Star Wars: The Force Awakens

J.J Abrams did it. He brought Star Wars back to life. Salvaged it, some would say, from the increasingly muddled vision of George Lucas, and gave it to the people. It is really something to behold. All begins, as we know by now “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.” It has been thirty years since the events of Return of the Jedi, and “Luke Skywalker has vanished,” we are told in the opening scroll. I won’t go into much detail, but suffice to say that everything that happens in the movie leads back to him. He is the instigator of the plot, bringing together characters old and new with the single purpose of finding him.  

We first meet Rey as she searches for metal scraps to trade for food in the godforsaken wasteland of a desert planet called Jakku. She fends for herself, scavenging for survival, living day to day, waiting. As played by Daisy Ridley, Rey is strong and street-smart. We see in her sunburnt face the hardships she has had to endure, and how they have made her the person we first meet. I love that this doesn’t make her apathetic or cold-hearted; instead, she becomes kind and generous. From the start, Rey despises injustice and fights against cruelty. It is this fight that leads her to BB-8, a very special droid with ties to the resistance (still alive, still the underdogs after all these years), a spiritual successor to R2-D2. The mischievous little thing happens to find itself in Jakku and decides to stick to Rey and sweep her up in events on a scale she couldn’t even imagine.

Her story is familiar. We all know it: it is the hero’s journey, but this time it feels new. Maybe it has to do with the fact that she’s a girl, or maybe it’s the palpable love everyone involved put into reviving this rusty old myth. Anyway, from the magnificent moment where Rey  puts on a helmet and plays resistance fighter, we know that the Force will call her to something greater, to use her abilities and put them to good use. She and BB-8, however, need a companion, another hero who will accompany them in their journey.

As it happens, Finn is a recently unemployed stormtrooper looking for a new gig. He has been traumatized by what the First Order (the new, very evil version of the Galactic Empire) makes him and his kind do, so he breaks rank, looking for something else to do, for a new hope, perhaps. It was obvious from Attack the Block (the film which you should watch the very instant you leave the theater), that John Boyega, who plays Finn, would be a major star. This is the perfect role for him. The reluctant heroism and vulnerability that he showed in his previous lead role are refined and magnified here. Abrams loves the faces of his two main actors, displaying them in glorious closeups often. And who can blame him? Ridley is exceedingly beautiful, and Boyega has one of the most expressive faces I’ve seen in a long time. The open fear his character feels will send chills down your back. Finn knows what the First Order is capable of, and he wants nothing to do with it, but despite his best efforts, he of course gets mixed up with the resistance and with Rey. 

Representing the First Order in the film are a few major figures. The first and most notable is Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), a Darth Vader fanatic hoping to become the next Sith. The other, General Hux, is the military leader in command of the new Stormtrooper army. He is hellbent on destroying the last remnants of the rebellion. If there is an element in the film that does not work it is Domhnhall Gleeson’s shouty performance as Hux, but that is a very minor concern considering his time onscreen. Behind them both is a dark master(mind) orchestrating all.

(The Big Three are also present in one form or another, but that’s for you to find out. I will do my best not ruin the movie for you, and do yourself the favor of not ruining it for yourself. I’ll only say this: Harrison Ford is the uncontested MVP.)  

Because of an important secret held by BB-8, now in the company of both Rey and Finn, the First Order goes after our heroes. United by this terrible enemy chasing them, Rey and Finn travel the galaxy, a vast place where they encounter enormous tentacled creatures; several masked adversaries; legendary figures of old; green, lush, and life-full planets along with their subfreezing, barren counterparts; and many more wonders. They travel at the speed of light and touch the stars. It is all very romantic and exciting. Part of the reason I love The Force Awakens (and the other films in the series) is that there is something primal about the story it tells. All of this has happened before, and it will happen again. As I said, we all know the beats by heart, but J.J Abrams has fun with them. I briefly touched on this, but I will say it again: it feels important that this movie has a woman and a black man at its center. The stories that Star Wars tells are for absolutely everyone; for every single person, regardless of their gender or skin color. 

That accomplishment would be impressive enough, but Abrams doesn’t stop there. The Force Awakens is one breathtakingly gorgeous movie (shot on real, tactile, photochemical film!). The desert-vistas of Jakku, the sterile rooms of the Starkiller (i.e. The Fricking-Awesome-Giant-Mega-Deathstar), the corridor of blue and white that forms around the Falcon as it travels at light-speed. These are all pristinely rendered. There’s also the Kurosawa inspired wipes and silent-movie irises familiar to all Star Wars fans, plus some lens flares and fluid camerawork to let us know that this is indeed a J.J Abrams movie. Even the stars themselves, odd as this may sound, look alive and  fresh. (See how they shine in the opening shot; it’s hypnotic). The Force Awakens is thoroughly a Star Wars film, but it is its own original, magnificent creation. No one really needs the reminder, but I urge you: please see it.

Verdict- 4/4
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) 2h 16min. PG-13.