Thirty years after Return of the Jedi, with the prequel trilogy's reputation still casting a long shadow, J.J. Abrams was required to revive a franchise, introduce a new generation of characters, reunite the original cast, and deliver a picture that felt like Star Wars without merely repeating it. That he largely succeeded is an achievement. The Force Awakens is directed with a confidence and a craft that the prequel trilogy rarely approached, and its new characters are among the saga's finest. Its problem is structural: it is too closely modelled on A New Hope, and the decisions made in service of that familiarity limit its ambition in ways that become more apparent with each viewing.
At a Glance
Director: J.J. Abrams
Runtime: 138 minutes
Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill
Release: 2015
Critics Rating: ★★★★ (4/5 stars, a triumphant return with reservations)
Audience Rating: ★★★★ (4/5 stars, a triumphant return)
Review Breakdown
Plot
A young scavenger named Rey on the desert planet Jakku comes into possession of a droid carrying a map to the missing Luke Skywalker. She is drawn into the conflict between the Resistance and the First Order. The debt to A New Hope is the most significant weakness: a desert planet protagonist, a droid carrying vital information, a superweapon called Starkiller Base that destroys planets, a mentor figure who dies at the hands of the villain. Starkiller Base in particular is a narrative regression, a larger Death Star that represents a failure of imagination that the picture's considerable strengths cannot entirely compensate for.
Characters
The new characters are the greatest achievement. Daisy Ridley's Rey is a compelling and fully realised protagonist whose mystery gives the picture one of its most absorbing threads. John Boyega's Finn is the most purely enjoyable creation, a stormtrooper who defects from the First Order and whose warmth, humour, and decency make him immediately likeable. Adam Driver's Kylo Ren is the standout character, a villain of complexity whose conflict between the light and the dark gives him a psychological depth that the saga's earlier villains rarely possessed. Harrison Ford's Han Solo is as watchable as ever, and his eventual fate is affecting. Ridley and Driver are the twin pillars, and both are exceptional. Boyega is a star, and his Finn deserved more interesting material in the subsequent films than he received. Ford is magnificent, and his scenes with Driver are the emotional highlight.
Tone
Abrams pitches the picture as a return to the warmth, the wit, and the adventure of the original trilogy, and the approach is largely successful. The Force Awakens feels like Star Wars in a way that the prequel trilogy rarely did, with a visual style grounded in practical effects and real locations that gives the picture a texture and a vitality that the digital environments of the prequels lacked.
Meaning / Themes
The picture is richest in its treatment of Kylo Ren, a character whose conflict between his heritage and his chosen allegiance gives it its most complex material. His relationship with Han Solo, and the choice he makes in their confrontation, is the most emotionally devastating moment and the most original.
Direction
Abrams's direction is confident and technically accomplished. The Millennium Falcon chase sequence on Jakku is a highlight, a kinetic and inventive piece of action filmmaking that captures the spirit of the original trilogy's best sequences. John Williams's score weaves new themes for the new characters into the saga's established musical identity with considerable skill.
Cultural Reception
The Force Awakens received outstanding reviews on its release and was a record-breaking commercial success. Critics praised the new characters, the practical effects, and the return to the original trilogy's tonal register, while noting the debt to A New Hope. It is now regarded as a successful but somewhat cautious revival, a picture that prioritised familiarity over originality and paid a creative price for that choice that became more apparent as the sequel trilogy developed.
Final Verdict: A hugely entertaining and emotionally satisfying return to the Star Wars universe, directed with craft and confidence. The new characters are exceptional, Harrison Ford's return is handled with grace, and the picture feels like Star Wars in all the ways that matter. But its debt to A New Hope is too significant to ignore, and Starkiller Base is a failure of imagination. Excellent, with reservations.