'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' Review

Well, well, well... The time has finally arrived for me to share my thoughts on my most anticipated film of the year... Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle... Wait a second, that's not right... Of course, I mean Star Wars: The Last Jedi, a film I've been eagerly awaiting since December of 2015. The two year wait has been long to say the least, but it's over with, and we now have a two year wait to eagerly anticipate the arrival of Episode IX, so without further ado, I proudly present my NON-SPOILER review of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' Review

Nominated For: Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Original Score.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi begins where Star Wars: The Force Awakens ended. The Resistance are evacuating their base as they flee from the formidable First Order, while Rey seeks Luke Skywalker to teach her the ways of the Force, so that she may use her extraordinary power to aid the Resistance in their struggle against the First Order.

If your biggest issue with The Force Awakens was that it played things too safe, then you'll be pleased to hear that writer-director Rian Johnson defies convention at every turn. I absolutely adore Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but even I can admit that film stuck to the safe side of things. Johnson, however, takes bountiful bold risks in his middle entry to this Star Wars sequel trilogy. Johnson implements ideas and style completely foreign to the franchise, yet manages to present them with enough assuredness that you'll quickly become convinced it was all meant to be. 

The new characters, creatures, and planets are incredibly abstract and unlike almost anything else that has ever existed in the Star Wars canon. It's difficult to express exactly how unique everything is while avoiding spoilers, but it reminded me of George Lucas' own original universe-building, and I loved that. It's no wonder Lucasfilm had the confidence to sign him on to oversee an entirely new Star Wars trilogy before The Last Jedi was even released.

If I were asked to choose one line of dialogue from the film to encapsulate the experience of watching The Last Jedi, I would certainly choose Luke's warning that "This is not going to go the way you think!" Johnson continuously took me by surprise with every ballsy decision made. The story flows naturally, but Johnson brilliantly subverted my expectations time-and-time again over the film's two and a half hour runtime. 

It's worth noting that The Last Jedi echoes certain elements from The Empire Strikes Back, but Johnson never rehashes the quintessential sequel in any way, shape, or form. In fact, I'd go as far to saying Johnson distances his film a great deal from the structure of The Empire Strikes Back. The closest The Last Jedi gets would be that the First Order bounces back triumphant after a critical loss of a super-weapon similarly to the Empire after the first Death Star's destruction and the plot centers on the training of a Jedi who's only just discovered their extraordinary abilities. Other than that, I can't think of any other startling similarities... Even the Force training narrative drastically differs from what has come before. I won't go into too much story or character detail though since this is a spoiler-free review, but I can assure concerned fans that there will not be an outpouring of fans claiming The Last Jedi ripped off The Empire Strikes Back like what happened to The Force Awakens in relation to A New Hope. 

In the technical area, the departments responsible for the film's visual effects, sound editing/mixing, production design, and costuming prove to once again be remarkable, as we've come to expect from Lucasfilm. However, it's Johnson's cinematographer, Steve Yedlin, and editor, Bob Ducsay, who interject a frenetic energy and style to the action sequences that truly make The Last Jedi stand out among its franchise family members. This is just as much a Rian Johnson film as it is a Star Wars sequel, and Yedlin and Ducsay ensure that his stylized sensibilities shine through this installment. And, of course, I cannot go without applauding John Williams on another spellbinding score. Williams is a legend, so what else could you possibly expect the man to compose other than another musical masterpiece?

Among the exceptional ensemble of performers, there are many notable characters worth discussing. However, seeing as this is a non-spoiler review, there will likely be many I'm either purposely vague in describing or leave out all together. Daisy Ridley delivers another show-stopping performance front-and-center as Rey, further fleshing out her character while traversing the tricky path between the Light and Dark sides of the Force. 

Mark Hamill's long-awaited return as Luke Skywalker is just as amazing as you could have possibly imagined. Luke Skywalker has always been one of my favorite Star Wars characters, so seeing him onscreen actually speaking this time around was a real treat. Johnson's interpretation of the character at this point is quite different than the Luke fans are accustomed to seeing. Hamill himself has mentioned in interviews he didn't at first agree with the take on the character. However, the Luke we know and love is still in there... He's simply been reshaped by experiences that took place in the thirty year gap between Return Of The Jedi and The Force Awakens. What Hamill's able to accomplish through this is simply astounding. It's not only his best performance as Luke, but I believe it to be the best of his entire career. If there's any justice, he'll get an Oscar nomination at the very least. 

Oscar Isaac's Poe Dameron flies straight back into the mix with the charming, cocky attitude that won audiences over in the opening minutes of The Force Awakens and his trusty droid, BB-8. Isaac has a substantially larger role this time around as Dameron in comparison to The Force Awakens, so those who wanted more from him and BB-8 will be overly exuberant. On that front, BB-8 rolls in right alongside his suave master, and is intent to bestow audiences with as much joy as a droid can possibly provide. People made a big deal out of his First Order counterpart, BB-9E, but I'll outright let you know the First Order droid is insignificant in the grand scheme of things as I suspected. 

Now for the tough part... Carrie Fisher's tragic passing last year probably affected me more than any other recent celebrity death because she was just as integral to this franchise as Hamill and Ford. While I won't quite go as far to saying Leia has a "substantially larger" role, she certainly feels more important this time around and some scenes were very emotional for me because of what had happened (if you sit through the first portion of credits, there's an especially sweet dedication to her). Fisher once again imbues Leia with the traits that had audiences fall for a Alderaanian Princess in the first place. She's strong, insightful, and most importantly of all, she inspires hope. 

Elsewhere among the Resistance, John Boyega's back as Finn, and his pleasant personality is very much the same. Alongside him, Kelly Marie Tran enters the fray as we're introduced to Rose, and I'll say she really impressed me as what I can only assume will be the break-out performance of the film. While she won't be the character everyone talks about upon leaving the theater, she won't be easily forgotten either. Laura Dern and Benicio Del Toro are two especially accomplished actors who join the franchise in the intriguing roles of Vice Admiral Holdo and DJ respectively, but I won't say anything else about them for fear of unintentionally spoiling something.

On the Dark side of things, Adam Driver continues to extrapolate plenty from the rich character of Kylo Ren. Kylo Ren goes through a lot in this film, and Driver portrays it perfectly. I doubt he'll win over those who vehemently hate him because of what he did in the last film, but he was a magnificent malevolent presence and I think they might at least agree with that sentiment. Alongside him, Domhnall Gleeson reemerges as General Hux to reignite their bitter rivalry, and he's quick to remind audiences that he's a Nazi-esque First Order leader.

As for Snoke, I think those who wildly speculated about his identity and backstory will be extremely disappointed with him, but we do finally see the Supreme Leader in the flesh quite a bit and he's certainly powerful. Andy Serkis offers as incredible of a motion-capture performance as you'd expect from the man, but I wouldn't go as far to saying Snoke holds a candle to Caesar or Gollum among Serkis' magnificent motion-capture career.

Gwendoline Christie returns to desperately redeem Captain Phasma, and while she plays a part in the story, her character's role is minute once again. To me, this doesn't really matter because she was cool when onscreen and had enough of an authoritative presence to satisfy me. However, if you're eagerly awaiting a tremendous return for the chrome-plated captain, you may be dreadfully disappointed. Her battle with Finn is awesome though. For that matter, this film has some of the greatest action sequences in the entire saga, and that's really saying something... 

Last, but certainly not least, I've left space to briefly discuss droids and creatures. C3PO and R2D2 are both in the film, and there are some especially satisfying moments for both droids that will delight fans. The mighty Chewbacca roars his way onscreen again, and is strong and lovable as you remember. Meanwhile, the Porgs are as adorable as you'd expect them to be, and never in an obnoxiously overbearing sense, so no problems there.

If you know me at all, you'll know that I don't say this lightly... Star Wars: The Last Jedi is perhaps the first Star Wars film to truly be in contention for besting The Empire Strikes Back as my favorite Star Wars film, and the implications of that statement are huge for those of you who have know My Fifty Favorite Films... I'm sure there will be those who disagree with me, and this sentiment could certainly change over time, but that's my current stance fresh out of the theater. Regardless, the Force is indeed strong with The Last Jedi as it intrepidly ventures outside the traditional Star Wars story structure while maintaining the essential identity of Star Wars. I laughed. I cried. I was genuinely surprised. I have no idea how J.J. Abrams is going to follow up this masterpiece.

Film Assessment: A+

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi'

Well here it is, what will be my final Throwback Thursday Review for a Star Wars film and the final film in the Original Trilogy for my to review. Be forewarned there will be some spoilers in the review but nothing too big. It's so crazy to think that hours after publishing this review Star Wars: The Force Awakens will have been released for the public to see and I will not only have seen it but have a review for the film. If you would like to read all of my other Star Wars reviews, here are hyper links for my other reviews. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith, Star Wars: A New Hope, and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. So as of now I have no future plans to do anymore Throwback Thursday Reviews in 2015 but it's very possible I may do a Throwback Thursday Review on the 24th of a Christmas movie. I will continue reviewing any new films I see of course and have plans to review a few films that I have yet to see this year even though they aren't quite "new". So look forward to plenty of reviews for the next two weeks. Also look forward as I will make a few posts summarizing my thoughts of the films released this year (ie. Top 10, 5 most disappointing, and 5 films I wish I had seen, as well as the 10 films I'm most excited for next year).

'Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi' Review

Nominated For: Best Art Direction, Best Sound, Best Sound Editing and Best Original Score.
Won: Special Achievement Award (For Visual Effects).

Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi is the third and final film in the Original Trilogy, originally just entitled Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi, and takes place sixth chronologically in the saga. Return Of The Jedi is probably the most controversial of the Original Trilogy, although not nearly as controversial as the Prequel Trilogy. What can be agreed upon however is that Return Of The Jedi is pure fun.

Richard Marquand directs and ensures to bring the best of all that is beloved in the franchise to the forefront. Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas return to pen the story and once again craft another masterful tale. John Williams once again scores the film with more epic harmonious music that shall stand the test of time and still remains among the best film scores of all time.

The performances and characterization on display are once again incredible. Mark Hamill returns to the role of Luke Skywalker bringing a new vibrato to the character, now that Luke is a trained Jedi Knight. From the moment Luke arrives you can just tell how much Luke has grown as a character since the beginning of it all and it's very satisfying to see Luke finally become one of the Jedi Knights of legend.

Harrison Ford returns and wears the role of Han Solo like a glove, given his familiarity with the lovable scoundrel. Carrie Fisher is back as a bit of a more level headed Leia, who's not quite as chirpy and sarcastic but more of a leader in her own right showing her fierce and assertive independence. Although Leia's given quite a bit of growth in this film she's somewhat relegated to a smaller role, giving more spotlight to Luke.

Billy Dee Williams is once again the smooth Lando Calrissian and is given much more to do this time around. C3PO, R2D2, and Chewbacca all return with each having plenty of great moments onscreen.

Meanwhile for the antagonists, this film introduces us to Vader's superior, the Emperor, in person for the first time. Ian McDiarmid is phenomenal as the sick twisted leader of the Galactic Empire.

At the Emperor's feet, James Earl Jones once again breathes life to Vader through his commanding baritone voice that certainly adds to the villain's vindictive nature. However, Darth Vader is shown to possess humanity that balances out with his malevolent nature adding more complex layers to the character.

The story begins with Darth Vader's arrival to supervise the construction of a second Death Star. He informs the imperial officer that the Emperor shall arrive soon so they must get back on the construction schedule planned out.

The film then transitions to Tatooine where we see our favorite droid duo head into Jabba's palace. We are introduced to Jabba The Hutt, the most vile, slimy space slug in the galaxy. It was interesting to finally see this crime lord that's been discussed throughout the films and his foul appearance certainly lived up to the horrid descriptions. The two are accompanied with a message from Luke pleading for Jabba to release Han Solo. They are followed by the rest of the gang each arriving one wave after another in their attempt to rescue Captain Solo. Now this all sets the stage for Luke Skywalker's arrival.

Luke arrives cloaked in a black robes and we see his newfound strength with the power of the force as he force chokes two Gamorrean guards and then uses Jedi mind tricks on Jabba's servant, Bib Fortuna. He then forces him to bring him to Jabba and threatens the space slug to his unsavory face. After some brief events I won't discuss in too much detail, Jabba declares for Luke, Han, and Chewy to all be taken to the Sarlacc Pit to be sacrificed to be digested for over a thousand years.

Then begins the one of the most suspenseful moments in Star Wars. John William's score begins a series of brief vamps and Luke is taken to the plank over the Sarlacc Pit. R2D2 makes his way to the top of Jabba's sail barge as Luke threatens Jabba one final time. He then proceeds to jump grabbing the edge of the plank and launching himself back onto the skiff, R2 then shoots Luke's lightsaber from his dome and Luke catches it igniting the emerald blade proceeding to cut down Jabba's minions. The audience now knows that Luke has crafted himself a new lightsaber. This was the first time in the franchise that audiences had ever seen a green lightsaber, and I think the color lended itself quite well for the weapon.

Now comes a very unfortunate anticlimactic end to a very beloved character. Boba Fett is taken out when Han accidentally ruptures Fett's jetpack. Fett is then trust forward into the Sarlacc Pit to his unfortunate end. It was a shame to see one of the galaxy's greatest bounty hunters be so easily disposed and is probably my biggest problems with the film, although that certainly doesn't detract from it too much. After tons of action the group escapes blowing up Jabba's sail barge upon their exit. This was such a great introduction for the film, hence why I've discussed it in such great details, allowing for some great action in the Dune Sea as they must fight Jabba's subservient scum.

Now the group splits off once again and we follow Luke as he goes to Dagobah one last time. Yoda reappears briefly at this point to provide more wise words to Luke and a huge revelation telling Luke there is another Skywalker before his death. This then propels Luke's story arc when Kenobi's force ghost appears confirming that Vader is his father and telling Luke the truth about Anakin Skywalker as well as informing Luke that Leia is his twin sister.

Luke then reunites wth his Rebel friends and they're off on a mission to take out a shield generator on the forest moon of Endor protecting the new Death Star. On the moon there's a great speeder chase scene which allows for some entertaining action. Then a series of events lead to the inevitable final confrontation between Luke and Vader. Then comes one of the greatest climactic battles in the entire saga as there is a battle on three fronts.

There's first the fight on the forrest moon of Endor and a huge space battle going on overhead in an entertaining assault on the Death Star that both have a few shocking twists.

Meanwhile, while all of this is going on Luke has surrendered himself to Vader and the two have an interesting conversation. Vader presents Luke to the Emperor with the intention of turning Luke to the dark side. The Emperor then begins to taunt Luke poking at the fact that all of his Rebel friends will be defeated. Luke is enraged by this and uses the force to seize his lightsaber and he attempts to strike down the Emperor. However Darth Vader blocks the blade from reaching his master with his own lightsaber. Then one of the greatest duels in Star Wars ensues.

What makes this duel so fantastic is the powerful engaging emotional layer of the greater conflict between Luke and his inner self. Luke is conflicted between whether or not he should stay in the light or join the dark side and this is conveyed brilliantly in a few shots where half of his face is shadowed, symbolizing the choice Luke must make. I think that was a great overarching theme throughout the duel. It was also interesting to see Luke momentarily give in to the darkness as he is enraged by some of Vader's comments poking that maybe Luke's sister would turn to the dark side.

He then loses it and starts swinging his saber ferociously and the duel intensifies. He subdues Vader and chops off Vader's hand and the Emperor asks him to kill Vader Luke refuses and flings his lightsaber away leaving himself vulnerable to the Emperor's force lightning.

Vader watches as Luke writhes in pain from the Emperor's power and is then presented with a choice to go back to the light side and save his son or remain in the dark side and watch his son perish. Vader then proceeds to grab his master and throw him over the side to his inevitable death.

However, in doing this, his suit is disabled by the Emperor's force lightning and so Vader asks Luke to remove his mask so he may see his son with his own eyes. After the removal of the helmet Anakin soon dies and Luke takes his body with him back to the first moon of Endor and has a ceremonial funeral pyre for his father. I always thought it was so interesting and sad to see that Luke was the only one in attendance at the funeral since the rest of the Rebels aren't quite fond of Vader.

Now for the controversy, some complain that the inclusion of the Ewoks, small teddy bear like creatures native to the forest moon of Endor, make the film too child friendly and fail to service the narrative. I've never been bothered by their inclusion as they're not an annoyance and don't hinder the plot. I must agree that they certainly weren't "necessary," but they are clearly present as an appeal to children.

Another chief complaint is the construction of a second Death Star, but once again I was never bothered by this because it makes logical sense to me that the Emperor was very determined to have a space station capable of destroying planets to help keep the galaxy in line.

Now to sum all of that up, I can say that when I was younger, this was my favorite Star Wars film and I've always debated between Return Of The Jedi and Empire Strikes Back as to which is my favorite in the franchise. I think Return Of The Jedi is the more "fun" film and Empire Strikes Back is the better made film overall (similarly to how I feel about my comparison between Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy as to which is the better Marvel film). So I can say this is a very close second in my ranking of the Star Wars Saga.

Overall, Return Of The Jedi is a great film that is a satisfying resolution to the Original Trilogy. If you haven't seen the film or even if you have, I highly recommend watching (or rewatching) it as well as the rest of the Original Trilogy, especially for those planning to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Film Assessment: A+

'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Spoiler Discussion Review

I've waited to write this post to give people time to go see Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I felt like in my non-spoiler review I was really restricted to what could discuss thus I decided to do a spoiler discussion review as a little bonus content to my non spoiler review. If you haven't seen the film head on over and read my non spoiler review Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. So be forewarned this post will be filled with spoilers. So from this point onward there will be huge spoilers ahead as I discuss the huge spoiler heavy moments in the film. 

*******There will be Spoilers from this point on*******

If you're still reading along, then you will have most likely seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens. My first point of discussion will be Kylo Ren. We learn he is the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa. I wasn't too blown away to learn he was their son because I really suspected that he would be a Skywalker, given his obsession with Vader and the fact he's a force user. I thought that his parentage really added to his character filling it with layers and made him a very compelling villain.

Now the second huge spoiler point, the death of Han Solo. Many will complain that Han Solo died but I accepted it because it services the story and the character of Kylo Ren. When this scene took place and Han decided to speak with his son and try to convince him  to go back to the light side I was at the edge of my seat but must admit the death was slightly predictable. When Han screamed "Ben!" at Kylo Ren it clicked in my head instantly that Kylo Ren was named after Obi Wan Kenobi and his real name is Ben Solo. I found this to be somewhat ironic that he was named after one of the most powerful and lightest of the Jedi and fell to darkness. I also liked that Han's death somewhat mirrored Obi Wan's in Star Wars and I loved how Chewbacca reacted shooting Kylo Ren immediately and then blowing the charges he and Han had laid. I thought for a few minutes that Chewbacca had just sacrificed himself and that both he and Han died in the film and was shocked. I was very relieved to see that Chewie survived though.

My third point will be the character of Rey and some of the misdirection in the film's marketing. Now it turns out Rey is the force sensitive character for this new trilogy and will be a Jedi and not Finn, as the marketing lead many to believe since he wielded Anakin/Luke's lightsaber. I thought this was a brilliant move and liked that the marketing allowed this  reveal to be saved for the film. I liked how she felt drawn to Anakin's saber, and when she touches its a series of flashbacks/flash forwards are shown filled with plenty to discuss.

Based on these it seems to show Kylo Ren and the Knights of Ren murdering the Jedi, Luke possibly putting R2D2 into low power mode, and Rey being dropped off on Jakku. There are also several voiceovers including one from Alec Guinness saying "Rey" and Ewan Mc Gregor saying "These are your first steps." so it included both actors who had portrayed Obi Wan in an interesting way. This was the beginning of her journey into the force and I liked seeing her explore that power.

I thought it was hilarious when she used a Jedi mind trick on a Stormtrooper the way it was handled for the film and thought she was an awesome character.

The moment during the lightsaber duel when she pulls the saber to herself with the force was incredible. I got chills when it flew past Kylo Ren when Kylo Ren is trying to bring the saber to himself with the force and Rey grips the saber ready to take him on. And then the saber fight ensues which was one of my favorite moments of the film and one of my favorite lightsaber duels of the entire saga. I will discuss her further in my next and final point.

Now, Luke. I couldn't really talk about Luke at all in my non-spoiler review. So the reason Luke was absent from the film's marketing is that he is almost completely absent from the film. The film's opening crawl reveals that Luke has vanished and we learn throughout the reasoning behind to an extent. Luke after Return Of The Jedi tried to train a new generation of Jedi but Ben Solo turned against him after he was seduced to the dark side and became Kylo Ren.

As far as we know, Kylo Ren killed all of these new Jedi and Luke felt responsible so he went into hiding supposedly in search of the first Jedi temple. Luke left a map to his location and a piece of the map functions as the Macguffin for the film.  This drove the whole plot throughout the film as everyone like the audience wants to find Luke. BB-8 is given a piece of the map by Poe Dameron in the beginning of the film and must get it to the Resistance where we learn it's only a piece and they need the remaining portion. R2D2 had gone into low power mode after Luke left, likely because he missed Luke, and he exits this mode towards the end and provides the remainder of the map. Rey, Chewie, and R2D2 then all head to the planet.

They arrive and Rey walks up several steps to find a hooded figure. The figure turns around and it is indeed Luke Skywalker, now bearded with a new robotic hand and wearing Jedi master garb. Rey holds out his lightsaber to him and the film ends. I thought this was a crazy cliffhanger ending for the film and can't wait to see Episode VIII.

Now I will be entering the speculation portion of my discussion as I share my theories for what could happen in this trilogy (not necessarily Episode VIII). So first off, I think Rey will be revealed to be Luke's daughter and the next film will show Luke training her similar to Yoda training Luke in The Empire Strikes Back. I think we will also see Kylo Ren being trained by Snoke and the two will likely have another confrontation with both more powerful. I can't wait to see it. I came out of the film and Kylo Ren and Rey are my two favorite of the new characters and I think it's interesting to think it's very likely they may be revealed to be cousins.

That will be the conclusion of my first spoiler discussion for a film and I may continue this for any other films that have huge spoilers that prevent me from discussing too much in my regular review. I made sure to touch on the biggest spoiler parts of the film and the ones I had something to share my thoughts on. Once again this is a great film and I loved it. I watched in IMAX on Monday for a second viewing and the IMAX is totally worth it. I can't wait to watch it again! 

'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Review

It's finally here, the seventh installment in the Star Wars franchise. Ever since I was a child and finished watching Return Of The Jedi for the first time I distinctly remember asking my father if there would ever be a Star Wars Episode VII and I remember being disappointed to find out that it was very unlikely, but I always had a small glimmer of hope that it would happen. Now, this was just the beginning of my obsession with Star Wars (Yes, I am indeed admitting I'm a HUGE Star Wars fan) as I had just completed the Original Trilogy and soon would see each of the Prequels as they rolled into theaters. I remember how bittersweet it was watching Revenge Of The Sith in theaters for the first time worried that it would be the last Star Wars movie ever made.

Life moved on of course, and I distinctly remember two years ago coming out of a rehearsal and scrolling through Facebook to learn that Disney had acquired Lucasfilm for 4 billion dollars and had plans to continue the saga. Since that moment, I've remained vigilant, keeping my eyes peeled for any news regarding the film and counting down the days till release. I remember the announcement J.J. Abrams would be directing, any rumors spiraling around on the internet, and all casting announcements (and my immediate research of who these new actors were that would be joining the franchise). I was at home waiting for the moment all of the trailers were released at the edge of my seat ready to watch them and being fascinated by each one. I went out on the night of Force Friday and purchased a bit of the first wave of merchandise for the film and even watched a live stream of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens panel at both Star Wars Celebration and San Diego Comic-Con, and on Monday watched a live stream of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens red carpet. I bought tickets to see a marathon of all seven films the moment it was available after about an hour of refreshing due to ticket website's crashing.

Now if that doesn't tell you how big of a fan I am, and how much I've awaited this film, I don't know what will. I'm sharing my life experience with Star Wars in this review for a few reasons. One, it helps to convey just how much anticipation has built up within me for this film, and two, this is a film reviewer's blog, and I think sharing some of my past experience only adds to the review.

'Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens' Review

Nominated For: Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects.

Star Wars is back! Star Wars: The Force Awakens captivated me from the opening crawl text to its cliffhanger ending. I had a reaction to every event that unfolded onscreen. Whether it be a grin from ear to ear, my jaw unhinged from my face, or tears (both tears of sadness and joy). Honestly, I was hit with a massive wave of emotions when the opening crawl text came onscreen and cried tears of joy. I wasn't quite expecting that to be my reaction to the text, but I think it was the principle that I saw the opening to Episode VII for real. 

J.J. Abrams did a phenomenal job not only revisiting the franchise after 30 years with the original cast and paying homage to the Original Trilogy but also injecting fresh elements into the film as well. J.J. brings the films back to the place it was 30 years ago with practical effects and location shooting that immerses you inside that galaxy far, far away. CGI is only used when absolutely necessary, and there are two characters that were brought to life through motion capture that I felt looked like they fit in this universe, and I understand why they couldn't be made through practical effects. Speaking of which, the film's visual effects were some of the best I've seen anywhere to date. 

John Williams gives an exhilarating new score that from time-to-time reutilized some of the classic themes without forcing nostalgia upon the viewer as the viewer would gladly take it and couldn't watch some of these scenes without it. The film's story at times feels like a rehash of A New Hope, but only borrows a few key moments as a homage to the classic that made us love these films the first time we saw them. The film moves at a very quick pace, but never feels rushed. This allows the film to go from one action sequence to another seamlessly. 

And there are tons of great action sequences in this film including very fun starfighter battles and an awesome lightsaber duel. There's some great comic relief in the banter between the cast that works perfectly in the film's favor, which makes it simultaneously the lightest and darkest film to date for the franchise.

The new cast and characters will captivate your hearts as soon as you meet them and that attachment only grows throughout the film. Daisy Ridley shines brilliantly in her first major motion picture role ever as Rey, bringing a very strong powerful female character to the franchise. John Boyega is a great hero in Finn, and he had some great line delivery balancing his emotional moments and comedy. Oscar Issac is just so cool and slick as the Resistance's best pilot Poe Dameron. 

The new droid BB-8 is the most adorable little droid, and it's impossible to even consider hating it.

For the film's new villains within the First Order, Kylo Ren specifically stood out to me, and everyone else is held back a little bit more to hopefully shine in the next film. Adam Driver brings a very complex layered malevolent presence to the screen in Kylo Ren. Now, be aware he is not another one-off villain like Darth Maul or another Darth Vader, but rather a very new type of villain for the franchise. 

Domhnall Glesson provides a very Nazi-esque villain as the First Order officer General Hux. 

Unfortunately, Gwendoline Christie as Captain Phasma has literally almost nothing to do, so you should temper your expectations for her character. 

Andy Serkis provides an interesting motion-capture performance as Supreme Leader Snoke, who is very much the Emperor of this new trilogy, and despite his important role, he doesn't get too much screen time (although he was on screen more than I thought he would be). 

Now for the returning cast and characters, I can say that everyone's back as our favorite Rebel heroes. Harrison Ford gives a great performance and steps right back into the role for the first time in 30 years, and this doesn't feel like an "old, tired geezer" Han Solo but that same lovable scoundrel who encapsulated audiences everywhere. 

As soon as Carrie Fisher arrives onscreen, you feel she's still Leia, although she may not have aged quite as well as Ford. Ford and Fisher's scenes together were pure magic, and you could just feel all that their characters had been through the last 30 years in their interaction. 

Chewbacca's back of course as everyone's favorite Wookie and his interactions with Solo were among the best interactions in the film. It really made me feel like I was back in that galaxy a long time ago so far, far away. They both had some great back and forth banter that was hilarious. 

C3PO's reappearance is hilarious, and I wasn't able to stop laughing. His counterpart, R2D2, is indeed in the film, but I don't feel I can discuss him without spoiling anything... So just know that R2D2 will be in the film. 

I don't think it's possible to discuss Luke Skywalker at all without spoiling anything, but be aware he's very important despite not having much actual time on screen and no dialogue. So temper your hopes for Luke, but be aware J.J. Abrams kept him out of the film's marketing for a reason. 

Really one of the best things was the interaction between the new and the old cast that brought laughter, tears, or just intensity to the film that just perfectly sums up what Star Wars has always been. 

I can't currently definitively rank it with the other films just yet, but as of right now I think it just might be my favorite Star Wars film. I'll have to see it a few more times to determine if that will be concrete or not though. 

I loved the melding of the old and the new to create one of the best films I've seen in recent memory. For the best possible viewing experience I highly recommend at least watching the film in 3D (I can't vouch for IMAX because I haven't seen it in IMAX yet), and to go into the film with no spoilers so watch out and stay away from the dark corners of the internet (specifically comment sections). I will also be making a spoiler review for the film, so once you've seen the film feel free to go check it out. Best way to sum up my reaction upon walking out is "Bring on Episode VIII!"

Film Assessment: A+