Set 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi, plenty has changed in the Star Wars universe. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) has disappeared off the face of the galaxy with the only guide to him being a map that's in several pieces. With that, both the First Order – the successor to Emperor Palpatine's Galactic Empire – and the Resistance are in search of his whereabouts for their own purposes. The final piece of said map is located at a campsite on the desert planet of Jakku, with Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) placing it in the hands on the scene-stealing BB-8, who in turn falls into the hands of the poverty-stricken Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Stormtrooper-turned-fugitive 'Finn' (John Boyega). From there, the reluctant duo must band together with the droid to give the map piece to the Resistance before Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and his fleet retrieves it.
Sound familiar? Well, besides from a few elements and the obvious additions of the new lead characters – who are designed in such a way to replicate in a certain way the Luke, Leia and Han touch that the originals had – it is mostly an amalgamation of the original trilogy, borrowing mostly from A New Hope in terms of conceit but taking the same steps as the following episodes in terms of tone and twists (which there are many of). And as someone who wasn't overly appealed but at least appreciated the manner of those films, it's safe to say that The Force Awakens sits in the same boat in that regard – the story's familiarity, and with the newer elements being more on the predictable side, makes it a tad less interesting in that regard; not helped by the standard action beats incorporated into the picture. Yes, the special effects are much better in comparison to the classics thanks to having 40 years of progress so the action does at least look more interesting, but there's only so many times you can witness the recurring X-Wing/TIE Fighter battles (especially against the 'Star Killer', which is basically a planet-sized Death Star with extra might but slower murdering speed).
Auteur J.J. Abrams has at least brought some good visuals into his project though, as while there aren't any outstanding directing choices that aren't typical to the action/sci-fi genre, he does at least avoid the same mistakes made in his last film (Star Trek Into Darkness; the dull action sequel which is now being forgotten ahead of next year's sequel sans Abrams). While the flight sequences do end up being tedious as aforementioned above, they do at least look engaging enough, and there is a certain spectacle to the final lightsaber battle. Pushing him more though is the lighting and sound design, which does add a level of beauty to each shot and scene while the increased vocal range of BB-8 does help give him a good sense of personality and understanding when he isn't being used as a much better addition of comic relief than the franchise's previous attempt in the form of one Jar Jar Binks.
The real stars of the film are the characters though, which there are plenty of to go around. The most prominent is Ridley's Rey, who is presented less as the damsel in distress that Leia (Carrie Fisher) was – nor the one Finn expects her to be upon meeting – and being the daughter Han Solo (Harrison Ford) never had with her knowledge on technology. However, unlike predecessor Luke she has no wish to leave her home, as the reluctant heroine constantly voices her wishes to return to her solo confinement inside a AT-AT walker. For an actress who has few credentials on her résumé, she is an amazing find. And while John Boyega's change of allegiance is rather sudden, he is a really likable character. He may find himself to the liar role, but it is at least quickly rectified and made up for with his chemistry with his co-stars and usage as the film progresses. Isaac's Poe isn't given that much screen time in this instalment, but what he shows is fine stuff from the once-unknown star, and on equal terms Lupita N'yongo's placement as an alien on yet another cantina with information is an interesting turn for the Oscar-winning actress. With returning players Ford, Fisher, Anthony Daniels and Peter Mayhew, you do see them easily returning to their roles as though they never left; while newbie villain Adam Driver as Kylo Ren (and no, that's not a spoiler – they revealed that factor in the early days of the film's publicity) does make for an engaging new threat who isn't as one note as some of the more recent additions to the Star Wars legacy courtesy of its creator – he has clear issues with controlling his rage and isn’t quite as easily definable by even Darth Vader standards. He constantly butts heads with Domhnall Gleeson too and isn't quite as trusted by new leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) as Palpatine was of Vader. As far as the new additions are concerned, he is one of the more interesting creations for this film and subsequent pictures.
The Force Awakens is perfect for fans of the original series, and judging by the reviews and box office receivings it's clear that they're very happy with how the film is. But with more than enough plotholes and a 'mystery box' conceit that doesn't do all that much shocking aside for set up for subsequent sequels, it does leave general viewers and non-fans satisfied only in being part of the hype. The characters are of course the main highlight (there's no doubt now that BB-8 is worthy all the attention he/she/it is getting), and it’s a nice little nostalgic trip back in time to when Star Wars was good. But next time, can we something other than what we saw back then? 6/10.
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