Star Wars: The Force Awakens film review

Spoiler Free Section.

I’ve seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens twice in the last few days. I would like to say that I did this for you guys and girls at home but in truth I did this because Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the Star Wars film my generation has been begging for. Without spoiling anything about the film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a fitting tribute to the original films. Both actors reprising their previous roles and Star Wars newcomers fulfil their roles masterfully in Lawrence Kasdan and J.J Abrams’ brilliant screenplay. Special mention has to go to Daisy Ridley’s performance as Rey which steals the show. Abrams’ directs with a loving touch, incorporating as many winks and nods to the audience as is possible without making the piece feel like fan film. The film also does well to re-set up the universe that we will surely be visiting yearly for at least the next decade. If you haven’t seen the film yet, go be a part of the craze, it’s well worth your time and attention. Go. Watch. It. Now.

Are they gone? Good.

Spoiler Section (stop now if you haven’t seen the film, you’re only hurting yourself).

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is great. If you have seen the film you should know that. However, there is something we need to talk about before I get into the nitty gritty of the review. The third act of the film is lifted directly from A New Hope. We watch as the team get back to the rebel base, analyse the villains new super weapon and storm it. Po Dameron completely ‘Luke-Skywalkers’ the centre power supply, rupturing all the fuel tanks. Meanwhile, Han Solo steps in to sweep the prize of most noble death from Obi Wan Kenobi. I’m pretty sure this is the result of a detailed analysis of the original films from Abrams and it is certainly meant to push our nostalgia buttons like a mice looking for cheese. Many of the films detractors have cited this as a serious flaw in the film but I think that’s far from the truth.

The films greatest strength comes from its connection to A New Hope. The piece has an aesthetic and score that is reminiscent of the original films. Immediately I found I was placed back into the world of a New Hope when watching. This gives the film an edge as it reaches the climax with the final battle. The repetition in plot and arc creates a mental connection between the audiences memories of A New Hope. This immediately puts fans of the franchise on Abrams side and creates a final sequence that will make any geek squeal with joy. It also creates a longing for, as we have seen all the pieces come together minus Luke, this means that when Luke appears at the end of the film there is a magnificent feeling of closure.

It’s these meta-techniques that Abrams and Kasdan have employed throughout the film that allow it to deal with a vast majority of its other possible issues. The new cast of characters, which could have felt weak or forced, feel like old friends as they are blended into the cast we know with a combination of family ties and motivational similarities. The lack exposition is forgivable as many planets feel like they have a similarity to previous settings, Jakku translates well into Tatooine for example. This meta-technique also makes small departures from the original film stand out further, such as the redesigns of the Stormtroopers and the new alien species. While this technique help to smooth the transition between the original trilogy and the new Disney universe it makes me a little scared for the future of the franchise.

Disney and their creative team cannot repeat this approach, it will get boring fast. It would be very easy, especially with how the film ended, for the next film to follow the narrative of The Empire Strikes Back. The problem is that if the team went in that direction the plot would become predictable to the point that we would probably get a rough retelling of The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi, which would leave everyone feeling pretty dissatisfied. It doesn’t surprise me that Abrams passed on making another film as his meta-narrative trick is just that, a trick. With any analysis or repetition it loses its impact. Luckily, the hard work of actors, producers and creators of every measure allow Abrams to get away with this trick once. When it comes to the prospect of sequels, I have a bad feeling about this.