A Fantastic Transition to the New Era of Star Wars

Rating: 9/10 (29 December 2015)

Simply put, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is likely my favorite movie in the whole franchise and definitely ranks in the Top 5 of my favorite movies of all-time. If you are a fan of the original trilogy, you likely had high expectations going into this film, especially after the debauchery that was the prequel trilogy. Despite the high amount of pressure put on this movie, J.J. Abrams delivered and he delivered in a big way. Without going into specifics or spoiling anything for the readers, the cast was phenomenal, the effects were spot-on, the up and down roller-coaster of excitement and trepidation that accompanied watching the original trilogy was felt throughout this film. Was it a perfect film? No. But this entire movie did something many films I've seen before haven't yet accomplished, which was build up so much hype, so much expectation and emotion, and just blow my mind from beginning to end in the theater. In all, if you love Star Wars or are new to the franchise, start from the beginning. Trudge through Episodes 1-3, savor Episodes 4-6, and reap all the benefits in Episode 7. You won't regret it. It is simply fantastic and you deserve all that back story and build up to truly appreciate this film. 9 out of 10.