Here's the rundown: Taking place 30 years after Return of the Jedi, Luke Skywalker has vanished, the New Republic is being threatened by an Imperial remnant known as The First Order, but are being countered by The Resistance led by General Leia. On the desert world of Jakku, a map showing Luke's whereabouts is entrusted to the droid BB-8, who eludes the First Order's Stormtroopers led by Kylo Ren, who looks a little bit like Revan from Knights of the Old Republic.
Anyway, BB-8 ends up with the new young heroes of the series: A reformed First Order Stormtrooper called Finn, and a young scavenger called Rey. When the First Order closes in, they are forced to steal a second-hand ship which turns out to be the legendary Millennium Falcon. This promptly reunites them with Han Solo and Chewbacca, who have gone back to smuggling.
Story-wise, the film does seem to be a rehash of A New Hope, but I'd make the argument that it was what people wanted. The new protagonists are very likeable characters, and the old-timers of the previous trilogy are equally good. I think the key word here would be balance. A balance between old timers, and newcomers, humour and drama, along with practical effects and CGI.
I'm going to be very minimalist with this, as revealing any more will spoil some major things. As mentioned above, the film does recycle elements from A New Hope, but don't let that dissuade you, as there are still plenty of surprises. Anybody who has seen the film will know what I'm talking about. Overall, it is the cinematic experience of a Star Wars film updated for the modern age, done properly this time.
Or as Han put it: "Chewie, we're home."
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