WARNING: There will be spoilers throughout this review so please don't read any further if you have yet to see the movie.
AGAIN, DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE!!
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So it has officially been over a week since the J.J. Abrams written and directed entry into the Star Wars universe of movies has been released worldwide, with the exception of China and few other countries. And I'm sure you've heard of the box office records it has been setting with it, and there's a very good reason for that.
The movie is Star Wars at its finest and brings back the lore of the Original Trilogy that creator George Lucas envisioned almost forty years ago. What follows is a movie that is not only fun but does indeed add to that lore that we want of the Star Wars universe. I waited until I saw the movie a second time to see if my enjoyment waned in anyway and I'm happy to say that it hasn't, in fact it was even better a second time.
That's a rarity for me as I'm someone that doesn't go back to the theater to see a movie more than once unless it's really good and fun, the last time being Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. I'm also someone that prefers to enjoy the movie that be critical of everything in it. And that's what The Force Awakens does and the box office numbers don't lie. Yes, it's Star Wars and yes it's been hyped up for a year plus now, but the hype is real and it isn't a letdown like the Prequels were. And while the movie follows the similar structure of A New Hope, it takes the formula and adds to it, bringing a transition between the old and the new and continuing the story set almost forty years ago.
It brings in compelling new characters in Rey and Finn along with possible new Han Solo type Poe Dameron on the Light Side. And it brings new villains in Kylo Ren who is the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa along with his master Supreme Leader Snoke and General Hux. What this generation of characters brings is a new compelling story to the old and new alike and they bring with them the themes and romance of space adventure that we all seek. The Force Awakens blends these characters stories together very seamlessly but half it's strength lies in Rey.
Rey, who is left on Jakku at an early age, is a strong woman, a fighter, a survival, the type of character director and writer J.J. Abrams likes to have. And it's her that makes this movie stand up tall and realizes its potential. She follows the typical 'coming of age' or 'a hero's journey' that we've all seen before but the way that she is portrayed in the movie is someone that many can look up to. Self-reliant, independent, while at the same time wanting to be accepted, wanting a family and hesitant to accept their destiny. That sounds like a good portion of people in their life struggling to find who they are. She embodies this completely and does it in great fashion.
The second half of strength in The Force Awakens is the cast of characters and the build up of events throughout the movie. Kylo Ren is a character that is first intimidating but we soon see truly unstable and unsure of his own future, especially after killing his father. He's not fully trained yet and that's a scary proposition as his anger may lead to even greater evils or possibly may become even more powerful. Finn portrays his character of a stormtrooper realizing the true evil of the First Order in a way that's appropriate. He isn't looking to fight them, he wants to get away because he knows what will happen to him if captured but also naive in the true potential of the Force and how it can overcome evil.
I can go in depth with the other's, but it's those three that will be leading the charge in the new trilogy for the foreseeable future. That's not to say that Snoke, General Hux, Poe Dameron and the other new entries don't have their importance but they aren't showcased in this movie like the other three. And of course BB-8 will be a fan favorite for many years.
As for those other characters, I think it was a few named Han, Leia and Luke, they played their parts like you would expect. Han gets the most screen time but sadly meets his end (possibly) by his own sons hand, Leia is featured as well but takes the back screen to the main core of new characters and Luke...well he's pretty much absent until the very end on a literal cliff hanger for the next movie. This move isn't supposed to be a "f-you" to fans but it's a way to transition the old to the new while still telling a fantastic first entry in a new trilogy for a new generation of fans.
That's the thing I've seen is that social media is operating as I would expect, nothing but arguments and complaints about the movie. Things like "It's A New Hope rehashed; it's too close to the original; it doesn't do this or that" have popped up trying to discredit the movie as a success. Here's a newsflash people, it's supposed to be a fun movie to watch, an entry into the new trilogy. Does it rehash A New Hope in ways? Yes, I'll be the first agree, especially the final battle to destroy Starkiller base. But it does it in its own way that adds to the lore of the universe its apart of. This movie is the stepping stone into the next two which according John Boyega (Finn) will be "much darker" and with Rian Johnson writing the next two, directing one, that is a very good possibility. There's no reason to really go in depth with this, it comes down to this. If you ignore the little things and want to go be purely entertained instead of criticizing every little thing like this generation seems to want to do, you'll enjoy it and be glad you did.
The fact is, there's a reason this movie is the all-time domestic box office record holder in the U.S., it's Star Wars and it's a great film that you can see over and over again, and never get tired of it.
Oh, and Chewbacca is a cool as ever.
- Thomas J George
