As a massive Star Wars fan I was faced with both skepticism and excitement as I sat down in the packed cinema this evening. The skepticism was mainly due to the disappointment of the prequel trilogy but the excitement of returning to the Star Wars universe quickly overpowered that and as the iconic screen crawl began and the crowd erupted into applause I felt a new sense of hope. By the time the film ended all those worries were gone; the days of long winded council meetings and excessive CGI are long behind us and director J.J. Abrams takes us back to everything we loved about the original movies. That is essentially one of the things that made The Force Awakens what it was, it's return to its source material.
Between the excellent use of practical effects and the returning actors from the original trilogy, the film is successful at reconnecting us with the Star Wars universe that was thought to be a thing of the past. Even the original cast members, despite their limited screen time, show that they still have the talent to bring back the characters that they had made so iconic all those years ago. Harrison Ford in particular shines as the now aged but just as roguish Han Solo and is friendship with the loveable Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) is just as strong as it was when we first met them in Mos Eiseley Cantina. At times the plot seems very similar to A New Hope, the droid with important information landing on a desert planet, the rescue of a rebellion member from the enemy, it sometimes does feel as though we've seen this all before. However, it is the new cast members that help to establish this film as it's own individual one.
There is a lot to say about the new cast, initially I was worried that they would be overshadowed by the veteran actors but thankfully this is not the case and most of the new characters get a chance to develop and establish themselves for future installments. Firstly the two leads John Boyega and Daisy Ridley who play Finn and Rey respectively are both flawless in their performance and definitely have a promising career ahead of them. Boyega manages to bring humor to the plot which is something which I feel was poorly executed in previous films (here's looking at you Ahmed Best). The chemistry between him and Ridley's character Rey is very convincing and the two work well together. They are both characters who are lost in their own respects but when they run into each other they find a sense of meaning in their lives. Rey is the essential strong female lead that I feel the prequels lacked, she is a character who shows that she is capable of defending herself and does not depend on the male characters to get her out of tough situations. As expected Oscar Isaac delivers once again despite his limited screen time as the wise cracking X-wing pilot Poe Dameron. His character echoes aspects of Han Solo, humorous, roguish and a talented pilot but having said that, he is his own individual character and not a cheap imitation.
On the dark side we have the formidable Kylo Ren played by newcomer Adam Driver. Ren is not simply a monster under a mask, he is a character with immense depth and a fundamentalist of sorts due to his devotion to the dark side. He faces an inner conflict between his infatuation with the dark side of the force and the life he left behind, something that becomes pivotal in the final act. Although driver was flawless as Ren, the other villains in the film felt a bit underutilised. I was excited to see Gwendolyn Christie as Captain Phasma as I love her in Game Of Thrones but alas, there was not much of her in the film which was a bit disappointing. Similarly, Domhnall Gleeson's character General Hux seemed a bit underused although his Hitler-esque speech helped him to stand out. A character who I was very curious to see was Supreme Leader Snoke portrayed by Lord of The Rings alum Andy Serkis but his appearance was quite underwhelming. Physically he is quite mediocre looking and his onscreen presence is not much better but he retains this sense of mystery around him that makes me want to know more about him.
One thing which I loved about the film was its limited use of CGI and its emphasis on the practical effects. So much detail was used on both production design and character design and this is highly evident in the scene at Maz Kanata's bar (one very reminiscent of the iconic Cantina scene). There is a wide range of various aliens scene all carefully designed and realistic looking which really shows how much care went into making this film. Beautiful Locations such as Skellig Michael and Abu Dhabi were also used to give a more natural look to the various planets in the film and it certainly pays off as there are some stunning shots in the film. The CGI in the film is actually not so bad, although characters like Lupita Nyong'o's Maz Kanata is a bit cartoonish looking, they are a big improvement of those awful gungans from the prequels. The droid effects are also impressive and the new droid BB-8 is a loveable character especially for the younger viewers. Continuing this natural feel of The Force Awakens, the lightsaber duels are no longer flippy and jumpy, instead they seem a lot more like the older duels of the original trilogy.
So if you are worried that this will be a repeat of the prequels then you can put those worries to rest as The Force Awakens is exactly what one could want from a follow up to the original trilogy. It manages to balance the old with the new while not placing too much emphasis on the veteran cast members. Its more natural looking effects make it feel more like the original trilogy and make it a lot more visually appealing too. Although the plot is something we've seen before and certain characters such as Phasma and Dameron seem underdeveloped, it opens many doors for new stories and room for development in future installments. All of the films flaws for me are just nitpicking as I genuinely found it amazing in both style and substance and although that may be my fanboy bias talking, I'm pretty sure it will appeal to those who aren't die hard fans too. Most importantly it is a film for fans of all ages, offering something for long time fans while ushering in a new era for younger ones too. The Force Awakens truly is the Star Wars film we have been waiting for.
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