It's back!

Rating: 9/10 (21 December 2015)

Now, like a lot people I could hardly contain my excitement for this new Star Wars film, and while the prequels left a really sour taste in my mouth, I knew the magic was still there, waiting for the right person to tap into it and breathe new life into the franchise. This is Star Wars after all, and the anticipation for this film was huge, so huge in fact that it almost seemed impossible to meet such sky-high expectations. Well, I can assure everyone that after 32 years since Return of the Jedi (in my mind the last great Star Wars film), The Force Awakens delivers on all fronts, transporting us back to that galaxy far, far away and it's glorious! It truly captured the heart and feel of the originals and like the original films I felt a whole range of emotions which is what Star Wars is all about.
The Force Awakens manages what few sequel films are able to pull off and that's a delicate blend of both the familiar and the new. It revels in it's nostalgia right from the first opening shot and there is plenty of it here. For some it may seem too overbearing and I get that but for me it not only enriches the overall experience but propels the new aspects of the film forward, expanding upon the core mythology in a fresh and exciting way. Playing to our nostalgia should never be a negative, but if executed poorly then it comes off as a cheap ploy, not an affectionate, assured wink at the audience more a childish and annoying elbow nudge that makes you cringe or the eyes roll. Luckily this is not the latter.
To delve into the story too much would spoil it so I'll just say this is definitely a return to it's roots. No more tedious, heavy-handed political dialogue, cringe-worthy, clunky dialogue and flat characters. This is classic space opera fare featuring a stellar ensemble both old and new. Set thirty years after Return of Jedi, we meet a new cast of characters who are thrown into this epic adventure through circumstance. There's Finn (John Boyega) a Stormtropper whose had a sudden attack of conscience; Rey (Daisy Ridley) a plucky scavenger from the planet Jakku and a whole host of other characters both old and new who come into the fray including the legendary Han Solo, everyone's favourite lovable Wookie Chewbacca and many others who I won't spoil. This is an exceptional cast, particularly the new players who really bring their characters to life. Daisy Ridley is truly a revelation, I honestly don't know where they got her from but she is outstanding as Rey, easily one of the best characters. John Boyega is also fantastic with some great comic timing who really gives Finn a likability as is the case with some of the others. Of course the favourites are back who truly shine here in the roles that made them stars, now with a renewed purpose and place in this new story and again in the way that doesn't seem forced, this is after all their world.
The film's biggest success is definitely in it's characters which is a major step forward from the prequels. What the series so desperately needed was characters we could root for again, who we felt a connection with and luckily we have them all here. The action sequences are exciting and have a weight to them, there's memorable moments that stick with you and it's also quite possibly the funniest Star Wars to date and the humour in here is stronger than in some so-called "comedies". They also establish a great villain in Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) who certainly had a lot to live up to after quite possibly one of the most iconic villains in film history. He brings a lot of nuance and depth to him and he's not some cardboard cut-out villain who you instantly forget. The film succeeds on so many levels and it was a relief that after credits rolled and everybody cheered it really brought the magic back again that had been lacking. While it does lean on established tropes, there never a complete crutch, more a jumping off point to propel this new narrative and characters forward into the next generation. This is just the first of a brand new trilogy so I hope it will continue to expand upon this story and characters in exciting and original ways that we haven't seen before. It's greatest strength might be it's biggest weakness to some who were perhaps looking for something wholly original and radical, but to me this just what it needed. This was clearly a labour of love to everyone involved and I'm glad they've got this new series on the right path. This is the Star Wars film you've been looking for and while it does tread in sometimes familiar territory it does it with a renewed sense of energy, wit, charm, warmth and a reverence for the original trilogy.