7 Important Parts of Star Wars Episode VII

With the new Star Wars film comes so many different topics of discussion in both positive and negative light. Instead of worrying about what was done wrong or right and comparing the film to things it really doesn't need to be compared to, why don't we just look at what is important?

1. Feels like home

Most of the arguments surrounding this film have to do with the story feeling like a remix of A New Hope. Whether you agree with these complaints or not can we all just agree on one thing, The Force Awakens feels like coming home. JJ Abrams did a great job of recreating the vibe of the original trilogy like it is just picking up where we left off. From the moment the John Williams score we all know and love starts playing and those yellow words start scrolling onto the screen you know what you're about to get yourself into. Stylistically everything seems to be filmed in the same way. Shots and settings feel similar to the way George Lucas did things back in the day. The sound effects that are known worldwide whether you've seen a Star Wars movie or not are still the same. Thankfully nobody went too crazy with the visual effects and stuck with the same cheesy light beams from blasters and didn't attempt elaborate CGI creations like what we saw in the prequels. Everything about this film felt familiar in the happiest way. Like Han says “Chewie, we’re home.”

2. BB-8

Can we all just agree that BB-8 is the cutest thing ever? This little droid has so much personality for a beeping, rolling sphere. One of the cool things about Star Wars is the ability to make these little droids some of the most beloved characters. R2-D2 was always a fan favorite. Even though all R2 would do was make beeps and whistles, you still understood it all in an odd way and loved it. Now we have BB-8 with a childlike personality to fall in love with. Plus BB is so cute and already on every time of merchandise you can think of. I personally already have a BB-8 souvenir cup, BB-8 Mickey ears, and BB-8 pins. It’s hard to pass up. Thus proving that BB-8 is already one of the best characters in this new trilogy. 

3. Diverse and new Cast

Along with the original cast of characters coming back on screen, we are introduced to four promising new characters that don’t fit the cookie-cutter molds that one would expect from Star Wars. We grew up with Luke, Leia, and Han, a very monochromatic team of heroes and now seeing a much more diverse dream team is a breath of fresh air. Our new lead, taking the “Luke” role, is a white female with independence that every little girl should look up to. Poe Dameron, the top pilot for the rebellion, is played by a Guatemalan. And finally Finn, the rogue stormtrooper considering joining the rebellion, is played by a black man. This diverse cast playing positive, non-stereotyped roles is a big step in the right direction. In addition to that, the part of this cast that gets me really excited is the fact that it is a cast of really unknown or little-known actors. As a viewer in the audience, I can look up at that screen and see Rey, not Daisy Ridley or some other big character she has played, she is now Rey. When films do this it is so much easier to really get lost in the film rather than thinking of it as another movie with that star actor. I am so stoked about this cast and all the talent they are bringing into this next trilogy.

4. Rey is a badass

The films new staring character, Rey is the badass female lead the franchise needed. Rey is our hero in this new trilogy. She's the one that gets the lightsaber and has the force within her. Rey will be a character kids can look up to, want action figures of, and dress up as for Halloween. She is also a step in the right direction for feminism. The film passes the Bechdel test on two occasions when she talks with Leia and again when she speaks with Maz. She doesn't need men to help her, she is even seen helping the men who are struggling at some points. I think everyone is excited to see what totally badass things Rey is going to do next.

5. You see Kylo Ren’s face

Kylo Ren is introduced as this trilogy’s wannabe Darth Vader, but with one very major difference. The mask comes off. This one little character choice changes everything. Darth Vader was obviously seen as the villain because you literally could not see him as anything else. The mask covered the man inside to the point where we often forgot that there was a real man inside. This little detail is what made Darth Vader one of the most feared and intimidating characters in film history. With this in mind, the moment Kylo Ren took off his mask for the first time I’m pretty sure that we all as an audience were a bit taken back. Our villain is now a person that we potentially can feel pity for. We don’t fear and hate Kylo Ren, we actually feel bad for him and see that there is so much more to his character than evil. This dramatic difference in a villain type character is going to change so much about this trilogy that we haven't seen yet in the past films. 

6. Han Solo

Star Wars would be nothing without Han Solo. That’s a pretty well-known fact by now, so it was vital for Harrison to play a key role in the new film. Even after all these years, Harrison Ford continued to play the Han Solo we loved in the original trilogy as well as take on new roles as a wise mentor to Rey. We see how the years have changed him while still staying the same man at heart. As much as we are going to miss him, I believe Han's journey was exactly what it needed to be.

7. Film ends on a cliff hanger

For the first time, a Star Wars film doesn't end on a “yay everything is saved” note. This film ends on a giant cliffhanger. We finally find Luke Skywalker at the end of the film in this dramatic scene as Rey and him stand in silence when she extends the lightsaber out to Luke. The tension and open-ended questions in this final moment of the film leaves the audience begging for more. 


Julia Carrington

ps: this is for a class assignment but also pretty cool