(Please note: This review is written in such a manner as to not spoil the film.)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens crashed into theaters this past weekend, breaking nearly every record it’s faced at both the domestic and global box offices—and it deserves it.
Episode VII of the Star Wars saga picks up thirty years after the end of Episode VI, but you wouldn’t realize it had been that long based on the fervor of the fans. Opening night, lines stretched around the theater. A merchandise booth took up the corner of the lobby. And so many cars clogged the theater parking lot and all the adjacent businesses’ lots that moviegoers had to park several away.
Director J. J. Abrams and crew got so much right with this film. It’s the return of the Star Wars with which the world first fell in love—better than the prequel trilogy (by far) and reminiscent of the original trilogy in all the right ways. More than anything, The Force Awakens shows that the filmmakers who have taken over the saga understand, respect, and love what made it so iconic in the first place. And that is exhilarating to see.
A big part of what makes the movie work is how Abrams masterfully blends the original and new cast. Going in, it’s easy to be invested in the lives of Han, Leia, and Luke—but by the end, the newbies feel just as precious and wonderful as their predecessors. In addition, it’s exciting to finally see a major franchise with a diverse primary cast. Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) have amazing chemistry—both with the camera and each other—as an existential crisis-ridden Stormtrooper and Rebel pilot, respectively. Both are the kinds of heroes for whom I want to root.
However, more than either of them, the most incredible character to watch take over the Star Wars story is toughened scavenger Rey (Daisy Ridley).
To put it succinctly: Rey is bae. She has a strength, independence, practicality, determination, and passion unlike anything we’ve seen on screen before. She is not a “girl” action hero, but rather an action hero who just so happens to be a girl. Her femininity is part of who she is, but it does not define everything about her; it’s a nonissue. And that is beautiful.
On the flip side of the Force, new antagonist Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) presents a different interpretation of the dark side than any we’ve previously seen, which is also to the benefit of The Force Awakens. He is not a ready-made villain the way his predecessors were. Rather, he is still figuring out who he wants to be and how to reach that point, and this makes him so much more interesting as a character. As excited as I am to watch our protagonists evolve and come into their own in the next two movies, I’m easily just as excited about Ren.
Of course, the movie’s not perfect. Some of the storytelling is clunky and I’m worried about how obvious this film made some of the twists that are sure to come later in the trilogy. Additionally, while The Force Awakens returns primarily to the model-based special effects of the original trilogy, it does still contain a couple CGI characters, a la the prequel trilogy. This is to its detriment, as the (honestly sort of cheap-looking) CGI stands out in starch contrast to the beautifully-puppeted and crafted models that populate the rest of the film.
Still, these are minor complaints in an otherwise very strong movie—one that reminded me (and clearly a whole lot of other people) how magical a movie can be. The Force Awakens is selling so many tickets not only because it’s Star Wars, but because it reminds viewers why films are worth loving and what it feels like to truly fall in love with a new one.
Really, if I have any true complaints about The Force Awakens, it’s that I don’t have my own BB-8 droid with whom to pal around.
Until the day that happens, I guess I’ll settle for being ridiculously excited for Episode VIII (and seeing Star Wars: The Force Awakens in theaters a billion more times).
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is in theaters now. Tickets are available for showings at both Goodrich Quality 16 and Ann Arbor 20 (Rave). See it before a friend (who’s clearly been corrupted by the Dark Side) spoils you.
