Saw it tonight and read through this thread and agree with the general consensus here. I think the movie did everything it was supposed to do. It felt like a classic Star Wars film with the acting, pacing and flair of modern cinema.
I really like the new cast. Finn is very likeable, Rey is awesome, Poe is cool though I wanna see more from him. Kylo Ren was the biggest surprise for me, such a nice change from the typical villains we see in blockbusters. He had some great moments too. Stopping the laser in mid air was crazy, and I liked his rage moments. Though they need to be careful wit that, because the 2nd time he did it was almost unintentionally comedic.
Han Solo was a much bigger part of the movie than I thought he would be, though it made sense after Harrison Ford made 40 mil with this. He's the most loved character in the series so it made sense to have him be the bridge between the old trilogy and this new trilogy.
I've never really been a huge Star Wars fan or anything, but I'm on board now. This one definitely holds its own when compared to episodes 4 and 5. It doesn't have as defining and action sequence as the battle on Hoth or the trench run on the Death Star, but the far superior acting/dialogue and modern cinematography, visuals and audio make a massive difference in quality. The scenes that had the dark side of the force on display were amazing. Loved the look and sound of Kylo Ren's weapon, that burning effect it had was awesome..The shot of it up close to Rey's face was so good.
All in all I'm really excited for the next film, as well as the spinoff series and any videogames that are coming. I'd give this one an 8/10.. It's a very well made film and ironically a breath of fresh air after years of Marvel movies. I don't have much nostalgia for the originals so this is probably my favorite Star Wars, beating out Ep 5 for me personally.