Star Wars: The Force Awakens Review
Written by Hal Gray, Former Student on Thursday, January 7, 2016
After two showings and weeks’ worth of pondering, I can safely say that I am no closer to deciding if I loved Star Wars or not. No other movie has put me through the wringer this thoroughly and gut wrenchingly as this one. As a lifelong fan of possibly the most influential movie saga in history, and one of the few people who actually understands what the Kessel run is, I went into the theater under the impression I knew Star Wars. I came out a changed man.
First off, there could be no better director than JJ Abrams. Over the past six or seven years, Abrams has cranked out some of the best sci-fi material of the 2000’s. Whether it was a reboot (Star Trek) or more original content (Super 8, Cloverfield) his films were always crisp, concise, and most of all, fun. Star Wars is no different. Explosions, and humorous quips are in no short supply. Watching the Millennium Falcon fly through the wreckage of a once great empire is euphoric and exhilarating, as is seeing Han and Chewie board the Falcon once again. But the best part is not the old, but the new. Rey (Daisy Ridley) and stormtrooper turned traitor Fn-2187, later named Finn (John Boyega), are fantastic new characters, both possessing a plethora of heroic traits and accompanying weaknesses. At first, it seems as if Finn will be the new Luke, a centerpiece for the story to move around. But after Rey is introduced, it’s not hard to tell that she is the droid we are looking for. Even the story’s villain, the Vader-esque Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), with his fancy saber and over the top angst, is convincing and well thought out.
But here’s the thing. A New Hope came out in 1977. In the 38 years since the saga has been around, this is the third death star we’ve had. Two thirds or the original trilogy revolved solely around destroying these giant balls of planet murder. Now, this new film, for a new generation, had the ability to do anything. But instead of forging its own path, we were given a reboot. A mind blowing, gut wrenching, thrill ride of a reboot, but a reboot nonetheless. All of the old standby’s return. Barren sand planet, from which our lonely hero(oine) hails? Check. Malevolent army of evil, led by a seemingly remorseless helmeted man? Check. Enormous planet destroyer? Check. I could go on, but my point is that for all its strengths, the Force Awakens doesn’t bring enough new material to the table to be a new installment.
While the plot was unoriginal, the movie still impressed the multiple generations it was targeted to with its fantastic characters, amazing effects, and immersive story-telling.
