Caution: spoilers ahead.
In the spacelike darkness of the theater, the opening fanfare was the kind of rush I haven’t felt since 1999, when I went to see “The Phantom Menace.” But, as with that movie, I’m sad to report I’ve spent the last few days trying to talk myself into not being disappointed by “The Force Awakens.” Even fellow Texan Ted Cruz’s endorsement of the movie hasn’t helped me shake reactions that have been nagging me since I saw it Friday afternoon.
Is it really progress to have a main character in a “Star Wars” movie be black if the movie has the racial sensibilities of a “Fast and Furious” installment? Stormtrooper defector Finn is the rowdiest of this crop of star warriors, shouting through his adventures to the point that Han Solo has to tell him, during a stealth mission in the enemy base, “Bring it down.” You don’t see Han Solo throwing a flag on white girl Rey for excessive celebration.
And did I hallucinate Finn telling BB-8, “Droid please,” as an obvious stand-in for “Bitch please?” This is a line that should live in infamy. I guess we should count ourselves lucky that Lando didn’t say, after the second Death Star blew up, “Di-no-mite!” after the second Death Star blew up.
Speaking of which, where’s Lando? Did the producers think this “Star Wars” wasn’t big enough for two black guys? It’s not that Billie Dee Williams is dead; he was on “Dancing With the Stars” a short, short time ago.
Did we really need two scenes in a row of Rey asserting that she didn’t need anyone’s help? The first time Rey resisted being led by the hand by Finn, it was a charming callback to Princess Leia’s resentment of being “rescued” by Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. The second time, when this scene was rehashed moments later, it was an uncharming reminder that blockbuster-makers nowadays feel obligated to prove how undistressed their damsels are. Unlike Leia’s witty comebacks, it told us little about Rey’s character, other than that she exists in a major movie in 2015. (Or that Finn is amazingly bullheaded.)
How did Rey know to use Jedi mind tricks against the Stormtrooper guarding her cell? We saw Kylo Ren conducting Force-enhanced interrogation of Rey, but there was no scene of him demonstrating mind control – just mind reading. Presumably a future movie in the franchise will explain Rey’s familiarity with Obi-Wan Kenobi’s technique by revealing that she saw “A New Hope” as a kid. Which would also go some way toward explaining where she learned to use a lightsaber like that. Clearly she’s Somebody Important’s kid, so God knows her midi-chlorian count is off the charts and all that, but even Luke “Star Wars” Skywalker had to endure blindfolded training against one of those little “Phantasm” spheres before he knew his way around a lightsaber.
Why, exactly, did R2-D2 wake up when he did? The answer can’t be “proximity to BB-8,” since the limbless little guy was bouncing its gut off the bigger droid earlier in the movie. If the answer is “It took Artoo until the very moment everyone had returned from the Starkiller mission to retrieve from its stores the rest of the map to Luke,” that’s what’s called “plotting that relies on coincidence,” which is also what’s called “bad plotting.”
For that matter, why did finding Luke require the part of the map that didn’t show where Luke was, when they already had in their possession the part of the map that showed where Luke was? It’s not like this was an episode of “Get the Picture,” where a small piece of the image made sense only in the context of the larger image. The map that BB-8 was carrying wasn’t of a corner of Dagobah; it showed a path among multiple planets. If the top minds of the Republic couldn’t figure this out, I can see how the Dark Side came roaring back.
Do people buy Han Solo as a 70-year-old smuggler? I understand that the movie rests somewhat on the premise, reflected in Finn and Rey’s early-Solo-esque disbelief in the Force, that everybody’s forgotten about, well, “Star Wars,” but there’s not a character we encounter in this far-flung galactic adventure who doesn’t know who Han Solo is. He’s a hero of the Rebel Alliance’s most triumphant battles, presumably ensconced as the husband – or at least mate – of a general for decades, and, when his son Kylo Ren betrays Luke, he dusts off his jacket, tousles his hair roguishly and returns to the life of a crooked-smiled scoundrel always only one step ahead of space pirates and bounty hunters? Wouldn’t it have been more interesting to see a lion-in-winter Solo, a Solo who had been touched by the passing of 30 years more than cosmetically?
Why did “The Force Awakens” repeat the mistake of “Return of the Jedi?” No, not the Ewoks – the inclusion of two simultaneous climaxes, diluting both? In the case of “Jedi,” it was 1) the retread of “A New Hope’s” climax in the form of the Battle of Endor to destroy the second Death Star, and 2) the man-to-man-to-man hate-triangle slugfest among Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine; in the case of “The Force Awakens,” it is 1) the assault on the Starkiller weapon, which, as the second retread of “A New Hope’s” climax, is far too predictable to be exciting, and 2) a reverse retread of “The Empire Strikes Back’s” catwalk scene, in which, this time around, it’s the son who breaks the father’s heart. Does anyone who watches the visually impeccable destruction of Starkiller feel anywhere near the elation they shared with Luke while watching the 1970s-tech explosion of the Death Star?
Don’t get me wrong. There’s a lot to like about “The Force Awakens,” from Kylo Ren’s mask, which, like Rey’s sand-person getup, feels of a piece with the original “Star Wars” aesthetic the way the final scenes of “Revenge of the Sith” did; to an extended, unbroken shot of dog-fighting from Finn’s on-the-ground perspective near the Mos Eisley Cantina 2.0 (Maz Eisley Cantina, anyone?); to the movie’s thrilling conclusion, our at-long-last reunion with the golden thread of “Star Wars,” the heart of the Force, C-3PO’s beloved Master Luke. (Though where was Luke’s goosebump-giving speech from the movie’s second trailer?) Nothing rose to the level of intolerability of the prequel trilogy’s revelation that R2-D2 could fly all along, and even if this movie was a disappointment, given Disney’s plan to milk its new property, it’s safe to paraphrase Yoda and say there will be another. And another. And another…
*Top image: Rey (Daisy Ridley) and BB-8 walk across the Jakku desert. Image courtesy of Disney.
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Wrong.
I’m sure this guy enjoys telling kids Santa Claus isn’t real either. It’s entertainment buddy, relax
“Forced” feminism? Give me a break. Stick to San Antonio news, Rivard, instead of trying to trash a beloved franchise.
We published the review as an opinion piece. We didn’t endorse it, and we don’t agree with everything we publish. –RR
Thanks for this article, Rivard Report. It’s nice to have another perspective on this film and the author has a lot of valid points, in my opinion.
Having a girl hero is “forced feminism”??? Someone explain to me a scenario where a girl hero isn’t “forced feminism.” Please. Because I don’t get it.
Also, the photo caption is wrong. Han is handing Rey a blaster in that scene, not Luke’s lightsaber.
I feel dumber for having read this, I can see why it was rejected by 3 media outlets
Thanks for the catch, Ricardo.
This is probably the dumbest thing I’ve read all month…
Umm… wow. Being a lifelong fan who was thrilled to take his son to a new (real) Star Wars movie (like my father before me), I’ve often overanalyzed the films and novels. Full disclosure: I’ve only seen the movie twice, so I still require additional viewings.
Was the movie perfect? No. I probably even disappointed some teens when I said it was “really, really good,” in response to their “is it epic?” question. I will also admit that I do agree with your descriptions about the convenient nature of some of the plot points.
BUT… your “droid, please,” argument is very weak. Considering the context of the conversation, Finn’s statement was purely out of desperation – he needed help, and “please” was the quickest and most direct way to ask for it. Perhaps you would have preferred the awkward wordiness of the prequels? Finn serves as one of the characterizations of Luke Skywalker – heck, the “I’m here to rescue you,” scene where he frees Leia, err, Poe cements that role early on. His excitement particularly reminded me of an impatient “Toshi converter” Luke. In ANH, it took Han until the end of the movie to fully accept Luke. Han told him to “bring it down” as well with his “don’t get cocky!” comment after their escape from the Death Star. I liked Finn… even more than the original Luke.
Rey’s character was absolutely perfect in the opinion of my daughter. While the character did seem to be a quick learner, she was familiar with the legends and probably DID re-enact the stories (see her homemade rebel pilot doll). Her lightsaber technique recalled motions seen earlier in her usage of her staff. I liked Rey… even more than the original Luke.
I will say that you are very correct on Kylo Ren’s mask – the aesthetic was true Star Wars. The “used universe” was reawakened in this movie.
I could go on and on and on, but the beauty of the Star Wars universe (and this movie) is that it is ripe for endless debate, conjecture, and exploration; both as a 9 yr old kid seeing it in 1977, and as adult taking HIS kids to it in 2015. For me, this film (and it was real film) deserves a place on the shelf next to the original trilogy… maybe separated by a vintage action figure.
This article goes from zero to pedantic bullshit real quick.
The fact such a major franchise openly chose a female and black protagonist is fantastic, yet here we are nitpicking it to make the choice less valuable. Representation matters, and while it isn’t 100% perfection we have to value it happened at all. We shouldn’t be breaking it down and making it less important.
Mr. Vogt, what you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this article is now dumber for having read all this. I don’t agree with anything you said, and may God have mercy on your soul.
Good thoughts Ryan!
ON FINN:
Is your argument that 1) Finn equals a template black character who says culturally cliché things and 2) everyone treats him as an African-American stereotype? I did not perceive that at all.
Should all black characters act like white characters in movies? What does that even mean or suppose? If you are correct then certainly, Kasdan, Abrams, and Arndt could have been more sensitive.
It’s so hard to please everyone though. If Finn is white, he’s not black; and if Finn is black, he’s the wrong kind of black. It’s so silly.
Should the amount of black “main characters” in a movie equal the amount of white “main characters” (I don’t think that is your point, but a reflective question I suppose)? Why is that a concern?
This article on the guardian is sort of a neat reflection in the opposite direction: http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/dec/29/star-wars-the-force-awakens-black-lives-matters-first-science-fiction-film. There are multiple opposing reviews and interpretations.
Sometimes we take up the cross of racial injustice when there is none; however, there are many times when it is essential. Not in Star Wars though.
– –
ON REY’S AWAKENING:
I just assumed that when Kylo Ren was interrogating her (using this particular form of force persuasion), the force awakens and she saw through his trickery and was able to access that same power and HIS mind. She’s smart. She know how things work and if she has force-sensitive ancestors can’t she figure that out?
The Force Awakens centers around various awakenings and returns. The whole franchise is awakening.
***ON THE HAND-HOLDING: I thought that was a reflection on and example of Finn’s character, not Rey’s. He’s sweet. The writers also point us toward potential romantic involvement without any exposition.***
– –
ON R2-D2’S AWAKENING:
Source: http://www.ew.com/article/2015/12/20/jj-abrams-answers-burning-question-about-r2-d2-star-wars-force-awakens
“BB-8 comes up and says something to him, which is basically, ‘I’ve got this piece of a map, do you happen to have the rest?’” Abrams said. “The idea was, R2 who has been all over the galaxy, is still in his coma, but he hears this. And it triggers something that would ultimately wake him up…The director acknowledges that R2’s sudden “awakening” at the end was designed to be an emotional storytelling utility…”
Kind of a weak storytelling choice, I agree. But it had a legitimate purpose.
***ON THE MAP: Wasn’t that uncharted space as far as the Resistance and Rebellion are concerned?***
Han Solo definitely looked like 30 years had passed. Haha.
All of these points are conversational, non-threatening, and said in love and nerd-ness.
Hope you had a wonderful holiday! I hope to see it a 3rd time with the points you brought up in-mind.
Cheers!
— B
Uggghhh…someone has been reading too many Buzzfeed articles and is trying to get the “clicks”.
Wow, you really missed a lot of both subtle and obvious points. And you have no sense of humor. I laughed at “Droid, please.” Because it was funny. I’d explain some of the notions that you didn’t grasp, but I think I’ll go teach calculus to my cat. I have a higher chance of success with that.
I’d rebut the b.s.in this “article” but it’d be pointless.
And I STILL haven’t seen the movie.
Well, the only thing I founding disconcerting was that the only Black guy in the movie was the “sanitation guy”.
You can’t compare Leia’s independence to Rey’s by using through the lens of “rescue scenes”. Yes, Leia had a sharp wit to her that spoke of her character but so did Rey’s reaction to Finn holding her hand. Finn’s attempt to hold her hand could be labeled sexist but Rey’s reaction was not meant to speak of feminism at all. She is poor, alone and has struggled to survive her whole life. I am a teacher who has worked with kids who fit a similar mold and that is their reaction to help regardless of their sex and the sex of those trying to help them. Your commentary on this particular point stinks of elitism from someone who has either never experienced being poor, knowing someone who was poor or has forgotten what that is like to have been there at one point.
As for R2 waking up, if you noticed, the droid woke up when Rey made it to the Resistance base for the 1st time. It was supposed to signify that R2 recognizes the presence of the Skywalker bloodline.
This simplistic, if not naïve, analysis of “The Force Awakens” reflects how disconnected Vogt is from the actual zeitgeist he lives in. Understanding racial stereotyping and feminism requires a responsible study of history, as well as an awareness of society that extends well beyond Vogt’s own stereotyping. Reductionism is never useful in social analysis, especially when it only considers a few catch phrases, in this case spoken by a couple of characters in the movie. If you are going to offer a socio-political analysis of the latest episode of Star Wars, you have to look at both the micro AND the macro depicted in the movie, as well as how they interplay – NONE of this is considered in Vogt’s review. Maybe next time, instead of “trying to like” a movie, Vogt should do some homework, arrive with more than his own stereotypes, and consider the fact that black liberation and feminism are probably way bigger than his little brain is equipped to analyze.