The student news site of Oakton High School

Oakton Outlook

The student news site of Oakton High School

Oakton Outlook

The student news site of Oakton High School

Oakton Outlook

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Star+Wars%3A+The+Force+Awakens

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away . . .

Everyone knows the words, the heralds of excitement, drama, and lightsabers. The Star Wars movies have been beloved by the American public since the seventies, with each new one recieving applause and acclaim, even, shudder, The Phantom Menace. With the end of the Prequel trilogy, and the release of Revenge of the Sith, we thought that the era of Star Wars had come to an end. We were wrong. After Disney purchased Lucasfilm, director J.J. Abrams (Star Trek, Lost) was tapped to producer the first movie in a sequel trilogy. Around the world, people waited with bated breath. Would Episode VIIĀ hold up to the standards that IV, V, and VI set?

Luckily, the fears of many have no basis in reality. The Force Awakens far surpasses the prequel movies in quality, and is equal, in fact, to the original trilogy itself. Without any spoilers, the movie tells the tale of Rey (Daisey Ridely), Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron ( Oscar Isaac) who, along with Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), battle the nefarious forces of the First Order led by the evil Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Superweapons, starfighters, lightsaber duels, a John Williams score, aliens, everything one expects in a Star Wars movie is here, and it all is executed masterfully. Despite some events that I might wish would not have happened, the story is one that creates a new era of Star Wars for a new generation.

That’s not to say that the movie is perfect, however. The Force Awakens is far too similar to A New Hope then I would wish. At times, you could predict what happens next by just thinking what the next event in Episode IV would be. Still, its only a modest complaint in a otherwise flawless movie.

5/5

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens is playing everywhere; I recommend seeing it in IMAX at the National Air and Space Museum.

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Star Wars: The Force Awakens