A movie exceeding the highest expectations

Rating: 10/10 (26 December 2015)

It pains me to see so many negative reviews of this movie. After the awful experience that were the sequels (episodes 1,2 and 3), this film comes as a breath of fresh air, bringing the Star Wars franchise to its former glory. So what if it resembles, in terms of plot,'A New Hope'? Is that a bad thing? I don't think so. It is simple proof that this film wants to continue the legacy of the old trilogy. True, the similarities are striking (a new 'Death Star' called Starkiller base -destroyed in the same manner as the death star, a new droid carrying a message, and the examples are countless). However, it is how all these similarities are placed withing the context of a new, fresh storyline that make this movie simply brilliant. People tend to focus too much on the similarities with episode 4, whereas the emphasis should be on the new characters and the new direction of the story within the Star Wars universe. The protagonist, Rey (Daisy Ridley) is the heroine we have all been waiting for in the Star Wars franchise. Daisy Ridley's performance of this character is utterly mind-blowing. She delivers some of the best acting I have seen in any Star Wars movie so far. No wonder she instantly becomes likable. While some critics suggest that her evolution throughout this film may be a bit too rushed (her attunement to the force rendering her capable of performing mind- tricks, being able to defeat a partially trained dark side user), we have to consider that, during the last 30 years, or so, the force lay dormant in the galaxy, Luke himself renouncing the idea of training Jedi after his failure with Kylo Ren, who turned against him. The idea of 'awakening', as the title of the film suggests, has to be associated with a powerful manifestation or outburst of the force, that can be felt throughout the galaxy by the remaining force-users (supreme leader Snoke senses it). Rey is the manifestation of this awakening, which makes it easier for her to quickly become attuned with the force and able to unconsciously, and without any training, use it. The awakening would not be an awakening if Rey wasn't able to overpower Kylo Ren. Let's not forget that Kylo Ren, strong as he may be with the force, hasn't had any practice with a light-saber in a long time, with no force users left in the galaxy. He was certainly taken by surprise by Rey's ability to use the force. Thus, it is safe to say that the movie ingeniously portrays a heroine in becoming, a character that both the old generation of fans as well as the new one will adore. Moreover, it is about time that a female Jedi was cast as a main character in the Star Wars films. In terms of acting, this movie excels from all points of view. The performances of the actors were outstanding. Adam Driver, as Kylo Ren did an amazing job depicting a new , original type of villain that has more depth to him than the average villain. His performance was amazing. The same thing can be said about the rest of the actors and actresses in this film. Despite the lack of originality with some points in the story/script, Star Wras, The Force Awakens stands out as one of the best, if not the very best, movies in the Star Wars franchise, due to the unique, Oscar worthy performances of the actors, the depth and attention to detail, the emotions it conveys, the epic soundtrack, the nostalgia and the practical effects that clearly amplifies the sense of reality in the film. Congratulations, J J Abrams on a job well done. It exceeded my highest expectations. You saved Star Wars and re-awakened a dormant passion for the franchise in the hearts of millions of old and new fans. Star Wars is once again back, in all its glory!!!