Character Archetypes

Now that a good portion of TFA's plot has been "spoiled" it is clear what Disney has in store for us on December 18, 2015. I must say, knowing what we know now, that I am somewhat disappointed in the direction that they choose. However, before I go any further allow me to preface that disappointment and throw some positives your way.

"Positives"
1. JJ Abrams is the best director that a Star Wars movie has ever had. I mean that (purely) in terms of handling action, humor, suspense, drama, of putting you on a roller coaster ride and making you "feel" something, Abrams is the most skilled of the four men who've held that chair. (See: LOST Pilot, MI3, ST09, STID, etc.)

2. Larry Kasdan is the best screenwriter that a Star Wars movie has ever had. I don't actually need to elaborate on this one. (Just See: Raiders of Lost Ark, Empire Strikes Back, Body Heat, The Big Chill, Return Of The Jedi, The Accidental Tourist, etc.)

3. Kathleen Kennedy!! It would not be an understatement at all to say that Kathleen Kennedy produced my childhood. Virtually every single film that defined my youth she was involved with. I could list her credits here but they are too numerous (and would absolutely blow your mind.) Just know that of the "big three" (Abrams, Kasdan, Kennedy) she is by far the most accomplished. Go to her Wikipedia page, please.

4. Special Effects. This time out we are going to get the right combination of practical and CGI. (I'm looking at you AOTC!) What I've seen so far looks great. JJ did an excellent job of seamlessly balancing the two (practical and CGI) on both Trek films. The GFFA is going to look and feel "real" again, and I can't wait!

5. John WIlliams

6. Cast. Max Von Sydow, Domhnall Gleeson, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, and Gwen Christie are all top flight actors. I haven't seen Daisy Ridley and John Boyega yet, but I've heard really good things. The original cast needs no plaudits from me! They'll be awesome as always.


Now on to the critical stuff...

Daisy Ridley (Kira) = Luke Skywalker. Daisy begins the movie scratching out a meager existence on an outer rim desert planet, while hoping to one day escape and make a difference in the galaxy. Sound familiar? (Luke, Anakin, yada, yada). She is (likely) part of that powerful Skywalker bloodline, and like her two predecessors she'll go on her heroes journey, all while being tempted by the dark side of the force. Fine, I expected this. But to have it literally be: naive kid, desert planet, meager existence, heir to magical bloodline/ chosen one, family member turned evil (Kylo Ren), confronts this - grows up and saves the day. It's very 1 to 1. And yet despite that, I'd accept this generally if the rest of the movie seemed a little different. But...

Kylo Ren = Darth Vader/ Anakin Skywalker A young brooding force-sensitive kid (likely Skywalker heir) played by hip heartthrobish actor (Christensen / Driver) is manipulated by evil Sith-type dude (Palpatine/ Uber) into becoming "evil." Eventually both wear black masks, black outfits, black capes, and wield red lightsabers while serving the Empire against their former allies/ family.

Domhnall Gleeson (The General) = Tarkin. This next sentence could describe both men: A determined intellectual Imperial leader (from Europe) with thin body type and chiseled cheekbones who is proud of their "superweapon." Eventually both go "down with the ship" and die in the first film of their trilogy.

Uber = Emperor Sheev Palpatine. A mysterious, all-powerful, evil entity who manipulates everyone from behind the scenes. We don't know much about Uber (is he Plaugueis?) but we do know he is the Palpatine of this trilogy.

BB-8 = R2-D2. A likable astromech-type droid who winds up on a desert planet with information vital to the rebellion/republic and eventually runs into our hero (Kira) and in doing so sets her on her adventure.

Finn = C3PO. Ok, follow me here. A somewhat cowardly but kind-hearted individual who starts the film on a ship and eventually escapes and crash lands on a desert planet. Also, in possession of vital information (The Catapult). He makes his way across the desert and eventually meets Kira, and (like BB-8) also helps set her on her adventure.

Captain Phasma = Boba Fett. A cool, but mysterious soldier (mercenary?) who remains just mysterious enough that we (the fandom) turn her into a cult figure, and demand a spin-off film!

Max Von Sydow (The Vicar) = Owen & Beru. A kindly old man who watches out for Rey (Kira). Like Owen & Beru he ends up getting killed by the Empire in their search for the "MacGuffin" (lighsaber). Or in Owen & Beru's case, "the droids."

Chewbacca = Chewbacca

Millenium Falcon = Millenium Falcon

Stormtroopers = Stormtropers

Queen Leia = General Dodonna. An older veteran presence and well-respected military leader of the "Alliance" who is planning her own counter-attack on The Empire's latest "superweapon." Just like Dodonna, Leia is holed up with X-Wing pilots on Yavin IV.


Here's where things get a little more interesting...

Poe Dameron = Han Solo/ Princess Leia. Like Solo, Dameron is a handsome, cocky, swaggering pilot. Like Leia (in ANH), he is the only one of the new big 3 who is already dedicated to the cause. And like Leia, he serves as the romantic interest of our new lead (Kira).

Rose = Yoda. A small, wise, alien creature of unknown origin with a quirky personality who is apparently very powerful with the force.

Han Solo/ Luke Skywalker = Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Obi-Wan Kenobi "mentor" role is split between two people in The Force Awakens (and in Luke's case, VII). Han is the legendary grey-haired General of the previous generation, who guides and mentors our new group of heroes, and who sacrifices himself to save them at the end of the film. Luke is a legendary Jedi Knight from a previous generation who grows a beard and hides out in a cave waiting to train the next "chosen one" to battle the evil forces of Uber and The Empire. (And potentially face and redeem a family member who has fallen to the dark side...)

The Catapult = The Death Star. Evil superweapon of today meets evil superweapon of yesteryear.


In conclusion, I believe that The Force Awakens has a chance to be the best, slickest made Star Wars film (except for The Empire Strikes Back, which will never be topped) ever. However, I am somewhat disappointed that Disney is relying so heavily on A New Hope's core character types and story outline. I hope we don't get a "soft" remake (of ANH) come December 18...

 

Perhaps. But I have little doubt that "Rey" (Kira) is this trilogy's main hero. I don't even believe that Finn is force-sensitive. This is Kira's story. Finn's arc will be to transform from C3PO to Han Solo over the course of the trilogy. Kira's arc is to save the galaxy.

It's really looking that way...

 

Well, I guess my point (long winded as it was) is that The Force Awakens is looking increasingly like a soft remake of A New Hope. It you go through all the archetypes and plot points I listed above, there is a lot of narrative symmetry there. That doesn't mean it won't be an excellent, thrilling film. Just that it will be somewhat derivative. It can be both.

 

I suppose that I was just attempting to vent my frustrations that The Force Awakens is so analogous to A New Hope.

Anyone who has followed this process from Arndt to Kasdan to Storyboard to Mizzlewump to MSW, knows that we (the fandom) had great hopes for something new and epic. Instead it really appears that they are just simulating A New Hope. The most exasperating thing is that by doing so they are just minimizing the achievements of the characters in the previous six films. Obi-Wan was hiding in a cave with his beard waiting to train "the chosen one" (Luke) to slay the Sith and save the galaxy so that no one else ever had to hide in a cave with their beard to train- OOOPS- here we go again! Luke's generation failed, the Empire is still strong, and now Luke's the one in a cave with his beard,* waiting to train the new chosen one.

I really wanted to explore the origin of the force, introduce new factions, and more interesting, morally "grey" type characters,... I wanted to see Leia compromised by politics and wealth, Han by age and responsibility, and Luke terrified that if he doesn't figure out the true nature and origin of the force that everything could collapse again....A new generation that's more cynical than the last, but also more honest about the state of the galaxy....and a new threat that's larger and far different than the galaxy has ever faced before.

Or, we just hit the reset button, and we are right back to A New Hope. The movie itself will likely be very well done, but honestly the core story just looks like more of the same.

* I know neither likely technically lived in a "cave," I was merely being dramatic.

 

I have, trust me. That's been a lot of the fun of this process leading up to the film - The speculation. But now it seems to be very much an attack of "A New Hope" clone. There are many ways that it could go, but to my mind the major criteria to judge this are....is the film unique or original, and is it well made? Sometimes it's both, sometimes it's neither, and sometimes it's one or the other....

There are four primary combinations:

Original & Well Done (The Original Trilogy)
Original & Poorly Done (The Prequel Trilogy)
Unoriginal & Well Done (The Force Awakens*)
Unoriginal & Poorly Done (The Holiday Special)

* I do hope I'm wrong about that...