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9/10
Star Wars: The Force Awakens has been easily the most anticipated film of the last decade. Lucasfilm gave a heavy burden to J.J. Abrams to provide a story that not only entertains but fixes the disappointments of the prequels as well as continuing the legacy for millions of fans around the world. No pressure then.
It seems then that J.J. thrives under pressure because episode VII was a hit. The reaction of the crowd throughout and after the film was enough evidence to suggest this, not to mention my constant awe and wonder right from the start of the film.
What made Star Wars such a big hit with the original trilogy was not only the space battles, the cool one liners and lightsabres but the story and the heart of it all. Every character had a story and a background, they had hopes and dreams, they had failures and loss and in the end they were heroes for all of us to admire and love.
The characters of Episode VII share these traits of all having goals and their own separate battles, which you really get on board with and support, something that was difficult to do with the prequels. They were not two dimensional, unemotional characters like we’ve seen so often in Star Wars, but real ordinary people, who become heroes. Much credit is due to writers J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan (who scripted Episode V and VI) for creating such a likeable and believable story.
The formula for success made by J.J. and Kasdan then was one of going back to basics. This may sound like a cliché for sequel reviews but the evidence is clear to see. Especially the similarities to the first film Star Wars: A New Hope.
What The Force Awakens does is strike a great balance between the old films and also making sure it’s its own story and that it moves the franchise forward. Like previously mentioned the story’s similarities to A New Hope are obviously evident throughout but done with a skilful grace so as to not completely copy it but more pay homage to it. It can be seen as a risky move basing it on the original triolgy but it was one that paid off brilliantly as it remained simple yet effective the whole way through.
The performances of the cast were a joy to behold throughout the film, from both new and old stars. Daisy Ridley is set to become a huge star with her portrayal of Rey whilst John Boyega provided a brilliant performance as Finn, mixing raw emotion with brilliant comic timing. Oscar Isaac provides the cocky yet coolly assured performance of Poe Dameron and unfortunately for R2-D2, there was a new star droid which stole the show on more than one occasion. BB-8 gave laughs amidst his important role, again mirroring R2-D2s role in A New Hope.
Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher give sterling performances in their return as beloved characters Han Solo and Princess Leia, (sorry, General Organa now!) The chemistry between Ridley, Boyega and Ford was a joy to watch and seeing Ford and Fisher together again was nostalgic for all in the theatre.
As for the Dark Side, Adam Driver gives a fantastic portrayal of our main villain, Kylo Ren. Ren was unlike other villains we’ve seen in the past and Driver pulled of the innocent, lost yet angry performance Ren needed to become alive. Domhnall Gleeson also gave an intense performance as General Hux, perfectly playing the young general desperate to win over the favour of his master, Supreme Leader Snoke, played by Andy Serkis.
J.J. Abrams inspiration from the original trilogy is seen throughout the film as he darts from diverse landscape to another, from long shots of deserts to snowy landscapes. He even fitted in a tiny sunset scene, eerily similar to the famous binary sunset scene with Luke in A New Hope.
He brought in similar scenes but never copied, just take a look at the bar scene in Maz Kanata’s (played by the brilliant Lupita Nyong’o) palace.
The subtle throwbacks like the Millennium Falcon’s space chess game, Finn inadvertently picking up and throwing away the training blaster Luke used to train with his lightsabre and of course, leaving Captain Phasma (the fantastic Gwendoline Christie) into a garbage compactor we all know too well.
J.J.’s balance between CGI and practical effects were all something to note. Whilst the prequels relied heavily on the use of CGI, the Force Awakens tended to use the CGI only when it was needed therefore giving the practical effects more of an impact. John Williams score throughout is as majestic as you can imagine, perfectly adding to the story’s fast pace yet romantic flow. It’s hard to even imagine Star Wars without the genius of John Williams and he delivered yet again.
We still don’t know the whole picture yet, much as we didn’t after the first film. The end signified an exciting journey over the next two films but the Force Awakens was a brilliant start. It was not overly dark or cynical, it wasn’t over the top or too far-fetched and it definitely wasn’t just another Sci-Fi flick.
The film was filled amazing action sequences, fantastic comedic timing, incredibly sad and moving moments and absolutely wonderful moments of hope and optimism that can only come from Star Wars.
It played in the spirit of the original trilogy but was very much its own story, furthering the narrative left from Return of the Jedi and J.J. Abrams should leave knowing he’s given the world a whole new Star Wars saga to enjoy and love and for that we are eternally grateful. Bring on May 2017 and Episode VIII.
May the Force be with you.