Note: there will be spoilers. Be warned. Star Wars fans all over the world have been waiting a long, long time for the release of a new Star Wars movie. Heralded as one of the best movie sagas of all time, it’s difficult to find someone who isn’t at least familiar with the the Star Wars universe. The Star Wars Saga has had a heavy influence on modern pop culture, leading to many spinoffs, video games, toys, comics, and more. For a franchise so popular, the pressure to make “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” successful was huge. Taking the reins from George Lucas, J.J. Abrams has directed another installment to the series. While Star Wars: The Force Awakens is definitely a thrilling ride, Abrams clearly kept tight to the script which George Lucas wrote so long ago.
The Force Awakens is an almost carbon copy of the 1977 Star Wars: A New Hope. Both movies center around a young man/woman (Luke/Rey) stuck on a desert planet (Tatooine/Jaaku) in the outer rim of the galaxy. Luke/Rey soon finds a droid (R2-D2/BB-8), which contains vital information and is sought after by the good guys (The Rebel Alliance/The Resistance) and the bad guys (The Empire/The First Order). With the help of Han Solo and Chewbacca, Luke/Rey escapes the planet and reaches The Rebel Alliance/The Resistance aboard the Millennium Falcon. The Rebel Alliance/The Resistance soon discovers a deadly weapon that The empire/The First Order has created (The Death Star/The Star Killer base), and the Rebel Alliance/The Resistance hatch a last minute plan to try and save the galaxy.
While there are some clear parallels, The Force Awakens does not fail to entertain. The X-wing and TIE fighter battles impress, as do the lightsaber duels and action packed fighting scenes. The movie is also undeniably funny. BB-8, the droid that everyone is in fact looking for, makes a lot of laughs considering no one actually understands what it’s saying on screen. Abrams, to his credit, knows what the fanboys and fangirls want, and he delivers it on a silver platter. To do this though, he may be leaning on the previous three movies a bit too much.
The cast, filled with relatively young actors and actresses, is quite good. Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey, is strong in the heart and in the mind and could easily take this franchise to new heights. Similar to Luke, she has supreme confidence and has a can-do attitude, which is a pleasant surprise for a female character in the Star Wars saga. Rey is quickly teamed up with John Boyega, whose performance also impresses. He injects comic relief but is quite serious as well. There’s also Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), the pilot ace who oozes charm. The main enemy to The Resistance is Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver. He plays his role well, which isn’t a small feat considering the clear confusion and imbalance going on in Ren’s head. Depicted first a pure evil, it’s clear that there’s a soft and misunderstood side to him as well, a vital element of any good villain. It’s unclear why he wears a mask, but Abrams’ desire to paint him as another Vader is undeniable.
While the new slew of actors are all aces, Han Solo and Chewbacca carry the movie quite a bit, showing the reliance on the previous trilogy. Harrison Ford, although old, is fantastic once again, and his death was inevitable and a good thing for the Franchise, without a doubt. With his classic crooked grin finally off the screen, the Star Wars saga can officially move into a new era, leaving the past where it ought to stay. Chewbacca is always a crowd pleaser, and is quite funny as well. His and Rey’s friendship will be a very good one to follow.
All in all, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is an exhilarating ride. There’s a great balance between humor and seriousness, and the special effects are sublime. You don’t need to be a Star Wars fan to enjoy the movie, which is crucial. It may be the reason Abrams stuck to a well known plot and didn’t deviate into the intricacies of the galaxy, as many Star Wars fanatics would have hoped. Given the extreme pressure for success, Abrams stuck to a safe storyline: a crowd pleaser, without a doubt, but one that is beginning to feel repetitive. I hope that the stratospheric box office success of the movie will give confidence to the director of episode VIII to be more creative with the franchise.