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Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens

Well people the day has finally arrived, a new Star Wars movie has been released into theatres and nerds/geeks everywhere are rejoicing. I think that George Lucas is the only person in this world that could’ve guessed that a simple good versus evil story would have exploded into one of the most beloved film franchises of all time. There have been some ups and downs when it comes to the Star Wars franchise, however after ten long years since the last film fans across the world are literally sitting on the edge of their seats to see what the new trilogy will encompass.

Now I understand that I am a little late to the party when it comes to a review of this film and understanding that nearly half the planet has probably already seen the film, I just wanted to have my two cents added to the whirlwind of opinions. So, all that I ask of you is that you follow me on this little journey of critical analysis of the latest product from the Star Wars universe.

Set nearly 32 years after the events of Return of the Jedi, a remnant of Imperial forces have grown into a threat dubbed the First Order. Set on reclaiming the galaxy for themselves, they are out to destroy the Republic. Here to stop their efforts is a small band of fighters supported by the Galactic Republic simply known as the Resistance.  The only thing these two factions have in common is that they both are searching for Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), the only remaining Jedi. Swept up into the search for Skywalker is a traitorous Stormtrooper named ‘Finn’ (John Boyega Half of a Yellow Sun) and a lonely scavenger only known as Rey (Daisy Ridley).

For those of you that may have not seen the film yet, this will be a spoiler free review with that last paragraph being the condensed plot summery due to spoilers plaguing the plot. I would also like to do this in two sections. First will be my very biased opinion being a HUGE Star Wars fan from the age of 3 and the second will be from a filmmaking stand point and a little more unbiased (no promises).

I have to stay that after watching this film, I breathed a sigh of relief. All of my fears of this being worse than or just as bad as The Phantom Menace were squashed the moment the Millennium Falcon appeared on screen. Right then I knew that this was a Star Wars film and the realism of these exotic worlds was tangible. Director J.J Abrams stuck to his promise and reverted back to what made Star Wars such an awe inspiring film by using real set pieces and cutting down the CGI as much as possible. Though, it was still pretty cool to see the Falcon maneuver a lot better with CGI.  The original cast seamlessly merged into this new trilogy and the new cast brought a lot of spark to this new trilogy. I was most impressed with Ridley and how she was able to carry most of the scenes that she was in. I also enjoyed Adam Driver’s (While We’re Young) character Kylo Ren very much. I hope that he becomes as iconic of a villain as Darth Vader. As far as my disappointments lay pretty much with character use and personalities. Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie Game of Thrones) is on the top of that list. As much hype as Abrams and Disney put around this character, she was useless. I didn’t understand the point to her character. Maybe Episode VIII will open up her character and why she is such a badass. The next character was that of General Hux played by Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina). Gleeson is an amazing up and coming actor, but Hux was annoying to me. Definitely nothing like  Peter Cushing’s Grand Moff Tarkin. Hux just came across as whiny and really kind of weak.

From a filmmaking stand point, Abrams really brought a good amount of humor and action to this film. The pacing however was a little fast for my taste. It just seemed like the film never slowed down enough to really connect with the new cast. There are a few scenes with Rey on the new planet of Jakku, but beyond her character the audience really has no time to connect to Finn or even Kylo Ren. The pacing didn’t bother me when it came to the original cast because we already know these characters, but this film is for a new generation of heroes for a new generation of fans. 

I really wonder what Abrams through out of Michael Arndt’s script. With what the rumors say what Arndt’s vision was and what came up on screen, I wonder what that vision was. I would also like to say one thing to the haters of this movie saying that it is a repeat of A New Hope…no one cares. This is a great film that is an amazing addition to the saga and if it borrows elements of the originals, history does repeat itself.

The Verdict: See In Theatres