Abrams has delivered the biggest movie event, perhaps of all time

Rating: Null/10 (29 December 2015)

It has been 30 years since the fall of the Galactic Empire at the hands of the Rebel forces. The New Republic has now established peace along with the Resistance, but evil has risen from the ashes to form the First Order; the remains of the Empire that is now led by Supreme Leader Snoke. His apprentice shows no mercy to those who refuse to abide by his order as he grows in strength as a Jedi on the dark side. The force has awakened in the Star Wars universe and J.J. Abrams is at the helm of the saga's revival under Disney movies. He manages to trounce all those pressures with a movie that rekindles the magic of the original trilogy, drawing the much needed familiarity with the classic themes and infusing it with exciting new characters, action and rising evil. Abrams has delivered the biggest movie event, perhaps of all time, that paves the way for Disney's grand plan to make a killing with its acquisition of LucasFilms.
On the impoverished planet of Jakku, the Resistance pilot Poe (Oscar Isaac) has acquired the map that reveals the location of Luke Skywalker, the last surviving Jedi and their hope against the rising enemy which suddenly attacks their location. Along with their Commander Kylo Ren, the enemy overpowers the locals and captures Poe right after he hands over the secretive map to his trusted astromech droid, BB-8 who is instructed to flee from the scene. His subsequent torture and suffering come to an end when a rogue Stormtrooper aids his escape as they crash back onto Jakku. Meanwhile, we are introduced to a scavenger named Rae (Daisy Ridley) who earns her rationed food by selling scraps from old battleships. She rescues BB-8 from another scavenger and learns about the secret it carries. Soon, they are discovered by Finn, the rogue Stormtrooper who now aids the efforts of the Resistance. The First Order being alerted about the droid's presence, sends Stormtroopers to hunt down Rey and Finn in a terrific sequence involving the Millennium Falcon. They are then tracked by the original owners of the Falcon, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca as they find themselves in a rift against some notorious criminal gangs. Meanwhile, aboard the enormous Starkiller base, Kylo Ren and General Hux meet with Supreme leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) to plan the retrieval of Skywalker's location and to activate the Starkiller to destroy the New Republic.
The First Order then attacks the castle on Takodana after getting tipped about BB-8's presence there and along with Ren's knights, capture Rey and leave just as the Resistance forces engage with them. Han Solo and Chewy reunite with Liea (Carrie Fisher), who now commands the Resistance, and plan their final attempt to suppress the First Order by destroying the Starkiller base as General Hux plans to use the weapon to decimate their stronghold. Meanwhile, Rey is yet held captive by Kylo Ren who attempts to extract the secret map with his Jedi power and surprisingly finds it challenging.
Once again, there are multiple battle arenas as the attack ensues upon the frozen Starkiller with Rey, Finn, Han Solo and Chewy aiding the Resistance fighters and Kylo Ren having his own malicious plan to finally lose his temptation to the light side of the Force. In the end, the victorious will yet have to search for Luke Skywalker.
J.J. Abrams does not simply reunite characters for nostalgic purpose. Instead, he uses them to transition into the current times and to give purpose to our new characters. The action is explosive, highly engaging and effective in IMAX 3D including simple chase sequences, X-wing planes in combat and the epic lightsaber battle. The background score by John Williams possesses the grandeur in scale and depth in emotions that resonates with the feeling of the Force itself.
Supreme Leader Snoke is an intriguing character whose origins remain unknown and who, Andy Serkis portrays with his menacing motion capture performance. Carrie Fisher has a brief role to play as the commander of the resistance whose positivity brings strength all around. Harrison Ford reprises his role as Han Solo and along with Chewbacca, charms his way out of all situations he gets trapped in. Almost. Adam Driver had to showcase the darkness and unpredictability behind Kylo Ren's mask and he truly does this with the credibility that will make Kylo a really popular character. John Boyega's Finn constantly finds himself in situations where he's on the run from the First Order that he abandoned. As he learns the ways of the force and aids the resistance in their fight against evil, we witness his character develop rapidly, showcasing Boyega's versatility. But the spotlight truly, is on Daisy Ridley's Rey. Sympathy for the scavenger quickly turns to admiration once she pilots the Millennium Falcon. It's also her charming English accent and lucid emotions that make her so likable while there is still such a mystery about her origins and talents.
The awakening of the Force has led to the expansion of the Star Wars Universe in a profound manner. With the burden of enormous expectations from generations of fans, J.J. Abrams delivers a masterpiece of a beloved franchise with a refreshing take that is so familiar due to several elements. Yet the familiarity doesn't take away the absolutely stunning visuals, highly engaging action sequences, gripping storyline and the introduction of some iconic characters such as Kylo Ren, Rey and BB-8. Evil will return stronger and the Resistance will need much more than their current might can offer. Rey will have to return with the Jedi in the fight against the First Order and Snoke. Episode VIII will unravel many mysteries introduced by Abrams but until then, choose your side of the Force and rise to its awakening.

9.553 on a scale of 1-10.