The Force Awakens Was Actually The Perfect Start For Disney’s Star Wars Era

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The Disney era of Star Wars has been a mixed bag and that’s putting it nicely. Longtime fans have been upset that things haven’t gone the way they hoped and some projects were hated by them. Other times, it has been the critics who haven’t liked what has been put out. Regardless of where you stand on these films and TV shows, the consensus is that some have been great and some have missed the mark in a major way.

Many fans consider the series Andor to be the best Star Wars story ever made, with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Maul – Shadow Lord also being popular. However, other installments like The Last Jedi, The Book of Boba Fett, and The Rise of Skywalker have been met with criticism or disappointment. This inconsistency has made it difficult for the franchise to build lasting momentum.

However, the Disney era got off to a great start because of Star Wars – The Force Awakens. Some fans have soured on the film in the years since, yet there are a lot of reasons why The Force Awakens was actually an ideal start for this new era.

The Force Awakens Is A Great Movie

Okay, so as a huge Star Wars fan, I think The Force Awakens was a brilliant move by Disney to kick off their run with the franchise, and honestly, it’s just a really good movie! Critics loved it – it’s sitting pretty at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is amazing. But what’s even cooler is that regular moviegoers seemed to feel the same way, with an 84% audience score. That means it really connected with everyone! In fact, that 93% critic score puts it right up there with The Empire Strikes Back as one of the best in the whole series.

The Force Awakens successfully recaptures the grand scope that defined the original Star Wars films. While the story isn’t quite as strong as the first movies, it still feels like a significant and satisfying addition to the saga – exactly what fans were hoping for. The film is elevated by excellent acting from both the new cast members, like Daisy Ridley and John Boyega, and the returning stars, including Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher. It also skillfully establishes a fresh direction for the franchise.

The Film Perfectly Introduces Our New Trio Of Heroes

The original Star Wars trilogy famously gave us a trio of heroes who became iconic. Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo are legends in pop culture and this sequel trilogy had a tall task to create new characters who could maybe one day become as big. In the end, that didn’t happen, yet The Force Awakens got those three main characters, Rey, Finn, and Poe, off to tremendous starts.

Rey was such an intriguing protagonist because she was seemingly a random person. She wasn’t a chosen one and she wasn’t related to anyone important (that was eventually changed in a move that most fans hated), showing that not everything had to be tied to the same original core characters. The idea that our new hero could stand alone and not be connected to the Skywalkers was a cool concept. She was oddly better at certain things than she had any right to be, though the same could be said of Luke in A New Hope.

Oscar Isaac was incredibly charismatic as Poe Dameron, who felt like the closest thing we had to a new Han Solo. Again, he’s a character who the sequels let down, yet The Force Awakens gave him a fun introduction and set up a key relationship with Finn. Speaking of Finn, he was the most interesting aspect of this film. A former Stormtrooper who switched sides to the Resistance after understanding the cruelty of the First Order is the kind of fresh take the franchise needed from a key character.

The Force Awakens Has The Right Amount Of Nostalgia

Many recent sequels have been criticized for relying too much on familiar characters and moments from the past. The new Star Wars film, The Force Awakens, could have fallen into that trap by bringing back a lot of Han Solo, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, and the droids. But the filmmakers wisely held back, and that choice ultimately benefited the series.

Okay, let me tell you, seeing Han and Chewie stumble upon the Millennium Falcon again was a highlight of The Force Awakens. And the way they bonded with Rey and Finn? Perfect. But it was Han’s death at the hands of Kylo Ren that really struck me – a genuinely powerful moment that felt like a fitting end to his arc, and instantly made Kylo someone you loved to hate. We also got a lovely reunion between Han and Leia, though Luke’s appearance was brief, reserved for setting up what’s to come. It all felt very intentional and well-executed.

Instead of simply leaning on familiar feelings, the film cleverly uses nostalgia to enrich its story and deepen its characters – a perfect example of how nostalgia can enhance a narrative.

Problems Started With The Rest Of The Sequel Trilogy

Honestly, I think things started going downhill with Star Wars after The Force Awakens came out. The Last Jedi really divided people – a lot of us long-time fans were pretty upset with some of the choices they made. Things like how Leia survived in space, Luke giving up on being a Jedi, and the way they killed off Snoke just didn’t sit right with many of us. Even though critics seemed to like it, the fan backlash was loud, and people are still talking about it today. Disney definitely heard us, and it felt like they reacted to all the complaints.

With The Rise of Skywalker, the filmmakers reversed many of the choices made in The Last Jedi, aiming for a more satisfying experience for fans. However, this led to a confusing story with questionable decisions, like the unexplained return of Emperor Palpatine and the contrived connection between Rey and him. While audiences initially reacted more positively than critics, opinions have since turned negative as well.

Despite its flaws, the prequel trilogy felt like a connected series of films. The sequel trilogy, however, struggled to feel unified, with each movie seeming to pursue a different path. The Force Awakens introduced a new setting and characters, The Last Jedi attempted a bold new direction, and The Rise of Skywalker felt hurried and focused on fixing perceived mistakes. The Force Awakens was the most successful, effectively launching the new trilogy, even though the overall series didn’t live up to its potential.

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2026-05-22 15:38