After months, no years of anticipation, the sequel to the original trilogy has finally arrived. Fans flocked to the opening of The Phantom Menace, eager with excitement and anticipation. Sadly, we were all let down. The Star Wars we knew and love was gone, replaced with a hollow, dry, and boring set of films that resembled nothing that Star Wars was about. The good characters and well written stories were gone, and it seemed like we’d never see a good or great Star Wars film ever again. No more. “Star Wars: the Force Awakens” is directed by J.J. Abrams and stars Harrison Ford, Daisey Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Domhnall Gleeson, and Carrie Fisher.
Thirty years after the fall of the Empire, the First Order has risen to take its place. Led by the reckless Kylo Ren (Driver), the First Order sets out to bring the star systems under submission. On the planet Jakku, a young scavenger named Rey (Ridley) discovers a BB-8 unit that contains secret information concerning the whereabouts of the last Jedi knight, Luke Skywalker. Former First Order stormtrooper, Finn (Boyega), crash lands on the desert planet, and joins Rey on her quest. Teaming up with the legendary space pirate, Han Solo (Ford), the new heroes set out to find the Resistance, and locate Skywalker.
In a film, good characters are an essential. While the original cast does return, and in a very special way, they are not the stars of this film. Our first newcomer is x-wing pilot, Poe Dameron, played by Oscar Isaac. While his character isn’t essential to the plot, Isaac is very good in the film. He’s an extremely likable character, and I sincerely hope he’s in the films to come. Our two main characters are obviously Finn and Rey. Starting with Finn, John Boyega was great. His character, a former stormtrooper, is just full of conflict. He just couldn’t go through with it, and I love where they took his character. It’s really inventive seeing things from a stormtroopers perspective. Boyega was so damn likable, and he was very funny. Charisma just oozes from the guy. However, these characters are nothing compared to Rey, played by brand new actress Daisey Ridley. Going in I was a tad bit concerned about her. She’s a fresh, new actress, who’s never been in anything before. By far, she was the best character in the film. This girl stole the entire show. She’s just so energetic and well written. She’s a scavenger–like Solo–who dreams of adventure, but isn’t sure what her purpose in the universe is. Ridley gave an excellent performance that blew me away. Finally, the older cast also does a good job. It’s so heartwarming seeing Han and Chewbacca back in the saddle again. The banter between the two is hilarious. Both the old and the new cast are perfectly balanced in this film.
Darth Vader is one of the greatest villains in cinema history, hands down. In this film, we have a brand new villain named Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver. Once again, going into this, I was nervous. Disney and Marvel villains as of late have been very, very disappointing. While he isn’t Darth Vader, he is still good; very good. Allot of this is thanks to good writing and a good backstory. Adam Driver gives a brilliant performance in this film. He’s full of rage, uncertainty, and recklessness.
J.J. Abrams was, in my opinion, the perfect choice for directing this film. Just as he brought new life and energy to the Star Trek franchise, Abrams has rejuvenated this one as well. It’s like he took a shovel and dug up Star Wars from the grave Lucas buried it in. Abrams did a jaw-dropping job directing this film. He pays attention to the littlest of details, paying homage to the previous films in both subtle and more noticeable ways. It’s also stunning to look at, it’s energetic, it’s fast paced, and it’s just so much fun. The cinematography and camera work in this film is so different from previous installments. It’s so refreshing. Abrams, overall, did a phenomenal job at the helm of this thing. Accompanying this great direction is a solid script from Lawrence Kasdan, the classic writer of Raiders of the Lost Ark and Empire Strikes Back.
As with any good Star Wars film, the action and special effects have to be good, and boy are they good. Part of what made the original trilogy feel so real and grounded was the tangibility of the world. The set pieces and practical effects were dazzling in those films. Abrams continues this tradition. Yes, there is quite a bit of CGI in this film, but it’s only used when necessary. Overall, the practical and the CGI effects are both balanced well, almost perfectly in fact. Seeing real people in crazy, creative creature costumes was a joy. You can tell the guy directing this has both a passion and love for what he was creating. The action sequences are some of the best I’ve seen this year. While not quite as impressive as the action set pieces in say, Mad Max: Fury Road, this film is a close second in that category.
Moving on to a more serious note, is the film perfect? Is it on the same level as Empire Strikes Back? Of course not! There is no such thing as a perfect movie. Even the original films are ridden with flaws here and there. Sure, this movie was fast paced, and in my opinion, it was way to fast. There were times where I almost begged to get just a brief a breather, but then something more fun and exciting came along, and I said to myself, “you know what? Forget it. This is just too damn exciting.” I can overlook the racing pace of the film. Are there other flaws? For sure. Certain new characters like Poe Dameron and even Finn are a little bit overlooked. They don’t go deep enough with either of these characters. Also, the plot is very similar to that of Episode IV, and incidentally, Abrams has said that is his favorite of all the films. He has taken a large amount of inspiration from that movie. Allot of the narrative beats of the film are similar to the plot of Star Wars (A New Hope). However, what the film does brilliantly, and what makes me overlook some of this, is that it does things it’s own way. It’s a much different and unique take on the basic story. There are an abundance of things that are new and very fresh as well. At first, some of this bothered me, but then I realized something. This film–flawed as it may be–reminded me of what Star Wars really is, deep down at it’s core; fun. This film was unbelievably, and unequivocally fun. There was never a dull moment for me.
“The Force Awakens” is by far the best Star Wars film since 1983, if not 1980. The characters, old and new, are incredible. The action spectacle, the visuals, and the worlds are so real and exciting. It’s chalk full of nostalgia and call backs to the original trilogy. The references are mostly subtle, and they’re never too much in your face, they’re just right. The script by Lawrence Kasdan is great, as is the direction of Abrams. Star Wars thrives best when it’s just trying to give you a hell of a good time. It works best when you have incredible characters you can latch onto, and ultimately relate with. Yes, the film has many narrative beats similar to previous entries. This is very much a tribute to those classic films both Abrams and the fans love. However, it is also full of new and fresh material. While this film has it’s flaws, they can easily be overlooked and forgotten. Star Wars is back, and this time, for a whole new generation. It’s full of of action, yes, but it also has something we’ve been missing for a long, long time; lots of heart.
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