Even contemplating writing up a review on a film of such historical and cultural significance is enough to intimidate me. Drawing back to 1977, where the world was first taken by storm at the ingenious creation of George Lucas, Star Wars has been a series of films that has built up a humongous fan base that transcends generational gaps. And yeah, the prequel trilogy doesn’t ever truly reach the operatic highs of the original trilogy, but it has its moments, and it absolutely nailed the box office. But here we are, at the tail end of 2015 – and we, the masses, are collectively salivating and bringing our critical eye to J.J. Abrams as he takes on the next chapter in this space-saga. And Christ, we hope that it brings more to the table than The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones at least.
And it does! We can all exhale away our concerns that this will be another misstep for a phenomenal franchise – J.J. brings with him an arsenal of new characters and old, in a tale that exceeds expectations, even if it does seem like a bit too much like the original trilogy.
The new characters are primarily Rey, a scavenger on Jakku who spends her days being financially bitch-slapped by a greedy alien (voiced by Simon Pegg of all people!), Poe Dameron, who is the best damn X-wing pilot in the galaxy, Finn, who is a confused and wandering soul looking for the right thing, and Kylo Ren – the ‘Big Bad’ of the film. For the most part, these characters are all given well-rounded back stories that feed us enough information to believe in their cause – except maybe Poe, who I felt was side-lined for an entire Act and given a bit of a lazy re-introduction. But that’s just me.
The characters interact and bounce off each other extraordinarily well, and the humour is spot-on – especially if it involves BB-8, a droid that every single kid on this planet will want to have as a toy. And rightfully so. In the First Act, nothing feels rushed, but rather organic. We are jumping in to a story that has already begun, but we have more than enough time to catch up and watch as some of the jigsaw pieces fall in to place. But we have to remember, this is the first of a new trilogy – so there are gaps in the narrative that fans worldwide will be trying to fill with any number of theories. It’s probably best to not read too into them, though, but rather take the film on as it is.
Typically, J.J. Abrams directs every shot down to the bone. He has a real talent for putting us viewers into every single scene. The X-Wing fights really stand out, with each frame being meticulously focused and oozing visual splendour. It doesn’t stop here, either – each scene is carefully shot and focused, providing the back bone in this return to greatness for the Star Wars saga.
Then there’s the nostalgic element – there’s something phenomenal about seeing Han Solo and Chewbacca standing on the Millennium Falcon. A shiver down the spine that reminds us of just how much power this franchise has on a cultural level, I mean who doesn’t know about Star Wars? And the pacing is pin-point when it comes to re-introducing us to the familiar characters from the original trilogy, allowing enough room for the new characters to breathe and grow, but also giving the fans those ‘Holy shit it’s (insert name here)’ moments that we’ve been waiting decades for. And it is worth seeing the film for those moments alone, even with all of the visual magic and intense action sequences.
Though it has to be said, there are perhaps too many familiar veins running through the narrative. At times, The Force Awakens plays its hand too openly, and repeating plot points that already felt a little bit familiar by the end of the original trilogy. I won’t say what these are for people who haven’t seen it (although, judging by the countless box office records the film is smashing through, that’s not very many people), but in my mind, the film could play more narrative risks for a greater reward. But there’s always Episode VIII and IX, and there is a defining moment in this film that will have fans worldwide gasping. It was a bold risk, but it was one that was definitely needed, otherwise it wouldn’t have carried the film to the level that it ends up reaching.
The Force Awakens sets up the franchise with a bolt of much-needed energy and charisma, something that was void for the most part of the prequel trilogy. It’s assured, powerhouse popcorn cinema and it is damn entertaining for the duration. Your eyes are fixed on every detail, because we know there’s so much yet to come and I for one, can’t wait. It’s a great start for the next chapter, and one that is providing an entirely new generation with an indoctrination to what is the biggest franchise of cinematic history. Though not entirely perfect, it is a huge step forward for the franchise, alleviating any concerns that fans would have had going in.
Roll on the next episode!
8.5/10
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