Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens Movie Review

Released: December 18th 2015 (United States)

Length: 135 Minutes

Certificate: 12A

Director: J J Abrams

Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Harrison Ford, Peter Mayhew, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Andy Serkis, Domnhall Gleeson and Mark Hamill.

Since its introduction in 1977, Star Wars has drastically varied in quality over the years. Many were left disillusioned and disappointed after George Lucas’s prequel trilogy and others believed there would be no more main entries in the far reaching, science fiction saga once it had come full circle. After a decade long wait, the sequel trilogy, and indeed an all-new cinematic universe commences with Episode VII: The Force Awakens, which succeeds at revitalising the long dormant franchise with flying colours.

Thirty years after the end of the galactic civil war, the New Republic has grown from scratch. But a new threat has entered the scene, that of the First Order; a sinister remnant of the Empire led by the ruthless Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), who is hell-bent on finding the last Jedi in the universe: Luke Skywalker. From this completely new canvas (which discounts the expanded universe), three new heroes from very different backgrounds named Finn (John Boyega), Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) all paint themselves into the Star Wars canon as they join up with a newly formed resistance to fight back against the darkness. We’re introduced to both sides of this conflict as the film cuts back and forth between character interactions, while sprinkling in heavy doses of action and drama for good measure. It’s appropriately hectic and very fast-moving much like the original 1977 film, making it an irresistible romp for audiences to dive straight into. It will grab your attention better than any of the prequels ever could. The one major issue I can raise about the plot and the film as a whole is that it sticks to fairly familiar territory where plot events and occurrences are concerned. Without giving anything away, you will find several familiar moments and story threads that have been incorporated from Episode IV: A New Hope; JJ Abrams previously mentioned that he’s a huge fan of the original film and while it might disappoint some long-term fans to see these elements make reappearances, this really didn’t have much of a negative impact for me. That’s because the characters do much to differ themselves from the cinema-goers originally grew accustomed to all those years ago.

Reverting back to the older practice of using relatively unknown actors, The Force Awakens really steps things up when it comes to varied and emotive performances. Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Oscar Isaac are all equally brilliant; the new recruits own this movie, fitting into the roles and never allowing themselves to become overshadowed by the returning favourites we all know and love. The three main characters have their own memorable characteristics and backstories which work towards building intrigue as well as bringing them into the fold. In other areas, the swathes of nostalgia ring true as Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) among others make their long-awaited return to the saga and they’re played with the same great gusto they had before; not only that, but their latest incarnations really do feel like natural extensions of the originals, further immersing us in the story and their interactions with the newer characters. BB-8 is a wonderfully expressive and lovable new droid who slides perfectly into place alongside C-3PO and R2-D2. The villains are also well done, even if some are given more detail than others; at the centre of this opening chapter is Kylo Ren, a highly threatening and imposing villain who is definitely a worthy successor to Darth Vader. Episode VII takes things a step further with him however by channelling an internal conflict that grows clearer as things go on. Focusing on Ren was ultimately the right way to go; even though some of the other villains such as General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) and Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie) don’t receive as much backstory, they still have enough of a presence to make an impact. The cast of The Force Awakens is more diverse and richer than anything seen before in the series, with actors from around the globe all pulling their weight into one of the biggest filmmaking efforts of the year.

Episode VII is a lovely film to look at, but this is a case where both digital and practical effects have coalesced, rather than conflicted to create a believability that hasn’t been seen in Star Wars in years. Whether it’s the actual BB-8 droid that trundles along in the sets or the on set models, the way Abrams and Lucasfilm have brought back practical effects is a nice touch that resonates throughout the film’s run time. The computer effects have progressed a great deal in the past ten years; the highlights this time around are the various dogfights between the classic X-Wing and Tie Fighter ships from Industrial Light Magic Vancouver which populate the film. I don’t usually point this out in reviews but I highly recommend seeing The Force Awakens in IMAX; the incredible sound design makes the film doubly impactful. John Williams also returns to compose the score for Episode VII and it once again fits the epic standard we’ve come to expect from the composer. The locations also remain relatively close to those seen in the original trilogy, the sandy deserts of Jakku forming a strong contrast with the environments that appear later in the film. By enriching the story and characters as well as respecting the vision of the original trilogy, the effects of The Force Awakens succeed at recapturing the sheer awe of Star Wars for cinema-goers and this is a very encouraging achievement.

Star Wars Episode VII is a fantastic film in every way, and a roaring start for the sequel trilogy; aside from treading fairly close to A New Hope, it brings the saga back to the peak it reached with the originals while taking all the right steps to bring new characters and dazzling moments to the fray. The saga is undoubtedly in capable hands from here on in.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars