My experience watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens cannot be described with mere words. Call me what you will, but I am a Star Wars fan through and through. So when I tell you, the reader, that this was perhaps the most heart-wrenching, emotional, and simply fun time I’ve ever had watching a movie, you’ll understand my rating at the bottom. But first, my review.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens takes off 30 years after Episode 6: Return of the Jedi. The Empire fell when Darth Vader died, allowing the Rebel Alliance to re-organize into a new Republic. However, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) has gone missing for an unknown reason, allowing a new Empire, called the First Order, to rise under the leadership of Dark Side of the Force user Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). The film kicks off as the Rebel Alliance work to find a map to Skywalker’s location, eventually joining forces with former storm trooper Finn (John Boyega) and scavenger Rey (Daisy Ridley) to defeat the forces of the First Order.

The acting in Star Wars movies has always been a hit or miss. No one can forget the performances of Harrison Ford or Ewan McGregor, but the series has often been plagued with questionable acting, mostly in the prequel trilogy. I can happily say that there isn’t a single poor performance in this movie. Newcomers Daisy Ridley and John Boyega easily steal the show. I was worried I wouldn’t enjoy them, but I was pleased to discover they are both compelling characters and excellent actors. Also among the new characters is Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), a pilot in the Resistance that also is a fantastic addition to the cast. Harrison Ford’s return as Han Solo is a welcome one– it’s pleasing to see the aging man as the smuggler once again, and he energizes every scene he’s in. Also headlining the film is the return of Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, who is good, but her role could have been played by anyone.

Right into the positives: the action in this movie is abundant and very well-executed. It takes the traditional Star Wars action (blaster battles, ship battles, lightsaber duels) and puts a new, fresh twist on all of them. There are several action scenes in this movie, and all of them stand out. You could take every quiet scene in the movie out and replace them with just the action scenes and I would be more than satisfied.

Another thing I liked about this movie is how it didn’t tread too heavily on nostalgia. They could have easily rehashed many Star Wars ideas, but instead, this film is both familiar and refreshingly new, putting spins on the things we love about Star Wars to make it exciting. One example I can give without spoiling anything is how they twist up the famous Light Speed by using it from inside a hanger of a space station. I will admit the film plays out similar to Episode 4: A New Hope quite a bit, but that’s less of a complaint and more of a compliment, considering how many complained about the unfamiliarity of the recent prequel films.

Now let’s switch gears and talk about the villain, played by acting newcomer Adam Driver. Kylo Ren is awesome, plain and simple. He may be Star Wars’ second best villain (second only to the unbeatable Darth Vader). Kylo Ren is interesting because, while he does play basically the same role Vader did, he tackles it in a completely different way. While Vader is cool and calculated, Ren is easily angered and has a short temper. While Vader is a master of the Dark Side, Ren is still learning. Vader has his signature Force choke, but Ren has several new force powers which are so impressive I won’t spoil them here. Not only is he different, but he is also a fantastic character as well as a villain. Seriously, he’s an amazing character, and one of the highlights of the movie.

I’ve done my best to avoid spoilers in this review, but any Star Wars fan watching the movie will laugh, cheer, watch intently, and, most importantly, cry their eyes out.

This is normally when I talk about the negatives. It may be the excitement, but off the top of my head, I can’t think of any real negatives that aren’t nitpicking. Perhaps I should bring up the similarity to the original Star Wars: A New Hope once again, as the story plays out similarly, but again, that is only a minor dent in a film of greatness.

So here’s my verdict: This is the best movie of 2015 and may be the best Star Wars movie to date. Even if you aren’t a Star Wars fan, this movie will satisfy you in every department: action, acting, characters, plot, music, heart… this movie has it all. Nothing is more satisfying than this movie being better than I ever expected it could be. I’ll do the unthinkable and give it 10 out of 10 Star Wars, with the Dieter Award for film of the year.

And after I see this twenty more times, I’ll finally be ready to start getting excited for Episode 8.