Star Wars - Episode VII:
The Force Awakens (2015)

Director: JJ Abrams
Starring: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher

Synopsis:
The New Republic sends its best pilot on a secret mission to uncover the location of a missing Luke Skywalker before he can be found by an Imperial remnant known as the First Order.

Impressions:
I've stated before that I was an apologist for the Prequel Trilogy whose defenses wore down over the years. Indeed, I'd gotten to the point where I wouldn't even bother with any new Star Wars media. That horrible Kinect dancing game really felt like things had hit rock bottom. When I heard that the Sequel Trilogy was being made, I was skeptical but willing to at least give Episode VII a chance. JJ Abrams is a bit of a mixed bag for me. He's done some interesting things with the Star Trek reboot but there's a lot that's wrong with those movies as well. (Into Darkness' inferior aping of Wrath of Khan was especially disappointing, but I suppose that's more the fault of the writer than the director.) The trailers looked promising, but I was careful to restrict my access to spoilers. So, now that I've seen it, what do I think?

I was abso-frickin'-lutely amazing. Seriously. This must have been what it felt like back in OT. The frustration with the Special Edition, the disappointment of the Prequel Trilogy, none of that was anywhere to be found. You know how the PT was hobbled by stilted acting, clunky dialog and overlong sequences that sucked out the entertainment value? Well, there's none of that here. There's actual dialog that feels like real people are talking. There were lots of laughs and none of them cringe comedy. One of the big failings of PT was clumsy overwrought comic relief as opposed to the more subtle humor of the OT. Here the humor is actually good. It's great.

CG has matured a lot since the PT and the effects feel much better integrated, plus there's a better balance between CG and practical, both in terms of effects and sets. Everything looks amazing and the effects serve to assist the story rather the story being subordinated to the effects, which is where Lucas lost his way in the PT.

Some fans were upset that the Expanded Universe got pushed out of canon, but I think by severing ties with all the baggage of the EU really frees up the Sequel Trilogy to find its own way and I'm certainly digging the story here. It feels like we only get a glimpse into the new world, but leaving the viewer wanting more certainly isn't a bad thing. A problem with the PT's story was an obsession with interconnection with the OT to the point of ridiculous contrivance, but while Episode VII is firmly anchored in the legacy of the OT, it's also building its own setting. You're happy to see the classic characters return, but the new generation get plenty of opportunity to shine. I want to give particular credit to Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Adam Driver as Rey, Finn and Kylo Ren respectively. (Oscar Isaac is also good as Poe and I'm hoping for a larger role in future entries.) Harrison Ford's performance as Han Solo also warrants special mention.

Regarding the score, I was initially somewhat lukewarm to it. Lukewarm relative to Williams' previous work in the series, that is, which is still above just about every other composer in Hollywood. On the one hand, it seemed to rely too heavily on recycling old tracks and the new ones didn't stand out as dramatically as some of the pieces from the PT. (In fact, the music is perhaps the most worth of remembering from those films.) However, on further consideration, I have to admit that I'm satisfied overall and while Kylo Ren's theme isn't going to be as well-remembered as "Duel of the Fates", it's pretty good, and "The Starkiller" tugs on the heartstrings just as effectively as "The Great Jedi Purge".

I honestly went into this film with lowered expectation and I got my socks blown right off. If we can expect this level of quality from the next two films, we have absolutely nothing to worry about. It's sad to say, but separating George Lucas from the franchise he created seems to have been the best thing for it. (And it seems to be good for him too as he gets to enjoy the money rolling in without being badgered by his jilted fans.) I'm looking forward to December '17 with great anticipation. I'll also be checking out the gaiden Rogue One when it comes out.

In total, I saw the film five times when it was in theaters and would've gladly seen it five more. Now that I've had time to consider it, I can confidently go forward and upgrade my earlier rating. This belongs right up there with the OT and I'm hoping the rest of the Sequel Trilogy will follow in suit.

Rating:
Treasure It

Feeling all emptied out in the wake of Episode IX, giving this film another look for reevaluation doesn't leave me with much to say. While I do feel a little hoodwinked for getting my hopes up for this trilogy, I don't regret enjoying it at the time and I still find the film entirely watchable, even though it doesn't hold up so well on closer inspection. Even with its flaws, there was potential here that was wasted in the successive two films.

While I appreciate the effort to avoid getting bogged down in politics like the Prequels, more attention should have been paid to the worldbuilding. The New Republic was too easily brought down, as was Starkiller Base. It would've been better to have Starkiller Base as the persistent threat over the course of the trilogy, disabled in this film but still capable of being repaired and used to force the Republic to the negotiating table. The Resistance would have won a victory but they might find themselves without their backing as the more squirrelly politicians look to working out a diplomatic solution. This risk could have raised tensions and planted the seeds for future conflict.

As for the characters, it was a missed opportunity to first humanize Stormtroopers via Finn, then just revert to them being disposable cannon fodder as ever. Finn doesn't act like a soldier conditioned from birth but rather a recent conscript. Doing the latter would've been fine, but if you stuck with the former premise, having him go through the toils of overcoming his conditioning and becoming more human could have been compelling. Maybe he would've been more the comically serious instead of just a goofball. Honestly, making him a recent conscript would've been the easier choice. As for Rey, we could've avoided the Mary Sue nonsense if she had to struggle a little more, maybe just get through her duel with Kylo Ren by the skin of her teeth rather than kick off an unbroken string of victories that completely sapped any threat he could've represented.

There's more I could say, but I feel like I've expended too much time and effort as it is. I jumped the gun upping this movie's rating when it came out on DVD. There are plenty of people who had a low opinion from the start and others who have soured as the next episodes have come out. In view of the entire trilogy, this film is ultimately a waste, but by itself, I still enjoy watching it. I say it's still worth a watch, but advise you just to imagine what happens next. You'll be better for it.

Rating:
Watch It