went to see The Force Awakens with my boys. 5 stars, two thumbs up, and any other A+ rating a movie can earn. If you are hesitant to see the new Star Wars Episode VII, do not hesitate, GO SEE IT! J.J. Abrams has recreated every thing you ever loved about the Star Wars universe and seems to have gotten it right on every level. I liked Episode VII as much as, if not more, than Episodes V and VI. This is a very worthy sequel to A New Hope.
The Force Awakens feels like Star Wars and captures the magic of the original trilogy. The opening scroll and large ship of the first minutes of the film made me feel as if I was visiting a place of nostalgia and gave me a warm feeling, immediately going into the film. The new characters are likable and well developed, while the presence of many of original cast "brings balance" to The Force Awakens. J.J. Abrams has done for Star Wars what Peter Jackson did for Lord of the Rings. While Lucas defecated on his own source material, Abrams stayed true to the original formula and gave the new Trilogy relevance where Episodes I-III are nearly complete throw aways.
Story line wise, the plot if Episode VII has many similarities to the original Episode IV but the main plot of finding Luke Skywalker is fresh and keeps with the original plot of Episodes IV-VI, which were really the story of Luke Skywalker. The humor is not overlplayed nor annoying but is a welcome break in the tension created by the new villain, Kylo Ren, grandson of Darth Vader. The most shocking moment in the film is not discovering that Kylo Ren is Han Solo's son Ben, but that Ren so easily murders Han Solo. Harrison Ford had campaigned to kill off Han Solo back in Episode V but Lucas did not want to harm merchandising opportunities. Ford finally got his wish in a very spectacular scene, here in Episode VII.
TFA picks up a number of years in the future from ROTJ. Solo and Leia have married and produce a child, Luke became a Jedi Master, training a new generation of Jedi until the evil empire re-emerges as the First Order and Ben Solo is recruited by the dark side of the force and kills all the young Jedi. At this point, Luke does as his previous masters did before him, he flees to another planet to live in seclusion. A young orphan and a renegade Storm Trooper team up and join the search for Skywalker. Han Solo, Chewbacca, R2D2, C3PO, Luke, and even the voice of Obi Wan make a comeback and none disappoint. Coming in at just over 2 hours and 15 minutes, TFA holds your attention throughout, even during my second viewing, right up to the last scene where we finally see Luke Skywalker in his seclusion. Though the scene was completely predictable, it still riveted the viewers and garnered cheers from the sell out theater crowd.
The Force Awakens brought old characters you know and love, while introducing new characters that do not annoy. No Jar Jars in this film! After the first viewing, I went 2 days later with my wife. Yeah, it was that good.
When I first saw Peter Jackson's LOTR, I left the theater and went to the book store. I could not wait 3 years to find out how LOTR ended. I do not have that luxury with the new Star Wars films. I have no choice but to wait as Abrams and Disney craft the rest of the films. I am anxiously awaiting the next installment. Abrams has restored balance to the Star Wars universe and revived a beloved franchise that was almost destroyed by it's own creator. My wife said, after viewing TFA, that she is more of a Star Wars fan than ever before!
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