Star Wars: The Force Awakens
George Lucas and J.J. Abrams blessed the world with yet another Star Wars movie, the seventh of the film series, on Dec. 18, 2015. “The Force Awakens” is the long awaited first of the Star Wars sequel trilogy which was announced by Disney after they bought Lucasfilm in the summer of 2012.
The film keeps breaking box office records; it became the fastest film to gross $1 billion and had the biggest worldwide opening weekend. “The Force Awakens” is also Disney’s highest-grossing release. In order to expand their newly bought franchise, Disney plans on opening Star Wars-themed lands in their theme parks in both California and Florida.
“The Force Awakens” is set about thirty years after “Return of the Jedi”, the last of the original Star Wars’ series which ended with the defeat of the Galactic Empire. The film stars many beloved former Star Wars characters, such as Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels). It also features as a large cast of new characters and notable celebrity cameos that include actor Daniel Craig and comedian Bill Hader, who was the actual voice of the BB-8 droid.
The story follows Rey, played by Daisy Ridley, a mysteriously independent scavenger on the planet Jakku, and Finn, played by John Boyega, a former First Order stormtrooper. The two, along with with Han Solo and Chewbacca, protect and deliver a droid that contains a secret map to Luke Skywalker, the last of the Jedi Knights, and the Resistance. However, the safety of the galaxy is threatened by the malevolent First Order and its leader’s apprentice, Kylo Ren, who is played by Adam Driver. The leader of the Resistance, Leia, is desperate to find her twin brother, Skywalker, before Ren.
For fans of the previous Star Wars’ installments, many aspects of the film felt nostalgic. From its classic score and introductory rolling text to some of the airborne battle scenes, the film does a fantastic job creating a jaw-dropping visual experience with modernized graphic capabilities. Yet, it still maintains the Star Wars-esque mood that brought the series to fame.
Even though “The Force Awakens” recently came to theaters, Disney is already working on more movies. Some of them follow Rey and Finn through the same plot that was featured in this iteration, while others are spin-offs on other minor characters from the original series. The next film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, currently referred to as Episode VIII, will be directed by Rian Johnson, but still produced by J.J. Abrams. It is scheduled for release on May 26, 2017.
With its incredible CGI animations, improved graphics and exciting plot, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is perfect for fans of the older movies or anyone wishing to simply jump into the series.