J.J. Abrams Has Restored Hope to the Star Wars Universe (no spoilers)

Rating: 10/10 (21 December 2015)

I purposely waited 24 hours before writing my review because I wanted to digest the film that long to truly take it in and reflect before I actually reviewed it. I wanted the euphoria of seeing the next chapter of the saga on the big screen to subside some so that I can make an objective review, but alas the euphoria has not subsided and the childlike excitement is still at an 11! This is plain and simply a great Star Wars film! In fact, I feel it is the second best offering of the franchise (behind 'The Empire Strikes Back'). From the opening crawl to the epic and somewhat moving final scene the movie kept you on the edge of your seat.
Even now, 24 hours later, I'm still left in awe of what Abrams has done. He has ignited a passion in me that has lied dormant for a decade thanks to the dreadful prequel trilogy. After Episode III I vowed never to see another George Lucas Star Wars film ever again. The prequels were cheesy (and not in a good way) and lacked imagination. They borrowed heavily from the expanded universe (which flies in the face of his original assertion that he had planned out the prequels before Episode IV was even made) and spat in the face of Star Wars fans everywhere. Lucas is now (thankfully) out of the picture and in steps admitted Star Wars fan boy J.J. Abrams who is quickly establishing himself as this generations Steven Spielberg. Abrams intention was to reignite the franchise and call upon his own boyhood wonderment when seeing the original trilogy for the first time and try to recreate that with the sequel by meshing old and new to weave a new chapter in the saga. What Abrams has done so well here is he's managed to keep the older cast members relevant while also creating new characters who feel like they've always been part of the story. He's been able to expertly bridge the generation gap and bond the older cast members with the new ones to create a cohesive story that is not only enjoyable to watch, but really FEELS like a Star Wars film from the epic battle scenes, music, costumes, sets - every part of the film, even down to the bits and pieces that Rey scavenges oozes STAR WARS and it is fantastic.
I won't delve into the plot for fear of spoiling it, but the film obviously revolves around a core of new characters in the Star Wars Universe - Rey, a young scavenger who lives on the desert planet of Jakku, Finn a former Stormtrooper who is desperate to escape the clutches of The First Order, Poe Dameron the top fighter pilot of the Resistance and his trusty droid BB-8, and Kylo Ren, a member of the First Order and a wannabe Sith who acts as the main antagonist of the film. There are other supporting cast including General Hux, a First Order General, Captain Phasma, the leader of the Stormtroopers, Maz Kanata, a pirate and collector of artifacts, and Supreme Leader Snoke who is the leader of the First Order. Several former characters are weaved into the film with Han Solo and Chewbacca seeing the majority of the screen time from that group. The connection between old and new is a constant theme in the film and it is pulled off masterfully. The film is an emotional roller-coaster from beginning to end and is a movie that I will always cherish thanks to it's re- ignition of my love for the franchise. There isn't much more that I can say other than if you are even remotely a fan of the Star Wars Universe you owe it to yourself to see this. Even if you are not, there is a lot to keep you entertained here and you never know, it may turn you into a fan of the franchise if you're not careful, regardless quit reading this and go see it!