The Road to Skywalker: A Review of The Force Awakens (2015)

The Force Awakens (2015) is the first film of the newest trilogy of Star Wars, taking place after the events of the original trilogy and is the first film under the commandment of Walt Disney Studios. Directed by J.J. Abrams, this film stars Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Adam Driver as the new leads, with Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill reprising their roles. When a new order threatens to destroy the New Republic, Finn (Boyega), Rey (Ridley) and Poe (played by Oscar Isaac) must find a way to stop them and search for Luke Skywalker (Hamill), the last surviving Jedi.

Unlike other films in the Star Wars franchise, in which some characters feel one-dimensional or poorly written, all of the characters here seem to have emotion, conflict and a range of good and bad traits. Our heroes are written well enough that we like them and love their journey, but don’t feel like they are Mary Sues. This helps alongside the performances given by their actors, as Daisy Ridley and John Boyega prove that they can carry this huge franchise incredibly well.

Adam Driver has become the biggest star from this trilogy outside of the franchise, and his acting here proves why he is becoming beloved in the industry. He is simply the perfect casting for the role of Kylo Ren, and it is clearly shown that his character has a dark background that goes back to the days of Anakin Skywalker and his own path. I would have liked more from Kylo Ren in this film, particularly finding out more about his character, but that will come later on in the franchise for sure.

It is so clear how far technology has come since the days of A New Hope, as this may just be the most visually stunning film of the franchise. From the cinematography, the choreography of the action sequences and the use of CGI, it is hard not to get sucked into the world-building of this film. The new creatures introduced here, particularly BB-8, is the perfect inclusion to this film and it is hard not to love him.