Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

Swap a few names and The Force Awakens is A New Hope with a fresh coat of paint, and to be fair, the paint is gorgeous. Desert orphan, droid with a secret map, masked villain in black, a planet-killing base that is somehow even bigger this time. J. J. Abrams didn’t remake Star Wars so much as trace it. The tracing works because the new kids are great. Daisy Ridley’s Rey is scrappy and sharp, John Boyega’s Finn is a deserter who can’t stop panicking, and Oscar Isaac makes Poe the coolest pilot in the galaxy with barely any screen time. Adam Driver plays Kylo Ren as a villain who throws tantrums, which is weirder and more interesting than another calm evil guy. Harrison Ford steps back into Han’s jacket like he never took it off. It made $2.07 billion worldwide, so the tracing paid off. A 7.5 because it’s a blast that plays it way too safe. $938 says you make BB-8 noises at your robot vacuum by the weekend.

What works: Rey, Finn and Poe are instantly likable, Adam Driver’s tantrum villain is a fresh twist, and Harrison Ford’s return lands.

What doesn’t: It copies the original’s beats almost scene for scene, right down to another planet-killer base with a weak spot.

Who it’s for: Longtime fans who wanted the old feeling back, and new fans who need a fun way into the saga.