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'Star Wars: The Force Awakens': Fans react to its premiere

'Force' premiered in Los Angeles on Dec. 14. The movie features the return of original 'Star Wars' actors like Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill as well as new actors like Daisy Ridley and John Boyega.

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'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' stars John Boyega.

With the Los Angeles premiere of the film, the world got its first real look at the upcoming movie 鈥淪tar Wars: The Force Awakens.鈥澛

鈥淔orce,鈥 which stars original series actors Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill and includes new faces like Daisy Ridley and John Boyega, premiered in Los Angeles on Dec. 14. It鈥檚 set to open nationwide on Dec. 18.聽

Some celebrity fans who attended shared their initial reactions on Twitter.

So how will everyone else react to the new movie? As 鈥淪tar Wars鈥 fans know, we鈥檝e been here before. In 1999, one of the most anticipated movies of all time, the kick-off to a new 鈥淪tar Wars鈥 series, debuted, but while it became one of the highest-grossing films of all time, 鈥淪tar Wars: Episode I 鈥 The Phantom Menace鈥 was not well-received by fans of the original movies or critics.聽

What鈥檚 different this time around? 鈥淧hantom鈥 was based on a pre-existing story, with fans aware that the movies would be telling the story of how Darth Vader became one of the most famous screen villains of all time.聽

This time, while those behind 鈥淔orce鈥 may have been inspired by the novels and other materials written about the post-鈥淪tar Wars: Episode VI 鈥 The Return of the Jedi鈥 world, the new movie is an original story.

In addition, original actors such as Ford, Fisher, and Hamill are returning rather than the new film being carried by a cast of newbies to the franchise.聽

Talent has changed behind the camera as well, with 鈥淪tar Wars鈥 director George Lucas, who directed and wrote all three prequel movies, not as involved with 鈥淔orce.鈥 鈥淔orce鈥 is directed by J.J. Abrams of the 鈥淪tar Trek鈥 film series and written by 鈥淪tar Wars: Episode V 鈥 The Empire Strikes Back鈥 co-writer Lawrence Kasdan, 鈥淭oy Story 3鈥 writer Michael Arndt, and Abrams.聽

鈥淔orce鈥 also arrives in a Hollywood that is enamored with the reboot. Properties from 鈥淭eenage Mutant Ninja Turtles鈥 to 鈥淪pider-Man鈥 have recently been reinvented. Remakes and sequels were a common part of 1999 Hollywood (one of the highest-grossing movies of the year was a remake of the horror movie 鈥淭he Mummy鈥), but the model of reinventing a franchise as frequently as it is done now (and within a short amount of years) hadn鈥檛 quite taken hold beyond series like the "Batman" movies.聽

This reboot strategy can result in badly received films like the newest 鈥淭erminator鈥 movie 鈥淭erminator Genisys,鈥 which came out this summer, but it can also revitalize a franchise. The first movie in Abrams鈥 own 鈥淪tar Trek鈥 film series, which was the first 鈥淭rek鈥 film in seven years, was well-received by fans and critics alike. Abrams鈥 second 鈥淭rek鈥 movie, 鈥淪tar Trek Into Darkness,鈥 was less well-received, however.

The superhero craze had also not yet fully taken hold when "Phantom" debuted, so Jedis didn鈥檛 have to battle with caped fighters for box office records. In order to become the highest-grossing movie of the year, 鈥淔orce鈥 is going up against such movies as 鈥淎vengers: Age of Ultron.鈥

The 鈥淪tar Wars鈥 series remains a more fanciful presence at the box office, though, because despite the fact that superhero movies have protagonists battling villains like 鈥淪tar Wars,鈥 the 鈥淪tar Wars鈥 films have their outer space setting to draw in fans, while most of the current superhero movies take place in areas like New York (though the space-set Marvel movie 鈥淕uardians of the Galaxy鈥 was an exception).

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