Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens directed by JJ Abrams is set to release on December 18, 2015. There are many variables that will determine whether or not Abrams will be able to make this film go down in history as one of the greatest Star Wars films of all time. Perhaps the easiest obstacle Abrams will have to overcome is surpassing the rather low bar of the unmitigated atrocity known as the Star Wars prequel trilogy. However, thankfully since George Lucas no longer has any affiliation with the Star Wars franchise, die-hard Star Wars fans can finally restore their faith. With uninteresting and nonsensical plots like trade negotiations and mitichlorians in Episode I, Abrams can’t possibly screw up the plot of the new film that badly. Abrams won’t have to exert much effort to develop characters that surpass the annoying and half-witted Jar Jar Binks from Episode I and the spiteful and whiny little brat known as Anakin Skywalker from Episode’s II and III. Not to mention that none of the characters in these movies ever show any emotion at all and the CGI in these films make them look like cartoons. These movies are memorable but for all the wrong reasons. Abrams would have to make his new film memorable for all the right reasons. Abrams shouldn’t have much of a problem making a movie that would easily and triumphantly surpass The Phantom Menace, Attack of The Clones, and Revenge of the Sith combined.
Abrams will also have to satisfy Star Wars fans with story and character development in the new film. The humble farm boy Luke Skywalker, the witty and cocky smuggler Han Solo, and the ambitious and dedicated leader of the Rebel Alliance, Princess Leia are iconic characters that will be brought back to the big screen for the first time in about 30 years. If this film is to be a memorable success, then Star Wars fans must be content with the performances of these characters. In addition to iconic characters, there are 
iconic plots in the original trilogy as well. In Episode IV A New Hope, Luke, Han and Leia, with the help of the rebel alliance, are able to use the Empire’s plans to effectively destroy the Death Star, which has the ability to destroy an entire planet. In Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, Darth Vader reveals that he is Luke Skywalker’s father. In Episode VI Return of the Jedi, Vader saves his son by killing Palpatine who was electrocuting him. These are stories that Star Wars fans have loved for decades and if Abrams is to make The Force Awakens a major success, then the audience ought to enjoy the new stories as well. As an aside, the lightsaber cross guard needs to be explained, because based on the way it looks from the trailer, it makes no sense.
Finally, perhaps the biggest obstacle for Abrams’ success will be competition from the other prominent science fiction action movie director Joss Whedon, who is directing the new Avengers sequel, Age of Ultron, which is set to release on May 1ss. The Avengers made 1.5 billion dollars worldwide at the box office, making it the third highest grossing film of all time. If Whedon does as good of a job on the sequel as he did with the original, then Age of Ultron should be hugely successful as well. Since Disney is a conglomerate money making machine that owns Marvel Comics and Lucasfilms, no movie is going to come anywhere close to bringing in as much revenue as these two movies will for 2015. Having said that, the debate is most likely going to be centered on which of these two is the better movie. Since The Avengers was a massively successful movie, Joss Whedon has a good track record. JJ Abrams has a solid track record as well, as the new Star Trek movies he directed were very successful. However, many trekkies took issue with his new Star Trek films; criticizing them for not feeling like Star Trek films. Star Trek encompasses social and political elements that are relevant in our time and place just as they are in the Star Trek Universe. However the new Star Trek movies, while being excellent movies, were more like science fiction action movies set in a Star Trek universe and didn’t really have those social and political elements to them. They almost felt like Star Wars movies set in a Star Trek universe. Star Trek is really meant to be in a television series format, not on the big screen. Having said that, you could tell that Abrams is really meant to direct a Star Wars movie. Assuming that much is true, The Force Awakens may actually surpass Age of Ultron. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens is going to be exceptionally successful and will make a tremendous amount of money, but whether or not it will satisfy die hard Star Wars fans and leave a legacy as one of the greatest Star Wars films of all time remains to be seen.
Michael Schwartz