--- title: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/star-wars-the-force-awakens/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/star-wars-the-force-awakens" critics_score: 83 critics_reviews: 13 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015): what the critics said Critics' score 83 from 13 reviews: 12 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. Nearly every critic comes away pleased, and the reviews agree on why. The film returns to the spirit of the original trilogy after the prequels: fast, funny, and made with visible affection. The praise clusters on the new cast, with Daisy Ridley’s Rey named most often and John Boyega and Adam Driver close behind. One review finds the acting stronger than in any earlier Star Wars film, and the BB-8 droid gets a warm mention. Reservations cluster on how much the film leans on nostalgia. Several critics note the callbacks; The Wrap goes further and says Abrams has more or less remade the first film, and Film Comment finds the second half runs out of tension for the same reason. Pacing draws a few complaints, as do underused characters, Poe Dameron among them. The spread is narrow, with the Los Angeles Times the only real dissent, finding the film erratic and only intermittently successful, with Harrison Ford its strongest element. ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Rating 5/5. 16 December 2015. The critic praises the film as exciting, spectacular and seductively innocent, noting it re-awoke his love of the original and turned his inner fanboy into his outer fanboy. He singles out the joyful, immersive battle scenes and the new heroine Rey for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/dec/16/star-wars-the-force-awakens-review) ## The Telegraph — Robbie Collin Rating 5/5. 17 December 2015. The critic calls the film enormously and exhilaratingly fun, with bold storytelling that surges straight to the heart. He singles out the nostalgic yet fresh narrative, beautifully styled planets and measured pacing for praise. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/star-wars-the-force-awakens/review/) ## Time Out — Joshua Rothkopf Rating 5/5. 16 December 2015. The critic calls it a thrilling, playful masterly revival of old themes that delivers first-rate mega-Hollywood adventure and the rollicking spirit of the original trilogy. They single out the strong performances (better acting than in prior Star Wars films), the expressive BB-8 droid, and a standout scene with Kylo Ren for praise. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/london/film/star-wars-the-force-awakens) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 16 December 2015. The critic calls it the best Star Wars film in at least 32 years, infusing the franchise with new energy and life while reviving classic pleasures and hinting at promising directions. They highlight the shift toward a Spielberg-Indiana Jones tone, strong performances, and effective setup for sequels. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/star-wars-force-awakens-review-848963/) ## Variety — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 16 December 2015. The critic deems it a rousing, restorative chapter that brings energy, warmth and excitement back to the franchise while noting its heavy reliance on nostalgia and callbacks. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/star-wars-review-the-force-awakens-1201661978/) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 16 December 2015. The review finds it robustly entertaining and a satisfying mixture of rollicking mythmaking and fan service that delivers a properly swashbuckling Star Wars adventure after the prequels. It singles out the new energy from fresh characters and top-notch effects alongside the bridge it builds to future films for praise, while noting some tonal unevenness. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/star-wars-the-force-awakens-review/5098043.article) ## Total Film Rating 4/5. 16 December 2015. The critic calls it a worthy successor to the original trilogy that nails the balance of reverence and fresh storytelling, delivering surprises, strong character moments, and emotional highs while transporting viewers back to the magic of Star Wars. Minor complaints include underused elements like Poe Dameron and imperfect realization of Snoke. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/star-wars-force-awakens-review/) ## Film Comment — Michael Sragow Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 November 2015. The critic praises Daisy Ridley’s Rey as a fresh, energetic new star who elevates the film, along with the strong chemistry among the new cast and some inventive visual moments. However, Abrams struggles to sustain tension or originality in the second half, relying too heavily on recycling elements from the original trilogy and Empire Strikes Back. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/deep-focus-star-wars-the-force-awakens/) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 December 2015. The critic calls the film good and praises its balance of nostalgic favorites like Harrison Ford with new kinetic energy and human-scale characters and sensibility. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/18/movies/star-wars-the-force-awakens-review.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 16 December 2015. The review finds the film an improvement over the prequels but erratic and only intermittently successful, hailing Harrison Ford’s full-fledged leading role as its strongest element. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-star-wars-force-awakens-review-20151217-column.html) ## Polygon — Katherine McLaughlin Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 16 December 2015. The critic praises J.J. Abrams for nailing the rhythm and wit of the original Star Wars films in a majestic and enlightened return to the galaxy. They single out the new cast members' moving performances and the film's balance of invigorating spectacle with grounded human drama. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/2015/12/16/10313164/star-wars-the-force-awakens-review) ## Den of Geek — Ryan Lambie Rating 4/5. 16 December 2015. The critic highlights the film’s return to the spirit of the original trilogy through clever visual storytelling, strong performances from the new cast (especially Ridley, Boyega, and Driver), and an infectious sense of fun and adventure. Minor flaws in pacing and under-used returning characters are noted but do not detract from its overall success as an entertaining sequel. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/star-wars-the-force-awakens-review-2/) ## The Wrap — Alonso Duralde Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 16 December 2015. The critic notes that J.J. Abrams essentially remakes the original Star Wars, bringing back familiar elements and characters while introducing new ones effectively. He praises the engaging new cast and the avoidance of prequel pitfalls, though mentions some pacing issues. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/star-wars-the-force-awakens-review-j-j-abrams-harrison-ford-daisy-ridley/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/star-wars-the-force-awakens.md