Review: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..." Who would not thrill at the sight of those words which, for moviegoers of a certain generation, are as much a part of their childhood as "Once upon a time..."? George Lucas' words call to something deep within and hearing Han Solo utter "Chewie, we're home" at the end of the first trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens was enough to reduce anybody, Star Wars fan or not, to tears of joy.
The seventh chapter of the space opera saga of the Skywalker family and those caught in their orbit for better or worse is an absolute reinvigoration of the franchise. Yes, it has flaws and lapses in logic that will surely be analysed, dissected and pored over. Yes, it may be too reverential to the original trilogy, which could be deemed as pandering to the fan base. More than a vast improvement over the prequels (which all proved why, with the exception of the first Star Wars, Lucas should never write or direct any of the films), The Force Awakens is a film that manages to merge the old and the new, cannily exploiting the inherent nostalgia whilst retelling the tale in a thoroughly modern way. It is both darker in tone and lighter in humour, but still fairly binary in its worldview. It is still good versus evil, the individual versus the state, the son versus the father with the galaxy as both playground and battlefield and themes of the inevitability of destiny and the bloodlines that we can never escape.
Indeed, these are themes that director and co-writer J.J. Abrams explored to fine effect when he revived the Star Trek franchise. Abrams and Joss Whedon, the other keeper of the blockbuster flame, are the natural heirs to the kingdom that Lucas and Steven Spielberg created in the Seventies and Eighties when their imagination and creativity updated the serials of the 1930s and 1940s. Both Abrams and Whedon have a tremendous knack of resurrecting franchises and the superhero genre from the cheese in which they were heavily embalmed. Both successfully mix seemingly disparate genres, respect the mythology without taking it too seriously, feature strong female characters in their work, have their romantic couples communicate in the style of the screwball, and deploy wisecracks to undercut moments that veer into the overly serious or sentimental. Thus the first exchange between Resistance pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), one of the leaders of the First Order, which rose from the ashes of the vanquished Empire, is pregnant with intensity until Poe wonders, "Are you talking first? Or am I? Who's supposed to talk first?"
Kylo Ren, obviously worshipping at the altar of Vader, himself cuts both a threatening and humorous figure. Where his idol Darth Vader was wont to display his displeasure with a chokehold, Kylo Ren takes out his anger on nearby machinery, indulging in temper tantrums that would make any teenager proud and scaring off two particular Stormtroopers who round a corner, hear him damaging more equipment, and silently turn and walk away. It's a lovely visual gag, but Abrams and Driver never let viewers forget that Kylo Ren's volatility is a most dangerous thing.
The casting of relative English newcomers Daisy Ridley as Rey and John Boyega as Fin is certainly the strongest example not only of our more progressive times, but also of Abrams' deviation from the Star Wars playbook. Whilst Boyega's Fin, a Stormtrooper who has defected from the First Order who also happens to be black, has a more central role than Billy Dee Williams' Lando Calrissian, it would be a disservice to Carrie Fisher's Princess Leia to herald Rey as a new hope as far as female characters go in this series. Let us not forget that Leia was very much in the thick of the action in the original trilogy, effectively saving herself, Han Solo and Luke when the latter two come to rescue her when she is imprisoned aboard the Death Star. Like Leia, Rey, a tough scavenger who comes across a most charming droid named BB-8 (voiced by Bill Hader) who possesses crucial information about the whereabouts of the mysteriously missing-in-action Luke Skywalker, can take care of herself, thank you very much. Ridley and Boyega are perfectly cast; both have engaging presences which will serve as sturdy anchors for the next two chapters.
Of course, how Kylo Ren, Rey and Fin connect with Luke, Leia and Han Solo is one of the puzzles to be solved in this new entry. Rey's natural skills as a pilot may position her as Han Solo's potential progeny - her exceptional maneuvering of the legendary piece of junk that is Millennium Falcon as she and Fin are chased by enemy fighters is one of the film's early highlights - but, in many respects, it does not matter as much as seeing the old familiar figures of Han Solo, Leia, C-3PO, and R2-D2. Ford, in particular, conveys the confidence that only a good old-fashioned movie star can. Han Solo may be older and a smidge wiser, but he will always be a swashbuckling rapscallion at heart. (Abrams also plants a callback to Ford's other iconic role, Indiana Jones, during a fight with some multi-tentacled creatures.)
Shot on 35mm film, The Force Awakens has a visual depth that was lacking in Lucas' all-digital prequels and the digitally Botoxed versions of the original trilogy. The CGI work is impressive precisely because it blends so seamlessly with the live action and rarely calls attention to itself. The action scenes are rousing and dynamic, and John Williams' unforgettable score is as spine-tingling and majestic as ever. The Force Awakens is one of the strongest installments in this franchise, completely living up to its title, awakening the force within its fan base and newcomers to the series, and whetting the appetite for the further films to come.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Directed by: J.J. Abrams
Written by: Lawrence Kasdan, J.J. Abrams, Michael Arndt; based on characters created by George Lucas
Starring: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Max Von Sydow, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Gwendoline Christie, Simon Pegg, Bill Hader, Harriet Walter, Ken Leung, Greg Grunberg, Iko Uwais, Warwick Davis
