Star Wars: The Force Awakens

SPOILER-FREE MOVIE REVIEW

Two weeks ago, I had little to no knowledge of the Star Wars film series at all.

Two weeks ago, I also had little to no idea that I would ever be a fan of this spectacular and legendary franchise.

Within the two weeks leading up to today, I had completed watching all the movies in the order which was suggested to me - Episodes IV, V, VI, I, II and III.

And now that I have watched Episode VII, I can officially say that I have joined the Star Wars fandom.

(A little heads-up before I begin the review proper - Even though I have watched all the movies, I don't know ALL the facts or characters and so on. Also, included in this review are facts and images which were revealed in the trailers and promotional material for the movie. So, if you consider those as spoilers cos you've not seen the trailer, then stop reading right away.)

So, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. 

Where do I begin?

For starters, the movie gave me a feeling while I was about less than three-quarters through it that I only felt in one other movie this year - SPECTRE.

The feeling was that "this movie is going so well that it is absolutely impossible that it could be ruined by anything".

By the end, it was pretty much what I got.

Now, what exactly made me feel that way, you may ask.

That's what I'll talk about now.

From the get-go, you feel the new themes the series is implementing - of the old and the new.

You have classic characters and elements returning (hurrah!), as well as references galore.

We are also introduced to many interesting new characters, like scavenger, Rey, portrayed to perfection by the gorgeous and talented Daisy Ridley, and reformed stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega), just to name a couple.

We also get a pretty interesting main antagonist in the form of Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), a commander of the new First Order and a dark warrior strong with the Force.

I found his character extra interesting because of the backstory to him - as he is one of the very few left in the galaxy that strong with the Force (without giving too much away).

I liked Domhnall Gleeson as the First Order's General Hux too. I liked the power and Hitler-like persona he gave to the character. Very apt for the movie.

The return of Han Solo and Chewbacca was such a welcome touch.

I won't go in depth about these two in particular as they have very important roles to play in the film.

The story was simple, easy to follow and contained some lovely plot twists here and there.

In many ways, the story reminded me of Episode IV, and that is a very good thing.

Sometimes when new directions are hard to formulate, instead of coming up with something for the sake of it, the best thing to do is to go back to the originals because that's where the heart and soul is.

I believe that that's the thing that made Star Wars: The Force Awakens so good.

On the topic of heart and soul, this movie had it in abundance.

Everything felt so real, and like a family reunion after not having seen each other for decades.

The warmth it brings really gives the film that extra power.

That warmth is made even more prominent by the beautifully luscious and nostalgia-filled score by the legendary John Williams - composer of all six previous Star Wars movies.

The emotion that fills you throughout is staggering as well.

It had many deep moments where I just sat back and felt the full impact of the scene through my heart, and there were tears too.

It was a very emotional movie.

The action sequences were sublimely done, and the pacing of the movie was outstanding.

Also, as you'd come to expect from a Lucasfilm production, the CGI and all computer-generated effects were top-notch.

Boy, did they put the mega budget to good use.

It's paying off too, with it breaking box office records everywhere, earning over a billion dollars worldwide in less than two weeks.

Stunning stuff. I say it's on its way to earning almost two billion.

What I also liked was how they built up storylines and character arcs to set up the next movie.

They don't show us too much of those characters, but they leave us thirsty for more of them.

It's terrific, really. And it's exactly how I felt at the end - I want more of this awesomeness.

Issues? Well... There's really only one issue I have with the movie, and that's the ending.

I felt that it was a little abrupt, and that it could have contained a little extra like a simple line of dialogue or something to end the movie off on an incredible note.

It's just a small matter in the end. The movie was outstanding throughout.

All in all, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a very well directed, well-made and well acted movie.

As a movie, it excels in every area - from good storytelling to terrific use of effects to make the film even better.

It contains enough references and easter eggs for fanboys and fangirls to go completely nuts, but it also doesn't forget about the neutral viewer who hasn't seen a single Star Wars movie before.

It's got heart and soul, emotion and character.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is hands down THE best movie of 2015 in my opinion.

Stay tuned for a spoiler-talk post coming soon.

9.5/10.