The plot begins with ace Resistance pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) making a trip to the junkyard planet of Jakku to get a device with clues about Skywalker from local elder Lor San Tekka (Max von Sydow, of all people). The evil Empire has been replaced by the even more evil First Order, the Republic continues to fight the good fight, and everyone wonders where Luke Skywalker has been hiding for all these years. “The Force Awakens” begins with that familiar crawl placing events “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away,” followed by even more words bringing us up to speed. Until he checks in midway through the film, appropriately craggy and battle weary, and elevates everyone’s game, the pickings are slim. What this meant in practice is an overcomplicated plot and characters that carefully echo the first three “Star Wars” movies, sometimes in the look and style of particular individuals, and sometimes, at its most forced, in positing actual blood relationships between young and old.Īt its best, however, “The Force Awakens” basks in the presence of an altogether splendid Harrison Ford who, unlike original costars Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill, has a full-fledged, rip-roaring leading role rather than a cameo. And both of those had to be done in the context of a story line that fit within an established cosmos bound by a lot of rules and conventions. Job One was passing the “Star Wars” torch to a new generation of actors while simultaneously ensuring that appropriate respect be paid to those who’d come before and helped the series earn $4.4 billion in worldwide gross.
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