Exhilarating, joyful and a great cinema experience

Rating: 9/10 (24 December 2015)

The Force Awakens is an exhilarating romp that is a joyful two hours of drama, excitement and above all, fun.
With a style and storyline which borders on derivative at times, the infusion of the spirit of 1977 and the original Star Wars film is a welcome retreat from the CGI-heavy and overly self-important prequels.
Despite being the most hyped movie of this century and the intergalactic stakes at play in the story, The Force Awakens is arguably a film taking place on a small(ish) scale. Much of the first half of the movie takes place on - or in orbit of – the desert planet of Jakku. There are the inevitably fantastic interstellar battle sequences but the film is imbued with genuinely enjoyable, humorous and occasionally 'quiet' character interplay between new cast and old.
The characters of Finn and Rey are great. I bought into their stories and they brought greater dimension to their characters than might have been achieved by other directors. The villain of the piece, Kylo Ren, is truly multifaceted appearing genuinely menacing and self-assured but displaying clear moments of uncertainty and self-doubt. That he appears to be so adds a unique quality to the character which I enjoyed but others may find a bit "grumpy teenager" for their liking.
The old guard are all involved to varying degrees. Harrison Ford's Han Solo is a joy to watch from the moment he arrives on screen and his centrality to the plot and connection with the villain is the most pleasing element of the drama. The interaction (or lack of) between the original three - Luke, Leia and Han - and the denouement to the latter's storyline in this film will likely disappoint some who craved for a prolonged reunion of the beloved original characters on screen throughout the new trilogy. In truth, the gutsy decision is made to keep them apart and instead focus upon the development of the new characters which is absolutely the right direction to take the story.
There is more than enough nostalgia throughout the film paying homage particularly to A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. Some will undoubtedly find this overly derivative whilst others will embrace it, in the way JJ Abrams re-booted Star Trek film of 2009 polarised opinion of hardcore fans. Finding the balance between acknowledging the previous mythology and moving the story forward has, in my view, been achieved and barring some minor issues, makes this a genuinely great – if not classic – movie.
Overall The Force Awakens did a superb job of recreating the spirit of the original trilogy, paying tribute to the characters that made Star Wars the phenomenon it is today whilst leaving the audience clamouring for more. Days after seeing the film, I am still excited by the experience of seeing it; bringing the fun and joy back into seeing a movie is what Star Wars was about at its peak and feeling this whilst both watching and thinking three days later that makes this film a success for me.
The scene is beautifully set for Episode VIII and if it captures the energy and fun of this film, it will be another worthy addition to the Star Wars story.