Watch with an open mind.

Rating: 8/10 (23 December 2015)

Straight off I will say I was entertained and they did a good job of introducing flawed new characters and incorporating old ones and explained most of the relationship between the two although they relied on the Star Wars thing of not explaining everything Verbatim, which I like, this adds to the mystery but lets be honest the 'hidden' history probably only exists in outline somewhere yet to be developed.
Rey and Finn are introduced and do a good job between them. They are likable in the star wars tradition and carry the film well and mess up a lot the way characters should when thrust into unlikely situations.
By contrast Po is the rebel X wing hotshot Black Leader that exudes indomitable character and is the fight in the rebellion. Isaac's is good casting.
The princess was not used a lot but was not bad. Han Solo was convincing and had aged appropriately. Luke is a cameo but in both scenes adds charisma like you wouldn't believe - he is the last Jedi no doubt.
The villain Kylo Ren is in development on-screen and is hinted at as not being the finished article and expresses 'issues' very well. Goes to the petulant side of his character a little too much but is ultimately convincing and is set up definitively to become the big bad guy to try and fill a Vader shaped void. Where Darth Vader was inevitable and assured Ren is less reliable and flawed which is convincing because no one has completed his training either Sith or Jedi.
The original character that I was most entertained by was Chewbacca - the writing has developed much more emotional range and his interactions are way ahead of the other films and I enjoyed this immensely both the humour and the aggression. BB-8 is a great evolution of the 'droid' cute and loyal with a range of expression which belies his limited means to express them. Truly all terrain also.
They should not have gone with a 'Death Star' type entity although I thought the execution pretty good it was far too easily defeated. The rebels should have failed in there bid to destroy it and merely disabled it. This would have added jeopardy to go forward with a gun to the rebels head. Their was at least 3 film's mileage in that story line but as per Hollywood its blown in one movie.
I would have loved a force ghost or two. Anakin, Yoda, Qui Gon Jinn and an aged Ewan Mcgregor as Obi Wan Kenobi. Its got to come as done right the fans would literally expire!
Go into this film with an open mind and you will be entertained. Do not love the fact its just their as it needs to be good no matter how loved the franchise is the writers do need to try harder they have a galaxy of possibility to play with after all.
Also, a word for the fanboy's and girl's, do not have such high expectations that nothing is good enough the last 6 films were a product of a creative process that was not without its flaws and most importantly that is the way to the dark side.