THE hotly anticipated latest addition in the “Star Wars” franchise, “The Force Awakens,” has had its world premiere in Los Angeles.

    Stars from the original series, including Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher, joined newcomers such as John Boyega and Daisy Ridley.

    The plot of the film remains a closely guarded secret and a media embargo on reviews is in place until Wednesday.

    But some reviewers did post positive, if brief, comments on Twitter.

    Adam B Vary, senior film reporter for Buzzfeed, tweeted: “Rest easy: TheForceAwakens is 100% StarWars,” while LA Times film writer, Rebecca Keegan, wrote, “Story, characters, design, humor — StarWars fans, this is the movie you’re looking for.”

    Her colleague Steve Zeitchik tweeted, “From comedy to costumes, fights to fx to overall feel, JJ Abrams has created a thoroughly old-fashioned movie.” And actor Rob Lowe was also enthusiastic, tweeting, “There’s a new hero in town, in a movie that DELIVERS. Cried like a baby, whooped like a teen!”

    Actress Elizabeth Banks, who attended the premiere, was also impressed. She tweeted, “StarWarsForceAwakens totally delivers no spoilers I repeat no spoilers again no spoilers just wow.”

    According to Matthew Belloni, executive editor at Hollywood Reporter and Billboard, one man was forcibly removed from the premiere.

    Fans had been camping out for days outside the TCL Chinese Theatre, which along with other LA venues screened the seventh “Star Wars” instalment. Security was tight, with a giant tent shrouding the red carpet.

    The TCL Chinese Theatre, formerly known as Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, showed the first Star Wars movie in 1977.

    More than 150 fans lined up to buy tickets for the first public screenings of “Episode VII” on Thursday but they got a surprise when they were all invited into one of the three cinemas showing the premiere.

    (SD-Agencies)