Return of the franchise, yet not flawless.

Rating: 8/10 (17 December 2015)

As an avid Star Wars fan who saw episodes IV, V and VI hundreds of times when I was a kid, I was incredibly hyped for this film. So hyped that I became increasingly afraid the film would not hold up to my expectations. Although I liked episodes I, II and III initially when I was a teenager, seeing them while being an adult and having seen many other films made me become aware of how awful they were. Yes, they are Star Wars, I still like them, but they are not good films, and somewhere in the back of my mind a voice told me that this film could go Jar Jar.
With that in the back of my mind, I stepped into the theatre on the 16th of December, together with my girlfriend who bought the tickets for my birthday, a really thoughtful present. It is good to note that she is not into the whole Star Wars thing as many, including me, are, and has only seen episode I, IV,V and VI. Which probably is a good thing, but I digress...
The Force Awakens was amazing. I am probably a bit biased, but that does not mean I am unable to distinguish a good film from a bad one. This is not a bad film.
Positive aspects: The story is fast-paced, action packed with great dialogue, special effects and character building. The introduction of the new cast and their chemistry with the old one was great, the humour is funny most of the time and the new robot (bb-8) is well done. Both Finn and Rey are like-able and relatable and I became really invested in their character progression. I think Boyega and Ridley did an amazing job. The score by John Williams gave me goosebumps and the clothing and set pieces were well designed.
Negative aspects: The film was a bit too fast for me, there are a lot of locations and scenes that might have been better if Abrams took a little longer to show everything, as it seemed rushed in places. Furthermore, while the First Order is positioned as the new Empire and as a great threat, I was not really impressed. Although most of the viewers of Star Wars are aware of the terrible aim that storm troopers have, the main villain(s) were just running around and chasing the main cast and I did not get the feeling, apart from the beginning of the film, that the main characters were threatened at all.
Still, I think The Force Awakens is worth watching multiple times. My girlfriend also liked the film, although she probably did not get all the references but I do think the film is a great start for a new generation of Star Wars fans to be introduced to the rich and vast Star Wars universe. Time will tell how The Force Awakens holds up, but my gut says I will watch it some day with my kids when I am much older with a big smile on my face.
9/10