Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Staring Daisy Ridley, Harrison Ford
Directed by J.J. Abrams
Bringing die-hard Star Wars fans back into the fold following creator George Lucas' much-maligned prequels was no easy task. After months of hype and a stunning lack of plot details, director JJ Abrams finally unveils perhaps his most scrutinized film yet with The Force Awakens. The results, depending on where one falls on the spectrum, are both thrilling and oddly derivative.
Set some 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi, Episode VII begins with a typical MacGuffin mystery as revealed immediately in the classic Star Wars opening text crawl. The less said about the movie's unfolding story the better, but it basically involves newcomers Daisy Ridley, a mysterious scavenger girl left on a desert planet, Oscar Isaac as an elite X-wing pilot fighting for good with the Resistance, and John Boyega playing a First Order Stormtrooper who might not be up to the task of wreaking havoc on the galaxy.
Of course, there are familiar faces who fans will be delighted to see return, namely Harrison Ford's charming rogue Han Solo, who steps back into his iconic role effortlessly. The Force Awakens features a surprising amount of practical effects and location shooting, giving this new adventure a tactile feeling, a refreshing change from the artifice of the prequels. Abrams and crew have created an authentic Star Wars film, complete with action, humour, and pathos; and yet, one can't help being somewhat unsatisfied with the plot's retreading of so many elements already explored in Episodes IV-VI.
