The Force is back, but is it for real?

Rating: 6/10 (18 December 2015)

I've been digesting JJ Abrams' much anticipated, and by now highly praised, take on Star Wars for the last four hours, trying to reconcile the thoughts spinning around in my head. I sense now that it'll be some time - likely after another viewing - before I really know what I think about it. For now, as sheer popcorn entertainment, it may be unmatched by anything I've seen as an adult. Certainly in this millennium. And armed with distinct advantages such as emotional and narrative track already laid and a huge well of nostalgia, which it mines at times both expertly and overtly, it certainly packs a punch beyond the cheap thrills we often associate with modern blockbusters.
But the question that still hangs over me now is "Is it Star Wars, or merely a very good imitation?", because at times this felt like attending a concert from your favorite band only to discover that it's merely a very good tribute band. I don't say that because of its lack of originality (a crime of which it is most certainly guilty), but because it very much feels like someone else playing a familiar tune, if that makes any sense. Make no mistake, 'The Force Awakens' looks, sounds and behaves more like the original trilogy than the prequels ever did, but where the latter felt merely like new (and certainly lesser in my opinion) material from the same artist, this feels like an interpretation of existing material, which of course it is. JJ Abrams directs the film in the same way someone who grew up listening to Eddie Van Halen would play the guitar, but not exactly like Eddie Van Halen himself.
There is much to like here. Actual locations, real men inside real Stormtrooper costumes, many practical alien creatures. They do make a difference. There's plenty of CGI, and the bulk of it is exceptional, but I felt a greater investment here because so much care had been taken to ground it in a tangible reality. The performances are also quite good. Certainly the script is better than those of the PT (though its far from perfect), which helps, as does the aforementioned "reality" in my opinion, but Abrams and Co. did a good job selecting this cast. I wasn't just marking time when a recognizable face wasn't on screen. I instantly liked these characters, both in conception and execution. I feel they're strong enough to carry this new story going forward, and I'm anxious to see their evolution. But the star of this movie is, without question, Harrison Ford as Han Solo. He's everything you could've hoped for, and much more. I can't remember the last time I saw Ford so invested in a role. He's the Han Solo we all remember and love. A little slower, certainly grayer, but with the same lopsided grin and unshakable confidence. He has a nice touch of pathos here, but he wears it like a hat, not a wet cloak.
As I said, it'll be some time before I really know how I feel about 'The Force Awakens'. What I know for sure is that it moved me to tears more than once, gave me goose bumps and made me cheer and applaud enthusiastically on several occasions, and that's more than I can say about the prequels.