 Tagline: Every generation has a story. Three decades after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, a new threat arises. The First Order attempts to rule the galaxy and only a rag-tag group of heroes can stop them, along with the help of the Resistance. Storyline: The Galactic Empire was defeated thirty years ago. The Galaxy is now facing a new threat: a new faction named the First Order. Their main mission is to rule the Galaxy and destroy all who oppose them. Their commander is a ruthless, mysterious, powerful Sith, Kylo Ren. Kylo has an ambition to find and kill the last Jedi who is able to restore order and revive the Jedi ways, Luke Skywalker. Luke's unknown location is also a main concern for General Leia Organa, a General from the Resistance that now trying to find him too. Han Solo and Chewbacca meet some new companions: Finn, a defective First Order Stormtrooper, and Rey, a scavenger from the Jakku planet who acquired Luke's location through a BB-8 rolling droid. This unexpected team is forced not only to fight and resist the First Order, but also to find Luke Skywalker. Written by Gusde Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, March 25, 2016 I sense something. A presence I've not felt since...a long time ago, in a galaxy that feels far, far away in some respects but, with the brilliance of The Force Awakens as the next chapter in the storied Star Wars saga, right here and right now in others. Star Wars has never not been relevant since the original film's blockbusting debut back in 1977, but its revitalization in 2015 with the long-awaited seventh franchise film, and the first to release since George Lucas transferred control to Disney, has been nothing less than a re-awakening of the core fan base and the franchise's worldwide appeal alike. Not since 1999, in the months and days and hours leading up to The Phantom Menace's release to theaters, has there been so much palpable excitement in the air around a movie, a feeling of youthful revitalization and unadulterated hope for a film franchise that has, unlike any before it or any since, so perfectly married whimsical fantasy, keen dramatic storytelling, and movie magic as well as Star Wars. Those prequel films, and the first two in particular, didn't quite live up to fan expectations, but part of the problem was that they looked the wrong way, choosing to gaze backwards in time rather than push the series forward. They re-introduced a previously established universe and lore rather than evolve them in a meaningful way. There's something magical about the way forward, fully exploring the unknown rather than being led through a past with an inevitable destination clearly in sight. And The Force Awakens is filled with bold new strokes and striking happenings, all the while remaining ever faithful to the source and all of its biggest concepts and tiniest intricacies alike. More than any film since The Empire Strikes Back, The Force Awakens exudes Star Wars and all that those two words imply. The Empire has been destroyed, but in its place a new menace to the galaxy has emerged: The New Order. Led by the mysterious Snoke (Andy Serkis), General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson), and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), the organization has constructed a new weapon many times larger and more powerful than the Death Stars before it. The Rebellion remains, though it's been rebranded as The Resistance. The warring factions have one goal: to track down the long-missing Luke Skywalker, the Jedi who stands in the way of The First Order and represents the only hope for The Resistance. General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) has sent The Resistance's best pilot, Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), to the planet Jakku to retrieve vital data that could lead The Resistance to Skywalker. Dameron is captured, but his droid, BB-8, escapes with the information and stumbles upon Rey (Daisy Ridley), a scavenger who has lived a life shrouded in the haze of a destiny greater than selling off scraps for bites of food. She's soon aided by a morality driven Stormtrooper who has fled The First Order and taken to the name "Finn" (John Boyega). The two escape The First Order with the droid and its information, but they'll need more help than an old, practically mothballed, Corellian freighter if they're to survive the pursuit and get the information to those in desperate need of it. The movie begins and...something isn't right. The 20th Century Fox logo and fanfare are missing. They had become synonymous with Star Wars, in some ways more identifiable as the start of a Star Wars movie than the iconic "A long time ago..." prologue, the crawl, and the music, and even, arguably, the studio that logo and fanfare actually represent. That disconcerting absence, however, is quickly forgotten when those words appear, the yellow text scrolls, the music soars, and the movie begins. And what an experience it is. For longtime, dedicated fans who know the movies forward and backward, are familiar with every line, each detail, all the sounds, and can practically smell the Star Wars universe, however, a first viewing of The Force Awakens feels less like seeing it and more like experiencing it, soaking in the greater spectacle and sorting out all of the emotions it engenders. No more true words are spoken in the film than when Han says, "we're home." That first viewing isn't so much about grasping all of the story intricacies, analyzing its place in the Star Wars canon, and theorizing about what's to come. It's instead about taking in all those details that Abrams and his fellow filmmakers -- every last person who contributed as much love as labor to making it work -- have put into the movie. It's about rediscovering the sensations, reuniting with old friends, making new acquaintances, and absorbing all those sights and sounds that make the movie more than a simple narrative journey but rather a tangible experience that stirs the soul quite unlike anything else in movie history. That Fox logo? Now a fond but distant memory that still holds a special place in Star Wars lore that serves as a reminder that the whole is greater than the parts, that the spirit is greater than the details, that the universe is larger than a single image and sound. Kudos to Abrams for leaving the Disney logo off the beginning as well, and for the studio allowing him to do so. The film, and its universe, speak for themselves. With the story now moving forward rather than backward, there's plenty of opportunity for healthy advancements in technology and refinements from the first three films while still, certainly, retaining the same basic shapes and textures and, in all of the key areas, keeping up appearances, right down the finest little details fans have come to know, love, and expect from a Star Wars movie. Storm troopers and TIE Fighters are a bit sleeker. Characters are a little bit older. Yet the Falcon is perfect. Finn digs up Luke's training remote and triggers the holographic tabletop game in the lounge. Han still has his same blaster. The filmmakers have paid attention to every detail, and their love, more so than their work, is evident in every shot. The film's climactic infiltration sequence borrows heavily from all three of the original films in obvious ways, in broad-stroke details and tiny little nuances alike, but the moment, and the entire movie, really, captures that established essence, that solidified soul, while molding it into something that stands on its own. Abrams has found just the right texture, structure, pace, and styling in every shot, but the movie is much more than mere fan service. The picture deals in very real and very easily identifiable themes of light and dark with some, but not much, gray area in between. The story centers on a literal inner and outer conflict between them that culminates in what is likely to be remembered as the most shocking moment in Star Wars history that, again, shows deep parallels to a key moment from A New Hope. It advances this story while underscoring both established and emerging themes that define the Star Wars universe. For all of the "old" it gets right, The Force Awakens proves just as spectacular in its "new." The movie is filled with fresh faces that are smartly cast and the beneficiaries of good, clean, efficient writing that, for some, continues in the exploration of old parallels while others open up new realms of possibility for where the franchise has been and where it's going. The new characters aren't simply a collective rehash of the old ones, however. Similarities abound, but there are role reversals, amalgamations, and new origins introduced that all, generally, fall into classic comfort zones while building up a uniqueness all their own. That's really the driving theme here, much like it was with Abrams' Star Trek films: things can and do change, sometimes even radically, but the foundation rarely does. The new heroes allow for some shifts in focus and new roles for certain types of characters, but none of them feel tacked on, forced in, or in any way otherwise inorganic within the world. As with the previous films, the feelings of fate and destiny permeate through each one of them, particularly in Rey who is sort of like a composite of Anakin, Luke, and Leia. The film's most interesting new character is Kylo Ren. Adam Driver is fantastic in the part, arguably the best of the new collective. His ability to so precisely capture Kylo Ren's conflicting nature and develop the character through the totality of youthful vigor, uneven temperament, and even the way he carries himself as both a leader and a fighter is above reproach. Conflicted villains are always the most dangerous, and the way the movie manipulates the character, evolves him, and establishes him near the end all but guarantees in future installments an antagonist capable of anything, as cold and strong as any before him, but with that hint of internal strife still ever-present even as the movie culminates the character's path in a very forceful, deliberate, and thematically paralleled manner. As a whole, singular experience, the movie never disappoints. Its technical construction is above reproach, not only in capturing that Star Wars spirit but in crafting a movie that's seamlessly assembled and hearkens back to the originals with plenty of practical effects and digital that's so well done it's hardly noticeable in most instances. Battles are fast moving and exciting, lightsaber duels are well choreographed, shootouts are intense, and character moments are touching. If one could mount any serious criticism criticism against the movie, it's that the humor threatens to become too deeply entwined with the story. Some of the jokes better establish characters -- Poe's one-liner near film's start being a good example -- while others threaten to destroy the dramatic importance of a scene, such as when Storm Troopers nearly approach an infuriated Kylo Ren and quickly turn tail in the other direction. The movie's best gag comes when the affable C-3PO pops up in the middle of a key moment, but it's a gag that's in staying with the character's tone and proves very effective. Overall, however, there's little-to-no room to complain. The Force Awakens is a terrific movie and the one Star Wars fans have been waiting for since the galaxy partied like it was 1983. The Force Awakens is about reuniting with old friends, catching up with where they've been, and beginning a new journey alongside them. Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher rightly earn top billing -- this is their movie and their franchise -- but in this movie they're proverbially passing the torch to a new generation of heroes in a film that's as much a building block towards the future as were any of the prequels, but this time building towards the unknown rather than the known, going boldly, to borrow from another Abrams-influenced franchise, rather than simply looking back. It's a terrific film, one with many layers comprised of perfectly executed fan service, relatable themes, new directions, old concepts, and precious few reasons to moan and groan. As he did with the Star Trek reboot, Abrams has delivered a knockout of a movie in the most popular franchise cinema has ever seen. Disney's Blu-ray is terrific. Video is outstanding, audio isn't far behind, and the supplements are impressive, though there's certainly room for more in a future special edition. Needless to say, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens is going to be the Blu-ray that defines the entire year, and it earns my highest recommendation. [CSW] - 3.3- --- Spoiler alert --- Spoilers. I feel like I was watching Star Wars: A New Hope (the very first Star Wars film) but version 2.0. While visually stunning, we've been here before. Rey finds a message hidden in a droid containing the blueprints of the Death Star, I mean the location of where to find Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. Check. Evil forces try to quash the Resistance with their mighty Death Star, I mean bigger Death Star. Check. My padawan sensors tell me Rey, who is strong with the Force, joins the Resistance and trains to be a Jedi with Yoda, I mean Master Luke. Double check. It is visually beautiful and packed with thrilling action sequences. If that's what you like, you'll love it. But you can't help but notice that almost everything about this film is derivative of the 1977 film. The film carefully balances storylines featuring old and new characters, simulating roles and situations we've seen before. It doesn't take a genius to see how Rey is the new Luke, Finn is the new Han, Kylo Ren is the new Darth Vader, Snoke is the new Emperor, the new Death Star replaces the old and is destroyed in more or less exactly the same way. Blasters, light sabers, familial conflicts, dogfights, alien jazz band, aliens trying to collect money from Han, latent Jedi powers in an unknown living on a barren planet, a planet-destroying weapon. It seems to me I've heard this song before, it's from an old familiar score, I know it well, the melody. Cast Notes: Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), Daisy Ridley (Rey), John Boyega (Finn), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron), Lupita Nyong'o (Maz Kanata), Andy Serkis (Supreme Leader Snoke), Domhnall Gleeson (General Hux), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Max von Sydow (Lor San Tekka), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), Gwendoline Christie (Captain Phasma), Joonas Suotamo (Chewbacca Double). IMDb Rating (07/27/16): 8.2/10 from 559,142 users Top 250: #143
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