Woo, new Star Wars! I remember the hype when The Force Awakens first came out. It was pretty crazy to see new Star Wars for the first time (second time?) in years. And it’s pretty dang cool. It’s shinier than the original trilogy, a bit less stuck in the weeds (trade blockades!) than the prequels, and it leans hard on nostalgia. Overall, it’s Star Wars! Could they have done something newer and more unique? Sure they could have.

But this really works. I actually ended up liking it even more than A New Hope (that being said, standing alone I wouldn’t rate it nearly as highly, it only really works as a sequel) and up with the original trilogy.

Other thoughts / random things I love/thoughts about how to fix it (not: some spoilers):

• The opening scene with the new Star Destroyer basically giving us the finger, strong callbacks, a bit different.

• The ‘darker’ themes with Storm Troopers just murdering civilians that we haven’t seen much (in the movies).

• Kylo Ren’s forked lightsaber and blaster bolt? Pretty awesome.

• Captain Phasma is awesome and menacing.

• Scavanging the wreckage of the previous wars is a nice touch. All that has to go somewhere.

• I love the dynamic between Finn and Poe.

  POE: I can fly anything. Why, why are you helping me?

  FN-2187: Because it’s the right thing to do.

  POE (it hits him): You need a pilot.

  FN-2187: I need a pilot.

• Finn and Rey are great together as well.

  REY: I’ve never met a Resistance fighter before.

  FINN: Well, this is what we look like. Some of us. Others look different.

  Also:

  REY: (pulls her hand back) I know how to run without you holding my hand! BB-8 stay close! This way!

• The Millennium Falcon!

  REY: That one’s garbage!

  (They run for the JUMPER but the passing TIE FIGHTERS FIRE AT IT, BLOWING IT APART IN A HUGE FLAME BALL!)

  REY (CONT’D): The garbage’ll do!

• Han Solo!

  HAN: Boys. You’re both gonna get what I promised! Have I ever not delivered for you before?

  BALA-TIK: Yeah.

  TASU LEECH: Twice!

  (Han realizes he’s right.)

  He’s really settled into the snarky old man, been there done that role.

  HAN: People are counting on us! The galaxy is counting on us–!

  FINN: Solo, we’ll figure it out! We’ll use the Force!

  HAN: That’s not how the Force works–!

• Snoke is creepy and awesome. Brings me back to seeing the Emperor for the first time!

• Kylo worshipping Vader’s helmet is awesome.

• A bigger, badder Death Star is pretty awesome, if kind of boring. And it doesn’t make sense to be able to see it firing on a bunch of planets at once. But it’s still awesome.Rule of Cool and all that.

• Finn with a lightsaber! I thought that non-Jedi couldn’t use them… but I don’t think that’s ever actually been established in the films. It’s just harder to use than a blaster, so they don’t.

• The final scenes with Kylo Ren and Han Solo are powerful. It doesn’t make sense that there’s absolutely no one there… but it’s still powerful.

Overall, a solid movie with a lot to love. Deep? No. Stand alone? No. A whole lot of fun? YES!