JJ Abrams wakes Star Wars back up, like it should be

Rating: 8/10 (18 December 2015)

NO SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.
Let's be honest. Star Wars is the biggest franchise ever. Abrams had big shoes to fill. There have been reviews saying that Episode VII stuck too much to the original trilogy and didn't have enough of its own "original", while others are saying that it resembles the prequel trilogy too much with flashy moments, but nothing that ever really grips you. Let's forget about them
Star Wars: The Force Awakens proves that, if nothing else, Abrams can breathe new life into old things. While sticking to the nitty-gritty feel of the original trilogy, it has Star Trek-esque moments throughout, where characters ease the high tension with one subtle, perfectly timed joke. Although each of the new trio (Poe, Finn and Rey) have their subtle character flaws, it made me consistently see them in a new light in every subsequent scene. Pasts are revealed, secrets are still withheld and a perfect ending to the movie makes me anxious and incredibly excited for Episode VIII.
My likes: -Humor throughout. -Action scenes. -Trailers led you to believe some things that the movie will disprove (in the best way possible) -Chemistry between Han & Leia. -Character development. -Giving Chewie more useful screen time :)
My dislikes: -Too much recycled material from the original trilogy. -Lack of depth overall (although it set up to be delved deeper in subsequent episodes)
How I will describe it to my friends? "Awesome. I loved it, but you know me. I love Star Wars. The action was great, the characters were great, and those scenes at the end of the movie....just...awesome."
If people ask me what movies I grew up on, it was Disney and Star Wars (no difference now, huh?) Aside from many aspects changed in Episode II, I loved the prequel trilogy, and I loved this one. J.J. Abrams will always be a hero in my book for helping resurrect one of the greatest gems of my childhood. Only time will tell just where 8 & 9 will take us.