FilmSnobReviews

Title: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Director: J.J. Abrams
Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Harrison Ford
Runtime: 2 hrs 15 mins

What It Is: The seventh film in the greatest trilogy of all-time. Taking place thirty years after the events of Return of the Jedi it seems as if Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) has vanished! Now both The First Order and the Republic run Resistance are both seeking his location. There’s a key to finding out that locale right under their nose. Along the way, we’ll meet some old friends and plenty of new in a galaxy far, far away following 30 years since the collapse of the Empire.

What We Think: Oh my god! Everything here just makes sense. Where the prequels had a sanitized feel to them this film had a lived-in quality. It was scruffy and wonderful. Visually it’s a treat but quite differently then so the prequels. Where there was an over-reliance on detached CGI visuals instead all of the special effects just work. A good example here is Maz Kanata. She is completely CGI but fits into the world perfectly. Acting is also back in the series. Adam Driver carries a load of issues with his Kylo Ren character and they add dimension and depth in a way we’ve never seen in this series. Daisy Ridley and John Boyega are going to be stars after this one! Oscar Isaac was his usual fantastic self. Harrison Ford, though, he came to play. Han Solo was the connective tissue between this trilogy and the original. Ford goes all-in for the character and that was good to see.

Our Grade: A+, Are you kidding? This revives what was a stagnant series. It is the most fun I think I’ve had at a theater this year. I cannot wait for the next episode. Rian Johnson certainly has his work cut out for him. On the flip side, he is coming in at a point when the series has renewed faith. There is just so much the filmmakers got right that masks the bad of what the film did. May the force be with you all and hopefully you enjoy this film as much as I do!