Review: ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’

Imagine being J. J. Abrams. Your solid record of rebooting or successfully continuing franchises like Star Trek and Mission Impossible has won you the helm of another beloved pillar of global pop culture – and perhaps of the most valuable media franchise around. Suddenly you’re the bearer of so much expectation and financial responsibility that to fail is tantamount to murdering the world’s collective childhood. Redeem the franchise you must, Master Abrams. Do! Or Do Not – there is no Try.

So you can’t blame Abrams and Disney for playing it a bit safe with Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It’s the right choice – after the cinematic duds of the prequel trilogy that sorely tested fans’ faith. The Force Awakens is the film we wanted. It reinvigorates Lucas’s original blueprint to produce a terrific entertainment for everyone – from the once-young, whose eyes opened in wonderment back in 1977, to youngsters completely new to the Star Wars universe.

How have they done it? By reminding us that Star Wars is supposed to be fun. The original trilogy is a blast because it’s a contemporary fantasy myth rather than true sci-fi. Yes, it’s bursting with cool ideas like laser swords and spaceship battles, but it grounds the fantasy elements in a believable reality, with pacing that doesn’t let the sci-fi get in the way of a good character-driven story. The Force Awakens does all of this brilliantly; and when the sand settles also manages to propel the saga forward in fresh and interesting ways.

In time-honoured Star Wars tradition we’re thrown right into proceedings with the strident chords of John Williams’ original theme and the opening crawl. In the 30 years since Return of the Jedi an even more zealous adherent to the Dark Side of the Force, the First Order, has emerged into the vacuum left by the Evil Galactic Empire’s destruction. Led by budding Sith Lord Kylo-Ren and the mysteriously sinister Supreme Leader Snoke, and in possession of another planet-crushing super weapon, The First Order puts the balance of power within the force, and throughout the galaxy, once more in peril. Meanwhile Luke Skywalker, guardian of what was left of the Jedi order, has gone AWOL, leaving nothing to counter the First Order’s rise to galactic supremacy. Things look grim, as The Resistance desperately sends a crack pilot on a mission to track down Skywalker’s whereabouts before all is lost…

In lesser hands the opening half, which presents new characters in familiar situations, might seem tired – but here its as rich, exciting and full of promise as new characters themselves. The second half is perhaps a bit less gripping, as references to the original trilogy tumble over themselves to compete for our attention. Perhaps it panders a bit much to the fans? You decide, but despite this I couldn’t wipe the grin from my face. With plot twists and revelations aplenty to drive the action forward, the conclusion is extremely satisfying. The relief in the cinema on the first night showing was palpable.

The forward-while-looking-over-your-shoulder approach also shows in the casting. Princess (now General) Leia, Han Solo, and Chewbacca are back, are pivotal to the plot and are played with relish by the original cast. The new characters are delivered with similar panache by relatively unknown talent – who are now shortlisted for household-name status. In particular there’s great chemistry between Daisy Ridley’s Rey, a young scavenger with a secret, and John Boyega’s Finn (a stormtrooper with a conscience). And Adam Driver’s villainous Kylo Ren, the Darth Vadar-in-waiting with an anger management problem, is a terrific creation: by turns menacing and weakly insecure, Driver enriches a potentially one-dimensional character.

Let’s not forget the inanimate cast members. Once studio models in front of blue screen, The Millennium Falcon and the subtly-updated X-Wings and TIE Fighters are superbly re-created by ILM. Technically the film is peerless as you’d expect: the digital rendering is utterly believable, and the combat scenes, most of them in planetary atmospheres rather than outer space, fizz with visceral energy. But it’s re-introduction of real shooting locations and animatronics – like the superb BB-8 – that bring the franchise back to life.

So while it doesn’t challenge us with a bold new direction, The Force Awakens manages to seem new, while remaining resolutely true to the original good-vs-evil fable at the core of this saga. Above all it’s great fun. Our childhoods, and the franchise, are safe – for now. Bring on Episode VIII!

8/10

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