Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Happy New Year readers!

Following a rather long hiatus, I would like to kick-start the year with one of 2015's most highly anticipated films, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Like many, this was on my watch list and I enjoyed every minute as JJ Abrams took us back (well, forward) to a time before the prequels when things were better and Return of the Jedi was generally regarded as the weaker of the three.

But now the dust has settled and the nostalgic levels simmering, how does the film hold up?

Before getting in too deep, Abrams nails the cast and visuals. Cast members old and new are all perfect, with John Boyega and Adam Driver standing out among the new faces. They are also assisted by an excellent screenplay that surpasses the prequels' with a great chemistry between characters and the occasional laughs that keeps the story moving.

Alongside this, I enjoyed how the film tried to use practical effects/locations as often as possible, whereas the prequels were almost filmed entirely within a studio. When Abrams did switch to CGI, it was carefully handled and never became the main spectacle.

However, while Abrams was able to introduce new and engaging characters, the film has come under criticism for it's similarities to the original Star Wars film. As well as featuring a young protagonist spending their days on a desert-like planet, we also catch glimpses of a mysterious dark lord and are introduced to a small, all-knowing alien creature called Maz Kanata, played by Lupita Nyong'o.
Personally I never found this to be a problem as these scenes were brief but Kanata's did remind me of War of the Worlds / Predators where the story pauses to add more exposition before the next action sequence. There are also a few others but to do so would spoil the film. Hopefully the similarities will end here and the next film takes a bold leap forward as Empire Strikes Back once did.

Future films will also suffer from this going 'too big, too soon' where in one sequence we witness the destruction of several planets by an almighty weapon. Anyone remember Alderaan from the original film? Here it is glossed over and is a mere plot device without any clear motivation by the villains. The scene looks nice but lacked any sense of gravitas and it does feel as if Abrams played his hand too early in the game.

These issues continue into the climax of the film that wraps up rather too neatly, despite featuring a fantastic lightsaber duel that echoes many great moments from the original trilogy. That said the final act is where the film picks up and sets the scene for what will surely be an interesting sequel.

Having directed both of the last two Star Trek films, it is Abrams knows how to bring life back in to an old franchise and this no exception. While it is not without its flaws, a crowd-pleaser for all, this is.