Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens - Review

"Chewie, we're home" – A review of Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens. 

I vividly remember the moment I found out that Star Wars was coming back. It was a mix of excitement and trepidation; the prequel trilogy had grown on me but was a rough watch initially, and I of course adored the original films – what else could there possibly be to do? I didn't want these films to be a mere cash grab; I wanted them to be genuinely great additions to the Star Wars universe. So, were they?

Eh.

It's been 30 years since the events of Return of the Jedi, and the First Order, along with Kylo Ren, are putting the galaxy under as much threat as the Empire ever had. Rey, a desert scavenger, and Finn, a defected stormtrooper, join some familiar faces – Han Solo, Chewbacca and now General Leia Organa – to go in search of the one person who can help the galaxy… Luke Skywalker.

I'm not going to pretend that seeing some of our returning heroes didn't make my heart skip a beat. It had been a long time since I'd seen Han, Chewie, Leia or Luke make an appearance, and as each of them came into view it took all I had to not cheer in the cinema. Seeing Carrie Fisher return was a special highlight for me – Leia was the princess I wanted to be when I grew up as a child – and she was as quick witted as ever, but now with a weary, resilient edge to her. Harrison Ford was as iconic as ever, his character feeling slightly less reckless and bringing plenty of gravitas to the role and of course, seeing Mark Hamill – however briefly – was an absolute joy. Of course, our returning heroes played their parts well, and the nostalgia from seeing them alone was enough to put a smile on my face.

Here's the problem, though; I can't help but feel like that's all I loved about the film. Now don't get me wrong – Daisy Ridley came across as strong willed and resilient as Rey, and I really enjoyed the clearly damaged, conflicted Kylo Ren that Adam Driver portrayed – but I didn't find most of the new characters particularly memorable. It's not that there were poor performances, I couldn't point to anyone and say they did a bad job, I just didn't connect with the new characters in the same way I had with previous heroes. Finn, played by John Boyega, brought heart and morality to the plot, and Oscar Isaac's Poe was charismatic and adventurous, but it felt a lot like this was a film trying to replicate what the original films had done rather than coming up with something new – alas, I thought to myself at the time, this is what happens when a massive organisation like Disney gets its hands on a beloved franchise.

The thing that makes me sad is that it's not even that it's a terrible film, it's just bland. I can tell you the plot to the original films without a second thought, as well as the prequel films, but this one? No clue. Don't get me wrong, I often rewatch a film before I review it, but in this case, I literally had no choice as I could remember absolutely nothing other than the moments old characters returned.

Now the film does look great – the cinematography deliberately mimics the original trilogy, which I appreciate, and the lightsaber battles are as fun to watch as ever. Sadly though, The Force Awakens just didn't grab me in the way previous films had, and whilst I will never tire of hearing that iconic theme music, unfortunately this one just wasn't for me.

Written by Tam Page

Posted by Mr. Tomney

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