It’s hard to believe that a full decade has passed since the initial release of JJ Abrams’ The Force Awakens. The long-awaited sequel to the beloved Star Wars original trilogy. At the time, it was perhaps the most anticipated movie release of all time. Perhaps only eclipsed since by the megahit Avengers: Endgame.
The Force Awakens remains one of the most impressive box office and pop culture hits of the 21st Century. It had a record-breaking opening weekend, became the fastest movie hit the $1 billion mark, and birthed a new generation of Star Wars fans.
Superfan Hype
Despite the time elapsed since its release, I remember the hype like it was yesterday. Starting with the news that Disney was acquiring Lucasfilm and the full Star Wars IP library. Followed by the announcement that Abrams would be brought on to co-write and direct the sequel. The teaser trailers inflated the hype – full of stormtroopers, droids, and a sneak peek at the Millennium Falcon herself. Oh boy! 2015! What a time to be alive.
The hype concluded, at least for me, on Thursday December 17, 2015, when my best friend and I left our respective offices early to sit front row at the 86th Street AMC in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, just to be transported back to a galaxy far, far away.
And… It. Was. Glorious.
The crowd erupted into cheers when the 20th Century Fox fanfare started. The clapping lasted well into the opening scroll. And by the time Oscar Isaac’s face graced the big screen, everyone settled into their seats and locked in for newest installment in the Star Wars saga.
We walked out of the theater humming. I had fallen in love with Star Wars all over again. It brought me back to the first time I was exposed to Star Wars – a screening with my aunt during the 1997 theatrical re-release of A New Hope. It reminded me of watching Empire Strikes Back with my dad in our old living room. It even made me reminisce about seeing the prequel trilogy in theaters with my classmates and friends.
My favorite film franchise had done it again. The magic was recaptured. And this time around there were no weird Jar Jar Binks characters or extensive talks of intergalactic trade and space Senate hearings to detract from the proceedings. Just a straight hit of pure nostalgia directly into my veins. The high was euphoric.
Everything about the look and feel mimicked what I loved so much about the original trilogy. Classic iconography and characters were brought back. The story hit many of the same narrative beats as A New Hope.
Wait a minute…
The Scourge of Legacy Sequels
While it wasn’t fully clear at the time, The Force Awakens has since been redefined as a hacky venture into the land of legacy sequels. It kicked off an era of a newfound preoccupation for Hollywood. For better or worse, countless film franchises tried to recreate the nostalgic lightning in a bottle vibes of The Force Awakens.
Blaming the existence of films like Ghostbusters: Afterlife or Coming 2 America on the success of The Force Awakens seems unfair, but maybe we wouldn’t be burdened with so many awful, offensive, and cynical dips into the nostalgia bucket if Abrams had taken a slightly different approach here.
Upon rewatch, it becomes fairly clear that Abrams had no real desire as a director to inject any new life into the franchise. As a cinematic exercise, The Force Awakens is almost entirely meant to resurrect the elements of Star Wars that we like. At face value this is quite nice. I like Star Wars – why wouldn’t I want to be fed more of what I like? Oh right, because I can just watch the original trilogy for that fix.
There’s barely anything resembling artistic intention. Beyond the excessive use of lens flare, there’s no directorial stamp from JJ. The film becomes the ultimate version of fan service, helmed by the ultimate fanboy.
You may be asking what’s wrong with that approach to filmmaking. Don’t fans deserve to see the movies we want to see? Well, yes. But we also deserve movies that push us. Movies that challenge us. Movies that expand our notion of what’s possible in the artform.
And yes, not every movie needs to do that, let alone every Star Wars movie. However, despite the flaws of the prequel trilogy or The Last Jedi, those movies do dare to explore new and different terrain – aesthetically, thematically, dramatically. They remain interesting watches because of how bold they are. The Force Awakens, unfortunately, ignites none of that curiosity or excitement within me.
Definitions and Conclusions
There is a difficulty in attempting to fully make sense of The Force Awakens. It’s still a fun movie. The young stars – Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Adam Driver – all deliver magnetic performances. Abrams can certainly stage an exciting action set piece. And the nostalgia still hits. Utilizing Harrison Ford’s Han Solo as a torch passing character makes sense within the narrative.
But its shortcomings have become more and more evident over the years, and that impact has been felt in the film industry at large and within the Star Wars franchise. Let’s not get started on the abomination that is Rise of Skywalker, which doubles down on all of The Force Awakens worst instincts without adopting any of its best.
The Force Awakens will remain something we’ll continue to debate for years to come. Our relationship to the film continuously evolving over time. I can’t wait to revisit again in another 10 years.
