Ok so here is my review of the new Star Wars. I'll try not to give any spoilers.

Abrams plays it safe and sticks with a proven formula that works. In a lot of ways The Force Awakens is the original Star Wars again. But it does it in a way that doesn't feel totally redundant. The movie does a good job of balancing the new stuff with the nostalgia.

I liked how they start with the new characters first and wait to reveal the old ones. The guy that plays ex-storm trooper Finn does a really good job. He's intense but also really funny and is able to convey Abram's writing humor. Humor plays a pretty big part in the movie but only at the right times. Abrams has always been good at that.

The girl that plays Rey, who is obviously Luke's daughter (that shouldn't be a spoiler to anyone), does a good job herself. But the only real complaint I had was related to her. Which I'll get to.

I really liked the guy that plays Kylo Ren. His back story was a surprise. I liked how he is still a work in progress and not a finished product (like Vader was) of the Dark Side. He's powerful but has his vulnerabilities. He has to slowly grow to his full power in the Dark Side just like Luke had to in the Good.

That's where my one complaint comes in though. We know that "the force is strong" with Rey, considering who her family is. And there is that same growing on her part. But I felt they rushed it by the end. In other words, she was too far ahead of where she would or should have been in only the first movie. And there are one or two other minor annoyances. They just had to throw in a chick X-wing fighter (rolls eyes). And you do wonder how the Republic lost their position and the First Order rose so quickly. But none of this ruins the movie by any means.

I liked how they used Luke very sparingly. His presence is throughout the movie but you only see a little of him. The next 2 movies will be more about him.

It was good to see Han, Chewie, Leah, C3-P0 and R2D2. The new droid, BB8, works well too.

There is a major death in the movie but I won't give it away. But it's a gut punch.

All in all I'd give it 3 1/2 stars.

The next one comes out in May 2017. A new guy, Rian Johnson, will be writing and directing it. He'll also be writing the last one but someone else will be directing. I've seen some of his movies, including Looper, and so expect a somewhat darker film. Maybe like Empire Strikes Back was.