Thirty years after Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, we begin our adventure of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Luke Skywalker is missing and his disappearance creates an imbalance in the force. Now because of this imbalance, a new evil, The First Order, emerges out the ashes of the shattered Empire.
General Leia, leader of the Resistance, helps to find the last piece of a map showing the whereabouts of the missing Jedi Knight. This map is then placed within droid BB-8 for safe keeping. She, with the help of hot-shot resistance pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), defecting Stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega) and scrap collector Rey (Daisy Ridley) are on a mission to find Luke Skywalker before The First Order does. Now, if that isn’t enough, The Resistance must also destroy the Starkiller, First Order`s new evil super weapon.
Director J.J. Abrams wisely abandons the over use of CGI effects that were prevalent in Episodes I, II and III. His vision relies on locations and manmade props which recapture the look and feel of the original trilogy. This makes The Force Awakens a fun filled sci-fi action adventure film that true fans have been waiting for.
Without revealing anything, Star Wars: The Force Awakens will definitely satisfy most fans who grew up with the franchise. I only have a few minor quibbles. First and foremost is the fact that the ending drags on for my taste. Second, as much as I enjoyed The Force Awakens, I am slightly disappointed in Abrams’ lack of originality with the story. There is literally a cut and paste feel with the original source material of Episode IV: A New Hope. You would think that with the amount of time and resources at Abrams’ disposal we could have had a truly original space adventure. Just like his take on the Star Trek mythos, Abrams’ vision is never fully realized we are constantly reminded of what the series was instead of building upon it.
All in all, Star Wars: Episode VII is a worthy addition to the franchise and will help you overcome the shortfalls of Episodes I, II and III.