This is how the prequels should have been done.

Rating: 9/10 (26 December 2015)

This is how the prequels should have been down. With enough love and care, it could have turned out this good. The new characters have interesting stories to tell, which aren't fully explained in the movie. They're possibly set up for later films. Nevertheless, the new kids on the block fit in well. It doesn't feel like they're intruding into a beloved series. They're a bit more realistic this time around too. Sure, we all love Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, but they're heroes who keep going for the sake of being a hero. They have tons of charisma but that doesn't make them feel real. These new characters have fears of their own, agendas. Some of the are cowardly and actually scared.
The pacing is great, but you'd think they'd use Captain Phasma a lot more, judging from the trailers. The attention to detail, such as snowflakes burning up around the aura of a lightsaber, is great. And all the small things added to make fights and scenes seem all around amazing is carried over from the other movies. The battles have scope. Like when a character stops a beam from a blaster and suspends it in midair until he departs from the area. That's cool.