My first thoughts leaving Star Wars: The Force Awakens was that I wanted to see it again and that I couldn’t wait until the next episode. Both of which seem like good indicators that the movie was successful.
What I think makes the original three Star Wars films so great (and my favorite franchise of all time, Harry Potter) is that at its core the story is about a trio of friends. Harry Potter has Harry, Ron, and Hermione and Star Wars has Luke, Leia, and Han. A group of friends (or siblings, like Luke and Leia) gives everyone someone to root for, a bit of humor, and growth as we watch their relationships develop. I think that is one of the reasons the Star War prequels weren’t as beloved (even though Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of my favorites in any of the films.) As we watched Anakin Skywalker turn to the darkside, the films did not possess that sort of adventurous friendship and fun that the originals had. So going in. and knowing that The Force Awakens would feature Luke, Leia, and Han again, it was hard to not be excited. Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and (very, very briefly) Mark Hamill are all back in their famous roles and they fit in comfortably after all these years. Han Solo fans will be happy to hear he is given a lengthly role, who meets up with Rey and Fin and helps them on their unexpected quest. Seeing Han and Chewie back in action is nothing short of wonderful and will give you happy tingles.
Ultimately though, we do not get to see the trio all back together, which is a bit of a disappointment, but we do get a trio of new characters. There is Rey, a scavenger who lives on Jakku, Finn, a defective Stormtrooper, and Poe, an expert pilot. Played by Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac, all three are fine additions. Rey in particular is a standout, and I am interested to see how these character’s stories will continue on in future films.
The other big newbie joining Rey, Finn, Poe is the story’s big bad guy, Kylo Ren. Similar to Darth Vador, Kylo Ren is masked, with a menacing voice and a unique lightsaber. What is fascinating about this character is that we see him struggle with the light and dark side and get to actually witness him fully choose his path. His character features a twist, which will be very interesting to see how that plays out with certain characters in future films.
BB-8, the newest droid, is adorably perfect (and it is almost mesmerizing watching him roll around the sands of Jakku) and there are also brief appearances from (my personal favorites) C3P0 and R2-D2 (who are with Princess Leia, who is now called Commander Leia Organa.) Another fun addition is Maz Kanata, played by Lupita Nyong'o, who acts as a Yoda-like character. She also provides a few laughs, one in particular about her love for Chewbacca.
While I personally enjoyed the familiarity of the story and the introduction of the new characters and situations, some may find that the film’s layout is too similar to the original Star Wars, A New Hope. This is true, but because this is the first in a new series of films, I was fine with it. It set up the characters well, and still left quite a few questions and mysteries alive to push the story further in the future. My main hope is that they flesh out the other villains more, particularly Captain Phasma and General Hux (Gwendoline Christie and Domhnall Gleeson), who I felt were quite under used. Andy Serkis’s Supreme Leader Snoke is also one of the biggest mysteries in the film.
The film ends on quite a cliffhanger and I am anxious to see where the next film picks up from. The original film’s sequel The Empire Strikes Back is considered the best Star Wars film (Walkers, Tauntauns, Yoda, Lando, Boba Fett!) and I am excited to see how and if Episode VIII can be even bigger and better. I for one am expecting some “I am your father” level twists and turns. Let the force be with them (and us, as we try to wait patiently!)
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