Star Wars: The Force Awakens review - A loving homage and vibrant reboot
By Declan Burke
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (12A) opens 30 years on from the events of Return of the Jedi (1983), with the rebels, led by General Leia (Carrie Fisher), hard-pressed by the evil First Order, led by Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson).
Desperate to discover the whereabouts of the self-exiled Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), fighter pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaacs) embarks on a secret mission to the planet Jakku, where a young scavenger, Rey (Daisy Ridley), proves herself a rather remarkable young woman …
Directed by J.J. Abrams, The Force Awakens is both a loving homage and vibrant reboot – Abrams, who previously proved himself no slouch at space opera with his Star Trek reboots, is obviously a fan of the Star Wars franchise, and delights in slyly humorous touches that will delight the older fans as much as the return of old favourites such as Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Leia and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew).
Abrams has crafted a film that is even more epic in scale than the previous Star Wars offerings. However, even though it clocks in at just over two hours in length, the movie fairly rattles through a relentless succession of battles, lightsabre duels, cataclysmic explosions and reversals of fortune.
At the heart of it all is Star Wars’ first great feminist character, an opportunity the dynamic Daisy Ridley grabs with both hands as Rey scraps and quips her way towards her destiny.
Overall, then, The Force Awakens is a stylish triumph: an action-packed crowd-pleaser that will wow all the existing fans by staying true to the Star Wars mythology, while also opening up that universe to a whole new generation.
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