Star Wars: The Force Awakens took theaters by storm this weekend as fans poured into the millions of sold-out shows. From the opening credits, The Force Awakens, turns fan expectations upside down and glues viewers to their coveted seats. The movie itself was both brilliant and disappointing at once, with strong cinematography, nostalgic roots, and a series of plot holes and coincidences that felt too good to be true.
Nearly a decade after the end of the disastrous prequel trilogy, director JJ Abrams faced a gigantic challenge: he had to bring to life a story that would satisfy a cult-like audience while feeling completely original. The Force Awakens indeed feels authentically Star Wars, bringing viewers back to a universe we thought lost forever.
From the first moment we are taken on a long, adventurous journey with new (and old) characters. From the charismatic X-Wing pilot Poe Dameron, playing the witty rebel with a heart, new droid BB8 as a modern take on R2D2, to stormtrooper Finn, taking his first steps to figuring out who he wants to be by making a decision not to shoot, viewers no doubt find relief at their substance. We undoubtedly connect with the main protagonist Rey, a young woman living in Jakku, a desert that mirrors the rural Tatooine seen in Episode IV, who dreams of a different circumstance. This feeling intensifies with her when you realize she lives in a destroyed AT-AT, likely left over from the fall out of the battle of Endor and the fall of the Empire.
By the time Han and Chewy make an appearance we are already invested in the other characters. What we see of the original cast, excluding Luke, feels like an exodus. The Force Awakens is setting up the new story and saying goodbye to the old and beloved stories. Princess Leia, now a general for the Rebellion, and Han Solo offer the most nostalgic moments of the movie as they speak of their past. R2D2 and C3PO are utterly under-utilized, which is disappointing because they are one of the best dynamic duos in the Star Wars universe.
Kylo Ren’s villain is perhaps the best new character, and Adam Driver’s performance is gripping. Kylo’s mask gives him an enigmatic quality, but we soon realize he’s a young man who idolizes Darth Vader. From his interrogation with Rey to throwing tantrums with his light-saber, his story will no doubt play a huge part in the next two movies.
We must applaud JJ Abrams for introducing female X-Wing pilots and choosing a diverse cast. Not only are there a multitude of accents and races, we see a variety of species and backgrounds, adding a refreshing element to Star Wars.
Modern cinematography truly intensifies the experience, and we can all admit that the battle scenes are epic. Anyone who didn’t get the shivers watching Kylo and Rey’s sizzling saber battle would be lying. The implementation of popular Star Wars music brought tears to the eyes of many when attached to lines like, “Chewy we’re home.” The combination results in a multitude of emotions as we experience well-placed humor, unfound anger, unending nostalgia, and massive amounts of adrenaline alongside the characters on screen.
Despite the obvious brilliance lurking throughout the film, perhaps the biggest disappointment is how closely the movie relies on its roots, specifically Episode IV. Not only do we follow Rey, whom is very similar to Luke, through an adventure brought to her by a droid, we see the Millennium Falcon, a cantina, and Starkiller, the New Order’s obvious Death Star regurgitation. Of course, Abrams had to make this all bigger and badder than the originals of the 70’s, and he does that quite successfully. Starkiller’s superlaser is capable of destroying multiple planets at once and doesn’t need to move one bit.
While it surely is gripping, the story itself has some gaps and coincidences. Rey and Finn just so happening to find the Millennium Falcon and almost immediately being discovered by Han and Chewy? I suppose it is a movie. Rey’s use of Jedi mind tricks is far-fetched because of her lack of knowledge on Jedi culture and ability. Rey and Finn both claim they thought Han and Luke were legend. Finn’s ability using a lightsaber also comes into question as he was a raised Stormtrooper who likely had no experience with weapons other than blasters. The destruction of Starkiller so quickly was disappointing, as you would assume the First Order would be better at protecting it. These questions contribute to the conflict many will feel after stepping out of the theater.
While hard-core fans may find some solitude that there are some nods to the expanded universe, it is over-all hard to please the masses. Unfortunately some people, including myself, will find it hard to accept these new canon occurrences especially due to their implications. I’m not even going to talk about the death of Han for fear of throwing my laptop across the room.
This modern take on A New Hope is definitely a battle-heavy, gripping, action movie. While it relies closely upon nostalgia and is far from perfect, it does the job of feeding the inner Star Wars fan in us all. With movies planned until 2019, including an origin story of Han, Disney is going to continue to commercialize and exploit this universe. We can only hope that Episode VIII will introduce a story we haven’t heard before.