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Movie review: ‘The Force Awakens’ hits all the right beats

The Force is strong with this one.

J.J. Abrams’ “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” isn’t perfect, but it sure is good. It hits all the right beats, walking the precariously thin line between familiar territory and new ground. Given all the ways it could have gone wrong, it’s surprising just how much of it managed to go right.

What works? What doesn’t? Read on and find out. I promise to keep things spoiler-free so as not to ruin the fun for those of you who didn’t get a chance to see it last night.

The good

There is a lot to like here. First of all, the story works well. Unlike the prequels, which thrust us into a trade dispute the audience couldn’t have cared less about, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” immediately grabs our attention by talking about a character from the original trilogy and then introducing new, dynamic characters we grow to love. Abrams shows us just enough of newcomers Rey (Daisy Ridley), Poe (Oscar Isaac) and, at times, Finn (John Boyega) to get us interested in them, which is a difficult thing to do when all anybody wants to see is Han (Harrison Ford), Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Luke (Mark Hamill). The movie’s structure mirrors the original trilogy, which works extraordinarily well. Similar to what Ryan Coogler’s “Creed” did with “Rocky,” Abrams honors what came before while introducing a new generation to the Star Wars mythos.

Most of the performances were on point. Ford, in particular, looked like he was having a blast, which you don’t often see. Fisher, looking more like Debbie Reynolds than ever, instills Leia with the charm we expect from our princess, but her performance was tinged with the sadness that fighting the good fight and never quite winning would instill. Ridley gives Rey an outer toughness but also the inner innocence and wonder that sometimes dies between adolescence and adulthood. The standout performance, however, was Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren, a worthy successor to the mantle of Darth Vader.

The bad

Boyega’s performance as Finn was largely uneven, unfortunately. Although he has his moments, his total lack of chemistry with his “love interest” reminded me that I was watching a movie that needs to have such a thing. The film would have worked better without it.

Also, given how many times the advance press mentioned the film’s avoidance of digital effects wherever possible, it sure did have its share of CGI characters, which surprised me. I probably wouldn’t have cared much about it if that wasn’t one of its main selling points, but oh well.

The verdict

Despite its shortcomings, this movie keeps you wondering about the central mission of the film and the backstories of the characters. As a lifelong Star Wars fan, I enjoyed it thoroughly, which is more than I can say for the prequels. Buckle up and enjoy the ride – it’s worth taking.

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