Rey’s Catch

The Force Awakens

J.J Abrams knocked it out of the park with The Force Awakens – a reboot of the classic themes that made me fall in love with Star Wars in the first place. In the process, the team also effectively rebooted lightsaber combat.

The duel between Rey and Kylo Ren on Starkiller Base sheds the gymnastic choreography of the prequel duels and instead sees the return of heavier lightsabers – a broadsword fighting style that made the tussles in the original trilogy so powerful. You feel the weight of each clash and the momentum shifting from Kylo to Rey as the fight unfolds.

One of my favourite shots in the entire movie is when a nearly beaten Kylo is being overpowered by Rey, as she grabs his lightsaber and attempts to extinguish the blade in the snow as John Williams’ score rises up to match the epic nature of the moment.

However, both the score and the visuals actually peaked right before the start of the duel. My third favourite Star Wars moment to date – I feel I need that caveat on the eve of The Rise of Skywalker – is when Kylo reaches out to pull the Skywalker blade towards his grasp. Sitting in the snow, the saber barely moves. He tries again and suddenly the lightsaber flies passed him and into Rey’s hand instead.

The lightsaber has called to Rey. The force theme builds as the surprise hero of the sequel trilogy is about to take a huge step on her journey to fulfilling her destiny.

Having Rey catch the lightsaber was far more powerful than if Luke Skywalker had walked through the trees to emerge into the story, catching his once lost lightsaber. It was the catalyst for a new hero, an inspiring hero and a trigger for something different – with a flavour for the enduring past.