Acting: 4.5; Theme: 4.5; Content: 4.5; Language: 5.0; Overall: 4.5

The First Order, thirty years after the battle of Endor, seeks to destroy the New Republic. Led by Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), the resistance movement, must face the reemergence of the evil empire. With the help of Rey (Daisy Ridley), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), and Finn (John Boyega), the resistance battles the son of Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) in order to defeat the evil influence of the empire. Highly recommend.

***July 25, 2023*** ( )

I am an old Star Wars fan. ( )

The choice to do a paint-by-numbers rehash of the plots, themes, arcs and even character dynamics of the original trilogy is of course the safe way to go, but it didn't necessarily have to be a bad one. And indeed, despite the inane even-bigger-death-laser plot of the third act, the film is surprisingly decent. My main non-laser peeve is the completely underwhelming use of the (stellar) premise of the stormtrooper growing a conscience being one of the protagonists. The character, who on paper should be the standout of not just this but virtually any Star Wars film, is instead somehow bland and uninteresting, and gets nothing of importance to do. (And that's in this film, where he actually has screentime and a sense of agency.) But oh well. Wasted opportunities is what Star Wars prequels and sequels are all about. And everything else works, more or less. It's pretty, it's exciting, it's even a bit emotional. Would have been a very good first, safe step to more innovative and daring sequels. That such weren't forthcoming, well, it's not this film's fault. In isolation, at least, "Force Awakens" is quite even and, in my opinion, fun and watchable. ( )

Treinta años después de la victoria de la Alianza Rebelde sobre la segunda Estrella de la Muerte (hechos narrados en el Episodio VI: El retorno del Jedi), la galaxia está todavía en guerra. Una nueva República se ha constituido, pero una siniestra organización, la Primera Orden, ha resurgido de las cenizas del Imperio Galáctico. A los héroes de antaño, que luchan ahora en la Resistencia, se suman nuevos héroes: Poe Dameron, un piloto de caza, Finn, un desertor de la Primera Orden, Rey, una joven chatarrera, y BB-8, un androide rodante. Todos ellos luchan contra las fuerzas del Mal: el Capitán Phasma, de la Primera Orden, y Kylo Ren, un temible y misterioso personaje que empuña un sable de luz roja.

Fabulous with that big surprise towards the end which explains so much. It's a sad film too and yet I had a huge grin on my face at the end. Thank goodness Disney didn't disappoint us. ( )