Re-Inforced

Rating: 8/10 (22 December 2015)

(Rating: ☆☆☆ out of 4)
This film is recommended.
In brief: In the capable hands of J.J. Abrams, this saga will live long and prosper (wrong film series, but right sentiment).
GRADE: B
There is a force reawakening the latest Star Wars installment and his name is J.J. Abrams. This gifted director quickens the pulse of an aging and dying franchise and resuscitates the series, breathing new life into this once glorious vibrant serial. He deftly mixes our love and nostalgia of the old with the state-of-the art technology of the new, blending beloved older characters from past entries with more contemporary prototypes and insuring a long life-span to the series. The end result is a thrilling sci-fi adventure film that delivers in its action sequences but plays it all-too-safely with a winning formula that never come near George Lucas' original source.
￼Chaos continues to reign in a galaxy far, far away. Now the evil First Order wants to dominate the universe while rebel forces try to fight against it. The good guys from the Old Guard (Han Solo, Chewbacca, Leia, Luke and the droids) are back and their new replacements (Rey, Finn, Poe and a new droid) battle the bad guys (Kylo Ren, General Hux, and the Supreme Leader Snoke, plus many Stormtroopers). That's the thin story in a nutshell and all one needs to know or gets from the efficient screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan, Michael Arndt and Abrams himself.
￼The CGI is top-notch and the action scenes are very well staged, although I personally had some trouble with the choppy editing undercutting some of the excitement, especially with the climactic light saber duel. With all the creativity and talent behind it, the film cannot disguise the fact that it relies too heavily on its first two films from the series (or should I say its forth and fifth chapters, to be more precise), taking those plot devices and upgrading it for today's movie-going audience. In truth, originality is a scarce commodity in this hybrid film, even if the visuals do impress.
￼Yet, how could you not be in rapture with the likes of the charismatic Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher as they past the torch to the newcomers, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, and scene-stealer, Daisy Ridley? Also giving their best malevolent moves are Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and an effective Adam Driver as a Darth Vader wannabe. Plus, Lupita Nyong'o offers super voice- over work as a memorable CGI creation named Maz Kanata and John Williams' flawless score continues to make this film soar light-years and beyond.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a joyful escapist entertainment as crowdpleasers go. And no review, be it a positive rave or less than glowing words from the dark forces within some critics, can topple this galactic blockbuster.
NOTE: The 3-D IMAX effects are less than earth-scattering, literally. So save your money and see it in its standard format.
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