The ‘force’ is alive and real in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, even before Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and his perpetual sidekick, Chewbacca, arrive onscreen.
There is an overwhelming sense of nostalgia right at the beginning of the film, when the introductory text starts to crawl, John Williams’ immaculately orchestrated score playing along, bringing the level of sense-shivering reminiscence into several seismic folds. That is probably the case for most of the religious followers of the franchise, who have patiently waited for its resurfacing for nearly three decades, even shrugging off the faint glimmers delivered in the prequel trilogy.
In “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, it is hard not to believe that the magic is indeed back. It is back, and right there, even at its first hour, when it is a lot busier making rooms for its new characters than welcoming back its old players, the force is pulsating, surging into the senses of viewers, the witnesses of the force’s sides, new and old alike, like whips of irresistible nostalgia.
So imagine the die-hard fans’ reactions when members of the original cast grace the screen. I had to glance sideways at a 40ish woman sitting right next to my left, and for one second found myself awestruck at the shimmer of gathering tears in her eyes, her deep sighs speaking for her emotional recollection. I had the awareness of checking my own eyes, too, but they were quick enough to shift into the explosive action-inundated screen.
The events of this chapter picks up thirty years after Luke Skywalker’s (Mark Hamill) mysterious disappearance. The major evil force is now called The First Order, working virilously under the supervision of its commander, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), an adherent of the Dark Force, who is hell bent crushing the Republic and ending the Jedi. Their main opposition comes from the Resistance, headed by Princess—now General—Leia Organa (Carrie Fischer).
Both sides are after Luke Skywalker, whose possible existence provides hope to the Resistance, and inflicts threat to the First Order. The entire string of proceedings run toward achieving an answer to his disappearance, the final seconds being arguably the most defining moment of the chapter, having filled with electrifying wallops of nostalgic recognition and relief.
New characters shine on this film, with some of them inevitably populating the emotional core of the narrative. Notable of which is John Boyega’s Finn, a rebel stormtrooper yearning for the family he never knew. He stumbles upon Poe (Oscar Isaac), an immensely skilled pilot and a major force of the Resistance, whose companion droid, BB-8 holds an important artifact about Luke’s whereabouts.
But the most interesting, perhaps, is Rey (Daisy Ridley), a sufficient scavenger, stuck in a place she could not move on from, in hopes of still seeing her family return, one day. Her immediate chemistry with Finn provides a palpable connection, which may not be necessarily romantic, but one that drives both characters carrying out their respective causes. Rey is evidently more developed than any of the new characters, her struggles profoundly delivered in effective emotional punches. You can’t seriously ask another actor to portray the character, for it has seemed tailor fit for Ridley, who has also carried out her action sequences in equal capability as her male counterparts.
Visual-wise, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” soars like the Millennium Falcon, each rip roaring action set-pieces choreographed in sense-judderingly detailed visual explosions. The highlights, still, are the breathtaking render of thrilling space chases, my favorite being the Rey-maneuvered Millennium Falcon swooping down dead in the air, only to spin back for a sudden attack, its purser—a First Order freighter—immediately shattering to pieces.
As a stand-alone film, first time viewers may struggle to straightaway get the drift in some references to the previous entries of the franchise, and the lack of solid development in Finn, Poe, and other new supports, may also provide some confusion. It is worth-noting though, that every new cast members has established palpable presence, that it won’t be surprising if they get better airtime in the next sequels. There is enough dosage of humor and charm, the latter being primarily provided by the new droid—BB8.
At times when the film stretches itself into massively riveting sequences, it does lose a bit of its grip of its narrative, with some characters left underdeveloped, and some supposedly climactic highlights failing to soar past their intended heights. That does not necessarily drag down the film to a disappointing level, and if it anything, it only makes those singular moments shine even better.
The film is arguably not in the same league of the thematic depth of previous space sci-fiction films like Interstellar, or Gravity, but there is something in its core that evokes a familiar catharsis. J.J. Abrams succeeds weaving a powerful story that both pays utmost reverence to the Star Wars tradition and delivers pieces of modern conventions, enough for us to utter the same words as Han Solo’s when he found the Millenium Falcon. “We’re home..”
RATING: 9 out of 10 stars
