Great JJ, now don't get cocky!

Rating: 8/10 (20 December 2015)

***No Spoilers ahead*** I don't usually leave reviews, in fact this is my first review, however I felt compelled to after seeing all the negative feedback this film was getting on this site.
Whilst this film is not perfect, it is a great start to the beginning of a new Star Wars trilogy. The problem is too many people are viewing this film with their rose-tinted specs on, and not seeing this as bridging the gap between old and new.
Let's begin shall we...
The film starts in usual Star Wars fashion with the opening title crawl panning to a Star Destroyer. The following sequence is exciting, adrenaline-fuelled and fast paced. This opening sequence alone puts to shame all of the prequels, with no boring political dialogue or over-use of CGI.
From here on in the film goes at a lightening quick pace, interspersed with great action sequences, superb visuals and stunning set design; all the while being under pinned by the fantastic John Williams score.
The on-screen chemistry between the two new leading characters, played by John Boyega and Daisy Ridley, is fantastic and felt real and whilst their dialogue was adolescent it worked. These are genuine characters that I can't wait to see grow and develop in the new instalment. John Boyega's character of Fin took over the mantle of comic relief from C3-PO and R2-D2 and did a good job, which is helped in part due to his off-screen charisma.
The old guard, led by Harrison Ford, was impressive and genuinely looked like he cared, unlike in previous films (the most recent Indiana Jones). Unsurprisingly, the relationship between Han and Leia has fallen by the wayside, but felt like the right direction to go in, and led to some touching moments.
The lightsaber fights were sparse (Thank God) and used appropriately. The fights were less about showing off new CGI, like in the new prequels, but about the internalisation of the characters which is what made them great in the first place! The choreography was minimal, but this added to the realism and grittiness.
Despite all of this praise there were some negatives, including the simplistic plot that drew heavily upon A New Hope and the lines between paying homage and ripping off blurred. There was a lot of 'wink wink' fan service in the film, which plagued both the recent Star Trek films, and blighted this film which begun to grate towards the end. The main annoyance was the return of C3-PO, whom I have always despised, which felt right in your face and was unnecessary. Moreover, I hope the new droid BB-8 replaces the old and rusty R2-D2 & C3-PO, whose design was fantastic and who I surprisingly felt a connection to.
Overall, this was a great first instalment that leaves me wanting more. The pacing was spot-on, the film looked fabulous and was a great fun action adventure. Although, I would like to see more of Oscar Isaac who had great promise and I am sure will feature more in the next film. So take off your rose-tinted glasses and enjoy this film and Star Wars for what it is , a fun space adventure.
Would recommend.