Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Ulkar Alakbarova

4 years ago

Advertisements

Thirty years after defeating the Galactic Empire, Han Solo and his allies face a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren and his army of Stormtroopers.

Credits: TheMovieDb.

Film Cast:

Han Solo: Harrison Ford
Luke Skywalker: Mark Hamill
General Leia Organa: Carrie Fisher
Kylo Ren / Ben Solo: Adam Driver
Rey: Daisy Ridley
Finn: John Boyega
Poe Dameron: Oscar Isaac
Maz Kanata: Lupita Nyong’o
Supreme Leader Snoke: Andy Serkis
General Hux: Domhnall Gleeson
C-3PO: Anthony Daniels
Lor San Tekka: Max von Sydow
Chewbacca: Peter Mayhew
Captain Phasma: Gwendoline Christie
Chewbacca Double: Joonas Suotamo
Lead Stormtrooper: Pip Andersen
Unkar Plutt: Simon Pegg
Teedo: Kiran Shah
Jakku Villager: Sasha Frost
Colonel Kaplan: Pip Torrens
Major Ematt: Andrew Jack
Colonel Datoo: Rocky Marshall
Snap Wexley: Greg Grunberg
Brance: Emun Elliott
Bala-Tik: Brian Vernel
Tasu Leech: Yayan Ruhian
Lieutenant Mitaka: Sebastian Armesto
Korr Sella: Maisie Richardson-Sellers
Wollivan: Warwick Davis
Young Rey: Cailey Fleming
Knight of Ren: Mark Stanley
Admiral Statura: Ken Leung
Razoo Quin-Fee: Iko Uwais
Bazine Netal: Anna Brewster
Dr. Kalonia: Harriet Walter
Admiral Ackbar: Tim Rose
Admiral Ackbar (voice): Erik Bauersfeld
Nien Nunb: Mike Quinn
Nein Nunb (voice): Bill Kipsang Rotich
FN-3181: Michael Giacchino
FN-9330: Nigel Godrich
Bar Patron: Judah Friedlander
Bar Patron: Victor McGuire
Bar Patron: Miltos Yerolemou
Lieutenant Connix: Billie Lourd
Min Sakul: Leanne Best
Ensign Goode: Crystal Clarke
Rear Admiral Guich: Jeffery Kissoon
Lema Eelyak: Claudia Sermbezis
Captain Cypress: Gerald W. Abrams
Vice Admiral Resdox: Jim McGrath
Tabala Zo: Philicia Saunders
Commodore Meta: Morgan Dameron
Jess Testor: Jessica Henwick
Lieutenant Bastian: Tosin Cole
Niv Lek: James McArdle
Yolo Ziff: Stefan Grube
Resistance Soldier: Dixie Arnold
First Order Officer: Hannah John-Kamen
First Order Officer: Kate Fleetwood
First Order Officer: Thomas Brodie-Sangster
BB-8: Brian Herring
BB-8: Dave Chapman
R2-D2 (uncredited): Jimmy Vee
Crokind Shand (uncredited): Cecep Arif Rahman
Bollie Prindel / Roodown (uncredited): Ian Whyte
Stormtrooper (uncredited): Daniel Craig
Obi-Wan Kenobi (voice) (uncredited): Ewan McGregor
Yoda (archive sound) (uncredited): Frank Oz
Obi-Wan Kenobi (archive sound) (uncredited): Alec Guinness
Hosnian Citizen / Starkiller Technician (voice) (uncredited): Tom Kane
Hangar Officer / Starkiller Technician (voice) (uncredited): Catherine Taber
Ello Asty / Quiggold / Niima Thug (voice) (uncredited): Matthew Wood
Stormtroopers / Star Destroyer PA Announcer / Star Destroyer Officer (voice): Samuel Witwer
Resistance Technician (voice) (uncredited): Meredith Salenger
First Order Stormtrooper (uncredited): James Arnold Taylor
Starkiller PA Announcer (voice) (uncredited): Michael Donovan
Hangar Officer / Starkiller Stormtrooper (voice) (uncredited): Devon Libran
Red Eyed Sand Alien (voice) (uncredited): Robert Stambler
Resistance PA Announcer (voice) (uncredited): Verona Blue
Niima Scavenger / Forest Stormtrooper (voice) (uncredited): Fred Tatasciore
Resistance Medic (voice) (uncredited): Patrick Correll
Niima Scavenger (voice) (uncredited): Karen Huie
Desert Scavenger (voice) (uncredited): Orly Schuchmacher
Stormtrooper (uncredited): Ben Schwartz
Niima Scavenger (voice) (uncredited): Mark Dodson
FN-2199 (uncredited): Liang Yang
FN-2199 (uncredited): David Acord
Heavy Gunner Stormtrooper (uncredited): Jamie B. Chambers
First Order Stormtrooper / Snowtrooper Commander / Heavy Gunner Stormtrooper (uncredited): David M. Santana
Bar Patron: Francesca Longrigg
Bar Patron: D.C. Barns
First Order Officer: Tom Edden
First Order Officer: Richard Riddell
First Order Officer: Jefferson Hall
First Order Officer: Jack Laskey
(scenes deleted): Christina Chong
Jashco Phurus (uncredited): Daniel Adjei
First Order Stormtrooper / Resistance Fighter (uncredited): Charlie Akin
Rebel Soldier (uncredited): Adrian Allan
First Order Stormtrooper (uncredited): Samantha Alleyne
X-Wing pilot (uncredited): Paul Biddiss
First Order Officer (uncredited): Hannah Blamires
First Order Admiral (uncredited): Rony Bridges
Stormtrooper (uncredited): Stuart Budd
Resistance Engineer (uncredited): Calvin Chen
Stormtrooper (uncredited): Alan Chimes
Stormtrooper (uncredited): Jamie Clay
First Order General (uncredited): Bern Collaço
Hangar Officer / Forest Stormtrooper (voice) (uncredited): David W. Collins
Durteel Haza / Sidon Ithano (uncredited): Cavin Cornwall
Storm Trooper (uncredited): Rowan Cox
PZ-4CO (uncredited): Nathalie Cuzner
Stormtrooper (uncredited): Rimmel Daniel
Goss Toowers (uncredited): Keith De’Winter
Stormtrooper (uncredited): Adrian Derrick-Palmer
Knight of Ren (uncredited): Michael Dickins
Imperial Gunner (uncredited): Nick Donald
Jakku Villager (uncredited): Cameron Edwards
Maz’s Bar Pirate (uncredited): Mick Fryer-Kelsey
First Order Stormtrooper (uncredited): Jesse Michael Fullington
Jakku Defender (uncredited): Gloria García
Bar Patron (uncredited): Salo Gardner
Rebel Alliance (uncredited): Caroline Garnell
First Order Officer (uncredited): Chris Geden
Friend of Big Toad (uncredited): Clare Glass
Rebel (uncredited): Versha Grant
Snowtrooper (uncredited): Steven James Griffiths
Stormtrooper (uncredited): Gary Hailes
Rebel (uncredited): Tim Hammersley
First Order Stormtrooper (uncredited): Chris Hastings
Bar Worker (uncredited): Marina Hayter
Resistance (uncredited): Kelvin Hewlett
Resistance Fighter (uncredited): Matthew Hobbs
X-Wing Pilot (uncredited): Phil Hodges
Stormtrooper (uncredited): Leigh Holland
Rebel Alliance (uncredited): Kevin Hudson
Stormtrooper (uncredited): Phoenix James
Stormtrooper (uncredited): Zander James
Fun House Officer (uncredited): Tobias James-Samuels
Ello Asty (uncredited): Paul Kasey
Cloaked Messenger (uncredited): Aaron Kennedy
Tie Fighter Pilot (uncredited): Aidan Knight
Resistance Engineer (uncredited): Sanj Krishnan
X-Wing Pilot (uncredited): Lukas Landau
Resistance Soldier (uncredited): Andrei Lenart
Rebel Alliance (uncredited): Jorge Leon Martinez
Rebel Medic (uncredited): Julia Leyland
Stormtrooper (uncredited): Billy James Machin
Jakku Villager (uncredited): Hamza Malik
Stormtrooper (uncredited): Raymond Mamrak
Resistance Fighter (uncredited): Kelsey Edwards
First Order Stormtrooper (uncredited): Kenny-Lee Mbanefo
Bar Patron (uncredited): David McCarrison
First Order Stormtrooper (uncredited): Sandeep Mohan
Officer of the Rebel Alliance (uncredited): Benjayx Murphy
Professor Allium (uncredited): Robert Nairne
Bar Patron (uncredited): Charlie Nevett
Stormtrooper (uncredited): Jason Nicholls
HoM 56 (uncredited): Terry Noble
Politician (uncredited): David Norfolk
Bar Patron (uncredited): Tatsujiro Oto
Resistance Member (uncredited): Gillian Pittaway
Hassk Thug (uncredited): Nathan Plant
Rosser Weno (uncredited): Elroy Powell
Stormtrooper (uncredited): Jay Rincon
First Order Stormtrooper (uncredited): Marc Rolfe
Resistance Fighter (uncredited): Julio Romeo
First Order Stormtrooper (uncredited): Mark Flynn Rutter
Power Droid (uncredited): Arti Shah
Resistance Medic / Forest Stormtrooper (voice) (uncredited): Kat Sheridan
ME-8D9 (uncredited): Stephanie Silva
Senior Resistance Officer (uncredited): Jasper Skinner
Lady Astronaut (uncredited): Sandy Kate Slade
Resistance Fighter (uncredited): Clem So
Stormtrooper captain (uncredited): Benito Sovrano
Jakku Village Elder (uncredited): Karol Steele
X-Wing Pilot (uncredited): Sternkiker François
Rebel General (uncredited): Frank Stone
X-Wing Pilot (uncredited): Andy Sweet
Nima Outpost Scavenger (uncredited): Peter Theobalds
Rebel Soldier (uncredited): Pablo Verdejo
Bar Patron (uncredited): Ashley Ward
Varmik (uncredited): Paul Warren
Ubert Quaril (uncredited): Topo Wresniwiro
First Order Snowtrooper (uncredited): Joshua Ásberg
BB-8 (voice): Bill Hader
Stormtrooper (uncredited): Joe Cash

Film Crew:

Characters: George Lucas
Original Music Composer: John Williams
Producer: Kathleen Kennedy
Production Design: Rick Carter
Costume Design: Michael Kaplan
Sound Designer: Ben Burtt
Supervising Sound Editor: Gary Rydstrom
Creative Consultant: Dennis Muren
Co-Producer: Lawrence Kasdan
Casting: April Webster
Animation: Phil Tippett
Art Direction: Gary Tomkins
Art Direction: Alastair Bullock
Makeup Department Head: Amanda Knight
Thanks: Simon Pegg
Stunt Coordinator: Rob Inch
Associate Producer: Michael Arndt
Thanks: Simon Kinberg
Makeup Artist: Bill Corso
Producer: J.J. Abrams
Director of Photography: Dan Mindel
Editor: Maryann Brandon
Editor: Mary Jo Markey
Casting: Nina Gold
Art Direction: Robert Cowper
Music Editor: Ramiro Belgardt
Draughtsman: Julia Dehoff
Art Direction: Stuart Rose
Concept Artist: Doug Chiang
Producer: Bryan Burk
Digital Intermediate: Stefan Sonnenfeld
Supervising Sound Editor: Matthew Wood
Hair Designer: Lisa Tomblin
Sculptor: Colin Jackman
Unit Production Manager: Finni Johannsson
Script Supervisor: Gladys San Juan
Orchestrator: Ron Jones
Concept Artist: Matthew Savage
Dialect Coach: Andrew Jack
Production Design: Darren Gilford
Casting: Alyssa Weisberg
Art Direction: Mark Harris
First Assistant Camera: Robert Palmer
Special Effects Supervisor: Chris Corbould
Executive Producer: Jason McGatlin
Executive Producer: Tommy Harper
Unit Production Manager: Simon Emanuel
Sound Designer: David Acord
Storyboard Artist: Simon Duric
Casting Associate: Theo Park
Co-Producer: Pippa Anderson
Assistant Costume Designer: Nigel Egerton
Costume Supervisor: David Crossman
Third Assistant Director: Andrew Vanneck
Storyboard Artist: Kurt Van Der Basch
Supervising Art Director: Neil Lamont
Set Decoration: Lee Sandales
Property Master: Jamie Wilkinson
Greensman: Peter Hooper
Greensman: Jon Marson
Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Andy Nelson
Second Unit Director: Roger Guyett
First Assistant Director: Jason Blumenfeld
Second Unit Cinematographer: Bruce McCleery
Draughtsman: Alex Baily
Art Direction: Stephen Swain
Art Direction: Jordana Finkel
Assistant Art Director: Robert Hochstoeger
Art Department Coordinator: Pollyanna Seath
Unit Manager: Tobin Hughes
Script Supervisor: Lizzie Pritchard
Art Direction: Peter Dorme
Sound Designer: Will Files
Still Photographer: David James
Construction Coordinator: Amanda Pettett
ADR Editor: Richard Quinn
Assistant Art Director: Katrina Mackay
Visual Effects Supervisor: Michael Mulholland
Camera Operator: Philippe Carr-Forster
Gaffer: Christopher Prampin
Camera Operator: Andrew Rowlands
Steadicam Operator: Colin Anderson
Sound Mixer: Christopher Scarabosio
Script Supervisor: Dawn Gilliam
Gaffer: David Sinfield
Helicopter Camera: Adam Dale
Camera Operator: Ben Wilson
Third Assistant Director: Rickie-Lee Roberts
Conceptual Design: Christian Alzmann
Unit Production Manager: Mark Somner
Visual Effects Producer: Ben Lock
Art Direction: James Collins
Visual Effects Coordinator: Conor Byrne
Art Direction: Hayley Easton Street
Construction Manager: Paul J. Hayes
Concept Artist: Seth Engstrom
Makeup Artist: Amy Byrne
Gaffer: Patrick Hoeschen
Hairstylist: Francesca Crowder
VFX Artist: Loren Robinson
Creature Effects Technical Director: Neal Scanlan
Draughtsman: Ketan Waikar
Visual Effects: Paul Kavanagh
Assistant Art Director: Remo Tozzi
Assistant Art Director: Claire Fleming
Third Assistant Director: Tom Reynolds
First Assistant Editor: Martin Corbett
Art Direction: Kevin Jenkins
Art Direction: Ashley Lamont
Art Direction: Andrew Palmer
Assistant Costume Designer: Vivienne Jones
Concept Artist: Ryan Church
Casting Associate: Jessica Sherman
Researcher: Celia Barnett
Script Coordinator: Jasmin Moradian
Hairstylist: Karen Asano-Myers
Hairstylist: Kathryn Fa
Key Hair Stylist: Andrew Simonin
Animation: Laurent Benhamo
Animation: Amaury Coljon
Animation: Marc Calvelo
Animation: Jean-Denis Haas
Animation: Chris Tost
Animation: Atsushi Kojima
CG Supervisor: Ian Comley
CG Supervisor: Polly Ing
CG Supervisor: Brandon Fayette
CG Supervisor: Andrew Booth
Visual Effects Art Director: Yanick Dusseault
Visual Effects Coordinator: Patricia Martinez Arastey
Visual Effects Coordinator: Jenny Jiyeon Bae
Visual Effects Coordinator: Dan Cortez
Visual Effects Coordinator: Umar Hussain
Visual Effects Coordinator: Julie Liu
Visual Effects Coordinator: Teréz Koncz
Visual Effects Editor: Martin Allan Kloner
Visual Effects Producer: Sophie Cullen
Visual Effects Supervisor: Nick Hsieh
Camera Operator: Harry K. Garvin
Foley Editor: Jonathan Borland
Creature Design: Jake Lunt
First Assistant Camera: Paul Wheeldon
First Assistant Camera: David Penfold
First Assistant Camera: Dora Krolikowska
First Assistant Camera: Brad Larner
Assistant Art Director: Lydia Fry
Draughtsman: Liam Georgensen
Production Sound Mixer: Stuart Wilson
Greensman: Will Buchanan
Draughtsman: Richard Hardy
Concept Artist: Iain McCaig
Production Director: Jason Pomerantz
Second Unit Director: Laura Wootton
Stunt Coordinator: Liang Yang
Line Producer: Leifur B. Dagfinnsson
Co-Producer: Susan Towner
Post-Production Manager: TJ Falls
Co-Producer: John Swartz
Co-Producer: Ben Rosenblatt
Assistant Art Director: Andrea Borland
Co-Producer: Michelle Rejwan
Second Assistant Director: Christophe Le Chanu
Second Assistant Director: Aaron C. Fitzgerald
First Assistant Director: Tommy Gormley
Concept Artist: Chris Baker
Draughtsman: Sarah Ginn
Draughtsman: Catherine Whiting
Concept Artist: Tim Browning
Assistant Art Director: Sophie Bridgman
Second Assistant Director: Ben Dixon
Draughtsman: Jake Hall
Production Supervisor: Khaled Zaazouh
Second Assistant Director: Joey Coughlin
Assistant Set Decoration: Stella Fox
Production Supervisor: Adam Teeuw
First Assistant Director: George Walker
Grip: Jim Philpott
Construction Coordinator: Debbie Morgan
Production Supervisor: Andrew C. Keeter
Production Manager: Martin Joy
Compositing Lead: Ben O’Brien
Animation: Mickael Coedel
Draughtsman: Daniel Nussbaumer
Draughtsman: Gavin Dean
Draughtsman: Andrew Proctor
Costume Coordinator: Eve Walker
Visual Effects Supervisor: Patrick Tubach
Assistant Director: Scott Owen
Graphic Designer: Laura Dishington
Storyboard Artist: Stephen Forrest-Smith
Concept Artist: Dan Walker
Assistant Set Decoration: Julie Pitts
Concept Artist: Lee Oliver
Prop Maker: Ivan Shannon
Third Assistant Director: Teariki Leonard
Second Assistant Director: Fraser Fennell-Ball
Second Unit Director: Grace McInnes
Third Assistant Director: Clare Glass
Third Assistant Director: Holly Gardner
Unit Production Manager: Alex Darby
Third Assistant Director: Tarik Afifi
Camera Trainee: Rick James
Production Supervisor: Cory Bennett Lewis
Sculptor: Rob Bean
Third Assistant Director: Barnaby Riggs
Senior Executive Consultant: Gary Bunn
Graphic Designer: Davison Carvalho
Graphic Designer: Dominic Sikking
Third Assistant Director: Eileen Yip
Second Assistant Director: Chloe Chesterton
Production Supervisor: Karl Caffrey
Production Manager: Megan Matousek
Third Assistant Director: Edward Bellamy
Third Assistant Director: Stephen Godenzie
Second Unit Director: Stephanie Jolly
Third Assistant Director: Siggi Kjartan
Second Assistant Director: Andrew Mannion
Second Unit Director: Albertine Selvik
Third Assistant Director: George Max Trummler
Production Assistant: Vanluke Watson
Location Coordinator: Caterina Boselli
Assistant Script: Suzie Frize-Williams
Standby Property Master: Buddie Wilkinson
Prop Maker: Philip j Shaw
Software Engineer: Lisa Curtis Saunders
Carpenter: William Stickley
Concept Artist: Andree Wallin
Post Production Supervisor: Michael Blanchard
Concept Artist: Matt Allsopp
Concept Artist: Christopher Brändström
Assistant Property Master: Abe El Habashy
Prop Maker: Keith Ferris
Concept Artist: Will Htay
Special Effects Assistant: Joe Cash

Movie Reviews:

Frank Ochieng: So where were you when the Science Fiction cinema sensation ‘Star Wars’ took shape and captured the imagination of the massive global moviegoers’ escapist expectations back in 1977? Regardless of whether you existed thirty-eight years ago or not, the legend of George Lucas’ highly-heralded SF blockbuster that shattered box office records worldwide was automatically engrained in your cinematic psyche. Now nearly four decades later, the motion picture phenomenon that took place in ‘a galaxy a long time ago…far, far away’ has come to expand its entertaining promise and prominence even after numerous servings of movie sequels, television specials and other fanfare attributes that promoted the ‘Star Wars’ agenda throughout the countless years.
The modern-day arrival of yet another ‘Star Wars’ edition in the millennium movie-making age of technical and tactical brilliance is quite fitting and filmmaker J.J. Abrams is the right choice to helm this sacred film franchise and present a whole new litany of continuing adventurous narratives for a new generation of ‘Star Wars’ personalities dipping their tenacious toes into ‘the force of goodness’ battling ‘the dark side’ of authoritative evil.

In Abrams’s reboot ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’, the anticipation of enhancing and enlightening the reputation and respect of the Lucas landscape of stormtroopers, light sabres and of course the iconic ‘Star Wars’ returnees from the treasured trio of Harrison Ford (Han Solo)/Carrie Fisher (Leia) and Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) registers with a nostalgic blast of appreciation and exhilaration. ‘The Force Awakens’ is a sheer big screen celebration of majestic impishness and intrigue that will fortify the hunger of both casual and rabid ‘Star Wars’ fanatics. Indeed, the hype is warranted and Abrams, the mastermind of the big-budget movie sequelitis, is in top form as he triumphantly presents ‘The Force Awakens’ on a prized silver platter designed for its surging golden moments of charged ebullience.

In looking at the numbers game that is connected to the overall ‘Star Wars’ universe, it is hard to believe that the last prequel was released just a decade ago. Furthermore, it is mind-boggling that the aforementioned ‘Star Wars’ ‘royalty’ in Ford, Fisher and Hamill have shared the same space on film for the first time in over three decades since they last were featured in a ‘Star Wars’ movie together. Nevertheless, no one can deny that ‘The Force Awakens’ does not take the challenge in combining the remembrance of the ‘Star Wars’ installments of yesteryear with the fresh brand of current upstarts willing to engage in another boisterous saga that begins a whole chapter of compelling wonderment. The mix of veterans and novices in ‘The Force Awakens’ is quite interesting but the familiarity of the storytelling heft of good vs. evil is always a solid sell in the realm of the ‘Star Wars’ utopia.

The good news is that ‘The Force Awakens’ not only serves as a bridge that crosses both boundaries past and present in ‘Star Wars’ folklore but it taps into the masterful mystique that Lucas and company worked so diligently to showcase so historically some thirty-eight years ago. Still, some may have lobbied for a stronger storyline in ‘The Force Awakens’ as they may gently dismiss it as being merely thin in its premise while viewing it primarily as a launching pad to develop yet another series of movies to create the ‘Star Wars’ juggernaut for this current-day climax of warped speed wizardry. For those that want a basic outline of ‘The Force Awakens’ pulse it is as such where the beloved yet aging tandem of standouts Han Solo and Chewbacca (yes, good old hulking and walking hairball Chewie is back) is helping out heroic new bloods’ Rey and Finn (played by Daisy Ridley and John Boyega)’ in an effort to groom them for combating the emergence of Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), a villainous representative from the Dark Side of the Force.

Basically, ‘The Force Awakens’ is a grand and stirring homage to the prolific Science Fiction/space fantasy that dared to soar its ambitious wings while taking the old-fashioned concept of the good guys sparring with the bad guys and spinning a whimsical web of dark imperialism while searching for the intrinsic value of brotherhood. One cannot imagine the vitality of ‘Star Wars’ without the inclusion of notable and favorite characterizations that were instrumental in inviting a ravenous response to this filming phenom that has existed in your pop cultural lives for too many years to recount. In addition to joining top dogs in Ford’s Han Solo, Hamill’s Luke Skywalker, Fisher’s General Leia Organa (the former Princess Leia to all you old school ‘Star Wars’ enthusiasts out there) and Peter Mayhew’s Chewbacca, there is the welcomed presence of C3-PO (Anthony Daniels) as well. As for C3-PO’s newest sidekick BB-8, a mechanical rolling ball robot, he is the R2-D2 replacement that should easily win the heart of the kiddies looking for a cute contraption of a companion to treasure on the spot. It should be pointed out that ‘The Force Awakens’ is set 30 years from the last installment and thankfully this update has not lost a magical step since that time.

Anyhow, the First Order’s solar system mechanism needs to be destroyed and must be eradicated by the young talents in spunky and pretty Rey (think the athletic female version of Luke Skywalker) as she teams up with former stormtrooper Finn, a warrior with an uncharacteristic compassion for not killing any designated weak soul as instructed. Naturally, this duo (while under the tutelage of the mature and ragged-looking Han Solo) has their hands full as they clash with the nefarious General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson from ‘Brooklyn’) and his Special Forces protégé Kylo Ren that strikes an immediate comparison to ‘Star Wars’ most notorious bad boy in the deliciously ruthless Darth Vader.

Daisy Ridley’s Rey and John Boyega’s Finn are having a blast as the touted twosome out to save the day in J.J. Abram’s celebrated STAR WARS reboot THE FORCE AWAKENS
Daisy Ridley’s Rey and John Boyega’s Finn are having a blast as the touted twosome out to save the day in J.J. Abram’s celebrated STAR WARS reboot THE FORCE AWAKENS
Thankfully, the majority of the audience may recall similar elements in ‘The Force Awakens’ that was touched upon in ‘Star Wars’ editions such as ‘A New Hope’ and ‘Return Of The Jedi’ where the same structure and theme of the plot points are somewhat revisited. As charming and stimulating as ‘The Force Awakens’ appears in its glorious presentation of being a beautifully shot and visually vibrant popcorn piece, the real find in Abrams’ spectacular space-aged spectacle is Ridley’s heroine Rey, whose emotional and physical commitment to this futuristic fable feels grounded in genuine suspense and praise. Ridley has legitimate game and carries this hot and heavy galactic actioner on her sturdy shoulders with the overwhelming pressure of headlining a cinema giant looking the re-enter the consciousness of rabid ‘Star Wars’ aficionados everywhere. Clearly, we are invested in Ridley’s Rey whose feistiness never undercuts her feminine convictions or courageousness. She runs circles around her male co-stars in fellow ‘Star Wars’ newbies Boyega/Finn and Driver/Kylo Ren and her sense of empowerment is what drives the authentic Force behind Abrams’ inherited ‘Star Wars’ workload.

‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ gleefully ignites the flashy flames of giddiness that we all associate with George Lucas’ indomitable big screen creation. The signature flourishes from composure John Williams’ commanding musical score to the stunning and innovative technical tweaking to the mixture of the old and new guard in front of the camera all make for an eventful and exciting return to the universal staging for a movie-making moment that will stand the test of time, the immense pop cultural movement at the movies known as ‘Star Wars’.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

Lucasfilms

2 hrs. 15 mins.

Starring: Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Carrie Fisher, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Peter Mayhew, Domhnall Gleeson, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Gwendoline Christie, Kenny Baker, Anthony Daniels and Max von Sydow

Directed and Co-Written by: J.J. Abrams

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Genre: Science Fiction/Action and Adventure/Space Fantasy

Critic’s rating: *** stars (out of 4 stars)

(c) Frank Ochieng 2015
bodokh: A very entertaining film filled with immensely fun nostalgic moments and lots of laughs, but this is movie is not perfect, no it is not.
**Spoiler alert!!**

This movie is an exact copy of the 4th one and this frustrates me more than it should. Although new characters and mysteries were introduced, the plot was too similar to the 4th film, but hey, at least they blew up the republic so no more boring bureaucracy!
One more thing that bothered me a lot is Kylo ren, not the character, the actor. I mean they couldn’t pick an uglier wimp? I mean no offense Adam Driver, but bad guys need to look badass, and once you took of your helmet, you lost all hope of becoming a badass.

**Summary:**

Definitely a movie worth watching despite minor setbacks.
John Chard: Slumber Earthquake.
There really is no point trying to do an in depth review of this, it falls in line with a number of series blockbusters that are guaranteed to garner rabid responses, pro and con.

The Force Awakens is a film of many flaws, it has a pungent whiff of safeness about it, the charges of it being a glitzy remake are fair enough, while certain plot strands are frustrating and set to be big talking points for years – and years – to come.

Yet what about its worth to someone who is not obsessed with every finer detail? Someone who just loves the Star Wars universe as a spectacle prism of entertainment, and has just wanted a Star Wars film worthy of being fit to sit alongside that original trilogy?

This made me feel 11 again, took me back to a time in 1977 when I queued for three hours to see such wonders on the big screen. The Force Awakens is, in spite of the recognised flaws, a loving homage to a past love. It’s sly with humour and nods to foundations, a blitzkrieg of effects and sound work (my Blu-ray viewing had my sub-woofer doing a jitterbug in the lounge), and it doesn’t shy from surprise or the dangling of the carrot.

The makers have big heart and technical invention, the cast vibrant, spunky and strongly committed to the cause – the old hands a very reassuring presence – Yeah, so it’s not sci-fi perfection, or any Star Wars geeks’ idea of the perfect Star Wars movie (oh J.J. Abrams you devil you!), but it made this middle aged guy shed a tear of happiness. A moment to reaffirm why – as a young lad – I fell in love with film in the first place. 9/10
Bulletproof5FDP: **The Force Awakens: A New Hope 2.0**
The highly-anticipated follow-up to the Original Trilogy treads through familiar waters, taking the “safe route” approach. Though The Force Awakens has its fair share of phenomenal moments and is definitely an improvement over the Prequel Trilogy, its reliance on using the Original Trilogy (mainly A New Hope) as a template feels nothing more than an imitation of events that occurred prior.

At the end of Return of the Jedi, the Empire suffered a great loss, with the destruction of the Second Death Star and deaths of The Emperor and Darth Vader. It was implied that Luke, the last surviving Jedi, would restart a New Jedi Order (based on Expanded Universe media, which has been declared non-canon by Disney). That is indeed what happens; however, a rogue student of Luke’s slaughtered his peers, seduced by the mysterious Supreme Leader Snoke of the First Order and adopts a new identity as Kylo Ren. In summary, the Jedi Order did indeed happen (off-screen), but gets wiped out (off-screen, again), leaving Luke the last surviving Jedi and retreats into exile (off-screen… seeing a pattern?). The Empire is basically resurrected as the First Order, with the Rebel Alliance becoming the Resistance, and once again, they’re tasked with destroying a gigantic ball of death. Sounds an awful lot like A New Hope, as a modern-day “soft reboot.”

Droid carrying top-secret info? Check.
Villain dressed in black with mask? Check.
Protagonist lives on desert planet? Check.
Discover that they’re indeed Force-sensitive? Check.
Han Solo and Chewbacca escorting our heroes to destination? Check.
A cantina featuring a cantina band? Check.
Mentor figure (Obi-Wan in ANH, Han Solo in TFA) killed by villain? Check.
Battle of Death Star (Yes, I’m calling Starkiller Base a Death Star)? Check.
Does big ball of death get destroyed? Check.

Rey is indeed a Force-sensitive individual, but throughout the movie, she is just as good a pilot as Han Solo, is able to use a Jedi mind trick with ease, and easily overcomes the villain (Though it could be argued that due to Kylo Ren’s injury from Chewbacca, he was weakened). There better be a damn good explanation as to why Rey is so strong with the Force when The Last Jedi is released. Anakin and Luke required training to become a Jedi, Rey is basically a pro with little to absolutely no training.

Finn… Though I did enjoy the idea of a Stormtrooper defecting from the First Order and eventually helping out the heroes, Finn got annoying quick. From cringe-worthy lines to his constant “Gotta get away from the First Order” state of mind, he should have been a more battle-hardened individual who eventually became disillusioned with the First Order. His more cowardly approach to defecting wasn’t very well-executed. But I gotta admit that the relationship between him and Poe Dameron was well-done. Didn’t feel forced, just felt natural. Him standing up to Kylo Ren in a duel made me respect his character a lot more. His battle with the other Stormtrooper was just amazing. I’m honestly hoping his character develops more in The Last Jedi.

I liked Poe Dameron from the get-go. From being a smart-ass to Kylo Ren to taking out multiple TIE Fighters, Poe is definitely a welcome new character to the Star Wars universe. Especially BB-8, just an absolute ball of cuteness. BB-8 was one of the two new characters that really stood out to me. Funny how Star Wars manages to make you like the droids so much.

Han Solo and Chewbacca play a substantial role in this film. Han Solo’s death was beyond tragic, just seeing an iconic character we saw develop from a selfish, Force-denying individual to taking charge in dire times (putting his life on the line). Once Han Solo yelled out his son’s name, I knew his time was up. Leia, now a General, doesn’t really get much time to shine. She and Han have been broken up for some time now (I’m guessing since Ben Solo became Kylo Ren), but their bantering still remains. C-3PO (now with a red arm) and R2D2 (in low power mode due to Luke’s departure) are basically given minimal roles in favor of BB-8. Luke Skywalker made an appearance in the very final moments of the movie, but does not utter a word. Just seeing his expression when Rey hands him his father’s lightsaber was more than enough.

A quick summary of other characters: Captain Phasma, a more useless female version of Boba Fett. Maz Kanata, a color and gender-swapped Yoda who somehow manages to obtain Anakin’s/Luke’s lightsaber. Supreme Leader Snoke, a mysterious figure leading the new Empire (sorry, First Order) and first appears as a hologram (like the Emperor). General Hux, deliverer of a Hitler-like speech to his space Nazis.

Kylo Ren. In my opinion, Kylo Ren is the best part of the entire movie. Sure he worships his deceased grandfather Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader and flips out into extreme tantrums, he is more than just an ordinary one-dimensional villain. He worships Darth Vader because he wants to carry on his legacy of killing the Jedi and achieve his intimidating status of being a ruthless individual. He is torn by both sides of the Force. He is indeed strong with the Force, stopping blaster shots in mid-air, freezing people in-place, and can probe the minds of others as a method of torture. His unstable crossguard lightsaber is appropriate for his uncontrollable anger and conflicted state of mind. Once he killed Han Solo, there is no hope for him returning back to the Light. He became a full-on evil person. I’m ready to see the damage he will do in The Last Jedi.

The action/set pieces were very well-done and that opening sequence with the raid on the Jakku village is one of the best and most chilling moments in all of Star Wars. The Battle of Takodana and the resulting battle was phenomenal and seeing Poe take out multiple TIE Fighters make him an exceptionally skilled pilot, even moreso than Luke. The final battle between Rey/Finn and Kylo Ren didn’t feel choreographed at all, just felt like a battle between novices, unlike the highly-choreographed kicks and flips and lightsaber-twirling present in the Prequel Trilogy. Rey and Finn leaving Jakku in the “garbage” ship and the whole sequence through the Star Destroyer graveyard was beyond phenomenal.

Though The Force Awakens does indeed take steps forward to move the franchise forward into a new direction, it takes several steps back into familiar territory. And yes, it feels as if I have been ripping on this movie, but in my honest opinion, The Force Awakens is a solid entry to the Star Wars franchise. The action set-pieces were so well-done, the nostalgic factor of the Original Trilogy is prevalent, Kylo Ren proved to be a well-developed villain with room for improvement, and the relationships between the characters feels so organic and fluid-like, as if they’re all cohesive with one-another.

My Rating: 7.5/10.0
MSB: If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog @
https://www.msbreviews.com
Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017) was just released, but my time didn’t yet allow me to watch it. However, I do have time to review the film that started this new trilogy: The Force Awakens. At the time, it was my most anticipated movie of the year and I placed it second on the list of my favorite films of 2015 (just a bit below Mad Max: Fury Road).

So, yes, I do love this movie and it is definitely on the top3 of the saga! The cast choices are the undoubtful proof of the huge success that this film achieved. Daisy Ridley (Rey) is a massive discovery, her talent is limitless and she embraces her role like no other. She delivers a very emotional and powerful display, showing all of her acting skills. I can feel that she is 100% committed to her character and what a character to portray at your first big movie appearance.

Rey is excellently-developed throughout the film, she might mislead people into thinking she is just a mere scavenger, but once the movie gets going, she becomes an awesome character sharing some of the most epic moments in the whole runtime. She has an oddly mysterious backstory, which is going to produce theories and plot twists that I can’t wait for, in the next films.

John Boyega (Finn) is a fantastic supporting actor and another great casting. He brings just the right amount of humor with some exceptionally delivered lines and his facial expressions and timing are perfect. Finn is going to be one of the audience’s favorites for sure, his journey to encounter Rey is interesting and unique in the saga. In my opinion, it is his story that carries the beginning of the movie and that sets up a lot of characters and plot points.

Adam Driver as Kylo Ren … Oh. My. God. What a performance! Driver is so subtle in the most meaningful moments but so compelling in the most menacing ones. He elevates Ren into a phenomenal antagonist with a splendidly written script. J.J. Abrams and co. do a wonderful job writing both the plot and the characters. Kylo Ren stands out, he is a multi-layered character with so much untold and hidden behind his personality and intriguing past. Once again, there are many theories and plot twists ahead that I’m drooling to know which one they are going to follow with.

Oscar Isaac is very exciting as Poe Dameron, another fabulous addition to the franchise. His character creates an honest bond with Finn and their interactions are pretty cool. They share some amazing scenes and Poe has all of the awesome X-Wing fights, which are outstanding. Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) does not show up that much, but he definitely is a very threatening presence and a very well achieved motion capture work.

As for the original cast/characters, Harrison Ford has one of his best performances in the more recent years. Han Solo is one of his most popular characters and he portrays him flawlessly. Carrie Fisher returns as Leia and she offers a touch of reality to all of this. Every time she is on screen, everything becomes more realistic and tangible due to her graceful and humble display. Chewbacca has the usual funny “dialogues” with Solo and some glorious action set pieces.

BB-8 is what people feared the most since he could easily be annoying or irrelevant. Thankfully, he is another checkbox on the list of marvelous additions to the Star Wars universe. It is mind-blowing how a droid can provide so much laughter and terrific action scenes, he is unquestionably a toy worth spending your money on for Christmas. C-3PO also appears and elevates the level of nostalgia that everyone is already full of.

Moving to the technical aspects of the film, J.J. Abrams proves himself to every single person that doubted him since he is the main reason why this movie is one of the greats. From the seamless editing to the great camera work during the impressive action sequences, he enhances the story so much with his distinct use of visual storytelling. It feels like a real film and not just a Star Wars typical movie.

The visual effects are top notch and the cinematography could not be better due to the unbelievable practical backgrounds. Abrams uses a lot of long, wide shots with beautiful landscapes and mostly everything is real (besides the obvious, there is very few CGI, less than you probably think), which transforms every scene, every shot, into something more special. The tone is very well balanced between comedy and action, the storytelling process is astonishingly well handled and the pacing always maintains the tremendous excitement.

One of the common issues of all Star Wars films are the excessive exposition scenes. Well, J.J. massively improves on that aspect having just a couple of them and I am counting the traditional text that starts the movie. Like I said above, there is an extensive use of visual storytelling, in other words, everything that you see is giving you information while advancing the plot without actually literally telling you what is going on or what is going to happen.

John Williams’ score continues to superbly accompany every scene, not only the action ones, but it also strengthens dialogues. I love the ending, but here is where both fans and critics are going to become very divisive. It ends with a huge cliffhanger and some people are going to be disappointed because they are left with this feeling of unfulfillment and if you don’t know how to deal with it, you might think you didn’t enjoy the film.

The truth is you can’t have everything right now. This is a trilogy, so it is absurd to even expect that you are going to have everything that you wish for in the first movie of a new era. I wanted more from the second the film finished, I also felt a bit let down because the movie concludes with something I had been expecting forever. However, this is a great feeling to have because it means the film meant something, it means the movie was so amazing that I just can’t wait anymore for the next one!

Nevertheless, The Force Awakens can’t escape some minor flaws. While pretty much every single character is great, Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong’o) is not. With so much practical effects surrounding every environment, a 100% CGI character is going to (negatively) standout. Besides, the whole subplot involving meeting with Maz feels a bit unnecessary and the story could have easily progressed without her.

However, my main issue with this film is its lack of originality when it comes to creating a new actual danger for the galaxy. I mean, the Starkiller Base is essentially another Death Star, just bigger … Really? They couldn’t figure out anything else besides another giant planet destroyer? It does not reflect J.J. Abrams’ incredible direction and the production team’s excellent work, at all.

Finally, there are some “problems” that I don’t yet know if they are, in fact, problems. This is the first movie of the trilogy and some things happened that I don’t know how or why they did, so I can’t really fault the screenplay … yet. We all know the huge plot device that Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) supposedly had for decades, but then Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) was released and brilliantly solved what was already considered an internet meme.

This film does not have such a massive plot device, but there is one little moment that occurs in the first act that I still don’t know if it is, in fact, a flaw or if there is an explanation waiting for us in the next movies.

All in all, The Force Awakens proves that the Star Wars franchise is still, very much, alive! This is easily one of the best films of 2015 and one of the best in the franchise. It features an outstanding cast with some excellent performances from the new actors joining the saga and powerfully nostalgic displays from the original members. Incredibly-developed characters carry this movie with the help of a mysterious and captivating screenplay, as well as a lot of visually exciting action sequences. J.J. Abrams has his stamp all over the film, with beautiful wide shots, massive practical effects, and exceptional use of visual storytelling. A cheap third Death Star and some very minor issues here and there don’t allow the movie to shine flawlessly, but it is still freaking awesome! It undoubtedly belongs to my Top3, behind Empire Strikes Back and A New Hope.

Rating: A
Gimly: **The following is a review that I originally wrote in 2015.**
Was it perfect?
No.

Was it basically a shot for shot retread of A New Hope?
Yeah.

Did it under-develop characters and plots of almost everything interesting to near Boba Fett-ian levels?
Sure.

Did the entire thing rely on about 47 ridiculously implausible complete coincidences that the story would have fallen apart without?
Sounds accurate.

But after more than three decades, is Star Wars finally back?
Damn right.

Apart from my just plain enjoying it, The Force Awakens makes me excited for the future of the franchise the first time in.. Well ever really. I liked the blend of new and old material, but I hope that moving forward, the series relies more on the new. I don’t mean ditch all the original characters, I just mean we don’t need endless callbacks to the past in Episode VIII. It worked fine for this one, and I totally get needing to re-acclimatise audiences, so I’m absolutely understanding of it in this case. But I hope they get away from that in future, and it seems very much as if that’s the direction they’re taking.
r96sk: An enjoyable beginning to the sequel trilogy!
‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ entertained me. It felt like a fresh direction for the overall franchise, which I guess is little surprise given George Lucas was not a major part of this. I actually didn’t notice a great deal of difference, or at least as much as I thought there’d be given his exclusion.

I enjoyed seeing the new cast merge with the old trio, even if there are only small appearances from two of the latter. Daisy Ridley and John Boyega are excellent additions, both give top performances – I will say I didn’t sense major chemistry between the two, but I assume that’ll come soon enough. Adam Driver, meanwhile, suits his role nicely.

Original trio Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill all feature, though – as alluded to – Ford is the only one that has a major part to play. Either way, it’s cool seeing them back in the franchise.

Everything else about the film satisfied me, I’m not saying it’s perfect – esp. the plot – but I found it perfectly fun to watch. For me, it’s a strong start for this era of ‘Star Wars’.
lstamellos: A meaningless continuation of a saga that was decidedly concluded in Return of the Jedi. This is a poor attempt at converting something that was created as a mythical epic into a soap opera.

Share this: