Critics rating: 3.5 Stars

Cast: Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac.

Direction: JJ Abrams

Produced: Kathleen Kennedy, J. J. Abrams, Bryan Burk

Written: Lawrence Kasdan, J. J. Abrams, Michael Arndt

Genre: Action Flim

Duration: 136 Mins

The anticipation was already in the air. A box office wonder was in the making long before it hit the screens. When the Star Wars tune cued the slanted, introductory paragraphs, the whoops swept across every aisle in its own variation of a Mexican Wave. This is the stuff legends and legendary franchises are made of.

The odyssey continues in literal hyperdrive with the old guard and the new, with no Jar Jar Binks in sight. Still, the new adventure possesses the aftertaste of something just a little stale despite the repackaging.

Rey (Daisy Ridley) is a young scavenger, relentlessly picking away at abandoned space ships to eke out her own living. During a moment of rest, she hears the beep of BB-8. It’s a tennis ball of a droid, escaping the dark forces of the First Order, commanded by Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). BB-8 is entrusted with a map of Luke Skywalker’s whereabouts by the Resistance pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac).

Rey finds the droid. She also finds Finn (John Boyega), a former Stormtrooper who wants to flee not just his past but from the system. He’s also keen to run with Rey. In a subversive move, Rey does not like being held by the hand as they dodge foes together. Ultimately, they converge in a series of battles and the final face-off with the bad guys. It’s essentially following the template of Episode IV: A New Hope.

The Force Awakens feels a little been-there-seen-that because it hits all the expected notes. However, the story remains bolstered by great performances and writing. Right now, the story is a set-up and a showcase of the fresh faces, who hold their own against the original cast. Harrison Ford remains the best of the lot, carrying the rakish scoundrel veneer with the burden of regret. A princess and the two droids make their appearances too, but there is little to elaborate upon a film that has much to keep under wraps (even if the internet is determined to ruin it).

It is evident, though, that the trilogy will gather steam from Episode VIII when the Jedi, the Force and the retribution will all come together for a galactic showdown.

Come for the nostalgia, stay for the visuals. The Force may have awakened but so has the franchise after the underwhelming prequels.