In many ways, the latest Star Wars episode, helmed by new-age
whizz-kid J.J Abrams, is like the little and lovable droid BB8. Like that
little troublemaker, this film whizzes by here and there with breakneck speed, stirring
up the fading old generation, resurrecting memories of a bygone past and also
egging the newbies to this since-time-immemorial galaxy to action. That is what
is first and foremost remarkable about the long-awaited ‘Episode VII’- a film
which honors both tradition and innovation.
While other film sagas are either forging new brave paths
(the multiple superhero franchises) or trying to return to bombastic roots (the
last James Bond outing for instance), Abrams’ film has done something rare- a
fascinating blend of both the old and the new and a smooth puree in which both
ingredients complement each other to heady results.
There should be something said for a blockbuster that does
its job so neatly- clearly understanding the mammoth expectations- hopes from
audiences who wanted to land on solid ground after being whisked away on
prequels that did not quite match the original swashbucklers- and successfully
meeting them, as well as countering fears of a film blowing it out of
proportion. And even as ‘The Force Awakens’ does it all, the bigger triumph is
how it exceeds these hopes and turns into a bona fide masterpiece- a classic
crowdpleaser in every sense.
We begin, faithfully, with John Williams’ iconic swells, the
famous crawl of a synopsis on the star-studded galaxy skies before Abrams throws
to us the first hint of promise- flashes of muscled, fearsome and ruthless
Stormtroopers heading for obvious onslaught. Right from the relentlessly paced
beginning skirmish to the swift character introductions, the pace is ruthlessly
quick- hurtling across the main chunk of the story like a star-fighter on
lightspeed, pausing barely for a breathtaking explosion or a breathless moment
of intensity.
Simply put, the years have passed between the end of the
Empire and a new evil force ruling outer space but the main gist is this- Luke
Skywalker is missing, the Rebel Alliance is now a smaller group known as the
Resistance, led by the inexorable Princess Leia (obviously) and you know the
rest. Like the first seminal ‘Star Wars’ film, Episode VII follows the well-worn
tropes to extremely effective results, driving a taut narrative hinging on
familiar elements. So, does it have nifty droids hiding secret plans? Yes. Does
it have long-awaited confrontations with lightsabers? Check. Cue also space
battles, iconic people spouting iconic lines, evil villains destroying planets
with a flick of switches and lovably quirky creatures all around and we already
have a tasty stew of all the spice and soul that makes the entire saga so
delectable.
Except for the fact that Abrams, being every bit a fresher to
this world, uses the same tropes to innovate and deviate from formula. So, our
new ragtag heroes include both shades of the tried-and-tested- cocky,
smart-mouthed rebel pilot Poe Dameron with the ever-helpful BB8 for company-
and the newly intriguing-a Stormtrooper who chooses to leave the First Order behind
and is unceremoniously named by the former as Finn, after the two initials
given to him as a name.
The snappy, tongue-in-cheek mood is set very early on with
these two intrepid heroes sharing an improvised bromance in the middle of the
action. Between a terse escape in a legendary TIE fighter, the two inevitably
bond by introducing themselves in a flurry of sweaty confidence. Soon, the two
begin bickering about their goals and it is this light, whip-cracking casualness
that makes the proceedings even more enjoyable. It easily replaces the more
formal tone of some of the sequels and prequels and makes for a grand, snappy
time all throughout.
Actually, the new creations are all a lot of fun- in
particular this film’s markedly determined move towards the post-modern
conventions. While both Finn and Poe are endearingly heroic, the real fireworks
are handled, impressively so, by Daisy Ridley’s smashing good Rey, a Mad
Max-like scavenger living in a literal junkyard who, like a farm-boy, a long
time ago, looks up to the skies in the hope of escape from it all. But as the
racing plot presents numerous convolutions and misadventures, it is as if Han
Solo would say- ‘Escape now, hug later’.
That does not mean that Episode VII skimps on the fun or the
drama amidst the spectacle. Instead, there is enough room for nostalgia of a
glorious past, as well as some lovably old-fashioned sense of romantic
chemistry among both the new and old players. What always entertains in these
parts is both the clash and complicity between the two generations-both the
newbies and ace veterans have their own moments in the sun- Finn, Rey and Poe
are all reliably well-versed with the gadgetry around them, even in the
legendary and evergreen Millennium Falcon while the always cocky Han Solo and
his trusty sidekick Chewbacca are still badass with their blaster and crossbow
respectively.
Unlike most of the ‘Star Wars’ films, this one makes the
crucial difference by being grounded in an earthy, gritty template. Abrams is
always a buzzkill with the action but he handles it even more deftly this time
around. The super-charged sequences of intense galactic raids, ricocheting
space battles and the tense blaster standoffs are all captured in fascinating
coherence as well as spectacular scale but the smartass dialogue and character
development remain always in focus. And instead of opting for big explosions,
‘Episode VII’ is more content to let the fireworks explode in its revelations-
which, with typical Star Wars spunk, can be rather unforgettably intense.
So, how does this Episode actually rank with the other
outings? Well, to be honest, it more than satisfies our hunger for a film that
can escape the ill-will of the prequels (well mostly Episode I and its Jar Jar
Binks) and match the thrilling originals. While most critics opine that Abrams
has doffed his hat-and in style-to the 1977 George Lucas masterpiece, the even
more fascinating thing is it is more alike the spectacularly larger-than-life
‘Return Of The Jedi’- a threequel that got so much right and presented its
pulpy entertainment tropes with epic elegance (this one even borrows two great
creatures from that film). But what makes this film as swashbuckling (if not
more) as the original trilogy is how effortlessly thrilling it is. ‘The Force
Awakens’ plays a familiar, even predictable story but keeps the clocks ticking
with relentless suspense- its more intriguing characters given enough room to
fill frames with heroism and menace. The end result is a film that constantly
surprises, delights, thrills and-thanks to a couple of solid reveals-stuns us
to silence.
The cast is also clearly having a ball in this comeback
party. Newbie John Boyega is infectiously slippery as Finn, pretending halfway
to be a Resistance fighter to woo Rey. Oscar Isaac is positively dashing as Poe
Dameron, coming off as a new-age Wedge Antilles with fiery eyes, just missing
more screen-time and finally we have the great, great Harrison Ford playing Han
Solo like his signature role- armed with the same wisecracking muscles as well
as enough emotional tenderness replacing an earlier cynicism. His moments with
Carrie Fisher, looking great as ever as Leia, bring back all those wonderful
memories. Adam Driver, slated as this film’s mighty villain, has the look right
and mashes both gravel-voiced gravitas and wild-eyed edginess with flair but
his essence- with a metallic mask and all- is a tad too literally inspired from
an earlier iconic galactic bad-ass. As a character puts it, ‘There is too much
of Vader in him’ and his menace does feel a bit misguided, somewhat ruining the
great exterior with a lack of real focus.
It does not really matter. Everyone knows that the ‘Star
Wars’ saga was solely about good defeating evil and that is exactly why some of
us fanboys love Yoda more, despite Darth Vader being so darn legendary. J.J
Abrams has delivered something to rival Lucas’ original fresh vision. ‘Episode
VII’ is a classy, gorgeous entertainer, in which the Force awakens with a big,
universe-sized bang and yet plays it cool so that everything feels mesmerizing
and irresistible. Towards the end, Leia confesses to Han that she always hated
to see him leave, despite his flaws and he still drives her crazy. We have the
same feelings for a saga like this full of drama and excitement and hell, it is
bloody good to see it served back on a platter as beautiful as this.
My Rating- 4.5 Stars.
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