Star Wars: The Force Awakens, 2015
Directed by J.J. Abrams
Starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, Tim Rose, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Gwendoline Christie, Lupita Nyong’o, Ken Leung, Miltos Yerolemou, Max von Sydow, Jessica Henwick, Christina Chong, Simon Pegg, Billie Lourd, Crystal Clarke, Pip Andersen
SYNOPSIS:
A continuation of the saga created by George Lucas and set thirty years after Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi.
“The only thing that’s changed is everything” is Apple’s latest slogan for their iPhone 6s, and it actually quite aptly applies to Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Everything about the movie feels so familiar, but yet it somehow still seems like a whole new chapter in this epic on-going saga.
The film follows three character stories, all of which intertwine. You have Stormtrooper Finn turning his back on The First Order, scavenger Rey discovering a droid that holds secret information that will change her life forever, and Kylo Ren trying to appease his new master while fighting the deep urges of his past. These three will come together in various forms and combinations, and all of which will have different outcomes that will effect them as characters. They join the likes of Han Solo, General Organa and Chewbacca on a quest to stop The First Order’s new design: a weaponised planet known as The Starkiller Base, that has the firepower that can destroy an entire world.
Make no mistake about it, the original trilogy cast are the supporting characters in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Of the lot Han Solo has the most to do, but even then he’s a MacGuffin to help Finn and Rey get to their intended destination. They each have their own character moments, but they’re never large enough to overshadow the new blood who will be taking over this new trilogy of films. It’s a testament to J.J. Abrams that he’s used these iconic characters wisely, and not just exploit them as props to make you remember the films you loved from your childhood. Let’s put it this way, they don’t show up like Old Spock does in Star Trek Into Darkness, with a giant applause sign above his head.
Thankfully, the new cast of characters are likeable, well-rounded and uniquely developed so that they can stand shoulder to shoulder with iconic characters such as Solo, Leia, Chewie, and the rest. At its very core, this is the best thing about Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and this is helped by some really great performances from newcomers Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac and Adam Driver. Boyega in particular is fantastic as he juggles an American accent with ease while pulling out a performance that shows he could be one of the finest actors of our generation. He also benefits from being a very interesting character: a turncoat Stormtrooper. What we would usually know as a faceless and personality-less drone, Boyega’s Finn has a very interesting internal conflict that holds over the entire film. Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren isn’t quite as terrifying as Darth Vader and isn’t quite as cool as Darth Maul, but he gives a performance that sets him aside from them to put him in a league of his own. And this is because Kylo Ren is a character that requires an actual performance, something we’ve yet to see from a villain in the Star Wars universe. He isn’t a stocky body like David Prowse, and he’s not an athletic gymnast like Ray Park, Driver is an actor, and he’s pulling out a damn fine showing. Oscar Isaac is of course fantastic as he always is (though is under-utilised), but Star Wars: The Force Awakens belongs to Daisy Ridley. Her growth as a character is the most endearing part of the film, and Ridley gives a stunning performance to match. She’s a little bumpy in the early going, but by the end of the picture you will have fallen in love with this awesome new character. Props should also be given to Domhnall Gleeson, whose scenery chewing performance of General Hux is gleefully brilliant.
Though while the new characters are front and center, like a lot of “franchise reboots” Star Wars: The Force Awakens is steeped in nostalgic memory. It doesn’t rely on this to warm the cockles of its audience’s hearts, but that doesn’t mean it’s not afraid to remind you of the past. Be it a throwaway line, a visual gag or just something in the background, Abrams is doing his best to show us, the audience, that he ‘gets’ this series and is a fan himself. In many ways it’s a lot like Jurassic World in that it wants you to focus on the new shiny things in front of you, but will happily and gleefully remind you of bits and bobs from the original trilogy. This will either bring a small smile to your face, or will make you roll your eyes and groan, depending on your point of view.
In fact, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is really a re-tread of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. You have BB-8 as R2-D2, Rey as Luke, Poe Dameron as Princess Leia, Kylo Ren as Darth Vader, General Hux as Grand Moff Tarkin, Finn as Han Solo and Han Solo as Ben Kenobi. You can even add in The Empire Strikes Back by saying that Captain Phasma is Boba Fett (with about as much screen time), Maz Kanata is Yoda and Supreme Leader Snoke is The Emperor. There are enough differences to make Star Wars: The Force Awakens feel unique in its own right, but there is an overbearing sense of familiarity running through it. Like someone has broken into your house and not stolen anything, but slightly moved things around. Perhaps Mark Hamill put it best in the Comic Con sizzle reel: “you’ve been here before, but you don’t know this story. Nothing’s changed, but everything’s changed.” Star Wars: The Force Awakens is J.J. Abrams’ love letter to a franchise that he grew up with, but he could be accused here of being lazy. Say what you will about Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, but it was an original story that didn’t feel like a remake of anything that had come before it.
However, it often feels like there is too much story being crammed into this one movie. Abrams has 30 years of plot to bridge from Return of the Jedi, and that is often done through some sloppy dialogue and slapdash exposition. Big reveals are given about character’s true origins, but they aren’t given enough time to develop. And before you know it, they’re more or less over. But because they’re rushed through to give the film a dramatic conclusion, they don’t have the effect they should.
But you can’t argue that the man knows what he’s doing. As he demonstrated with his first Star Trek movie (not so much his second), Abrams is a fanboy making a movie for like-minded fans. He played with his Star Wars toys as a child, and now he’s here to make a big-budget blockbuster about the stories he made up. There are so many moments in Star Wars: The Force Awakens that will have you grinning from ear-to-ear, and from the opening musical sting the movie will transport you back to that very first moment you saw a Star Wars movie. Kevin Smith noted that The Force Awakens was like the fountain of youth, and he wasn’t wrong.
So, where does The Force Awakens rank in the Star Wars saga? Well, it’s not as good as A New Hope or The Empire Strikes Back, and its debatable whether its better than Return of the Jedi depending on how much you hate Ewoks. But it’s far and away better than anything given to us in the prequel trilogy, which is at least a step in the right direction. With that said, it wasn’t too hard to top those, let’s be honest. It features the best performances from a cast we’ve ever seen in a Star Wars movie and some of the best writing too, which in itself separates it out from the rest of the pack. Perhaps its unfair to compare Star Wars: The Force Awakens to Lucas’ films, which have had the benefit of being part of the pop culture zeitgeist for the last four decades, and should be judged on its own merits. After all, this is the first movie in a new trilogy of Star Wars films. And as a first step, Abrams has set the tone, pace and grandeur for what’s to come. Your new Christmas tradition is here, and it’s damn good to have Star Wars back on the big screen. Does it meet the hype? I don’t think it was ever going to, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad cinematic experience.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Luke Owen is the Deputy Editor of Flickering Myth and a contributor for Flickering Myth TV. You can follow him on Twitter @ThisisLukeOwen.
