The Ways of the Force

The newest installment of the Star Wars universe arrived a few weeks ago, and I finally went to see it on the 23rd as a small Christmas present to myself. I've heard the whole range of opinions on this film, from those who loved it and those who loathe it. I've been a fan of Star Wars since the first movie captivated my imagination at the age of 4, and I just have to say that some people take this franchise far, far too seriously. The people who hated the prequels forgot that the first three movies weren't exactly high-quality cinema. They were entertaining sci-fiction space movies with good action, interesting characters and storylines that weren't always expertly developed. They are modern myths of heroes and villains in a struggle between good and evil. And every installment since the first has stayed true to that notion. 

With all of that said, I think the new movie falls somewhere in the middle. It's not the best, but it's not the worst episode either. It's entertaining. It has some great battles, some great character moments, and unlike Episode 7, it reduces the number of allusions to the plot structure of it's corresponding original, in this case The Empire Strikes Back, which makes it feel more worthwhile.

I think Rey is one of the best characters in the Star Wars universe. She is much more dynamic as a questioning young jedi than either Luke or Anikan. Unfortunately, I can't say the same is true for Kylo. There's something missing in his character, as there was in the last film. I was hoping there would be more done in this one to resolve that, but instead they relegated him to a Anikan type Episode II role. The movie also would've been better served if it had delved deeper into the history or organization of the First Order. Where the prequels spent a lot of energy on the politics of the universe, this one has spent too little in my opinion.

By far, the most intriguing aspect of this movie for me was how it expanded on the nature of the Force. It expanded on the ways of the Force far more than any of the previous films. It also shows us the Luke was never really the Master Jedi we assumed he was. We discover there is still much about the force that he doesn't understand...and therefore, that we didn't understand. Now the next movie just needs to deliver on that notion and give us even more to feed our imagination.

Children Who Chase Lost Voices

The other week, I was finally able to catch up with watching a few anime films that I'd been meaning to see. Along with Wolf Children, which I wrote about two weeks ago, I also watched Children Who Chase Lost Voices. This is a film that had been nominated for tons of prestige awards when it came out in 2011. It's a coming of age story that infuses magical elements based on Japanese mythology.

One of the things that I've always loved about anime is the format's ability to genre bend within a film and there is no inner voice asking me to question the logic behind such changes. This is one of those movies that starts off innocently enough, with a young girl missing the father she's lost and the mother who works days on end. She deals with her loneliness by climbing the nearby hills and listening to a radio powered by a crystal left to her by her father. 

It turns out that these crystals have a connection to a world that exists below the surface of the earth, a world where old gods and myths have gone now that they're no longer needed to guide mankind out of his infancy. The girl, Asuna, soon becomes entangled with a human who lives in that world, known as Agartha, and a government agent who is search for it for his own selfish reasons. What transpires is a journey that threatens the very existence of Agartha and causes all involved to question what is possible. 

This is beautiful film, with breathtaking moments of animation. Clearly inspired by Studio Ghibli. There are moments that seem borrowed from Spirited Away and Princess Mononokie. They are clearly interested in the same mythology and derive from similar cultural sources. Certainly worth watching for fans of Miyazaki's films.