Director: JJ Abrams
By Alex Watson
You cannot express in words just how great it feels for Star Wars to be back on the big screen. JJ Abrams has brought the Lucas universe to life again in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Sporting the lightsaber battles and the powerful war between the force and the dark side, we have a reason to believe again. Giving us a good selection of our old and loved favourites mixed in with an interesting new batch of players, Abrams ensures there is a new lifeblood to carry things forward.
30 years after the collapse of the Empire, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hammill) has gone missing and has become like a myth spread among the planets. Finn (John Boyega) is a Stormtrooper in the newly assembled First Order who is having a conflict within himself. Rey (Daisy Ridley) is a scavenger on the desert planet Jaaku while Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) is the top pilot in the Resistance army led by General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher). Together each of these characters will come face to face with Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and be witness to the uprising of the powerful First Order Jedi Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).
From the first frame, Star Wars: The Force Awakens simmers into life and the ride from there on is the most fun we have had in ages. Beginning with the First Order forces arriving on Jaaku, we are given a potent introduction to the dark side's new favourite, Kylo Ren. A forceful and lurking threat, Ren is very much a disciple to Vader who has not only been seduced by the Dark Side but absolutely loves it. As a villain though he is possibly one of the most impressive ones that the franchise has produced. Sporting a cold-blooded malice without equal, we get the sense that this one conflicted kid has firmly buried his old past. The new recruits are not given as much depth as we may have liked, but there is room to work with. During Finn's first battle, his horror behind the mask is felt immediately as he reluctantly commits atrocities. Finn is the best-developed lead of the lot and having being groomed as FN-1287 by the Order since birth, he is keen to break free.
Rey comes off less well in this piece and despite being a tough and capable female (along with skillfully piloting the Falcon), there isn't enough depth for this installment. Dameron with limited screen time comes across with an effortless swagger that remind us of a young Han Solo with an X-Wing. The taste may feel undercooked, but give it another installment these three may just transpire into something special. Having Han and Chewie back together again is something very special indeed, "Chewie, we're home!" smiles Han as he reboards his beloved ship. In this episode, the old smuggler is a shadow of his old self and still clings to his old reputation. His wisdom, however, is unbeatable and he becomes almost a surrogate father to abandoned child Rey. Luke is more like a ghost figure than man in Force Awakens and there are Alec Guinness-like echoes all around. Leia thankfully has formed into the leader we always wanted. She is scarred from her constant warring both at home and the past (spoilers to be withheld).
Despite blips in storytelling, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is still a fine piece of work. Abrams never fully explains the intentions of the First Order. They are big and evil and appear to mean business but just what does Grand Master Snoke (Andy Serkis) want? We are given an interesting duel for power between Ren and the sneertastic General Hux (Domnhall Gleason). Both men are wanting different kinds of power which leads to a mini civil war. Their ruthless streak, though, makes them the perfect heir to the Empire. Seeing them destroy several planets in 'one swift stroke' is a chilling prospect. There are some finer things lead that need to be ironed out, such as nailing a great lightsaber finale but there is a new hope surrounding this franchise. Best of all, there is no Jar Jar in sight fans.
John Boyega, Daisy Ridley and Oscar Isaac all prove they belong in this universe with a trio of decent performances. Boyega in particular in able to summon the courage and charm that Attack The Block promised us. Harrison Ford is the real tour de force in this piece and you forget just how well Han Solo fits him. Sweeping in without missing a beat, it feels like the old pirate never left us. Top honours, however, go to Adam Driver. Firmly filling the void that Vader left us, Kylo Ren is the most intriguing the Jedi have had to deal with in some time. A gangly menace desperate to escape his one loving past, Ren is very much a product of the Dark Side. Driver is able to give us a bad guy who doesn't just frighten us, but makes the film sag whenever he is off screen. The groundwork has been laid, now the cast needs to do the rest.
Finally, we get the 21st century Star Wars we have always wanted. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is not only a throwback to the original trilogy, but it is the start of something special. Disney might be taking the reigns now, but the force still lives on.
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