STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015) FILM REVIEW

​*****
​12A, 136 Mins

J.J Abrams has made a Star Wars film for a new generation- 'The Force Awakens' is a rip-roaring, rollicking ride filled with heart, humour and humanity- a treat for old aficionados while enchanting a whole new line of fans too. ​

The last time we saw 'Star Wars' blast onto the big screen was just over 10 years ago in May 2005 in the concluding chapter of George Lucas's prequel trilogy- 'Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith' (2005). At the time, I was 7 turning 8 years old. I remember seeing it in cinemas- my first 'Star Wars' film- and being utterly enthralled like pretty much every other 7 year old boy by the quests, perils and pursuits of Anakin or Luke Skywalker or Han Solo or Chewbacca or Princess Leia or whoever.

Whether you've ever been truly swept up in the 'Star Wars' phenomenon or not, eveyone must agree that it is extraordinary beyond belief that one film franchise could form the very crux of popular culture for nearly 4 decades. Ever since 1977, 'Star Wars' has not been a franchise- it's been a brand. 'Star Wars' has taken over our lives from fancy dress parties to cartoon parodies to lessons devoted to only talking about 'Star Wars'. No film series- not even 'James Bond', 'Harry Potter' or 'Lord of the Rings'- have generated the kind of insane, obsessive cult following that the 'Star Wars' saga has.

I certainly know about being a 'Star Wars' fanatic having watched every film since I was very young and still having merchandise I played with back then. I- like so many millions of others- adored the original trilogy of films. The original three films are works of genius from the brilliant mind of George Lucas. It's surreal to think that he came up with this vast, breathtaking universe completely by himself with 'Star Wars' being an entirely original idea.Yet while I stand by my belief that the first three films are milestones in the history of beguiling blockbuster cinema, I found myself as crushingly disappointed as pretty much everyone else by the the prequel trilogy- particularly the opening chapter 'Star Wars: The Phantom Menace' (1999)- which arrived two decades later with perhaps the biggest flood of anticipation in movie history yet turned out to one colossal disappointment. 'The Phantom Menace' squandered decades of much-loved mythology and threw it all way in a badly-conceived, fatally dull and overly CGI-happy kids bash that lacked everything that made the original trilogy such classics of their genre.

When it was announced 2 years ago that Lucas had given up the rights of 'Star Wars' to Disney  who would be producing a whole new 'Star Wars' sequel trilogy, the world went wild. They went even more wild when it was announced that J.J Abrams- a self-confessed 'Star Wars' buff and a man who already breathed wondrous new life into another sagging franchise with his barnstorming 'Star Trek' films- would be directing the first installment- 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'. However no one could be scolded for their fears that the once again mega-anticipated return of 'Star Wars' would be met with another 'Phantom'-sized letdown of epic proportions. Thankfully those concerns can be swiftly blasted off into the outer rim as Abrams had made what might be the best 'Star Wars' film to date. If it's not the best, then it's certainly on-par with 'The Empire Strikes Back' (1979) as the most thrilling and satisyfing hour in the saga's 38 year history.

Set three decades after the events of 'Return of the Jedi' (1983), 'The Force Awakens' sees the galaxy facing a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the First Order. When a defector named Finn crash-lands on a desert planet, he meets Rey (Daisy Ridley), a tough scavenger whose droid contains a top-secret map. Together, the young duo joins forces with Han Solo (Harrison Ford) to make sure the Resistance receives the intelligence concerning the whereabouts of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), the last of the Jedi Knights.

Watching 'The Force Awakens' gave me the most relief I've felt out of any movie in years. Essentially Abrams has made the Star Wars film that we all waited for back in 1999, but we never got- until now. A rousing, roaring epic sugarcoated in spectacle and excitement that manages to stay true to the seasoned mythology while managing to feel new and fresh too. However what caused me the most sense of satisfaction from the film was that this is more than just a solid 'Star Wars' film- it's an outstanding motion picture that ticks every box. Even if you don't like 'Star Wars', you'll love the heck out of this movie. 

Abrams and 'The Empire Strikes Back' Screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan clearly chose to approach the film as a movie rather than just another episode in a long-running series- something that has been felt through all the Star Wars film with the exception of this and 'The Empire Strikes Back'. In doing so, 'The Force Awakens' feels as though it is a terrific Sci-Fi blockbuster in and of itself.  Yet- at the same time- Abrams isn't afraid to unleash his raging fanboyism upon the project. This is a film littered with easter eggs that will get 'Star Wars' nuts going baloney with joy.

Plot-wise the film treads closely to 'A New Hope' with it's tale of an ordinary young girl/boy's quest to fight the dark side and save the galaxy- though this is far from a complete rip-off of the seminal orginal. In the place of Luke Skywalker, we have Daisy Ridley as the fiesty Rey who makes for a character who couldn't have possibly been a more perfect heroine.  Ridley is outstanding in the lead. Strong, fiery and bold yet also soft-spoken and gentle like a mix of Keira Knightley and Felicity Jones- she makes Rey the kind of lead character the 'Star Wars' saga has been so desperately in need of. I take no shame in saying Rey is far more interesting than Luke and Anakin Skywalker combined and her tough, no-nonsense attitude makes Rey a terrific feminist role model while also giving 'Star Wars' more of that sense of inspiring underdog story that the original 'Star Wars' really played on.

As the male lead, John Boyega is equally brilliant as rogue Stormtrooper Finn. Having already proved his acting chops in 'Attack the Block' (2011), Boyega here plays Finn as this trilogy's Han Solo- the smooth yet impulsive rogue who gets his shot at redemption. The chemistry between Finn and Rey is perfectly played and makes for sizzling banter while also a few much-needed warm moments. Of course Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher are back for the fun as Han Solo and Princess Leia- looking significantly older yet their presence is much-appreciated. The former even gets the film's most emotional moment- though I can't go into that!

Meanwhile Abrams pours his immense passion into the project with some jaw-dropping action set-pieces. You can clearly tell Abrams absolutely loves 'Star Wars' and he obviously had the time of his life making 'The Force Awakens'. Every sequence has an unashamedly old-fashioned sense of awe about it to the point that you could almost imagine the film being made in the 1980s. To add to this, it's a joy to see Abrams enforcing the original trilogy's love of practical effects unlike the cheesy CGI overload that covered the prequels. It gives the action sequences a sense of raw spectacle and wonder that hasn't been felt since the early days of Spielbergian blockbusters. There are almost too many WOW moments to count yet the most spectacular set-piece comes mid-way through the film with a staggering forest planet battle that recalls the Battle of Endor in 'Return of the Jedi' yet with three times the amount of excitement. Every stunt and explosion feels as though it was constructed manually rather than looking like a video game-like frenzy.

For a film of such size and scope, 'The Force Awakens' contains a surprising amount of emotional heft and heart. Having already been responsible for lending 'The Empire Strikes Back' the kind of pathos that elevated it above all of the other films, Screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan provides the script which crackles with wit; having none of the downright cheesy dialogue that hindered the prequels. There are certainly moments in 'The Force Awakens' that will make you laugh, jump and weep in equal measure. Be prepared for something of an uncharacteristic emotional rollercoaster.

There are flaws along the way in this spectacularly efficient space adventure. For one thing, Kylo Renn is a rather weak villain who lacks menace and feels a bit too much like a Darth Vader rip-off. Adam Driver never seems fully confident in the role and never feels like much of an equal to Ridley's Rey. On top of this, the film feels a tad too long with the third act feeling protracted and lacking the firepower of earlier in the film. As a result, I found the climactic battle including the final duel between Rey and Renn to be slightly disappointing. 

The missteps in the final act are only minor though and the film's brief epilogue is goosbump-inducingly marvellous and will set fanboys across the globe going mad with joy. At the end of 'The Force Awakens' when John Williams' booming, operatic theme song blasted out of the cinema surround sound, I felt a rare sense of happiness that I rarely feel at the end of a movie. A sense of happiness that J.J Abrams got it right. He's made a feelgood film to be enjoyed by every single generation and a bombastic, heartfelt tribute to the films he and we all loved as a child. In his hands, I have faith that 'Star Wars' is in the right hands ​and I can't wait for Episode VIII!