Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Directed by J.J. Abrams
Released December 18, 2015
It’s one of the best known facts in the history of cinema that the Star Wars prequels were a monumental disaster. Sure, they grossed hundreds of millions of dollars, and this reviewer actually enjoyed the first two, but fans worldwide were epically disappointed in their quality and their failure to capture the same feeling as the first three films did from 1977 to 1983. Based on those results, it’s bold to say the least for the franchise to be rebooted just one decade after the prequel trilogy concluded, but based on the returns so far, revisiting a galaxy far, far away is a much more welcome trip this time around.
What “The Force Awakens” has brilliantly done to restart a franchise that may well be the world’s most popular and known movie series is to make the events of its original films legend. The new characters introduced in the seventh installment have heard names like Luke Skywalker and Han Solo and stories of the Jedi and the Force, but, to them, it’s a relic of the past that, especially with the emergence of the First Order, the latest incarnation of the Empire, seems destined to be remembered only as a myth. This film, therefore, serves as a fantastic callback to those original films, fully inviting nostalgia as fresh faces like defecting Stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega) and desert scavenger Rey (Daisy Ridley) experience the excitement and the rebirth of this saga right along with audiences.
I was impressed that I knew next to nothing about this film’s specific plot even after waiting a full two and a half weeks after its release to see it, so don’t expect any plot summary here. It’s enough to say that this film finds great and believable ways to incorporate familiar faces like Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) while handing over this film’s legacy to the likes of Boyega, Ridley, Oscar Isaac as Resistance pilot Poe, and Adam Driver as masked enemy Kylo Ren. They’re all more than capable, and it’s fun to think that this film has now launched the careers of those less known and amplified those with preexisting work. This film has everything that “Star Wars” fans should expect and will enjoy, including action, humor, and hints of romance, and the best part is that the next installment is due out as soon as May 2017. Priming its audiences for a sequel is far from a bad thing in this case – instead it’s a sure sign that this franchise is ready for many new chapters.
B+
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