Proof Of Concept

Rating: 9/10 (29 December 2015)

Well 30 years have passed since the last, "GOOD" star wars movie, and with the current fashion of going back to a franchise that was meant to end a long time ago (more star puns coming) here comes episode 7 , the 7th entry to this franchise that seems to be having a mixed opinion amongst it's viewers. Before starting up with this review let me be really clear about the fact , that the force is strong with this one , and we are back in to the good ol' Star wars. This movie is definitely not the best star wars movie made, but it isn't a movie worth slashes of 1 and 2 ratings either. And in this review I will explain and justify my opinion with absolutely no spoilers.
1)Story :- It is apparent and absolutely obvious , that most of the concerns that people have with this movie , is the fact that this is a re-hash or re-telling of episode 5 – a new hope. While that is probably a good way to explain the story, I believe that force awakens has a plot that rises way above that assumption. Now the first 10 minutes of this movie might feel extremely and creepily similar to a new hope with a lot of recurring events , but a whole new setting and a whole new motivation for both new and returning characters make this movie a surprisingly different story telling experience , with obviously lot of notable flaws. One of the biggest concerns I have with this movie is the now obvious presence of a yet another death star. But on my second viewing it is pretty much apparent that a new death star like object was a necessary plot device used by JJ Abrams to actually bind the team to fight against an actual threat to the galaxy. Not just that , the story being written by a fan and not the creationist , opens varied opportunities to add elements to the plot that not just benefit the viewer on an artistic level , but makes the world feel more burst out with familiar details and focused lore building ideas. The story does a fantastic job in slowly carrying in the new cast to hold the franchise for it's future releases , and is a great and exciting start to the now post Lucas trilogy , and feels like this movie was made and tailored perfectly for a new generation of star wars fans.
2)Casting and Characters :- Now bringing in the old cast and crew into the story was a bold and perfect choice , as we know exactly how a star wars movie devoid of the original cast strength faired amongst the audience. While the performances of the returning cast is superb as usual , what really caught my eye was the new team. Daisy Ridley as Rey , John Boyega as Finn and Adam Driver as Kylo Ren and also my favorite Poe played by Oscar Isaac were all brilliant with the character that they portrayed on screen. The 1000 word limit and the presence of some serious spoilers really restrict me from over explaining these characters , but I am sure that every viewer would love the way these new characters take up and share screen space during the entire runtime of this movie. Now moving on to the returning cast , the only 2 people that really stood out was Han Solo and Chewbacca. These 2 people were not just phoned into the script for some nostalgic run but actually stood by the new generation to take them around the world of star wars and show them the galaxy far far away. Han Solo acts as the bridge between the old and new generation and is Han Solo at his best. Not to worry though , this is not the case of Crystal Skull. Lupita was good with the role that was given to her too acting as Maz Kanata. And finally do not expect much from Captain Phasma or Supreme Leader Snoke as these are characters that were just introduced into the plot and hopefully will be used responsibly in the future movies. While many of the side characters did not receive justifiable screen time , it is to rightfully experience and develop the characters of the new generation that will potentially lead the franchise for the next 2 movies of this trilogy. On a whole , both the returning and the new cast gel well to provide an all good performance to make us feel like we are back home.
3)Direction:- What I was extremely scared about when I heard JJ Abrams was the director of this movie was that he might Abrafy this movie with quick cuts , shaky cams and lens flare. But the first 10 minutes of this movie provided me with some much needed re- assurance. JJ Abrams directs some beautiful set-pieces, and this movie does not lack that. There are plenty of wide shots with the sky and other subtle elementary backgrounds with the proper clean and practical colour and light choices that ultimately grounds the movie to reality unlike the CGI garbage in the prequels. Also, the use of practical effects makes this movie much more real and obviously sings the song of return thus making this movie closer and closer to the masterpieces that the original movies were. A lot of modifications done by JJ Abrams to the script runs in combination with his direction and idea of the next generation of this franchise , whose take is absolutely appreciated. His direction and his keen liking of the franchise as a fan makes this movie a fan made passion project that every fan would love.
Ultimately , this is a movie that is better than the trash prequels and goes way above the CGI overkill to live close with the original trilogy.