A fantastic reintroduction to this great franchise!

Rating: 9/10 (28 January 2016)

I'm a Star Wars fan since I can remember. I was 7 when I watched the original trilogy on VHS (not the special editions if curious) and began to love this series growing up. While I do agree with the prequels being bad, I don't hate Episodes I and III like everyone else. Except Episode II because that was just a shallow, cynical fan service film that was crap. So my thoughts going into the new one is with anticipation and put aside my fanboyism by judging this film on its own. Does it succeed? Yes.
So the plot: 30 years after Return of the Jedi, Luke has disappeared under mysterious circumstances and the newly formed First Order plans to rule the galaxy. Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is looking for Luke through a map inside a droid named BB-8. After an attack, Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) sends his droid to someplace safe and he runs into a scavenger named Rey (Daisy Ridley). Soon she goes on an adventure with a stormtrooper who leaves the First Order named Finn (John Boyega) and goes to help the New Republic's team the Resistance fight the First Order.
So the plot sorta sounds similar to the original films, but the truth is the story works in a completely different direction. Its mainly a mixture of the old with some new elements to make the story fresh and really engaging. This works as it tells a more personal story with these new characters along the line and the old characters. The main theme of this film is the passing of the torch as it has the old characters, but the primary focus is for the audience to latch onto these characters. I love these new characters and they each have their own personal backstories or emotional look into them.
The acting was fantastic. Daisy Ridley plays Rey, who is now my favorite character in this film. She may seem perfect since she has had to live all her life to survive, but she is vulnerable and not perfect which makes me more curious about herself. Finn is a character who is like Kurt Russell from Big Trouble in Little China: a man who just wants one goal to strive, but begins to realize what the world is going on and strives to help the heroes. To quote Sam Gavin from Sam's Channel, "If you want an analogy, he's like trying to wear a new suit that doesn't quite fit." (If I screw that up, I apologize). Kylo Ren is a fantastic character and Adam Driver does a good job with the character. He is like Darth Vader, but more humanly flawed and can't control his inner self since he strives between the good and the bad. I even loved his attitude even when he does a funny moment when angered. Hell, I actually thought that one big scene which I won't spoil was great as it adds an amount of depth and emotional weight to the characters.
The cinematography is spectacular. Its landscape, use of practical and CGI, shots, the angles, its all wonderful. If you think I found this perfect, its not, but then again, what film isn't? Flaws: Captain Phasma is the new Boba Fett where they are both badass characters but don't do a thing, the 3rd Death Star seems a little contrived, the Rathtar scene should have been cut, Snoke's CGI is not that good, one or two fan service moments were a bit distracting and some of the similarities are jarring.
Besides all of the flaws, all of that can be seen as how I enjoyed it so I can ignore them. That doesn't mean the flaws aren't there. They are, but it doesn't bug me or ruin my enjoyment of the film. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a fun, smart, thrilling adventure with great characters, spectacular cinematography, a good script and a great way to continue this franchise. This looks like a good future for this franchise so may the Force be with you all.