For over thirty years, Star Wars Episode VII was just an idea. Star Wars fans around the world talked about and thought up ideas of what they would like to see. On December 18th, 2015, Star Wars Episode VII became a reality called The Force Awakens and, for me personally, the film lived up to all of its hype.
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens is the seventh chapter in the Star Wars saga, and is the story of a defecting stormtrooper and a scavenger who band together with Han Solo to fight the First Order, and help the Resistance find the missing Luke Skywalker. The first thing you notice about this film is its similarities, particularly in its themes and occasional plot points, to A New Hope. You have the reluctant hero, Rey (Daisy Ridley), who receives guidance from an older man (in this case, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and starts training with legendary Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). You have the message that is given to a droid at the beginning of the film (a map leading to Luke), a space battle above a circular space station (Starkiller Base),the best pilot in the galaxy (Poe Dameron played by Oscar Isaac) and even the boy who has turned to the dark side, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). For better or worse, The Force Awakens is a love letter to A New Hope. This film also gives us several moments that we as fans were not expecting. Everyone expected to see a reunion of Han, Luke and Leia, but that did not happen. Everyone expected Han and Leia to be happily married and have a family, but that did not happen. Everyone expected all of the heroes to survive this new trilogy, but that is not going to happen. Personally, I rather enjoy the fact that this movie surprised me. After all, unlike the prequel trilogy, we have no idea where the story is going. This film also does a good job of raising more questions than answers. Who is Supreme Leader Snoke, and where did he come from?? When did Ben Solo turn to the dark side and form the Knights of Ren?? Who are Reys' parents?? When did Luke vanish?? I have a feeling that these questions will be answered in the forthcoming movies. One of the other things this film does quite beautifully is mention the events of the prequels in an extremely subtle way. Kylo Ren suggests that General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) use an army of clone troopers because the stormtroopers are not performing at proper efficiency levels. Also, the character of Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong'o) mentions that she saw the rise of the Sith and the Empire. Both of these dialogue sequences remind you of the important events of the prequel trilogy without reminding you how awful those movies are.
For all of its strong points, this film does have a number of problems. The character of Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie) is severely underused. It is disappointing that such an important and imposing character received only ten minutes of screen time. Also, at the beginning of the movie, Finn (John Boyega) and Poe crash on the planet Jakku. There is no sign of Poes' survival, and yet he magically shows up when the Resistance attacks the First Order on Takodana. I would have liked to see how he survived and was able to rendezvous with the Resistance. I also feel that the A New Hope references, such as the Dejarik game table and the trash compacter suggestion by Han Solo, are forced. We do not need those references to understand that The Force Awakens is an homage to A New Hope. I also strongly feel that Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) and Leia (Carrie Fisher) should have embraced when they returned to the Resistance base. The death of Han Solo is an emotional moments for these characters, and for them to not acknowledge that is disrespectful. I also have a hard time believing that R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) has been distrought, or "in low power mode", ever since Luke left. Granted, we all know that R2 is the best droid in the galaxy but he is not a pet who misses his owner. He is a machine.
Even with its fair share of problems, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens definitely rekindles the spirit of the original Star Wars trilogy. There are new characters we get introduced to, and great arcs for those characters. The film also has the best cliffhanger in the series since The Empire Strikes Back, leaving you wanting to see the next chapter as soon as this film ends.
Harrison Ford returns as Han Solo. In my opinion, this is Fords' best performance as the character because he is older and wiser now that he has experienced certain things in his life, but deep down he is still the smart-ass that we love so much. Of course, seeing Han Solo back on the Millennium Falcon after so long is enough to make a grown man cry, and Ford is great in the action sequences, but there are several dialogue scenes in this movie where Ford shines as an actor. I love that the scene in which Han Solo tells Finn and Rey, "It's true.....all of it." takes place in the same room on the Millennium Falcon where, years earlier, he told Luke, "I've never seen anything to make me think there's one all-powerful force controlling everything." I think that the dialogue, as well as the subtext of the scene, shows a certain growth in Han Solo as a character. I also think Ford is brilliant in his scenes with Carrie Fisher, particularly in the scene where they are talking about their son. Ford brings an emotional side to Han Solo, but does so in a way that does not make the scene a giant tear-fest. Ford plays this scene as if Solo has buried his grief deep within himself, which is exactly the way it should be. Ford also brings this kind of emotion to his death scene in which he is killed by his son. In one of the more brilliant acting moments I have ever seen, Han Solo touches his sons' cheek just before he falls to his death as if to say, "This path that you have chosen is going to kill you, and everyone that you love". In this small moment, Solo is acknowledging the fact that his son is truly gone. This moment also shows why Harrison Ford is the kind of actor that he is. He knows the character of Han Solo so well, and any other actor would not have thought to add that tiny moment of grief. Ford disappears into the character so much in this movie that I do not see Harrison Ford. I see Han Solo. When I was a kid, I was not sure if I wanted to be Luke Skywalker or Han Solo. This movie, and Fords' performance in it, makes me want to be Han Solo.
Daisy Ridley plays Rey. I love Ridleys' first scene because, while she does not say much, we immediately know who she is and what she does. I also love the fact that she is such a strong female character. We see early on that she can fend for and defend herself without any help from anyone else. As Rey gets thrust into the epic story of this film, Ridley displays a wide range of emotions because she is experiencing things she has never felt or seen before. Her scenes with Adam Driver are particularly well done because she displays the perfect combination of fear and determination to overcome his evil. The banter between Rey and Finn is also well done because you get the sense that they need each other, but there is also a comedic element to their friendship because their characters are so different. She also displays a good combination of fear and confusion during the force-vision sequence. I also love the way she delivers the line, "I didn't know there was this much green in the whole galaxy". Rey is someone who has never left her homeworld, so for her to take in the world around her is awe-inspiring, but you also feel bad for her that she has not experienced much in her life. This is a wonderful, emotional performance by Ridley, and I cannot wait to see where her career takes her.
John Boyega plays Finn. I love this character and his storyline because he has seen how truly awful the First Order is, and chooses to defect and fight against them. Like Daisy Ridley, Boyega gives a performance fueled with emotion. The scene where he tells Rey the truth about him being a stormtrooper is quite impactful because you feel for the upbringing he has had, and you also understand everything he has experienced since he met her. I also find Finn a great character because he is attempting to find himself and find his place in the world. He is a boy who is becoming a man. These aspects actually lend some comedic elements to the film, especially in the scenes he has with Harrison Ford. Han Solo is like a father figure to Rey and Finn, and you really get the sense that Solo is attempting to bond with and understand his teenage "son", if you will. The "I'm in charge now, Phasma!" bit is quite hilarious. Boyega brings the perfect blend of dramatic and comedic elements to the character, and it will be nice to see how Finn evolves over the course of the new films.
Oscar Isaac plays Poe Dameron. I like the way Isaac plays this character because, while Dameron may be the best pilot in the Resistance, there is a very down-to-earth quality about the character. Dameron does not brag about his abilities, instead being humble about them and his role in the Resistance. Isaac and Boyega also play well off of each other, which is a testament to both of the actors' talents. I feel like I want to see more of this character because I like it so much, and I think Isaac is a solid actor. This is another character that I am looking forward to seeing evolve over the coming movies, and I am especially looking forward to what Isaac does with the character. This is a fine performance by Isaac.
Adam Driver plays Kylo Ren. Rens' storyline and character arc, like Finns', is completely original, and that is one of the reasons I love it so much. As opposed to previous generations of Jedi who attempted to resist the call of the dark side, Kylo Ren embraces the dark side and is attempting to resist the light side. The scene where Ren is praying to the spirit of his grandfather, Darth Vader, and the reveal of Vaders' mask, is particularly haunting. It also begs the question of how and when Kylo Ren got a hold of the mask. You also understand that Kylo Ren admires Darth Vader for what he did, and he hates Luke because he turned Vader back to the light side. I mean, from Rens' perspective, Vader was seduced by the enemy. This raises another question: Does Kylo Ren know that Vader was redeemed? Adam Driver plays Kylo Ren with such gravitas, and completely owns the character. The scenes where he is interrogating both Poe and Rey are completely bone-chilling. Also, the scene where he kills his father, Han Solo, is an important moment for both the character and the plot of the movie. It is important because we see how far down the dark path Ben Solo has gone. It is also important because it raises the stakes for the upcoming films. Adam Driver gives a truly phenomenal performance in this film.
Carrie Fisher returns as Princess Leia. I particularly love her scenes at the climax of the film that showcase Leia as the leader of the Resistance because we see how great of an actress Fisher was. Fisher is also exceptionally good in the scene I mentioned earlier when Han and Leia are talking about their son. What Fisher does as an actress is so special in this scene because we see that, while Han and Leia may have grown apart, there is still enough love there for her to essentially say that if they can get their son back, then they can be a family again. Also, the moment where Leia realizes Han is dead, while brief, is very powerful. It is still hard for me to talk about Carrie Fisher in the past tense. She was the original female badass. She brought everything she had to the role of Leia, and did so again with this film.
J.J. Abrams is the director of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Abrams had the daunting task of making us care about Star Wars again, and thanks to his personal love of the original film, he brings the spirit of Star Wars back while also making a good movie. One of the things I enjoy about the film is that we get to see what Han Solos' smuggling life is like. We see him "talk his way out of it" and attempt to cover his tracks. I also particularly like the tone that Abrams set with this film. The Force Awakens has the perfect blend of the lighthearted fun of A New Hope and Return of the Jedi and the darkness of The Empire Strikes Back. The final scene of the film is also quite emotional to watch. I personally feel that the reveal of Luke Skywalker is as close to a religious experience as I am ever going to get. This scene slowly builds with slow cuts that give you goosebumps until the shot that reveals Luke. You can tell that Abrams is a fan of Star Wars just by watching this film, and The Force Awakens is the perfect entry into an entire new generation of this series.
I am still wrapping my head around the fact that Star Wars is back. The Force Awakens breathes new life into the franchise while also honoring the legacy of what has come before. If you like Star Wars at all, specifically the original trilogy, this film is definitely for you.
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