STAR WARS : THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015) REVIEW : The Franchise Awakens [With IMAX 3D Review]

Menilik lebih dalam, drama opera di luar angkasa yang dibuat oleh George Lucas ini menjadi sebuah film legendaris yang ada di sepanjang industri film Hollywood. Star Wars, memiliki banyak sekali massa yang memuja bagaimana kepiawaian George Lucas ketika membuat universe bagi para Jedi lewat filmnya. Dengan banyaknya poin-poin yang membuat film ini legendaris, tak salah hingga akhirnya Star Wars menjadi sebuah brand yang dijadikan sebuah referensi kultur pop moderen.

Dan pada tahun 2013, Disney membeli lisensi akan Star Wars dari Lucasfilm. Dengan lisensi itu, Disney pun berencana untuk membuat sekuel terbaru dari Star Wars. Jelas, hal ini disambut dengan riang gembira oleh beberapa kalangan yang sangat menantikan bagaimana presentasi dari Star Wars ketika sudah berada di naungan yang berbeda. Dengan munculnya J.J. Abrams selaku sutradara, para penggemar sangat berantisipasi dengan kehadiran Star Wars terbaru dengan judul Star Wars : The Force Awakens.

Episode ketujuh dari film Star Wars ini pun diwarnai dengan beberapa nama menarik di dalamnya. Memiliki dua nama baru di jajaran pemeran utama dan memutuskan untuk mengembalikan pemain-pemain lama dari Star Wars ke dalam filmnya. Hal ini menimbulkan hype tinggi dari penggemar yang sudah menunggu lanjutan dari film Star Wars yang legendaris. Dan J.J. Abrams kembali membuktikan bahwa dia adalah sutradara yang menguasai genre ini. Star Wars : The Force Awakens adalah sebuah paket komplit bagi para penggemar maupun penonton awam. 

Setelah puluhan tahun dari peristiwa Return of The Jedi, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) dikabarkan menghilang setelah kejadian penghabisan Darth Vader. Dan hal itu membuat sebuah kerajaan baru bernama First Order mencari sebuah peta yang berisikan lokasi tempat persembunyian Luke. Karena alasan itu, mereka menyerang penjuru planet. Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), petinggi First Order mencari peta itu yang ternyata disimpan oleh Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac).

Tetapi, Poe menyembunyikan peta itu di dalam sebuah droid bernama BB-8. Sayangnya, Poe tertangkap dan Kylo Ren berusaha keras untuk mencari droid tersebut. Dan ternyata, droid itu sedang bersama dengan seorang gadis bernama Rey (Daisy Ridley), seorang pemungut besi bekas. Rey tak tahu apa yang ada di dalam droid tersebut sampai seorang stormtroopers yang berkhianat bernama Finn (John Boyega) memberitahukan sesuatu. Finn adalah orang yang  telah membantu Poe bebas dari ikatan petinggi First Order. 

Kehebatan dari Star Wars : The Force Awakens ini adalah bagaimana film ini bisa berdiri sendiri menjadi film baru yang seharusnya adalah sebuah sekuel. Sekali lagi, J.J. Abrams membuktikan bahwa dia adalah seorang sutradara yang mumpuni dalam menggarap sebuah film luar angkasa yang berhasil menghibur penontonnya. Jangan lupakan bagaimana J.J. Abrams juga berperan penting dengan Star Trek dalam menghidupkan franchise-nya. Bahkan menggaet penggemar baru untuk kapal milik Kapten Kirk dan teman-temannya.

Dengan formula yang sama, J.J. Abrams pun bisa menghidupkan kembali sebuah universe luar angkasa legendaris yang bahkan sudah dianggap beberapa orang sebuah mahakarya. Jelas, beban untuk J.J. Abrams sangat besar untuk menghidupkan franchise ini karena bisa jadi bila salah langkah sedikt saja, maka akan banyak sekali orang yang datang mencela. Untungnya, Star Wars : The Force Awakens ini dikemas dengan presentasi yang membuat semua orang terpana.

Ketakutan para calon penonton ketika menonton film ini adalah bagaimana franchise Star Wars ini sudah memiliki episode yang cukup banyak. Penonton takut tak akan mengerti bagaimana kelangsungan cerita bila tak mengikuti seri-seri sebelumnya. Tetapi, ketakutan itu ditampik oleh J.J. Abrams selaku komandan besar dari peperangan luar angkasa ini. Star Wars : The Force Awakens tak menjadi sebuah film yang dikhususkan tetapi juga untuk para penonton baru yang bahkan tak tahu sama sekali dengan konflik-konflik yang ada di dalam Star Wars sebelumnya. 

Ya, masih ada benang merah di dalam Star Wars : The Force Awakens dengan episode-episode sebelumnya. Alih-alih bekutat dengan konflik-konflik lama di episode sebelumnya, J.J. Abrams membuat sebuah setup baru yang tak memusingkan para penonton yang buta akan Star Wars. Dan hal itu adalah poin penting yang dimiliki oleh Star Wars : The Force Awakens untuk menghidupkan kembali franchise legendaris ini.

Tak hanya memuaskan para penonton awam, J.J. Abrams tak melupakan bagaimana dia harus berhadapan dengan para penggemar militan dari seri ini. J.J. Abrams pun berusaha memberikan trivia-trivia yang tampil dengan lebih tebal di dalam tiap adegannya. Sehingga, penonton lama akan merasakan sensasi nostalgia luar biasa yang sangat menyenangkan. Dengan presentasi itu, J.J. Abrams mendapat timbal balik tepuk tangan riuh dari penggemar militannya ketika menyaksikan film ini di dalam bioskop. 

Bukan hanya sekedar trivia dan nostalgia, J.J. Abrams memiliki janji besar untuk membuat Star Wars : The Force Awakens memiliki plot yang tak asal. Dan hal itu dibuktikan secara jelas oleh J.J. Abrams bahwa Star Wars : The Force Awakens memiliki konten tak ringan yang bisa mengundang perhatian penontonnya. Rumit tapi tak terlalu membuat penonton pusing karena Star Wars : The Force Awakens ingin menjadi sebuah film blockbuster paket komplit.

Dan pula, jangan lupakan bagaimana Star Wars : The Force Awakens mengemas berbagai sekuens-sekuens menarik dengan emosi yang kuat. Sehingga, Star Wars : The Force Awakens memiliki nuansa berpetualang yang kental dengan setting luar angkasa. Penonton pun dengan senang hati mengikuti setiap petualangan yang dilakukan Rey dan Finn untuk menemukan Luke. Juga, diiringi dengan tema musik klasik dari John Williams yang indah dan menarik. 

Dan maka dari itu, Star Wars : The Force Awakens berhasil hidup tanpa perlu bergantung atas konflik yang ada di episode sebelumnya. J.J. Abrams berhasil membuat Star Wars : The Force Awakens menjadi sebuah setup baru yang akan menyenangkan penonton awam yang buta tentang apapun yang berkaitan dengan Star Wars. Tetapi, J.J. Abrams tak melupakan bagaimana dia harus berhadapan dengan penggemar Star Wars yang memiliki kuantitas yang besar. Sehingga, Star Wars : The Force Awakens adalah kesuksesan besar untuk menghidupkan kembali sebuah franchise legendaris. 

Star Wars : The Force Awakens diputuskan oleh disney untuk dirilis dalam format IMAX dengan sokongan tiga dimensi. Berikut adalah rangkuman dari format ini

Depth

Menyaksikan film ini dalam format tiga dimensi, apalagi format IMAX membuat kita merasakan sensasi berpetualang di luar angkasa

Pop Out

Banyak sekali adegan-adegan yang menyokong efek ini dalam format tiga dimensinya dan hal itu membuat Star Wars : The Force Awakens sebuah paket liburan ke luar angkasa yang komplit. 

Ya, Star Wars : The Force Awakens sangat dianjurkan ditonton dalam format tiga dimensi dan kalian akan merasakan sensasi yang berbeda ketika menyaksikan film ini. Star Wars : The Force Awakens adalah sebuah sajian paket komplit di berbagai aspek.

For The First Time Since 1983, STAR WARS Is Really Back

Opening tomorrow at every multiplex in the galaxy:

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

(Dir. J.J. Abrams, 2015)

As suspected, J.J. Abrams is much, much better suited for STAR WARS than STAR TREK.

Abrams? TREK movies were poppy, new fangled approximations of the Star Trek ethos, but his highly anticipated seventh entry in the ultra popular space saga, THE FORCE AWAKENS, really is a bonafide, honest-to-God, gloriously old school STAR WARS movie.

It captures the spirit and replicates the story beats of the original 1977 film so lovingly that it is almost a virtual remake, but that back-to-basics approach hugely works in its favor because, unlike the awful prequels, it?s not cluttered and all over the place.

Now, in order to keep from revealing major spoilers ? the kind that would keep people from reading reviews like this in the first place ? I?ll try to be as vague as I can with plot points, and other juicy tidbits.

It?s 30 years after the events in RETURN OF THE JEDI, and instead of the Empire and the Rebel Alliance we now have ?The First Order,? and ?The Resistance.? Darth Vader?s successor, clothed in similar black attire with metal mask and cape, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), is, of course, trying to crush The Resistance and find Luke Skywalker who?s gone missing.

On a desert planet that highly resembles Tatooine, but is called Jakku, we meet a scavenger named Rey (Daisy Ridley) who befriends BB-8, that cute orange and white spinning droid you?ve probably seen in trailers and TV teasers, who is being hunted by The First Order because he?s carrying a secret message to be delivered to The Resistance. Sound familiar?

Meanwhile, John Boyega (ATTACK THE BLOCK) plays a storm trooper who defects and joins forces with Rey, under the guise that he?s in The Resistance. Fleeing from The First Order, Rey, Finn, and BB-8 happen upon The Millenium Falcon in a space ship junkyard, and luckily it still holds together for their escape.

Before long the Falcon is captured by a large freighter owned by famed smuggler, and rebel hero Han Solo (Harrison Ford in his most invested performance in eons) and that beloved hairy Wookie, Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), who, unlike Han, hasn?t aged a day.

That?s as much of the plot as I need to go into. You can most likely guess that there is a new Death Star (Starkiller Base), to destroy, a cantina-like scene, light saber battles, X-Wings and Tie Fighter dogfights, and revelations about who?s related to whom.

Carrie Fisher reprises her role as Leia Organa, now a General, with Anthony Daniels back as C-3PO, and Kenny Baker back inside R2-D2, but he hasn?t been the same since Master Luke vanished. 

The new kids, Boyega and Ridley, have great gusto and likable pluck in their roles and a lot of fun to watch run around through battle station corridors, Endor-like forests, and snowy Hoth-type terrain. It's like they split the role of Luke into the two characters, who both long for better destinies before getting swooped up into the galactic battle between good and evil.

As for Luke, we all know that Mark Hamill has signed back on, but going into how he appears would be ultra spoilery so I won't go there.

As for the other new characters, Oscar Isaac, who gets some wise-cracks in (he also appears to be having more fun than I've ever seen him have in a movie), plays Poe Dameron, an ace X-Wing fighter pilot for The Resistance; a stern Domhnall Gleeson (Isaac?s EX MACHINA co-star) plays the evil First Order General Hux, Lupita Nyong?o plays the motion capture-enhanced alien pirate/bar owner Maz Kanata (sort of the movie?s Yoda), and Andy Serkis lends his distinctive talents to embodying the sinister Supreme Leader Snoke (another motion-capture creation), the new Emperor-esque figure.

And who knew that Driver, best known as Lena Dunham's weird, lanky boyfriend on the HBO show Girls, would make such a great STAR WARS villain? He nails the intensity needed for Kylo Ren, and gives him just the right amount of ache as well.

It?s also nice that their dialogue, written by Abrams, Michael Arndt (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, TOY STORY 3), and returning series scribe Lawrence Kasdan, is sharp and witty with just the right amount of call backs. This is especially notable in Han and Leia?s scenes, though I wish they fought a little, with that old Tracy/Hepburn-ish back and forth so memorable in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. Fisher, who had to slim down to reprise the part, brings gravitas in the form of her older, dignified Leia, but they could've given her a little more to do. However, that's a small complaint considering.

George Lucas may have created STAR WARS, but somewhere along the line he lost its vision. Abrams sure found it here, as one of the best things that I can report is that while watching THE FORCE AWAKENS, I really did forget about the prequels. Abrams? film is entranced with the look, feel, and tone of the original trilogy that all that nonsense about senate treaties, midichlorians, Qui-Gon Jinn, Palpatine, etc. never comes to mind. It?s remarkable how successful it is in rendering Episodes I-III non-canon.

Sure, there's lots of CGI, but little of the aforementioned clutter of the prequels or many recent sci-fi action films. I really appreciate that Abrams had real sets and models built, and relied on practical effects when possible. David Mindel's cinematography lovingly apes the look of the original trilogy, as John Williams reworks all the mighty musical cues of his previous series' scores effectively. 

As a rekindling of the magic of the space opera that I loved as a kid, STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS is a fantastic success. Abrams really pulled off a wonderful, faithful, funny, and intoxicatingly fun entry that had me from the first line of the opening scroll to its powerful last shot. For the first time since 1983, STAR WARS is really back.

When Han says ?Chewie, we?re home,? he might as well be speaking for the masses that are going to eat this up, and go back again and again for more.

More later...

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

***DISCLAIMER*** The following review is entirely my opinion. If you comment (which I encourage you to do) be respectful. If you don't agree with my opinion (or other commenters), that's fine. To each their own. These reviews are not meant to be statements of facts or endorsements, I am just sharing my opinions and my perspective when watching the film and is not meant to reflect how these films should be viewed. Finally, the reviews are given on a scale of 0-5. 0, of course, being unwatchable. 1, being terrible. 2, being not great. 3, being okay. 4, being great and 5, being epic! And if you enjoy these reviews feel free to share them and follow the blog or follow me on Twitter (@RevRonster) for links to my reviews and the occasional live-Tweet session of the movie I'm watching!  I don't need drugs because the high this film gave me is incredible!

Star Wars:  The Force Awakens ? 5 out of 5

I?ve been a lifelong Star Wars fan since I was barely able to develop conscious memories.  The first home video I remember watching was the original; A New Hope, and the first film I can remember seeing in the theaters was Return of the Jedi.  I played with all the toys, read all the books in the now-defunct Expanded Universe and read all the comics from Marvel?s old run and Dark Horses? tremendous work after that.  I played every video game and will even admit that, while I didn?t enjoy everything about them, I am a fan of the prequels.  My body has Star Wars-themed tattoos all over my body including the Mandalorians? mythosaur skull and symbols from the Sith, Jedi and Black Sun.  My parents, whether by accident or on purpose, set me on a path to be a serious geek for the Star Wars universe and I own toys and collectibles for it, been to a few conventions on it and have geeked out over shaking hands with Peter Mayhem.  When Disney purchased the property from George Lucas three years back and announced that they would make more films, I flipped with excitement.  That excitement reached a boiling point for the seventh episode in the mythology with The Force Awakens.  My expectations were high but I walked in with no doubts that I was going to be entertained.  I was completely wrong?it was even better than what I hoped for!

             **Don?t worry?there won?t be any spoilers here**

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I want a BB-8.  No, not the smartphone controlled one
but a full size, fully autonomous one.

30 years has passed since the Rebellion destroyed the second Death Star.  From the ashes of the evil Emperor, a new order has risen and threatens the new Republic.  To combat these forces, the Resistance is formed but to help stop the First Order once and for all, they need the help of a powerful old ally.  Their greatest fighter pilot; Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) is sent to retrieve a map to help locate this man but the evil user of the dark side; Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), uses his forces to stop him and take the information for himself and deliver it to General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) and the all powerful Supreme Leader Snoke.  However, Poe hid the information in the little (and freakin? adorable) droid; BB-8.  The droid ends up befriending a struggling junker on the planet of Jakku named Rey (Daisy Ridley) and a runaway stormtrooper named Finn (John Boyega).  Together, they team with Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) in order to get the information to General Leia (Carrie Fisher) and the rest of the Resistance before Ren and the First Order use their superweapon to destroy all that oppose them.

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Boyega seems like a cool guy.  I think we should be best friends.

I?ve been not-so-patiently waiting for Episode VII since they released the first photo of the table read.  Since then, I?ve watched every trailer and TV spot they released and read all the new canon books and comics released (and I have to say that every book Marvel has done with this now official expanded stories is gold and I don?t miss the Expanded Universe).  Money and timing prevented me from seeing the film the day before and on the release date but after soaking in all the glory with my eyeballs (that were wide as plates the whole running length) the wait proved to be worth it.

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Dude...Marvel, Captain Phasma needs her own series.  Please, please, please!

The Force Awakens is, to put it simply, amazing!  The film made me laugh, it made me cry on several occasions but, most of all, it transported me back to when I was a kid and my mom and dad would throw an old VHS copy of Episode IV into the VCR.  J.J. Abrams visuals and the story that he helped craft was the perfect mix of honoring the adventures Han, Leia, Chewie and Luke took back in 1977 and paving a new road for new journeys with the likes of Poe, Rey and Finn?and, of course, BB-8.  In a world of cynicism and jaded pessimistic world views, The Force Awakens made me remember what it was like to first see the galaxy far, far away and filled me with joy and the child-like sense of wonder.  The fairy tale-esque vibe that Lucas created almost forty years ago was all here and it made for an incredible theater experience.

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At one point, every single one of these troopers hit their heads on a door.

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What happens if Ren sneezes in that helmet?

The visuals are gorgeous and every second is filled with the familiar whimsy and eccentricities that we?ve come to expect from this reality.  The action is fast-paced and exciting.  Whether it?s battles with blasters or screaming TIE fighters in dogfights with X-wings, the action supplied is more than satisfying and griping.  The returning old characters filled me with nostalgia and the new characters were all intriguing and fun.  I can?t wait to learn more about the likes of Kylo Ren, Rey and Finn in supplemental books and comics and to see more of them in the upcoming episodes.  The performances from everyone from the returning favorites like Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher to the new faces like Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac and the more digital features given life to by performers like Lupita Myong?o and the incredible Andy Serkis were rad and I really lost myself in their characters.  John Williams? score, as expected, is exactly as it should be, complimenting and enhancing every scene and making them more emotional and important. And, finally, the mixing of practical and digital effects was seamless and simply magical.

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Yes, Chewie and Han, you're home.  And so am It because that's what The Force Awakens felt like.

Even though I am a super obsessed Star Wars fan, I tried to be as objective as possible while experiencing the film so that I can admit if there was anything I didn?t enjoy.  Heck, I will admit that I wasn?t a fan of Hayden Christensen?s performance and I didn?t like Jar Jar in the prequels but I couldn?t find any real faults in The Force Awakens.  Granted, there were a few lines of dialogue that felt a tad awkward but there was only a line or two and, in the grand scheme of emotional scenes and epic space action, this was a drop in the bucket that was barely even noticeable.  Hell, I?ll even admit that there?s one point in the story that dragged but this was only for a few minutes and is just another drop that is barely noticeable among the rest of the amazing qualities this film threw at me moment after moment.

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The Force is strong in this movie!

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Play this for the full effect with this visual.

Maybe I sound like an overzealous fan that is only focusing on the positive but Star Wars:  The Force Awakens is what a Star Wars movie is suppose to be.  The story may feel like it was told before but it got that right blend of being familiar and new at the same time but it also did a great job of setting up this new trilogy and ending on the right point of being satisfying and leaving me salivating for the next one.  Additionally, the film is truly very fun because of genuinely funny scenes, cool new characters and its stellar action.  The film also has some awesome cameos littered throughout the film that only enhances the viewing experience to something more than just an exciting film.  Finally, unlike the prequels, this film just felt like it belonged in this established universe.  I?m not saying that Episodes I-III don?t feel like Star Wars films but there visuals were so drastically different than what was seen in A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.  I?m not saying the prequels don?t feel like Star Wars films?far from it?but Episode VII feels like it is the natural progression from Episode VI.

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I know it's a weird thing to get excited about but inter-atmosphere dogfighting is awesome!

I went into Star Wars:  The Force Awakens with high hopes and had those hopes met and exceeded.  I knew that when Disney purchased the property that the series would be in good hands because The Mouse, for all his flaws, knows his audience and knows how to give them what they want and, alongside J. J. and his team, they delivered something incredible.  My excitement level is just as insane for Episode VIII as it was for this one but, at the very least, I get to see Rogue One:  A Star Wars Story next year.  Now, the real question is:  How many times am I going to see this one in the theaters?