Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens – A Look Back 10 Years Later
Ten years might not seem like a long time, but as I try to think back to those heady days of 2015 it’s hard to believe how much has happened in the Star Wars universe and fandom since then. And it feels like a lifetime ago. The franchise has had its ups and downs since then, and no shortage of emotional roller coaster rides within the fandom, but today I’d like to go back to simpler times and just remember what the world was like when I saw The Force Awakens for the first time.
Star Wars is Back, Baby!
It had only been ten years since the release of Revenge of the Sith, but for Star Wars fans it had felt like eternity. Perhaps because we’d all thought that Star Wars was done after the Prequel Trilogy wrapped and we’d spent years looking ahead to the bleak desert of a future with no new Star Wars. Oh, we had Clone Wars – which was awesome – and the promising Star Wars Rebels was newly launched, but Star Wars on the small screen seemed to be all we could hope for.
But then, the big news! Star Wars Episode VII was coming to theaters! And the Big Three of Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford were all coming back! For those who don’t remember, let me tell you: the excitement was at a fever pitch.
I’ll be honest, though, my excitement was tempered by the ominous shadow of my reaction to the Prequels. Not gonna lie, I didn’t love the Prequels when they first came out and I’m guilty of no small amount of snark when I talked about them in years past. I was excited for new Star Wars, but I was worried that they’d disappoint again.
Star Wars the Next Generation (and the Next)
Let’s take a little side path here to discuss the different generations of Star Wars fans. I’m one of the originals, having seen Star Wars in theaters in 1977. I was four years old, it was possibly the very first movie I ever saw and it fundamentally affected my worldview. It fired my imagination. It instilled in me a sense of wonder. It inspired me to be a storyteller. And it made me think that everything is cooler if it’s in space!
The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi were the perfect companions to Star Wars, giving us a sweeping, wondrous adventure where epic events unfolded, challenges were met and good triumphed over evil. For my generation, this was the Star Wars we knew. And it hit us when we were kids and still had that sense of wonder. As we grew into adults we never lost that love.
But when we met the Prequels, we weren’t kids anymore. We were mature, adult, jaded and cynical. And we generally hated the Prequels.
Looking back, I can see now that this hatred came not from any particular failing of Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones or Revenge of the Sith. They were very much in same vein as the Original Trilogy: kid-friendly, swashbuckling adventures with clear ideas of good and evil. George Lucas’ vision hadn’t changed – we had. And we were looking forward to feeling that same sense of wonder that we’d felt as kids, so we were bitterly disappointed when that didn’t happen. But again, it wasn’t the movies – it was us.
We now know that there’s a whole generation of kids who grew up with the Prequels as their Star Wars. And they love it. These are twenty-something (even thirty-something) adults now and they proudly declare their love for the Prequels, so loudly that us snarky OT kids have had to acknowledge this reality and grudgingly accept the Prequels into “good” Star Wars.
There is a generation of kids still in their teens for whom the Sequel Trilogy is their Star Wars, and I hope that in the next decade this generation will rise up, find their voices, and express their love for what inspired them as kids.
It’s all about generation perspective, and recognizing that we change over the decades. Different trilogies hit different folks when they were kids.
To all the haters out there: get over yourself. If you don’t like something, move on and shut up. And don’t attack people for liking something you don’t. It’s old and tiresome.
The Force Awakens – 10 Years Later
Anyway, back to what I was talking about: that epic day ten years ago when The Force Awakens launched. I went with my wife and my (then) two little boys. It was opening night and the theater was abuzz with excitement. Cosplay was everywhere and light sabers glowed in the dim light. Then the trailers started and we all settled in. Then those famous words lit up the screen…
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…
And then the screen lit up with STAR WARS, to the iconic opening theme by maestro John Williams. The audience roared in anticipation, and thus began a two-hour adventure ride of laughter, gasps, cheers and maybe a few tears. And when it was all over, and the final credits rolled, I sat back in my seat with a profound sense of… relief. That, I realized, did not suck. All the worry I’d had that I’d be disappointed like I had been by the Prequels vanished in a moment. The Force Awakens was a good movie. I’d enjoyed it. Star Wars was back, baby!
What is great about The Force Awakens?
There are a lot of things to like about The Force Awakens, but here are some of my favorites:
Daisy Ridley and John Boyega
The two new characters of Rey and Finn were outstanding. They were instantly likeable, curiously flawed and both with fascinating backstories. Their chemistry was electric and they carried the story from start to finish. Full credit to Ms. Ridley and Mr. Boyega for delivering top-notch performances. Both actors filled the frame with charisma and had me on board from the first moment.
Harrison Ford
As an OT kid I obviously love Han Solo, but I have to tip my hat to Harrison Ford for bringing his A-game once again to this iconic character. Mr. Ford is infamous for belittling Star Wars over the years and many felt it was a miracle he even agreed to reprise his role. (Admittedly, 15 million dollars plus a share of the profits can move even the most stubborn heart…) But Mr. Ford is a true professional, bringing Han Solo to life with humor, maturity, vulnerability and grace – his performance is a capstone of the entire saga.
BB-8
Not gonna lie – I liked that new droid. The design was extremely cool and BB-8’s personality shone through with all the plucky joy of R2-D2 with none of the sass. BB-8 is a kid-friendly, optimistic sidekick who really captured the fun, fantastic spirit that makes The Force Awakens the spiritual heir to A New Hope.
I’ve been working my way through the entire Star Wars saga the past couple of years, watching everything chronologically from the earliest episode of Tales of the Jedi and on my way to Rise of Skywalker. Just recently I finally finished Skeleton Crew and in so doing bid farewell to the Original Trilogy era. Next up was Star Wars Resistance and the entry into the Sequel era. I wasn’t terribly excited to start Resistance – it’s not bad, actually – but what really struck me was the first time BB-8 appeared in episode 1 of that show. I hadn’t heard his unique astromech bleeping in years and after so long in the Prequel and Original eras, it was delightful to hear that uniquely Sequel sound.
BB-8 welcomed me back into the Sequel era and as I smiled to myself I felt like saying, “Chewie, we’re home.”
The First Order “Nuremburg” speech
Chilling stuff. General Hux was in his absolutely finest moment of pure villainy in this moment, making it very clear who the bad guys were in this series. A New Hope actually played it pretty subtle – you know, blowing up Alderaan and all that – but The Force Awakens didn’t shy away. This was a genocidal act perpetrated by an evil regime so utterly convinced of its own self-righteousness. This scene actually hits closer to home in 2025 and is worth acknowledging for what it is.
The return of the Millennium Falcon
One of the biggest cheers in the whole movie from the audience in that first viewing was the iconic moment: “The garbage will do!” And that first sequence when Rey and Finn fly and fight the Falcon through the wreckage of Imperial star destroyers is some of the best special effects and action sequences in the entire saga.
The sense of fun
What I liked most about The Force Awakens was its sense of fun. It knew what made the 1977 Star Wars great and it leaned into the swashbuckling serial adventure style that George Lucas had originally set out to create. The movie has its dark moments and its tragic moments, but those hit all the more powerfully for their contrast to the overall tone. Little kids could still come out of The Force Awakens feeling happy and inspired, and us adults could feel a little bit of that childlike wonder once again. And that is what we as Star Wars fans are ultimately chasing.
The Force Awakens is a worthy successor to A New Hope
I love The Force Awakens. It’s just one part of the larger Star Wars universe but it played a pivotal role in bringing the saga back after a long absence and a fear that the movies would never return. It delivered the old sense of fun in spades, paying homage to the original while introducing fabulous new heroes for us to cheer for.
Ten years on it’s still a great movie.
Bennett R. Coles is an award-winning, best-selling author and ghostwriter of science fiction and space fantasy series. His newest novel, Light in the Abyss, is now available here.
