J.J. Abrams made The Ultimate Star Wars sequel. This is the film you are looking for.

Rating: 10/10 (27 July 2017)

What J.J. Abrams achieved is astonishing, and something to remember for all eternity. I can't talk about specific things, because this is like the ultimate spoiler film, but...
The story is perfect, yes it shares a few plot lines with episode IV, but the film is so original and creative, taking those plot lines to new surprising directions and adding so much new stuff. I mean they have so much to explain on the next films, which is exciting, because to me the ultimate franchise, is one where each film answers as many questions as it raises, so that you have mysteries and things to really looking for, to discover to be surprised.
The pace of this film is amazing, it's fast paced but in such a great and complete way.
The new main characters shine like the sun. They are lovable from the first frame, and instantly iconic, each representing so much. Especially the two main leads, and even more Rey, as she truly is what this franchise needed, a huge female character besides Leia. The villain is more than perfect, and he has the power and potential to be even bigger than Darth Vader (even so, Darth Vader will always be Darth Vader). But BB-8 probably stands as my favorite new character, because hes so awesome, but if it weren't him, i would either go with Rey or Finn, probably Rey. And Maz Kanata is so cool. And of course there's the original characters, but i cant talk about that. And there's a ton more of new characters, the screenplay focus on the characters needed for the current story, while presenting tons more, that make you wanting to see more of them, and when their time comes you will.
One of the main reasons these new characters are so great, is the actors that perform them. They all give performances so perfect you just feel like this is the best casting ever made. These actors, especially the leads, will have some of the biggest careers ever. Of the original actors, Harrison Ford shines the most, and gives probably his best performance as Han Solo yet, i mean he's just so amazing.
And a curious thing, these time the stormtroopers hit everything, and they are so surprisingly lethal and menacing! There's genius humour to spare, almost everyone (even the Dark Side) gets to make brilliant jokes. But Harrison, Chewbacca, Finn and BB-8 are in this order the ones that make you laugh the most. There's also many jokes made out of references to the older movies, that are so funny. And this film made something really iconic, there's tons of cameos of big stars throughout the film, that are almost impossible to see at first, but brilliant when you see them. You can make a game out of who can spot the most cameos.
But obviously there's also tons of emotional heft, and drama, done in one of the most natural ways I've ever seen, you will cry a lot, not only for the nostalgia factor, (which is really big) but because the film really is something you can relate to, and there's so many powerful scenes and a constant sense of emotional heft.
And then there's the action, my favorite scene is the first with the millennium falcon, which is one of the best action scenes ever made. There's plenty of action, and they are all perfect, original, creative, and so much more. They are so perfectly and thrillingly choreographed! I could talk about forever about how great the action is. One of the reasons, is the way J.J shot them, there's so many iconic camera movements here, is astonishing, i've never seen anything like this.
There's so many great vistas, sets and new planets, and the Starkiller Base is, well, the most awesome thing ever, It makes the Death Star look like a SPA.
There's so many iconic shots, so beautiful they can make you cry of joy. The cinematography is brilliant. The production values are through the roof. The visual and practical effects are so great you just think there are no effects and its all real. Really give them an Oscar already! The score is as great as you would expect from John Williams, even though there are no distinctive iconic themes like the ones we already know. The sound is also amazing, even though there are some new effects that could have been different (the ones from the blasters) but, give them an Oscar already!
This is the ultimate Star wars sequel, filled with mind blowing twists (get ready for the mother of all twists), brilliant writing, comedy, action, iconic characters everything you could wish for in a star wars movie. J.J. Abrams really has to get all the credit possible for what he did, because its just everything you want and them more. It's about honoring the past while setting the future, and the new cast/characters can continue the legacy in the best way possible.
I've rarely seen a film where everything is so perfect. You just will want more and more and more. This is one of the best films of all time, and the next one has all the ingredients to be even bigger). The first is the first, so i probably put this one as my favorite next to episode IV. Also, if this film will break all records at the box office, thanks to the film itself, but the cliffhanger ending in special, episode VIII is bound to break all of this films records.
This is an experience without equal, one to be seen as many times as you can, because it will only get better each time.