Firstly, this is a non-spoiler review of Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens. So please feel free to read this post to your heart's content. This will be a very short and simple review - a first impression if you will. Without further ado, here's my review for The Force Awakens.
"The Force is strong in my family. My father has it. I have it. My sister has it. You have that power too."
Preface
So The Force Awakens bears with it a heavy burden to both please the old generation of fans while also hooking in a new generation of Star Wars lovers. While the prequels aren't a tough act to follow, many people will have initial fears of history repeating itself. Trust me. The Force Awakens is better than the prequels. Not only that, but I'd say that this film is on par with, or better than, the original trilogy.
I was never a Star Wars fan as a child. The original trilogy was just sorta, there. I guess my background and childhood didn't really nurture the geek culture. There wasn't anything special about endorsing american franchises, nor was there really any room for collecting merchandise. Basically, I didn't care about Star Wars. That doesn't matter, because this film stands on its own. It gives new fans an avenue into this universe.
Actual Thoughts
The good thing about The Force Awakens is that it's an actual movie, with story beats, good acting, and character arcs. Our characters are introduced in the right ways so that we not only learn about them, but also care about their journey! Our main villain, Kylo Ren, is a sympathetic character. One who's motives we can understand, and relate to while not necessarily agreeing with. Daisy Ridley's performance as Rey is done beautifully. Kudos to her acting ability and J.J. Abrams' direction. Characters get an A+ from me.
The flow of this movie isn't rushed, but it is rather fast paced. It's not like The Lego Movie, where EVERYTHING HAPPENS AFTER EVERYTHING HAPPENS. Rather, you can expect more action to unfold with each new scene. The story always develops, with little room for rest. I say little room, not no room. Abrams isn't Michael Bay, so he knows how to take his time with scenes that harbour more emotional depth. This is a fast paced movie with heaps of action beats. While that sounds like my type of movie, I would've loved to have had a little more in-between moments.
Speaking of action, I loved the action in this movie. I think I'll be swinging fake lightsabers for quite a while now. Thanks to advancements in visual effects, the duels, dogfights, and base sieges all have a new grit to it. All of the battles take place either on a planet, or within its atmosphere. This makes the starship fights seem much more grounded. You can almost feel the sound as they fly through the sky. The lightsaber fights all have a more savage edge to them. No one's a trained, refined, Jedi or Sith in this film. The rawness of the fights bump up the action heaps for me.
Overall, this movie is not perfect, but it is good. It definitely left me wanting so much more, and now I'm waiting eagerly for Episode VIII. I think it's only fitting, that I give Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens - a seven. Please don't fall into the trap of "everything good has to be a 10", because 10s are hard to come by. Seven is a very good score, fit for a very good film.
My Score: 7/10
Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
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