STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS – The Review

A new hope has returned to theaters today. A hope for fans who have been clamoring for a new Star Wars film. A hope for the series to be in the right hands at Disney. A hope that fanboy director J.J. Abrams does not mess this up. And yet, there’s a literal meaning in me saying that “a new hope has returned” as well. STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS was bound to be compared to the original film from 1977 since that film started this universe in the first place. But Abrams made it a whole lot easier for those familiar with that film to compare the two – which may or may not be a good thing.

By this point, you most likely have seen the trailers more times than you can count. I won’t go into the plot, because for one: you can gather as much as you need from those trailer; but two: everyone seems extra sensitive this time around regarding spoilers. Just know that the film is centered around the search for something that has been missing in the galaxy. That something is immediately revealed in the opening crawl, but I will save it for you to experience.

What works so well with this seventh chapter in the series are the new characters. Finn (John Boyega), Rey (Daisy Ridley), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), and BB-8 are all welcome additions to the galaxy far, far away. Boyega lends Finn a wide-eyed excitement with a dash of boyish charm. Driver is appropriately intimidating and handles the reason for his anger quite well. The other two steal the show, plain and simple. Rey and BB-8 are such a delight to watch. Ridley plays Rey as a quiet but natural warrior woman – a survivor who has lived on her own long enough that she can fend for herself. The true testament to the film for a fan like myself is if you can get as emotionally swept up in the stories of these new characters as you can for the returning characters that fans cherish. I can say, that there’s a moment towards the end of the film with Rey that gave me more chills and made me want to let out a high-pitched squeal than any other scene in the film.

It’s been 10 years since the last time fans saw the STAR WARS name on the big-screen, but it’s been three times as long since such popular characters as Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia have graced the screen. Their return back is well welcomed, not to mention some of the highlights of THE FORCE AWAKENS. If your heart doesn’t swell to the size of a Death Star when Han and Leia see each other for the first time in the film, than you might be heartless… or just a Trekkie.

All kidding aside, the emotions are in the right place here. They are present but not manipulative of the audience. JJ Abrams and fellow scriptwriters Michael Arndt and Lawrence Kasdan all have their heart in the right place  – I may have gotten sand in my eyes a few times since they watered a bit – but the way they approach these new and exciting characters is anything but. In fact, it’s not hard to see the influences from the original trilogy. That being said, at least the trio are looking to the original trilogy for inspiration and not the prequels that followed.

If Kasdan, Arndt, and Abrams borrowed/stole/re-interrupted ideas from a diverse group of films, I wouldn’t have as much of a problem. It’s the fact that so much of the plot points stem from the original film which in turn waters down the excitement factor. Data is hidden in a droid which is then found by an orphan in the desert. There is a masked villain who is strong in the ways of the dark side of the Force. A hologram of a supreme evil leader guides the enemy in the shadows. An aeial attack on an enemy base that resembles the Death Star transpires, complete with a trench assault. If it wasn’t for the aged characters from the original trilogy, a solid argument could be made that THE FORCE AWAKENS is a remake of A NEW HOPE.

The Star Wars universe has always mirrored itself: Anakin and Luke both grew up without their fathers; Vader cuts off Luke’s hand in EMPIRE and then Luke does the same in RETURN. Having THE FORCE AWAKENS mirror A NEW HOPE soooo much will either make you adore this new return to a galaxy that’s free of midichlorian mumbo-jumbo and political meetings, or it might have you scratching your head and asking, “Haven’t we seen this before?” It’s a double-edged lightsaber for me. Sure, I love that this entry feels like a Star Wars film. It has the spirit of adventure. More importantly though, it has the sense of wonder and awe that hasn’t been felt in awhile.

Creatures stomp across the screen. Large ships have a tangibility and a weight to them. The world looks lived in. It all feels real and there. It’s as if you could go there. J.J. Abrams brought that back to Star Wars. He may have stumbled over the exact same problem many fans had with STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS – relying on past ideas in a form of misplaced fanservice – but what he gets right is igniting the excitement in old fans while giving new fans something to cheer for. Star Wars has always been about the search for hope – a search for the light amid the darkness. THE FORCE AWAKENS gives me hope that the Star Wars franchise is going in the right direction. There is a bright future ahead. As the trailer asks, “There’s been an awakening. Have you felt it?” It’s the sound of a once troubled series that was shunned by fans and critics alike being reborn from the ashes. That’s the true awakening.

Overall rating: 4 out of 5

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS is now playing in theaters everywhere