Exhilarating return to form!

Rating: 9/10 (21 December 2015)

Let me preface my review by saying that I went into STAR WARS:THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015) 100% KNOWING that it would surpass George Lucas' generally poor prequel trilogy! Sorry, but those movies overall were very lacking in every department: character, dialogue, acting, and even the effects which were over-infested with CGI making them come across as phony. Having seen the original trilogy many times over and this new film TFA a couple of times, it saddens me that the prequels were so empty-headed and empty-hearted. There were a VERY FEW positives in the prequels, but overall they were just plain BAD!
With J.J. Abrams taking over the helm of Episode 7, TFA, Star Wars feels like it's old self again! TFA introduces a new set of heroes and villains for fans to attach themselves to and, surprisingly, I already like ALL of the new main characters: Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), Poe (Oscar Isaacs), and Kylo (Adam Driver). Hmmm, let me see, I seem to recall a little summer sci-fi spectacle from 1977 that starred 3 relative unknowns (at the time) Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford that went onto become one of the biggest movie experiences in all of history! It just goes to show you that if you cast the right actors, anything is possible. Ridley, Boyega, Isaacs, and Driver are all excellent in their respective roles, bringing an energy and depth of character that was completely lacking in the prequels.
In addition to the 4 newcomers, iconic Harrison Ford has an integral role in TFA as the infamous Han Solo. I've never been the biggest Ford fan and he was never even my favorite Star Wars character, but MAN did Ford bring his all to his reprising of Han Solo in this film! I honestly think Ford in this single movie trumped everything he did as Han Solo in all of the original 3 films combined! He was that engaging, charming, funny, and powerful in his performance. I might need to rethink my belief that Ford has never been that great of an actor and re-visit some of his old work! LOL
In addition to the human roles, there are a couple of non-human scene-stealers in the form of newcomer battle droid BB8 (who manages to carry the robot load that usually goes to R2D2 and C3PO in the earlier films) and old faithful Chewbacca (played again by Peter Mayhew) who, similar to Han, somehow trumps everything he did in the original movies. Also, Carrie Fisher successfully fits snugly back into her role as the wise, tough, resilient, but her more world- weary Leia Organa. I was so happy that every actor brought it to this movie. The uniformly great performances astounded me and made me proud!
Abrams injected this excellent offering into the Star Wars collection with a lot of humorous dialogue, just the right doses of seriousness, great action sequences, and an energy that rivaled the '77 classic. I would note that the main reason I'm not giving it 10 stars is because the villains Snoke, General Hux, and Phasma were a bit too cliché and 1-dimensional. I'm hoping that will improve in the sequels, which I can't wait for!
The general plot of TFA follows the adventures of Finn (Boyega in an energetic, hilarious performance), a disgruntled Stormtrooper who runs into a captive Resistance pilot Poe Dameron (Isaacs making the most of his limited screen time) on the "Death Star" like Starkiller base. Poe has been taken captive by the mysterious Sith Lord Kylo Ren (Driver in a subtle, complex performance), who is trying to procure a map of the star system (which Poe hid in his battle droid BB8) that will lead to the location of the legendary Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, who has gone missing. Upon escape, Finn and Poe crash land on the desert planet Jakku, where they get separated and Finn meets inhabitant Rey (Ridley in a superb, persuasive, engaging performance), who has already made contact with BB8, and the 2 work together to try to get the droid to the Resistance.
Rey is in essence the film's main character as she takes over the "Luke Skywalker" role of the movie, the young, starry-eyed girl lusting for a life of adventure, but feeling held back by ties to her home planet, with Jakku is being very reminiscent of Luke's home world of Tatooine. Ridley is utterly fantastic in this role and I loved her character throughout. Luke's journey in the original films was the main draw for me, so I'm glad that Rey is going to be the hero(ine) that I can root for and follow in the new films. Ridley and Boyega have terrific chemistry, as do Boyega and Isaacs. These actors have already got me hooked on the "awakening" of the Force!
Abrams, similar to what he did with the Star Trek reboots, brings an energy and humor to the film that was much needed to get the franchise back to it's popular roots. The action sequences are exhilarating and the characterizations are provocative. NOTHING will replace or approach the movie-going magic of the original trilogy, but The Force Awakens is definitely a step (back) to the right direction!