I just came out of seeing Star Wars: The Force Awakens and my family and I had a blast. Here is my spoiler free review:

If I'm honest, was it all that my 12 year old self wanted back in 1983 after I saw Return of the Jedi, no, but there is no way that any human being could recreate my childhood dreams. Still J.J. Abrams is a Star Wars fan and that's a good thing. The way the movie was put together, used practical effects whenever possible and good old costumes, added a nice touch to the movie by making it all seem lived in and real.

What worked for me the most in The Force Awakens is the humor. It's good to see solid chemistry between characters and funny lines. This move isn't a long, drawn out discussion about trade deals and whatever else the prequels were about. It's boiled down to a very simple human level and I appreciated that. Is it perfect? No, but it made me laugh and kept me on the edge of my seat.

I've been hearing this from others and I will agree: Daisy Ridley is the star of the movie. It's great to see a strong female hero who gets the job done. I can't wait to see the movie again to see her on screen. Her acting pulled me into her story. I was also impressed with John Boyega. There's a lot to like in this new Star Wars and I have to say that I'm extremely happy that I held off on any spoilers. Yes, I looked into some of the crazier ones a few months ago, but I unplugged and refused to see anything from those who actually saw the movie earlier this week. And I'm glad I did.

Abrams and Disney did a fantastic job of showing us just enough about the film without giving too much away. Finding that balance in marketing is not easy to do and hats off to them. The best news is that we have a solid new Star Wars film. I didn't groan at any of the scenes or roll my eyes (well, maybe one scene but I won't go into that).

I promised that I wouldn't go into any of the plot and I'll keep my promise, but I will say this: The Force Awakens follows along nice with the archetypal hero's journey. The tried and trusted story of a hero looking for his way to overcome the belly of the beast and coming out the other side victorious. I think the young generation is going to really identify with this film--especially in a world in which we are in so much need of heroes.

Finn and Rey are a blast to watch on screen. My kids loved the film as well as my wife and I. Go see this Star Wars film no matter if you are a super fan (like me!) or just want some solid family entertainment. I will warn you that this film does have a bit more violence than the original films (and even the prequels)--we see some blood in this film which really wasn't done before in the other films. Keep in mind that the film is PG-13.

I hope you enjoy the film once you see it. Let me know what you think!