Review of Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) by H R — 29 Dec 2017

A New Hope: Redux.

JJ Abrams didnt take too many risks when making this film, and it shows.

Admittedly, there was no way this film was going to please everyone, but surely fans of the OT should have been on their 'hit' list?

This film carefully retreads the plot of the ANH (and arguably TPM), diverting from it's course just long enough re-introduce the old cast and to aggressively shoe horn in a few nods to the OT before continuing on with its uninspiring plot.

Some of the new characters have immediate depth, and are worthy additions to the canon, and the aesthetics of the SW universe has been faithfully recreated.

Daidy Ridley has the opportunity to be an excellent lead, but her character was let down by being made into a textbook example of a Mary Sue, seemingly a master pilot (of the Millennium Falcon no less), Engineer, Force user and lightsaber duelist, within hours of meeting the rest of the cast.

While the film was really quite heavy handed with the anaolgies to Nazism, the First Order are a fitting replacement for the Empire, and Adam Driver's Kylo Ren a dark and troubled replacement for Vader.

Similar to Rogue One, and perhaps inspiring it, this film took every oportunity to 'elbow you in the ribs' with a nod or tongue-in-cheek reference to the OT, to the point that it became an ongoing irritation (although Rogue One was far worse in this respect).

I lef the cinema feeling let down and cancelled my pre-order, although I did give in and buy the film a month or so after its release as I felt it deserved a second chance...

I did enjoy the lightsaber duel in the woods though... best one yet!