Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

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nStar Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

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nDirector: J. J. Abrams

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nCast: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Harrison Ford, Adam Driver,nOscar Isaac, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Max Von Sydow, Anthony Daniels, PeternMayhew

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nFor the past few weeks anticipation was at an all time high,nbut the day finally came for the premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, thenseventh chapter in the Star Wars saga. The back story behind this movie is thatnit is the first film in the Star Wars Saga to be produced by Disney every sincenthey bought Star Wars from George Lucas for a mere 4 Billion dollars. So whilenthis film exists within the universe that Lucas created, George Lucas hadnnothing to do with this film. Now some fans might say that this is a good thingnand I’d have to agree with them because, let’s be honest here, everybody hatesnthe prequels. They were George Lucas’s chance to give fans the Star Wars moviesnthey’d been waiting for since Return of the Jedi (1983). What we got insteadnwere a trio of overtly serious films that were missing that element of fun thatnthe old trilogy had. Lucas forgot about the cliffhangers, the pure movie magic,nthe entertainment. In comes J. J. Abrams, the director to whom Disney gaventhe chance to “save” the Star Wars franchise. I think he was the perfect choicenactually, after all, it looks like J.J. Abrams is shaping up to become thisngenerations Steven Spielberg. He’s the new big budget, pure entertainment andnspectacle guy. Did he manage to make a pleasing Star Wars film? Did he save thenStar Wars franchise? I will be reviewing The Force Awakens in the next fewnparagraphs, and I’m keeping it spoiler free so I won’t deny you of the amazingnsurprises and shocking moments that this movie holds in store for you, so read unafraidnmy dear friends!

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nThe premise for this movie is that Luke Skywalker has gonenmissing and everyone and their mother is desperately looking for him. ThenRebels want to bring Luke home, and the bad guys, a fascist military ordernknown as ‘The First Order’ are also after him. They fear he might bring backnthe Jedi’s to the galaxy. Now the only one with the map to Luke’s location is anlittle android known as BB-8; who has Rey and Finn, the two protagonists ofnthis story to protect him as he makes his way to the Rebel Base. Will they makenit? Will they ever find the ever elusive Luke Skywalker? See how I kept that shortnand sweet as to not spoil anything? 😉

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nMan, watching this movie in theaters, with a crowd of fansnwas such an experience. As it happens with the premiere of any Star Wars filmn(good or bad) audiences are always excited to see a new one. After the openingnscroll which explains the premise of the film, it’s all dead quiet as everyonendevours every second of what transpires on screen, hoping with every bit ofntheir beings that it doesn’t suck. What all Star Wars fan wants from a StarnWars film is that old magic, that feeling of adventure we got from the firstnfilm. It’s incredible how not even Lucas himself could recapture what henachieved with that first film. The thing about those first films is that theynwere not about ‘the senate’ or the ‘trade federation’ or ‘negotiations’, theynwere quite simply about good guys fighting the good fight against the bad guys.nAnd somewhere along the line, Lucas forgot about that and decided to do thenprequels, which were primarily about politics. They got too technical, everyonenwas too serious. And as we all know, politics are boring. There was no Han Solo saying funny jokes, therenwas no Princess Leia with her snappy come backs. Thankfully, this new film broughtnthat fun element back! That’s right my friends, we’re back to good vs. evil,nand sure, at the crux of it all is a political themed film, but we see thatnangle from a broader spectrum, we don’t go into political conversations thatnnobody cares about.  

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nOne of the main reasons why Episodes IV through VI work sonwell is because they had likable characters. I mean, who didn’t love to see HannSolo and Princess Leia bickering, Luke and Han fighting over Leia’s affections.nR2 and C3PO squabbling over everything. I mean, sure, the future of the galaxynwas in the balance, but there was always time for that silliness like Leia callingnHan a “scruffy looking Nerf Herder” and the such. On The Force Awakens we have anlittle bit of that back again. Characters are back to saying comedic lines innthe most serious moments. I mean, you can tell Han is back, and yet again, everythingnhe says will get a giggle out of you. I have to say, true fans of Episodes IVnthrough V will get such a thrill out of seeing Han Solo and Chewbacca back innaction, flying the Millenium Falcon. When Han says “Chewie, we’re home” Inthought “and so are we” because that’s exactly how I felt, like this was thenStar Wars I wanted and loved, it’s finally back. I, as a Star Wars fan, wasnhome. Trust me, I didn’t feel that with Episodes I through III. A warningnthough, they gave C3PO and R2D2 a rest for this film, we only see them in briefnyet essential roles.

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nAnd what about the new guys? John Boyega as Finn, Daisy Ridleynas Rey and Adam Driver as Kylo Ren? Well, I’m happy to inform that they did anfantastic job. The thing with presenting us with new Star Wars characters isnthat they have to be good actors, they have to be likable, their performancesnhave to be convincing. Casting the wrong person in these important roles couldnmean the death of a movie, sure they’ll make money (as the prequels did) butnthe films will be hated for all eternity because they have that bad actor innthat key role, Episodes I through III, I’m looking at you guys! Daisy Ridley isninstantly likable, I loved her character! She was written in an interestingnway. She’s got a charisma, those eyes, she’s smart and self reliant. I’m justnglad that Hollywood is finally giving women great leading roles. For thenlongest time, women had been relegated to being ‘damsels in distress’, femalesnwho couldn’t fend for themselves, who had to rely on the big macho man to saventhem. Not so here. There’s this moment in which the bad guys are chasing Reynand Finn and Finn grabs Rey by the hand and she says “I can run perfectly finenwithout you holding my hand!” That’s when I knew that this movie was making anspecial effort to portray a strong, independent woman who can take care ofnherself, which is awesome to me because for the longest time Hollywood did thencontrary. So this movie gets two things right, it puts the women and the black guy in the forefront by giving them the starring roles. Star Wars: The ForcenAwakens is obviously making a statement with this, and a good one at that.

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nAnd what’s a movie without a good villain right? On this onenwe get Kylo Ren, a truly hateful villain. Trust me when I say that by the endnof the movie, you will end up hating him with every bit of your soul. He comesnoff as an angry, volatile, less experienced Darth Vader; he is shaping up tonbecome a memorable villain in the Star Wars universe. And what about OscarnIsaac’s Poe Dameron? Well, what can I say, they’re calling him the new HannSolo, I kind of agree! Now a word about the structure of the film, which isnextremely similar to Star Wars: A New Hope (1977). It’s true what you’ve heardnthat A New Hope is the blueprint for The Force Awakens; of course it was donenon purpose to give us a feeling of familiarity. There are some moments thatnmirror A New Hope, but there’s no denying that the film also gives us somenamazing new elements that I was not expecting at all. So there’s a little bitnof the old, but also, a little bit of the new. It’s emotional, and will make annimpact on you, trust there’s some shocking moments in store! In terms ofneffects, well, the film is top notch. You do not feel as if characters arenwalking in front of a green screen, nope, these sets are there. They arentangible, they feel real. There’s a perfect balance between practical setndesign and computer work, which is the way it should be. This is also somethingnthat George Miller executed perfectly well in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015). So Inapplaud these directors that are showing a true balance in the force, they aren’tnforgetting that films are made in front of a camera! So thank you for that J.J.nAbrams, my hats down to you sir! So yeah, I was pleased as hell with StarnWars: The Force Awakens (2015), and that ending? Whoa! Left me salivating fornmore! Let’s see where we go to next, looking forward to Episode VIII come Mayn26^th 2017!  

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nRating: 5 out of 5

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