Star Wars: The Force Awakens

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: J.J. Abrams/Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Domhnall Gleeson, Andy Serkis, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Max von Sydow

The most anticipated movie of the year is flooding multiplex theaters nationwide and the legions of fans who have lined up to see it might have shared my anxieties. Would the new Star Wars movie be the colossal embarrassment the last trilogy proved to be or would it redeem the saga? Would many of us feel like fools the morning for having purchased tickets over a month (like I did) before?
I think the majority of those who saw the film opening night are slowly exhaling; knowing the latest installment of the ongoing Star Wars isn't a let down and is, in fact, quite entertaining. The next question that might have entered your mind (as it did mine) was, is it a great movie; a commensurate achievement on the scale of the original series? In my estimation; it isn't, I'm sorry to say, but the new trilogy (I'm assuming it will be a trilogy, unless the studio decides to keep this cash cow grazing forever), based on what I saw in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, shows tremendous promise. With a batch of new, exciting characters, which includes the series' first, really strong female lead, J.J. Abrams has the tools to build on the new film's success (it isn't premature to call it a success; box-office records are sure to be broken and the early critical notice is mostly positive).

Abrams' approach to reviving the series was simple yet clever; tell a story that resembles the original; introducing new characters while resurrecting the old ones.
The familiar opening subtitles tell us that the shards of the Empire has been reconstituted as the First Order; a diabolical rebellion that threatens to unseat the Republic. The First Order is intent on not only crushing the forces marshaled against it but finding and killing the Jedi Master Luke Skywalker; whose strange disappearance remains a mystery. Finding Skywalker becomes the First Order's highest priority. Meanwhile, Princess Leia (now General) Organa (Carrie Fisher) has dispatched her top X-Wing pilot; Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) to retrieve part of a map that serves as a clue to his whereabouts.

In this new film, we meet a new crop of characters. Among them is the Vaderish Kylo-Ren (Adam Driver), whose black mask and sinister voice remind us of his evil forebear. He and his colleague, General Hux (Domnhall Gleeson), serve as the First Order's leadership.

We also meet FN-2187, or Finn (John Boyega) as he is rechristened later in the story. Raised to be a stormtrooper, Finn finds himself at odds with the First Order's murderous agenda, as he is unable and unwilling to assist in the wholesale slaughter of a resistance cell; led by Poe Dameron. When Kylo-Ren and his stormtrooper force annihilate said cell in their search for the map, Finn refuses to participate in the killings. And while on-board a First Order battleship, he affects his own escape with the help of Poe; who has just undergone torture at the hands of Kylo-Ren, who hopes to find the whereabouts of the map he has hidden in his loyal droid BB8. Poe and Finn's escape from the battleship via a commandeered TIE-fighter is one of the film's exciting highlights. Unable to fully escape the ships deadly array of weaponry, Poe and Finn crash land on a deserty planet named Jakku; an arid wasteland not unlike Tatooine. Finn is unable to find Poe in the wreckage and sets off in search of civilization; abandoning his stormtrooper uniform in the process. Also in search of the town is BB8, who wanders the sands alone until he meets one of the film's most inspired characters: Rey (Daisy Ridley). Rey is a gritty, young woman, who is forced to survive on the planet's unforgiving surface by scavenging the massive interiors of old Empire battleships, which lie half buried in the deserty sand. The diminishing returns of Rey's hard work is evident when her salvaged junk earns her little in the market, where a shady buyer offers her a pittance for her haul.

In her wanderings, she encounters BB8 and points him in the direction of the town but when he hesitates, Rey offers to guide him herself. When the buyer offers her a handsome price for the droid, Rey nearly accepts but after looking upon his almost helpless, roly-poly frame, she takes pity and decides to keep him. She also meets Finn, who has just wandered into camp. The two engage in a brief melee after she learns Finn is from the First Order but softens once she learns he is a deserter. As the First Order has eyes and ears everywhere, a unit of stormtroopers land arrive on Jakku to locate the droid. Needing a vessel to escape, Rey shows Finn a battered, decrepit ship, which turns out to be the Millennium Falcon (the sight of the ship roused the audience into hearty cheers; the first of many). How it came to rest on Jakku is explained later. A novice pilot, Rey manages to get the ship off the ground but is forced to evade the TIE fighters, who give furious chase. Meanwhile, Finn uses the ships weaponry (of which we are very familiar) to help keep the TIE fighters off the Falcon's tail.

Rey manages to pilot the Falcon off the planet and before long they encounter a larger ship that pulls the Falcon into its bay. Minutes later, we learn the larger ship is owned and manned by none other than Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) who haven't abandoned their pirating ways. We learn from Han how the Falcon came to be lost and his reunion with the ship is another of the movie's terrific moments. Finn and Rey, who express awe when they learn the identity of their host, are also astonished to learn that the exploits of Han, Luke and Leia are all true.

As trouble is wont to find Han, his ship is boarded by several parties demanding some form of recompense or satisfaction. Before the ship can be seized, Finn and Rey inadvertently open the cargo doors, which unleash a deadly, tentacled creature that roams the ship, devouring everything in its path. Han, Chewbacca, Finn, Rey and BB8 manage to board the Falcon in time but not before the creature latches on to the ships hull. Only a jump to light speed rids the Falcon of the hideous creature.

Han soon learns of the map in BB8's possession and is quick to point out its crucial, missing piece. Aware of the map's importance to the First Order, Han pilots the ship to a planet where General Leia is holed up in the Resistance headquarters. Having been somewhat estranged from Leia, Han is uneasy about the imminent reunion.

Meanwhile, General Hux and Kylo-Ren brief Supreme Leader Snoke on their progress and their success in locating the map. The audience becomes privy to a surprising development, where we learn Kylo-Ren's father is none other than Han Solo. This surprising bit of information is made more poignant by the fact that he wishes to destroy his father and assume his grandfather's mantle; that of Darth Vader.

Han and friends are welcomed into the Resistance fortress and the touching moment where Han and Leia embrace is a moment all Star Wars fans will truly appreciate. In Leia's company is C3PO and a silent R2D2, who refuses to communicate until he is in the presence of Luke. It comes to light that R2D2 is also in the possession of the missing part of the map; making his cooperation crucial to the search for his master. In a quiet moment between Han and Leia, they share regrets about their son; formerly known as Ben, succumbing to the dark side.

I think up until the point, I found the movie very well paced and fresh. The old and new characters are seamlessly united and the film feels very faithful to its origins.

The latter half of the film, which features an assault on the First Order's new weapon; a Death Star-like spheroid (but far more massive) that delivers a planet-shattering blast, seems like a reprise of both the original Star Wars movie and The Return of the Jedi. Of course the weapon's defenses must first be lowered in order for the assault to commence, which means a coordinated infiltration of the weapon. I think Abrams could have done better here.

And in the film's climactic third act, Kylo-Ren squares off with Finn and Rey respectively after they find Luke's light-saber. Rey's latent Jedi powers begin to surface, which include her ability to use the Force. She is able to harness her new-found power and use it effectively (and quite humorously) to escape Kylo-Ren's torture chamber.
And in a scene that rivals Spock's death in Star Trek II for being shockingly tragic; a heartbreaking loss occurs, though it would have been difficult not to have seen it coming. In the final moment of the film, we finally see the man who seems to have inspired all the kerfuffle, which also brings the story to an end; leaving us to anticipate the next chapter.

There is so much I liked about the new movie. I really like the characters of Rey and Finn and think its high time the series had a female lead. Daisy Ridley seems more than suitable to be Rey. And though the first trilogy had an African-American in the cast, it's nice to see someone with John Boyega's talent play a central role in the new series.

And though the visuals and sound effects are comfortably familiar, it would be great to see J.J. Abrams utilize Industrial Lights and Magic's potential to create something dazzling or break some some new ground. We all know that much of the first trilogy's success was predicated on spectacular effects. Of course this shouldn't be the creative focus for the next films but it wouldn't hurt to update the look. I'm pleased to say the creatures look more real with state of the art CGI.

Now that we know The Force Awakens isn't The Phantom Menace (again, sigh of relief), where will Abrams guide the series? Will it carry on indefinitely? Should this current series be a trilogy, tetralogy, pentalogy or hexology? One thing is for certain, after 40 years, the fans haven't lost their yen for everything Star Wars.

As much as I enjoyed the movie (how much of my reaction can be attributed to seeing it in a sold-out theater?), I think Abrams has a way to go before the series can reach its true potential. Watching The Empire Strikes Back again recently, I was reminded of its successful amalgamation of story, characterization and effects. The new series should reach for that level of excellence. It isn't a coincidence that both Empire and the new film were co-written by Lawrence Kasdan.

The Force Awakens is a good start but not an excellent one. I won't include it in my favorite films of 2015 list. To me, it is still outclassed by The Martian; a powerful sci-fi film that wed excellent effects to a smart, solid story. Still, I have to say my interest in Star Wars has been revived. I'm sure many other fans feel the same.

You're off to a good start, Abrams. Now take the series higher.

The Age of Adaline

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Lee Toland Krieger/Starring: Blake Lively, Harrison Ford, Ellen Burstyn, Kathy Baker and Michael Huisman

Every time I saw the trailer for Lee Toland Krieger's film, I would change the title in my head to The Age of Asinine. After seeing The Age of Adaline, I feel my title would have been more appropriate. And it is one of those films that gets dumber in recollection. I'm not sure what story screenwriters J. Mills Goodloe and Salvador Paskowitz had in their heads when they penned this travesty but if what plays onscreen is an accurate reflection of their artistic intent, we know who to blame.

Krieger's film doesn't have the whimsy and playfulness of his comedy Celeste and Jessie Forever, which is too bad because how he and the screenwriters could tell such a gimmicky, earnest story without a wink or a smirk is beyond me.

And the story is Gimmicky (that's right, a capital G is in order). A woman named Adaline Bowman (Blake not-so Lively); born in early 20th century America, nearly dies in a car accident when she is flung from her vehicle. She becomes submerged in water, unconscious. The god-like narration explains in minute, scientific detail just how she not only manages to survive, but also how her body stops aging. Of course this phenomenon is accomplished with a lightning bolt and some processes that are explained with technical mumbo jumbo.

Though the story is set in 2015, much of the story takes place in Adaline's past as we see how this extraordinary phenomenon affects her life. Though the idea of immortality may be appealing to many, Adaline finds arrested aging comes with much unpleasantness.

Her condition makes it necessary for her to avoid relationships, for obvious reasons, which means her life must also be secretive and lived itinerantly, lest her peculiarity be discovered. Her quest to live anonymously is borne of her fear of becoming a laboratory specimen.

The lone keeper of her secret is her daughter Flemming (the elder version played by Ellen Burstyn, who does penance in this film); now a silver-haired senior who has lived the normal life denied her mother. Their easy rapport tells us they've both accepted the strangeness. Other than being her mom's elder, Flemming doesn't seem to factor in to the story very much. And poor Burstyn; she has to utter awful lines like "You'll always be my momma."

But Adaline has other problems. A youngish stud named Ellis Jones (Michael Huisman), a man who earned his wealth as a college student when he invented an algorithm that had economic applications, falls in love with her. Though she rebuffs him, for very practical reasons, he is persistent and before long, she falls for him against her better judgement.

We see, via flashbacks, how she once fell in love with an American man during an English sojourn in the early 70s'. Later, after the relationship gained momentum, we see her in a cab, en route to her lover, who sits on a park bench with an engagement ring in his hands. She tells the cab driver to motor on; thus abandoning another love; sparing he and herself heartbreak. This moment in her life will figure prominently later in the story.

The film reaches a climax during a Jones family weekend get-together when Adaline meets Ellis' parents. His father William (Harrison Ford) and Adaline are dumbstruck when they meet. It turns out (one might have seen this coming earlier in the story) William is the man Adaline left waiting on the park bench. William, stupefied, tells Adaline she bears an uncanny resemblance to a woman he was once close to named Adaline Bowman. Adaline has the presence of mind to explain she is the daughter of the woman and mentions, to William's sorrow, that her mother passed away, years before. The ruse seems to work, though Adaline's presence stirs William to distraction, which causes his wife Kathy (Kathy Baker) great anxiety as she becomes suspicious of her husband's past.

But during the weekend, William catches sight of a scar on Adaline's hand, which he remembers from an accident in the past. The shocking realization prompts a confrontation with William then her flight from the Jones home, which leaves Ellis in despair. And during her escape from the Jones' home, she--wouldn't you know it--gets into an accident. And what do you think happens? Ellis arrives in hot pursuit, hoping to rescue and reclaim his love. During this scene, the annoying, omniscient narrator returns to describe in detail--once again--the miraculous chain of events that follow. I'll leave the rest to you to suss out.

If this all sounds like fascinating material for a great movie, trust me, there is less here than meets your heavy eye-lids.

Among the film's legion of shortcomings is Adaline herself. For a 107 year-old woman in a twenty-something's body, her life is stubbornly ordinary and it leaves one wondering why eternal youth would be wasted on someone so vapid. Yes, we see she can kick butt at Trivial Pursuit during the Jones family weekend and has exceptional powers of perception but so what? What else is there? Other than being unable to have normal relationships, what does her condition mean to her? To her daughter? Might there be advantages in being a hundred year-old twenty-something? Sure, it would be a hassle to have to change one's identity every so often but would it be such a drag to be perpetually in one's sexual prime? The film doesn't have the imagination to explore any idea the premise might engender. Harold Ramis' Groundhog Day shows us what it might be like to live one day over and over again in a very inventive and clever way. I wish The Age of Adeline had one second of that film's wit and whimsy.

I found little things vexing too. The fact that William gave up medicine to become an astronomer is a big deal in the story, as is his discovery of a comet. So why does Ellis have a book on astrology in his bedroom? Wouldn't the son of an astronomer know the difference between his father's field of study and a pseudo-science? What's that about? I realize it's a trifle, but it seemed glaring to me.

Blake Lively's performance is one of the film's major handicaps. She doesn't explore her character or go deeper than looking pretty. Maybe the script called for an incurious bombshell who kicks butt in board games? I also found her voice to be quite odd. She sounded somewhat stiff, as we sometimes hear when British actors or actresses affect an American accent. This might be a first in American cinema; an American actress putting on an American accent.

I felt sorriest for Ellen Burstyn. An actress with her talent and exceptional career playing second banana to an underwhelming, blonde yo-yo like Lively must feel like a career low, I'm sure.

So what do we learn from Adaline and her situation? Not much. Nor did I come away moved from the flick in any way. Makes sense, nothing seems to move her much either, other than a garage that was formerly a movie theater back in her day. The canopy of stars that once graced the ceiling is shown to still be intact, which she proudly shows Ellis on a date. Oh, I almost forgot, she also loves her dog. Geez, I don't think I can handle all her layers.

Wait a second; there is one lesson to be learned from Adaline's experiences: take your date to a garage that was once a movie theater rather than to a movie theater playing The Age of Adaline.

The Expendables 3

**Spoiler Alert--wait a minute, is this really necessary, what exactly will I spoil?**

Director: Patrick Hughes/Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Antonio Banderas, Harrison Ford, Arnold Schwarzeneggar, Mel Gibson, Wesley Snipes, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Kelsey Grammer, Terry Crews, Victor Ortiz, Ronda Rousey, Kellan Lutz and anyone who happened to visit the studio during filming

I was thinking of creating a separate post for the cast list but oh well. I seriously thought about skipping The Expendables 3 because I had already invested enough time and money in the first two movies, which were mildly fun but very disposable. But I reconsidered; after all, I managed to see all the Harry Potter movies in theaters and perplexed myself by doing the same with the Twilight series, so why not the Expendables?

There is something about the movie that renders it impervious to any criticism. It's inherently dumb and all involved are well aware it's a farce so how can one possibly pan it? That said, I can say I didn't come to bury it but I also won't recommend the movie unless one's Verizon Fios is on the fritz, you have nothing to read, your iPad has lost its charge, Seven Samurai can't be found on any movie channel, you're too lazy to play frisbee at the park (do people still do that?), you finished digging a trench for a sprinkler system, or it's just too early to turn in. Then maybe I'd recommend The Expendables 3, but only at matinee prices.

The Expendables 3 begins with a daring rescue by the core members of the Expendable team: Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), Caesar (Terry Crews) and Toll Road (Randy Couture) as they break into a maximum security prison in some third world country to rescue a fellow member who has been incarcerated for 7 years. The feat is accomplished in true Expendables fashion by commandeering a train and crashing through the doors of a concrete fortress. The liberated member is Doc (Wesley Snipes); a former Expendables medic and like Lee, a bad-ass knife-wielder.

The team is hired by a government suit named Drummer (Harrison Ford) for a mission involving a Somali port, but are thwarted by a former associate of Ross' named Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), who is now an arms dealer operating outside the purview of international law. Stonebanks manages to escape but not before wounding Caesar by sniping at him from a helicopter--an act meant to humiliate Ross.

Irked by Ross' failed mission, Drummer offers him a redemptive opportunity to lead a mission to capture Stonebanks, who is holed up in a third world despot's stronghold somewhere on the Asian continent.

Feeling his group has aged beyond optimum functionality and afraid to imperil their lives in another mission, Ross dismisses his group. They naturally reject his edict but Ross is adamant, brooking no objections.

While his former unit lick their emotional wounds, Ross searches for a new group; assisted by a whizbang recruiter named Bonaparte (Kelsey Grammer). The new unit comes with a specific array of skills but also a she-tough named Luna (MMA Fighter Ronda Rousey). The youngsters manage to get themselves captured by Stonebanks and his client's army in a rubble-strewn, cold war-esque complex. Stonebanks then goads Ross into rescuing the unit.

The rest of the story is hardly mysterious. You know Christmas, Doc, Jensen, and Road will find a way to re-join Ross, which will provide them a means to show their testosteronic (my word) virility. And of course everyone in the cast will have his allotted time onscreen.

You might be delusional if you think E3 offers any narrative surprises. Seeing the film is like a visit to McDonald's--one expects nothing but the traditional fare. It would be unseemly to complain about the absence of McFoie Gras in the chain's gustatory offerings. The same can be said for E3. What you see and titter at in the first film is precisely what fatigues your eyes in the third, so why expect more?

Sure, the movie is ferociously meat-headed and only a smidgen less cartoonish than a computer game, but with its phonebook cast and bloodless mayhem (I think I saw more people bleed in The Hundred-Foot Journey), it all went down like a bag of Cheetos. At least The Expendables 3 has a sense of humor, which prevented its fall into the abyss of self-serious tedium.

Does the franchise have one more bullet in its chamber? Is Expendables 4 a possibility? If so, I would like the producers to cast some of the few people on the planet who haven't appeared in the franchise. I would like to see Judy Dench play a blood-thirsty MI6 operative with demolition expertise who returns from Ross' past to liquidate him after steamy hot-tub sex. Maybe Julie Andrews and Dame Maggie Smith could make appearances too...in the hot-tub.
That's all.