Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens [#movie #review]

by J.J. Abrams

Star Wars
← Episode VI - Return Of The Jedi
Episode VIII - ??? →

Rating: 8.5/10

It's true. All of it. The Dark Side, the Jedi. They're real.
Han Solo

Luke Skywalker has vanished. In his absence, the sinister FIRST ORDER has risen from the ashes of the Empire and will not rest until Skywalker, the last Jedi, has been destroyed. With the support of the REPUBLIC, General Leia Organa leads a brave RESISTANCE. She is desperate to find her brother Luke and gain his help in restoring peace and justice to the galaxy. Leia has sent her most daring pilot on a secret mission to Jakku, where an old ally has discovered a clue to Luke's whereabouts....

And so at last the wait is over and last Tuesday I went to the cinema to watch the new, highly anticipated, chapter of Star Wars. I was so excited!!

And we start with the news that Luke is vanished, and that left me a little sad because he was the one I wanted to see again the most.

But let's forget Luke for a moment, let's talk about the new characters introduced in this new trilogy.

In general, I like them, some even a lot. Finn is my favourite. It's a bit of a cliche, I'm aware of it, but he's still a kind of character that I find always fascinating:

Finn is one of the new Stormtrooper, no longer Jango Fett's clones, but ordinary people abducted as infants and conditioned for life to be war machines devoid of feelings and free will. But the Stormtrooper FN-2187 discover a conscience that prevents him from continuing to serve the First Order, and becomes Finn.

I like Rey a lot, too, and the new droid BB8 that is just adorable!!!! :D

On the Dark Side we have this new Sith Lord, Kylo Ren: the biggest disappointment of this movie! I didn't like him, as bad guy he has no charm, he just seems a very bad copy of Darth Vader. Not convincing at all!

Finally, let's talk about the thing I loved most about this movie: seeing again the characters I've come to love with the original trilogy, and which I missed so much!!! :D

Han Solo, Chewbacca and Leia: it was an immense pleasure to see them again, although now they've become minor characters. Leia is a general of the Resistance, Han still a smuggler with Chewbacca.

Their son Ben has gone to the dark side becoming Kylo Ren. Leia is convinced he can still be saved, she says that to Han, and so when he meets his son tries to talk to him, and in a scene rather disappointing because pathetic and extremely predictable, Kylo kills his father. The scene is so unexciting that almost makes me think that's it's like that with the only purpose to make us suffer less for this death!

C-3PO is reassuringly still the same (except for the red arm), while R2-D2

is off, apparently since Luke's gone. And about Luke, is basically absent in this movie, he only makes a very small appearance in the final scene when Rey brings to him the lightsaber. He doesn't say a word, just removes the classic Jedi hood (and in doing so we see that his robotic hand is now without skin) and stands there staring at Rey who hands him the sword. I really hope that the next film he'll have a larger portion! I want to see him in action again! :)

Finally, if you allow me to count her among the characters, another great emotion was seeing again the Millennium Falcon! I really love this ship, and when she shows up for the first time on screen I nearly gave a little cry of joy! :D The Falcon is the only thing in this movie that is, for me, completely free from criticism! :)

The more I think about the characters and the plot of this movie, the more I think about criticisms to make. But the truth is that I don't want to do that because I'm too happy to have watched this movie, I was so much excited, I was not bored at all, and so for me the movie is still good. The only criticism I really feel bound to make is that it really is too predictable, and the little that could have been a surprise was revealed in the trailers. If J.J. will be able to resolve this issue at least, even maintaining other defects, I think I will really love this new trilogy. Surely I have many expectations for the next movie!

However, I liked The Forse Awakens a looooooooot! :D

Quotes

[from the Internet Movie Database]

Chewie, we're home.

Han Solo walking in the Millennium Falcon

Leia: You know, as much as we fought, I always hated it when you left.

Han Solo: That's why I did it, so that you'd miss me.

Leia: I do miss you.

Finn: We'll figure it out, we'll use the Force!

Han Solo: That's not how the Force works!

I've got a bad feeling about this.

Han Solo

How do we blow it up? There's always a way to do that.

Han Solo about Starkiller base