Have you been waiting with bated breath for the latest entry into the Star Wars universe?  Catch up on the basics with this quick spoiler-free review of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.

What’s it about?

The Force, lightsaber battles, X-wings, a faceless evil with a doomsday weapon, the Millennium Falcon…everything you loved about the Original Trilogy is here, and it’s all in the opening crawl: 30 years after Return of the Jedi, the galaxy is in peril once again, and only one man can save it.

Is it any good?

• My vote for movie of the year, and the best Star Wars film in almost two generations.  Beautiful drama, intelligent and realistic dialogue, and heart-pounding action with an excellent payoff.
• The new characters are as well fleshed-out as the old, contributing to and advancing the plot without getting in the way of the old guard.
• Action scenes are fast, to be sure.  Sometimes hard to follow, but incredibly immersive nonetheless.
• Some plot threads were not developed quite as much as I would have liked, but there’s an entire trilogy and set of spinoff movies to rectify that!
• It’s modern Star Wars: it feels like Star Wars, but it’s also a modern interpretation of the format.  In a good way.  After the prequels, I’d almost forgotten what that meant.

Should I see it?

If you liked A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi, and if the prequels left you wanting, then absolutely you should!

What should I watch for?

The father/son dynamic, the characters that are resisting their purpose, and the power of myth.  If I tell you more, it’ll be too much, but feel free to put your (spoiler-free!) observations and reflections below!