Better than the new Star Treks, but...

Rating: 7/10 (19 December 2015)

J.J. Abrams is considered one of the most skilled directors of our time in Hollywood. Some of his previous works, including Super 8 or Mission Impossible 3 were decent sci-fi/action movies (the latter being, in my opinion, the best of all five). Unfortunately, his attempt to revive the Star Trek franchise can hardly be treated as successful. Action-packed, but with no reasonable plot, both movies are a good example of contradicting the Gene Roddenberry's original idea and principles.
After the horrible Star Wars Episodes 1, 2 and 3 (being the ultimate declaration of war between George Lucas and his fans), J.J. seemed to be a good choice to put some new steam into the world that badly needed the positive turn.
Force Awakens, as the first chapter of the new trilogy, is quite good. It introduces new, likable characters, combining them with heroes of our childhood. This is definitely the world we know from the past, regarding planets, ships, armies or alien races. The plot is a straight continuation of the previous movies and I bet everyone will smile seeing Han Solo, Leia or C3PO for the first time. The interaction between them is interesting and all veteran actors add much to the story development. Also, BB8 as the new robot-character is excellent. In general, this movie proves practical effects are light years ahead of the computer-based ones, which have to be dosed very carefully. The good example are two animated characters, which negatively stand out compared to the real people.
Unfortunately, the main problem with this movie is a lack of originality. In simple words, it borrows so much from the New Hope, being sometimes unbearable or just boring. Despite the great effort to recreate the look and touch of Star Wars, this time we feel like reliving the same story once again, just thirty years later. Of course, it is much better than what George Lucas did to us recently, but as the standalone film, it does not do a very good job. The weakest part of the story are villains, not so scary and not complex at all. The models of starships are all acceptable, assuming they are slightly modified versions of previous designs (such as X-Wing, Tie Fighter or Star Destroyer). On the other hand, all new ones, such as the storm trooper assault shuttle, Kylo Ren shuttle, or rebel transport, are not impressive at all. Let's hope new good designs will come in the next episodes. Add to it salvaged ideas about the strong, evil force and the noble and brave Resistance, and you will have the general view on the movie.
The acting is good, the cast is acceptable (except Adam Driver) and the special effects are astounding. The John Williams' score is not as good as in the original trilogy, but it well illustrates what we see on the screen. The action is not so intense as in other J.J. Abrams movies, leaving some slower expositions, revealing details about characters. This is definitely a good thing.
Ultimately, I feel a little disappointed with this movie. Although definitely better than both new Star Treks and being The Seventh Seal compared to Episodes 1, 2 and 3, it just does not deliver enough. Star Wars: Force Awakens is passable and will make tons of money, but can never be the paragon of excellence the older films were. Let's hope they do better in the next part...