By Ben Haylett, broadcast team

The latest entry into the Star Wars saga, Episode VII: The Force Awakens is an excellent addition to our beloved series.

The Force Awakens follows a girl on a desert planet who finds a droid holding an object that will help the good guys defeat the bad guys. While delivering the object, she meets an older man who helps her on her

journey. This man dies at the hands of our villain. Our heroes then go on to destroy a giant space station that has the power to destroy planets.

Sound familiar? Well it should, because the entire movie is almost a complete carbon copy of Star Wars: A New Hope, the first Star Wars movie. The similarities don’t end there. Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Princess Leia all make appearances and are main characters.

An added layer of story lines and new characters are what set The Force Awakens apart from earlier entries in the series. The other six movies in the Star Wars saga are more objective based than character based, while The Force Awakens creates a personal bond with the newly introduced characters and builds our interest in them throughout the movie. This brand of characterization is something the series hasn’t seen before, and it shows what kind of differences J.J. Abrams, the director of The Force Awakens, is making to the series.

The actions scenes leave nothing to be desired. Epic space battles, and an amazing lightsaber fight to top everything off rounds out the movie. Battle scenes are very special effects intensive. These effects look very polished, and are much better than those from the prequel trilogy. The design of the buildings, ships, and weapons harken back to the original trilogy, and fit perfectly in the canon of the series.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a great film. Its non-stop pace keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire movie, and it is an appropriate film for a family movie night.