Luke Skywalker has vanished, but his legend lives on. Thirty years since the fall of the Empire, ruled by Darth Vader and Sidious, the return of the Jedi has failed to come to fruition. Instead, a new darkness threatens the galaxy: the First Order, led by Supreme Leader Snoke and his commanders, General Hux and Kylo Ren. Once again, a resistance led by a Skywalker—this time, princess and now General Leia Organa—is tasked with bringing down a great evil.
The Star Wars universe is cyclical and repetitive, and though there’s little talk of midichlorians or senate trade embargos, there’s little doubt that The Force Awakens is a story that finds itself wearing a fresh coat of the same colour paint as the original trilogy. The story is immediately familiar, but the film is not weakened by its reliance on the past.
Indeed, for viewers entering The Force Awakens with apprehension, allow me to suggest that this is the best Star Wars film since The Empire Strikes Back. Character development and storytelling mean more than the desire to astound the senses.
Regardless, this is a Star Wars film, and one’s senses will certainly be astounded. X-Wings dart across the screen while a planet-sized superweapon gathers energy from a nearby sun. Lightsabers buzz and crackle as Force-users violently attack one another with might and fury. Colours burst across the screen with reds and blues engaging in a cinematic ballet across a sprawling canvas. John Williams’s legendary score fills every inch of one’s ear canal, while J. J. Abrams fulfills his destiny as the chosen one meant to bring balance to the desire for familiarity and novelty.
The Force Awakens is the same, but different, and the characters Kylo Ren, Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron exemplify this notion more than any other. Ren, clad in black cloaks and a voice distorting mask is this film’s Darth Vader, but when he eventually takes off his mask to reveal the boyish Adam Driver, the audience understands that Ren is nothing more than a boy trying on an adult suit. He’s uncertain about his fate and unsure of his destiny, but he makes great efforts to overcome his supposed childish naivete.
Ren’s path intersects with that of Rey, the scavenger stranded in a desert waiting for her family to return. In short, she’s waiting for her real life to begin again. Finn is a First Order deserter whose dalliance with evil leads him to the conclusion that life and peace are truly desirable. Finally, Poe Dameron is a friendlier, softer, but equally charismatic Han Solo who serves as a much-needed moral anchor, positioning himself favourably both within and without the film.
J. J. Abrams has once again proven his talent for commanding a property set in an established universe. Which is to say, long live Abrams for his remarkable knack for rebuilding, restructuring, and reinvigorating a property that has grown stale not only due to the weight of its own presence, but also due to past creative decisions. Satisfying is the manner in which Abrams pays tribute and homage to past films, while introducing his own brand of cinematic flair. Characters engage in quippy witticisms. The camera is dynamic—moving, shaking, and sputtering at erratic intervals in order to satisfy the need for movement and action. Finally, emotions feel real and the manner in which the narrative concludes is earned and pathetically satisfying. While many will ask if the movie is good a Star Wars episode or simply good film, these questions preclude that Abrams’ talent is palpable from the first instance that the opening crawl fades away.
I conclude by mentioning Roger Ebert. When viewing James Cameron’s Avatar, Ebert explained that he felt the same emotions as when he first watched George Lucas’s Star Wars in 1977. I never had the chance to see the original theatrical version of Lucas’s science fiction-fantasy masterpiece. Instead, I watched television edits, and almost every iteration of the remastered cuts. However, I was lucky enough to watch Avatar on opening day, in 3D on a stunning IMAX screen. Suffice it to say, the experience stuck with me.
Watching Abrams’s film, I can safely say that I completely understand what made a generation fall in love with Star Wars all those years ago.