Satisfactory for an Old Fan, but I wouldn't say Great

Rating: 7/10 (17 December 2015)

Straight out of the gate this movie had the look and feel of the original trilogy. I noticed a few early nods, but unfortunately it became abundantly clear that I was watching Episode 4 reincarnated. While I enjoyed it, this made the movie very predictable. I wish I was being super critical, but even Jurassic World had more surprises.
I felt this movie served it's purpose. It introduced the story to new fans and satisfied old. As a fan of the old trilogy I'm OK with that. However, I will not be satisfied if Disney makes this new trilogy as a slightly enhanced version of the original trilogy.
***SPOILERS*** So exactly how similar is this movie to Episode 4? Well, there was a droid with sensitive information, the droid lands into the hands of a Jedi who has not yet discovered the force, and a new Death Star...er...I mean Star Killer to just name a few. There were several other parallels, but I will not spoil those plot points.
I mostly enjoyed the "new 3". I actually really enjoyed Daisy Ridly's and John Boyega's acting. I found them to be very refreshing. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for Adam Driver. I half expected him to start laughing maniacally while skipping around like the Joker and Riddler from the 1950's Batman. I actually feel he was better suited to play the son of Lord Dark Helmet in Spaceballs rather than Han Solo's soulless son. Although, he really has playing a screw-up down.
While I enjoyed Rey and Finn's characters I felt their development was rushed. Both were able to defend themselves quite well against what should have been a skilled Kylo Ren. Yes, I know he got hurt before his fight against Rey, but still his overall knowledge of the force should have easily made up for that. In a matter of what felt like only 20 minutes Rey goes from running away from the Force's initial call to her being able to use mind control and the force to move objects. I just felt like she picked it up too quickly. She used the force to retrieve Finn's light saber and somehow out powered Kylo Ren's attempt at retrieving the light saber. Perhaps Luke Skywalker's old light saber is like Thor's hammer and only the most deserving can use it.
I really enjoyed seeing the old 3 on the screen again. You don't get to see much of Mark Hamil. However, Harrison Ford's reprisal of Han Solo was quite awesome. If you're looking for the familiar feel of the original trilogy you will be satisfied. If you're looking for a completely fresh story, you will be disappointed.
I give this movie a score of 7 out of 10 for nostalgia's sake. However, this boost won't transfer over to Episode 8 if the original trilogy plot continues to be repackaged.