'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' spoiler-free review
[MUSIC]
There are stories about what happened.
It's true, all of it.
The wait is over, the verdict.
is in.
With me is my c|net colleague, Rich Trenholm, he has seen The Force Awakens and he's here to offer his expert opinion.
Now, we are avoiding plot spoilers here, and Rich is well aware of the consequences of giving too much away.
Oh, that reminds me, actually, there's this really good bit right at the end
[SOUND] So Force Awakens puts Star Wars back on our screens, but decades after the original and with a new director, Rich does it still feel like Star Wars?>>Well the force is strong with this one you'll be glad to hear.
It very much goes back to the original trilogy, the original Star Wars Trilogy and the kind of the classic DNA.
In fact, it's almost like a A greatest hits of Star Wars really.
It starts off with a young dreamer on a desert planet, and a plucky droid entrusted with important information.
And even though the empire was destroyed at the end of Return of the Jedi, you still got armies of storm troopers and you've got snooty aristocratic officers and then the bad guys are led by this masked
[MUSIC]
Black clad, denizen of the dark side.
It feels very much like classic Star Wars.
So in the prequel trilogy, there was perhaps an over-reliance on computer effects that didn't go down terribly well with lots of Star Wars fans.
Tell me Rich, about the look and the feel of the new film.
Well, I mean obviously there is a lot of CGI in them, but, again, they have gone back to the classic feel of the original trilogy.
So that this cavalcade of great creatures and aliens and monsters and robots were all done in a very physical way in camera, with lots of great prosthetics and makeup and all that kind of thing.
It looks absolutely fantastic.
It's got a real old school feel to it.
It feels really real.
You're really in that of world.
With one unfortunate glare exception.
I can't tell you too much because it's something that's not been in the trailers but there's a very major character who done entirely in CGI and it really, really stands out from the crowd of the other creatures that's done so well and so kind of so physically.
Which is a real shame I think.
The Force Awakens introduces new characters alongside old familiar faces from the original trilogy.
What are the new characters like and could they ever be beloved as Han, Chewie, and the gang?
Yeah I think so.
Yeah.
It's absolutely fantastic to see the old faces again.
It's great to see Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher step back into their old roles.
It's almost like they've never been away but at the same time yeah the new characters they're really really interesting, they're fun and they're compelling and they've got interesting stories of their own and I think it's gonna be really interesting to see how those stories unfold and kinda carry this new trilogy forward into the future.
Okay Rich so to sum up having seen Force Awakens how are you now feeling about a new trilogy and a new generation of Star Wars films?
Well, I've got a good feeling about this.
So that's what Rich thought.
You can catch the Force Awakens in theatres galaxy wide.
And when you have seen it, do let us know what you thought.
All right that's all for now, and stay tuned to cnet.
Apple TV Just Leveled Up with the RetroArch App
Up Next
Apple TV Just Leveled Up with the RetroArch App
I Tried Three Fitness Apps to Help My Postpartum Recovery
I Tried Three Fitness Apps to Help My Postpartum Recovery
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Ultimate Good Lock Tips and Tricks
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Ultimate Good Lock Tips and Tricks
Did a Week With the Apple Watch Make Me Use My iPhone Less?
Did a Week With the Apple Watch Make Me Use My iPhone Less?
How Google Tests the Cameras in Its Pixel Phones
How Google Tests the Cameras in Its Pixel Phones
Boston Dynamics Retires Its HD Atlas Robot
Boston Dynamics Retires Its HD Atlas Robot
What's the Future of Phones? Expert vs. AI
What's the Future of Phones? Expert vs. AI
I Touched Disney's HoloTile Floor: Behind the Scenes at Imagineering
I Touched Disney's HoloTile Floor: Behind the Scenes at Imagineering
Can I Live With a Nokia Flip Phone in 2024?
Can I Live With a Nokia Flip Phone in 2024?
How Google Captures 3D Images for Immersive View
How Google Captures 3D Images for Immersive View
Tech Shows
The Apple Core
The Apple Core
Alphabet City
Alphabet City
CNET Top 5
CNET Top 5
The Daily Charge
The Daily Charge
What the Future
What the Future
Tech Today
Tech Today
Cooley On Cars
Cooley On Cars
Carfection
Carfection
The Apple Core
The Apple Core
Alphabet City
Alphabet City
CNET Top 5
CNET Top 5
The Daily Charge
The Daily Charge
What the Future
What the Future
Tech Today
Tech Today
Cooley On Cars
Cooley On Cars
Carfection
Carfection
Latest News
Klipsch Flexus Soundbars: Which One is Right for You?
Klipsch Flexus Soundbars: Which One is Right for You?
Unitree G1 vs. Boston Dynamics Atlas: Hypermobility in Humanoid Robots
Unitree G1 vs. Boston Dynamics Atlas: Hypermobility in Humanoid Robots
Apple TV Just Leveled Up with the RetroArch App
Apple TV Just Leveled Up with the RetroArch App
Everything Announced at Microsoft Build 2024
Everything Announced at Microsoft Build 2024
Sonos Ace Headphones Get Set to Take on the AirPods Max (First Look)
Sonos Ace Headphones Get Set to Take on the AirPods Max (First Look)
Microsoft Announces First Surface Copilot Plus PCs Powered by Qualcomm
Microsoft Announces First Surface Copilot Plus PCs Powered by Qualcomm
Everything Announced at Microsoft's Surface Copilot Plus PC Event
Everything Announced at Microsoft's Surface Copilot Plus PC Event
Android 15: See New Features in Action
Android 15: See New Features in Action
If Apple Makes Siri Like ChatGPT or Gemini, I'm Done
If Apple Makes Siri Like ChatGPT or Gemini, I'm Done
Bose SoundLink Max Review: How Does It Compare to the Cheaper SoundLink Flex?
Bose SoundLink Max Review: How Does It Compare to the Cheaper SoundLink Flex?
Klipsch Flexus Soundbars: Which One is Right for You?
Klipsch Flexus Soundbars: Which One is Right for You?
Unitree G1 vs. Boston Dynamics Atlas: Hypermobility in Humanoid Robots
Unitree G1 vs. Boston Dynamics Atlas: Hypermobility in Humanoid Robots
Apple TV Just Leveled Up with the RetroArch App
Apple TV Just Leveled Up with the RetroArch App
Everything Announced at Microsoft Build 2024
Everything Announced at Microsoft Build 2024
Sonos Ace Headphones Get Set to Take on the AirPods Max (First Look)
Sonos Ace Headphones Get Set to Take on the AirPods Max (First Look)
Microsoft Announces First Surface Copilot Plus PCs Powered by Qualcomm
Microsoft Announces First Surface Copilot Plus PCs Powered by Qualcomm
Everything Announced at Microsoft's Surface Copilot Plus PC Event
Everything Announced at Microsoft's Surface Copilot Plus PC Event
Android 15: See New Features in Action
Android 15: See New Features in Action
If Apple Makes Siri Like ChatGPT or Gemini, I'm Done
If Apple Makes Siri Like ChatGPT or Gemini, I'm Done
Bose SoundLink Max Review: How Does It Compare to the Cheaper SoundLink Flex?