A fantastic sequel, even if not bringing many new additions to the saga.

Rating: 9/10 (24 December 2015)

I'll begin by stating the obvious: It is far, far better than the prequels. For one, it has the trademark quick pace of the originals, organic dialogue, humour, surprises, intensity, drama, spirituality plus beautiful direction and solid, authentic acting.
If that's not enough to persuade you, let me be a bit more specific. The action sequences are breathtaking. The INTENSE light saber battle ranks amongst the finest of the series so far, only behind the V and VI duels. The X-Wing and TIE fighter battles are more furious than ever. And all of that without ugly, poorly used CGI. What more can you ask?
On the acting side, the newcomers are all wonderful and utterly convincing, unlike -again- the majority of the prequel performances. The old cast delivers what we all expected (solidly), while the robot BB-8 is the new comic relief of the series (alongside veterans C-3PO and R2- D2).
The direction is absorbing, featuring many scenes and shots that will become iconic and, of course, the lens flare is kept to an absolute minimum here. So, to all the Abram haters, don't be afraid! Proceed freely!
The only relative downside is that seasoned fans might feel a bit *too* nostalgic, as a lot of plot points are certainly rehashes of the original trilogy, making the film at times like a best-of collection. There are a couple COMPLETELY new additions, though: for the first time, and I'm NOT spoiling since the trailers show it clearly, we have a storm-trooper as a main protagonist and a female presence that's LEADING the film as opposed to Leia's more or less supportive role.
Not to mention that, even if the rest of the film may be considered a mash up of sorts, it's certainly the finest mash up I have witnessed in my life, because it uses the similar plot points to re-introduce the series and not because the makers are looking for a quick cash-in.