Rehashes on old ideas, but executes them flawlessly

Rating: 10/10 (31 January 2016)

The opening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, with the setting of nighttime on Jakku and the almost immediate introduction of the new villain, Kylo Ren, was such a great way to start the new trilogy. You get a sense that this new villain means business and, after stopping a laser blast midair, you know he's got quite remarkable powers.
We follow Finn and Rey for most of the journey as we get to learn about their characters. Rey has a mysterious past and while some may call her a Mary Sue, I just think she is someone that has had to fend for herself for a while, only strengthening and toughening herself surviving on a desert planet. Finn, on the other hand, lacks a bit of depth and seems to really only be there for comedic value.
But on the technical side of things, music, visuals, and editing were all top-notch. A single moment where Kylo Ren holds out his light saber in a threatening manner is captured so brilliantly it feels like you're the one he is threatening.
Many will critique this film because they say they copied too much from A New Hope, or Return of the Jedi. They may have drawn some ideas from the original trilogy but you cannot say they didn't take any leaps or risks. Plenty of plot elements, new creatures and planets, and even force powers were introduced to entertaining results.
Was this the best Star Wars film? Maybe not. But considering the monumental task set on JJ Abrams and company, they pulled off as good of a film as could be expected. They brought us into the new trilogy introducing us to interesting new characters in the process. But the thing they did best was leave us, if possible, even more excited for the next one. I for one cannot wait.