At this point, most “Star Wars” fans have their tickets pre-ordered and are giddy in anticipation for “The Force Awakens.”

Fans will enjoy how much effort is put into referencing the original trilogy and how faithful it is to the “Star Wars” name. For those who are still skeptical about the movie, please continue reading my spoiler-free review of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is the seventh film in the franchise (the first of the new trilogy) and is directed by J.J Abrams. It stars Daisey Ridley (Rey), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), John Boyega (Finn), and Harrison Ford (Han Solo).

“The Force Awakens” begins with Po (Oscar Isaac) and Finn escaping the First Order’s clutches and running into Rey where they begin a new adventure in a galaxy far far away.

First, let me just say the film is beautiful. Each planet the audience visits is vastly different and has its own character to it. Whether you are looking at the sand dunes of Jakku or the dense forests of the Resistance base, the various settings, along with the beautiful bright color palette, are breathtaking. Each set is brimming with intricate detail that rewards the observant film goer. The lack of an overbearing amount of ugly CGI is much appreciated and the mix of CGI and real props and effects is seamless.

Action scenes are done brilliantly throughout the movie and have a reason to be there. Space battles are prevalent and are completely insane. They include all of the old sound effects from the original trilogy, so the first time you hear a TIE fighter whiz past the screen, your heart will pound. The one lightsaber battle in the movie thankfully ditches the highly choreographed battles of the prequels and opts to recreate the emotional battles of the original trilogy. You can really feel that this battle is a fight for survival, as the characters are hacking and slashing instead of dancing. The action scenes are heart pounding, fun, and are not just there for spectacle.

“The Force Awakens” also succeeds in creating a fun adventure, as well as mixing in drama. Going into this movie, I did not expect to laugh as much as I did. Whether it is an original trilogy reference or a witty Han Solo quote, this is definitely not dry in terms of humor. The humor never interferes with the very emotional moments of the film and trust me, there are quite a few.

One slight problem is that the movie leans very heavily on old trilogy references and makes it so “The Force Awakens” doesn’t establish its own identity. Though with this point aside, this film succeeds in balancing both humor and drama.

The actor who easily steals the show is Adam Driver, who plays the Sith Kylo Ren. Kylo Ren is not Darth Vader 2.0; he is humanized throughout the movie and viewers know that under the mask, he is a person that was once good that becomes twisted by the dark side. Like all good villains, the audience can see why he is motivated to do what he does, making his character believable, allowing audience members to sympathize with him, if only a little bit. Viewers can see Ren filled with hate, as he frequently has tantrums and is uncomposed throughout the film. Adam Driver portrays Kylo Ren very well as a very confused and conflicted character. Ren does not disappoint and more than fills Vader’s shoes.

You can really see the care taken to make this film stay true to “Star Wars.” It is a great sci-fi action adventure that is fun the whole way through. Most of the performances in the movie are great, especially Harrison Ford’s and Adam Driver’s. “The Force Awakens” sometimes lack its own identity, but this is a small blight on an otherwise great film.

J.J Abrams succeeded in bringing “Star Wars” back to its former glory and I am excited for what is to come for this new trilogy.

I happily give “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” an A-.