Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2015
	Director: J. J. Abrams (Super 8, Star Trek)
	Actors: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega (Attack the Block), Adam Driver (J. Edgar, Lincoln), Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones 1-4, Clear and Present Danger), Mark Hamill (Sushi Girl), Carrie Fisher (Austin Powers)
	Country: USA
	Genre: SF
	Conditions of visioning: 19.12.2015, Mathäser Kino, 3D
Synopsis: Thirty years after the defeat of the Empire, The First Order has risen from its ashes and threatens the Republic. Both parties are looking for a small robot that holds the plans to the location of Luke Skywalker (Hamill).
Review: At last, a new Star Wars trilogy begins. It seems like not so long ago I heard in the news about Disney buying the rights to the franchise for some four billion dollars. I immediately thought this was a clever move from the company with large ears: everybody wants to see more of Star Wars and the Marvel experience has shown that people are ready and even eager to see many movies based on the same universe and that this strategy is very profitable. So Disney will assiduously deliver a new movie at every Christmas for the next six years, alternating episodes of the new trilogy and spin-offs. They are also building a Star Wars theme park next to Disneyland and I don't even mention the merchandising that has flooded us over the past weeks. Disney even managed to convince J. J. Abrams (probably with a big paycheck and some artistic freedom) of directing this new opus after his successful revamping of the Star Trek franchise. It feels weird that he is in charge of two SF stories known to be radically different and to have different fan groups, but he has always maintained that he was a Star Wars guy before all. With the movie in such good hands we were allowed to hope for something good, or at the very least not as ridiculous as some moments of the second trilogy directed by George Lucas himself (and apparently not much consulted for The Force Awakens). My verdict is rather positive: a few scenes gave me the shivers and none were as embarrassing as the attempted kiss between Anakin and Padme in Episode II - Attack of the Clones, although I couldn't help but notice some weaknesses in the story (unexplained ellipses), the lenghty fights, some misplaced Abrams-style jokes, breaks in the rhythm, the not-powerful-enough music or the visuals (the bad guy removing a tight helmet to reveal a voluminous yet perfectly combed hair). The movie also gives a funny feeling of déjà vu as it is obviously a hidden partial remake of the original Episode IV - A New Hope. Even though I was not entirely thrilled by the experience, I liked the way with which the classic characters (Solo, Leia, Chewbacca, Luke, ...) and sets (Millennium Falcon, Imperial ships...) are introduced. I could notice an immense reverence for the original trilogy. The new characters are also interesting: Finn, Rey, Poe, Kylo Ren, Supreme Leader Snoke motion-captured from Andy 'Gollum' Serkis, the cute robot BB-8 and the too furtive Lor San Tekka played by the great Max Von Sydow. The special effects are very good-looking of course, but more importantly used to provide new sensations. I loved the view of giant Imperial ships sunk in the desert and the race of the Millennium Falcon through them. Although I cannot forget some scenes very strong in emotion, I regret not having felt one as strong as the last half hour of Episode III - Revenge of the Sith or as the duel against Darth Maul in Episode I - The Phantom Menace (to mention only the second trilogy). This may be inherent to the production of the story with an open ending (how many more trilogies await us in the future?) compared to the conclusion of one that leads inexorably to a known fate. You may find me a bit negative in this review but I am sure that time (and a completed trilogy) will work in favor of The Force Awakens. The post-converted 3D was useless and quite bad and as usual the cinema crowd distracting with pop-corn, so I am very much looking forward to watching the movie in the quietness of a Home Theater.
Rating: 6 /10