VIEWED: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

My trailer review said:

"I watched it [the trailer] a third time and still nothing.  Looks like the dark side is riding a high but the force is mounting a comeback.  Kind of like the empire has struck back but now the Jedi are returning but in episode 7, not in 5 or 6 which were released as 2 and 3. I didn't see Yoda. I'll definitely watch this film because I loved 4, 5 & 6, but I'm not getting sucked into the hype. Yeah, I know..."

I avoided all the hype (that I could avoid) only hearing that Star Wars EP. VII was great.  I concede that it was a very entertaining movie, true to the original franchise (4,5,6 which were released first, second and third).

Okay, I think I get it.  Episodes 1, 2 & 3, released fourth, fifth and six, truly sucked ass. I remember seeing Episode 1 (released fourth) and thinking Lucas is thinking merchandising.  I remember being put off by the racial stereotpying.  I remember thinking even Yoda is kind of annoying. I remember thinking Anakin Skywalker is Darth Vader? Cool. That was the only cool part for me, even though Ewan MacGregor is awesome.

I couldn't sit through Episodes 2 & 3 (released fifth and sixth) as I found them annoying, even though Natalie Portman is awesome.

The Force Awakens is pretty much a revised 40 years later version of Star Wars (episode 4, released first), which is arguably one of the best Sci-Fi movies ever.  It's the same formula, which works and it's the same payoff (SPOILER ALERT): destruction of the death star, except this is a much bigger death star but it's easier to lower the shields, good thing too because the future of the universe was at stake...  Even a long time ago in a galaxy far far away there were design flaws that were exploited. You'd think the dark side first order would have figured this out after the destruction of the first death star.

All that to say: Episode 7 released seventh is a safe, formulaic attempt to bring back the purists and restore the order within the force and unite the fan base. More importantly it brings the franchise back to where it should be.  From this perspective, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens after the Empire Strikes Back as the First Order and the Jedi Return again, this film is a success.