Star Wars: The Force Awakens

For anyone worried about having "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" spoiled for them, let me ease your fears right away and state that there will be no spoilers here. I'll barely even mention plot. What I will do is give you a general sense of how I felt about it, offer some pros and cons if either exist, and give a final statement.

As a "Star Wars" fan I understand the need for preserving the initial viewing experience, and I wouldn't want to take that away from anyone. The world of "Star Wars" is a special place for a lot of people and I hold it with as much reverence as any other fan.

With that said, here goes.

Is "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" any good?

Rest your fears of the Dark Side, my Padawan, because if you were hoping that "The Force Awakens" would feel like the original trilogy, then, "Yes, Virginia, this is that 'Star Wars' movie."

With a twist.

No, director J.J. Abrams doesn't alter the "Star Wars" universe in any way, but he does bring it into this generation of movie goers. With "A New Hope," audiences young and old were treated to sights and sounds they had never before witnessed. Almost forty years later, there is pretty much nothing that audiences haven't seen before.

What Abrams and company do well, though, is allow you to marvel at the spectacle, laugh at wonderful banter between new and beloved characters, and be awed by the film's epic scope. In a way, this "Star Wars" movie -- the beginning of a new trilogy for a new generation -- is sort of like a "Lord of the Rings" meets classic "Star Wars," with a little bit of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" thrown in. You can also feel Spielberg's influence over Abrams' work, and it gets infused into how he channels the original trilogy.

None of this is bad. In fact, it finally gets a good old-fashioned blockbuster right. It's fast-paced, delightfully scripted, meaningful in scope, and carries a weight that's worthy of the franchise. It has set pieces worth getting excited about, and characters you can root for.

The new film introduces us to Finn (John Boyega), a man who wants to deny his intended nature as a soldier to live a more honest life. We meet Rey (newcomer Daisy Ridley), a scrap dealer waiting for the return of her family on the desert planet of Jakuu. Also appearing early in the film is Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), General Leia Organa's most trusted fighter pilot. He, along with cute new droid BB-8, have a mission -- but when that mission gets thwarted, it sets into motion a series of events that mimic the original 1977 film, while giving it fresh breadth.

I should also note that the opening crawl is a relief too. No more take about boring federations and snooze-worthy trade routes. The crawl is simple, straight-forward, and gets you excited for things to come.

If there was one "complaint," it's that there are a number of story beats that are lifted directly from the first film. It sometimes feels like JJ and his creative team are trying to reboot the franchise. But, because we have original cast members returning, it still works as a sequel. This is a minor bone to pick because you will still be phenomenally entertained, but it is something that does stand out.

As for the villain, Adam Driver's Kylo Ren is terrific as a man bent on continuing Darth Vader's legacy. Droid BB-8 is absolutely adorable as the new robot sidekick.

Daisy Ridley's Rey and John Boyega's Finn are terrific new heroes, and they have amazing chemistry, both with each other and with the original cast. Gone is the wooden acting and clunky dialogue from the prequels; now we have Lawrence Kasdan on board. He knows a thing or two about the "Star Wars" universe, having written one of the most beloved installments, "The Empire Strikes Back." He knows how to write dialogue, and he knows the techniques of classic storytelling.

Speaking of classics, as everyone saw from the teaser trailer Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), and Leia (Carrie Fisher) all return. Solo and Chewie take on more major roles (although Chewie is like sassy comic relief), but it's all for good reason and it's pretty damn awesome to have them all back. Ford settles back into a role he tried to avoid for so long, and it's like putting on an old, comfy shirt. He has that character down, and he is back in full scoundrel mode.

As for Luke Skywalker -- well, he's not on the poster for a reason (as JJ Abrams has stated), so I'll not mention him here. You can find out for yourself what the fate of his character is (or isn't).

If you want to quibble, missing are the wonderful "wipe" transitions from all six previous films, and some of John William's previous scores are repurposed here to the point that some fans might find it distracting, hearing moments that harken back to scenes in the original trilogy. (I don't mean major themes; rather, these are smaller moments and cues.)

That said, it all works -- and it works beautifully. There's a lot of ground to cover, and there are a handful of rip-roaring action sequences that will have audiences cheering. But the best part (aside from seeing returning favorites) is seeing three new heroes come to life. These are heroes worth following, and, lucky for us, we have at least two more episodes to follow their journey and continue to fall in love with them.

Your granddaddy's "Star Wars" is back, kids, and that is perhaps the best news in the galaxy!