For 'Star Wars,' the third time's the charm

I have seen "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" three times, and the third time was the best. Separated from the unbearable anticipation of opening night and a half-awake viewing the following morning, the new "Star Wars" felt like a real movie and not a capital-E Event. And what a movie it is.

The new characters devised by director J.J. Abrams and co-writer Lawrence Kasdan are more than worthy additions to George Lucas' canon. There is a moment near the end of the film involving our hero, Rey (Daisy Ridley), and new villain Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) that may be the most exciting in the entire saga, both because of what it means narratively and what it promises for the franchise's future. Turncoat stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega) bursts with boyish enthusiasm for his new friends, including the dashing X-wing pilot (Oscar Isaac) who immediately embraces Finn and treats the roly-poly robot (BB-8, the film's scene-stealer) as an equal.

Seeing Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) together on the big screen is something of a small miracle. Ford, whose career has been riddled with questionable choices and performances in the last two decades ("Random Hearts"? "Anchorman 2"? "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"?!?), seems invigorated both on- and off-screen by Abrams' movie, and one hopes he isn't ready to hang it up at age 73.

For me, a pivotal scene got the tears flowing on this third viewing, and they didn't stop until the credits rolled. "The Force Awakens" feels like an emotional reunion with family members we haven't seen in a long time, as well as a joyous celebration of new life. Its unprecedented box office success amid the holiday season is no mistake.

Abrams and Co. had to accomplish three things with "The Force Awakens." One, it had to jettison the boring political speak of Lucas' much-reviled prequels. Two, it had to remind us that "Star Wars" could be funny. And three, it had to introduce new characters we love and want to see more of.

Despite a script riddled with problems and excessive nods to the 1977 original, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" accomplishes its mission. It has more than lived up to the hype.

What a lovely day!

The most critically acclaimed movie of 2015 wasn't a costume drama, a biopic or an indie darling - it was director George Miller's long-gestating, epic action sequel, "Mad Max: Fury Road," and its television premiere is 7 p.m. Saturday on HBO. Tom Hardy ("The Dark Knight Rises") inherits the title role from Mel Gibson and takes a back seat to Charlize Theron, whose Imperator Furiosa rebels against the film's post-apocalyptic patriarchy with explosive, propulsive results. The breathless, visceral experience was named the best film of the year by the Chicago Film Critics Association and could figure prominently when the Oscar nominations are announced Jan. 14.

• Sean Stangland is a Daily Herald multiplatform editor. You can follow him on Twitter at @SeanStanglandDH.