Since I won the electoral college in a landslide in 2016, I feel it's up to me to break the tie between Bosk/Gary and Jingle/Katt... and the winner is.... Jingle and Katt.
I was ready to concede out the gate that it's age, but with Katt in tow, it kind of shoots that theory... it might have been cartoony, but it wasn't shallow; you knew enough to form the pillars of good story-telling. And there was tension; Leia had a problem (Vader) that needed solving, and Ben, Luke, Han and Chewie were there to help. But could Ben be trusted (hanging out in the sand like he did)? Could Luke be trusted (that impulsive youth who couldn't bother with training, just wanted to fly like his dad)? Could Han be trusted (smuggler who might or might not have shot a guy in cold blood and whose guiding force seems to be money)? Could Chewie be trusted (and if he could, how would you know)?
Lucas is no dummy. Stormtroopers in anonymous masks destroying entire farms. The evil guy in the anonymous mask choking people - friend AND foe alike - to get his way. Young blonde idealist fighting with his parental figures for his freedom. Young. punky girl (it WAS 1977) giving the metaphorical finger to the "Establishment" "Evil Empire". It was magical, really. Simple in the way that the best rock and roll is "simple", but, also like the best rock and roll, effective and to the point. I think the first film is one of the best movies ever produced. But when you retreat old ground, it's infinitely harder. You're carrying the baggage of what came before. You cannot help but compare Kylo to Vader, and Daisy to Luke. It's inevitable.
To me, that makes it almost impossible for Abrams to bring anything radically new to the equation, so it really leaves two options: instill that subtle, intuitive tension into the familiar parts of the equation (can Rey be trusted? Finn?), or simply pander to the fans wishes. I have to go back to The Force Awakens to watch it again, but my recollection is that it tried to dance the line, but erred on the side of pander.
I have not seen the Last Jedi yet.