As the saga moves forward, this one harkens back to the days of the original trilogy with simple plot lines, snappy pacing, safe creatures, organic effects and a few comic exchanges. Although the original trio of stars has a few moments, this one sets up a compelling new group of players to continue the franchise. The storytelling is solid and the battles are OK, but there’s nothing especially original or innovative about this new world (even the popular BB-8 is a re-imagining of R2D2). Still, it’s fun to enjoy the legacy, while anticipating where it’ll go next.
(4 / 5)