After much hype and anticipation I saw the new release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in theaters the day of my birthday. My whole family as well as my cousin Jennifer came to join as we watched it Saturday morning only a day after it's premiere. The movie exceeded it's high expectations and had us all at the edge of our seats, eyes glued to the big screen from beginning to end. I can gladly say that the film was a home-run, capturing the spirit of the Star Wars saga. It made for the one of the best birthday presents ever to experience one of my all time favorite movies with my family.
This new story is a break away from the George Lucas Universe, since the rights were sold to Walt Disney Studios, however the film was still very faithful to his brilliant creation. The film was directed by JJ Abrams, who succeeded in creating a modern blockbuster with many old school trilogy references. To add to this familiar return to the Star Wars universe was the wonderful musical composition of John Williams.
The Production
The film was at the height of top quality cinema, sheer excitement from beginning to end. It was dosed with visual wonders, great special effects yet also not overdoing it. This was perhaps in response to the complaint of the prequels that relied too heavily on their CGI and not enough costume and makeup. This film was something new yet also a homage to the old school Star Wars Trilogy. I myself saw many similarities with the story of A New Hope.
This new release has succeeded in re-awakening Star Wars loyal fans, yet also awakening a whole new generation of younger fans. It's very exciting to see and experience Star Wars merchandise, advertisements, and hype at every corner. I was very satisfied by the film and hope to see it again. What's most exciting about the success of this release is that it is only the beginning of a new Walt Disney led Star Wars universe. There will no doubt be many many more films, TV shows, and other forms of entertainment. to come based off the Star Wars universe. There's just too much money to be made, and for once I'm quite alright with the hype, since it's always been one of my favorite sagas.
The Setting
The film is set 30 years after Return of the Jedi, where a First Order has emerged to restore the power that once was the Galactic Empire. They are lead by a dark supreme leader named Snoke who seeks to destroy the Republic and Luke Skywalker. They are however challenged by a group of militants known as the Resistance led by Leia Organa. The plot begins with a mission to relocate Luke Skywalker, who has gone missing. The Resistance's best pilot, Poe Dameron, sets off on a mission with his droid BB-8 however are captured by the dark lord Kylo Ren and his army of stormtroopers.
At which point one of the stormtroopers, later called Finn, turns against his Order and helps Poe escape from imprisonment. The two successfully escape the StarKiller base however are separated on the planet of Jakku. It is here that Finn meets Rey, a young scavenger who lives alone, yet has recently disocvered BB-8. The three are forced to flee together during an assault in which they board the stolen Millennium Falcon and leave the planet. They are soon discovered by Han Solo and Chewbacca who have been tracking their stolen ship, on board a freighter.
Han Solo helps the band of rebels find the answers they are looking for, as he too is in search of his old friend Luke, as well as his son, Kylo Ren, who has turned to the dark side. On the planet Takodana, they meet a wise bar owner named Maz Kanata, who gives Luke's lightsaber to Rey. However they are later attacked by the First Order, who are later confronted by the Resistance an a air battle of X-wings and Tie fighters. Rey is captured by Kylo Ren and taken back to their StarKiller base for questioning.
She is however able to resist his mind control, and at which point discovers she also has the power of the force. She is able to break out of her imprisonment by using a jedi mind trick against the storm troopers. She later joins Han Solo, Finn, and Chewbacca who have arrived to take down the shields so the base can be destroyed. Han Solo confronts his conflicted son Kylo Ren, however is unable to bring him back. The others leave the Starkiller base before it is destroyed by the Resistance. Rey, Finn, and Chewbacca return to the Resistance base to break the terrible news to Leia. However they are able to locate the map to Luke Skywalkers thanks to BB-8 and R2-D2. Rey sets off to find him on an island where she presents his lightsaber to him. As the film comes to an end, it can only be assumed that she will be trained to become a jedi herself.
Similarities with A New Hope
I myself saw many format similarities with A New Hope. This of course this was not a problem whatsoever, yet I still felt like mentioning them here;
Han Solo helps the band of rebels find the answers they are looking for, as he too is in search of his old friend Luke, as well as his son, Kylo Ren, who has turned to the dark side. On the planet Takodana, they meet a wise bar owner named Maz Kanata, who gives Luke's lightsaber to Rey. However they are later attacked by the First Order, who are later confronted by the Resistance an a air battle of X-wings and Tie fighters. Rey is captured by Kylo Ren and taken back to their StarKiller base for questioning.
She is however able to resist his mind control, and at which point discovers she also has the power of the force. She is able to break out of her imprisonment by using a jedi mind trick against the storm troopers. She later joins Han Solo, Finn, and Chewbacca who have arrived to take down the shields so the base can be destroyed. Han Solo confronts his conflicted son Kylo Ren, however is unable to bring him back. The others leave the Starkiller base before it is destroyed by the Resistance. Rey, Finn, and Chewbacca return to the Resistance base to break the terrible news to Leia. However they are able to locate the map to Luke Skywalkers thanks to BB-8 and R2-D2. Rey sets off to find him on an island where she presents his lightsaber to him. As the film comes to an end, it can only be assumed that she will be trained to become a jedi herself. Similarities with A New Hope
I myself saw many format similarities with A New Hope. This of course this was not a problem whatsoever, yet I still felt like mentioning them here;
- Beginning with the desert setting of Jakku, where a droid is lost and on an ambitious mission to find somebody (This was very similiar to C-3P0 and R2's mission)
- Then there's the Resistance, a band of militants formed to confront the First Order at a hidden base (Very similiar to the Rebel Alliance)
- Then there's the Starkiller base, which has the power to destroy planets entirely (no doubt a connection to the DeathStar
- Finally there's the plot to infiltrate and destroy the StarKiller base, before it destroys them (This is almost an exact replica of the final action sequence in A New Hope)
The Old Characters
Han Solo: Reprised by a much older Harrison Ford, the heroic scoundrel once again steals the show with his usual cool demeanor. In this film he plays more of a father role to his lost son turned to the dark side, Kyle Ren; as well as his new younger acquaintances, Rey and Finn. He has somewhat grown distant from his lover, Leia and returned to what he always did best, smuggling. However the quest of finding Luke and his son, have reignited his passion for Leia. All of which is however brought to abrupt end by his son. This was no doubt the most shocking part of the film.
Leia Organa: Her role is reprised by an almost unrecognizable Carrie Fisher. She has continued her allegiance to the Republic and militant leadership as the new general of the Resistance. However she is devastated by the disappearance of her brother Luke, and most especially her son that has turned to the dark side. Her relationship with Han Solo is somewhat cold and distant in this film.
Chewbaca: He's the same ole Chewie, reprised by Peter Mayhew. A sharp shooter, great pilot, mechanic, witty, comical, and extremely loyal to his partner Han Solo.
R2-D2: Has a very minimal role due to being depressed at the disappearance of Luke Skywalker; Towards the end of the film however he plays a crucial role in completing BB-8's map to Luke's location.
C-3P0: The humanoid droid is reprised by Anthony Daniels with the same old British wit and cynicism. He is
Luke Skywalker: His role is reprised by Mark Hamill, yet also has a very limited part. Although his character is one of the focal points of the plot he is not seen until the end of the film. His brief scene seems to be an accurate depiction of an aged jedi master. I look forward to seeing more of him in the sequel.
Admiral Ackbar and Nein Numb also are seen at the gathering of the resistance.
Han Solo: Reprised by a much older Harrison Ford, the heroic scoundrel once again steals the show with his usual cool demeanor. In this film he plays more of a father role to his lost son turned to the dark side, Kyle Ren; as well as his new younger acquaintances, Rey and Finn. He has somewhat grown distant from his lover, Leia and returned to what he always did best, smuggling. However the quest of finding Luke and his son, have reignited his passion for Leia. All of which is however brought to abrupt end by his son. This was no doubt the most shocking part of the film. Leia Organa: Her role is reprised by an almost unrecognizable Carrie Fisher. She has continued her allegiance to the Republic and militant leadership as the new general of the Resistance. However she is devastated by the disappearance of her brother Luke, and most especially her son that has turned to the dark side. Her relationship with Han Solo is somewhat cold and distant in this film.
Chewbaca: He's the same ole Chewie, reprised by Peter Mayhew. A sharp shooter, great pilot, mechanic, witty, comical, and extremely loyal to his partner Han Solo.
R2-D2: Has a very minimal role due to being depressed at the disappearance of Luke Skywalker; Towards the end of the film however he plays a crucial role in completing BB-8's map to Luke's location.C-3P0: The humanoid droid is reprised by Anthony Daniels with the same old British wit and cynicism. He is
Luke Skywalker: His role is reprised by Mark Hamill, yet also has a very limited part. Although his character is one of the focal points of the plot he is not seen until the end of the film. His brief scene seems to be an accurate depiction of an aged jedi master. I look forward to seeing more of him in the sequel.
Admiral Ackbar and Nein Numb also are seen at the gathering of the resistance.
The New Characters
Rey: She was abandoned as a child on the planet of Jakku, however has become extremely independent and sufficient as a scavenger. As this adventure is thrust before her, she proves to be a great mechanic, pilot, and a skilled warrior. She also begins to discover her greater power of the force throughout the film. She is played by the actress, Daisey Ridley, who I saw many familiarities with Keira Knightley.
Finn: He is a conflicted stormtrooper, who turns against the First Order early on in the film. He teams with the imprisoned Poe Dameron to escape the base, and thus his adventure begins. While his first priority is to escape the First Order he later finds himself drawn to Rey and the Resistance and proves to be a valuable hero. He is played by the actor, John Boyega.
Kylo Ren: He is the new bad warrior of the film, and has quickly become one of the coolest (besides Poe Dameron). He is a conflicted knight, the son of Han and Leia. He has turned against his master Luke and the Jedi Order and has joined the First Order. His character is a very unpredictable and complex one. While he is very skilled at combat, he seems to be in a very weak and conflicted state of mind. He is played brilliantly by the upcoming actor Adam Driver.
Poe Dameron: Another one of my favorite characters in this film he is simply described as the best pilot in the galaxy. And he's one of the good guys as he flies an X-Wing for the Resistance. He plays a key role in helping Finn escape from the First Order, as well as destroying the Starkiller base. He is also played brilliantly by the star actor Oscar Isaac.
BB-8: This new soccerball style droid is another one of the key players in the film. He is introduced as Poe Dameron's pilot-droid yet also holds the map to Luke Skywalker's location. After he is separated from Poe, he finds himself on a quest to return to the Resistance.
Supreme Leader Snoke: He is the new dark lord villain of the franchise, yet his character is still very mysterious. What we see in the film is mostly projections of a very large and wicked creature. He is the leader of the First Order, yet also has influence over Kylo Ren's dark arts. We're still not sure whether he is a Sith lord or what his motives may be. He is voiced by Lord of the Rings legend Andy Serkis.
Maz Kanata: She is the wise creature from the planet Takodana who owns a mischievous cantina. While she does not possess the power of the force, she is very knowledgeable in it's ways and serves as a valuable council to Rey and Finn. She is voiced by the up-and-coming actress Lupita Nyong'o.
General Hux: He is a commander of the First Order, disciplined and ruthless, He answers only to the Supreme Leader Snoke, and often quarrels with Kylo Ren.
Rey: She was abandoned as a child on the planet of Jakku, however has become extremely independent and sufficient as a scavenger. As this adventure is thrust before her, she proves to be a great mechanic, pilot, and a skilled warrior. She also begins to discover her greater power of the force throughout the film. She is played by the actress, Daisey Ridley, who I saw many familiarities with Keira Knightley.Finn: He is a conflicted stormtrooper, who turns against the First Order early on in the film. He teams with the imprisoned Poe Dameron to escape the base, and thus his adventure begins. While his first priority is to escape the First Order he later finds himself drawn to Rey and the Resistance and proves to be a valuable hero. He is played by the actor, John Boyega.
Kylo Ren: He is the new bad warrior of the film, and has quickly become one of the coolest (besides Poe Dameron). He is a conflicted knight, the son of Han and Leia. He has turned against his master Luke and the Jedi Order and has joined the First Order. His character is a very unpredictable and complex one. While he is very skilled at combat, he seems to be in a very weak and conflicted state of mind. He is played brilliantly by the upcoming actor Adam Driver.
Poe Dameron: Another one of my favorite characters in this film he is simply described as the best pilot in the galaxy. And he's one of the good guys as he flies an X-Wing for the Resistance. He plays a key role in helping Finn escape from the First Order, as well as destroying the Starkiller base. He is also played brilliantly by the star actor Oscar Isaac.
BB-8: This new soccerball style droid is another one of the key players in the film. He is introduced as Poe Dameron's pilot-droid yet also holds the map to Luke Skywalker's location. After he is separated from Poe, he finds himself on a quest to return to the Resistance.
Maz Kanata: She is the wise creature from the planet Takodana who owns a mischievous cantina. While she does not possess the power of the force, she is very knowledgeable in it's ways and serves as a valuable council to Rey and Finn. She is voiced by the up-and-coming actress Lupita Nyong'o.
General Hux: He is a commander of the First Order, disciplined and ruthless, He answers only to the Supreme Leader Snoke, and often quarrels with Kylo Ren.
