The Glorious Return of the STAR WARS Saga

Rating: 8/10 (24 December 2016)

STAR WARS has made its glorious return. Real STAR WARS, not that garbage about trade negotiations or Gungans or whatever. Real STAR WARS with Luke Skywalker (sort of), Han Solo, no-longer a princess Leia, and the Millennium Falcon. After reinvigorating the STAR TREK film franchise for new audiences, director J.J. Abrams stepped into what could have been a disastrous end to his career with the seventh installment of the STAR WARS saga. THE FORCE AWAKENS was no doubt the most anticipated film ever as it brought us back into the beloved universe and continues the tale thirty or so years after the end of RETURN OF THE JEDI. I saw it twice in theaters and I've watched it a few times more since it was released on home video, and I'm happy to say that my opinion on the movie hasn't changed much. THE FORCE AWAKENS is a good movie. I find it thoroughly entertaining as long as I don't think on it too much. It has some issues, as is expected of any movie, but it's so much fun to watch that I'm able mostly see past them. The beginning of a new chapter, and the passing of the torch to a new generation of heroes, THE FORCE AWAKENS is about the search for Luke Skywalker (who's gone into hidden seclusion since a pupil of his turned to the dark side) and the race to save the citizens of the galaxy from the First Order from their new super-weapon.
As an audience member, I thought this movie was great fun (as a SW geek, I had some minor quibbles). It had the fun and the energy of the original trilogy, so no long wooden speeches about the Force or politics, and it includes a return to one of the best parts that made those first movies so amazing to see: the practical effects. THE FORCE AWAKENS utilizes a perfect blend of practical sets and creature effects with visual effects for enhancement (rather than using them forwelleverything). Abrams and crew even included a nod to A NEW HOPE with a cantina scene full to the brim with bizarre alien creatures to showcase that, yes, this movie had the fans in mind. Han Solo and Chewbacca are major characters in the film with Leia accepting more of a supporting role this time, but the movie makes it clear that we'll surely get more of Leia and Luke in the movies that follow. It was indescribably exciting to see Han and Chewie on the Millennium Falcon again; it was something I never thought I'd see. We can't focus on the heroes of the former generation though as the movie introduces us to the heroes of the next generation. Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac have been positioned as the franchise's new heroic trio and I thought each of them did a phenomenal job rising to the challenge. The cast wouldn't be complete without a droid sidekick though and we're introduced to BB-8. I was a little hesitant to accept BB-8 at first since it appeared a little childish and I worried it was crammed in to appeal to younger audience members, but it won me over. I can't complain. RETURN OF THE JEDI had Ewoks and I never questioned them.
THE FORCE AWAKENS also comes with its own brand new roster of villains. There have been some jokes at the expense of Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), the film's answer to Darth Vader. Ren is relatively new to the world of the Force and is still mastering his abilities, aspiring to be a worthy successor to Vader in helping lead the First Order to victory against the Republic. I thought Driver was fantastic in the role, and Ren was probably the most interesting character in the movie. He's certainly the most well- rounded. His ambitions are clear. He has flaws (his temper tantrums were my favorite part of the movie). He's skilled in the Force but he's still learning to use it to his fullest extent. I'm excited to see where episodes XIII and IX will take him. Domhnall Gleeson, Gwendoline Christie, and Andy Serkis provide backup as other key members in the First Order but they're all left pretty vague or one-dimensional. For the purposes of this film, anyway. It is a bit of a bummer that the movie utilizes another Death Star plot device (only bigger, because why not) but, again, I'm hoping the next two films in the new trilogy might try and break some new ground in plot. There have been a lot of comparisons between FORCE AWAKENS and NEW HOPE and, as far as I'm concerned, they're well-founded. This movie takes a lot of its cues from that first film. It's a little disappointing but I can understand why the studios played it a little safer this time after the scorn brought on by those prequel films.
THE FORCE AWAKENS is not perfect. It has lulls. It's a little predictable. Also, I'm one of those in that camp that believes that Rey (Ridley) was a little too skilled at everything for someone who's been trapped on a desert planet scavenging for junk since she was a kid. I love her as a character, but I'd appreciate a bit more of a struggle. She went from wobbly dragging the Falcon's cockpit through the desert dunes to masterfully navigating it through the interior of a Star Destroyer in no time, and I've no reason to believe she's ever flown a spacecraft for any extended period. It's one of a handful of complaints but I won't go into them here because none of them really affected my enjoyment of the film. STAR WARS is back and its first new film hits all the right notes. Saga fans rejoice!