While the story-telling and the visuals itself are on point, the movie confirms my worst fear. It wasn't made because there was a story to tell: Instead, it basically retells the story of A New Hope. The intention for profit is undeniable. Also, major pacing issues are to point out. Ray talks about "Han being the father she never had", and Finn is willing to risk his life for Ray, although these people had only met the day before. Somewhere I feel I missed the time lapse. Also, the background of things is left UBER-vague, although here I can at least hope the sequels will catch up on that.

Just came back from the first official showing. My mind was officially blown / "awoken". Simply amazing. Best movie experience that I've been to in a long time (ago in a galaxy far, far away). This is what a Star Wars movie is supposed to be like. The fusion of the new cast and the old was masterfully done and I was on the edge of my seat the entire movie not knowing what was coming next. Adam Driver and Daisey Ridley absolutely stole the show in this one but I honestly ending up loving all the new characters. The only downside is that I have to wait until 2017 & 2019 to complete this "new" adventure. I am contemplating if I should freeze myself in carbonite to shorten the wait... I may or may not be watching this a few more times in the coming weeks (while doing my little dance)... http://i.imgur.com/ZN51S64.gif

I'm not a star wars fan and I'll never be. The whole movie just feels like it popped out of the eighties. The old formula, good vs evil, doesn't work anymore. Everything was too shallow, there isn't no proper character development, they're just running and fighting constantly. Basically, for me, it was a very silly movie full of hype and sexism. Disappointed but not surprised.

My head is still exploding having just watched The Force Awakens in 3D IMAX. Absolutely awesome - one of the best cinema-going experiences I've ever had. Definitely the best Star Wars film in three decades, and maybe the best one ever. You'll laugh, cry and want to leap in the air. The new cast are all great, but when Han Solo and Chewie arrive it's like your childhood comes crashing into the present. Harrison Ford is one of the best things in this film. Critics have complained that this film borrows too much from episode IV. I think it is more homage for the fans and doesn't bother me one iota. It may not be perfect but man is it FUN. It's a wonderful throwback to the original trilogy that recaptures the humour and fun so lacking from the prequels. Star Wars is back! Disney have clearly learned from Marvel's successes and are doing some major world building here leaving many questions unanswered. Comic book movies are often rebooted and no-one complains but many other movies are considered sacrosanct. What JJ Abrams has done here is to produce BOTH a sequel and a reboot. It's inspired, and helpfully sets up a world of stories to explore in future movies. This is just the beginning. Welcome to the Star Wars Cinematic Universe....