The following review contains no significant spoilers.

“Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens” was easily the most highly anticipated film to release last year, promising to revive the beloved franchise and bring it back to the filmmaking style that first captured the hearts of audiences in 1977. This is a high standard to live up to, and I’m happy to say that the film is a triumphant success.

“They were obviously trying very much to be one of the original films themselves. They did a lot right for sure,” said junior Kyeran Bishop.

Everything down to the screeching of a TIE fighter or the humming of a lightsaber looks and sounds just like one of the original classics, and there’s never a moment where the film doesn’t “feel” like “Star Wars”. It’s clear that director J.J. Abrams’s goal was simply to make another “Star Wars” movie, and while he undeniably succeeded, there are admittedly times when you can’t help but wish he took perhaps a bit more risks and introduced more ideas of his own.

Much of the film’s plot is, to be frank, identical to “Episode IV: A New Hope”. While this can be slightly irksome at times, the film still remains enjoyable throughout the entirety of its runtime.

Highlights from the film include its characters such as antagonist Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver, who provides an interesting new approach to a classic “Star Wars” character trope, and stormtrooper-gone-resistance hero Finn, played by John Boyega. Cast members from the original films also return, with Harrison Ford’s Han Solo in particular being every bit the lovable rogue that he was thirty years ago.

While the film is somewhat lacking in original content, I’m happy to say that it still lives up to its very high expectations.

“Star Wars” is back, and I can’t wait to see what it has to offer in the future.