Made me feel young again! Audience applauded, laughed out loud! A must see.

Rating: 10/10 (18 December 2015)

I remember working at a haunted house setup at Tropical Park in Miami Florida where there was a section setup with characters dressed up as those from the bar scene from the original Star Wars. I was a volunteer to dress up as a character to frighten people walking through the large tent set up with a maze of scenes designed to frighten the visitors. But this was only one of many early memories I began recalling watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
I can't even remember if I had a chance to see the original Star Wars in theaters or not. That is how far, far and away the franchise had gotten away from the original look and feel of the original Star Wars after the third installment.
But, after seeing Star Wars The Force Awakens (2015), all that longing is gone.
It was hard to focus on the not so large screen in front of me inside house No. 15 at the Universal Cineplex Theater at City Walk for this early morning 12:15 a.m. showing of Star Wars: The Force Awakens because I sat between a guy behind me and to the right who wanted to put his feet up on the rail off to the side of my peripheral vision left, and the two guys to my immediate right who apparently wanted to be part of the dialogue in the movie by making unnatural gestures and outbursts out loud during the show. However, even with these two distractions, I put mental blinders on and became even more riveted to the screen.
I watched as the characters came alive in the way Hollywood can only do on a screen the size of a wall.
Seeking to see the movie, perhaps for the last time with many of the original Star Wars characters appearing, making their entrance at carefully timed spots during the moving, all made it worth while.
The organic nature and style of this set in the future, but mixed with practical realistic dirt and greasy stains on the space ships is what I think makes this movie all the more captivating.
The sanitary nature of other science fiction space traveling movies brought upon by perfect CGI renditions take away, though visually dramatic, from the grounding nature that Star Wars established in its first edition, and now returns to in its latest edition. This grounding earth tone extends on the planets revealing environment you can relate to by touch and smell by just looking at the animals scattered throughout, may of which needing a bath.
Wanting to see this release in the theaters was also a must.
I knew the fans would add to the ambiance by contributing their reactions through applauds and laughter. Especially when familiar characters made their first appearance as the movie slowly unwound its story line. The audience would not be shy either. Laughing out loud, together, made the movie going experience come alive - again.
Until now, it was hard to justify actually rushing to the theater to watch a release of a movie. Star Wars: The Force Awakens - compels you out of your homes for just this reason.
The audience applause and accolades was most notable at the very beginning of the movie just as the trademark yellow text appeared on the screen, slowly scrolling upward and away and as the Star Wars theme song thundered throughout every corner of the theater.
The film, if you paid attention, paid homage to the original movie with similarly structured scenes such as when a light saber gets lifted from being embedded in a pile of snow by using the "Force". These little jewels undoubtedly and lovingly placed throughout the movie for those trained eyes and emotional hearts to relive and love.
Yes, with the invent of the computer, the Internet, and then the iPhone, this series transcended all these inventions and modern captivations.
I can now say I have truly witnessed history by experiencing in my life time the age of Star Wars.