I couldn't allow myself to get caught up in the hype machine again. Not after... the last time. Episode I was... okay... I guess. A huge letdown at premiere time but in hindsight entertaining enough. Episode II was so mind-numbingly boring I had to call my doctor to check if I was still alive. I was... but why? well, because Episode III was still in the cards, naturally. It needs not be said that it couldn't have redeemed the prequel trilogy even if it were the Citizen Kane of the 21st century, but I love that dumb, self-important piece of popcorn movie cheese to death. The damage was done: I thought I could never again be excited in earnest for a Star Wars movie.
And then... there was an awakening.
The Force Awakens has everything there is to love about Star Wars—likeable protagonists, strange alien worlds and creatures, awesome futuristic technology, and spaceship dogfights chief among them—and takes some risks as well to avoid feelings of repetitive staleness, most of them related to doing away with the more dated elements of the cinematography. At its best, Star Wars is about as good a time as can be had in a noisy room smelling of popcorn and sweaty people, and The Force Awakens lives up to that storied legacy and more.
The whole thing is suffused with an energy—a "Force", if you will—that makes every moment on the screen pop and sizzle with fun, tension, and excitement. This is owed mostly to having free rein to be its own thing, not being dogmatically tied to future events that are already set in stone.
And it wants to tell its own story, turning some cherished classic Star Wars plot elements (though thankfully, many were left alone and that just feels so right) on their head. Our new, untested leads prove themselves worthy of literally standing shoulder to shoulder with the iconic characters of the original trilogy. It all feels like a very natural progression of the original trilogy, with their characters traits taken heavily into account regarding what has happened to their lives in-between the films.
The biggest singular point of praise I can give this film is that I instantly wanted to see the next one. I had my doubts about Abrams given the overly slick nature of his previous work, but he well and truly did the fans proud with this franchise rekindler.
The Force is strrrrroooonnnng with you... a powerful trilogy you will become. Henceforth, you shall be known as Awesome.
I couldn't allow myself to get caught up in the hype machine again. Not after... the last time. Episode I was... okay... I guess. A huge letdown at premiere time but in hindsight entertaining enough. Episode II was so mind-numbingly boring I had to call my doctor to check if I was still alive. I was... but why? well, because Episode III was still in the cards, naturally. It needs not be said that it couldn't have redeemed the prequel trilogy even if it were the Citizen Kane of the 21st century, but I love that dumb, self-important piece of popcorn movie cheese to death. The damage was done: I thought I could never again be excited in earnest for a Star Wars movie.
And then... there was an awakening.
The Force Awakens has everything there is to love about Star Wars—likeable protagonists, strange alien worlds and creatures, awesome futuristic technology, and spaceship dogfights chief among them—and takes some risks as well to avoid feelings of repetitive staleness, most of them related to doing away with the more dated elements of the cinematography. At its best, Star Wars is about as good a time as can be had in a noisy room smelling of popcorn and sweaty people, and The Force Awakens lives up to that storied legacy and more.
The whole thing is suffused with an energy—a "Force", if you will—that makes every moment on the screen pop and sizzle with fun, tension, and excitement. This is owed mostly to having free rein to be its own thing, not being dogmatically tied to future events that are already set in stone.
And it wants to tell its own story, turning some cherished classic Star Wars plot elements (though thankfully, many were left alone and that just feels so right) on their head. Our new, untested leads prove themselves worthy of literally standing shoulder to shoulder with the iconic characters of the original trilogy. It all feels like a very natural progression of the original trilogy, with their characters traits taken heavily into account regarding what has happened to their lives in-between the films.
The biggest singular point of praise I can give this film is that I instantly wanted to see the next one. I had my doubts about Abrams given the overly slick nature of his previous work, but he well and truly did the fans proud with this franchise rekindler.