Revival.

Yes, revival.

That is the only word that captures the complete essence of Director J.J. Abrams’ masterpiece.

A fan base left disinterested by the last three “Star Wars” movies can relish in the newest addition to the saga, which restores the level of amazement and wonder audiences experienced watching the original movies from the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.

“The Force Awakens” begins the same way as the past six films with the iconic “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…” in blue lettering, followed by the opening crawl. Since this is a spoiler free review, I will refrain from including a major point outlined in the first sentence of the crawl which happens to be the basis for the film’s plot.

The movie is set 30 years after the events of “Return of the Jedi,” the final installment to the original trilogy. Since the last time we saw past characters Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), and Han Solo (Harrison Ford), much has changed. Luke’s whereabouts are a secret, Princess Leia is now General Leia Organa, and Han has returned to his life as a smuggler. In those years, a Nazi-ish foe has formed out of the rubble of the Empire called the First Order. Amongst the ranks is a super villain, a Darth Vader wannabe, dubbing himself Kylo Ren (played remarkably well by HBO’s “Girls” star Adam Driver).

Driver is joined by Daisy Ridley and John Boyega as new characters in the saga, playing a scavenger named Rey and a defector Stormtrooper, who’s eventually renamed Finn, respectively. Ridley was cast perfectly as the role of Rey, giving arguably the best acting performance to date in a “Star Wars” movie. She is an unlikely heroine, but finds herself intertwined in the fight between the Resistance (an army formed by the new republic) and the First Order seemingly by chance. Rey mirrors Princess Leia from the original trilogy as strong, confident, and independent. Rather than diplomatic strength, Rey’s is more physical in nature. She exemplifies her strength with a staff she uses to take down two masked beings attempting to steal BB-8, the “new” R2-like droid, from her. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ridley is nominated for an Oscar for her role as Rey. What’s astounding is that “The Force Awakens” is her first film. From watching it, you’d never know.

As for Boyega’s character, a black Stormtrooper is something audiences have not seen before because earlier Stormtroopers were clones. But his character works, strengthening the film. In this story, they are real people, taken from birth by the First Order from their family. In the opening scene, Finn is obviously unsure of who he is and what he wants as he experiences his first battle. This forces him to make the decision to defy the one thing he was “raised” to do. That decision ultimately brings him and Rey together, a relationship that hints at a future romance between the two. But unlike the sappy, predictable love affair between Padme (Natalie Portman) and Anakin (Hayden Christensen) in the prequel trilogy, a relationship isn’t the focus of the plot (thank goodness).

With this being the third generation to receive their own “Star Wars” trilogy, there is some nostalgia for older fans to enjoy. Han Solo is mostly the Han Solo from the originals, but with a new outlook on the Force. In one scene, he informs new characters Rey and Finn of the truthfulness of the stories they heard of the rebellion, stating “It’s true. All of it. The Dark Side. The Jedi. They’re real.” This aside, Solo possesses the same wit of old, moving a little slower, but nothing you wouldn’t expect from an aging character.

Also, without spoiling it, the ending is enough to bring a tear to fans’ eyes. Abrams and co-writer Lawrence Kasdan could not have crafted a better end to Episode VII. It might be painful, but there’s nothing more you could ask for.

Abrams does a great job coupling parallelism with originality. “The Force Awakens” is a lot like the first “Star Wars” movie, with the enemy tracking a droid which contains vital information to the enemy. There’s a new space station that the First Order carved out of planet which the good guys have to destroy using a trench system. Nevertheless, the youthful characters make it more reminiscent of what used to be than a remake of the age old story. The film score (written by John Williams, who wrote the other six scores) is also original, but still possesses a “Star Wars” feel.

So indeed, “The Force Awakens” is a revival. The fan base’s faith can be restored by Abrams’ brilliant work.

To use the words of the late Darth Vader, “Impressive. Most impressive.”