The Bernstein Brief: 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Is Spot On
By Dan Bernstein--
CBSChicago.com senior columnist
(CBS) It may sound facile to say it just feels right, but it's the best way of describing why "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is a success. Whatever it was that was so obviously missing from the prequels is back in this mindful reboot of the original.
From the moment John Williams' orchestral fanfare blasts us back in our seats and the expository paragraphs begin sliding away, those of us who were eight years old in 1977 can give ourselves over to director J.J. Abrams and writer Lawrence Kasdan with those same eyes and ears. Off we go, in good hands again.
The detailed, lived-in world is familiar even with new surroundings, and dynamic characters are introduced without disruption. Old friends and new interact without it being weird.
I don't mean this to be a low bar, but it's important that nothing sucks. There are no eye-rolling plot points, no Jar-Jar Binks, no midichlorians. Perhaps the biggest victory achieved by Abrams is in the number of solid performances from so many actors amid all that is going on at such speed -- it's an accomplishment, considering a script that spreads the story so evenly.
The acting stands out in part because the film lets them do their work, and the special effects don't overwhelm. Neither does the editing, which lets us see what's happening without blurring our heads with typical over-cutting.
And it really moves, too. The static pacing of the second George Lucas go-round is gone, with languorous parliamentary procedure and rumination replaced by actual story and gorgeous visuals. It's as if Abrams cleaned out the pipes of an old machine, and now it runs like it used to.
Some may find it overly derivative, but I think that's missing the point.
It's as if the filmmakers had fans like me in mind when checking the boxes for what they wanted this to be and not be. Abrams is 49, and if he aimed this one at his 11-year-old self back in 1977, it was a wise choice.
Dan Bernstein is a co-host of 670 The Score's "Boers and Bernstein Show" in afternoon drive. You can follow him on Twitter @dan_bernstein and read more of his columns here.
