In a film populated by old faces like Han Solo, Leia, and Chewie, and new characters like Finn, Kylo Ren, and BB-8, it says a lot about how effective Rey was that she stands out as the best of the latter group while giving the former group a run for their money every time she's on screen. While the mystery of her past is something audiences will have to continue waiting on to be revealed, that lack of resolution did nothing to hinder Rey's journey in The Force Awakens. Though the film played with our investment in the original cast, particularly Han Solo, much of the emotional throughline of the film stemmed from Rey, with Daisy Ridley balancing the character's tough exterior with her inner longing to perfection, never once allowing her to exist within the movie as a damsel in distress. Going forward, we'll have heroes like Poe, Finn, and now Luke Skywalker around, but this journey is very clearly going to be Rey's. Had the film failed to get audiences invested in her and the questions surrounding her, this new story we're embarking on would've failed to launch, but Rey's already-cemented status as a fan favorite - and Ridley's admirable performance behind it - shows she has a bright future ahead of her, with so much potential to forever change the narrative landscape of the ongoing Star Wars saga as we know it.
Writer, film enthusiast, part-time gamer and watcher of (mostly) good television located on the fringe of Los Angeles, who now has his own website at www.highdefgeoff.com!
