.@melissa_keir: Star Wars... Where Everything Old is New Again. #moviereview

A blend of new and old, Star Wars has returned. I give Star Wars: The Force Awakens an A. Much like the recent movie: Creed, Star Wars blends the old and new in a way to delight old and new fans alike.

It’s been thirty years since the Galactic Empire was overthrown. A new evil has awakened, The First Order strives to take over where Darth Vader and his minions left off. Now a new group of young heroes must find a way to defeat the Dark side.

A Stormtrooper develops a conscience and a young female salvage collector team up to return a droid to the resistance. It contains a map of how to find the legendary Jedi master, Luke Skywalker. Teaming up with familiar faces, Han Solo, Chewbacca and Princess Leia to prevent The First Order from blowing up their homebase.

I enjoyed the new characters. Rey, the salvage collector, is feisty and smart. She’s quick on her feet in both the action sequences and in thinking. She certainly keeps up with the guys. Finn is a man who finds himself a friend and a mission that he can believe in. But it’s Kylo Ren that steals the show. His performance of a man torn between the light and the dark, his family and the ideals he believes in…It doesn’t hurt that he’s cute too. I’m sure we will see more of this character as he returns to the force.

Packed theaters, sold out movies. I know this one movie is making theaters have a happy holiday. It’s a family movie, which has action and thrills to entertain everyone. Since most of us are of an age, that the first movie made such an impact on our lives…bringing our children into the series makes perfect sense. And with all the nods to the past movies, fans are seeing this one again and again.