But now for the real question: is it better than the prequels? The answer is a resounding yes, and it might even be better than Return of the Jedi:It's apparently funnier than you'd expect, which already speaks to an improvement over the joyless prequel series plus Jar Jar:The cast is also getting amazing reviews, which is a relief. We could have predicted that the older cast would not disappoint, and Oscar Isaac and Adam Driver are both established actors, but the relative newcomers are getting rave reviews as well, especially Daisy Ridley, who is arguably the most untested of the bunch:And speaking of the female additions to the Star Wars universe, we can all breathe a sigh of relief that Star Wars passes the Bechdel test:

There's a new hero in town, in a movie that DELIVERS. Cried like a baby, whooped like a teen! #StarWarsForceAwakens pic.twitter.com/apo0EHr7EA

Amazing!Amazing!Amazing! In awe. It's all you want it to be.Old/new/funny/heartbreaking.Daisy Ridley is astonishing! pic.twitter.com/XKoyw8XXcj

I'll say this to non-spoiler about #StarWars #TheForceAwakens . You'll laugh more than you expect. And you'll be hit harder than you expect.

I have some more complicated thoughts on TFA, but will save them for the review. Some faults, but no doubt best Star Wars film since '83.

Not going to say much till I see it again but rest assured THE FORCE AWAKENS is the best STAR WARS since 1983...maybe 1980.

JUST GOT OUT OF THE EARLY PREVIEW OF STAR WARS OMG IT WAS SOOOO GOOD

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS... Sometimes fun, often fine. It had a lot to set up, and I suspect Ep 8 will be able to do more with less. — Kyle Buchanan (@kylebuchanan) December 15, 2015





Star Wars: The Force Awakens spoke to my every emotion. Most of them good, a few not, but overall it was an amazing, overwhelming experience — Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) December 15, 2015



THE FORCE AWAKENS proves JJ Abrams is an auteur: once again we have great characters, propulsive fun, sort of shitty, dumb story. — devin faraci (@devincf) December 15, 2015

I just saw the new Star Wars movie and *spoiler alert* the Grumpy Cat is in it. He plays every single storm trooper — BenghaziExpert Joe (@BenghaziExpert) December 15, 2015





Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens on Thursday, December 17 in select theaters, and then everywhere on December 18.

It's encouraging to see that it's getting great reviews, but honestly, it would make me a little nervous if no one had anything bad to say about it. If it were actually perfect, that would be great, but it would be much more likely that the screening was just full of die-hard fans who would re-think that reaction after the nostalgia had passed, like everyone who raved about the prequels . But there were a few qualified reviews that admit The Force Awakens has flaws, and it still seems like a good movie overall:And to finish off, we'll give you just one spoiler: