Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens © Walt Disney Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Purchase Blu-ray | Digital HD

Director:	J.J. Abrams
Writers:	Michael Arndt
Cast:	Peter Mayhew, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Max von Sydow, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Lupita Nyong'o Gwendoline, Christie Crystal, Clarke Pip Andersen
Released:	Friday, December 18, 2015
Length:	136 minutes
Studio:	Walt Disney Pictures
Genre:	Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure
Rating:	Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Synopsis

Visionary director J.J. Abrams brings to life the motion picture event of a generation. As Kylo Ren and the sinister First Order rise from the ashes of the Empire, Luke Skywalker is missing when the galaxy needs him most. It's up to Rey, a desert scavenger, and Finn, a defecting stormtrooper, to join forces with Han Solo and Chewbacca in a desperate search for the one hope of restoring peace to the galaxy.

Purchase your copy of Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens today at

Download Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens in Digital HD from the iTunes store.

Disney Announces New Rogue One Series for Disney + Streaming Ser...  11/08/2018 10:37 PM EST
Disney has finally announced the name of its upcoming streaming service. They will be calling it Disney + and it will launch in late 2019.Disney+ will feature original programming as well as existing Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars properties. After the acquisition of 21st Century Fox is final, the service will also stream programming from National Geographic. The company also announced that o...  More>>

The Crown Star Matt Smith Joins Cast of Star Wars: Episode IX  08/28/2018 3:19 PM EST
Rumor has it that Matt Smith has signed on to join the cast of Star Wars: Episode IX. Smith is best known for his roles in Doctor Who and The Crown where he played Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for the portrayal.Smith joins a cast that includes Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Billy Dee Williams, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Keri Russe...  More>>

Kelly Marie Tran Writes About Dealing with Online Harassment  08/21/2018 4:30 PM EST
Kelly Marie Tran, who starred in "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" has taken to the New York Times to write an op-ed about her struggle with harassment she's received through social media. She wrote in the piece that it wasn't easy to deal with, and the fact that she deleted her Instagram account in June after racist and misogynistic comments confirms the difficulties."It wasn't their words, it's that I ...  More>>

Star Wars: Episode IX Begins Production Next Week  07/27/2018 4:45 PM EST
Star Wars: Episode IX will begin filming next week in London's Pinewood Studios. On August 1, J.J. Abrams will be returning to work on the final installment of the saga.Returning cast members include Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, and Billie Lourd. Joining the cast of Episode IX are Naomi Ackie and Richard E...  More>>

Keri Russell to Join Star Wars Cast  07/09/2018 2:11 PM EST
Keri Russell is said to be in talks to star in the upcoming "Star Wars: Episode IX". The film will be written and directed by J.J. Abrams, who worked on "Star Wars: The Force Awakens".Russell and Abrams also worked together for the 2006 film "Mission: Impossible III". Through her work with this "MI" and her FX series, "The Americans", Russell has shown that she's up for more of a hands-on film rol...  More>>

Han Solo Film to Debut at Cannes Film Festival  04/06/2018 11:13 AM EST
It was announced that the Solo: A Star Wars Story film will be premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, which runs from May 8 to May 19.The film, which will debut at the festival on May 15, stars Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo, Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian, and Emilia Clarke and Woody Harrelson. This isn't the first time a Star Wars film will be debuted at the festival - 2002's Attack of the Clo...  More>>

Jon Favreau to Pen New Star Wars Live-Action Series  03/08/2018 10:34 AM EST
Lucasfilm has announced that they will be working alongside Jon Favreau for a new live-action Star Wars series. The series, for which Favreau will be a writer, will be part of Disney's new direct-to-consumer platform. "If you told me at 11 years old that I would be getting to tell stories in the Star Wars universe, I wouldn't have believed you. I can't wait to embark upon this exciting adventure",...  More>>

David Benioff and D.B. Weiss to Pen New Star Wars Series of Films  02/06/2018 7:38 PM EST
David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, the creators of Game of Thrones, will be writing and producing a new series of Star Wars films. The announcement was made today by Disney.Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, said, "David and Dan are some of the best storytellers working today. Their command of complex characters, depth of story and richness of mythology will break new ground and boldly push Star...  More>>

New Star Wars Trilogy Announced with Rian Johnson to Direct  11/09/2017 10:20 PM EST
Disney CEO Bob Iger has announced that Rian Johnson will be developing a new trio of Star Wars films. An official statement claimed that the new trilogy will "introduce new characters from a corner of the galaxy that Star Wars lore has never before explored."Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, said, "We all loved working with Rian on The Last Jedi. He's a creative force, and watching him craft ...  More>>

Colin Trevorrow Leaves Star Wars: Episode IX  09/05/2017 11:52 PM EST
Lucasfilm has announced that they will be changing directors for left Star Wars: Episode IX. The announcement went as follows:Lucasfilm and Colin Trevorrow have mutually chosen to part ways on Star Wars: Episode IX. Colin has been a wonderful collaborator throughout the development process but we have all come to the conclusion that our visions for the project differ. We wish Colin the best and wi...  More>>

Star Wars Fans Invited to “Find the Force” As Unprecedented Augm...  08/31/2017 12:18 PM EST
Disney and Lucasfilm announced today that they are releasing "Find the Force", a global augmented reality (AR) event rolling out on Force Friday II (September 1) to commemorate the worldwide launch of new products inspired by "Star Wars: The Last Jedi".Kathleen Kennedy, President of Lucasfilm, commented about the event saying, "Force Friday II is a major milestone in the countdown to Star Wars: Th...  More>>

Disney Developing Obi-Wan Kenobi Film  08/17/2017 3:45 PM EST
It has been reported that Disney is currently developing an Obi-Wan Kenobi stand alone film with the hope that "Billy Elliot's" Stephen Daldry will direct. There isn't any word on who the writer will be or plot details.Disney is also currently working on a Han Solo film due out May 2018....  More>>

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens Theatrical Review

In 1977, the words "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... " kicked off what would become one of the largest pop culture phenomenons in history, the Star Wars saga. The six films, countless TV shows, books, and video games that have been released have created their own little niche in today's society the world over.

Now, 32 years after the debut of the original film, Disney, with the help of director J. J. Abrams (Mission Impossible: III), have come to pick up the wreckage of the series. After the much hated prequel films, Abrams seeks to bring back the glory with Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

In 2012, George Lucas, the creator of the saga, sold Star Wars to Disney for $4.05 billion, relinquishing the reigns of the series that was near and dear to his heart. Until this point, fans around the world had thought the film series had ended with the Revenge of the Sith in 2005, as this is what Lucas had hinted at, but fans were given hope when Disney announced the plans to release a plethora of new films based in the universe, including Episodes VII, VIII and IX, which continues the story of the Skywalker family line.

Episode VII, The Force Awakens, begins 30 years after the famous battle on Endor, as well as the destruction of the second death star, with the galaxy in disarray. Gone is the evil galactic empire, but in it's ashes, a new enemy, called the First Order, has taken up in it's place, threatening the galaxy's peace and posterity.

Saying anymore will give away all the great surprises that the film holds in store for its audience. Rest assured though all the characters you know and love return, as well as some new ones that will quickly find a place in your heart.

In addition to the old Star Wars cast that audiences have grown up with, a new, all-star cast has been brought in to be the centerpiece of this new trilogy including relative newcomers Daisy Ridley, John Boyega (Attack the Block), Adam Driver (Girls), and Oscar Isaac(Ex Machina). The actors seem made to embody each of their respective roles and truly are great additions to the Star Wars universe. Gone are the wooden one dimensional characters from the prequel films. They are replaced with three dimensional characters that have more to them than what appears on the surface. Daisy Ridley easily steals the show and will be someone who will grace the silver screen for a long time to come.

Coming back to script, the film was written by director JJ Abrams and Empire Strikes Back writer Lawrence Kasdan, and they do not disappoint. The script is smart, fresh and, surprisingly, filled with humor. Gone are most of the childish elements that made fans of the original trilogy cringe, and in it's place, is dialog and scenes that are there to help move the story along.

If one has followed JJ Abram's career, one would know that he is a very capable director who, truly, is one of the best in the industry. For The Force Awakens, he has brought his "A" game to the table. While JJ Abrams normally pours his heart and soul into whatever film he is working on he gave everything he had into making this film into what the fans would want. Being first and foremost a fan of the saga himself, he wanted to make a film he knew he and other fans would enjoy and overall he does not disappoint.

The only true disappointment that can be found with The Force Awakens is the score, composed by Star Wars and industry veteran John Williams. While certain score elements from the other films can be found through the 135 minute run time, the rest of the score is very forgettable. No new themes that played through the film are memorable, and this truly is a let down for a film in a series that has some of the best scores done in the history of cinema.

The Force Awakens is an amazing film, using elements from the original classic trilogy that people have come to know and love as well as adding an incredible young cast that give it it's own originality. It is a smart, fun, clever film that easily takes the mantle as the best Star Wars film released since Empire Strikes Back.

-- Nathan M Rose