" Star Wars Episode VII:The Force Awakens" is currently on pace to become one of, if not the, highest grossing movie of all time, since i's December release a few weeks ago, and has not slowed down since, surging to break the New Year's Day grossing record in North America at $34.5 million. Needless to say, the decades-long cultural icon has swept the cinematic landscape coming into the new year, more than likely exceeding the sky-high expectations set by hardcore fans and Disney alike. However, the film did not begin without it's own controversy. After the reveal of the black stormtrooper character we now know as FN-2187, or Finn, many angry and racist Twitter warriors took to the hashtag #boycottStarWarsVII, some being trolls, and others unfortunately completely sincere, claiming such absurdities as the casting being a Jewish conspiracy towards "White Genocide." But the majority of Star Wars nerds and generally non-ignorant people were simply excited to see a new film after 10 long years, with a new story and fresh faces, and that it was. "The Force Awakens" was a fun, entertaining, popcorn-munching adventure full of action, beautiful cinematography, and moments of laughter, romance, and anguish, with a diverse cast of humans and aliens alike. However, when taking a deeper look at Finn himself, his casting isn't nearly as revolutionary and groundbreaking as it seems, but rather regresses into stereotypes that cater more to the type of people who wanted to boycott Star Wars in the first place, and here's why (bear with me if you haven't seen the film, as the internet has very little in the way of video and picture evidence outside of trailers as of now).

1. Finn's first appearance in Jakku

The now iconic image of a frantic and panicking John Boyega as Finn surviving the Tie fighter crash and landing on Jakku is ingrained in many Star Wars fans. But the most important part of those opening scenes becomes clear. Finn, of course, leaves the tie fighter, and traverses the Jakku desert until he stumbles upon the settlement where he meets his future partner-in-crime, Rey. But Finn's purpose in the film is ultimately set when he is forced to slurp out of a water trough alongside an ugly alien beast--he is a glorified Jar Jar Binks. Finn is constantly sweating, displaying that panicked look, and constantly delivers his lines quickly, and bumbling-ly-Finn serves as one of the few constant sources of slapstick, mindless humor in the film, especially compared to his co-star Daisy Ridley. Which brings me to the second observation:

2. Finn's relationship with Rey

Once the "First Order" finds droid B-88 and the "Traitor!" Finn (in my best sword-wielding stomtrooper voice), a large action sequence begins, in which Rey and Finn have to work together to escape Jakku. From their first interaction, Finn is absolutely smitten with the future Jedi, while Rey is less than interested in romancing Finn, to say the least. In this one-sided romance, Rey always has the upper-hand, both figuratively and aesthetically. For example, Rey remains calm and collected even when Finn decides to leave her, Han Solo, and Maz at the tavern. She stands above him, with him a few steps below her, cordially telling him not to leave them behind--an interesting change to the trope of the damsel in distress begging at a man's coattails. But Rey is established as a strong and independent character, repeatedly yelling, "Don't hold my hand!" to Finn as they flee First Order soldiers, while Finn, himself, has to be saved by Rey instead. And in the end, after all of Finn's attempts to care for and save Rey himself, she ends with nothing more for him than a kiss on the forehead and an innocent "Thank you friend" over his hospital bed. Though this dynamic is certainly refreshing and empowering for women in cinema, especially for a movie of this magnitude, it also showcases the inferiority of Finn compared with Rey. Which leads into the final observation...

3. Finn is not the hero

In the final, suspenseful moments of "The Force Awakens," Finn, Rey, Chewbacca, and Han work together to try to take down the evil Kylo Ren and the First Order. The first position of power and leadership Finn is given is when he takes control and threatens Captain Phasma to take down the shields for the StarKiller Base. Finn's braggadocios is so over-the-top that Han has to tell him to lighten up and take it down a notch--another comical moment in the film. Afterwards, Finn again tries to be a hero when he unleashes Luke Skywalker's sword to take on Ren himself....only to be sliced in the back and knocked unconscious, so that the real hero, Rey, can defeat him.

Is it necessary for the Afro-British John Boyega to be a hero in the film? Is it wrong for the White-British Daisy Ridley to be the hero instead of him? No, not in the slightest. But if I'm a racist, if I'm someone who un-ironically wanted to boycott "Episode VII," these dynamics are not worthy of outrage, but instead, pleasure. If I was a racist, I would want to see the only black character sweat, stutter, and comedically stumble his way through the movie. I would enjoy seeing Rey save him and repeatedly ignore his romantic advances, making him look desperate and embarrassing. And if I was a racist, I would leave the theater at least comfortable that, despite the opening trailers and promotions, Finn was not the overlying star and powerhouse, but rather a catalyst for the emergence of Rey as the Jedi Hero, the next in line after Luke Skywalker himself to save the galaxy. With all of that being said, "The Force Awakens" was still a very good movie, and we still have at least two more movies to come to complete the third trilogy. Hopefully, in "Episode VIII" Finn will have a much more prominent, and progressive, role, but only time will tell.