On December 18, 2015, Disney released the eighth episode of the Star Wars trilogy, entitled The Force Awakens.
It has been 32 years since the last episode was released and fans were thrilled to see another adventure filled with Jedi, stormtroopers, and jaw-dropping
battles. The movie got an 8.4 out of 10 from IMDb, 93% from Rotten Tomatoes, and an 81% from Metacritic. The Force Awakens gained 248 million dollars on opening night and a whopping 529 million dollars worldwide.
The franchise has gathered many loyal followers since the premiere of the first movie in 1977. Star Wars fans come from around the world. From Tokyo to Brazil to a Jesuit school in Seattle called Seattle Prep. Students and faculty around Prep are fans of the movie and some share their thoughts on it.
Juan Bernal ‘16 says, “I have seen all the episodes and some spinoffs. I thought the movie was a worthy addition to the set.”
Will Lewis ‘17 says that the movie “reached my expectations and exceeded them.”
On the other hand, Ms. McNeill says, “I really wanted to like it. It was fun to watch some of the old characters but it thought it was kind of derivative. I thought the characters were fun. I’m interested in what will happen next. I think I have to see it again to form my official position.”
Since Star Wars is a science fiction and fantasy series that is filled with action-packed scenes, there are handfuls of events that are the students and faculty’s favorite parts. Sophie Piacentini ‘19 states that to her, “the best part of the movie when Chewie and Han Solo come back.”
There are also many scenes that show the meetings of old and new characters.
Mr. Barmore says, “I thought that the interactions between Finn and Poe were fun and when Finn and Rey are escaping Jakku.”
Although there are many positive reviews about the film, there are some things that people think would have made it even better. Maren Kilmer ‘18 says to “not kill Han Solo and to change the ending since it was so anti climatic.”
James Anderson ‘19 comments that it would be better “if it had a plot that was less like that of Episode IV.”
Star Wars has been loved for many years and this latest episode of the legendary series will make the love last even longer