A Great Film That Promises More

Rating: 8/10 (6 April 2016)

The Star Wars Prequels are probably one of the most divisive items of popular culture. Much derided by fans and a good many critics, the prequels haven't aged as well as their predecessors. Some of this is because of bad storytelling, or then-innovative but now shoddy looking CGI and an overuse of green screens. Needless to say, the prequels haven't aged well for me as a fan of Star Wars. I still harken back to the original trilogy for its hokeyness, its fun and its good storytelling. Yoda's reveal is still one of my favorite moments in American film. It's something that is such a classic thing to do in myth and legend, but still manages to send chills down your spine when it happens. The prequels had so few moments like these that were enthralling and rewarding that I eventually stopped watching them altogether.
When Star Wars was sold to Disney and J.J. Abrams was tapped to helm the seventh entry in the series, I, like many fans, was skeptical. I wasn't sure really how I'd feel about Abram's take on the Star Wars franchise. But when Harrison Ford was attached to the project and was candid about the film setting up a good story with memorable characters, I was reassured enough to feel as though I could give it a fair shake.
The Force Awakens isn't a perfect movie, not by a long shot. But it never tries to be a perfect movie, and that's what makes it great. This film, burdened by decades of fan expectations, rose to the occasion more than once. It manages to be a bridge of sorts between the original trilogy and this new one, and it does that as wonderfully as it can. It manages to introduce new characters, that while treading on a story that is familiar to many, I could definitely forgive because of these characters. Daisy Ridley is an amazing find, John Boyega's moment as a bona fide action star has finally come after his breakout appearance in Attack the Block, and Oscar Isaac continues to dazzle as he continues to be one of the most interesting male actors working in big-budget films right now. Adam Driver is probably one of the most interesting and compelling performers though, stealing the show as this film's big bad, and with such a great twist that's revealed early on, the Star Wars universe gets even deeper even as it moves forward into this new storyline. These characters are memorable and so easy to invest in that it's always invigorating. Even if we don't know much about them, the actors and the screenwriters know their characters so well that it doesn't matter, which really recaptures the magic of A New Hope, where characters were fully- realized people, and though we didn't know that much about them, we could instantly identify with them.
Even if the Force Awakens isn't perfect, people will decry that it isn't "original." But Star Wars hasn't ever been original. It's always been a cobbled together hodgepodge of 30s serial adventuring, mono-myth, and classic storytelling tropes as old as our species is. It's Star Wars's ability to make itself feel new and familiar that makes it so beloved by so many, and the Force Awakens does that time and time again. I only hope Rian Johnson builds upon this foundation in the next film in a way that answers some of my questions, but leaves me wanting more like The Force Awakens did.