The 2015 Star Wars: The Force Awakens was directed and co-written by J.J. Abrams and is the seventh film in the Star Wars movie series. This film stars Harrison Ford as Han Solo, whose character has not changed since the original films; he is still a rogue and smuggler. Mark Hamill plays Kuke Skywalker, the last Jedi, who is in hiding. General Leia Organa (the former Princess Leia), heads the Resistance, is Luke’s twin sister, and is acted by Carrie Fisher. Adam Driver is Kylo Ren, a warrior with the Force and commander of the First Order. Rey, a scavenger, who is looking for her family, is played byDaisy Ridley John Boyega is Finn, a First Order reformed stormtrooper. Oscar Isaac plays Poe Dameron, a Resistance fighter pilot; Lupita Nyong’o is Maz Kanata, Andy Serkis is Supreme Leader Snoke of the First Order. General Hux, commander of the Starkiller Base of the First Order is played by Domhnall Gleeson, while C-3PO a humanoid droid is Anthony Daniels; Peter Mayhew plays Chewbacca, the Wookiee, and Lor San Tekka is Max von Sydow. Ewan McGregor has a vocal cameo role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Rey’s vision as well as Frank Oz and Alec Buinnes as Yoda and Kenobi respectively are in the same scene. Plus there is a wonderful selection of supporting actors in various roles and cameo appearances.
This film’s storyline and plot is to this writer an updated version of the First Star Wars movie but set approximately 30 years after the destruction of the second Death Star, and it follows the fight by the Resistance and the search for Luke Skywalker, the last Jedi, who has disappeared, by Rey Finn and Poe Dameron. After the fall of the Galactic Empire, the First Order has risen and seeks to eliminate not only Luke, but the New Republic as well. Lead by General Leia Organa, the Resistance opposes them and are also looking for Luke.
While on the planet Jakku, Poe Dameron meets Lor San Tekka to see if he can find the map that leads to Luke’s location. The village unfortunately is destroyed by Stormtroopers and Poe is captured. His droid, BB-8, escapes with the map. Poe is tortured, then freed by Finn and they escape. As luck would have it, they crash on Jakku and after the First Order tracks them and attacks them, Finn, Rey and BB-8 leave the planet in a stolen, rundown ship, the Millennium Falcon, which was originally owned by Han Solo and Chewbacca… This ship falls apart and is captured by another ship that just happens Han Solo and Chewbacca are piloting. Attacked by a group of thugs who are after Solo, the five (Finn, Rey, Solo, Chewbacca and BB-8) leave on the repaired Falcon. Informed of Solo’s involvement, Supreme Leader Snoke questions Ren about Solo, while Ren insists that Solo means nothing to him.
They learn that the map BB-8 has secured is incomplete and travel to meet with Maz Kanata, a cantina owner on the planet Takodana, for help to reach the Resistance, while Rey finds the lightsaber belonging to Luke and Anakin Skywalker which is given to Finn for safekeeping. It is here that the audience learns via Solo why Luke, after trying to rebuild the Jedi Order, went into exile because an apprentice destroyed what Luke had attempted to build. The Republic capital and fleet are destroyed by Starkiller Base and the First Order attacks Takodana, searching for the map and BB-8. Poe rescues Solo, Chewbacca and Finn. Leia, with C-3PO, reunites with Solo and Chewbacca, but Rey is captured by Ren who he interrogates about the map. She discovers that she can use the Force and escapes her cell using a Jedi mind trick. Thanks to BB-8, R2-D2 is reactivated. Using the Falcon, Solo, Chewbacca and Finn infiltrate the base. They manage to lower its protective shield, find Rey, set explosives and encounter Ren, who Han asks him to leave the dark side and return with him. However, Ren kills Solo and Chewbacca shoots Ren, setting the bombs that ultimately destroys the base.
Although injured, Ren pursues both Finn and Rey; Finn, who is badly wounded while fighting Ren, is replaced by Rey who uses the Force and is beating him, when the ground opens up, separating them. Ren leaves with General Hux, while Rey and Chewbacca leave with Finn in the Falcon. The Resistance then celebrates the victory, but mourn the lost of Solo. At this point, R2-D2 reveals the remainder of the map, allowing Rey with R2-D2 and Chewbacca to find a distant planet where Rey finds Luke, giving him the lightsaber and setting the audience up for the next film in this series of movies.
As much as this appeared to be an updated version of the original first Star Wars film, which I believe was the intent, to connect with fans of the original as well as bring in new fans, it was well done with a female lead playing the role that Luke Skywalker had in that first film. The direction was spot on, as was the CGI and visual effects. The editing, continuity, acting, music, and editing were also exceptionally well done. The dialog was okay, but this was a science fiction, action, adventure film, so the dialog was really incidental to the overall film. It has received five Academy Award nominations; Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Film Editing, and Best Visual Effects. If you haven’t seen it yet, you need to do so. GRADE: 5 of 5 crowns
5 of 5 crowns, whoohoo! I was going to be super sad if you had given it less because I absolutely loved it!
Posted by: Jess | 02/23/2016 at 10:31 PM