Star Wars: The Force Awakens Review (NO SPOILERS)

Three years ago, the man who revolutionized modern cinema, George Lucas, sold the company he had built from the ground up to the largest entertainment conglomerate of the world: Walt Disney Studios. After three years of development of films and plans for many more to come, the first Star Wars film to progress the overall story forward has been released. Featuring both a new generation of characters as well as the return of some fan favorites, many have hyped this film up to epic proportions. The question is, does the hype meet the expectations of the film? Well, if you're a Star Wars fan, this film definitely gives you what you want. Fun, action, and heart are abound in the galactic, space-opera story that many have been wanting since 1983. In short, this movie is awesome.

Director J.J. Abrams and writer Lawrence Kasdan have done a tremendous job at bringing back the spirit of the original trilogy in all of its glory. You've got a menacing antagonistic force in the form of the First Order, led by Kylo Ren, fighting against the resilient forces of the Resistance led by General Leia. In the midst of the conflict, we find Stormtroooper deserter Finn running away from the evil of the First Order and meeting with Rey and BB-8. As the First Order's might comes crashing down on the heroes, veteran warriors Han Solo and Chewbacca rush in to the rescue, returning to fight evil once more. The story might sound simple, but there's a lot of fun to be had here. Between Kylo Ren's unique lightsaber and his skills with it to the Millennium Falcon rocketing through space, the spectacle is an absolute joy to watch unfold on screen. Star Wars has never been better: the story is fun and invigorating, the action is stupendous, and the visual effects are jaw-dropping.

And that's not even half of the fun: the best part of this movie is meeting the newbies, the fresh faces. Headlining the newer cast is that of newcomer Daisy Ridley, and in traditional Star Wars fashion, has the chance that her predecessors had of having Star Wars be her first major role in Hollywood. And boy, does she knock it out of the park. Daisy portrays the character Rey, a girl left on the desert planet of Jakku. She's tough as nails and is actually a bit rough around the edges, but you can't really blame her - she was abandoned there without any real reason why. To see her grow from being somewhat of a loner to becoming a powerful warrior against the First Order was an absolute thrill to watch. Rey is going to capture the hearts of some, and maybe even inspire others. And as part of Lucasfilm's new initiative to have more opportunities to represent women in Star Wars, Rey is an excellent way to kick that off.  But Rey's not the only new cat in town. Joining Dasiy Ridley is the eccentric John Boyega as runaway Stormtrooper Finn. Boyega portrays an amicable and relatable man stuck with the impossible choice of running away from everything he knows. His character growth from fearful to brave throughout the movie, and it's another joy. Where Rey represents the hero within us all, Finn represents the good of the hero. His mission is really to help Rey grow, and he does it splendidly. And finally of the notable bunch is Kylo Ren, leader of the First Order. With his cross-guard broadsword lightsaber and his menacing, shrouded demeanor, he's probably the most anticipated new character of the bunch. Whenever he shows up, he absolutely pays off. He's intense, he's got a great voice to him, and his lightsaber skills are masterful to witness.

Other new characters include Oscar Isaac's Poe Damaron, Gwendoline Christie's Captain Phasma, Domhnall Gleeson's General Hux, Lupita Nyong'o as Maz Kanada and Andy Serkis' Supreme Leader Snoke, but don't get too excited for this bunch. Even though all of the actors mentioned here are absolutely top-notch, there isn't enough time to focus on them like there is when concerning Rey, Finn, BB-8 and Kylo Ren. Oscar Isaac's Poe is both fun and adventurous, akin to the Han Solo of old, he gets the short end of the stick in the movie, so it's a shame to see he isn't around for more. Lupita Nyong'o playing Maz Kanada is inspired, but again, 10 minutes with her doesn't give us much more of an impression other than the fact that she's this trilogy's Yoda. All of the extra villain characters also leave a lot to be desired: none of them ever get enough screen time to make them more interesting than their base design features, which is too bad, considering how much marketing went into these guys. While it won't detract from the overall enjoyment, the absence of any substantial contribution of most of these villain characters (the good guys do a little more) did pull me out a little bit.

As for the returning cast, Han and Chewie get the most screen time, which is probably what fans want. They're just as fun and rogue as they were 30 years ago, palling around the galaxy trying to escape the inevitable truth that they're needed on the front lines. Their involvement with Rey, Finn, and BB-8 reunites them with General Leia, C-3P0, and R2-D2 of the Resistance, as well as a few more fan favorites. Seeing all of these old characters reunite after so long is fun to watch, especially after the audience is caught up on what the old gang has been up to. It's a natural transition for them as well, so their presence doesn't feel as forced as it could have been. And for those of you wondering, where is Luke Skywalker in all of this? What's his agenda been? Well, the only thing I'll say on that matter is this: everyone else is wondering that too.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens was so much fun for an avid Star Wars fan to watch. The action is out-of-this-world, the main characters are dynamic, the lightsabers and spaceships are a breath of fresh air, and the story is an excellent re-introduction to the galaxy far, far away. While not everyone gets a shot to shine in the movie, and certain story moments seemed a bit shoehorned in for the sake of appeasing fans, it nonetheless is a fun, fantastical ride: and one people have been waiting for. If you enjoy Star Wars in the remote slightest, there's no reason for you to skip out on the sensation that's already swept the world. And if this is any indication of Star Wars' direction, then we're in for a hell of a ride.

Rating: 9/10