disney could make billions. So they made sure they included some of the best parts of the original trilogy, and they also wanted to give the wink, wink moments for us Gen Xers who grew up with it. In a way I was reminded of the Star Trek reboot, which just didn't capture me like the old Shatner/Nimoy/Kelley originals. For me the worst moment was the whole Khan sequence. I like Benedict Cumberbatch, but Ricardo Montalban is Khan. Yes, he is.
Anyhow, this is a larger issue for me with contemporary cinema and literature: copies of copies, and in some cases copies of copies of copies. Where are the new ideas? Why can't we see a new science fiction franchise rather than another re-hash of Star Trek or Star Wars? Where are the fresh ideas? I'm reminded of a quote from Jim Morrison: "Where is the feast that was promised us? Where is the wine, the new wine? Dying on the vine." I get why they do what they do, but I don't like it.
I'd even go so far as to say that the film felt like it was created by an AI algorithm, an answer to the question: "How to make a Star Wars film for 2015 and a new generation?" It succeeded as well as any computer program might, but also lacked the mythic resonance that can only come through organic imagination.
Issue number three. Han Solo?! Really? OK, I get it. It makes sense. Even if Harrison Ford was willing to do more films (which is probably unlikely), Han Solo is probably the greatest character in the entire Star Wars canon - aside from non-Hayden Christiansen Darth Vader, of course. I could have accepted him being crippled, critically injured, but dead?! I'm having a hard time swallowing that.
OK, all that said, I will end where I started: I really liked the film - one of my favorite science fiction films of the decade. But it is not a new classic, imo. It is a nostalgia piece, a re-boot of a classic - but it doesn't have the same magic of the original trilogy. IMHO, of course. Am I disappointed? Not really. I enjoyed the film too much. I'd even say that in some cases the film was better than the originals; for instance, as much as I have a soft spot for Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley's Rey is a more dynamic protagonist than Luke Skywalker (and Ridley a better actor than Hamill). But I am still left with the weird feeling that I didn't see a real Star Wars film, but a fan's take on what a Star Wars sequel might look like.
Addendum: A Quibble. Captain Phasma. Totally useless. She was really touted by the trailers, but after seeing the film it is clear to me that Disney (and Abrams) was trying to accomplish two things: Establish a new Boba Fetish, and advertise toys. Oh yeah, and why did she so easily cave to their demands? Shouldn't her training keep her mouth shut? Too easy.
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