Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Lucasfilm · JJ Abrams · 2015

(Written December 2015)

​

Last night I saw The Force Awakens, the first Star Wars movie in over ten years, here's what I thought with NO Spoilers (I will never ruin a movie for anyone). Seeing it on opening night with friends was great, it was amazing to hear the awestruck audience cheer at key moments during the story. I was somewhat skeptical when I first heard that Disney and J.J. Abrams were in charge, but I believe that The Force Awakens truly captures the feel of what Star Wars was about from the very beginning, the fast paced thrilling adventure, the breathtaking world building, the playful banter and humor, the heart and emotion, and the interesting characters that we can relate to. The special effects were amazing, and J.J. Abrams' favor of practical props over CGI really shows (which is a good thing.) For the most part it remains true to George Lucas' original vision (before he made the prequels), and I think that fans who grew up with the classic trilogy will be satisfied; there's no Jar Jar Binks, crude humor, senate, politics, cheesy romance, or convoluted plot; it's just a fun space adventure. In addition this movie will also introduce Star Wars to a new generation of children in 2015 just as A New Hope did in 1977, and The Phantom Menace did in 1999. As a longtime fan of this franchise, I definitely approve of The Force Awakens, despite a few minor problems it's pretty much the movie I've been waiting for, and I encourage people to give it a try with an open mind, just expect fun and you won't be disappointed.

​

[Note: this was typed in 2015, and does not reflect my current thoughts on the movie. While I still enjoy parts of it, my overall enjoyment has gone down significantly since then. I still stand by a lot of these points, but I wouldn't say it "stays true to Lucas' original vision" if I were to write this review today.]