While the initial furor over the new Star Wars movie has passed, I couldn’t help but offer up my thoughts on the movie I’ve waited thirty-two years to see.  Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely enjoyed the prequels, and they definitely scratched a certain itch.  But they didn’t have the characters I fell in love with.  Was obsessed with.  Bought action figures of.  Dressed up for Halloween as (multiple times).  I was entertained by the prequels, but I was never enraptured by them and never felt compelled to have marathon viewings of them for no good reason at all.  They were movies in the Star Wars universe, but they somehow weren’t quite STAR WARS movies, if you get my drift.

Star Wars captured the public imagination in the late 70s and early 80s (and in truth ever since) because it blended fantasy, myth, action, adventure, comedy, and epic storytelling in the same movies.  It was a space opera the scope and ambition of which had never seen before, with visual effects to match.  So when the pieces came together for the latest incarnation of the franchise to continue the story of my beloved characters, alongside new ones, I was always going to be in.  The signs were all positive for a legitimate, fulfilling reboot: steady, experienced hand at the helm—who is a fan-boy to boot (check); talented screenwriters who know how to pen a Star Wars movie (check); George Lucas removed from the director’s chair (check); a fantastic cast with the right blend of fresh faces and legends of yore (check).  It seemed that the stars had aligned, and we would get the first true Star Wars movie since I saw Return of the Jedi while visiting my cousins in Atlanta in the summer of 1983.  I was giddy with anticipation.

I have now seen the movie three times (on a regular screen, in IMAX, and in IMAX 3D—I recommend the last option) and finally feel prepared to give you my authoritative review.  Fair warning to those who haven’t yet seen the movie: MASSIVE SPOLIERS AHEAD.  If you haven’t seen it (ostensibly because you’ve been under a rock, have suffered severe head trauma, or the inner child in you died long ago) and don’t want significant plot details spoiled, stop reading now.  Otherwise, here goes (cue scrolling text)…

A long time

ago in a galaxy, far,

far away, my imagination

was cinematically kindled as never

before.  I’ve never felt the same rush in a

theater as I do when I first hear that orchestral

burst and the iconic yellow letters appear on screen.

The scrolling blue text thrusts me into the world of lightsabers,

vile villains, and the Force.  And no other experience can compare.

To be clear, I really liked this movie and enjoyed it more than any Star Wars movie since Jedi.  That being said, while I thought it was really good, it didn’t quite get to great.  That’s what the next movie is for—but more on that later.  It was, however, a true Star Wars movie that got more right than it got wrong and gave us a whole new reason to believe that we’re going to have another epic trilogy on hand to revere for years to come and watch with our own kids.  On the whole, I’d probably give it a B+.

What J.J. got right

To his credit, J.J. Abrams (the director and maestro of the latest installment) has a fundamental understanding of the essential elements of Star Wars.  Unlike the prequels, he gets that Star Wars is a lived-in universe.  It’s the banged up Millennium Falcon, not a gleaming new starship.  It’s the Mos Eisley Cantina at the edge of the known world, not the Imperial Senate chamber.  This movie had, from the very beginning, the right look.  It also eschewed the CGI of the prequels and went back to the physical effects and set pieces that made the original trilogy feel so visceral and believable.  The look was precisely right, from the beautiful, haunting shot of the half-buried star destroyed where we first meet Rey (Daisy Ridley) to the unmistakable Imperial architecture of Starkiller[1] Base.

Also hugely important was the tone.  The humor and levity were back, provided largely and capably by Finn (John Boyega) but also by Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and of course the wry, smirking Han Solo (Harrison Ford).  The joy and wit of the original trilogy were on full display, something Lawrence Kasdan no doubt had a significant hand in (he did write the screenplays for Empire and Jedi, after all).  There were somber moments too, to balance things out, but the sense of playfulness, exuberance, and fun was present in spades.  And it’s a welcome sight.

Lastly, the principal settings of the movie also recall the original trilogy’s penchant for the fringe.  I read one great review (I sadly can’t remember where) that pointed out a major shortcoming of the prequels were that they happened on Coruscant, at the center of the Republic.  The original trilogy, however, took place on Tatooine, Hoth, Dagobah, Cloud City, and Endor—at the fringes of the known universe.  This new movie only makes mention of the capital of the Republic to blow it up for sentimental effect.  It takes place on Jakku, on Takodana (where Maz Kanata’s castle is located), and in the forests of Starkiller Base.  The gritty, grimy feeling is back; our ragtag band of heroes is in the middle of nowhere, and we love it.

Where J.J. Went Wrong

Picture if you will: a young recluse on a desert planet seeking a way out encounters a droid with a dangerous and valuable secret, only to be whisked away by events to the heart of an overmatched rebel force fighting against a tyrannical quasi-fascist Wehrmacht (war machine).  Sound familiar?  If this movie has a glaring weakness, it’s that the plot is so very derivative.  Some have claimed that they were trying to get a new generation invested and needed to hit the same highlights of the hero cycle that Lucas so ably stole from Joseph Campbell.  You even have the principal antagonist killing the father figure to cement his nefarious credentials along with the destruction of the enemy’s base through one critical weakness.  If Kasdan gets points for the quality of the dialogue, he certainly needs to shoulder the blame for ripping the plot off of A New Hope (and to some degree Empire as well).  I guess you can’t really sue yourself for plagiarism.

In reality, I would have liked to have seen J.J. & co take a few more risks with the plot and trusted old fans and new to be able to adapt to a new series with different plot points.  While I enjoyed it more upon my second and third viewing, I was completely preoccupied the first time with the all-too-predictable series of events that resulted in the “miraculous” destruction of Starkiller base.

On Balance, a Victory for the Fans and the Force

Despite its derivative plot, I was still enthralled to be back in the world of Star Wars.  I beamed when R2D2 came back to life, teared up when Han got shish-kebabed by his son (Ben!), and got goosebumps seeing a grizzled Luke Skywalker at the end (still my favorite all-time Star Wars character).  There were enough Easter eggs for a Texas megachurch to satisfy even the dorkiest of Star Wars nerds—a membership I proudly claim.  There was the brief appearance of the training remote that Obi Won first uses to teach Luke the Force in the Millennium Falcon on their ill-fated trip to Alderan.  There was mention of the famous 12-parsec Kessel Run.  There was even C3PO, up to his old cock-blocking ways.  In short, there was something old (Luke, Han, and Leia), something new (Finn and Rey), something borrowed (Darth Vader’s melted helmet), and something blue (Luke’s original lightsaber).

There were also enough cliff-hangers and unresolved plot elements to keep us guessing and intrigued for the next installment (due out in May 2017 for those of us counting down the days).  Will Luke accept the proffered lightsaber and rejoin the Resistance (my guess: yes—he really kind of has to in order to advance the plot)?  Who are Rey’s parents (my guess: Luke is her father and another force-sensitive woman her mother—how else to explain her being stronger in the Force than Kylo Ren, himself a direct descendant of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader)?  What will become of Kylo Ren and who exactly is Supreme Leader Snoke (still unclear on those points)?  What I am absolutely sure of is that the visionary Rian Johnson is directing Episode VIII.  If you’ve never seen Brick or Looper, do yourself a favor and check them out.  He is the perfect person to direct the Empire movie in the sequel trilogy.  He’s great a great sci-fi director and expert in presenting dark, ominous material in a challenging and fresh light.  If J.J. hit most of the right notes in resetting the franchise, he found a master conductor in Johnson for the follow-up.  Episode VIII should surpass The Force Awakens for true Star Wars nerds and fans of excellent cinema everywhere.

Come to think of it, I think I’m ready for a fourth viewing.  Who’s coming with me?

[1] This was a nod to the Star Wars super fans, since Luke Skywalker’s surname was originally Starkiller in George Lucas’ original screenplay.