Review: ‘Force’ awakens and gives ‘Star Wars’ a new hope

4.5/5 stars

THE FORCE IS BACK! Director J. J. Abrams’ highly anticipated installment of the seventh episode in the award-winning intergalactic franchise, “Star Wars,” debuted to audiences around the world on Dec. 18. Before the movie’s release, people were skeptical as to whether or not “Star Wars” could be revitalized after witnessing George Lucas’ disappointing prequels to the original trilogy. Fortunately, Abrams rejuvenated the thrill of the warmhearted, action-filled spectacle that most of us remember from watching the original trilogy.

The plot of “The Force Awakens” centers around the search for the last Jedi Knight, Luke Skywalker. The oppressive successor to the Empire, the First Order, wants to extinguish the last of the Jedi, since he’s the Resistance’s most valuable asset to win the war. Viewers quickly meet the audacious scavenger Rey (Daisy Ridley), who goes from a young girl living on a desert planet with no family to the most worthy challenger to face the First Order.

Ridley portrays her as someone who doesn’t really understand her true power and what the future entails, which makes her character very relatable. Her unwavering self-confidence and humorous one-liners on their own make the movie worthy of its success.

Another character to look out for is Finn (John Boyega). Similar to Rey, there’s not much mentioned about Finn’s backstory. However, his intentions and morals are evident throughout the film. Early on, Finn experiences a sudden character change that draws sympathy from the audience instantly. Boyega’s reactions to the rollercoaster swirls of adventure come off as realistic, given the unbelievable events that transpire. His interactions and over-dramatic facial expressions reveal Finn to be that regular guy who was randomly placed in the middle of this sci-fi universe, which makes him such a fun-loving character.

“The Force Awakens” does a better job of incorporating in depth character development rather than the previous six episodes. Specifically, the audience sees Kylo Ren as a person, instead of just a faceless evil Sith Lord like Darth Vader in the original “Star Wars” series.

It took a total of six episodes for fans to discover and understand Vader’s backstory and reasoning for becoming the dominant force of the dark side. In “The Force Awakens,” however, we already see Kylo’s face and learn a little bit about his history and his intentions for turning against the Resistance and for the Dark Side.

Another reason why Finn, Rey, Poe and Kylo all shine in this movie is because of the presence of the old cast members. Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher are back playing their original roles as Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, respectively. The famous robot duo of C-3P0 and R2-D2, copilot Wookiee Chewbacca and even the legendary spaceship The Millennium Falcon are all back to not only give nostalgia, but help the newbloods weave their way into the series.

Han Solo and Chewbacca welcome Rey and Finn to the adventure through witty dialogue exchanges and untimely circumstances. At first, the newcomers appear as weak individuals who don’t know exactly how to approach certain predicaments. But after collaborating with the characters from the past, they become stronger people.

In terms of visual effects, “The Force Awakens” amazes with laser beams, explosions, lightsaber battles and sound effects that explode into the cinema. The technological production value has improved significantly since the last episode in 2005. One of the coolest effects in this movie is  when sparks fly off the sabers as they strike.

The lack of CGI, compared to the prequels, makes the story feel more realistic with the use of practical effects. A movie can never be flawless, but the negatives for this film were minor. The new Starkiller base of the The First Order, or the Death Star 3.0, doesn’t feel as threatening as the original. Yes, it’s two times the size, and the effects from Starkiller looked incredible. However the emotional build for its destructiveness wasn’t elevated enough. Also, the chrome suited Stormtrooper, Captain Phasma played by the future oscar nominated actress Gwendoline Christie, should have had more screentime.

With graphics ahead of its predecessors and fresh new faces, “The Force Awakens” comes close to having its audience feel as if they’re actually in the universe of the story. When the final credits appear on the screen, audiences will be asking the force for the next film to the new trilogy.