With the midnight release of "Star Wars: the Force Awakens" on Dec. 18, 2015 many fans ventured out to movie theatres in high anticipation. While some were ecstatic others gripped their tickets with apprehension at the thought of Disney ruining the franchise. "Star Wars: the Force Awakens" is a step in the right direction but fails to distinguish itself from its predecessors. (Just to forewarn once again there are spoilers ahead so if you haven't seen the movie yet venture no further!)
The Good
- Several characters from the previous films make a recurring appearance including Han Solo and Chewbacca.
- Different throwbacks quench the nostalgia factor that the fan base has been missing since "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith."
- Fast-paced with plenty of action sequences to keep your attention
- A strong cast performance
- Solid characters to grow and expand in the next films
- Humor was delivered and implemented well
- Good introduction of the main characters
The Bad
- Clone of previous movies
- Starkiller base was a copy of the death star
- Destruction of the Starkiller base the exact same as that of the death star
- Lone person on a desert planet being a force user studying with a master in self-imposed exile trope
- Kylo Ren a copycat of Anakin/Darth Vader
- Plot is predictable
The Ugly
- Rey defeating Kylo Ren
- Han Solo’s death
- A squadron of X-Wings destroying Starkiller base
"Star Wars: the Force Awakens" starts off strong with the search for an absentee Luke Skywalker by several parties including the Resistance and the First Order (the remnants of the Empire from previous movies). A majority of the characters are introduced, the main ones being Rey (a scavenger on a desert planet thrust into helping the Resistance), Finn (a renegade Stormtrooper who defected because of his sense of morality against killing innocent lives) and Kylo Ren (the main villain in the sequel who is searching for Luke Skywalker through any means necessary). Other favorites like Han Solo, Chewbacca and even Leia Organa make a recurring appearance.
The movie itself is typical Star Wars with the protagonists fighting against the First Order’s tyranny with all odds stacked against them. On top of Kylo Ren chasing the protagonists across the galaxy in an attempt to uncover the missing map piece, the First Order utilizes Starkiller base to menace the Resistance, which has the ability to destroy multiple planets by sapping the energy from a nearby star. This shifts the mission directive from delivering the missing map piece to stopping the First Order from destroying the Resistance outright. While the first half of the film explores the depth of the characters the plot begins to unravel through the implementation of Starkiller base and the Resistance planning to destroy it in the exact same way; through an exhaust port.
Without going into a plot synopsis of the film, several issues hold "Star Wars: a Force Awakens" back from being great.
Rey Awakening Her Force Powers
While it was expected that Rey would have some affinity with the force how quickly her prowess grew raises a few questions. When confronted by Kylo Ren she began to realize that she had a connection with the force, where she afterward convinced a Stormtrooper to free her using a Jedi mind trick. Considering what little knowledge she had on the Jedi (previously thinking they were a myth until Han Solo told her it was all true) it’s strange that she would have that level of prowess to mind control a Stormtrooper upon just realizing she had that connection.
Rey Defeating Kylo Ren
Rey has fighting experience, but it doesn’t seem comparable to the amount of training that Kylo Ren had under Luke Skywalker. He also has years of experience fighting with a light saber. Despite previous injuries, Kylo Ren was using the pain to fuel his powers and had overpowered both Finn and Rey for a majority of the fight. He was close to defeating her but Rey became attuned to the force and turned the tide to defeat Kylo Ren. The force doesn’t necessarily equate to fighting ability and Kylo Ren’s skill with a lightsaber was greater than Rey’s.
Han Solo’s Death
The death was out of character and the potential of the character to appear in future films cut short. Han had stated before coming to the Starkiller base that he and Leia had lost their son and he had "too much Vader in him." This sentiment would make it seem as though he would be more cautious approaching his son in an attempt to persuade him to renounce the dark side and to come home. Instead, it left a tense audience with knowledge of what was about to happen.
A Clone of Previous Movies
The main engine of destruction in the film is the Starkiller base, which is essentially a giant death star. Rather than learn from past mistakes the First Order incorporates the same weaknesses that its predecessor had. As if this isn’t bad enough the Resistance destroys Starkiller base in the exact same way that the death star was destroyed. The First Order is never fleshed out and is a re-skinned Empire. Rey follows the ‘lone person on a desert planet being a force user studying with a master in self-imposed exile trope,’ similar to Luke Skywalker. Kylo Ren follows in his grandfather’s (Darth Vader) footsteps in attempting to use the dark side of the force to empower him. Kylo Ren also slaughtered Luke Skywalker’s newly made Jedi academy like Anakin/Darth Vader did in the prequels. Han’s manner of death was similar to Obi-Wan Konobi’s. The movie, while trying to add that nostalgia factor, is too similar to its predecessors to stand out among them.
