Star Wars: The Force Awakens Review

It’s finally here. Star Wars The Force Awakens is the next chapter in the Star Wars saga set 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi. This has been the most anticipated movie of this year and so had very high expectations as J.J. Abrams brought in the old guard of the saga united with a new cast for a new generation of fans. From his previous films such as Star Trek and its sequel and Super 8, Abrams knows how to create great films, and he did it again. Star Wars The Force Awakens is one of the most entertaining films these past few years. Not just a great Star Wars movie but a great movie in general.

Newcomer Daisy Ridley stars as Rey, a scavenger on the desert planet of Jakku. She eventually runs into Finn played by John Boyega, a stormtrooper that was part of The First Order, which is the new division that replaced the old Empire, who decided to leave them because something inside doesn’t feel morally right with him anymore so he leaves. Rey and Finn start an adventure that leads them to Han Solo, with Harrison Ford reprising the role, who helps The Resistance locate Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). While this is happening there’s a villain on the rise named Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) who has taken major inspiration from Darth Vader. He with The First Order also wants to find Luke Skywalker.

The new cast members to this saga are great additions. John Boyega displayed a lot of charisma and energy as Finn. You can tell that Boyega was excited to be a part of this as he gave a great performance. He transitioned from comic relief, which were hilarious moments, to drama with ease. Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron was instantly likable, he’s just an awesome guy and definitely the best pilot in the galaxy. Isaac brought charm and fun to his performance. However, he didn’t have enough screen time than we had hoped for when we first saw him.

The real stand-out is Daisy Ridley as Rey. She is such a breath of fresh air and is arguably the heart of this film. An excellent discovery of an unknown actress, being her first film, she is brilliant and her performance was so genuine bringing excitement and curiosity in her character which was a very well written and an individualized character. Daisy Ridley brought her name to this franchise very well making Rey one of the most beloved and best Star Wars characters as well as a very strong female lead character. The chemistry between Boyega and Ridley was electrifying and both proved to be the best people to continue this franchise.

Speaking of beloved characters, move aside R2-D2 because BB-8 is here and just perfect. Not only does he play a key role in this film, he’s also just as adorable and clever as we hoped. The film wisely incorporated fine humour with this character, his ability to emote so clearly is fantastic. Also, the fact that he’s a practical character makes everything that’s done with him incredibly entertaining.

It was such a delight to see the returning cast again. Harrison Ford as Han Solo was just great. He wasn’t just there as a cameo to kick in nostalgia for the fans, he had a very integral role in this film. He didn’t just play Han Solo how we all knew him since Return of the Jedi, he played an aged Han Solo who lived 30 years who’s now wiser and has had history; a very well developed character that plays true to what fans know and love about him. Similarly with Carrie Fisher returning as Princess Leia now General Leia, the scenes between Han and Leia were poignant and special, you can see that a lot has happened in the past 30 years as you can see a bit of remorse in their scenes. The scenes between Han and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew also reprising his role) were just brilliant and nostalgic. The banter between them is fresh and ridiculously funny and you feel their friendship again. Mark Hamill does well to project so many emotions in his performance.

Moving on to the villains, there was some skepticism on Kylo Ren and that he’ll just be another version of Darth Vader. That wasn’t the case. Adam Driver gave such an amazing performance as Kylo Ren making him a compelling villain, not only is he evil and intimidating, he is motivated, and you can see that very clearly and understand his actions and why he’s doing them. He’s human and is a character with emotional depth that you actually sort of care about which Driver did very well to display and not make him look one dimensional. Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie) had become a fan favourite before the release, due to her amazing look and that she’s the first female villain in the franchise. However, she was majorly underused in the film which was disappointing.

The Force Awakens is a visually stunning film, using practical effects whenever possible and also perfectly merging them with CGI. Abrams’s direction and visual style were stellar, as his camera movement in action scenes gave the audience a thrilling experience. Unlike the last six films, the action sequences here are lot more gritty and violent giving them more realism.

The film does do very well to respect their predecessors, however there were moments where scenes respecting the original trilogy wasn’t subtle enough and it was noticeable that the scenes were structurally similar. That isn’t enough to hinder one’s enjoyment watching the film but  it may distract some true hard fans.

Star Wars The Force Awakens shows how Star Wars is done- righting all the wrongs from the prequels, understanding what the fans want, bringing the franchise back to form. It’s everything that  was promised for a Star Wars film and even more, with returning beloved characters from the original trilogy and brilliant new characters all bringing heart and action, taking fans through an emotional journey. The Force Awakens is such an entertaining theatrical experience, launching a new generation of fans and characters while still paying nods to the old as well as making us want more of the new.

Rating: 9.4/10