When it was announced that J.J. Abrams would direct and co-write Episode VII of "Star Wars," the mounting pressure on him began. "Star Wars" is one of the most beloved movie franchises of all time and Abrams had astronomical expectations, particularly after the first three episodes were so controversial (and in my opinion, mostly bad). "Star Wars" fans are so protective that they currently have a love/hate relationship with its author, George Lucas, over his lackluster prequels and his decision to modify Episodes IV-VI for little or no reason. This phenomena is chronicled in a great documentary called "The People vs. George Lucas." And to be clear, Han shot first and miti-chlorians are BS.
But George Lucas was on the sidelines for this round and it was all up to Abrams to invigorate the franchise. And that he did. "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is so good, in fact, that it didn't have the immediate feel of being a "Star Wars" movie, which all have a delightful campiness to them. But this is partly because Abrams was so effective in revamping "Star Wars" with a new cast of characters for the future. I cannot deny, however, that my favorite aspect of the film was the return of old friends: Hans Solo, Chewbacca, Leia, Luke, and the droids. And how great was it to see the Millenium Falcon again? This intermingling of past and future was a great way to pay homage to the films everyone loves while also moving them forward.
Speaking of homage, it was quite clear that "The Force Awakens" conspicuously modeled itself on "A New Hope." Rey, the new female hero, works with robot parts on a desert planet and has a knack for technology, just like Luke Skywalker. Her planet lives in the shambles of the former Empire---I loved all of the fallen Empire ships and defunct imperial walkers. Rey rescues a droid, which turns out to be a cute, more expressive version of R2D2, with valuable information. She then meets two smugglers named Hans Solo and Chewbacca who help her get to safety. Oh yeah, the new version of the Empire called "The First Order" has constructed a new planetary doomsday device that the rebels have to destroy. Sound familiar? I have to wonder, maybe even hope, that the subsequent movies follow the homage pattern and make versions of "Empire" and "Jedi."
Perhaps the most interesting new character is Finn, a black storm trooper with a conscience who spontaneously joins the rebellion after he saw one too many of his friends killed in battle. While I think his character brings a new perspective into the hero lot, he does raise some questions. In the prequels, we learned that the storm troopers were all clones of Jango Fett. How then did we end up with a black storm trooper? The movie doesn't explain this, so I must assume that The First Order had new recruits or clones. Likewise, never in the history of "Star Wars" has a storm trooper second guessed his place in the Empire or had a moral change of heart. Again, we can only assume that The First Order's cloning or brainwashing protocol is inferior to that of the Empire.
The best acting in the film belongs to Adam Driver (of HBO's "Girls") who plays Kylo Ren, a fantastic new villain in the making who happens to be the son of Han and Leia. While most "Star Wars" villains are calm and collected, Kylo Ren is very emotional, which will probably cause problems, even redemption, in the future. I must admit that I did breathe a sigh of relief when the movie thankfully did not include idiotic characters like Jar Jar Binx, a sin that George Lucas must consider changing in the future versions of his prequels. You did it once, George, why not again when it really matters?
Overall, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is a great film filled with dazzling special effects, a new yet familiar story, and a cast of new good guys and bad guys for the future. Still, as I said before, this movie lacked the B-movie quality that endeared all of us to "Star Wars." The dialogue wasn't hokey, the acting wasn't unintentionally funny, and, most jarringly, blasters actually killed people. Compare that to the other movies in which a ridiculous barrage of of lasers might kill one person. This isn't your mama's "Star Wars" anymore. While it may take a bit of recalibration for this film to seamlessly morph into the franchise, it was as successful as a reboot can be, especially for something as sacred as Star Wars. Hats off to J.J. Abrams.
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