“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…” are some of the most iconic words to ever come across a screen because people knew what was coming next. The opening of the yellow outlined “Star Wars” accompanied by the triumphant score has never had more of an impact in cinematic history and now it’s back. Yes, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is finally here after a long anticipated wait, and the wait paid off.
“The Force Awakens” is the seventh installment in the “Star Wars” saga and the first sequel since “Return of the Jedi” in 1983. It takes place 30 years after the events of “Return of the Jedi,” which means there is some catching up to do. While some catching up is done, there are many questions that are still unanswered by the end of the movie, which is OK because that’s what the following movies are hopefully going to answer.
One problem with the new movie is the reliance it had on the original trilogy and its fans. The plot wasn’t bad, but the further the movie progressed, the more I realized that it followed the same story structure as “Star Wars: A New Hope.” Despite having the same story structure, there were some great twists that helped the movie become one of the more dynamic films in the saga. It is understandable they followed the same plot because this is the first sequel in over 30 years, so this movie was more about reaffirming the mindset of the fans with nostalgia.
If there were one word to describe this movie it would be nostalgic. It was a complete nostalgia fest that almost went too far. There were some subtle jokes, reveals, and sequences that worked great, but the totality of it became a little much. Instead of feeling the experience of something new, the audience was experiencing a combination of the best moments from the previous films with upgraded visuals.
What “The Force Awakens” did right outweighs its nostalgic reliance from the fans and original films. The new installment did a great job of introducing the new characters and developing them throughout the movie, so by the end, we were invested enough to care about what happened to them. There are some questionable occurrences during the final lightsaber duel that seemed unbelievable, but due to the uncertainty of the main characters, it is feasible because there are still questions to be answered.
The most intriguing character in the movie is Kylo Ren, the new villain to the “Star Wars” universe. He isn’t just some one-dimensional villain with one purpose, but a very complex one with many external and internal conflicts that are more interesting than protagonists Rey or Finn. He is kind of a wannabe Darth Vader, but the backstory he has makes him far more interesting than Vader was in the original trilogy.
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is one of the best movies of the saga. Despite its heavy reliance on the original films and fan base, I believe the nostalgia fest is over. They got it all out of the way this time around, so there can be new expansions in the films to come. While sometimes it felt like this movie was too busy setting everything up for further sequels instead of being in the moment, everything worked. Going back to using more practical effects rather than relying on CGI benefited the film, and the CGI used only enhanced the best fighter squadron battles in all of the movies. The cast is superb; the chemistry between the characters is natural, and it is quite funny. Overall, this is the “Star Wars” everyone has been waiting for since most of the prequels were awful. It is one of few films that has lived up to the hype and with it shattering box office records, it is a must see during the holidays.
