By: Conner Williams 
Editor in Chief

ATTENTION: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS, BUT SOME MAJOR PLOT POINTS HAVE BEEN INTENTIONALLY OMITTED

I’d like to start this review off by saying that I am a huge “Star Wars” fan; I bought my ticket to see “The Force Awakens” for the first showing available minutes after they went on sale. My friends and I arrived to the theater more than three hours early and hung out discussing our theories until the lights dimmed and our hearts began to race with anticipation.

I was utterly amazed. “The Force Awakens” was a roller coaster of emotions for me, filled with nostalgic moments and ones of sadness. I walked out of the theater in true awe, for one of my favorite series was back. I saw it again a second time days later, and loved it even more. But it wasn’t until the third time I saw it that I was able to put my crazed fanboy sense of pride aside and look at the movie for what it truly is.

Look, I liked the movie. The filmmakers used plenty of great props and costumes rather than CGI, which I thought was fantastic. It did a great job of providing viewers and long-time fans with plenty of nostalgic, emotional scenes that reminded us why we loved the series in the first place.

But that’s just the thing: I don’t need a reminder of why I love the series; I already know why I do. I wanted something new, something innovative, not the same plot with new characters and special effects.
And let’s be honest, things were way too easy for Rey. She goes from some nobody scavenger on a desert planet to one of the most powerful force users in the galaxy in a matter of hours (assuming the film’s plot occurs over the course of a day or two), pulling Jedi mind tricks without even knowing what they were beforehand, and beating a trained force-user in lightsaber combat (yes, I know he was injured, but I still find it hard to believe she got off without a scratch).

I also thought the film was a bit too comedic in some scenes that ought not to have been made funny. Kylo Ren gets informed of bad news and then throws a temper tantrum? All that does is make him seen less menacing. Now we have a laughable bad guy. The new droid (BB-8) served its purpose of comedic relief, but it seemed like there was just too much of it. “Star Wars” is traditionally lighthearted, but there are some aspects, like powerful force feats and all-powerful bad guys, that just should have been taken more seriously.

3 out of 4 paws.