The Force Awakens

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Struggling with the rise of the First Order from the ashes of the fallen Empire and disappearance of Luke Skywalker, the Galactic Rebellion is desperately seeking information to his whereabouts, with the First Order always one step ahead of their vigilant attempts to over throw their new Galactic Empire. After a violent confrontation between the First Order and alleged Rebellion sympathizers, the plot is set in motion after a suspected Rebellion pilot is apprehended and taken in for interrogation.

Meanwhile... when a droid harboring aforementioned invaluable information crosses paths with a lone scavenger girl on the scrapyard planet Jakku, the fate of the galaxy slowly begins to sway in favor of the rebellion in this absolutely wonderful expansion upon the Star Wars universe.

My first Star Wars review. This is going to be tough to 'Make it Quick'.

I'll do my best.

I was born in 79, so my youth was hugely soaked in the awesomeness of all that is Star Wars. I've been a diehard fan ever since, and I have to admit I was weary of an Episode VII. Upon the announcement and release of all the prequel films, I vividly recall leaving the theater after seeing Episodes I-III and feeling like the magic was gone somehow. It lingered in the background somewhere, but it wasn't the same, and I began to worry that I had out-grown my love for the wonders of Star Wars. Despite many following revisitations of Episodes IV-VI, I feared that I couldn't see Star Wars without the rose-colored glasses of childhood nostalgia.

When I walked out of the theater after my first viewing of the Force Awakens, that apprehension had evaporated very quickly over the past few hours.

I walked out of that theater feeling like a kid again, with a smile I couldn't drop and a ravenous hunger for the next instalment. From flying text & overture to end credits, the Force Awakens was worth the thirty-plus year wait and was par-excellence. The tempo, tone and humor of the canon was brilliantly executed through the deeply-invested efforts of JJ Abrams vision, and direction.

Daisy Ridley as the adorably captivating badass Rey was immediately engaging as the story's protagonist, while Adam Driver's Kylo Ren brings something fresh to the world of Star Wars antagonists in that he is not in any way the stoic, well-disciplined Sith lords of past films. He brings something new to the franchise with a villain that is manic and bipolar and far from in control of his emotions, torn between both the dark and light of the Force. Toss in a plucky droid, a rogue Storm Trooper and a Rebellion pilot into the mix and you've got the perfect set up for the new entrance into the Stars Wars universe.

How it synchs up with the old Star Wars universe is equally well-executed. Very soon into my first viewing I felt a heavy 'history repeating itself' vibe. This continues throughout the film, and I ultimately feel this was a brilliant concept. The weaving of the old with the new is done so well in this film, the uncannily familiar settings juxtaposed with other oddly familiar elements made you feel like beyond this one great movie, was something much more.

And it left you starving for that next bite.

I loved every minute of this movie. It rejuvenated my youthful love for the Star Wars universe, and if you're a Star Wars fan and haven't seen this yet...you might want to get on that.

ASAP.

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