A true re-imagination of the classic original trilogy

Rating: 9/10 (6 January 2016)

After 33 years of waiting for the long anticipated sequel to the 1983 box office hit Return of the Jedi, people were eagerly waiting for the sequel and many people were also very doubtful of it being successful and true to the franchise and its roots.
I can clearly say that as a true Star Wars fan I strongly believe that this film does a very great job at living up to the hype and keeping the feel of the film fresh and new while sticking to the classic roots of Star Wars.
The Force Awakens has many twists and turns and also has a fresh new look. It also makes great use of using practical effects such as the costumes and explosions but also using CGI effectively when needed to. This is a breath of fresh air for many star wars fans who were left very disappointed with the amount of poorly rendered CGI effects within the Star Wars prequels. It is clear to see that J.J Abrams and the whole team have carefully thought about the film and have a deep passion for Star Wars and want it to be something special. They certainly achieved this with the special effects and the re-imagining of the story as well.
Many people will say that it is just like a modern remake of the classic Star Wars Episode 4 A New Hope. This is true in some aspects as they do reuse the idea of a large death star like weapon and that it has a large weakness to it. This is true but I think that this is done well as they do introduce new story elements such as trying to find Luke Skywalker after going into hiding and the major twists being that Kylo Ren is Han Solo and Princess Leias Son. These twists are very large and they do develop the story and make you feel for how much time has really passed but nothing much has changed within the Star Wars universe. I would have to say that the largest twist of all is the death of Han Solo by his own son Kylo Ren. This was very unexpected and really made me feel heartbroken as I was really engaged with the story and the universe.
I would say that the Force Awakens is truly a great sequel to the classic original trilogy and is something for all ages to see as it keeps its classic roots but has a modern look and feel to it using practical and CGI effects at the same time. The story is truly gripping and apart from some minor flaws such as not explaining parts of the story I do think that this is a film that is a must see and truly re ignites the Star Wars flame and will leave you nostalgic and on the edge of your seat gripped to the film all the way through.