Critics: Brodie Ricker & Maggie Stoyles
Genre: Sci-Fi
Opening Date: December 18th, 2015
Director: JJ Abrams
Ontario Movie Rating: PG
Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, etc.
General Admission Age: Families; young and old.
Tobacco Use: None

Plot Summary: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, is the long-awaited sequel to the original Star Wars Trilogy. It follows the story of Finn (John Boyega), a former stormtrooper, who escapes the First Order with an alliance pilot (Oscar Isaac) and comes across a young scavenger, Rey (Daisy Ridley), who has been awaiting her family for years. These characters, recently introduced into the Star Wars Universe, begin an exciting adventure through space and become acquainted with classic characters from previous films while fleeing the First Order.

Critical Review: In The Force Awakens, JJ Abrams manages to successfully uphold his statement that “everything old is new again”, which carries out as the theme of the movie. A lot of the plot, and even specific lines, were reused from the old movies, but in a well thought-out, original way, as to not completely remake the original trilogy. Sitting in the audience, you can’t help but feel at home as you watch the fast-paced adventure, because it fits in so well with the original trilogy.

Scenes:
BR: I think the scenes were all very good, they flowed well together without inconsistencies. Well thought out, well planned.
MS: The movie manages to create a fast-pace and introduce so many memorable moments without losing the main plot or confusing their viewers.
Characterization:
BR: The characters are well explained in a way that isn’t annoying, they managed to avoid too many flashback cliches.
MS: As the film goes on, the character connections to the original cast make star wars fans smile as they learn what has become of their favourite characters. As far as the new ones go, you can’t help but like them all, whether it’s the puppy-like new robot, or the emotionally distressed new villain.
Casting:
BR: I mean, they got it dead on. There isn’t another person I thought would be better for a particular role, they got the casting perfect. Except maybe a villain with a more imposing face. Although, he does have the “emotionally distressed” down perfect.
MS: I liked how the directing team didn’t go for “big stars” or huge celebrities, and instead found actors who are really great and played the roles as they should be. They avoided “type casting” and running on the fame of the actors instead of the quality of the film.
Humour:
BR: The inside jokes in reference to the old trilogy fit in really well with the newer characters and humour.
MS: I think that a lot of the humour was directed towards star wars fans who had seen previous movies, yet the film still managed to incorporate new jokes for those who were watching their first Star Wars.

Overall, the film was wonderful. Everything was well done, although everyone does have their own pet peeves, whether it be the new villain’s weak performance, the 20-minute (or what seemed like it) panorama at the end, or a dependency on the old films. We would definitely recommend this movie to anyone of any age, along with a recommendation to watch the originals first.

There was no tobacco used in this film, which went unnoticed to most viewers. It didn’t effect the plot or the quality of the movie at all, and therefore benefited the younger part of the audience. Kids get see their favourite heroes on the screen without being influenced by tobacco companies. The characters appeared as realistic as possible in a sci-fi movie, and a choice to add tobacco wouldn’t have supported their personalities or traits. Tobacco was chosen to be excluded from the movie because really, it just wasn’t necessary.