The nostalgia is strong with this one

Rating: 7/10 (12 May 2017)

"The Force Awakens" is a movie that unabashedly pampers to fans of the first trilogy and of Star Wars in general with lots of references, winks and I-think-I-have-seen-this-before moments that, depending on your view, will be deeply enjoyed or make you seethe in desperation.
Poe, the best pilot of the resistance, gets some info into his droid (a droid that in one of the most head-scratching decisions of the movie just keeps around when it is the most searched thing in the galaxy). The droid runs away but Poe gets captured. Pretty soon he teams up with a stormtrooper with a heart, Finn. The droid, though, has made a new friend in Rey, a scavenger. Will the resistance get the information needed to find Luke Skywalker? Who is this second-rate Darth Vader? How come Rey behaves like a fan around Han Solo and, as supposedly only 30-40 years at most have gone by, all is treated as a myth of 2000 years ago? And those weapons that can destroy all in a solar system... Really?
The movie has lots of silly and cheesy moments (and close to ridiculous, as the BB-8 droid conundrum) that could have been avoided with better writing and more care. Some of these moments are just there to advance the plot and bring the next action piece, and are absolutely pointless. There are many moments when the movie seems a fan fiction kind of film, where some people that enjoyed the original like crazy decided to write, direct and act a movie about their childhood most iconic movie. Daisy Ridley's Rey has charisma to share, but Ridley plays her with so much childless glee that we can't but wait for the moment when she will ask for an autograph.
The movie starts slowly but picks pace along the way. There will be more than enough twists and action moments to make fans of action happy. The third act, though, is weak and some viewers may check out during it (there are some action scenes we have seen too many times, in particular in this era's blockbusters).
On the other hand, the atmosphere, pace and iconic moments more than make up for this. And we kind can't but enjoy all the winky-winky moments, as they are contagious. Seeing Rey meeting Han Solo for the first time replicates how many people will probably feel watching it in front of the screen.
"The Force Awakens" is not a great movie but it is a movie that can be greatly enjoyed if you are a fan of "Star Wars" (and if you like your movies with a big spoonful of nostalgia).