A step in the right direction after the prequel trilogy

Rating: 8/10 (22 February 2018)

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past 40 years you may have heard of a little movie franchise called 'Star Wars'. After being thrilled by the original trilogy, fans had to wait more than a decade to be cruelly disappointed by an underwhelming trilogy of prequels. However, following LucasFilm's acquisition by Disney, the stage was set for a new group of filmmakers to take a crack at extending the storyline. Whether the results would be worthy of the title of 'Star Wars' was anybody's guess.
J.J. Abrams was given the daunting task of resuming the series where George Lucas had left off. It seemed like a promising idea since only a few years earlier Abrams had managed to breathe new life into the rival 'Star Trek' franchise. Stars from the original trilogy reprising their iconic roles also boded well for the direction of the series.
The story picks up three decades after the end of the original trilogy, at a time when the Jedi have all but disappeared and a new oppressive power has risen from the ashes of the Empire. Not a bad setup, particularly when the absence & imminent reintroduction of Luke Skywalker propels the story. However, there does seem to be a bit of a 'been there, done that' feel to the story, as if it's too close to the original at times. Bringing in 'Empire Strikes Back' & 'Return of the Jedi' screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan was a wise choice if they wanted to give the movie a similar flavour to its predecessors but it also made it more obvious how close the characters and plot are to those of the original trilogy. They're fine on their own but it's inevitable to compare them to the iconic originals, with which they couldn't possibly hope to compete.
As far as the cast goes, it's pretty good. Having Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill & Carrie Fisher back gave the movie legitimacy and it was good to see Anthony Daniels & Peter Mayhew again as well. Of the newcomers, Adam Driver is the clear standout as conflicted villain Kylo Ren, who draws more than a little inspiration from Darth Vader. Relative unknowns Daisy Ridley & John Boyega were appealing as the main heroes of the movie and they at least offered a different spin on past archetypes used in the series. The supporting cast is peppered with recognizable actors & actresses but I wouldn't say that any of their performances rival their best work, which isn't to say that their performances aren't satisfactory.
From a visual standpoint, the movie represents an improvement over the relentlessly CGI-infused prequel trilogy. A concerted effort was made to utilize practical effects whenever possible and I think that it benefited the movie's overall feel. There's a welcome similarity to the original trilogy and even the more ambitious special effects are generally fluid and believable. J. J. Abrams's direction is likewise ably handled and John Williams was really the only acceptable choice to provide a score.
Overall, "The Force Awakens" is a nicely executed sci-fi/action movie that puts the 'Star Wars' series back on track and leaves you wanting to continue the story with "The Last Jedi". I don't anticipate it becoming as well-loved as any of the entries in the original trilogy but it's a noble achievement in its own right. The prequel trilogy may have left a bad taste in the mouths of a lot of fans (personally, I think that only the last chapter was really worthwhile) but they shouldn't have any fear that they would be better off avoiding this continuation of the story.