Sam Balas | Rawr
Nearly 40 years ago, George Lucas created the first fantasy/science-fiction installment in what was to later become one of the most iconic film franchises in history: “Star Wars” (later renamed “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope”). The series, now composed of seven movies total, has had its ups and downs throughout the decades.
Although Star Wars’ strong fan base has remained faithful, after extraneous, CGI-wrought films like “The Phantom Menace” and characters as absurd as Jar Jar Binks, many “Star Wars” fans were keeping their fingers crossed that the franchise’s latest movie, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” would return the series to its original glory.
The good news? It did.
Enter J.J. Abrams (may he live forever), who was thrust into the position of saving the “Star Wars” franchise when Disney paid off George Lucas to cut the umbilical cord and mercifully pawn off his baby.
Abrams does have his weaknesses as a director, and he does occasionally substitute entertainment for intelligence, but with “The Force Awakens,” he manages to do something Lucas botched with the “Star Wars” prequels — he creates interesting characters.
The greatest character success of the film is Rey, played by the gorgeous and remarkably talented Daisy Ridley, who manages to portray both charisma and vulnerability that hasn’t graced the silver screen since Judy Garland played Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz.”
Like Dorothy, Rey finds herself on a journey that takes her far from home.
In addition to a strong female lead, the film also features AWOL stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega), a First Order soldier on the run after a guilty conscience convinces him to switch sides and fight for the Resistance — Resistance pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and former fan favorites, such as General Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harssion Ford).
A cast of strong protagonists is a good start, but action/sci-fi/fantasy movies are only as good as their bad guys. While the Prequels had the boring and one-dimensional Count Dooku, “The Force Awakens” introduces the audience to the dynamic Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), who is both a terrifying force of evil and a shockingly vulnerable angry man-child.
The plot itself is tight and well-built, with many twists and turns that will hold anyone — age seven to 70 — in attention. However, the plot is also the film’s biggest shortcoming, as there is an unnecessarily shoehorned-in “Death Star 3.0” element that detracts from the emotional story the film builds through its complex character interactions.
But that simply comes with the territory of being a “Star Wars” reboot film. Abrams isn’t supposed to be trying to create a new fantastic universe — he’s trying to save the old one, and if early box office reports are any indication of success, he is doing a fantastic job at keeping the force alive.
However, the lack of innovation will probably hurt the films’ long-term legacy. The early films are praised and re-watched constantly. This one might not be, but what the film will do is lead to more “Star Wars” films that will be able to take more risks. It introduces a set of fantastic new characters that will lead to a new trilogy of films that, though they may not have the revolutionary impact of the original trilogy, will be solid additions to the “Star Wars” world. After the disaster that was the prequels, this is definitely the movie fans have been waiting for.