A few reviewer quotes from RT that resonate with me...
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is no more and no less than the movie that made us love it in the first place. In fact, it's basically the same thing. Isn't that what we all wanted anyway?
[The film] is a state-of-the-art throwback, both retro and post-modern in its self-awareness. It doesn't just know that it's operating in the long shadow of a classic; it hardwires that understanding into its own DNA, making legacy a prevailing theme.
The Force Awakens has succeeded where it counts most, in creating a cast of characters that viewers can spend the next several years rooting for, especially the spirited, resourceful heroine at its center.
When The Force Awakens ends, it feels bittersweet simply because you so badly want to get to the next chapter. So, yes, the wait is over. But now a new waiting game begins...
Though a definite improvement on the last three abortive "Star Wars" prequels... "The Force Awakens" is only at its best in fits and starts, its success dependent on who of its mix of franchise veterans and first-timers is on the screen.
A triumphant return to form for the franchise - the best of the films since The Empire Strikes Back...It's also a rousing introduction to new characters who will likely carry this world forward through two more planned episodes and assorted spinoffs.
This is a movie you don't want to end, despite a final shot that is one of the greatest in the franchise's storied history. Abrams has righted the ship. The "Star Wars" saga is back, and we are gleefully in it for the long haul.
As with other installments, this is less a movie than an exercise in massaging a juvenile-minded audience that wants the experience to be new and familiar at the same time.