So my son, Grayson, came home from Madrid for a couple of weeks. On Monday, he splurged and took his dad to the movies to see the new "Star Wars" flick.
With all the hype, I suppose the tremendous box office receipts were inevitable. But this film is as much marketing as film craft. It's slick, entertaining, with good performances from all involved. We picked the 3D screen mostly because we didn't want to wait another 40 minutes for the next show at a regular screen, but it was shot in a way that enhanced the effect, rather than overwhelm the viewer.
Despite its charms, it also retreads "Episode IV" in some respects, which may be useful for nostalgia's sake, but is hardly a reflection of originality. That said, there's both a resolution and a cliffhanger that will keep you guessing to some degree until the next film that will debut in two years.
That said, it appears J.J. Abrams is showing a penchant for retreads once again, witness what he did with "Star Trek into Darkness."
With all the hype, I suppose the tremendous box office receipts were inevitable. But this film is as much marketing as film craft. It's slick, entertaining, with good performances from all involved. We picked the 3D screen mostly because we didn't want to wait another 40 minutes for the next show at a regular screen, but it was shot in a way that enhanced the effect, rather than overwhelm the viewer.
Despite its charms, it also retreads "Episode IV" in some respects, which may be useful for nostalgia's sake, but is hardly a reflection of originality. That said, there's both a resolution and a cliffhanger that will keep you guessing to some degree until the next film that will debut in two years.
That said, it appears J.J. Abrams is showing a penchant for retreads once again, witness what he did with "Star Trek into Darkness."