YEP YEP – A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…an adventure began that has gone on to capture our collective imagination like no other.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens arrived this past week with more fanfare than any film in history. Not surprisingly, the box office receipts have rewarded it big time; as this, the seventh installment of the George Lucas franchise, is well on its way to shattering global revenue records.
The good news is…the film lives up to the hype. And then some.
Not since the original film (Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope) landed on earth in 1977 has the iconic John Williams score sounded so good. Like a warm winter coat. Music to an emotionally exhausted world’s ears.
What director J.J. Abrams got right that the previous two films mishandled, was recapturing the fun.
The story here is unmistakably similar to the original’s. That might have backfired, but Abrams’ ace in the hole was bringing familiar faces back to the mix. Characters who are part of our collective conscience – our identity as a storytelling species. So great to see Han Solo, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, C-3PO, and R2-D2 back up on the big screen.
It was, however, a gamble to introduce three new characters to carry the main dramatic load. Talk about pressure!
Well…the gamble paid off huge as all three young actors not only prove why they were cast, but light up the screen.
Most notable is Daisy Ridley as the story’s protagonist, Rey, a sassy scavenger with a destiny sure to unfold.
It’s rare to see a young actor come on to the scene with this kind of star magnetism in this high-profile a film. Ridley emotionally and athletically crushes this assignment.
Not sure where the saga goes from here, but I sure hope she’s in the driver‘s seat. She is all that.
Well done, Abrams and screenwriting partners, Lawrence Kasdan and Michael Arndt. I hope the Academy recognizes this intergalactic achievement come Oscar time.
Lars Beckerman 
Good to see you championing The Force Strikes Back, Messr. Beckerman. The amount of whining and negativity in some Internet quarters is enough to make you spit brimfire. Some people are never, ever satisfied. It is definitely a film I want to own on DVD (as well as the next two coming to wrap it all up). I didn’t want to say this on Facebook or in the little blurb I wrote, but I was definitely not enamored of the actor playing Ben Solo. It’s nothing personal against him, but there are some whose acting leaves me cold, and in terms of verisimilitude, didn’t buy him as being a mixture of Leia and Han. Oh well, I can live with it as everything else JJ gave us was so wonderful.