Star Wars: The Force Awakens Review

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac
Directed by: J.J. Abrams


After waiting 10 years for another Star Wars film to hit the big screen, sitting through the amazing advertising campaign with the spoiler-free trailers, pre-ordering the tickets a month in advanced, and waiting in line at the movie theater, the time has finally arrived. The wait is over as Star Wars: The Force Awakens has finally hit theaters. Directed by J.J. Abrams, featuring a new cast, and taking place 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi, the film has had probably the biggest amount of hype circulating a movie since...well, The Phantom Menace. Heading in, I was both excited and terrified. This film has been built up for years, the trailers have been amazing, and I didn't want to have to sit through another disappointing trip to a galaxy far, far away. After all the waiting and all the hype, how is The Force Awakens? I can happily say that balance has been brought back to the Star Wars franchise in the form of The Force Awakens.

Now, this is a film that surrounds a whole bunch of controversy for anyone who tries to spoil it, so I'll do my best to review the film without actually giving away all the major plot points and reveals. With that in mind, let's talk about a lot of the new characters that are brought into the mix. Without diving too far into their stories, we start off with the film's main character Rey, played by Daisy Ridley. Rey is an amazing character to watch, as she fills in sort of the Luke Skywalker role from A New Hope. She's a small part of a HUGE world and embarks on the adventure of a lifetime. The difference is that she's not really looking for adventure. She's content with the idea that her life is the way it is and isn't looking for that big change that's coming. The obvious setup being that she has to embrace it, but it's an enjoyable development nonetheless. If Rey was unlikable, this movie wouldn't work. Period. It can be a great looking movie and have a couple memorable scenes, but if you can't connect with your main character, then your movie won't work. Hello prequel trilogy.

We've also got some great supporting characters to like besides Rey, like Finn, a former Stormtrooper played by John Boyega. Finn's backstory is extremely compelling, calling back to an idea of embracing fate or destiny, and thus changing out of that if you're unsatisfied with the results. Finn was a fun character that provided realistic comic relief. He wasn't over the top or stereotypical, but rather commented the way a Star Wars fan would if they were flying around the galaxy with the rest of the characters. Speaking of flying around, another great character was Poe Dameron, a Resistance pilot played by Oscar Isaac. He's such a cool character, oozing confidence in his pilot abilities and is just an overall likable dude. We don't get to see a lot of him, but since he's so likable in his introduction, we are sucked into watching those X-Wing battles. I mean, it's always great to see X-Wings facing TIE Fighters, but when you have someone you care about in the pilot's seat, you are emotionally invested in the space battles. See that? Effort. Characters I'm invested in. Action scenes that aren't pointless. It is so good to have a good Star Wars film back on the big screen.

Our heroes have a big threat against them in the form of the First Order, including the evil and mysterious Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver. A lot of people heading in were afraid this guy was going to be a discount Darth Vader, but he's actually given a lot to make him stand out as a villain. Yes, he has a gravelly voice and wears a hood, but he's got such a menacing tone that surrounds him. He just commands the scene he's in, proving just how powerful he can be. And when he wields a lightsaber, it is darn near frightening. He's not doing weird flips or overly choreographed moves. He is coming at you with a ferocity that you wouldn't want to be messing with. Is he Darth Vader or the Emperor? No. But he's miles ahead of the disposable Sith apprentices in the prequels, and he's definitely a villain that leaves a lasting impression, which is a very key component of getting the First Order over as a legitimate threat.

Now comes the part that gets tricky: addressing the characters from the original trilogy. It should be no surprise if you've seen the trailer that we get to see Han Solo and Chewbacca again, with Harrison Ford and Peter Mayhew reprising their iconic roles. They come along with Rey and Finn on their journey and are a welcome addition to adventure. It's great to see them play these characters older. You can see that Han and Chewie have had their fair share of adventures between movies and they still have that best friend chemistry that makes them work so well together. Carrie Fisher returns as Leia Organa, now the General of the Resistance. Her screen time is limited, but it's very welcoming. Of course, the fans were over the moon for any interaction she has with Han Solo, proving that even 30 years removed from the franchise and their romance still fits like a glove. Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker are back as C-3PO and R2-D2, but they're delegated to mostly cameos, but it still works since they're able to work off each other and do their usual shtick together. And then there's Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker. Luke's in the film...and that's ALL I can say without giving like 90% of the film's plot away.

At the end of the day, Star Wars: The Force Awakens lives up to the hype. Is it a perfect film? No, but it's the most fun I've had at the movie theater in years. For 2 hours and 15 minutes, this film, the characters, the fan interaction, made me forget everything about life existing outside the movie theater. As a movie buff, you cling onto movie experiences like that and I'm forever grateful that The Force Awakens was able to do that. That a film I thought couldn't possibly live up to the 10 year hype that existed in my head could live up to it. But it did. If I had any minor criticisms is that we don't get to have every question we have answered, making this feel like a transitional film in an obvious franchise. Again, that's a very minor, almost nitpicking criticism. I'm still beyond happy with the film we got. I can happily await the rest of this series to play out as J.J. Abrams and company have proved that Star Wars is in very good hands.


Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Only time will tell if this can stand out as one of the great Star Wars films. I'll wait for the hype to die down a little bit and have to reevaluate it with a few more viewings. For now, all I can do for a recommendation is to say you need to get out there and see Star Wars: The Force Awakens for yourself. If not, you're going to be missing out on the cinematic experience of our lifetime. It's a time for celebration moviegoers. Star Wars is back! May the Force be with you.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens and movie images are copyrighted by Walt Disney Studios