Lawrence Kasdan

Acting: 4.5; Theme: 4.5; Content: 4.5; Language: 5.0; Overall: 4.5

The First Order, thirty years after the battle of Endor, seeks to destroy the New Republic. Led by Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), the resistance movement, must face the reemergence of the evil empire. With the help of Rey (Daisy Ridley), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), and Finn (John Boyega), the resistance battles the son of Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) in order to defeat the evil influence of the empire. Highly recommend.

***July 25, 2023***… (more)

The First Order has risen from the ashes of the Empire and is beginning their quest to conquer the galaxy. In order to thwart their return, the Resistance scours the galaxy to find the missing Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. With a group of new heroes -- including the scavenger Rey, former stormtrooper Finn, adorable droid companion BB-8, and hotshot pilot Poe Dameron -- we reunite with familiar faces like Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Princess Leia as the First Order begins their reign of terror.

Rewatching this film for the first time in years, I am reminded of just how good of a movie it actually is. Yes, there are some criticisms to be had -- my biggest gripe being that it plays out like so much of a retread of A New Hope -- but its new parts are so good that you can't help but feel excited, and in rewatching it, I felt the same excitement I had 8 years ago whenever it first came out. Unfortunately, so much of the cool stuff that was set up didn't come to pay off in the follow-up sequels, but it set in motion a story that definitely has some quality moments within it. Not to mention the new cast -- played to excellence by Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Adam Driver -- stole the screen along with returners Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher in so many of their scenes. It's an amazing start to a new era that, unfortunately, somewhat lost its way (although, to be fair, I enjoy elements of all of the films, even the much-maligned Episodes 8 and 9). Highly recommended for fans of the franchise; it's packed to the brim with nostalgia, while adding new elements to spice things up.

Content Concerns: Violence throughout, with characters getting blasted, blown up, stabbed, and otherwise killed. There is a bit of blood in some scenes, but nothing too gruesome. There are also 3 uses of vulgarity (2 "h-ll" and 1 "d-mn").

(July 25, 2023)… (more)