Puts Star Wars back in its proper place

Rating: 8/10 (23 December 2015)

As a huge Star Wars fan from a young age, writing an objective review of this movie is almost impossible. It's evident from the reviews here on IMDb that people are either adoring this movie, or they're vastly disappointed by it.
Like most other fans, I was thrilled to hear this movie announced and even more thrilled that George Lucas would no longer be involved. I do not appreciate the prequel movies and had high hopes for this movie, considering the new team behind it.
Considering the disappointed responses from some fans, I believe I fall in the category of people that can really appreciate this movie for what it is, which is a good old fashioned Star Wars movie. It's got some flaws, but, in my opinion, there is far more to love than there is to hate.
You've got to commend JJ Abrams and his team for the work they've put in. It's almost like they were consciously trying to mend some of the "hurt" the prequels caused in this aspect: the sets, the puppets, the effects are all overwhelmingly present, in a good way. That hated plastic, artificial feel from the prequels is gone.
The fun doesn't stop there.
The actors did a solid job, too. Whether it's the newcomers (whom you fear might not be up to the task) or the oldies (whom you fear might just be doing it for the heck of it) I wasn't once distracted by their acting, which means they're doing a fine job of it.
I enjoyed the new characters and I feel the existing characters were done justice by their parts.
Without revealing anything about the plot, suffice to say it's not the most original of plots. That being said, there is still enough to leave you wondering and a couple of surprises in there. In short, I don't really get the hate, even if the overall plot is probably the movie's weakest point.
All in all, I feel this movie has redeemed Star Wars and put it back in its proper place. I will absolutely be seeing it again once it's been released on BluRay and I can't wait to show it to my kids in a few years.
Go see it, I'm pretty sure you'll love it!