I cannot really guarantee a full spoiler-free piece, so only read this after you’ve seen the movie!
There’s been an Awakening. Have you felt it?
I’ve seen The Force Awakens three times by now, and I’m on my way to see it a fourth time. I’ve listened to the special episode of The Incomparable about it. I think it’s time for me to say a couple of things about it.
Let’s start with the basics. This IS a proper Star Wars movie. Forget all the nonsense of the prequels, all the politics and the trade commissions. With the Force Awakens we are going back to the root of what made the original Star Wars a global success: it’s funny, it’s clever and the chemistry between the characters is absolutely great.
Probably the best part of this movie is how well the new generation mixes and takes over from the old guard. Good guys and bad guys in the same way, we have an organic ensemble that actually works!
The Force Awakens also does a good job in bringing new and diverse role models for the new and younger generation of viewers. With Rey, we have a strong female lead who’s not afraid of all the challenges coming her way, actually she embraces them way better than her male counterpart Finn.
One of the major complaints that I heard related to this movie is its plot. I admit it. If you are looking for a new ground-braking, mind-blowing story, this movie will disappoint you. In my opinion this is actually a good thing. The job of the Force Awakens is to re-open a book that we closed after Return of The Jedi. It has to bring us back into a galaxy far far away. Its sense of familiarity is what makes this movie so appealing.
Having to introduce a full new cast was the job of this movie. Episodes VIII and IX will be the ones where the plot can advance to uncharted territories. For a 135 minutes movie there’s a lot to digest and not being distracted by the underlying story gives the viewer a chance to become familiar with old and new faces in a more intimate way.
But don’t worry, there’s much to enjoy plot-wise even if at first is seems so familiar.
One special mention has to go to Harrison Ford. His Han Solo character is the one that carries most of the film forward. I don’t know how, but he manages to be even funnier than in the original trilogy and in practice he’s the real bridge between old and new.
The Force Awakens reopens a lots of doors in the story of the Skywalker family and doesn’t close many of those, leaving room for the other two chapters in the story to explore the depth of conflict between the Light and the Dark Side of the Force.
Speaking of which, another mention goes to Adam Driver and his Kylo Ren character. He’s the bad guy, yes but it’s not at all what Darth Vader used to be. He’s his follower and his figure clearly draws inspiration from Vader, but his future doesn’t seem to be as clear as he would like it to be. Being an agent of chaos, but also feeling the call of the Light will make for a very interesting character development. We’ll see what happen once his training is finally complete.
All things considered, The Force Awakens is an example of why JJ Abrams is such a good director. In this movie there’s something for everyone. New fans, old fans and yes even for the haters! As a big fan of the original trilogy I felt right back when we left our heroes in the forest of Endor. I couldn’t have personally asked for much more from this movie and as I said before I can’t wait for 2017 to learn where our favourite Galaxy is heading toward.
May The Force Be With You.