10th Anniversary TLDR: Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015)
Chewie, we're home.
Plot: Thirty years after defeating the Galactic Empire, Han Solo and his allies face a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren and his army of Stormtroopers.
Direction: JJ Abrams was a great choice for this first entry in the new trilogy. It was really easy to say, "Do what you did for Star Trek!" And he pretty much did that and A New Hope wrapped in one. And it's great! Unfortunately, he was also the worst person for Episode IX, as he is much more fan-service than originality inclined. I think he thought, "I'll make this first one, set up a bunch of great ideas, and let everybody else bring it home." And then he was the one who had to do that and he had no idea what to do.
Screenplay: Turns out Lawrence Kasdan is our greatest Star Wars mind.
Performances: The original characters are the original characters, and it was nice to see everyone come back in their various forms. Yes, I can tell when Peter Mayhew is in the Chewbacca suit and when it's the basketball player. Daisy Ridley was the perfect heroine for this franchise and is great throughout. Adam Driver is a better actor than the material he was given, though there's some area for exploration in this first entry. Oscar Isaac is a classic movie star. The biggest disappointment is John Boyega - not for anything that he did, but for what they didn't give him to do.
Best Moment: "This is the ship that made the Kessel Run in fourteen parsecs...!" "Twelve! Fourteen..."
Best New Character: BB-8.
Fun Fact: Surely by now everyone knows that Daniel Craig played one of the Stormtroopers.
Actual Accolade This Was Nominated For: Adam Driver - Best Hissy Fit, Teen Choice Awards
Updated Star Wars Ranking After A Sequel Trilogy Rewatch: Here.
Everything is too long! Is it too long? It is not only the shortest sequel trilogy film, it is also the best.
Rating: It is not only the best sequel trilogy film, it is also the shortest.
Credit: Plot synopsis from Letterboxd via TMDb.