Spoiler-Free Review of ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’

As a life-long "Star Wars" fan I had some pretty high expectations for the much-hyped, seventh installment of the franchise. J.J. Abrams and company exceeded every one of them.

It seems that Disney has done the impossible; they've created a "Star Wars" film that may be even better than the originals. While that may seem like blasphemy to geeks around the universe, this film embodies everything that the original franchise not only was, but what it has become.

Fans are all well-versed in the original trilogy, the prequels and various other television shows that have become a part of the "Star Wars" world. Together they have an incredible legacy that has somehow blended together, becoming bigger than any one of its parts. For example, if you watch "A New Hope" you get the incredible storytelling, characters and iconic effects, but lightsaber duels and action sequences seem a little clunky compared to the Jedi battles we witness in the prequels or the "Clone Wars" series.

What "The Force Awakens" has the luxury of doing is taking the very best attributes of everything that came before it. The new characters of Poe, Finn and Rey are written so perfectly that you feel as if you've known them forever. And maybe we have. They are really just a younger generation of those grey haired characters that now have the task of passing the torch (er, lightsaber) to them. And speaking of those senior citizens, it's a testament to J.J. Abrams (or maybe teams of Disney consultants) how Solo and the gang are perfectly integrated into this film without ever fading into the background to become set dressing or, more importantly, becoming a distraction to the new story that is unfolding.

Traditionally, the dark side of the force has always supplied the most compelling and complex characters. Kylo Ren, the tortured leader of the First Order, is everything a Star Wars bad guy should be. While the first six films were about Anakin Skywalker's redemption after his journey from Jedi to Sith Lord, Kylo Ren now has his own complicated path to follow. Adam Driver's portrayal of this character hits every note, the emotion in his voice, as it's electronically scrambled from behind his crudely built mask, reverberated through every seat the theater. If you thought there could never be a villain that would be able to fill Darth Vader's shiny, black shoes; think again.

If you haven't seen "The Force Awakens" yet you may not be able to avoid spoilers much longer. While there are some little and big surprises, I have to admit that I did see most of them coming from miles away. But that didn't make them any less fun to watch unfold.

If you saw the latest "Star Wars" movie we'd love to hear your thoughts. Please share your review (without spoilers, please) in our comments section below.