Disney released the highly anticipated latest installment of the “Star Wars franchise, “The Force Awakens,” in December. This movie came with both excitement and concerns from fans who watched “Star Wars” from the beginning, some as early as 1977 when the first “Star Wars” movie debuted.

I am not one of those fans. I do not know complicated storyline that developed over the previous six movies. I am stumped by the order of the movies. I am just not a follower of “Star Wars.” Wells, let’s say I wasn’t.

Disney and my “Star Wars”- groupie boyfriend are what got me sitting in the movie theater to watch a seventh installment of a movie series that I had never watched. My boyfriend previously tried to get me to watch the fourth movie, but not even half of an hour in, I was asleep.

“The Force Awakens” definitely did not disappoint. I knew a little about the characters and how they all tied together, but that was pretty much it.

The movie tied in old material and old characters, including Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker and other iconic characters and symbols from the previous films. There were also new characters, offering a future to the Jedi and a new storyline. There was enough information provided through dialogue between characters that I was able to follow the plot easily and was able to enjoy the movie without having watched the prior installments.

Parts of the movie had me gripping the armrests of the theater chairs and sitting on the edge of my seat. Naturally, “The Force Awakens” featured battle scenes occurring person-toperson and others involving spaceships. The battle scenes were not overly drawn out and were captivating, thanks to modern technology. Even with a serious and actionbased plot, comic relief was expertly sprinkled throughout the film. The jokes blended well into the dialogue and allowed a laugh in between intense moments.

I left with a greater appreciation for the story that is “Star Wars”. “The Force Awakens” left many questions unanswered, some of which point to the making of yet another film. The other questions that the movie left me with can only be answered by venturing to the galaxy far, far away that lives in the previous six movies.

Whether you are a diehard fan or just an avid movie watcher, I would suggest seeing “Star Wars” if you haven’t already. “The Force Awakens” lives up to the hype and anticipation that came with this movie and is hopefully just the beginning of building onto the “Star Wars” universe. And for those like me, you may walk away as a new “Star Wars” fan itching to get your hands on the previous movies.