The Force Awakens, the newest film, Directed by J.J. Abrams is without a doubt, the triumphant return to a cherished franchise, Star Wars.

All of the fan favorite characters are back in action, with references to many of the things we all love about the old films.  I won’t go into a full synopsis of the movie so as not to ruin anything.

The Force Awakens truly does pick up on every aspect that made the original trilogy great, and took it to new heights.

The advancements in cinematographic special effect were, I believe, utilized perfectly.  I enjoyed the story very much, and it felt real, like the characters didn’t know what was about to happen, and I was unsure of who would succeed, and who would fail.  It lived up to my expectations, and I can’t wait to see it again.  I’m sure there are many nuances that were missed.

I was fortunate enough to take my 9-year-old son, and although it was rated PG13, it was mostly for the fantasy fighting scenes.  My son is less likely to get his hands on a light saber, than he is to pick up on curse words. I am grateful we don’t live in a quadrant where light sabers are easy to come by, because the aikido-style light saber duels are certain to be the game every little boy want to play.  The cops and robbers games of childhoods past, have officially been replaced with the light and dark side of the force.

The Force Awakens Review

I give this movie the highest marks in the genre, and look forward to many more movies in this style.

Might I recommend, at last, to visit your local small town movie theater like we did this evening.  We arrived 8 minutes before the movie started, and there was plenty of room for more patrons.  Sometimes it is better to support the home-town movie house, without pre-ordered tickets, high prices, and without the lines.