*SPOILER ALERT*

Nearly 40 years after the beginning of the Star Wars saga, Star Wars: The Force Awakens has burst into the movie scene, generating record revenue numbers early in its release. The film served as an introduction to a whole new trilogy, with a new set of heroes with Finn and Rey. For those new to the Star Wars saga, all of the references and cameos would have been misunderstood and possibly a drawback. However, it’s difficult to feel sympathy for those complaining about this, as this is meant to be a series that should been watched as a continuation of the original. For those familiar with the series, The Force Awakens is a welcome callback to the original trilogy.

It’s made clear from the start that the new movie’s structure is similar to that of A New Hope. In Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a Resistance pilot named Poe Dameron is captured by the First Order, but conceals a top-secret map beforehand in a small droid called BB-8. The only differences here are the names: Poe is Leia, the First Order is the Empire, and BB-8 is R2-D2. The desert planet that the droid lands on is Jakku instead of Tatooine. After Poe crash lands with the help of a traitorous Storm Trooper named Finn, it appears as though Poe is dead. Finn learns that BB-8 has fallen into the hands of scavenger, Rey. Finn then pretends to be a Resistance fighter, partnering up with Rey to get BB-8’s intel to the Resistance.

After learning the location of BB-8, the First Order sends troopers to Jakku in order to capture the playful, spherical, orange droid. Rey and Finn fly away in a junk ship later revealed to be the famed Millennium Falcon, itself. Han and Chewbacca soon show up, and reluctantly agree to assist Finn and Rey with their quest. Seeing Harrison Ford in his famous role is apparent on the faces of John Boyega (Finn) and Daisy Ridley (Rey). It could very well be the actors’ faces beaming with joy rather than the characters they portray, however given Han’s popularity the latter could be just as true.

It is soon visible that Rey has set off curious rumblings in the force. Coupled with this realization is Han Solo saying, “It’s true — the Force, the Jedi, all of it. It’s all true,” conveying the childlike wonder to the audience introduced in the first set of movies. This feeling of childlike wonder is paired with vast instances of humor, that appeals to all generations. To get pops of enthusiasm from the audience, Disney reintroduces old favorites such as C3PO, R2-D2, and Admiral Ackbar. The truly heartwarming scenes are saved for Han and Leia. Leia, now a Resistance general, is shown to be close with Han Solo. They are revealed to be a couple, and have a son, Ben Solo. Their banter is gentler and heartwarming when together, as opposed to the sharp and barbed sentences we’ve seen them utter in the past. Ben has been corrupted by the dark side however, and now goes by the name of Kylo Ren.

There isn’t a moment in the film where the audience can be bored. Between action packed battles, enchanting settings, and surprise appearances, the audience of Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be entranced throughout the over 2 hour runtime. Gentle camera movements and gorgeous scenery compel a similar narrative to the plot. Scene transitions are smooth and cohesive with the narrative as a whole. In a movie with a vast amount of CGI and effects, nothing is overdone. The amount of CGI is perfected in every scene (even the scene where Rey and Finn are attacked by aliens with sharp teeth and huge tentacles). The inconspicuous sophistication of these special effects comes to life in the form of Supreme Leader Snoke. At some points, it’s hard to tell that Snoke is even a hologram. The worlds the audience sees here are a welcome release from the horrible ones portrayed to fans in the prequels. Every planet we travel to, whether it be Jakku or Yavin, feels vividly textured and inhabited. The score of the film also is incredible and adds to the mood of any scene perfectly.

There are moments of the film where it feels a bit too repetitive, as well as some characters seemingly having no purpose. There is a feel of nostalgia throughout the Star Wars reboot which is due to an overdone attempt to completely mirror the original trilogy. The troops are recycled, as well as the plot and themes. The huge weapon can be considered merely another Death Star; the last thing anyone wants is another Death Star. This time it’s portrayed as a weaponized planet, only adding size to a tried and tired endeavor. The Mos Eisley cantina is mirrored by a run down watering hole. The theme of Luke being a combination of good and evil is reused in the form of Kylo Ren, who is called to by both the Light and Dark side. Captain Phasma never seems to have a purpose, although she is featured prominently on the posters. Adam Driver does a great job at portraying a ‘Darth Vader fanboy,’ who just wants to be as good as his uncle. Kylo Ren appears less conflicted and evil but rather more like a young child with a temper. The ending of the film provides the audience with a cliffhanger of frustrating magnitude. Luke Skywalker is only revealed for a blink of an eye, with no speech involved at all. Was he just gazing off the cliff like that for all this time?

Overall, Star Wars: The Force Awakens appears as an attempt by J.J. Abrams to be as good as George Lucas (the direct of the original and prequel movies) has been. Abrams’ movie lack originality, relying too heavily on the films before him. However, J.J. does a great job at taking the torch from George and transforms Star Wars into a whole new generation of brilliance. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is packed with action and filled with a good mix of familiar faces and new blood. The Force Awakens successfully injects the series with new energy while recalling its former glory. Packed with action and populated by both fresh and familiar faces, The Force Awakens successfully recalls the series’ former glory while injecting it with renewed energy.
Final Verdict: 9.5/10