8.3/10
488,562
3,625 user 732 critic

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)

Trailer
0:46 | Trailer

Get Showtimes

In 2 theaters near Frankfurt HE DE [change]

Three decades after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, a new threat arises. The First Order attempts to rule the galaxy and only a ragtag group of heroes can stop them, along with the help of the Resistance.

Director:

Popularity
7 ( 2)
Top Rated Movies #113 | Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 26 wins & 94 nominations. See more awards »
Learn more

People who liked this also liked... 

Action | Adventure | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.7/10 X  

Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a wookiee and two droids to save the galaxy from the Empire's world-destroying battle-station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the evil Darth Vader.

Director: George Lucas
Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
Action | Adventure | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.8/10 X  

After the rebels have been brutally overpowered by the Empire on their newly established base, Luke Skywalker takes advanced Jedi training with Master Yoda, while his friends are pursued by Darth Vader as part of his plan to capture Luke.

Director: Irvin Kershner
Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
Action | Adventure | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.4/10 X  

After rescuing Han Solo from the palace of Jabba the Hutt, the rebels attempt to destroy the second Death Star, while Luke struggles to make Vader return from the dark side of the Force.

Director: Richard Marquand
Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.1/10 X  

A group of intergalactic criminals are forced to work together to stop a fanatical warrior from taking control of the universe.

Director: James Gunn
Stars: Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper
Action | Adventure | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.6/10 X  

During the near end of the clone wars, Darth Sidious has revealed himself and is ready to execute the last part of his plan to rule the Galaxy. Sidious is ready for his new apprentice, Lord... See full summary »

Director: George Lucas
Stars: Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor
Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.1/10 X  

A woman rebels against a tyrannical ruler in postapocalyptic Australia in search for her home-land with the help of a group of female prisoners, a psychotic worshipper, and a drifter named Max.

Director: George Miller
Stars: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult
Deadpool (2016)
Action | Adventure | Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.3/10 X  

A former Special Forces operative turned mercenary is subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopting the alter ego Deadpool.

Director: Tim Miller
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller
The Revenant (2015)
Adventure | Drama | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.2/10 X  

A frontiersman on a fur trading expedition in the 1820s fights for survival after being mauled by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting team.

Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Will Poulter
Action | Adventure | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.5/10 X  

Two Jedi Knights escape a hostile blockade to find allies and come across a young boy who may bring balance to the Force, but the long dormant Sith resurface to reclaim their old glory.

Director: George Lucas
Stars: Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman
Action | Adventure | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.7/10 X  

Ten years after initially meeting, Anakin Skywalker shares a forbidden romance with Padmé, while Obi-Wan investigates an assassination attempt on the Senator and discovers a secret clone army crafted for the Jedi.

Director: George Lucas
Stars: Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor
The Martian (2015)
Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.1/10 X  

During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.

Director: Ridley Scott
Stars: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig
Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.5/10 X  

When Tony Stark and Bruce Banner try to jump-start a dormant peacekeeping program called Ultron, things go horribly wrong and it's up to Earth's Mightiest Heroes to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plans.

Director: Joss Whedon
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
...
...
Rey
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Edit

Storyline

30 years after the defeat of Darth Vader and the Empire, Rey, a scavenger from the planet Jakku, finds a BB-8 droid that knows the whereabouts of the long lost Luke Skywalker. Rey, as well as a rogue stormtrooper and two smugglers, are thrown into the middle of a battle between the Resistance and the daunting legions of the First Order. Written by Noah White

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Every generation has a story. See more »


Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
Edit

Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

18 December 2015 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Star Wars: The Force Awakens  »

Box Office

Budget:

$200,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$247,966,675 (USA) (18 December 2015)

Gross:

$934,898,148 (USA) (1 April 2016)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See  »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

Anakin Skywalker's blue-bladed lightsaber is the only lightsaber to be seen in all three Star Wars trilogies, to this point. See more »

Goofs

When Luke Skywalker reaches up to pull back his hood, his robes are stitched together at the shoulder (apparently to prevent slipping off with hands raised). In the next scene the stitching is gone. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Lor San Tekka: This will begin to make things right.
See more »

Crazy Credits

The first "Thank You" credit (usually dedicated to benefactors of the film or to organizations or locations that gave permission for filming/technical advice/support) is dedicated to "The patient family and friends of the cast and crew." See more »


Soundtracks

Maz's Counsel
Written by John Williams
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Star Wars: Bastardized, Rebooted, and Redefined (for adolescents)
20 December 2015 | by (United States) – See all my reviews

Have you ever disagreed with someone about the quality of a production so intensely that you've wondered if the two of you even watched the same film? I'm sorry, everyone in the world, I thought The Force Awakens was a real snoozer. I'm not surprised that my eight year old nephew loved it, but I can't for the life of me figure out why the degree-holding adults I associate with aren't offended at what we've been offered by Abrams as the continuation of the world's foremost loved space epic.

Essentially what it feels like is a reboot of the original series, except this time for kids (no surprise there, Disney), not a meaningful continuation that picks up where the originals left off. Although I did start having my doubts about my future satisfaction with the Star Wars franchise when Disney made its Star Wars paraphernalia so pervasive that one morning I found myself unconsciously buttering my toast with DeathStar Margarine Spread©. Yeah—head trip, but I got over it.

There was virtually zero discussion within the movie itself as to what happened after episode Vl and how we got to where we are now, making this production feel like a desperate lurch to be a stand-alone and to appeal to an audience who is too young to have appreciated the Spice Girls let alone the originals. This direction may be satisfying for some, but for those of us who were expecting more we may find ourselves doused in dissatisfaction. Furthermore, I was saddened by the obvious deficiency surrounding the exploration of the mythology of the Force. One of the elements that so intrigued viewers about the originals was the underlying spirituality and the metaphysical forces at play within the Star Wars universe; however, in this version of Star Wars Abrams seems to care more about the characters ceaselessly running away from things and having meaningless, often silly conversation (like in one scene the character Finn asks Rey in the goofiest way possible if she has a boyfriend—I laughed but I was so ashamed) instead of exploring the depths of some of the most intriguing supernatural philosophy in all of moviedom. However, this fact is not surprising as the masses seem to be entertained predominantly by action, comedy, flashing lights, and explosions, not exploring the psychological latitudes of light and dark within the human soul, and definitely not sitting through slow scenes of dialogue which could (God forbid) give us an understanding of the depths of the Star Wars legend and mystery. I suppose in this regard (and in too many others) Abrams gave the people what they wanted.

Not only was the confined exploration of the Force disappointing but so was the serious lack of emotional poignancy. At no point, AT LITERALLY NO POINT, did I feel sad, frustrated, anxious, worried, or exhilarated during its belabored two hours and sixteen minutes. The characters felt like they could be potentially cloned from any PG-13 teen movie you've seen since Twilight hijacked the world and forced it's twisted, disgusting version of acceptable adolescent stereotypes upon us. You could almost swap out the light-sabers, tie-fighters, and storm troopers and you'd have a great sequel to whatever the hell number Hunger Games we're on these days (because that's how interesting the rest of the plot was).

Another thing that really annoyed me was the way in which the galaxy was too American. Of course I get it, it was made by Hollywood IT IS American, but guys, this is supposed to be in a GALAXY FAR AWAY, so why was there very little attempt made to try and hide that? Between the all too familiar mannerisms, jokes, and language I just couldn't fully suspend my disbelief. In my opinion, the originals managed to avoid most overt use of cultural indicators, I mean sure, it's impossible to avoid all due to obvious limitations, but watch the main character Finn carefully during the movie and you'll see that he's dripping with 21st century western American dude. Like literally drenched. Where was the otherworldly authenticity among the main characters?

Of course it wasn't all bad. The visuals were beautiful, much of the topography and effects were breathtaking, and I have to admit that I did feel pangs of nostalgia over any scene that included an X-wing, but overall it wasn't enough. Really a lot of what it comes down to is expectation (and perhaps a sprinkle of intelligent awareness). So many people have told me that they went into it not expecting too much and that they had "fun" watching it; and then there's me sitting here thinking: what on Tatooine are they talking about? With all the media hype this film received, not to mention the disappointment of the prequels, I was expecting a hell of a lot out of this movie, and simple "fun" ain't gonna cut it. Abrams seemed to have carved the profundity and soul out of Star Wars with a lightsaber— the same soul we've been waiting to enter our lives again ever since the prequels ruined them.

The Force Awakens was half way there, but it felt forced (pun intended), shallow, in need of a more refined plot, more mature characters, a deeper spirituality, moral complexity and depth; it needed to resonate more deeply with the IMPORTANT themes of the original, and to not have felt like a chaste teen romance with some old faces in there used like a box office tractor beam. If you're content with having your childhood favorite epic turned into a lovable, easily digestible icon of twenty-first century pop culture, marketed intentionally at young people to delight, entertain (and make many million corporate dollars) whilst simultaneously causing you to cringe at the fact that the original actors are okay with such a disservice to a time-proved story then you will love the continuation of this franchise!

May the force save us from this trilogy.


1,984 of 3,567 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

Message Boards

Recent Posts
Is Kylo Ren as we see him in TFA a "deep character"? ira_gaines
Wow... snmcfadden3
Kylo ren is more interesting than episode iv darth vader snmcfadden3
Genetics Question annmason-44849
RIP Erik Bauersfeld Deepest Condolances Ackbars homergreg
Back to the roots with flaws menippus_lycaon

Contribute to This Page