By Emanuel Velez –

There are six episodes, three prequels, two sideshows, and now, one new movie for a new generation. For nearly 40 years, Star Wars has been the most amazing franchise generations of people.

Episode VII: The Force Awakens now takes the Star Wars saga even further, to a new audience and introduces many new but keeps some old characters. It has been 30 since the release of Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, and the final destruction of the evil Galactic Empire. In Episode VII, a new threat called the First Order, is rising to rekindle the old Empire, and also eliminate the Resistance from taking over the galaxy.

Is this Star Wars movie better than the original three films? Not quite. But is it better than the prequels? This film goes a long way to erasing the memory of those mediocre prequels. First of all, CGI is only used when truly needed. Nearly every character is not CGI. That includes Chewbacca, BB-8, R2-D2, and C-3PO. Most of the sets are real with some CGI just for finishing touches.

Secondly, another great improvement over the prequels is that the characters are all likeable (no Jar-Jar Binks, thank you) and are more ethnically diverse. Rey, who is the heroine, is played by Daisy Ridley. Finn is played by black British actor John Boyega, and Poe is played by Oscar Isaac, who is Latino.

Villains are key to a successful movie. The Force Awakens has a great villain in Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver, who is the Darth Vader-ish villain. Returning as Han Solo is  Harrison Ford, who definitely was one of best in the movie, along with Carrie Fisher, as Leia. A lot of effort was put into making this movie stand out visually, but also feel like it is part of the franchise. However, it feels like Episodes IV and V mixed together.

A criticism was that this should have been a new story for a new generation, rather than a similar version of the first two original films. But again, is this still an awesome Star Wars film?

f course it is! Fans of the first trilogy will surely enjoy this movie. Just the trailer for this film got people’s hopes up for a truly inspiring space adventure. Star Wars fans will not be disappointed. However, like the Star Trek reboot, this film will certainly bring a new generation of fans into the fold.

Fortunately, fans will not have to wait long for the next installment. There are two more episodes coming, and a Rogue One film along with a Han Solo spin-off. There is plenty in store for a new generation of Star Wars fans. Star Wars: The Force Awakens definitely starts it off well and gets a 9/10.