Review: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Directed by: J.J. Adams

Written by: Lawrence Kasdan, J. J. Abrams, Michael Arndt

Starring: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega

Rating: [4.5/5]

Returning to an adored franchise after so many years comes with quite the load to handle in both trying to satisfy the existing fans and bring in new ones. Especially when following a disastrous prequel trilogy and trying to emulate an original one that captivated the world. Through Star Wars: The Force Awakens we certainly get a bit of a rehash but when it comes to execution it absolutely thrives in merging the old and the new to set things up for another run in between good and evil. 

Thirty years following the Battle of Endor, a new group named the First Order have arisen in the vacuum left by the fall of the Empire where they seek to end the New Republic. As the resistance is led by General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) they remain in search of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) who has disappeared. Meanwhile back in Jakku, a young woman named Rey (Daisy Ridley) runs into escaped prisoners of the First Order as she gets pulled into this battle. 

With the nostalgia bug biting everyone, requels, an unofficial term defining a film serving as both a reboot of a dormant franchise with new characters but also a sequel in how it continues the older stories has become all of the rage. It brings something relatively new while providing the comfort food of seeing beloved characters return to the big screen. It certainly presents the challenge of balancing the idea of giving these new characters the arc they rightfully deserve while also integrating the older characters into the story as well. Many struggle with this because the investment of the story needs to lie with these newer characters but the equity we have with the older ones sees audiences seek to continue their stories. A tough balance to handle for anyone putting it together and for the most part, this feature does a great job. 

A valid criticism this feature could face comes from the plot points it copies from the initial film of the original trilogy, Star Wars. We have a poor young individual who does not know they possess special powers on a desert island. They then get sucked into a large galactic empire where a big menacing guy in a black suit who takes orders from an ominous more powerful and order figure seeks to destroy the resistance. Quite the similarities, but what this feature manages to accomplish in crafting characters to truly care for and taking them through this swashbuckling adventure allows for something incredibly entertaining to watch. Everything this feature sets to accomplish heavily impresses not only through its craft but how it positions these characters. 

Through Rey, we have someone who knows how to handle herself when confronted with danger now having the ability to get involved in something larger than herself led by the biggest skeptic of the original trilogy in Han Solo (Harrison Ford). Additionally, we have Finn (John Boyega), a stormtrooper who struggles with the identity branded upon him trying to seek out individuality within a breeding system demanding conformity. Adding these two along with the essentially the new Han Solo in Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) creates a new trio of characters to love and follow with this journey as they interact with two of the original three, while they search for the third. 

This search for Luke raises major questions about where he went and why he made it so difficult to find him. When lasting leaving off with Luke, he stood up to both Darth Vader and the Emperor in an epic showdown and when the world needed him most, he decides to go into hiding. Certainly, an intriguing thread to follow as this group of individuals put all of the eggs in this particular basket but must contend with the rising threat of the New Order and specifically Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). 

Where criticisms of this feature operating as a rehash of the first Star Wars film, the one that does not hold water lies in the way anyone could question how the First Order could rise to prominence to replace the Empire. The idea that a fascist state could not rise again while no one does anything have certainly not paid any attention to the news. Having this new group rise serves as part of the major thesis George Lucas seeks to communicate through these governmental figures. The original and prequel trilogy shows the dominance and rise of a fascist state right before the eyes of the all-knowing Jedi demonstrating exactly how this could easily happen again as we refuse to learn from our history. Having them led by a Darth Vader regen in Kylo Ren introduces us to such an iconic villain akin to the very man he seeks to emulate. 

Casting Adam Driver in this role officially serves as the definition of perfection. An actor who could bring not only the physicality of this menacing figure but also the emotional horrors he feels internally. Someone eternally conflicted, he proves to be by far the most intriguing character in any Star Wars movie. The battle between the light and dark side comes through specifically with him and his journey in such a heartbreaking way and the way he saunters around in this story as, at times, a little boy playing dress up but could brutally murder anyone shows such a beautifully complex character.

Quite the reintroduction into this vast world, Star Wars: The Force Awakens dives right in to take us through a bit of a rehash but containing all of the energy, zip, and characterization anyone could want. Such a well-crafted and fun film delivering on each action set piece and giving each character something worth doing in this feature. The fact they could bring Harrison Ford back to a character he infamously wanted to be killed off thirty years ago really says everything.