Donning Stormtrooper and Darth Vader masks, dressed in capes and holding lightsabers, fans young and old turned out for screenings of “The Force Awakens”, some queuing for hours to watch the first “Star Wars” film in 10 years. Theres nothing that feels quite like Star Wars, and The Force Awakens captures that particular sensation.
Advertisement
And if you’re new?
Jen Yamato of The Daily Beast argued “this is a sequel that’s clearly been written for fans who will quiver at every reference line, every throwback nod, even the sight of a few familiar background players brought back just for the hell of it”.
There is a complaint to be levied that the film doesnt utilize these classic characters enough (one in particular), but the truth is that its a hard one to land simply because the new generation of heroes and villains is utterly fantastic.
“‘The Force Awakens” gets it. It gets what makes “Star Wars, ‘ ‘Star Wars, ‘” wrote Ali Plump at Digital Spy, whilst Joe Morgenstern in the Wall Street Journal was blunter still: “Just see it. You’ll love it”.
Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher, who return to the saga after starring in the original trilogy, are set to join British newcomers Daisy Ridley and John Boyega for the highly anticipated event in Leicester Square.
THE FORCE will be with cinema-goers this evening – after a very special performance, that is.
From a character and aesthetic perspective, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is tremendously on point but its the construction of the narrative and devices that create significant problems (the kind that damage the movie in your mind the more you think about them).
Advertisement
It’s enjoyable but there’s far too much going on. Star Wars in its original incarnation, much as I loved it, was not necessarily stacked with great deliverers of wry jokes, and this one is.
