The following is a spoiler-free review in which I cover the basic qualitative issues of the film without delving deeply into the plot. Upon revisiting the film I'll provide some deeper analysis in a later post.
It's Something Old, Something New, and Altogether Great
There's no film series quite like Star Wars. At it's best it's vast yet intimate, fantastical yet tangible. The original trilogy of films released from 1977 to 1983 captured lighting in a bottle, something franchise creator George Lucas never quite managed to do in his prequel installments. Those more recent films are troubled in various ways—stilted dialogue and acting, an over-reliance on CGI effects—and director J.J. Abrams and producer and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy faced the enormous task of bringing back much of the old, but imbuing it with something fresh. Die-hards and intermittent fans alike can rejoice. Abrams, Kennedy and the rest of the cast and crew have threaded the needle and delivered an engaging, thrilling piece of entertainment that proudly carries the mantle of the Star Wars saga.
Abrams and his co-writer Lawrence Kasdan—a veteran of the series from The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi—along with writer Michael Arndt, give us the story of young, unlikely heroes caught up in the battle between the Resistance (formerly the Rebel Alliance) and the First Order, a Third Reich-like faction born from the ashes of the Empire. Rey (Daisy Ridley) is a scavenger on the desert planet of Jakku who crosses paths with ex-stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega), and together they end up in the presence of old characters like Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew). The story moves along at a brisk pace, never once sagging or getting bogged down with too much plot. Things do get a bit convoluted as the story expands into the second act, filling in the details of the galaxy's last 30 years while introducing and fleshing out the new characters, but it's never at the cost of those characters or the story itself.
From start to finish, The Force Awakens is a thrill ride with humanity and humor, never settling for empty spectacle. Abrams' kinetic action sequences, of which there are many, always advance the story and develop the characters further, particularly for Rey and Finn. Daisy Ridely, a newcomer to film, is phenomenal as Rey, crafting a confident and strong female protagonist who could carry the film even if she weren't surrounded by an equally talented cast. Boyega brings a good deal of personality and humor to Finn, making him another welcome addition. The fantastically talented Oscar Isaac fills the role of dashing Resistance pilot Poe Dameron with ease, and Adam Driver makes for an imposing and emotionally volatile villain as Kylo Ren. Though Ren is symbolically following in Darth Vader's footsteps as this new trilogy's big bad dressed in black, the character feels completely fresh. Where Vader was confident and all-powerful, Ren is insecure and still harnessing his powers with the Dark Side of the Force.
Though all of the new additions to the Star Wars universe are strong, the true standout performance here is Harrison Ford as Han Solo. Ford had little to do in Return of the Jedi, leaving Solo with very little character development, but here he's given the opportunity to play a wider range of emotions and make the character more than just the same old scoundrel 30 years older. Everything about his performance feels like a natural evolution rather than a forced cash-in, as he brings the same old spark back to the part, whether he's bickering with Chewbacca or holding Leia in his arms.
The cast of The Force Awakens inhabits a production with immaculate craftsmanship. Great care was taken to make as much of the film with practical sets, costumes and effects as was possible, and the film is better for it. The First Oder's uniforms and ships are exceptionally clean and shiny while the Millennium Falcon is still the worn, lived-in freighter it always was. Cinematographer Dan Mindel captures some truly striking images of this tangible world and the various locations seen in it, from the rolling dunes of Jakku to a snowy forest lit only by lightsabers. Accompanying almost every frame of the film is John Williams' terrific score, which plays a large role in the creation of the movie's emotional core. Williams manages to provide largely new music throughout, but he does weave in some of his iconic themes from the original films when appropriate, and they still warm the heart and put a lump in your throat.
If there is one notable quibble with The Force Awakens, it's that it shares some narrative details with the original 1977 Star Wars, also known as Episode IV—A New Hope. I won't get into particulars here, per my spoiler-free tag above, but luckily those similarities have much more to do with plot than they do characters. The charm and chemistry of the cast members, new and old, provide The Force Awakens with its energetic pulse, and some derivative elements and the aforementioned crowded second act can't slow it down or kill its infectious magic.
Star Wars is making its big return to the movies in a world where franchises seven films deep are no longer rare or even special (just look at Harry Potter, Fast & Furious, and the Marvel films as recent and ongoing examples). What sets The Force Awakens apart from the onslaught of Hollywood blockbusters is its commitment to a fictional world that feels as real as can be despite its inherent fantasy. When Han Solo is talking to Chewbacca on the Millennium Falcon, we know they're really there, and that Chewie isn't really just a tennis ball on a stick replaced with ones and zeros. We also feel the fear, the excitement, and even the hatred in the characters' hearts and minds. For the first time in many years, "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" once again feels close enough to touch. I wouldn't have Star Wars any other way.