Star Wars: The Force Awakens (9/10): And so does the franchise!

“There's been an awakening. Have you felt it? The Dark side, and the Light.”

There is a new film that has been released this weekend that not many people may have heard of, so I want to recommend it because it’s worth checking out. Apparently The Force Awakens is the seventh film in the little recognized Star Wars franchise and I’m surprised not many people have been talking about this sci-fi action packed adventure franchise. It seems to have some sort of cult following because there were a few people dressed up in the movies as some of the characters in the film. I’m glad I was lucky enough to have heard about this J.J. Abrams’s directed movie. Abrams who is better known for creating the hit TV series Lost has directed some remarkable films. His first feature film was Mission Impossible III which I will always remember for having one of the best villains in the franchise (played by the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman). He followed it up with the reboot of the Star Trek franchise which was a wonderful surprise for fans around the globe. I wasn’t a fan of the franchise myself until I got to see what Abrams did with it. He later went on to direct Super 8 which was as close to a Steven Spielberg 90’s movie that you will ever get. From that point on I knew Abrams could do no wrong. After succeeding yet again with another Star Trek sequel he decided to aim for something much smaller: A reimagining of the Star Wars franchise. If the film has success it will probably be thanks to my recommendation of the movie since I’m hoping it gets a lot of word of mouth. Please go watch this movie even if you haven’t seen the other films in the franchise because it stands on its own. It is almost a remake in a way since it follows the basic blue prints of the original film with some returning characters. I guess Abrams can receive some of the credit because everything he’s done up to now has been highly entertaining. Hopefully the film will be a success and that way people will go back and check out the other films in the franchise starting way back in the late 70’s.

The Force Awakens takes place some 30 years after Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) defeated Darth Vader’s evil Empire (sorry for the spoilers if you haven’t seen the original films). It was a battle between the dark forces and the light. Now the galaxy is facing a new threat. Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) has been training his apprentice, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), and establishing the First Order which wants to rule the galaxy and put an end to the Resistance which is led by General Leia (Carrie Fisher). Ren is extremely powerful and he uses the dark side of the force to his advantage subjugating anyone who opposes him. The only one who could threaten his abilities is Luke Skywalker, but he has disappeared and no one knows his whereabouts. Both the First Order and the Resistance are searching for him for different reasons. One of the Resistance’s best pilots, Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), has received an important tip about his whereabouts, but when Ren finds out he will stop at nothing to retrieve the information. Dameron has no other option but to hide the information in one of his personal droids (BB-8) and sends him off before being captured by Ren. The droid is discovered by a young scavenger named Rey (Daisy Ridley) who helps BB-8 escape from some mercenaries who are after it. Rey and the droid find assistance from an unlikely ally, a rogue stormtrooper named Finn (John Boyega) who is fleeing from the First Order. The fantastic sci-fi adventure begins as these fugitives try to reach the Resistance before the First Order discovers their whereabouts.

Abrams and Disney both leave their personal stamp in this film. There are classic Disney elements to this story which are told through Abrams’s unique style. Abrams knows exactly what his audience wants and he delivers a nostalgic piece of filmmaking by following pretty much the same beats as the original film did. Disney recycles some of its known humor and adds its own familiar tragic elements. I don’t know if The Force Awakens is more of a sequel than it is a reboot with returning characters because it feels so familiar and predictable. But it is exactly what fans wanted and it delivers. Darth Vader is probably the best villain in the history of film, but here Abrams manages to craft another memorable villain who comes close to matching him. Kylo Ren will probably become a pop culture icon just as Darth Vader has been over so many decades. Driver delivers a fantastic and memorable performance although my only complain about his character would be that his powers seem to weaken throughout the film after such a powerful entrance. Although I’m sure that will be resolved in the next film which will probably have a similar tone to The Empire Strikes Back which is my favorite film of the franchise. Harrison Ford stands out once again as Han Solo and he gets a lot of screen time, reminding us all why he is such a beloved action star. He delivers most of the funniest lines in the movie just as he did in the late 70’s and 80’s. The new additions, Daisy Ridley (who reminded me of a young Keira Knightley), John Boyega (who was discovered in the fantastic British horror comedy Attack the Block), and Oscar Isaac all deliver fantastic roles and inject the movie with fresh and well established characters that will deliver the franchise beyond nostalgic value. The Force Awakens had huge shoes to fill, but Abrams managed to reinvigorate the franchise by combining fresh blood with returning beloved characters. Fans will definitely be pleased with the film although it is hard to match the greatness of the original films due to its predictable nature that has more nostalgic value than anything else. We will have to wait and see how it works with younger audiences and if it stands the test of time. 

My Review: Dawn of The Planet of The Apes (8/10)

"Apes together strong!"

A decade has passed since the events of Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Rupert Wyatt's 2011 film that successfully rebooted this once beloved franchise from the late 60's) and now we find ourselves in a completely different world. The genetically evolved apes have built a new home in the San Francisco woods and continue to be led by Caesar (Andy Serkis). They communicate through sign language and several can speak. The simian virus that broke out at the end of the first film has practically wiped out the human race and it's been two years since Caesar or any of the apes have seen any human activity. But there are survivors living in the ruins led by a man named Dreyfus (Gary Oldman) and in order to restore power they need to gain access to a nearby hydroelectric dam in ape territory. Caesar's lieutenant, Koba (Toby Kebbell) hates humans and recommends killing them, but Caesar is wise and wants to avoid war. He gives a few men, led by Malcolm (Jason Clarke), permission to work on the dam only for a few days, but this short lived time of peace hangs on a very thin thread.

Matt Reeves was given the director's chair for this sequel and he doesn't disappoint. It's just as entertaining and smart as Wyatt's Rise. There have been several strong blockbusters that have come out this year and Dawn deserves to be considered among the best. What this film does right is focus on the apes allowing us to sympathize with their cause. Andy Serkis delivers a powerful performance once again and he owns this movie, although I would have to say that Kebbell's Koba is so memorable that he may just be the best villain in a film this year. The humans don't get much attention in this film so of course there is very little character development going on with them. Jason Clarke plays the most sympathetic character and perhaps the only human worth carrying about in this film. I was a bit disappointed that Gary Oldman wasn't given more screen time or a heavier role. Reeves also cast Keri Russell and Kodi Smit-McPhee with whom he worked with in Felicity and Let Me In respectively, but they don't have much to work with here either. The true stars of the film are the apes and there is a significant upgrade in the CGI compared to Rise. The apes look and move in an authentic manner. Dawn has everything going for it, great visuals, a fantastic score, a smart script, and some fantastic action scenes. We spend so much time with these advanced apes that by the time we see them riding on horses and carrying machine guns the entire premise seems plausible. 

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is one of those rare smart blockbusters where the action and visual aren't the only aspect of a film that has been given some thought. The apes are given personalities and the tension between the two sides is palpable. It isn't just a lame excuse to give us great visuals and cool looking action scenes; it is much more complex than that, and by doing so it creates much more tension. We are entertained just as much as we are forced to think. They have managed to turn a franchise I really didn't care for at first into an engaging and gripping one without ceasing to entertain the audience. When you spend some time creating believable and complex characters and combine them with cool looking action scenes you have the recipe for a successful movie that will leave audiences entertained and engaged at the same time. Their eyes won't be the only thing that are blown away, but their minds as well. And that is what Reeves and his team have managed to do with this franchise. It is sort of a Shakespearean drama combined with fantastic action scenes that are shot really well (there is a rotating shot from the point of view of a tank that was spectacular). I had a great time and I'm sure most audiences will as well.

My Review: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (6/10)

¨My dear Frodo, you asked me once if I had told you everything there was to know about my adventures. Well, I can honestly say I've told you the truth, I may not have told you all of it.¨

After the huge success that Peter Jackson had adapting The Lord of the Rings trilogy, he brings us the prequel (which he has decided to do in three films as well). Of course fans are coming into this film with huge expectations, and I’m sure that fans of Tolkien will really love Jackson´s direction here since he himself is a huge fan of the series. I really loved his work in The Lord of the Rings, but wasn’t really too excited about The Hobbit. First of all, as much as I enjoyed the original trilogy, I couldn’t manage to watch those films again since I find them hard to rewatch, especially for being so long. Second I really wasn’t thrilled when I heard that Jackson was making three films instead of only two. This meant that the film would stretch out a little too far by adding some unnecessary elements that perhaps only true fans of the series would enjoy. Those fears were fulfilled while I was enduring the 160 minute long movie. I really didn’t get into the film until the last 60 minutes or so when Gollum appeared. The film actually takes 40 minutes before the actual journey even begins. I felt Jackson was just trying to stretch out the film a little too much so he could have an excuse to make three films and make a bigger profit. Well I have to admit the final third of the movie did raise my grade for The Hobbit and made it a worthwhile watch. I wouldn’t recommend it if you haven’t seen The Lord of the Rings, but if you have and you enjoyed those fabulous movies you might want to check this out with a bit lowered expectations. I really don’t think this trilogy was necessary, but fans might not agree with me.

Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) is approached by Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) to go on a journey alongside 13 warrior dwarves who want to reclaim their mountain home. The Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor was once majestic and powerful, but a fire dragon named Smaug, attracted by the gold, attacked them and forced them out of the mountain. The dwarves were forced to live as nomads and their King was murdered by Azog the orc during war. The King´s grandson, Thorin (Richard Armitage), survived and led his people bravely to victory, but it came at a huge price. Now 60 years later he and 12 other dwarves have decided to go on a quest with the help of Gandalf- the magician- and Bilbo who Gandalf insists must travel with them. He sees good and kindness in the hobbit, who he knows will be a good ally in times of need. Once they begin their journey towards the mountain they face several different kinds of enemies. It is not until they reach the goblin tunnels that Bilbo runs into Gollum (Andy Serkis) and finds the ring (which we are all familiar with from The Lord of the Rings trilogy). The quest for the mountain lies ahead, but they must face many more obstacles first.

Peter Jackson once again delivers great visuals with some great looking fight scenes. It is nothing we haven’t seen before in his other works, but it still is magnificent to look at. He also adds a few cameos from some of the characters we have all come to love, but in all honesty I had a lot of problems with the pacing of this film. It just took forever to get started and I had a hard time watching this. Perhaps the second film will be better in that there won´t need to be an introduction and we are already set into the action because the final third of the movie was pretty good. The film however is still very far from accomplishing what Jackson did in the original trilogy. He just pays so much attention to detail that the narrative feels too stretched out. This adventure film has its moments that make the movie worthwhile, but other moments feel completely dull and tiresome. I felt like there were several obstacles I had to get over before I could really sit down and enjoy the movie. This isn’t a bad movie; I would say it is more of a disappointing one considering it had to live up to the high standards of its predecessor. Another thing I felt didn’t work as well as in the original trilogy was the comedy. I found most of the funny scenes pretty unfunny actually and a little too forced. The jokes didn’t really work with me. The visuals as spectacular as they might be are not corresponded well with the narrative and pacing of the film which left me weary and tedious. Having that said, this is still much better than most of the sequels that have been made and fans will be pleased with Jackson´s work.

                                                                                                                  

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My Review: Rise of the Planet of the Apes (8/10)

¨Ape alone…weak. Apes together strong.¨

2011 has brought us yet another sequel/prequel; this time producers decided to reboot the Planet of the Apes franchise which began way back in 1968 starring Charlton Heston, and was based on Pierre Boulle`s famous novel. Since then numerous sequels have been made, but none of them really equaled the success of the original film. Relatively unknown director Rupert Wyatt (The Escapist) was given the task to take charge of this project and try to reboot the entire franchise by directing this prequel. It tells the story of how the apes may have conquered the planet. The script was written by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver who hadn’t written a script for a movie since 1997 (Eye for an Eye). Rise of the Planet of the Apes may have had all the right ingredients to be a huge failure; I really wasn`t expecting a good movie since I`m not really a big fan of the franchise and the director and writers were relatively unknown as well, but to my surprise this science fiction film worked really well and far surpasses its predecessors. First of all, the story is really well written and I found most of it very believable (taking into account that it is science fiction of course). Second, the effects were great; the apes looked real and the CGI was used perfectly. In the other films the apes looked more like humans wearing ape costumes and makeup. Third and most importantly, the apes are actually the central characters of the film. Humans are simply secondary characters in this film and the apes get all the attention.

Will Rodman (James Franco) is working on an important experiment trying to find a cure for Alzheimer`s disease by genetically enhancing chimpanzees. He seems to have reached a major milestone when one of his apes, Bright Eyes, begins to develop his brain at a much faster rate than the rest. While he is presenting the results to his boss, Steven Jacobs (David Oyelowo), the ape becomes aggressive and has to be put down. They believed that the aggression took place as a side effect of the drug, but Will soon realizes that Bright Eyes was only trying to protect her new born baby which the scientists had no idea about. Will takes the baby home with him and realizes that Caesar is no ordinary ape. The drug seems to have genetically been passed down to him and Caesar becomes much smarter as he grows up. Will realizes that the drug is effective so decides to use it on his ill father, Charles (John Lithgow) who recovers instantly from Alzheimer`s. One day Caesar has a small incident with a neighbor and Will decides to take him to the vet; Caroline (Freida Pinto) realizes that Will and Caesar have a strong bond and she instantly falls in love with them. Years go by and the three enjoy their life and spend a lot of time taking Caesar to the National Park in San Francisco. However, Charles becomes ill again and the drug seems to have lost his effect on him. Caesar has another incident with a neighbor and has to be taken to an animal shelter where he is mistreated be Dodge (Tom Felton). Caesar soon becomes resentful and finds shelter in his new found friends: other apes that live with him in the shelter. Caesar will soon prove to them that he is no ordinary ape and thus the revolution begins.

The thing I enjoyed the most about this film was that the apes became the center of the story. Caesar was actually the main character and Andy Serkis (who also did the body motion for Sméagol in The Lord of the Rings franchise) did a great job at expressing the ape`s emotions. Caesar/Andy Serkis is the true star of the film and the emotional depth his character is given is what makes the movie work. The special effects are great as well. The final scene is your typical summer movie action scene, but the movie is just much more than that. I thought the story worked really well and there were also several small details that were put in the movie that fans can identify as things related to earlier films of the ape franchise. James Franco and Freida Pinto also have good chemistry together although their roles aren`t as important because the true center of the film revolves on the apes. I thought this was a great film and it will certainly reboot a franchise that in my opinion was dead. I don’t know if this is a good thing or not because I really long for some new and fresh ideas in Hollywood, but at least they are improving with the sequels. Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a Summer movie worth checking out.

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