This movie blew me away. I spent large parts of the movie with my mouth hanging open in awe.

This new addition to the Star Wars series feels everything like the original trilogy, and nothing like the prequels. To me this is a fantastic thing, as I consider the prequels to be horrible in general. There are many nods and salutes to the original trilogy, and you will love some of the artifacts and debris that they come across. The better you know Star Wars, the more you will appreciate the small things.

Some people say that the movie felt rushed and should have been longer, but I didn't really get that feeling. It's a long movie anyway. The characters are just so well cast. The protagonists are enthralling and sometimes you get lost in the emotion of the scenes. The young actors particularly are so talented and have a great future ahead. It's also good to catch up with some older actors

The villains are brilliant, and you'll be constantly reminded of Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin in so many scenes. The dark side is terrifying in this movie, and I do mean terrifying. It's good to see true evil making a come back to the series and not one-dimensional comic book villainy from the prequels. The Force is well explored - far more powerful and expressed than in the prequels, and about on a level with the original trilogy.

The special effects are amazing as one would expect but the movie doesn't lean on these as much as most modern movies do. In fact, character interaction is of prime importance in this movie, and it shows. There are numerous enormous revelations in the movie, so be prepared. There were guys around me who cried at times, but to be fair I was two rows behind a wookie, so it's all very personal for these people. That said, I'm a massive Star Wars fan and I became emotional more than once. I suspect even a casual viewer would feel the same. The movie also has good humour that is never tasteless, or childish, and there are moments of depth and gravitas that rival any of the original movies.

An outstanding job, and one of the best movies of the year, and certainly my favourite sci-fi for about 5 years.

9 out of 10.