Keith, there have been some criticism of the new Star Wars movie, but not about special effects or the use of old characters.
The effects are fantastic and seamless, even in IMAC 3D. This movie uses a lot of practical effects, with special effects only as needed, so it looks more grounded (like the original three), not fantastical (like the three prequels). There's really very little CGI. They built actual battleships and sets in the middle of Abu Dhabi!
It's a sequel to Return of the Jedi so some of the characters do return, but the story is more about three new characters.
I like it better than A New Hope and Return of the Jedi, although Empire Strikes back is a better movie, imo. The major criticism of this movie has been that there are elements of it that are borrowed from A New Hope, but that's what I liked about it!
