Well, it worked for me

Rating: 10/10 (18 December 2015)

It is over 30 years (or the galactic equivalent) since the evil Empire was overturned and democracy returned to the galaxy (it's still a long, long time ago, though). A New Order has arisen from the ashes of the Empire and a planet-scale Death Star has been constructed. Luke Skywalker has not been seen for years after his Jedi apprentice turned to the dark side of the Force, adopting the masked identity of Kylo Ren. When a conscience-stricken stormtrooper deserts, and then joins up with a strangely skilled girl from nowhere and a droid with hidden secrets, we are in territory which is both unknown and yet strangely familiar.
30 years after the original Star Wars trilogy, we return to a galaxy where real time has passed while we were away. Time shows that those first three films were, perhaps, not quite as wonderful as we thought they were at the time, although they still hold magic, and are noticeably better than the effects-laden but dry, dusty and heartless prequels which Lucas turned out later. And now, in the hands of Disney, JJ Abrams helms a true sequel. But is it any good? It benefits enormously by having the Gang Of Three back, and particularly Harrison Ford who gives us a Han Solo who is still a reluctant hero, with many more miles on the clock, and some relevant backstory. Significant things have happened to these characters in the intervening period: they are not as we left them. This aspect of episode VII gives the story a great deal of heart: there are some genuinely emotional moments here, maybe even more effectively handled than in the original movies.
But, despite the fact that Ford, in particular, makes a major contribution to the many action sequences, this film is about passing the baton, and this is something which is gracefully done. John Boyega as newly named Finn, Daisy Ridley as plucky and feisty Rey, and Adam Driver as would-be Vader Kylo Ren all rise to the challenge well, and I have complete confidence that they will be safe hands for the future of the franchise.
It isn't flawless: the synopsis in my first paragraph above shows that much of what we see will be very familiar to those who have followed this saga over the years, and a fair criticism is that it sticks too closely to templates used in episodes IV and VI.
After years of jealously guarding Star Wars, George Lucas has said that he was looking forward to seeing a Star Wars film on the same basis as any other audience member: I can't help feeling that he will be pleased at what he sees, because I was.