Star Wars Force Awakens: Review

By Andrew Dyer.

Since George Lucas has passed Lucasfilms onto Disney, it paved way return of the Star Wars Universe.  Disney which own successful properties such as Pixar and Marvel have announced that they will be producing new films in the Star Wars Universe.

Star wars the Force Awakens is the first in a new trilogy and spinoff films in the franchise.  The film is directed by JJ Abrams (Super 8, Star Trek into Darkness) who was apparently handpicked by Lucas himself. As well as having a new cast, the 1977 cast is bought back in.

Set 30 years after the empire’s defeat in Return of the Jedi (1983) Luke Skywalker has disappeared, the New Republic is formed and the Empire’s successor the First order and the Knights of Ren is rising to overflow the new republic and take over the galaxy. The first act of the film focuses on Jakku a desert planet that resembles tattooinne in the original film.

The film starts off with the new characters Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) X-wing pliot, BB-8 Poe’s droid companion, Finn (John Boyega) a stormtrooper  formley known as FN-2187 who has become disillusioned with the First Order and Rey (Daisy Ridley) scavenger with a mysterious past.  There are also the new villains Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) who intends to be the worthy successor to Darth Vader and Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) who is Kylo Ren’s master and leader of the First Order. Old favourites have returned Han Solo and Chewbacca along with the Millennium Falcon, General (formerly) Leia Organa, C3PO (with Red Arm) and R2-D2 and of course Luke Skywalker.

The film has succeeded what the prequels had difficulty doing, bringing back the fun and excitement the original trilogy had.  The acting is at good quality and characters were more relatable than in the prequels.

The new cast members John Boyega and Daisy Ridley have certainly prove they’re worth.  What i’m happy about the film is the use of practical effects, sensible amount of CGI and location shots as opposed to what was done with Revenge of the Sith (2005) which was over-reliant on CGI.

Some people may feel that the plot to force awakens may be bit familiar the original film. Star Wars Force Awakens is without a doubt great comeback for a film series.  The scenes of Millennium Falcon, Tie Fighters and X-wing would most defiantly make you relived childhood memories.

The Soundtrack is again composed by John Williams is as wonderful and epic as ever. The problems with the film is that certain characters such as Poe Dameron have little screen time and the same goes for Captian Phasma but then again neither did Boba Fett in the Original Trilogy. The story raises questions that can only been answered in the next two films and give fan theorist something to debate about.

It has rejuvenated Star Wars for old fans and especially new fans and widened to other demographics. This film is just start of things to come.

Rating 9/10