Fun out of 10

Rating: 8/10 (24 December 2015)

Star Wars has been quite possibly the largest movie sensation of the past 38 years. Many regard it as a truly visionary masterpiece, the pinnacle of great storytelling combined with editing techniques and special effects way ahead of its time. But the truth is that Star Wars' story in itself is hardly original. Director/writer/producer George Lucas stole from just about every single action serial from the 50's such as Flash Gordon and Republic Pictures' The Fighting Devil Dogs, as well as themes and sequences very similar to Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. But none of this takes away from how much cultural impact Star Wars has had on the world. In fact, because the original Star Wars trilogy incorporates so much those films, the effect that it has on viewers becomes all the more resonant.
The tradition of brilliant thievery established by the first trilogy continues with J.J Abrams' eagerly awaited Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, a movie that is steeped in the storytelling methods of the classic trilogy but is injected with an entirely unique and exciting flair that allows for it to stand on it's own despite the previous films existing. The movie combines the core cast of the original trilogy with new characters played by relatively unknown actors. There is not a single weak link here, and every actor carries a fully realized, powerful performance. The two standouts are the original trilogy veteran Harrison Ford as an aged, grizzled Han Solo who delightfully plays off his fellow cast, and newcomer Daisy Ridley as Rey, a gleaming, exceedingly capable scavenger turned pilot whose every motion and emotion conveyed is compelling. In her very first scene, she is seen carefully perusing and tinkering through the remains of an enormous starship carcass, nimbly climbing and crawling around the towering hollow structure as if she had been for years. She fits into the universe with grace and gravitas, and every scene she is in is intoxicating. Other standout performances include the charismatic Attack the Block star John Boyega as Finn and Adam Driver as the menacing yet short fused and conflicted Sith Lord Kylo Ren.
Unlike Lucas' abysmal prequel trilogy this production is surprisingly practical. Abrams abandons the over-reliance of computer-generated imagery, and instead opts for costumes and clever animatronics work done on location or on tangible sets with limited green screen activity. One example of the film's spectacular effects work can be seen in the new droid character BB- 8, an entirely functional spherical robot with an articulate head that rotates and revolves around its body. The on location sets are heart-stopping, from the Lawrence of Arabia-esque dunes of Jakku sweeping and twisting through the background to the lush greens of Takodana all the way to the bleak, icy surface of the planet-sized Starkiller engineered to wipe out multiple planets at once with the harnessed power of the sun.
Every single environment is a playground for Abrams, his actors and his crew, allowing for astounding scenes in the action and drama. It is no secret that Abrams composes incredible, exciting action sequences, often with extensive use of actors moving around color coded set areas for a series of intensifying or contrasting moods enhanced with winding debris, shaky camera, and yes, lots and lots of lens flares. In the past Abrams has had at least one instance in each of his movies where his action has become too chaotic, such as the boardroom invasion scene in Star Trek Into Darkness where the pounding ocean of glass shards and sparks diminishes the awe of a sequence that has an otherwise beautiful color palette and masterful blocking. In The Force Awakens, however, he displays diligent focus, with every action of great importance placed center frame, the camera waltzing rather than wobbling, and although his signature debris and lens flares are still present, they are used in a minimalist manner, allowing for the art department and actors to shine whether the action is on land, in the sky or amongst the stars. Abrams has also matured in delivering character interplay as well. Examples of his impeccable blocking can be found in gorgeous one-shot takes that effortlessly shift the focus from one character or set piece to another. However, Abrams isn't afraid to hold the camera still when the film needs to contemplate or breathe. There is a shot in the beginning of the movie where Rey hopefully awaits the long delayed arrival of her family, staring off into the vast desert beneath a cooling orange-purple sunset and in front of a fallen AT-AT walker rotting away, all of which is set to the once again brilliant score by John Williams. Every individual task required in creating scenes like this blends in a tasteful and satisfying manner.
One of the most prominent themes of The Force Awakens is to return home. Rey hopes to return to Jakku so she can greet her family that she keeps telling herself will come back. Leia wishes for Kylo Ren to come home from the dark side that he desperately turns to for guidance from false idols. When Han and Chewbacca find the long lost Millennium Falcon, they enter it with reminiscing smiles on their faces, as Han lets out a somewhat disbelieving but entirely reassuring "Chewie, we're home." The theme suits The Force Awakens, which has finally restored the quality of the franchise that has been astray for the past 16 years. Just as Lucas' first Star Wars borrowed heavily from old action movies, Abrams' new movie is one that follows the set up and climax of 1977's Star Wars almost verbatim, but it relishes in the fact that it does just that, and is executed so artfully that at the end of the day, it's just good to be home. I have seen The Force Awakens twice, and I look forward to seeing more Star Wars done at this caliber.