Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

 

Sometimes, sticking close to something that worked in the past isn't a bad idea, especially if you giftwrap it in a film that is flashy and oftentimes exhilarating, giving you what you needed after the less than stellar prequels. 

So yes, 'The Force Awakens' is precisely that: nothing new, but slick and fun to watch. 

After the demise of the Emperor and thus the Empire, a new republic is trying to make everything work again. But alas, a remnant of the Empire survived and has now transformed into The First Order, which is pretty much the exact same thing, only they now want to get the Empire back up and running. This time, the totalitarian idea is played up even more. But some other things are afoot, as Luke Skywalker has disappeared and both sides want to find him for their own reasons. Into all of this come new protagonists Poe, Rey and Finn. Well, actually, more Rey and Finn to be honest. Rey is a young scavenger who along the way discovers she is Force sensitive and Finn is a former Storm Trooper, who discovers that killing innocent people isn't his thing. Through various ways they come into contact with each other. 

Well okay, Finn and Rey hijack the Millennium Falcon and run into Han Solo and Chewbacca before heading to the Rebel base and meeting up with Leia and C-3PO. Yes, it's a small galaxy after all. 

The First Order has a planet converted into a starkiller (no, really: it's actually called 'Starkiller Base') and they blow up several planets, before setting their sights on the Rebel planet, so now out heroes have to try and stop it. 

And to complicate things: one of the main bad guys is the son of Han and Leia, who now calls himself Kylo Ren and has a fetish for Darth Vader, down to wearing a costume and helmet, even though he doesn't actually need one. But whereas the original Vader was someone the regular officers feared, Kylo is obviously less of an imposing figure, as he often sidelined and ridiculed by General Hux. 

Huh, be a Force user, still get verbally bitchslapped by a whiny soldier. That's got to hurt someone's feelings.

To get the complaints out of the way: yes, this is pretty much a retread of 'A New Hope'. The same sort of locale (desert planet that isn't Tatooine but could have been); a young hero with Forcepowers (okay, now it's a girl); a cantina scene; a Death Star... Yes, this all feels ridiculously familiar. And yet: it works. If it isn't broken, don't fix it? Possibly, but director JJ Abrams makes this one a very enjoyable ride even if the film doesn't break any new ground, except for a few things. 

See, the addition of the son of Han and Leia now being a bad guy makes it a lot more compelling. What also really works, is the addition of Finn as a deserting Storm Trooper who might have some Force powers of his own. Rey is also a lot more self-sufficient than Luke ever was, as she had to fend for herself very early on. 

So yes, this is a ton of fun for fans of the franchise. Sure, it might have tried some new stuff, but they did that in the sequel to this one and oh boy, did people throw a hissy fit over that. There's no pleasing some people. Anyway, this is a joy of familiarity and an entertaining watch. To be fair: the excitement when those title cards start scrolling to that music, it still gives chills.