Many spoilers for THE FORCE AWAKENS and for A NEW HOPE below
A conversation that has come up in the wake of the release of THE FORCE AWAKENS is one revolving around Daisy Ridley's character, Rey, and her strength and resourcefulness. Many seem to think that she is a bit of a "Mary Sue", or a seemingly faultless female character of low rank who manages to save the day with extraordinary abilities, usually without much difficulty. They feel that due to he apparent competence with the Force, and her absurd levels of resourcefulness, that she's a totally unrealistic (at least for the STAR WARS universe). I can see some of their point, as she does have a good deal of capability, and on first glance I thought a bit of the same. The problem is, after further thought, I could see that Rey isn't a "Mary Sue" in any way, but is a victim of poor communication by the film.
Essentially, her (probable) lineage leads her to adeptness, but she has skill all her own from her own comings and goings in her life. She was a scavenger on Jakku for most of her life, digging through massive ships for parts; she learned the ins-and-outs of spacecraft and machinery due to necessity; she became adept at combat due to protect herself. All of those things have an in-universe explanation within the text of the film.
"But," some would say, "she held her own way too well against Kylo Ren at the end of the film!" Well, actually, that ultimately has a text based explanation as well. Just before their encounter in the snow, Kylo was hit in his side by a blast from Chewbacca's space-crossbow, causing a somewhat serious injury. When facing Finn, he was beating the wound with his fist, either as a means of toughening himself up to it, or as a way of feeding into the pain to fuel his rage. Rey, who had been show to have extreme force sensitivity, faces him next and seemingly gets bested. Yet, she surges forth and, more-or-less, defeats him. Some would contend that this is totally incompatible with what we know of her, but this is untrue.
Earlier in the film, during her "force vision" from touching Luke's lightsaber, we see Kylo Ren killing what appears to be a number of jedi. Immediately after this, it shows Rey being left on Jakku as a young child, with the ship containing her parents leaving the planet. Why would she be left there? Given the succession of events, it seems that she was left there to hide her from Kylo, as she may have been the last of the padawan (jedi in training) left alive. At one point, Han Solo even says that the reason Luke went AWOL was due to Kylo being turned to the Dark Side and killing all the students. If she was present with them, she had some sort of training. This explains Kylo's rage at finding out she's alive. Even more, when he interrogates her with some sort of Force ability, she resists and seems to be able to peer into his mind. In the process, she seems to learn to use mind tricks (after a few unsuccessful attempts), so that is further evidence of Force recognition.
Given that the film seems to go out of its way to suggest that Rey is Luke's child (Kylo seeing the imagery of blue waters and green plants being in her mind, then her finding Luke on a planet that looks EXACTLY LIKE THAT), it makes complete sense that she would be naturally adept at any Force based abilities.
"Ok...well, maybe all of that makes complete sense," they say. "Even so, if you look back at the original trilogy you see that Luke was a bit of a 'Marty Stu'!" To this, I also say no, and that only serves to highlight some of the problems of THE FORCE AWAKENS.
In A NEW HOPE, Luke's first official Jedi training comes from Obi Wan Kenobi aboard the Millennium Falcon. At one point, his head is covered and eyes obscured, and small laser blasts must be deflected by using the Force to detect them before they injure Luke. Flash forward to the climactic ending in the trenches of the Death Star, and we see Luke flying in his X-Wing fighter towards the space station's weakness, an exhaust port opening. While in flight, he hears the voice of the now deceased Obi Wan Kenobi telling him to use the Force. He disables his targeting computer, closes his eyes, focuses, then takes a perfect shot. That then destroys the Death Star. The important thing to note in all of this is that the film sets a precedent by showing him training with his vision obscured. There is a clear growth in ability there, and that is helped by the clarity of the delivery of that information. Even more, there is emotional climax in that moment, as the Empire had killed all he knew as family. Everything was building to that moment. It all flowed to that point.
This isn't the case with THE FORCE AWAKENS. The film's pacing goes through character moments so quickly that the emotional motivations barely stick. I'd say that the reasons for Rey to be as she is certainly lie within the text, and Daisy Ridley certainly adds a lot with her performance, but ultimately, it's the lack of clarity. Perhaps it could have been more straightforward within the Force vision? Certain elements, such as much of the Maz Katana sequence, could have been trimmed to make more room for those elements. Ultimately, within A NEW HOPE, Luke was the focus. He was the focal point of the whole work. This simply isn't the case with THE FORCE AWAKENS. It's goal isn't to be a fully functional self contained movie, but to be a continuation in a series, and I think that weakened the work overall.
Monday, December 28, 2015
Monday, December 21, 2015
Movie Review: Star Wars: Episode 7 - The Force Awakens
(Contains spoilers or whatever)
Well, J.J. Abrams did it. He finally made a film that I don't totally dislike, though even that can feel a bit generous of a statement. Let it be known that this is totally a J.J. Abrams film, for ill or good, as he leans a bit too much into his instincts. One would be on point to say that this film works as a bit of a remix of A NEW HOPE as opposed to the latest in the STAR WARS franchise. I couldn't help but view this as a sort of "elevated fan film" due to its insistence on making call-backs, while re-contextualizing them in ways that seemed superficial, at best.
We find the galaxy in turmoil once again. A very Empire-like entity known as the First Order seeks to take control of the galaxy from the newly formed Republic. In order to deal with this, the now General Leia leads a Resistance against them, while also seeking the location of the missing Luke Skywalker. If this sounds familiar, it's because it is. Sometimes, it's almost exactly the same as episodes four and five. While this calling back doesn't TOTALLY drag the film down ("It's like poetry. It rhymes".), it does cheapen the experience a good bit. Jakku is just like Tatooine, but not really. The Resistance base looks suspiciously like Yavin IV. There's a peculiar looking cantina band. Really, these empty call backs for the sake of fan recognition go on and on.
While the original films, what with their mythic nature, relied upon coincidence and fate a good deal, EPISODE SEVEN takes this feature up to its most disbelief suspending levels, further pushing the movie down the hole of fan service as opposed to thematic similarities to the originals. Partnered with this is a sense that many a character's journey is a bit weakened by the absurdly quick pacing, almost as though the pacing was so quick specifically to cover the narrative holes filling the film.
Ultimately, it's the characters themselves that are the strongest elements. At the risk of sounding like a "film critic cliche'", Daisy Ridley shines as Rey, a scavenger on the planet of Jakku who has been waiting many years for her family to return. Ridley fills the absurdly capable character (dare I say, Mary Sue?) with immense wit, yet still manages to keep her grounded in a very sincere sense of humility. John Boyega (ATTACK THE BLOCK) gives an energetic performance as Finn, a former stormtrooper cursed with the capacity to give a damn despite the ferocious indoctrination of the New Order. It's a shame more of his character wasn't developed since he could serve as a fantastic analogue to youth growing up in a time of war and joining the military.
Oscar Isaac (INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, EX MACHINA) fills his ace X-Wing pilot, Poe Dameron, with boundless positive energy, making him the most straight ahead "good guy" in the franchise. Every scene he shares with Fin oozed charm and goodwill as well as inexhaustible charisma. Unfortunately, there isn't much investment in his character, so his larger moment in the end of the film ultimately doesn't work as well as it should. Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher reprise their roles of Han Solo and Leia Organa, respectively, and mostly seem to do just enough to make their characters seem to exist. Solo gets the lion's share of character work, out of the two, having what may have been his greatest emotional moment out of any of the films. Other notable performances include Domhnall Gleeson (EX MACHINA, FRANK) as the sniveling General Hux, Lupita Nyong' O as the pirate queen Maz Katana, and an extremely brief appearance by Max Von Sydow as Lor San Tekka.
The real center of the film, and the source of its greatest achievement, lies with Adam Driver (GIRLS, FRANCIS HA, LINCOLN) as psuedo-Sith, Kylo Ren. It's with him that the film's desire to remix, and Lawrence Kasdan's writing, really do something of value. He's a perfected Anakin Skywalker, fully displaying the internal conflict of one at risk of being consumed by their anger and hatred. Even more, Abrams finds an interesting way to shoot what Kylo does, dutch angles abounding whenever Kylo menaces. The most interesting thing about Ren is that he effectively serves as a metaphor for the whole of the film. He doesn't have the same menace as Vader, and is apt to temper tantrums and angst. At the same time, he seeks to emulate Vader in every aesthetic sense. He wants to be what came before, yet wants to do more than what came before, all without solidifying the idea of the desire.
While achieving more fan goodwill than EPISODE ONE, EPISODE SEVEN suffers from its hesitancy to stand on its own. While I'm left charmed by the cast and characters, the story's weaknesses cast a shadow over the whole of the production. The real good this film did was enthuse me for Rian Johnson's (BRICK, LOOPER) turn with EPISODE EIGHT, as that director's instincts lead him towards greater narrative cohesion, and less a reliance on recognizable iconography.
Well, J.J. Abrams did it. He finally made a film that I don't totally dislike, though even that can feel a bit generous of a statement. Let it be known that this is totally a J.J. Abrams film, for ill or good, as he leans a bit too much into his instincts. One would be on point to say that this film works as a bit of a remix of A NEW HOPE as opposed to the latest in the STAR WARS franchise. I couldn't help but view this as a sort of "elevated fan film" due to its insistence on making call-backs, while re-contextualizing them in ways that seemed superficial, at best.
We find the galaxy in turmoil once again. A very Empire-like entity known as the First Order seeks to take control of the galaxy from the newly formed Republic. In order to deal with this, the now General Leia leads a Resistance against them, while also seeking the location of the missing Luke Skywalker. If this sounds familiar, it's because it is. Sometimes, it's almost exactly the same as episodes four and five. While this calling back doesn't TOTALLY drag the film down ("It's like poetry. It rhymes".), it does cheapen the experience a good bit. Jakku is just like Tatooine, but not really. The Resistance base looks suspiciously like Yavin IV. There's a peculiar looking cantina band. Really, these empty call backs for the sake of fan recognition go on and on.
While the original films, what with their mythic nature, relied upon coincidence and fate a good deal, EPISODE SEVEN takes this feature up to its most disbelief suspending levels, further pushing the movie down the hole of fan service as opposed to thematic similarities to the originals. Partnered with this is a sense that many a character's journey is a bit weakened by the absurdly quick pacing, almost as though the pacing was so quick specifically to cover the narrative holes filling the film.
Ultimately, it's the characters themselves that are the strongest elements. At the risk of sounding like a "film critic cliche'", Daisy Ridley shines as Rey, a scavenger on the planet of Jakku who has been waiting many years for her family to return. Ridley fills the absurdly capable character (dare I say, Mary Sue?) with immense wit, yet still manages to keep her grounded in a very sincere sense of humility. John Boyega (ATTACK THE BLOCK) gives an energetic performance as Finn, a former stormtrooper cursed with the capacity to give a damn despite the ferocious indoctrination of the New Order. It's a shame more of his character wasn't developed since he could serve as a fantastic analogue to youth growing up in a time of war and joining the military.
Oscar Isaac (INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, EX MACHINA) fills his ace X-Wing pilot, Poe Dameron, with boundless positive energy, making him the most straight ahead "good guy" in the franchise. Every scene he shares with Fin oozed charm and goodwill as well as inexhaustible charisma. Unfortunately, there isn't much investment in his character, so his larger moment in the end of the film ultimately doesn't work as well as it should. Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher reprise their roles of Han Solo and Leia Organa, respectively, and mostly seem to do just enough to make their characters seem to exist. Solo gets the lion's share of character work, out of the two, having what may have been his greatest emotional moment out of any of the films. Other notable performances include Domhnall Gleeson (EX MACHINA, FRANK) as the sniveling General Hux, Lupita Nyong' O as the pirate queen Maz Katana, and an extremely brief appearance by Max Von Sydow as Lor San Tekka.
The real center of the film, and the source of its greatest achievement, lies with Adam Driver (GIRLS, FRANCIS HA, LINCOLN) as psuedo-Sith, Kylo Ren. It's with him that the film's desire to remix, and Lawrence Kasdan's writing, really do something of value. He's a perfected Anakin Skywalker, fully displaying the internal conflict of one at risk of being consumed by their anger and hatred. Even more, Abrams finds an interesting way to shoot what Kylo does, dutch angles abounding whenever Kylo menaces. The most interesting thing about Ren is that he effectively serves as a metaphor for the whole of the film. He doesn't have the same menace as Vader, and is apt to temper tantrums and angst. At the same time, he seeks to emulate Vader in every aesthetic sense. He wants to be what came before, yet wants to do more than what came before, all without solidifying the idea of the desire.
While achieving more fan goodwill than EPISODE ONE, EPISODE SEVEN suffers from its hesitancy to stand on its own. While I'm left charmed by the cast and characters, the story's weaknesses cast a shadow over the whole of the production. The real good this film did was enthuse me for Rian Johnson's (BRICK, LOOPER) turn with EPISODE EIGHT, as that director's instincts lead him towards greater narrative cohesion, and less a reliance on recognizable iconography.
Saturday, December 19, 2015
The Curious Case of Boba Fett: Episode 1 - Boba Begins
If I'm going to be honest with myself, I've never quite understood the massive appeal of Boba Fett, that oh-so-famous bounty hunter. That feeling doesn't stem from my finding the character uninteresting or anything, as I think Boba is more than a little nifty. I dig 'em. Even so, there are large numbers of people who seem to value this (minor) character as though he takes a prominence within the whole of the films. So, what causes that? What is it about this character that is so appealing and engaging to so many? To look at that, I think we need to start from the beginning.
Boba Fett's initial appearance was actually on September 20th, 1978 at the San Anselmo county fair parade as a sort of test run. From there, his next appearance was an animated short on the infamous STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL, a debacle so disastrous that Lucas prevented it from ever being shown more than the once that it was. Most can easily say that his section, taking place between episodes 4 and 5, is the best of all of the segments in the special. In it, Luke and Friends receive a bizarre message from Chewie and Han as they seem to be careening all over the place. Seeing that they're headed straight for a large moon, Luke brings C-3PO and R2-D2 with him to try to save Han and Chewie. Unfortunately, they all end up crashing onto the planet, both ships landing into sort of ocean of pink slop.
Immediately, Luke and droids are attacked by a large dragon-like creature, but are saved by none other than Boba Fett while he was riding his own. Introductions are made, and they all make their way to the downed Millennium Falcon. Inside, they discover an incapacitated Han who is soon joined by a suddenly unconscious Luke. Fett says that he knows where to get the serum to save them, so Chewbacca travels with him to the city to retrieve it. While "getting the serum", and unseen by Chewie, Fett contacts the Empire's attack dog, Darth Vader. You see, Vader had actually hired Boba to track down and befriend Luke and Co. and then to follow them back to the Rebel base of operations. Unknown to Boba, though, R2-D2 had already intercepted the signal...somehow. I don't think it was ever really explained HOW R2 was able to do that, but nevertheless that's what happened.
Upon returning to the Falcon and restoring Luke and Han, C-3PO reveals that Boba is a bounty hunter hired by Darth Vader. Before anyone could get a shot off, Fett blasts off via his jet pack. Then the party leaves; a weak joke is told; they all laugh; fade to black. As far as introductions go, this certainly isn't a bad one. His characterization within the cartoon shows that he is resourceful and immensely intelligent, but that's really it. It almost makes it seem as though he's a one-off character. Not really one with a big future in the franchise, especially when you consider the fact that not a huge amount of people saw the special.
Apparently, after the special, some seemed to think that Fett was some variation of a stormtrooper, so they took Boba on the road so-to-speak. Fett made appearances in malls and department stores, signing black and white photos as "Boba" and handing out wanted posters with his pictures on them, all in the effort to distinguish himself from the Empire. They wanted people to know that he was his own person. The OFFICIAL STAR WARS FAN CLUB got a look at Boba Fett in the summer of 1979. Appearing on the back of their newsletter, BANTHA TRACKS, Fett was revealed to be an elite bounty hunter who wore elements of the older empire military. This sort of scant information served to fuel speculation on the origin and nature of him. After this, Kenner released a Boba Fett action figure which originally contained a small missile pack that was removed due to it being dubbed a choking hazard for small children. Along with this, the color scheme was changed from the animated special, much as it had been through-out his development. Later, a 13-inch model was produced, further changing some of the design.
So, at this point, one could argue that there was a good bit of groundswell of interest built up for Boba Fett, though even Lucas says that he doesn't understand why Boba was so popular, specifically telling the actor who played him "It's not a big role." This popularity obviously wasn't purely built up in the stages preceding his appearance in the films, so obviously there's more to the story...and that's an element we'll explore in the next installment.
Boba Fett's initial appearance was actually on September 20th, 1978 at the San Anselmo county fair parade as a sort of test run. From there, his next appearance was an animated short on the infamous STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL, a debacle so disastrous that Lucas prevented it from ever being shown more than the once that it was. Most can easily say that his section, taking place between episodes 4 and 5, is the best of all of the segments in the special. In it, Luke and Friends receive a bizarre message from Chewie and Han as they seem to be careening all over the place. Seeing that they're headed straight for a large moon, Luke brings C-3PO and R2-D2 with him to try to save Han and Chewie. Unfortunately, they all end up crashing onto the planet, both ships landing into sort of ocean of pink slop.
Immediately, Luke and droids are attacked by a large dragon-like creature, but are saved by none other than Boba Fett while he was riding his own. Introductions are made, and they all make their way to the downed Millennium Falcon. Inside, they discover an incapacitated Han who is soon joined by a suddenly unconscious Luke. Fett says that he knows where to get the serum to save them, so Chewbacca travels with him to the city to retrieve it. While "getting the serum", and unseen by Chewie, Fett contacts the Empire's attack dog, Darth Vader. You see, Vader had actually hired Boba to track down and befriend Luke and Co. and then to follow them back to the Rebel base of operations. Unknown to Boba, though, R2-D2 had already intercepted the signal...somehow. I don't think it was ever really explained HOW R2 was able to do that, but nevertheless that's what happened.
Upon returning to the Falcon and restoring Luke and Han, C-3PO reveals that Boba is a bounty hunter hired by Darth Vader. Before anyone could get a shot off, Fett blasts off via his jet pack. Then the party leaves; a weak joke is told; they all laugh; fade to black. As far as introductions go, this certainly isn't a bad one. His characterization within the cartoon shows that he is resourceful and immensely intelligent, but that's really it. It almost makes it seem as though he's a one-off character. Not really one with a big future in the franchise, especially when you consider the fact that not a huge amount of people saw the special.
Apparently, after the special, some seemed to think that Fett was some variation of a stormtrooper, so they took Boba on the road so-to-speak. Fett made appearances in malls and department stores, signing black and white photos as "Boba" and handing out wanted posters with his pictures on them, all in the effort to distinguish himself from the Empire. They wanted people to know that he was his own person. The OFFICIAL STAR WARS FAN CLUB got a look at Boba Fett in the summer of 1979. Appearing on the back of their newsletter, BANTHA TRACKS, Fett was revealed to be an elite bounty hunter who wore elements of the older empire military. This sort of scant information served to fuel speculation on the origin and nature of him. After this, Kenner released a Boba Fett action figure which originally contained a small missile pack that was removed due to it being dubbed a choking hazard for small children. Along with this, the color scheme was changed from the animated special, much as it had been through-out his development. Later, a 13-inch model was produced, further changing some of the design.
So, at this point, one could argue that there was a good bit of groundswell of interest built up for Boba Fett, though even Lucas says that he doesn't understand why Boba was so popular, specifically telling the actor who played him "It's not a big role." This popularity obviously wasn't purely built up in the stages preceding his appearance in the films, so obviously there's more to the story...and that's an element we'll explore in the next installment.
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