This is not your father’s “Star Wars.”

It is your son’s or daughter’s “Star Wars.”

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is a “Star Wars” for the Millennial Generation, those fan boys and fan girls weaned on Marvel Comics Cinematic Universe superheroes.

“The Force Awakens” has enough elements, and especially returning characters, from the “Star Wars” trilogy (for the sake of space, we won’t grouse about the prequels trilogy) to please parents and grandparents by invoking nostalgia (almost 40 years later) for writer-director George Lucas’s original, groundbreaking 1977 movie.

“The Force Awakens” should please multi-generations of “Star Wars” fans. Director J. J. Abrams (director, “Mission: Impossible III,” 2006; “Star Trek,” 2009; “Star Trek Into Darkness,” 2013; executive producer, TV’s “Felicity,” 1998-2002; “Alias,” 2001-2006; “Lost,” 2004-2010) is a longtime “Star Wars” fan. Abrams wisely doesn’t let Comic Con fan fawning get in the way of directing. Abrams’ direction of “The Force Awakens” is masterful and brilliant.

There is a huge spoiler that few rewiewers and social media sites have disclosed. Suffice it to say, it’s a shocker and is the movie’s emotional linchpin.

The screenplay by Lawrence Kasden (co-writer, “Star Wars” trillogy, 1977, 1980, 1983) is successfully-paced. The “Star Wars” elders: Han Solo (Harrison Ford); Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), here as General Leia Organa, head of the Resistance, and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) are “rolled out” (introduced) at just the right moments. Hamill’s appearance is not much more than a cameo.

Casting in “The Force Awakens” blends a large cast of seasoned pros and talented young actors. The storyline, characters, gear and spacecraft (seeing the iconic Millennium Falcon in action may bring tears to your eyes; a new Landspeeder resembles a futuristic Gravely Tractor, and there are Lightsaber fights galore) and locations present the kind of detail that should please the most obsessive “Star Wars” fan, provoke post-film discussions and debates over coffee or beers, and encourage repeat viewings.

For this review, ”Star Wars: The Force Awakens” was seen in the Imax 3D format. While the movie’s several World War II style “dogfights” between X-Wing and TIE Fighter spacecraft are the main reason to see the movie in the more expensive formats, I think it’s unecessary. “Movie Maven” Mike Gontkosky, who accompanied me to the screening, disagreed. The 3D scenes where characters are in dialogue appear to be on two planes to me, as in View-Master 3D photographs.

”Star Wars: The Force Awakens” has a satisfying mix of incredible action set pieces and believable and interesting dialogue with Ford getting the majority of the quips.

The entrance of Harrison Ford as Han Solo is anticipated enough to draw ooohs and ahhs in the movie theater when he makes his first onscreen appearance. Ford is at his churlish best during most of his onscreen time, which is considerable, only softening here and there, especially in conversation with Fisher (“You changed your hair,” he quips, noticing the dual “Cinnabons” are gone).

Fisher is surprisingly good (despite her red-carpet carping) in a small but significant role.

While Ford is the titualar head of “The Force Awakens” universe, The Force is clearly with the younger actors, especially Daisy Ridley (Rey), a scavanger (living in an abandoned AT-AT) and John Boyega (Finn), a Storm Trooper who defects. Ridley and Boyega are the movie’s coleads. Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), who revels in his dark side, has memorable screen time as leader of the First Order, successor to the Galactic Empire.

Enough cannot be said about Ridley, who has an incredible screen presence, at once strong and senstive, not unlike Boyega. They’re mirror images and make a terrific team. Driver is powerful in his Darth Vader-like conflicted evil.

Additional plot balance is provided by Oscar Issac (Poe Dameron), a Resistance X-wing fighter pilot, and Domhnall Gleason (General Hux), commander of the First Order’s Starkiller Base.

In supporting roles: Lupita Nyong’o (in a costume beyond recognition as Maz Kanata, operator of a cantina, depicted in a scene with odd charactes that recalls the cantina of the first “Star Wars”), Andy Serkis (Supreme Leader Snoke, a literally larger than life figure), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO, the gold-plated humanoic droid), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca, the Wookiee, the abominable snowman-like sidekick to Han Solo), Max von Sydow (Lor San Tekka, an elder statesman on the planet Jakku), Gwendoline Christie (Captain Phasma, a First Order officer), and Simon Pegg (Unkar Plutt, a junkyard owner on Jakku).

The rolling soccer-ball like droid BB-8 is an amusing and reliable successor to R2-D2, which makes a cameo.

Costuming, cinematography, editing (irises and wipes; look it up) and the John Williams’ “Star Wars” theme and score are superb.

My main quibble with “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is the character of Supreme Leader Snoke, which is bit too “Lord Of The Rings” or Marvel Cinematic Universe for the “Star Wars” Universe. Perhaps the universes will overlap or merge in sequels.

The next installment, “Episode VIII,” is set for release in 2017. Disney paid $4 billion for the Lucasfilms franchise, so you can bet Disney will wring every possible sequel, merchandising endorsement (Yes, even Cottom Buds) out of the “Star Wars” franchise. May the merch be with you.

That said, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is an emotional experience. The buildup to seeing the film, the hype notwithstanding, is palpable as you buy a ticket, stand in line or wade through the previews before the skyscraper-like angled prologue crawl at the start of the film. This is event film-making such as Hollywood has not seen in decades.

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is big, bold, tragic, funny, magical and delivers on nearly all counts. It should please “Star Wars” fans old and new.

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” MPAA Rated PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned. Some Material May Be Inappropriate For Children Under 13.) for sci-fi action violence; Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Science-Fiction; Run time: 2 hrs., 15 mins.; Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures.

Credit Readers Anonymous: “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” was filmed on location in Ireland, Iceland, Scotland, England, Abu Dhabi, New Mexico and in Pinewood Studios, London, England, and Bad Robot Productions, Santa Monica, Calif.

Box Office, Dec. 25: “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” continued to break nearly every record in the movie box office book, No. 1, two weeks in a row, with $153.5 million during the Chritmas holiday weekend, and $544.5 million, two weeks. “Daddy’s Home” opened at No. 2, with $38.8 million. “Joy” opened at No. 3 with $17.5 million;

4. “Sisters,” $13.8 million; $37.1 million, two weeks; 5. “Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Road Chip,” $12.7 million, $39.3 million, two weeks; 6. “Concussion,” $11 million, opening; 7. “The Big Short,” $10.5 million, $16 million, three weeks; 8. “Point Break,” $10.2 million, opening; 9. “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2,” $5.3 million, $264.6 million, six weeks; 10. “Creed,” $4.6 million, $96.3 million, five weeks;

Unreel, Jan. 1:

“Yosemite,” R: Gabrielle Demeestere directs James Franco, Henry Hopper, Barry Del Sherman and Steven Wiig in the drama about a mountain lion threatening Palo Alto, Calif, in the fall of 1985 and the lives of three 5th grade friends who are affected.

Four Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes