Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens Review: Worth the Wait

When film director JJ Abrams announced he was going to write and direct a new “Star Wars” movie, the entire world went ballistic. Many people worried that Abrams was going to make it with extreme use of lens flare while others were worried this new movie would be a disappointing disaster like the prequels. But after all the hype, trailers and rumors, “Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens” is out in theaters and it is well deserving of the name “Star Wars.”

Luke Skywalker has gone missing, and Leia is looking for him. A new threat called the “First Order” is also looking for him, along with a droid that has a map that leads directly to Skywalker. Now it’s a race against time to find the droid and Skywalker.

If this sounds like the exact plot to “A New Hope” then you are correct. The movie plays out similar in events that happen right down to a droid being the most important thing in the whole movie. Despite this fact, “The Force Awakens” does provide a ton of things to love. The new characters are likable and a lot of fun to watch. Rey, a scavenger from Jakku (Daisy Ridley) brings a lot of energy into her role. Everything she says and does is just a delight to watch. Another new character, the rogue stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega) has some great chemistry between him and Ridley.

One of the best performances is done by Adam Driver who plays the new villain of the movie, Kylo Ren. The only non-spoiler thing that can be said about him is that he is like an extreme version of Darth Vader where he does his own torture and even throws fits by destroying a room with his lightsaber. Of course, these fits come across more comical than heartbreaking.

Speaking of comedy, there is some to be had but it’s thankfully “Original Trilogy” funny than “Prequel Trilogy” funny. Many of these come from Han Solo, whose role is reprised by Harrison Ford. As to not spoiler anything, these lines will remind you why you love Solo.

The returning “Original Trilogy” cast members do a great job as always, although some of their scenes do feel like fan pandering. Of course, this movie does have a lot of fan pandering. All of it is basically recalling stuff from the other movies. These include, “Hey, it’s the Millennium Falcon,” and “Hey, Han Solo and Chewbacca.” It does feel like shameless pandering, but most of the time they do help with the plot.

One major fear people had before this flick was released was what it would look like. Well, most of the movie looks like what the “Original Trilogy” looks like and it is great. The best use of these effects comes from the battles. They are as exciting as such classic battles like “The Battle of Hoth” and even the final battle of “Return of the Jedi.” The final confrontation has some great choreography and does a fine job of showing how emotional it is. The only real CGI here is some of the aliens. The look OK for the most part, but they do feel out of place when compared to the rest of the effects.

“Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens” is an excellent “Star Wars” movie that feels like the classic “Star Wars” films with great acting, action, and comedy. Some of it may feel like shameless fan pandering and some of the effects are questionable, but overall it’s well worth watching.