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After an extended wait, Star Wars got here again with a bang with the 2015 launch of The Power Awakens. Made by Star Trek reboot director J J Abrams, The Power Awakens had its share of flaws, however the film represented a robust return to type for the franchise, after the catastrophe that was the prequel sequence. Two years later, we’re about to get the second entry into the sequel trilogy, with The Final Jedi releasing this Friday. We’ll have our evaluation of the movie later this week so you will know what count on, however for now, our expectations are tempered with just a bit little bit of concern that the movie goes to observe on the notes of Empire Strikes Again.
Now, that is not a nasty factor in and of itself – Empire is a particular excessive level of the Star Wars sequence. Granted, it would not fairly have the identical sense of surprise and unfolding risk of A New Hope, but it surely builds on the primary movie in a robust method and delivers some nice emotional notes. The issue is that the Star Wars reboots have already taken that path with Power Awakens, and it will be disappointing if the following movie within the sequence additionally stays too near the originals, as a substitute of giving us one thing new and fascinating.
A part of the enchantment of The Power Awakens lay in its familiarity. “Right here, followers, is a movie that touches the identical sort of emotional beats, and makes use of related visible identifiers, as the unique movies that you just liked a lot,” the movie appears to say. After the prequels, we would have liked one thing like this to revive our belief within the sequence. However regardless of having loved The Power Awakens sufficient to rewatch it a number of occasions, there is no denying that the criticisms of its similarities to A New Hope are justified.
Photograph Credit score: www.starwars.com
(PLEASE NOTE: SPOILERS FOR PREVIOUS STAR WARS MOVIES FOLLOW AFTER THIS POINT)
It begins off early with the scenes of Rey (Daisy Ridley) strolling off into the sundown in Jakku. If that did not make you consider Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and R2-D2 on Tantooine, you in all probability have not watched Star Wars. The desert planet the place individuals survive intense hardship whereas dreaming of a much bigger world, earlier than getting a name to journey within the type of a droid from area who holds a navy secret is slightly too acquainted.
Talking of acquainted, Kylo Ren shares lots with Darth Vader, as a menacing presence in a darkish go well with with a cape and a crimson lightsaber, who has no issues getting his personal individuals killed if that helps him obtain his targets. He is highly effective and threatening, but mysterious and the movie actually drives this dwelling by displaying how he aspires to be like his grandfather – Vader.
On the opposite aspect, the principle trio is slightly completely different however has its personal parallels as effectively. Finn (John Boyega) is not precisely analogous to Princess Leia, however he does take the initiative and manages to rescue himself from a number of tight spots. Poe (Oscar Isaac) is a smirking and cocky pilot who’s acquired some similarities with Han Solo, although once more, there are some variations as effectively. In the meantime, Rey strains up effectively with Luke – she’s determined to get to area, and to discover a connection to her lacking household. Like Luke, it seems that she’s a gifted pilot (she flies the Millennium Falcon, which Luke did not get to do), and learns to make use of the Power fairly quickly, identical to he did.
Photograph Credit score: www.starwars.com
There’s additionally the grizzled outdated mentor – a veteran of former wars who desires to be left alone, however will get pulled in as a consequence of his private connections to the individuals on the centre of the continued battle. With out absolutely gifting away the large twist from the final film, as an instance that there are loads of parallels to be discovered right here as effectively. Lastly, issues come to a head when area fighters need to make a run by some trenches to explode a large sphere with a single well-placed assault in opposition to a super-sized weapon of mass destruction. About the one factor lacking was to finish with a ceremony handing out medals.
It made for excellent nostalgia, and we’re truly okay with coming again to the franchise that method, however we’re slightly extra frightened the following movie. There is a tendency for trilogies to match these identical beats, the place the primary movie introduces the world, the second gives setbacks and hardships, permitting the third movie to be a few triumphant turnaround. And though that is high-quality as a basic thought, Power Awakens clearly adopted A New Hope extraordinarily carefully, and we hope The Final Jedi would not mirror Empire Strikes Again in that sense.
And it appears we aren’t the one ones considering alongside these strains. In an interview with Rolling Stone, The Final Jedi director Johnson talked concerning the problem of following up Power Awakens whereas avoiding turning into Empire Strikes Again. “You do not wish to let your self be guided by these deep-set grooves in your mind, however you additionally do not wish to make inventive selections simply to spite these,” he stated.
Photograph Credit score: www.starwars.com
At one other level within the interview, he additionally talked about Rey’s mother and father, and there, introduced up Darth Vader’s well-known “I’m your father” dialogue from Empire Strikes Again. He additionally talked about that the movie would focus extra on the previous of the leads – corresponding to Luke’s parentage, and Han’s smuggler connections, each themes that had been explored in Empire Strikes Again.
These aren’t crimson flags in any sense, and we have fairly excessive hopes from the The Final Jedi. After Power Awakens and Rogue One, Disney has definitely earned the followers’ belief and we hope Johnson is ready to reside as much as that, whereas additionally making one thing that stands out as a totally authentic entry to the sequence.
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