Saving "Star Wars" from George Lucas

Rating: 10/10 (2 January 2016)

J.J. Abrams managed to deliver what fans have craved for the last three decades: a "Star Wars" film that is actually good. The film manages to capture the spirit of the original trilogy, and presents it with skilled acting, plausible dialogue, and ass-kicking feminism. The similarities to "A New Hope" seemed specifically intended to identify the film with the original trilogy; the differences were great enough that the film remained deeply satisfying to watch. I'm eager to see how the "Star Wars" universe develops now that it's finally in capable hands: Abrams and his associates understand Lucas's creation better than Lucas ever did.