The Force Awakens Revisited (10th Anniversary)
I saw The Force Awakens on opening night in 2015. Never before had I been so excited for a movie (nor have I since.) I had a running countdown to release day for nearly two years on my iPad (the countdown began 600 days out from the release.) The night before it came out, I was too excited to sleep. We waited in line for several hours to get good seats. After waiting for what felt like forever, we were seated and the movie began.
From the moment I saw the words “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away” to the closing credits, I was completely lost in another world. Moments like seeing the return of characters I’ve loved my whole life and hearing John Williams’ iconic score in theaters for the first time is something I’ll remember forever.
I write all of that to give the caveat that I am approaching this review as a lifelong Star Wars fan and as someone who will cherish the memory of this movie forever. Does that mean I’m too biased for an objective movie review? It probably does, but regardless, I revisited The Force Awakens recently for two reasons. One, Andor’s final season was so good it inspired a complete Star Wars rewatch for me, and two, I wanted to see if 10 years later, the film held up to my very high view of it.
The reason for a review of this nature is because of the generation defining divisiveness of the Star Wars Sequels. This issue, in my opinion, is so complex it cannot be boiled down to a simple “Do you like the sequels yes or no? Which trilogy is better, sequels or prequels? etc. etc.” Getting into what I love about the sequels and what I hate about them would take an entire book. This review is not for that.
What I will say about the entire trilogy is simply this: there are parts of The Last Jedi that I love (and parts I hate) and there are parts of The Rise of Skywalker I love (and parts I hate), but I love The Force Awakens from beginning to end, and I think a lot more Star Wars fans would agree with me than are willing to admit.
The hype for Star Wars after this movie came out and the hype for the general direction of the franchise was real. Though the subsequent movies of this trilogy may not have lived up to the hype, I refuse to let them retroactively effect my view of this movie, and I ask you to do the same. So without any more delay, here are some of my brief thoughts on The Force Awakens.
The Force Awakens opens posing the problem: Luke Skywalker has vanished. The iconic opening crawl sets the scene, not only for this movie, but for the general state of the Star Wars universe following its 10 year absence from the big screen (and more specifically Luke’s 32 year absence since last appearing in Return of the Jedi.)
Questions were raised prior to this film’s release of how connected it would be to the well-established Star Wars universe. Will the original characters play important parts in the story, or simply be there as cheap easter eggs? Will the film explore exclusively uncharted territory, having no true deep connection to the arcs that first captivated audiences in 1977? The opening crawl confidently answers these questions in seconds. Viewers don’t have to wonder whether or not this movie will feel like Star Wars; it already does. Luke has vanished, and Leia, a general of the Resistance, is working to find him.
What happens next is 20 minutes of pure mythology. It is JJ Abrams at his absolute best. Abrams does not give Star Wars the pathetic Thor: Love and Thunder treatment. There is a clear and deep respect for the original source material within Abrams’ work. His careful attention to detail combined with awe-inspiring scale is what turns The Force Awakens from a good film to a great one. This entire film (the best cinematography of Abrams’ career) is filled beginning to end with breathtaking shots (I’ve included my favorites throughout the article.) We as the audience are immersed in both the story and the setting, two intrinsically combined aspects of film that must work hand in hand.
Returning to what I previously called “mythology,” the film’s introduction to Rey is spectacular. We see her scavenging for parts in what we later find out to be an old Star Destroyer. We see her drive off and pass old crashed X-Wings and Tie Fighters. Combined with John Williams’ beautifully transcendent score, exploring the new character while seeing flashes of nostalgic classic Star Wars images was the best way to introduce this new franchise.
When Finn interacts with Rey and mentions Luke Skywalker, Rey is stunned, thinking Luke was just a myth, and in many ways, Luke is the important myth of the Star Wars universe. His defeating Palpatine and rescuing Vader while crippling the Empire in the process must have spread through the galaxy like a fire, yet how “real” was Luke to the average person? When Rey mentions his mythic quality, not only are we reminded of Luke and his deeds, but we’re reminded of how great they really were.
Rey and Finn, desperate to escape the Stormtroopers chasing them, encounter yet another classic piece of Star Wars, the Millennium Falcon. Rey, a talented pilot, evades the tie fighters while Finn shoots them down. This scene is a perfect encapsulation of what Star Wars should be. The stakes are high, the scene is intense, it has incredible technical artistry, yet it doesn’t lose its heart. Rey and Finn work remarkably well together having just met, and I’m not sure that anyone could’ve written two better characters to kickstart the new franchise.
Rey and Finn are then boarded by none other than Han and Chewie. They break into the Falcon, and Han delivers the line that caused the theater to nearly explode: “Chewie, we’re home.” If I could summarize The Force Awakens in one line, it would be that one. The Force Awakens is lived history brought to life, and a beautiful return to a franchise so engraved in our culture.
Jumping ahead to the conclusion, the climax ends the film as perfectly as it could have. Kylo Ren and Han’s interaction on the bridge was both devastating and yet an important point for Kylo’s character. His journey to the dark side is complete, to borrow Palpatine’s words, and Han’s death is heart wrenching. Chewie’s reaction is as perfect as we could possibly expect. He shoots Kylo in the side, and as Rey and Finn flee into the woods, they are met by their adversary in what will become the best lightsaber fight of the trilogy.
A lightsaber fight at nighttime in the snow is a cinematic feat Star Wars hadn’t previously reached. The red and blue sabers radiantly pierce the air and reflect off the snow in a way that elevates the mood of the scene to an entirely new level. Finn fights Kylo first, and we know he doesn’t stand much of a chance. Yet, he fights anyway, sacrificing himself for those around him. Finn is such a good character, and it’s a true shame the rest of the trilogy absolutely wasted him.
The final moment of perfection in The Force Awakens comes next. When Finn is defeated, his lightsaber is tossed aside and stuck in the snow. Kylo reaches his hand out to force it to him, but struggles. Suddenly, the lightsaber flies through the air, passing Kylo, and going straight into Rey’s hand. The slight expression of hope in John Williams’ score accompanying this moment created one of this trilogy’s most triumphant feelings. Rey, clearly strong with the force and clearly connected to the Skywalker Saga somehow, defeats Kylo, and the heroes escape. The movie ends with Rey finding Luke and extending Anakin’s lightsaber to him.
There are plenty of other scenes I love that I didn’t have the time to discuss, for example, the Resistance battle on Maz’s castle and Kylo Ren’s introduction, but I won’t ramble on any longer. The Force Awakens is a modern-day masterpiece. Its new and intriguing characters, incredible cinematography, transcendent score, respect for its predecessors, and undying devotion to its fans are all aspects Disney needs to recapture going forward. The sequels could not have been started off any stronger, and seeing this movie opening night is something I will cherish for a long time.
I understand a lot of the frustration with the sequels. We all wanted the new Star Wars trilogy to be as good as what we grew up with. Regardless of how the entire trilogy ended up, The Force Awakens works wonderfully, both on its own and as a steppingstone for the future of Star Wars. Let me know in the comments of any frustrations or critiques you may have with The Force Awakens. I’d be very curious as to what they are and I’d love to respond with my defense.
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I loved “The Force Awakens” when it came out in theaters 10 years ago. I still love it. I think Abrams relaunched Star Wars as perfectly as possible and it was fumbled after that. (I don’t hate the other sequels, btw. I just find them frustratingly unfocused.)
“The Force Awakens” felt like Star Wars. You put it perfectly when you wrote, “The Force Awakens is lived history brought to life, and a beautiful return to a franchise so engraved in our culture.” That’s it exactly. Yes, it borrowed some from the OT, but it still felt new and fresh but with plenty of connective tissue to what we all loved.
I wish Abrams had made all three sequels. I think it would have been more cohesive and much more consistent.
100%. Disney’s biggest mistake was failing to plan the entire trilogy ahead of time. Last Jedi was divisive and Rise of Skywalker was scrambling to try to make everyone happy. Had Abrams done them all, it could’ve been something incredible.