Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | Release Date: December 18, 2015
6.7
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 7984 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
5,073
Mixed:
1,217
Negative:
1,694
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User scoreBy dateMost helpful
5
reviewer2015lolMay 2, 2016
Why does the movie use so much plot elements of the past? It's literally easy money. People just love it because it's star wars but when you begin to think about it , it's so cheap and cliché. There you go star wars fans , in your face
100 of 133 users found this helpful10033
All this user's reviews
6
ActionJacksenDec 17, 2016
So glad to have found a site that actually has negative reviews for this horrid attempt to be a star wars movie. I gave it a 6, but as i walked out of the theatre i actually wanted my money back. I guess that Disney must have done somethingSo glad to have found a site that actually has negative reviews for this horrid attempt to be a star wars movie. I gave it a 6, but as i walked out of the theatre i actually wanted my money back. I guess that Disney must have done something to block negative reviews over the weekend in an attempt to increase sales, as well as pay all the "critics" for their positive reviews. This movie lacks a a plot, character development, character chemistry, and any logical connection between scenes.
I am glad I am not the only one, i was starting to feel like the guy who was trying to point out the emperor isn't wearing clothes, but no one else is willing to say anything...… Expand
23 of 36 users found this helpful2313
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6
Cognizant1Jan 5, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. If I didn't see this movie on the IMAX 3D Screen my rating would have been lower.
Special Effects: 9
Directing: 7 1/2 to 8
Writing: 6
Plot: Disjointed mess
I would just like to say that this is an opinion of someone who grew up in the 70's. I saw the movies while I was young and still love the originals. I had almost every toy from Millennium Falcon to the Ewok village. Tons of figures and friends who loved Star Wars. Sure, I was a little let down by the prequels Jar Jar but the "Story Plot" still held True and Firm the Star Wars Canon. Also, some of the actors weren't my favorite or first choice either.
I think the people who say this movie was great are the people who just want to see Character's, space, space vehicles and anything that has to do with Star Wars even if it doesn't have that great of writing or hold true to the Star Wars story or just starting of a new one.
**Some what of a Spoiler Alert!**
The movie felt like it needed to put in something a little something from 4,5,6. Comedy felt forced in and some reunions felt awkward(like meeting for the first time) and with some lousy dialogue.Also, when someone trains in anything it takes a while to become good. Yes, there are people who have natural talents, but to do something that takes a long time train to do just doesn't add up.
Might of worked better if it was shown that said person slowly notices things when younger and try's things little by little.
***Major Spoiler Don't read further if you haven't seen the Movie!!***
Would have been better to know more about Kylo-Ren's past. Or even the 2 main protagonist's story of growing up and the Republic's response to the new threat.
If they started the movie maybe 10 to 15yrs after Vader's Death
How does someone best a person who has been training as a Jedi since they were 5.?????
I don't have the time but this movie could have been better.… Expand
24 of 38 users found this helpful2414
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4
TixyLixDec 29, 2015
The second worst Star Wars Movie after Episode 2.....

I loved the opening 30 mins or so, I thought they were going to take us on an exciting new adventure with these new characters. However they quickly got bogged down in fan service, theyThe second worst Star Wars Movie after Episode 2.....

I loved the opening 30 mins or so, I thought they were going to take us on an exciting new adventure with these new characters. However they quickly got bogged down in fan service, they brought us the original characters back who really had no purpose what so ever. I mean you'd think they would have developed as people over 30 years, they would have a few stories to tell.... but no, they're there for fanboi cheers.

Then the story quickly just follows the plot of Episode 4, to the point they have a Death Star at the end that they explode. Haven't they learnt with Death Stars yet? Either don't bother or STOP GIVING IT A MASSIVE WEAKPOINT!!!!! What's even more crazy is some Stormtrooper had the ability to turn off the shields... no.. something like that would never have been designed that way. Then how a few bits of c4 could make something the size of a planet explode... wtf?

The problem with the story not being unique and it's own thing is when you decide to Watch the entire Star Wars movie collection in the future, you'll want to skip Episode 7 because it's just Episode 4 but worse.

Walking out of the Cinema, not one person was excited, they were all saying it was boring and crap and laughing at there being another Death Star. My friend who was a huge Star Wars fan.. he just said it was **** and worse than The Phantom Menace.

That is why I put this film as the second worse, because at least The Phantom Menace had something new going on. I was excited to watch it and I still am, despite it's shoddy acting, at least it had The Pod Racing and Darth Maul and other exciting things going on, you can even watch "The Phantom Edit" to make it better.

I can just hope Episode 8 and 9 do something new and they don't make Rey related to any of them. I had a hard time believing Luke would just give up a run away (seems to be the Jedi way now) but I'd have a harder time believing he or any one else would just abandon that girl.… Expand
63 of 101 users found this helpful6338
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4
bvaldobDec 23, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A movie for our age of distraction: frantic, often incoherent and unbelievably shallow. I cannot fathom how it got the reviews and ratings it did. It’s frustrating and sad to think of the missed opportunities: there was an ardent fan base, large preexisting mythology to draw ideas from, huge budget… And this is all they could come up with? What a shame - the trailers had been so enticing!

TFA starts off well enough but quickly becomes predictable and uninteresting. Basically, there’s little originality in the story, and no credible motivation to drive all the action we see. It’s an incoherent, loose plot, highly unsatisfactory, mostly made up of bits and pieces lifted from Ep IV and V, strung together anyhow in what seems in retrospect to be one long chase scene with some boring dogfights and battles here and there. Oh, and a cantina scene -pretty good, actually. Oh, and some Nazi imagery for the baddies. Oh, and a Death Star. It feels as if the script had been written in haste the night before the deadline - or has had far too many people have a say/interfere/edit it. Who was it that said “the worst risk is not taking any”?

The result is, alas, flat and unimaginative. Nowhere are we given any real sense of depth: not in the plot, nor the characters, nor the universe all this is supposed to be happening in. Or, for that matter, how it’s supposed to be linked to what happened in ROTJ and before: the few hints given here and there are ludicrous and scant. Admittedly, visually it is rather good, and on the whole faithful to the Star Wars style; and a big plus is the restrained use of CGI effects. And while some character choices are ridiculous, there are some good, even brilliant ideas concerning many new characters, their interactions, the (very) little we are told about their past. It’s a pity that this potential is thrown down the drain by mishandling, such as a total lack of character development. As a result characters are unconvincing, and there is no good reason to really care about what happens to them. Even the heroes from the past are given such a bad deal, to the point that only nostalgia lights them up. A bit. It must be stressed that the actors themselves mostly do a super job, doing their best with the available material (and direction?).

The villains are a particular example. While the concept of a young dark lord, still unsure in the wielding of his powers and undergoing a personal inner crisis, could have been very, very interesting (especially when it turns out he is somebody’s estranged son), this concept then gets expressed so artlessly and clumsily, and in such fragmentary haste- it turns into a farce. And while it could have been a nice touch, and one faithful to the origins, to have the Big Bad Boss deliver instructions and dress-downs in hologram form, what we are then shown in the movie looks like a cross between Voldemort and an oversize Gollum. Grotesque perhaps but not one bit intimidating.

Any good moments are also quickly treaded into the dust of mediocrity by facile plot jumps and glib twists. That the proximity of somebody’s old lightsaber triggers an avalanche of visions and flashbacks in the lead character, though it leaves much unexplained, could at least have been a splendid way to introduce some “first-steps-in-the Force” sequence; even clumsy experimenting might have done; but no, this character seems to suddenly become a master with no explanation given, and this is then shamefacedly overused in the plot to further the action. A likeable alien character with a lifespan of centuries could have been the vehicle for much background information, in some way or other; but she disappears having said, or done, very little. A potentially emotional and fateful confrontation is so emphatically anticipated over and over again, and is so clumsily contrived when it finally does happen- that it loses all pathos.

TFA is probably what it’s meant to be: a heavily commercial operation, which was never intended to be creatively respectful of its predecessors, and carefully planned around a boardroom table to make sure of most possible viewer-clients (particularly the age-groups more likely to then go out and buy merchandise). The cannibalising of previous movies is so pervasive and unsubtle that it becomes almost offensive. The movie comes across basically as a mediocre remake; briefly entertaining, quickly boring, rather soulless. Forgettable.… Expand
46 of 74 users found this helpful4628
All this user's reviews
4
blackraven0Dec 22, 2015
Nice movie, sure. But it is so blatantly unoriginal. Come on, episodes I-III had horrendous writing and acting, but they were full of original ideas. Lucas might not be a good director or even a filmmaker but he has a head full of ideas. ThisNice movie, sure. But it is so blatantly unoriginal. Come on, episodes I-III had horrendous writing and acting, but they were full of original ideas. Lucas might not be a good director or even a filmmaker but he has a head full of ideas. This film shows we will miss him.… Expand
43 of 70 users found this helpful4327
All this user's reviews
6
itachi737Dec 21, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have mixed feelings towards this movie. I was hopping that it would be the masterpiece advertised be everybody, but in my opinion it fell short. A lot of people will say that this is an amazing movie and they would not be wrong if it was a reboot of the franchise instead of a sequel.

The pros: good visual effects and amazing sound. The actors playing finn does an amazing job at bringing humors into the movie. Han solo, Chewbacca and Rey are not bad either.

The bad: The story is almost identical to star wars 4 (see spoilers sections for more details). The villain is good at first, but becomes very boring after 20 minutes. The story is super obvious, because as I stated before, it is the same story as star wars 4.

This is the same story as star wars 4:
star wars 4/the force awakens
Tatooine= big desert / Jakku big desert
R2D2 carry critical data/ Robot carries critical data
Robot lost on Tatooine/ Robot lost on Jakku
Luke= poor orphan / Rey= poor orphan
Luke= amazing force potential/ Rey = amazing force potential
Luke finds robot/ Rey finds robot
Luke escapes from tatooine on the Falcon Millenium/ Rey Escapes from Jakku on the Falcon Millenium
Han Solo and Chewbacca help Luke/ Han Solo and Chewbacca help Rey
They seek the help of the rebels/ They seek the help of the rebels
The Death Star blows up a planet/ A huge Death Star blows up many planets
The Darth Vador follows the orders of the emperor/ Kylo Ren follows the orders of his sith master
The rebels attack the Death Star/ The rebels attack the huge death star
The rebels destroy the Death Star by shooting the sole weakness of the whole installation/ The rebels destroy the Huge Death Star by shooting its sole weakness aka the cooling unit
A single x wing takes down the Death Star/ A single x wing takes down the Huge Death Star
Luke leaves for a unknown planet to seek training from Yoda/ Rey leaves for an unknown planet to seek training from Luke.

I mean come on all they did was change the main character into a girl and an a funny black character (Finn was actually good but the rest is almost a copy past). They could have just released Star Wars 4 in 3D and it would have been the same movie.

Again, you should see this movie, because it is worth watching in theater, but it is no way near what some of the reviews say about it.… Expand
19 of 31 users found this helpful1912
All this user's reviews
5
dans221Dec 29, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I tried to keep my expectations for the sequel in check, but I'm quite disappointed of how it turned out overall.

I'll start by saying there are good things about the movie. I liked the acting for all the new characters and that the emphasis was on them rather than the old ones. Rey was a strong, lead female character; Finn was very likable; my personal favorite was BB-8 whose cuteness kept my interest up the whole movie! The visuals and cinematics were very good, and I think will age much better than the prequels. The First Order stormtroopers and fighters seemed more competent than the ones Original Trilogy (OT), providing a more satisfying menace. The dialogue was better than in the OT. The first half hour of the movie was great!

BUT, in spite of having all the elements in place for a great sequel it simply does not work and quickly started falling apart. The problem lies with the directing. The story arc is chaotic. Too many cuts destroy immersion. The main thing the OT and even the prequels did very well was to feel connected to each world that's portrayed -- and this absolutely is not the case in this new episode. Everything felt like a throw-away. Not even Jakku on which most screen time was spent seemed like an interesting world that I would like to know more about. The new Death Star was such a throw-away story arc -- it happened quickly, was anti-climatic, and was overall pointless. Maybe it would have worked if it was built-up over the arc of the three episodes (in the OT, Lucas only had the Death Star blow up in the first episode because he did not know there would be more episodes -- there was no need to make the same mistake again). And seriously, the third time a Death Star is blown up in the same identical way, only this time it's bigger???

I had a strong sense of deja-vu throughout the whole movie. Overall, this was a re-make not a sequel. If it had been made and marketed as a re-make with new actors and new visuals it could have worked quite well as that -- the individual parts of the movie are quite good (except the music, which oddly, I did not find at any point as epic and engaging as the prequels or OT). However, as a sequel it's extremely thin and chaotic in the overall story arc and feels forced. Worst of all, I just don't care about the "new" worlds, and where the "new" story arc is leading.

For all their faults, the prequels at least took a chance and Naboo and Coruscant were interesting, immersive worlds and it was an interesting question to see how the Galactic Republic turned into the Empire. Maybe if the next episode is not directed by JJ Abrams it might be better? Who knows, but my feeling is that if they don't make a second installment in the "sequel" trilogy it wouldn't be a big loss.… Expand
30 of 49 users found this helpful3019
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4
GeekInDisguiseJan 7, 2016
Visually stunning but extremely vapid. No substance under the surface of this perfectly recycled addition to the franchise. This movie came out looking like twice baked potatoes.
36 of 59 users found this helpful3623
All this user's reviews
5
GrogmonsterDec 29, 2015
George Lucas said after seeing this film "it's what people wanted." Really? People wanted a remake of
Episode 4? A lot of scenes just didn't feel right and felt rushed and far too many items conveniently placed like the millennium falcon forGeorge Lucas said after seeing this film "it's what people wanted." Really? People wanted a remake of
Episode 4? A lot of scenes just didn't feel right and felt rushed and far too many items conveniently placed like the millennium falcon for example. Really disappointing, I was expecting better.… Expand
34 of 56 users found this helpful3422
All this user's reviews
4
RAGrierDec 29, 2015
I am still not certain which is the more fitting descriptor, "forgettable" or "disappointing." Let's go with both.
The plot was rehashed and the characters were flaccid. The bad guy character, ummm, what's his name? Mike? Billy? Anyway, he'sI am still not certain which is the more fitting descriptor, "forgettable" or "disappointing." Let's go with both.
The plot was rehashed and the characters were flaccid. The bad guy character, ummm, what's his name? Mike? Billy? Anyway, he's the type that would be at a Gender Dysphoria Emo Rave telling everyone how dark, deep, tough and oh yeah… how misunderstood he is.
There were no "wow" moments. I really didn’t see anything new. There were only a couple of thrills (CG stuff mostly) and you could cut the suspense with a jelly bean. It felt like a cheaply and quickly made mashup of Harry Potter meets a few guys from Lord of the Rings in space with some faces you knew in 1977 so you can say it is Star Wars. Oh and the cliff hanger ending. Hmmm… golly, how dramatic and symbolic. The biggest symbol was the actual cliff. Made me want to jump off…
The Clone Wars cartoons are much better with storyline, character and plot development. Heck, Star Wars Rebels has more depth. LEGO Star Wars has better jokes...… Expand
74 of 122 users found this helpful7448
All this user's reviews
5
megacritic321Dec 25, 2015
Over hyped film no doubt. Too many fight scenes and less character except 2 (Rey & Finn)The rest is all old school. Shame all that money and effort. Seriously a better story line and stronger character development is needed. Worth watching on DVD.
20 of 33 users found this helpful2013
All this user's reviews
5
JSmiddDec 30, 2015
The plot in its entirety could be summed up as a rehash of Episodes 4-6, bundled up in today's new tech. It is largely soulless and there is no feeling of true accomplishment once you have reached the conclusion. There are a myriad ofThe plot in its entirety could be summed up as a rehash of Episodes 4-6, bundled up in today's new tech. It is largely soulless and there is no feeling of true accomplishment once you have reached the conclusion. There are a myriad of questions left for the viewer to boot, either as a deliberate ploy to keep you engaged in the trilogy or out of intellectual laziness. It is an attempt at playing on the nostalgia of older fans while introducing a new slate of characters to continue the series and it manages to do none particularly well. One has to wonder, with the large production budget and creative A-Team Disney and JJ Abrams had to work with, how they managed to produce such a rote and unimaginative story.

All in all, it is a spectacular film in terms of effects and visceral scenes but lacking in story or substance. This seems to have become JJ Abrams' modus operandi and he certainly doesn't fail to disappoint on those counts.… Expand
20 of 33 users found this helpful2013
All this user's reviews
4
OSWDec 26, 2015
TL;DR. Effects are very well done and it's nice to see actual props again instead of complete CGI like the prequels, but the story is way too similar to A New Hope. Comedic portions come off as forced and ruin parts of the movie that areTL;DR. Effects are very well done and it's nice to see actual props again instead of complete CGI like the prequels, but the story is way too similar to A New Hope. Comedic portions come off as forced and ruin parts of the movie that are trying to be more serious. Also Kylo Ren has to be the most disappointing Star Wars villain to date(which the end of the movie makes his story line seem a little too similar to another Dark sider we all know and love.....).

There are many inconsistencies in this movie related to the Star Wars universe which many fans will probably catch. Overall it didn't even meet my very moderate expectations, I'd say I'll give Disney one more chance to redeem themselves and come up with an original story, but if they mess another one up I won't bother with any more Star Wars titles under their ownership.… Expand
23 of 38 users found this helpful2315
All this user's reviews
4
SiMarcosDec 24, 2015
The good reviews were bought and sold by Disney. The truth: Terrible writing, plot holes galore, and you will have not the slightest care for why Rey and Finn are doing what they're doing. Nor is there any aptly justified reason for whyThe good reviews were bought and sold by Disney. The truth: Terrible writing, plot holes galore, and you will have not the slightest care for why Rey and Finn are doing what they're doing. Nor is there any aptly justified reason for why certain things happen. The entire plot is a shoddy rehash of Ep. IV plot. Nothing original. Cartoonishly bad casting/acting/direction for all bad guys. I mean, it's just really bad. Watching that ginger-haired general and twitchy, uncertain Kylo Ren was like seeing scrappy adolescents playing Star Wars in a basement.

Horrific plot twist that went totally unjustified by its doer. Who we don't grow to fear, anyway.

Other reviews say it all. Solid 4.0 out of 10 for the film, 1.0 out of 10 for Star Wars.

Also, funny to note: all of the GOOD and seemingly very plastic reviews written on here have generally 1/20 ratings as "helpful" while all of the BAD reviews have like 16/20 on average. Use that as a metric for what the truth actually is. It's impossible to be intelligent and like this film.… Expand
52 of 86 users found this helpful5234
All this user's reviews
4
misterbrisbyDec 29, 2015
There are no magic, no imagination, no tension, hardly any memorable moments or ideas. The script is amateurish.

People who praise this mindless, shallow remix of Episode IV are just desperate for their overdue Star Wars fix and would tryThere are no magic, no imagination, no tension, hardly any memorable moments or ideas. The script is amateurish.

People who praise this mindless, shallow remix of Episode IV are just desperate for their overdue Star Wars fix and would try to love EVERYTHING as long as it is called "Star Wars" and isn't connected to the prequels (which are better than their reputation, btw).

But without nostalgia, Episode VII sadly has little to offer. I like some of the new actors, some of the dialogue is good and the effects are okay - though pretty standard.

Overall, this is just a lazy cashgrab. Abrams is playing it way too safe and the result is boring and disappointing.

This is the weakest Episode of Star Wars.… Expand
96 of 159 users found this helpful9663
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4
MagicpickleJan 14, 2016
Very unoriginal and uninspired. "Star Wars" used to be a space opera with regal dialogue, fantastic musical themes, and a plot sticking to the traditional mythology of "the hero's journey" while being innovative in exciting new ways. "TheVery unoriginal and uninspired. "Star Wars" used to be a space opera with regal dialogue, fantastic musical themes, and a plot sticking to the traditional mythology of "the hero's journey" while being innovative in exciting new ways. "The Force Awakens," on the other hand, just sloppily cuts and pastes together different parts of the already existing Star Wars Expanded Universe (which is excellent, by the way) and Lucas' mythos in the Original Trilogy. At least the prequels explored new territory in terms of story and lore; this movie did not.

Overall, it's very lazy and intellectually boring. It's quite clear that this movie was made for the lowest common denominator, and thus is why the movie is doing so well. However, if you're able to turn your brain off and just enjoy the mindless ride of explosions and blaster shots, you might enjoy it.… Expand
32 of 53 users found this helpful3221
All this user's reviews
4
AmazonianJan 8, 2016
Lucas Film's Star Wars vs Disney's Star Wars....Well, I still prefer Lucas Film's Star Wars

Lucas uses his creativity to introduce metamorphic societies/civilizations/unions/armies in his Star Wars films (such as Mafia - The Toydarians,Lucas Film's Star Wars vs Disney's Star Wars....Well, I still prefer Lucas Film's Star Wars

Lucas uses his creativity to introduce metamorphic societies/civilizations/unions/armies in his Star Wars films (such as Mafia - The Toydarians, Mongols - The Gungans, Samurai - The Jedi Knights, Roman Senate - The Galactic Senate, Third Reich - The Imperial Armies etc etc) that were drawn across from the library of our human's history and civilizations which made his Star Wars film unique as compare to other Sci-Fi movies. Watching the latest Disney's Star Wars is just like watching Hunger Games...It is just another Sci-Fi with a plot.… Expand
32 of 53 users found this helpful3221
All this user's reviews
4
xaxiomaticDec 26, 2015
I'd say it's a good Star Wars movie but the problem is that it's not a good movie.

It has all the things we love about the setting but has many problems as a film. The script is bad, the characters are underdeveloped, the pacing is toI'd say it's a good Star Wars movie but the problem is that it's not a good movie.

It has all the things we love about the setting but has many problems as a film.

The script is bad, the characters are underdeveloped, the pacing is to fast, the score is forgettable, plot holes,
throwaway lines of dialogue instead of proper setups etc...

There are parts that are certainly well made like the sets, costumes, practical effects, some of the acting was better than I was expecting from the new crew.

If you took away the Star Wars elements and put in generic space ships and villains it would tank by itself.

It's not a remake but relies so heavily on the original source that you're not really sure if you're watching one or not and that's probably the major issue right there. A bland copy which has no identity for itself.… Expand
38 of 63 users found this helpful3825
All this user's reviews
5
ALLCAPSDec 28, 2015
Nothing special. Nothing seemed new. The planets were familiar, the scenes, the fights and even the characters. I found the first hour incredibly boring only for nostalgia to save it for me a little at the end. Was it the worst thing I sawNothing special. Nothing seemed new. The planets were familiar, the scenes, the fights and even the characters. I found the first hour incredibly boring only for nostalgia to save it for me a little at the end. Was it the worst thing I saw this year? No, but it definitely wasn't even close to one of the best.… Expand
44 of 73 users found this helpful4429
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4
allisonjane65Dec 18, 2015
With movies as ridiculously hyped as this I usually find it best to see it with lowish expectations to avoid undue disappointment.

Well, I can't say I was disappointed exactly but hugely underwhelmed. While Abrams did succeed in capturingWith movies as ridiculously hyped as this I usually find it best to see it with lowish expectations to avoid undue disappointment.

Well, I can't say I was disappointed exactly but hugely underwhelmed. While Abrams did succeed in capturing the 'feel' of the originals , the wafer thin plot, bland characters {and uncomfortable looking original cast members}, made for a very forgettable experience.… Expand
95 of 158 users found this helpful9563
All this user's reviews
4
sniderman89Jan 4, 2016
I'm about to repeat the same complaints about how this is a rehash of the original SW. The same #### things as the first one 30 years ago. All the ideas of a good sci fi movie must be gone I guess. Even if you have the whole world of specialI'm about to repeat the same complaints about how this is a rehash of the original SW. The same #### things as the first one 30 years ago. All the ideas of a good sci fi movie must be gone I guess. Even if you have the whole world of special effects behind you and you can ignore real life physics we have to watch the same ol crap. I wasn't excited to see this movie but did because I hoped my son would enjoy it. He did but he also doesn't know any better. This movie was boring and unoriginal.… Expand
36 of 60 users found this helpful3624
All this user's reviews
5
jdb26354Dec 25, 2015
The user rating is at 73, directionally wiser than the professionals' 81.
Star Wars Awakens is first and foremost a triumph of marketing and commercial myth-making, even the CGI-laden 3D boredom that now passes for the creation of culturalThe user rating is at 73, directionally wiser than the professionals' 81.
Star Wars Awakens is first and foremost a triumph of marketing and commercial myth-making, even the CGI-laden 3D boredom that now passes for the creation of cultural icons. Light saber fights, space filled with random fighter fire, and the Gargantuan symbolizing monolithic darkness - all the tropes invented in 1977 are still with us in 2015. A few times during my sitting, my mind wandered to how much tougher the competition is now for film from television - in terms of characters, surprises, and epitomizing the epic. This Star Wars is not up to that change, and I doubt the recycled franchise will be, as it never had nuance. This time, the clarions beckoned me to the "film that couldn't be missed." Next time, I will be deaf to them. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. The same level of special effects lavished on a film serial about WWII - the origin of the storm troopers and the dark force (and black garb) of Nazism - now that would capture me in a way no Star Wars film ever could. And don't kid yourself - we know the ending in one just as much as the other.… Expand
33 of 55 users found this helpful3322
All this user's reviews
4
Deadly_TravelerDec 23, 2015
People who can't make a cartoon without over9000 singing scenes just can't make adorable content.

Well unfortunately this movie is horrible. I don't even understand why they made a movie with pro jedi woman who had never used light swordPeople who can't make a cartoon without over9000 singing scenes just can't make adorable content.

Well unfortunately this movie is horrible. I don't even understand why they made a movie with pro jedi woman who had never used light sword and then wrecked this ugly freak antagonist in 20 sec. Stupid black troop who isn't jedi but is pro at fighting on swords (seriously?) etc. The movie just doesn't feel like something good, it's blank and boring. Better don't watch it or watch when the whole trilogy is out.… Expand
30 of 50 users found this helpful3020
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4
KeihndethDec 23, 2015
While this is not a bad movie, it is not a great movie either, and it certainly isn't a Star Wars movie. This was a sci-fi action movie based in the Star Wars universe, not the epic space operas of old we all grew up with. This film was moreWhile this is not a bad movie, it is not a great movie either, and it certainly isn't a Star Wars movie. This was a sci-fi action movie based in the Star Wars universe, not the epic space operas of old we all grew up with. This film was more of a 'Greatest Hits: Episode IV-VI' than its own standalone movie. A shell of a movie with the depth of something we'd expect from Michael Bay, not J.J. Abrams.… Expand
27 of 45 users found this helpful2718
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4
AvalordDec 26, 2015
The movie is less than a movie. It rather is a remake of episode IV, with parts of V thrown in.
To me, it seems, J.J. Abrams did to Star Wars the same he did to Star Trek: Modernizing it without a single original thought. Instead I envisionThe movie is less than a movie. It rather is a remake of episode IV, with parts of V thrown in.
To me, it seems, J.J. Abrams did to Star Wars the same he did to Star Trek: Modernizing it without a single original thought. Instead I envision corporate Disney meetings like: " We paid 4 Billions for the franchise. We CANNOT screw up here. And so they didn't in a fashion. Not one brave, independant, creative thing in the whole movie :(… Expand
24 of 40 users found this helpful2416
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4
Alaska_WolfDec 28, 2015
It was a fun movie, there's no doubt about that; even so, I am not sure yet, but I really don't think I liked it. I really felt let down at the end of the movie, so much of it felt like it was simply a complete rehash of previous movies. ItIt was a fun movie, there's no doubt about that; even so, I am not sure yet, but I really don't think I liked it. I really felt let down at the end of the movie, so much of it felt like it was simply a complete rehash of previous movies. It felt completely disconnected from Episode 6, Return of the Jedi which we watched the night prior. Do I want to see this again? Not really, which is really unusual considering how many times I have watched the other six movies. I just don't know, but the ageless, enduring qualities of the first movies were simply missing. To me, The Force Awakens ended up feeling like an attempt to mash all of the major plot points of the previous movies into one new one all the while completely discounting the volumes of Star Wars written materials out there. Now George Lucas' comments prior to the release make perfect sense. I can only hope they do a better job with the next two shows.… Expand
24 of 40 users found this helpful2416
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5
znvpredatorDec 22, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. 1. The plot is just a mix of the old trilogy, it doesn't have anything new to offer, each place we visit, almost each scene like a scene in the classic star wars bar or "disable the shields" or even bigger death star — we've seen it all in previous episodes. At least new trilogy had courage to introduce us to new planets and cultures (I mean come on Jakku is just a copy of Tattoine).
2. Lazy writing. There is no intrigue to that film, it almost like in the middle I already knew what would happen next, and that moment when Kylo Ren kills Solo feels like it there just because they needed some big moment.
3. Light saber battles. So we have Kylo Ren who was trained by Luke, and who's extremly talented with the force (we see him use it multiple times and showing even more power than Darth extremely) and he is being challenged by a former stromtrooper who even doesn't know how to handle lightsaber and the defeated by the girl who was never trained in the ways of the force. WHAT IS THAT? Remember how Luke who had some training from Obi Van lost to Vader? And then he had to had even more training from Yoda to challenge him? But no, in this film they just know how to use the force out of nowhere apparently.

I'm giving 5 only because x-wing battles were cool and first part of the movie felt right.… Expand
21 of 35 users found this helpful2114
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5
DougMDec 24, 2015
Bit of a mess like the Abrams Star Trek films... the rushed character development, convenience tropes and ham-fisted scene hopping were all there in force. Felt like it was meant to be a much longer film and Abrams just edited it down to theBit of a mess like the Abrams Star Trek films... the rushed character development, convenience tropes and ham-fisted scene hopping were all there in force. Felt like it was meant to be a much longer film and Abrams just edited it down to the highlights.

Daisy Ridley's performance was the only shining aspect of the film.

Overall just a bland forgettable experience with the exception of Harrison Ford's dentures.… Expand
18 of 30 users found this helpful1812
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5
sherbzDec 26, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I really wanted to like this film, but it falls short of the mark. They would have done far better to spend an entire film on documenting who the first order are. Instead they have basically recycled all the old plot mechanics and its basically everything you have seen before but with new characters. Instead of a death star we have a death planet. Instead of Darth Vader being the bad guy who has a bit of good in him, we have Kylo Ren.

It also isnt lore friendly. Why is Finn using a lightsaber when he has not been trained in the force? Why does Ren use force powers when she has had no training? Why can either of them stand up to Kylo Ren when he has supposedly been a bad boy for quite a while. It took Luke 3 films to match Vader. Ren was doing the equivalent after about 20 minutes.

And what the hell Luke Skywalker, what the hell! You are a Jedi Knight and should expect trials and tribulations. When Darth Vader, one of the most evil sith lords of all time, told you he was your father, did you throw your toys out of the pram? Did you cry and go off on some hippie excursion to become a hermit in the middle of nowhere? Did you hell. You fought the bad guys and saved the galaxy. In this film i learn that Han Solo's kid goes AWOL and you chuck in the towel and head off on a rambling holiday. What the hell!

Basically this boils down to a decent action film that has its moments. But it certainly isnt magical. Disappointed :(… Expand
18 of 30 users found this helpful1812
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5
12333dannyDec 23, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ok so I thought it was a good movie but it was not worth all the hype. If you are an all out fan such as myself i would not recommend seeing it in theater. If you are an all out fan you would understand that it is just bits and pieces taken from the old movies and put into a new one. The force awakens does not have a good flow and kinda everywhere with the plot. There are many new characters and abilities that are introduced. Ray is a new character WITH NO BACK ROUND AT ALL which is very annoying which many people including myself think she is Lukes daughter. Which brings me to another point Luke Skywalker is in the movie once for about 30 seconds and has no lines which is disappointing i was hoping to see more of him. Another thing Han Solo and Laya have a kid which no one knew about but he is all of a suddon on the dark side and once agian he has no back round or information all anyone knows that he is Han Solo's kid It was just a remake of episode 4 and is super predictable and it was a bad remake at that..... another thing if you are going to make another movie in the series stick to the facts STORMTROOPERS CANNOT TAKE OF THERE HELMET KEEP IT THAT WAY there are so many things off about it i would wait till it comes out to see it dont waste your money on it… Expand
18 of 30 users found this helpful1812
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5
ArconteDec 26, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Honestly i think that The Force Awakens is nowhere near the greatness of the previous six Episodes (all of them) and I guess that in a year from now - probably sooner - a lot of people will see this film as mediocre as what actually it is: a childish and politically correct Star Wars movie made by Disney and designed for the families.
Even the prequels, which everybody seems to dislike now, have so many epic moments with great emotional impact which totally lack in Episode 7. Just listen to "Duel of the Fates" and -instantly- you will remember the great climax at the end of The Phantom Menace with Qui Gon Jinn and Obi Wan dueling with Darth Maul in a legendary lightsaber fight, Padmé leading the hunt for Gunray or a young Anakin joining the battle against the Federation droid control ship.

In Revenge of the Sit, four years later, you would have seen that kid becoming Darth Vader after a breathtaking duel against his mentor Kenobi. Palpatine's treachery, the fall of the Republic, Yoda's exile: everything also fits perfectly and dramatically from the Prequels to the Original Trilogy that -of course- has those kind of epic moments too.

So where are supposed to be the great scenes that deserve to be remembered in The Force Awaken?

Those that you can find are just a simple readjustment of Episode 4 and while JJ surely chose a conservative approach from the plot's point of view (so many point in common with A New Hope) this movie then heavily fails by belittling the use of the lightsaber and of the force.
I could accept Finn (a stormtrooper without any training) using a Lightsaber at first but simply you can't maintain any suspension of disbelief when Rey ( the best new character,by the way) uses an old Jedi Master mind trick to free herself in the prison or when they kick Kylo Ren's ass in the final: "the duel of the rookies" at its finest.
Add that Snoke and Kylo Ren clearly do not have the same Charisma of the Emperor, Darth Vader or Darth Maul.
I don't want even start with how inglorious is the fate they decided for Han Solo...

Perhaps a more mature rated film is possible with character development in Ep 8 (especially with the one who is supposed to be the villain), but let's be honest: considering Disney, seems it's not gonna happen… Expand
18 of 30 users found this helpful1812
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6
RemmuDec 22, 2015
+ Good acting and good actors, apart from a few. + Nice video effects. - Old trilogy story re-skinned. - Random unexplained parts, which I really hope will be addressed in the other movies. Right now it seems the only way to know important+ Good acting and good actors, apart from a few. + Nice video effects. - Old trilogy story re-skinned. - Random unexplained parts, which I really hope will be addressed in the other movies. Right now it seems the only way to know important parts of the story, which weren't mentioned in the movie, is by reading the comics. And making comics mandatory to get the bigger picture is just not fair for the viewer who just hopes to see a great move.… Expand
46 of 77 users found this helpful4631
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6
ChromedbustopDec 18, 2015
If you like blatant fan service and forced nostalgia, you'll probably be quite happy with the new movie. J.J. Abrams is perfect for that sort of thing, and it's not secret that such a movie was Disney's primary agenda.

If, however, youIf you like blatant fan service and forced nostalgia, you'll probably be quite happy with the new movie. J.J. Abrams is perfect for that sort of thing, and it's not secret that such a movie was Disney's primary agenda.

If, however, you don't like a movie telling you how you're supposed to feel then you might have a problem with it as the film pretty much drives itself on recreating those "magical moments". If you saw Jurassic World or Abrams first Star Trek film, you know what I'm talking about. Problem is, just like Star Trek, outside of trying to relive the past the film offers very little. What story there is ends up being pretty pointless and only there because they probably felt they had to at least pretend to do something.

The new cast are pretty good for the most part, at least the two leads. Oscar Issacs has been getting a lot of praise in reviews and I really have no idea why. But Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Finn (John Boyega) do well. One downside is that like with so many productions these days, Star Wars feels that it really has to drive home the fact that Rey is a woman who can take care of herself. Apparently it was felt that if we weren't reminded of that every 10 minutes we'd somehow forget.

Ford, Fisher, and Hamill are pretty much there to do exactly what you'd expect them to do. Shuffle out to really drive that nostalgic dagger in, but as with many things, their appearances feel forced. More like Abrams and Disney put them in as appeasement rather than because they offer anything vital. They're obviously peripheral characters this time around, and honestly I'm okay with that.

The story is pretty week. They start with a Macguffin, and then promptly drop it halfway through the movie. The whole thing feels like it went through several rewrites with a few too many different people having a say as to what should be in. Elements are introduced, dropped, and then picked up again out of the blue. The "emotional" twists are seen coming a mile away. Supposedly important characters disappear for long stretches and pop up again with barely any explanation as to how they got from Point A to Point B.

The effects are good, but honestly what big budget effects film has a problem with that anymore? The action sequences are pretty flat, more akin the the action sequences in the prequels, rather than the original trilogy. By which I mean there's a lot of bells, whistles and activity going on but you really don't care.

The good news is that unlike with The Phantom Menace, I didn't leave the movie with a sense of dread over what might come next. I feel (hope?) that since Abrams won't be nearly as involved with the next two films they'll get better. This one will serve it's purpose though. Everyone has known since the movie was announced that it was going to make a ridiculous amount of money and as a fan service movie (which again, I don't think they really made much effort in trying to hide) it'll probably do the job in getting people excited for the film franchise again. However I would not be the least bit surprised if we find out 4 years from now, after the final film is released, that this was by far the weakest of the three.

I suspect that for the large majority this will be an enjoyable film and any flaws (of which there are many and some are very glaring) will be brushed over. But for my part, I definitely left feeling more of a "meh" than a "yay!"

Is it terrible? No. But it's not good either. Because of its heavy reliance on nostalgia and fan service it really doesn't stand well on it's on and doesn't present nearly the staying power that any of the original films do.

This is definitely a movie "for the fans", particularly the hardcore sort. That's all well and good for them, but it misses a very important aspect of the original films it so reveres and that is their appeal to a wider audience, not just the fanatics.… Expand
121 of 203 users found this helpful12182
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5
meowsedaiDec 19, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. When the opening credits came on - and for the first couple scenes - people were applauding and shouting in joy. When the ending credits rolled, maybe one dude in the back clapped. Everyone seemed a bit underwhelmed, and I'm not seeing anything about it in my news feed today.

First of all, who was Rey? Where did she come from? What's her backstory? Why should I care about her? She seemed a bit droll overall, not enough chinks in her armor, no vulnerabilities, not much humor - not much for the viewer to get in to. The big bad villain was kind of f*ckin' lame, to be honest. Total lack of gravitas. If you're comparing him with Darth Vader, just don't. Don't try. He simply lacked any kind of menace. He was just a whiny baby. And all of a sudden this douchenozzle cuts down our favorite character in the film - I'm sorry, but I don't believe it. Han Solo - our most lovable sociopath - wouldn't fall for that.

First of all, Han walks out on his family, to come back years later to find his son has grown into a neurotic, poorly acted (not sure who to blame there) whiny little turd - and suddenly is like, "I love you, son"...? And this evil little worm of a mass shooter does the obvious thing and kills him, sending him to who the hell knows...? I think Han Solo in his old age should be a lot more like Rick from "Rick and Morty", smack Kylo, tell him to stop being a lame little sh*t. Or perhaps shoot him with his blaster and be like, "You're a Jedi, you can fly," as he watches Kylo descend into the abyss - anything else. What they did in this film was a sh*tty way to write out a legend, and it makes me so sad. Boo!

All the key moments in the movie felt rushed. This is probably another 6 hour movie that needed to be cut down. Too many moving parts, not enough development, not much in the way of character arcs. And the casting...yeah, I'm not sure that they did that right. There was zero romantic chemistry between Rey and Finn. I totally don't buy it.

The Millennium Falcon scenes were awesome. And Han Solo...! ;(

Overall, I didn't want my money back like I did for episode 1. It's a solid experience, although feels more like watching yet another regurgitated, formulaic Marvel film (thanks, no thanks, Disney!). No emotional crescendos, no characters that grab you or really deserve your respect in any way (Even Fin - arguably the most likeable main character - was a raw recruit before he just abandoned his post. He wasn't a veteran, never killed anyone, didn't have anything on his conscience - he was just basically a kid. Who cares?). Overall, the acting left so much to be desired (the presence of an Actor - Sir Alec Guinness, Christopher Lee - on set truly improves the performance of everyone else.)

If you're expecting to be transported back to your experience of Star Wars as a child, "The Force Awakens" is but a clone - the spirit has fled.… Expand
87 of 146 users found this helpful8759
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4
KrotosDec 20, 2015
Sadly, this latest Star Wars installment is further evidence that Hollywood really has run out of ideas. As stilted and humorless as the prequels could feel, they at least told a new story, even if we could guess at the ending. Plot-wise,Sadly, this latest Star Wars installment is further evidence that Hollywood really has run out of ideas. As stilted and humorless as the prequels could feel, they at least told a new story, even if we could guess at the ending. Plot-wise, Episode VII is basically a retread of Episodes IV and V (and a little bit of VI) with some cosmetic alterations: Luke is a girl, Yoda is an old woman, Han is black, and R2D2 is a soccer ball. The Empire is now the Third Reich, or something. Otherwise, if you've seen the original trilogy, you've seen this movie. It's the same kind of lazy, derivative writing that was on display in JJ Abrams's Star Trek Into Darkness, which in places verged on being a scene-for-scene, even word-for-word remake of Wrath of Khan. You don't make a great movie by blatantly stealing characters, plot twists, and dialogue from another great movie: you make a forgettable imitation.… Expand
25 of 42 users found this helpful2517
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5
getatyourboyDec 28, 2015
I agree with rederp's comment, "Sadly, we get a rehash of the same story we have seen before. The same plot lines with the same progression as before. It's paint-by-numbers star wars. You have seen it all before and it's missing the adventureI agree with rederp's comment, "Sadly, we get a rehash of the same story we have seen before. The same plot lines with the same progression as before. It's paint-by-numbers star wars. You have seen it all before and it's missing the adventure movie magic in an immersive fantasy world."… Expand
25 of 42 users found this helpful2517
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4
bullywugDec 29, 2015
So, basically this is a remake of Episode 4. What people are calling nods are actually the entire movie. There is almost no original content. As with all Star Wars films the action is plentiful and fun but the acting is weak and the storySo, basically this is a remake of Episode 4. What people are calling nods are actually the entire movie. There is almost no original content. As with all Star Wars films the action is plentiful and fun but the acting is weak and the story filled with holes. I don't want to sound too critical. I think it's at least as good as Hunger Games or Maze Runner but it is certainly not an amazing piece of art.… Expand
25 of 42 users found this helpful2517
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4
RMIngriaDec 26, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I just saw this movie on Christmas Eve in IMAX with a packed house expecting great things from all the talent represented that contributed to the making of the film. The writing team seemed to be a perfect fit with Kasdan, Abrams and the others, which in my opinion were a good choice to fuse the old with the new. Also, George Lucas was brought in as a consultant.

WTF happened????? I am certain, that if the filmmakers went by the original script for Star Wars, which was so long originally that it had to be broken down into 9 episodes, that the last 3 episodes had little, if anything in common with this new release.

I find it hard to believe that these characters are part of the original story. It appears that all that was done was to look at what is needed to market a old product in a new market. Now we have a young girl (an orphan, who has Force powers with no training because she was told so by a stranger) we have a Black Leading man, no doubt for the cross marketing, who never comes across as a believable defector from the Empire, now reborn as the First Order) and a cute droid that has a secret map to Luke Skywalkers location. This begs the question, why is he hiding? 30 years later after he defeats the Empire and blows up their stronghold, and the death of the Galactic Leader and his father Darth Vader is he cowering alone at some remote island. Why would he not be with his sister? Han Solo, a hero, is now a bad dad? Leaves his wife for whatever reason and abandons his son? Hans Jr. has the power of the Dark Side? So strong he can stop a phase blaster in mid air but can beat a novice at a mind game or with his light saber? The girl happens to find one and master it in 1 lesson? I wouldn't be surprised is the orphan girl is none other than Luke's little darling. She was born with the force that was passed on. Stay tuned for another mystery reveal like Luke and his Da da.

Leia had zero charisma or strength as she did as Princess Leia. The chemistry between Hans and her was sadly lacking. Its was as if the actors said, "hey they paid us a lot of money to redo this, so let's just make the most of it and get it over with". I felt uncomfortable watching those two for a extended period of time.

There were entertaining moments, but I kept feeling that there were too many attempts at tossing in elements for the sake of a modern viewing audience and foregoing any real attempt and making clarity of a 30 year gap in the story line.

Death Planet was absurd and its effects barely noticed. The race against time was too trite this time out. Recall that the plot point of SW4 was the plans of the Death Star in R2 and the retrieval of those were needed to save the Rebellion. Now we have a Droid with plans to protect the Location of Luke. Is that even close as a plot device?
I don't get it. The massive hunt for the droid and subsequent failure by the First Order to capture it is beyond any logic. And who is the Great Overlord? I guess we needed him as the old leader was killed. This is a big hole.

And how is it that Master Luke did not foresee the arrival of the girl and the light saber. Why was the light saber left in a box in a bar? Hmmm, was this done by Luke as a prevision to his daughter finding it and ultimately bringing it to him. Let the training begin. Hence the beginning of SW8.

All this commentary for naught. I am but a single ticket sale in the host of millions that will be sold. I am glad the movie is making a lot of money. Disney paid 4 Billion up front to by Lucas Film. That took Star sized balls to do!… Expand
22 of 37 users found this helpful2215
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5
MavZeroDec 29, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I created an account to write this review. I grew up on the Star Wars movies, extended universe books, video games, everything. After the failure of the prequels I was hesitant but optimistic for TFA. I really, really wanted to like this movie.

The Plot
I know that if some Disney exec came to me a few years ago and asked me to sit down and write out a plot to a new Star Wars movie, I would be terrified. It is just insane how many stories they could have told with this new trilogy, and the pressure to come up with one that would please both the old fans and newcomers would be crazy. It is hard to put into words my disappointment when I discovered I was watching a rehash of A New Hope. JJ Abrams basically selected all his favorite scenes and themes from the original trilogy and recreated them with fancy visual effects and new characters. The Resistance, Mini Vader, Mini Boba Fett, shiny new Luke/Han mash-up (who can do seemingly everything perfectly on the first try), droids holding plans to things, cantina scenes, new Death Star (why?). All that and more, hastily thrown together. The little cameos and nods to the original trilogy were interesting at first, but after Finn accidentally activated the chess board on the Falcon in an absolutely pointless scene, I found they were getting stale. I don't need you to beat me over the head with the fact that I'm watching Star Wars, I already know I am, show me something new and let me enjoy it. It is like they realized the movie was not strong enough to stand on it's own, and kept pointing "See? See? It's STAR WARS!! You love this!" There is also no explanation on the origin of The Resistance and First Order. If the Resistance is backed by the Republic, why is it the Resistance? Why do they have a single base and why is their entire "fleet" 12 X-wings?

The Characters
The Old
In the time between ROTJ and TFA, existing characters did not act like themselves. Luke has run off. Why? Because his new Jedi school was destroyed. But dont worry, there is a map to him. Where did the map come from? Who cares, we don't need to explain it. The Luke Skywalker I know and love would not hide while the galaxy is being ripped apart by one of his pupils. Han Solo leaves Leia and runs off with Chewie. AND loses the Millenium Falcon!! Why, how? Because his son is evil. Leia doesn't even care that both Luke and Han have abandoned her to fight against the First Order by herself, she is mildly annoyed by it, if even that. Just a "how do you do" to Han with some cringe worthy chemistry on the side when he finally shows up. The Leia from the original trilogy would be pissed off, and probably would have dragged both of them back by herself 20 years prior to the movie.

The New
The new characters suffer from being smashed into pre-defined roles as the new generation. Kylo Ren is a laughable attempt at a new dark lord. Lightsaber temper tantrums do not make him scary. His power seems to fluctuate wildly with JJ Abrams giving and removing power to fit him into whatever is happening and move the plot forward. First of all, he can read minds with the Force. Not even Vader or the Emperor could do this. Next, we are shown that he wiped out Luke's entire new generation of Jedi. So this guy can potentially stand toe-to-toe with Luke Skywalker, he must be pretty damn powerful. But wait...now he is fighting a stormtrooper with no force sensitivity...and almost losing? He can sense Han Solo landing on the Starkiller, but can't sense him 20 feet away? This man who was trained by his uncle Luke Skywalker and whatever Snoke showed him cannot defeat a scavenger who used the Force for the first time that day? Rey suffers from this same power fluctuation. She is a combat, mechanical, and Force genius. She outsmarts Han when fixing his own ship, despite probably never having been in a running ship in her entire life. Without any training, she deduces that she can use the Force to control another being's mind, and immediately does so successfully. She handily defeats a trained ex-Jedi, the grandson of Darth Vader, after remembering the Force exists and closing her eyes. Captain Phasma as the Boba Fett-ish character is weak and serves no purpose whatsoever. Finn is totally forgettable and could be replaced by anybody. There is little character development. At the end of the movie I thought, "Gee, I cared a lot about the characters after seeing A New Hope. Do I care about these?" I had trouble even remembering their names.

In all, I would say that this is an okay Science Fiction movie. The visuals are wonderful, music is great as always. However, when you add the Star Wars title to it, I expect more. I expect it to fit in an established universe and its rules. I expect the characters to act like themselves. I expect NEW STORY for god's sake. You have the entire Star Wars universe to play with and you choose to recycle an old story...it is just mind boggling. An average rating for an average movie, 5… Expand
22 of 37 users found this helpful2215
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5
AustinscififanDec 30, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Highly disappointing. How can a neophyte can do as much with a light saber and the force as a trained Sith? Plot is a total rehash. Han Solo wisely departed through death. I think Harrison Ford will be happy in the long run. Why does Ren need a mask given he has no wounds and it would be cumbersome? He is a very weak character as well - not so much evil as childish or irrational. Glitzy production and music save it from a worse rating. Unfortunately, this feels like the story of the emperor with no clothes, but here it is the movie with no soul or intellegence.… Expand
22 of 37 users found this helpful2215
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4
NathonasDec 27, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Star Wars: Force Awakens is a fun movie, and deserves a watch. But that's about all the good things you can say about it. JJ Abrams played it way too safe - the story is very similar to star wars: a new hope, and the pandering to liberal ideas and old Star Wars fans is quite ridiculous.

I don't have a problem with a woman in the role of a jedi, but I do have a problem with her defeating a trained Sith in literally her first time wielding a lightsaber. This is liberal feminist pandering at its best.

Meanwhile Finn is just there so they can say they have a black guy in a lead role.

And of course they brought back a slew of old characters to make more money, so everyone who was a fan of the original trilogy will pay to see the movie.

Then they killed off a major character just to add tension, and it is conventionally someone that who used to link this film to the old trilogy and isn't needed.

The story is predictable and doesn't make sense at times, like characters just literally running into each other at the perfect moment. And the overall plot is basically a copy of the first Star Wars film with a deathstar-esque super weapon, the resistance (new name for rebel alliance), and the first order (new name for galactic empire).

Bottom line, this movie feels like a formula. There aren't any original or interesting ideas, just rehashing and pandering to what the film makers expected will make the most money. Still a fun spectacle, but really dry and soulless at its core.… Expand
41 of 69 users found this helpful4128
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4
Splee_SpreeJan 6, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's pretty clear that the critics are out of touch with the public on this one.

There were many mistakes made in this film, from the decision to completely eradicate all Star Wars works before it accept the 6 films (which alienated all of Star Wars's biggest fans), to not having a single threatening villain that could be feared, to the protagonist inexplicably gain the powers of Jedi knight in a single day with no training, to basically ripping off the plot from Episode IV in one of the most lazy writing stunts in cinema history.

But it will be easier and faster to talk about what they did right. For one thing, Harrison Ford's writing and performance were both pretty great, up until that one part. It may have been done purely to get people talking, but it's also possibly that Harrison Ford simply made them do it. So I can't fault them for that.

Carrie Fisher, on the other hand, felt kind of subdued. But that was more the writing than any fault of hers. All the spunkiness, cleverness, and intelligence of Leia seems oddly absent in this film.

The visuals were almost perfect. Just about the only flaw was the First Order's appearance. They don't look like they belong in Star Wars. They look like walking iPods. The creator even admitted he wanted them to look like they were designed by Apple. For some reason. If you are going to change something as iconic as Storm Trooper armor, it should be an improvement. Not a downgrade.
Still, the rest of the film largely looked and felt like exactly what you would expect from a modern Star Wars film.

While it resulted in the unforgivable reality that Luke will never be reunited with Han, Luke's appearance was also well done. It's one of the few things that felt like it was in the direction of the original trilogy.

And that's about it. The two new leads were acceptable, but totally unremarkable. There was no real humor in this film, too, which felt wrong for a Star Wars movie. There were attempts, but most were bland and obvious. There was only a single time when I managed a grin in this movie.

So much was wrong. Like I said before, the first glaring problem is that there is no competent enemy. Throughout the entire movie, they are shown to be completely inept at literally everything except killing civilians, and even this they struggle with. There was no tension, because there was no threat! We knew how the movie would end, because by that point, it was clear that it was just a repeat of Episode IV with some pointless new things thrown in.

Kylo Ren. Well, he actually does have POTENTIAL. But none of it was seen in this film. As the movie started out (basically up until the point he removed his mask), he actually wasn't that much different than Darth Vader in episode IV, at least on paper. He hasn't really done anything on screen to establish his importance or badassness, he's really just like a brute that the Empire uses to thrash people. He's angry, and bad, but not THAT special. Only thing is, James Earl Jones is a little bit cooler than angsty, nerdy looking white kid who gets his ass handed to him by a couple of nobodies in the end. And he didn't exactly pull of the strong, quiet, reserved side that Vader at least occasionally managed to in episode IV.

Now maybe the writers knew there was no way to make us care about Ren that much in the first movie of this new franchise, and so they are saving more for later. Could work out well. I actually like seeing the "villain" who is kind of under-powered, and who knows it. We get to see that frustration of a person who actually is trying their best and coming up short. It is interested if it's done right. But we will just have to wait and see about that for Kylo Ren.

Anyway, he just seems like the embodiment of impotent rage to me. Maybe they will actually run with that and make it interesting. But for the purpose of this movie itself, I just felt like there was no real villain, because the villains were so damn pathetic.

The hyped up Captain Phasma, who was literally made female because they were accused of being sexist, was pathetic. She didn't do anything the entire film accept get captured, and give in to all her enemy's demands. Isn't she supposed to be fanatically loyal to the Empire? Instead, she is willing to sacrifice them all to save her own skin.

Hux wasn't even a real character. Just a parody of one.

And what's the deal with Finn? In the tens if not hundreds of millions of Stormtroopers out there that are totally loyal, there is ONE that is the exact opposite? In the first scene, he seemed to have attachment to his comrades. But within minutes, he is gleefully blasting his former comrades to bits with no sign of mixed feelings or remorse.

Why did that one trooper have a weapon capable of blocking a lightsaber? They established that they thought there were no more Jedi except Luke, who had vanished from the galaxy. And what kind of material is that thing made out of, anyway?… Expand
38 of 64 users found this helpful3826
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6
LivingonairDec 19, 2015
If you turn your memory off and forget that you ever saw the first original star wars from '77, then I would give this movie an 8. However, as someone who is a fan of the original and saw the original movie recently, this is basically aIf you turn your memory off and forget that you ever saw the first original star wars from '77, then I would give this movie an 8. However, as someone who is a fan of the original and saw the original movie recently, this is basically a remake being passed off as a sequal. Although I enjoyed the movie, several times throughout the movie I kept saying "are you kidding me?", as one plot point after another was painfully recycled from the original. Basically in summary, this was a clever and well done remake of the original, and an over the top attempt at fan nastalgia. I doubt J.J. Abrams had anything to do with the script and feel that he did an excellent job of working with what he had. The makers of this movie played it very safe by recycling many plot points of the first star wars script, and took a gamble that they would still make a huge amount of money, and of course they will be proven right. Even though it completely lacks originality, it's still an enjoyable film that I'll probably see again a year or two from now when it comes out as a rental.… Expand
19 of 32 users found this helpful1913
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5
Kaiser_BenDec 28, 2015
I really like Star Wars, it is one of my favorite movie series ever but this time, after I watched a new VII episode, I was confused.

I will be honest, I didn't like the actors, most of them. They didn't have charisma or something that canI really like Star Wars, it is one of my favorite movie series ever but this time, after I watched a new VII episode, I was confused.

I will be honest, I didn't like the actors, most of them. They didn't have charisma or something that can catch you to feel happy when looking at them.

I can't say that the movie is bad, it is not but I expected more from it. It's star wars, on of the biggest space action movie ever, and as everyone already pre-said "Disney will ruin everything". And this phrase is kind of true.

I want to say thanks for J.J. Abrams, he really did well, he tried to show us the atmosphere of star wars.

Overall:
Action - 8/10
Actors - 3-4/10
Script - 3/10
Special Effects and sound - 9/10… Expand
16 of 27 users found this helpful1611
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5
KapitanhDec 29, 2015
Es una pelicula que recuerda demasiado el capitulo 4 de la saga; además se espera una historia más espiritual y nos encontramos de lleno en una guerra, que pensábamos que ya estaba extinta le doy un cinco porque pense en un "despertar" y meEs una pelicula que recuerda demasiado el capitulo 4 de la saga; además se espera una historia más espiritual y nos encontramos de lleno en una guerra, que pensábamos que ya estaba extinta le doy un cinco porque pense en un "despertar" y me encontre con una pelicula de guerra, igual me gusto como pelicula de accion. felicito al equipo de marketing muy buena la publicidad, engañosa pero buena...… Expand
16 of 27 users found this helpful1611
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5
hijackDec 18, 2015
It sucks. Nothing extraordinary makes me want to go watch it again. Broken record storylines all over the place, nothing new or exciting. Some nice visual shots but seriously, probably not even as good as the prequels. There's zero characterIt sucks. Nothing extraordinary makes me want to go watch it again. Broken record storylines all over the place, nothing new or exciting. Some nice visual shots but seriously, probably not even as good as the prequels. There's zero character or relationship development. It's like you're supposed to take advertisings word for it being awesome, but it's not special at all. No tension, sets were lame. D&D monsters make an appearance, which is just stupid. The more I think about it, the more disappointed I am. Laaame. It's lame. Its a stupid show, not worth the money. :(… Expand
100 of 169 users found this helpful10069
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4
dob111283Dec 18, 2015
If I wanted to watch Episode IV, I could have stayed home. Say what you will about Lucas' prequels, but at least he took chances on new storylines. This is rehashed garbage that was meant as a cash cow. Ignore all the idiot fanboys who screamIf I wanted to watch Episode IV, I could have stayed home. Say what you will about Lucas' prequels, but at least he took chances on new storylines. This is rehashed garbage that was meant as a cash cow. Ignore all the idiot fanboys who scream "haters gonna hate". They're pretty much in complete denial because they expected so much. After this movie gets out via word of mouth, it'll just be a decent movie, nothing more. Someone needs to bring in Christopher Nolan or give Lucas another shot.… Expand
65 of 110 users found this helpful6545
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6
mace8704Dec 31, 2015
With the original trilogy, I loved the villains/empire. As a kid, the empire was truly terrifying and cool. So while I enjoyed the addition of Finn and BB-8, Kylo Ren, Phasma, and Snoke were all huge let downs. Kylo Ren comes off as anotherWith the original trilogy, I loved the villains/empire. As a kid, the empire was truly terrifying and cool. So while I enjoyed the addition of Finn and BB-8, Kylo Ren, Phasma, and Snoke were all huge let downs. Kylo Ren comes off as another angsty teen and lacks the intimidation and mystery of Darth Vader. Phasma is underdeveloped and does practically nothing the entire film. Snoke is a CGI character which I've always struggled to connect with on a personal level. To make matters worse, Rey, the new protagonist, was laughably phenomenal at everything with no training. Need a pilot? Rey can do it. Need a mechanic? Rey can do that too? Need to take down a New Order genocidal maniac? Rey will close her eyes for a few seconds and take care that lickety split.. Don't get me wrong. The film is fun, but lacks the creativity and strong antagonist of the original trilogy. Still an improvement over the prequels, but I was expecting more.… Expand
26 of 44 users found this helpful2618
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6
WakkoJan 2, 2016
Decent Star Wars movie. Would have rather seen Lucas' production; not JJ Abrams. Lucas tells a story. Abrams sells you a pretty picture so quickly that you have to watch it a few times to make sure you didn't miss it; which was prettyDecent Star Wars movie. Would have rather seen Lucas' production; not JJ Abrams. Lucas tells a story. Abrams sells you a pretty picture so quickly that you have to watch it a few times to make sure you didn't miss it; which was pretty shallow in this movie and a repeat / mash up of Star Wars New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi.

The worst part is that JJ Abrams literally pisses all over the old Star Wars without most people realizing it. His super terror of this movie wipes out EVERYTHING the previous movies did while repeating it in a very boring fashion.

Return of the Jedi was the end of the Empire and a sign of peace and home for the Star Wars universe.

This movie basically feels like a cop out repeat of Star Trek without the time travel to reset the universe to do what he wanted to do.

FYI, Kylo Ren comes off as being a cry baby throwing temper tantrums instead of a villain. Darth Vader had control of his sinister self in a very malicious way that inspired fear from the start. Kylo Ren makes me want to smack the dweeb upside the head.

Its entertaining, its pretty, its enjoyable. It's what you expect from JJ Abrams. It is not a George Lucas production.… Expand
20 of 34 users found this helpful2014
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6
SweetewJan 5, 2016
In my opinion there's a lot of wrong with episode 7 the force awakens. I'll start with the positives first though.
First of all, i'm really happy that they went back to practical effects instead of all CGI like the prequels. The prequelsIn my opinion there's a lot of wrong with episode 7 the force awakens. I'll start with the positives first though.
First of all, i'm really happy that they went back to practical effects instead of all CGI like the prequels. The prequels looked boring and sterile. What CGI was used looked really good, both in 2D but also 3D. I did prefer the 2D version, but that's just a preference. The old cast still have it! Especially Han solo lifts this movie with his acting. I also like Ren as a character, although many thinks he's too whiny.

Now the bad:

Where to start. Well first of all, The force awakens (TFA from now on) copies episode IV: A new hope. In fact I wouldn't really call it copying but plagiarism. You see, all the major story arcs of TFA is identical to the ones presented in A new hope. So essentially old meat in a new packing. Now some people might be okay with this, but I am not and neither should you. You see from episode 1 (prequel) to episode 6 there's is a distinct line of plot. Each movie builds upon what happened in the last movie and so forth. But that is not really the case with TFA. Instead there's a huge gap of things we are not told in TFA. How did the First Order come to power? What exactly happened to luke that would make him forsake the whole galaxy? (the movie glosses over this really quickly, and we're supposed to accept that) How did someone not know that Starkiller base existed? These are just 3 questions, but there are so many more. TFA fails to explain what happened in the 30 years after the emperor was killed. Instead we get some half baked explanation on what happened.

Did we really need another Deathstar? Yes starkiller base is a deathstar, it's just bigger that's all. I mean with starkiller base we got 3 deathstars in 7 movies, so almost half of them. That really lacks any originality. Why do Rey live on a planet that is almost a carbon copy of tatoiine? But wait it's not tatoiine, its Jakku! Well they're identical. If you wanted a barren planet, at least use one of the barren types that exists. Speaking of Rey, why can she do anything without any guidance? She's a mary sue. Luke the strongest force user (canon) in the galaxy, needed a ton of guidance and help from Obi wan. It took him three movie to be good with the force and his saber, yet we're to believe that Rey can do this within the single span of a movie. Yes i'm aware of all the theories. She might be a skywalker and yes she might have been trained before but still It takes the drama out of the movie. She's never been in the millemium falcon before, yet she knows it like the back of her hand, and flies it better than Han Solo himself. These are just some of the issues I have with Rey.

JJ. abrams didn't do Star wars justice in my opinion. There's so much action in the movie, that half way through you'll be craving for some actual character development. Finn could have been an interesting character, but he's not really. He grieves over a dead stormtropper in the opening sequence, yet when he flees from Starkiller base with Poe, he kills maybe 20-30 stormtroppers without blinking an eye. That doesn't make sense really does it? Sure if this had happened over a long time of character development, but this is within the first half hour of the film. he's also a worse soldier than a person who has been surviving on a desert planet alone, yet Finn has been training his whole life to be a soldier. That doesn't make a lot of sense now does it. How is he handling a lightsaber again? A lightsaber is a weightless weapon and unless you want to cut off your own limbs, then you need to receive training to use it. And yes general grevious had training to use them. Now this is just a small nitpick, but it mirrors a larger tendency with TFA. It doesn't respects its own lore, and it's filled with plotholes the size of moons. The original movies also had a lot of flaws, but at least the characters were consistent and didn't do something totally out of their character. The original movies also build up character development without only using action sequences, which made a more balanced movie. The force awakens awakens is nearly a carbon copy of a new hope, yet a new hope was better, 30 years ago.… Expand
20 of 34 users found this helpful2014
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6
LightbarrierDec 26, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Those looking for positive feedback look away because this is not the review for you. "The Force Awakens" threw me off because it made me ask if it was possible to get in trouble for plagiarizing your own work. Allot of the scenes that appear in the movie played very similarly to all the other original Star Wars movies especially the first one. For me it's fine when a story reuses a small scene as a nod to the original, the problem is that too much of the story here followed the same script of the first one from the death of a major character to the destruction of the massive weapon. This in turn makes it hard to decipher what makes "The Force Awakens" special, when I left the movie theater I admittedly thought it felt like the original star wars movie however, it didn't feel like a Star Wars movie. What do I mean here, well the original Star Wars movie at the time felt so different and there was nothing out there like it. However, for me "The Force Awakens" had none of that originality that made the first so special and thus relied only on what fans loved about the originals. Now other movies may seem to also copy narrative, so much so that this idea of myth comes into play and that nothing is original. However, just because the overall narrative may play to a hero's quest doesn’t mean that everything has to follow the exact same order with the exact same events. By the time the credits had rolled and people were clapping I felt like a chump, what did they see in the movie that I didn't, I've watched all the originals and it's not like I didn’t find the lore of the universe interesting. However, I really know the answer to that. For me it was " Star Wars: Episode VII The Fan Fiction", it has everything that fans love in the star wars universe, but it's not willing to bring any new interesting or exciting ideas to the table. Thus how could I like what I've already seen when I watched the original movies.

Other than that I had a few more complaints Kylo Ren who is the new main villain in this trilogy makes Anakin Skywalker look like a civil likeable character. Although thanks to JJ Abrams amazing camera work most of these scenes where Kylo Ren goes off on a hissy fit make him instead look like a complete badass compared to a small whiny child which you can easily see if you take a second to think about the scene. However, that just shows what amazing camera work can do to make up for bad characterization (if only the prequels had this camera work then maybe we wouldn’t think of them as we do today).

Also the lightsaber battles in this movie are by far the worst in the series and that even includes “Star Wars Episode IV”. No I’m being serious; the final battle has Kylo Ren swinging his lightsaber up and down repeatedly like an axe while the protagonist just stabs the lightsaber at him. While this was happening I had to look away in complete embarrassment knowing that no swords men would ever make such reckless moves in a real fight. To make things worse the protagonist wins despite never using a lightsaber in battle before. We are lead to believe this as the force is strong in our protagonist, but come on Kylo Ren is supposed to have experience wielding a lightsaber for years and you expect us to believe he would lose to someone with no swordsman experience plus you’re making this villain look like a total wimp in the final half of the first movie.

I have some other minor complaints about this movie such as the lack of giving any backstory to how we arrived to these events after episode VI, but these are the major issues which hold the movie back for me. Thus I can say I didn’t really like “Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens”.… Expand
20 of 34 users found this helpful2014
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4
vonMistontDec 25, 2015
Starformers or Star Wars for Marvel fans (with ADHD) - SPOILER FREE
It was so action packed yet so forgettable that in retrospect I begin to look more fondly on prequels. It's based on homages to the original trilogy and references belongingStarformers or Star Wars for Marvel fans (with ADHD) - SPOILER FREE
It was so action packed yet so forgettable that in retrospect I begin to look more fondly on prequels. It's based on homages to the original trilogy and references belonging rather in the realm of Robot Chicken Star Wars than in actual movie. This homages and great Harrison Ford performance may be what eluded some fans to liking this movie, but I'm sure that after you cooled down you will realize what are we dealing with here. Except for the very beginning there were no moments of peace, where you could just watch sights and listen to John Williams music. It was one big roller-coaster of events yet we are left with no explanation to why balance of power in the universe is the way it is. What's The Order, what's the Resistance, what's the Republic, who is more powerful and why. While The Empire was well established authoritarian state with it's own character The Order seem to be just blunt obvious Nazi reference. Villains are pitiful, when we meet them for the first time they seem really intimidating but when it comes to anything they just loose their steam. The worst part is with all this positive feedback the film gets the rest of the movies may be as shallow and badly filmed as this one. I'm afraid we forever lost the Star Wars just like Star Trek fans lost Star Trek for the transformers clone. Transformer liking audience seems to be more profitable. At least George Lucas was creating his own vision and not just delivering to the market... Let's just hope next movie will try to be a film on it's own without spending half it's time to show that the director did watch original trilogy.… Expand
74 of 126 users found this helpful7452
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5
AliceofXDec 22, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The drinking of the Kool-Aid continues. I mean sure, the Force Awakens wasn't terrible and quite fun at times but it at best can be described as mediocre. As of now it has 95% on Rotten Tomatoes while films 1 and 2 only have 94%. Would the critics seriously have me believe that this film is better than Empire Strikes Back?

Sure, there were funny and engaging parts and I certainly didn't feel bored. But there was nothing great, nothing that would let you forget the flawed parts and say that at least we had X, Y or Z. The biggest flaw is that it's not really a sequel, more like a reboot. A seboot? The film's makers are just comfortably treading familiar ground instead of bringing anything new to the table.

The second big flaw is that Rey is a textbook Mary Sue character and she's supposed to be our main character. As I look back Finn stands out so much more in my memory and that's because of his flaws and failings. He seems real and I would much rather watch him grow through the movies than just Rey being instantly perfect at everything she does.

Overall, The Force Awakens can be enjoyed but this is not the big step forward for Star Wars and personally I don't get what everyone's raving about.… Expand
37 of 63 users found this helpful3726
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4
NehcroskullDec 19, 2015
The biggest sin this movie commits is its lack of originality.

You can say what you want about George Lucas, but he at least had imagination. JJ Abrams is content to merely pander to fans of the Original Trilogy with its aestheticThe biggest sin this movie commits is its lack of originality.

You can say what you want about George Lucas, but he at least had imagination. JJ Abrams is content to merely pander to fans of the Original Trilogy with its aesthetic trappings of it and lifting the plot of A New Hope entirely. It doesn't help that the big twist of the movie was so painfully, agonizingly obvious that I saw it coming from 12 parsecs away--I literally predicted exactly what would happen as soon as I heard JJ Abrams would be directing this movie. The only major change to the plot is that the role of Luke is shared by two new characters--Finn and Rey, who, of course, have a horribly forced romance. The movie does have some fun meta-commentary, but leans way too hard on it--JJ Abrams isn't half as clever as he thinks he is.

As far as pacing goes, the movie has none. The characters barely get a chance to relax or smile, so I ended up feeling tense the whole way through. The older movies gave you time to catch your breath.
The actors are at least bringing their A-game, with Harrison Ford being the highlight. It's just unfortunate that they weren't given any good material to work with. Finn in particular spends the entire movie with the same panicked expression. Boyega wears that expression well, but I don't want to look at it for two hours.

The visuals and the action are good by Hollywood standards, but nowhere near the high standard of the prequels, or even the standout moments of the Original Trilogy, like the Death star Trench Run. But what's truly unforgivable is that, for a movie that almost sells itself on practical effects, the CG aliens look like wet plastic. Admiral Ackbar looked better when he was a mask, thirty years ago!

Overall, I'd describe the movie as, "A New Hope, but more pretentious, and inferior in every respect." I left the theater feeling like I watched a giant fan film, and I'd have already forgotten everything that happened if this wasn't billed as the official continuation of the saga.

Thankfully, the next movie will be directed by a better filmmaker, so hopefully that one will capture my imagination like every other movie in this series has.… Expand
24 of 41 users found this helpful2417
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6
MancoDec 30, 2015
Disappointed.

Looking at older reviews, I can see that fans and critics were way too hyped for "Star Wars" and ate up anything on the screen. They ignored the annoying quips, awkward humor, forced plot devices, 'videogame' storytelling,Disappointed.

Looking at older reviews, I can see that fans and critics were way too hyped for "Star Wars" and ate up anything on the screen. They ignored the annoying quips, awkward humor, forced plot devices, 'videogame' storytelling, and one-dimensional characters.

In such a way, this is just a blockbuster Marvel movie with Star Wars dressed up over it. Hence the reason I give it a 6/10. It's entertaining if you don't think too much but it certainly is NOT Star Wars.

Say what you will about the prequels but at least they felt like Star Wars. In this film, the camera techniques are different, the lighting is different. There is no memorable sunset scene with beautiful orchestral music playing, giving the audience hope or a sense of loss. Regarding that notion, some have complained that William's music was lackluster and he may have lost his touch. I suggest instead that Abrams direction allowed very little breathing room for William's music to thrive.

Contrary to what people believe, Star Wars isn't just an action fantasy with laser swords and flashy lights...it draws from Westerns and Kurosawa movies as well. Of which feature panoramic scenery of the landscape in their films, to allow the film to breath and establish its setting. The Force Awakens does none of that.

And in this way, it does not feel like Star Wars at all.… Expand
24 of 41 users found this helpful2417
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4
Twisted_StoneDec 30, 2015
Watch episode 4 just before you see the new movie and tell me your not watching the same thing again..

The accidental switch on of the chess game, "I have a bad feeling about this," even the droid's mission is the same, far too much usedWatch episode 4 just before you see the new movie and tell me your not watching the same thing again..

The accidental switch on of the chess game, "I have a bad feeling about this," even the droid's mission is the same, far too much used from the old movie.… Expand
38 of 65 users found this helpful3827
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5
spodvollJan 1, 2016
Although Episode VII was cinematically *very* well-executed , the concept and story were completely and disappointingly unoriginal. There was not a single plot device which we had not seen before in previous series installments. And theAlthough Episode VII was cinematically *very* well-executed , the concept and story were completely and disappointingly unoriginal. There was not a single plot device which we had not seen before in previous series installments. And the villian was EMO to the point of cringe-worthiness.

I noted quite a bit of attention paid in social media to Carrie Fisher's appearance, which is a shame. OTOH, her performance was surpisingly quite wooden. I thought her performances in the first 3 movies were quite good. In any case, perhaps some people intuitively realized a substantive deficiency in Fisher's performance this go-around but couldn't consciously grasp the source of their dissatisfaction and focused instead on the superficial.

My 13-year old and 8-year-old kids enjoyed it greatly and that's some consolation.… Expand
28 of 48 users found this helpful2820
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5
NgoakoJan 8, 2016
To be honest in the beginning it was exciting seeing new faces with possible futures, story lines and relationships , but towards the end when you starting to see where the story line is going its rather disappointing than looking towards the sequel
28 of 48 users found this helpful2820
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5
LobstertronicJan 12, 2016
Disappointing, lightweight movie.

'The Force Awakens' mirrors 'A New Hope', but it just doesn't have the same mythical weight. OK, it was good to have Han Solo back, but the poor guy looks like he hasn't done much with his life for theDisappointing, lightweight movie.

'The Force Awakens' mirrors 'A New Hope', but it just doesn't have the same mythical weight.

OK, it was good to have Han Solo back, but the poor guy looks like he hasn't done much with his life for the last 30 years. The rest of the Good Guys were kind of forgettable and unbelievable. Rey had zero flaws. Finn was a waste of screen time, with motivations that didn't really make sense.

The Bad Guys were a giant hologram (yawn), and an angsty wannabe Darth Vader, only minus the fear factor. This is a guy in charge of a massive and feared military force? Seriously? And you've built Death Star 3.0 and it still has a critical flaw? You're sh**ing me, right?!

The plot was just a lot of racing around from set piece to set piece, tied together with some dopey coincidences. Gee Disney, gifted with the Star Wars world and some of the movie worlds' greatest creative people, you could've done better.

(And just to confirm my opinion, my four year old son preferred the original over the new film)… Expand
28 of 48 users found this helpful2820
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4
screenplayhouseDec 30, 2015
One of the worst thing about franchises full of hyperventilating fanboys is that they always review the film in and of the franchise. They get excited about Fin and Rei as new Star Wars characters but forget to compare them to any newOne of the worst thing about franchises full of hyperventilating fanboys is that they always review the film in and of the franchise. They get excited about Fin and Rei as new Star Wars characters but forget to compare them to any new characters in any new movie. Once you do that they come off -- at best -- as just okay.

The best way to review FORCE AWAKENS is to momentarily ignore it. I ask you to seek out the teaser trailer #2 for DC'S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW. Watch it. If you are utterly and completely unfamiliar with all these characters, you'll have to admit that the trailer has a reasonable PULSE. That it looks exciting on its own standards. However, if you've followed the franchises that have constructed this trailer -- you know with ZERO DOUBT that EVERY character in this trailer is more interesting than ever new player in FORCE.

With that perspective -- it suddenly occurs to you that despite this trailer being for a TV show that it will -- conservatively speaking -- be comparable in entertainment value. From my perspective the Legends trailer is more exciting than this Star Wars feature. Way better characters, way better story. No contest.

What I'm left with then is why people are going Lady Gaga for FORCE. The most familiar trope is that it reminds them of their childhood. Meeting old friends again, as it were. This oft repeated statement seems to be uttered in an alternate universe -- where was as a movie going society have somehow been deprived of subject matter from our childhood. Last time I checked almost EVERYTHING we watch and see is a remake or sequel from decades ago. How many Spidermen are we up to now? Seriously.

I will go as far to say that every Greg Berlanti hero series has been or will be more fun that all of the Star Wars movies. J.J. Abrams had his chance to introduce a bold new world, but like his Trek offerings --

-- dudes all about dull rehashing.… Expand
25 of 43 users found this helpful2518
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4
wonfishJan 1, 2016
I saw the first Star Wars movie when it first came out. Sitting through this -- and I did check my watch a few times -- I wondered if I was in a time warp and was watching the first one over again. All they did was "change the names andI saw the first Star Wars movie when it first came out. Sitting through this -- and I did check my watch a few times -- I wondered if I was in a time warp and was watching the first one over again. All they did was "change the names and faces to protect the innocent." At least redesign the outfits of the soldiers! I think they just brought the costumes out of storage since 1978 for this production. I actually liked the prequel versions better. The plot was completely formulaic. Very disappointed.… Expand
25 of 43 users found this helpful2518
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5
Joker92Jan 15, 2016
The visuals and sounds were spectacular in the Imax I watched it in, but that's were the good stops. This movie should be the poster child of "over-hyped" and "overrated". The praise this movie gets from the establishment is from having theThe visuals and sounds were spectacular in the Imax I watched it in, but that's were the good stops. This movie should be the poster child of "over-hyped" and "overrated". The praise this movie gets from the establishment is from having the star wars logo on it alone. Writing was horrible, very boring. It's so obvious how hard that they try to shove the whole " strong female protagonist" thing down your throat the entire movie, that it takes away from the value that it there. Am glad I had seen it in the theatre, because like I said the visuals and sounds in the movie were really good. Horrible actor for the villain role too. That guy looks like he belongs in a 90's boyband, not an agent of the dark side.

""Mild Spoiler"'

I did like how they humanized a storm trooper. It was an interesting story point to see a person behind the helmet.… Expand
22 of 38 users found this helpful2216
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6
EludiumQ36Dec 26, 2015
Dammit, I understand all the Episode IV rip-off criticism now that I've seen it. And Harrison Ford at 73 and Carrie Fisher at a rough-looking 59 are to be commended for their capacity to appear but their presence only served to bolster theDammit, I understand all the Episode IV rip-off criticism now that I've seen it. And Harrison Ford at 73 and Carrie Fisher at a rough-looking 59 are to be commended for their capacity to appear but their presence only served to bolster the criticism that VII leans too much on IV/VI. And though "the force awakens" in newcomer Rey, it all came a bit too easy to her - in fact the scene where she realizes she has Mental Persuasion - quickly descends into self-parody. And of course it follows that Rey is "a new hope", and dollars-to-donuts, with the Rebels', er Resistance's win, Episode VIII will parallel "The Empire Strikes Back" with the First Order recovering and having another go at the Resistance. The orig trilogy ended in '83 with "Return of the Jedi", so we all hoped that given a biblically long 32 year wait, our socks would be knocked off with a set of sequels (most of us want to forget the prequels). Instead, it appears the new set is cut from the same cloth as the old. Sure they'll all make their billions of dollars and rate 6 or 7 of 10, but it sure would've been great to have a set of 9s or 10s like Eps IV and V. JJ Abrams could've done this but it's like he held back, like he felt culture-bound to replicate rather than innovate, too bad.… Expand
26 of 45 users found this helpful2619
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4
AquaziJan 11, 2016
The movie is mediocre-decent as a standalone movie.

But considering it feels like a shallow remix-remake of episode 4 (evil corporation-empire/whatever chasing a drone that somehow ends up in the hands of a destined jedi who also happensThe movie is mediocre-decent as a standalone movie.

But considering it feels like a shallow remix-remake of episode 4 (evil corporation-empire/whatever chasing a drone that somehow ends up in the hands of a destined jedi who also happens to be an orfan and ends up blowing a giant planet destroying battlestation...).

It's like Godfather 4 starts with the marriage of Vincent's Corleone daughter and ends up with his soon back from the army killing the enemies of his father and taking control of the family and new york organized crime..

I won't say this movie is worst than episode 1 and 2, as a movie. But atleast EP 1 and 2 gave me much better action and curious characters, and Lucas was able to imagine new planets, new horizons.

JJ was probably told from Disney "play it safe", but he went to far.… Expand
26 of 45 users found this helpful2619
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6
Brent_MarchantDec 19, 2015
Despite its skillfully handled technical attributes and the introduction of a few new wrinkles, this latest installment in the series feels more like a warmed-over recycle job than anything especially new or different. The story lineDespite its skillfully handled technical attributes and the introduction of a few new wrinkles, this latest installment in the series feels more like a warmed-over recycle job than anything especially new or different. The story line (especially in the first 30 and last 30 minutes) plays out like a rehash of the narrative in Episode IV, the film that launched the series. And, except for the somewhat surprising larger-than-expected role that Harrison Ford plays in the story, the reintroduction of vintage characters, catch phrases and images comes across more like checking off items on a laundry list of cinematic obligations to fulfill before the film's end than an inventive integration of said elements into a new context. To be sure, the film is mildly entertaining, but this is far from groundbreaking cinema, in much the same way as many of this year's other technically proficient but ultimately tepid franchise reboots.… Expand
26 of 45 users found this helpful2619
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5
jibbonDec 19, 2015
Well like so many here I am greatly disappointed. Do not expect anything more than a soppy, soulless remake of the original film. I mean, what a wasted gift - the opportunity to touch the collective unconscious of a new generation. Lucas,Well like so many here I am greatly disappointed. Do not expect anything more than a soppy, soulless remake of the original film. I mean, what a wasted gift - the opportunity to touch the collective unconscious of a new generation. Lucas, despite his faults, offered us a deep, archetypal structure in Star Wars which for many assumed almost mythic proportions. Do not expect anything so potent in this production. Abrams has clearly missed the deeper archetypal conflicts and drawn inspiration from the basic plot of A New Hope instead. I get the logic - just take 'what works' and put it on steroids - throw in a female protagonist and wannabe antagonist; make everything bigger; quicker; more improbable - and somehow it adds up to less. It's just superficial writing that awakens, sadly, very little indeed.… Expand
56 of 97 users found this helpful5641
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6
SweaterGuyDec 29, 2015
Let's rehash the best of A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi and somehow make them average? Entertaining? Maybe. Worth a second look? Nah.

I'm giving the movie a 6 based on the most amazing marketing plan of all time.Let's rehash the best of A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi and somehow make them average? Entertaining? Maybe. Worth a second look? Nah.

I'm giving the movie a 6 based on the most amazing marketing plan of all time. Big congrats.

Jurassic World was a better reboot.… Expand
19 of 33 users found this helpful1914
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4
lightbetsoinJan 18, 2016
the main problem i have with this movie, is the lack of context we have. what is the state of the galaxy after episode 6? if the republic have been restored, why is there still the rebellion? what hapened to the empire, how is the first orderthe main problem i have with this movie, is the lack of context we have. what is the state of the galaxy after episode 6? if the republic have been restored, why is there still the rebellion? what hapened to the empire, how is the first order related to it?
at some points the new super weapon destroy a full system, at first i thought it was coruscent, but the lore seems to pretend its an other planet. the thing is, theres nothing we know on this planet.
its just an other mindless destruction some group that looks related to the empire, even if we dont know exactly how..

you know nothing about the universe you enter in.

after that comes the obvious for anyone who likes star wars first trilogy.
the movie is a carbon copy of episode 4.
the main protagonist is stuck on a desert planet that feels like tatooine.
theres a search for a rebel robot on this planet.
theres a "death star" the destruction of a solar system.. everything just look way too close to episode 4.
its almost like they were doing a complete reboot of star wars instead of doing the episode 8.

the music is not memorable, theres really no great theme. sometimes you are happy to listen to the old era themes like leia's or luke's, but theres no new imperial march, no new duel of the fates. you'll forget everything, and 1 month after seeing the movie i still havent had the drive to listen to the ost.

finally, and that is very subjective, but i hate the fact that the main character is a woman.
its just impossible for me to identify as rey.
i believe sf is mostly appreciated by men, and especially star wars.
i see the choice of the main character beeing a woman, and the choice of his black partner as a strategy to attracts those 2 demographics that are historically not attracted into star wars.… Expand
19 of 33 users found this helpful1914
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5
Monkey_NutzJan 3, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. If this wasn't the sequel to the original Star Wars trilogy, I'd give it a 7. As it is that sequel, I feel I'm being pretty generous with a 5.

The Good

1. Nowhere near the amount of cringe-worthy scenes as the prequels. By default, the movie gets a little love for not being as bad as 1-3.
2. Liked Poe's character.
3. Acting was good enough.
4. Han Solo sounded and felt like Han Solo.
5. Nostalgia feels.
6. Some of the humor was good.
7. First half of the movie was pretty good. Figured the second half was gonna blow my mind. Was wrong.
8. Effects were amazing. Ships looked great.

The Bad

1. Mary Sue protagonist
2. Weak antagonist. A mere shadow of the Sith Lords that came before him. I know that is kind of the point, but it doesn’t work for me.
3. A thousand and one coincidences to connect a plot that is far too similar to previous instalments. I didn’t want a soft reboot for Star Wars, I wanted a new adventure.
4. The political climate was hand-waved, like the audience is too stupid to listen to 1 minute of exposition to get us up to speed. Who the hell is the First Order? The Resistance? Where is the Republic in all this? I hate calling creative professionals lazy, too many reviewers have no idea the amount of work that goes into creating entertainment, but this is just lazy screen writing.
5. Too much of what we learned at the end of Return of the Jedi is either ignored, cast aside or not explained.
6. The mysterious elements of the film are far too many. Save a few things for the sequels, but in true JJ form, he doesn’t want to tell us what we need to know to truly enjoy this picture as a stand-alone feature.
7. The death of Han Solo was borderline criminal. To be fair, cool characters getting crappy deaths is pretty common in the franchise, but this is Han-Frickin-Solo. Arguably, one of, if not the most beloved character in cinema history. Abrams using his death to drive the arc of this new, weak-ass, antagonist just pisses me off. Solo deserved a hero’s death. Give that fan service instead of gimmicky hologram chess board or the training ball thingy or whatever.
8. Luke Skywalker wasn’t even in this movie. To add salt to the wound, we never got to see the original crew onscreen together and never will now that they killed off Han. For shame, JJ.
9. The movie had zero tension. Never did I feel any of the characters were actually in danger, except of course the telegraphed death of Solo.
10. The Star Killer base was beyond ridiculous. I try not to overthink the science in a Star Wars movie, I generally can suspend disbelief but Abrams tends to not know where to draw that line. He takes other people’s ideas and just injects steroids into them. We get things like super death stars that super duper explode or super Enterprises that can bump you out of hyperspace (in Star Trek) or super duper light sabers with lazer cross guards. Whatever… just dumb.
11. The movie should be called Sky Wars. For some reason, almost all of the dogfights (if you can call them that) happen in atmosphere. Remember when Star Wars was good and if you had surface combat, you had surface vehicles. Snow speeders, speeder bikes, At-Ats, At-Sts. When in space, they would fight in star fighters. There was an internal logic to how the world worked. Now everything is all Tie Fighters and Xwings and the Falcon can do amazing barrel rolls in regular atmosphere.
12. Speaking of the Falcon, why was it bouncing all over the place like a Fast and Furious movie? Running into trees, sliding on the ice. Just stupid crap. Another example of JJ on steroids. In the OG films, solo does crazy moves in the most desperate times, but he does these based on his bad-ass pilot skills. In these movies he is doing suicidal things that he only survives due to dumb luck.
13. Remember when dog fights between X-wings and Tie Fighters actually had a story to them? Remember when pilots helped each other, had to line up shots, thereby building tension. When they died you felt it. When they blew up an enemy, you understood it was an accomplishment. In this movie, Poe blows up like 8 Tie Fighters in less than 10 seconds. Wooohooo, goofy ass Michael Bay, video game action scenes are now the norm, can’t wait for episode 8.

I think I’ve rambled enough. Undoubtedly, Abrams had a near-impossible task when making this film, but there were some easy wins he could have done to salvage this thing- I’m sure he tried his best. But in the wise words of Yoda… “Do or do not, there is no try.” Unfortunately for many of us fans, he did not.… Expand
19 of 33 users found this helpful1914
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4
GranulesDec 18, 2015
THE COLD DARK HEART OF BIG BUSINESS JUST MOCKED YOU WITH THIS OFF THE SHELF EVANESCENT CROWD-PLEASER

(no plot revealed) So I've seen it. Finally. Today I felt as intrepid and wide-eyed entering the cinema as I did back in the 70s, whenTHE COLD DARK HEART OF BIG BUSINESS JUST MOCKED YOU WITH THIS OFF THE SHELF EVANESCENT CROWD-PLEASER

(no plot revealed)

So I've seen it. Finally. Today I felt as intrepid and wide-eyed entering the cinema as I did back in the 70s, when I first entered the galaxies far far away as a young boy. I'd seen the trailers of course. The anticipation was palpable. And then things all went butterscotch icecream on me, and my face fell into a rigid mask of indifference. There is no steadiness at hand here, no atmospheric silence, no tremors itching their exciting path through your innards, strumming at your strings like a virtuoso. Grievously, I must question the point of this film, its lack of fantasy, its lack of wonderment. The lack of awe.

I must admit I would have preferred a visionary sci-fi director like
Duncan Jones, I've never been a fan of JJ Abrams. He makes popcorn munching 2 hour vacations for irritating attention lacking whiny tech nerds, used to learning life's lessons through hyper-chipped colourful touchscreens, either them or tired depressed overworked middle-agers looking to make as little effort as possible while they gorm at a bright screen. That lot probably loved it. But Abrams doesn't make films that affect, that bolt your childhood into another world, that open your eyes and identify you with something wondrous and uniquely personal. And he's produced a plate of his standard fare chicken wings right here, steaming hot and ready to gnaw on and toss into the trash. The busy rotating camera shots, the zooming in and out and all about - here here and here check. But, and it's a big but, a butt big enough to crush the prequels, he HAS got the aesthetics right. The look isn't overly digital, marvel fanatics might even find it too last century, maybe it isn't all Abrams' fault after all.

I mean the film certainly has the icy spectre of a corporation lurking at its heart. You can sense each shot was discussed and fine tuned in a committee and half a dozen subcommittees. Subsequently, there are well formed clean and tidy scenes plopping straight off the factory line. Like only corporations know how to do. This film has no bleeding heart maverick at its core. No singular vision. This is not a film dragged out kicking and screaming from the mind of a lone wolf, this is NOT a personal love affair. This is firmly and unashamedly for the masses.

So what do the people think? The critics seem to like it, or is that just peer pressure? The audience I saw it with seemed pretty mixed. Three teenage boys sitting near me declared it to be a "pile of steaming $%#&", yet a few others cheered at the credits. Well, one other actually, and I suspect he would have cheered at anything.

I'm coming across really negative here I know. It wasn't all bad. There are some really good bits, and even some moving bits, just an awful lot of bad ones. Hammy moments, american jock moments, action B movie moments. Yet I liked the new characters. The female lead is strong and bold and it was good to see the returning characters again, especially the ones that hadn't aged. It's just what's with THAT script? oh how naive, how sequacious, nothing new to see here, move along. And in keeping with the pandering rushing storyline, the camera is also dancing about like a perfect twit. Gravitas may be provided by the characters and the highly skilled production engineers and designers, but that isn't enough to shake off the influence of Abrams and Disney. They wanted to give us what we want so desperately they forgot to take risks, they forgot to break boundaries. In trying to make something so authentic, so much like the originals, they betrayed the very essence of what we loved.

But I was always going to say that wasn't I? I'm not that boy entering the cinema all those years ago. The real test will be whether the new generation take it to heart. Will it define them and last a lifetime? I suspect not.… Expand
84 of 146 users found this helpful8462
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4
Lambo442Dec 21, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'll echo what other members of the resistance have said. Lazy writing, bland characters, no context for anything. If Abrams was trying to please the geeks with his nostalgia fest then he failed miserably as all we wanted was a decent, coherent movie, rich in back story, believable in the context of what we know about the force and the galaxy Lucas created for us. I'm also livid that he killed off Solo. What a slap in the face. He may as well have killed my childhood. Destroy the Franchise then destroy my child hood hero, thanks a bunch Abram. Then everyone in the film just moves on like nothings happened. Even Chewy seems nonplussed as he flies off with his younger, hotter new partner.… Expand
28 of 49 users found this helpful2821
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5
theoutsiderinDec 31, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Force Jumps the Shark

After all the hype, the film, a beautifully realised remake of Episode 4 featuring another Death Star. Its new female chosen one undermines the credibility of the story. Let me explain.

Disney and JJ Abrams wanted to have a massive hit that appealed to fans, so viola, instead of pursuing a new course, they rehashed Episode 4 with the same identical plot points BUT had a woman, not a man, at the centre of the action. Unlike men, who have to train, suffer and earn their use of the Force, everything comes easy to Rey. Fix and fly a starship with zero problem? Use the Force, wield a lightsaber, beat men who are twice your size and have trained all their lives to fight? Easy for a woman heroine. This balderdash undermines the credibility of the rehash. As Han Solo nods, impressed at everything Rey does (she's either his or Luke's daughter, of course we'll find out down the line), Rey goes from poor scavenger to resistance leader without any resistance. No shooting womp rats on Tatooine, no learning the force at the Jedi school, no Yoda training, no modesty learned (Fear is the path to the dark side) - she is a woman and therefore, brave, strong and perfect in every way. Women never have to struggle to achieve things like men, they are born to rule.

Such is the nonsense offered by The Force Awakens. All of this is couched in a beautifully made action spectacular, pretty well acted by Star Wars standards (not very high!) and a hype machine that is faster and better than any in the universe. Not only is the plot a retread, but it has more coincidences in it than any story I've ever heard. Leave that to the nerds who will attack it in their reviews.

Worth seeing, if only because everyone will see it.… Expand
16 of 28 users found this helpful1612
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5
JAlonsoJan 2, 2016
Just imagine Disney telling Abrams: don't f*ck it up, we need an universe out of this. So, Abrams remixes Episode IV and that's it. Really, that's it.
16 of 28 users found this helpful1612
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4
SlanethDec 27, 2015
I found the movie... boring, just boring. I liked the two main characters, however the bad guy was lacking and so was the plot.

It felt like the original trilogy forced into one movie, everything was rehashed.
25 of 44 users found this helpful2519
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4
AquaMorphJan 11, 2016
The Force Awakens had good production value and likable characters but tripped over itself by pandering and recycling overused plot devices. Overall worth watching once.
25 of 44 users found this helpful2519
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4
namelessDec 18, 2015
Can you say Episode 1... it is like that. JJAbrams is a craftsman, it is well crafted. JJAbrams doesn't have a clue about putting emotion in a film, the only points that resonant are the nostaligia, Hemight be able to direct but they shouldCan you say Episode 1... it is like that. JJAbrams is a craftsman, it is well crafted. JJAbrams doesn't have a clue about putting emotion in a film, the only points that resonant are the nostaligia, Hemight be able to direct but they should ban him from writing, he has lost that ability. It is about making money for the studios... and he does that job. His movies are not worth seeing more than once.… Expand
52 of 92 users found this helpful5240
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4
GameloreJan 2, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Equivalent to an extraneous, guest-directed, fan-service beach party OVA for a masterpiece anime series.

Pretty much exactly what I would expect from a J.J. Abrams Star Wars: glossy, Zack Snydery, insubstantial scene-clips that provide entertainment for people with attention disorder and the uneducated/drugged masses; teen-angsty, referencing prior movie's characters nostalgically and killing them off, distractingly exceeding social boundaries without regard for the universe, formulaically including everything from prior movies, being excessively loud and flashy with action scenes, and having no central protagonist.

The movie was a series of Star Wars cliches. Cliches can be just fine with the right style, but 98% of scenes were without any original, convincing, immersive substance behind them, leaving the cliches to overwhelmingly dominate: lightsabre fights, laser guns, armies in the loading docks; cantina scenes with a variety of aliens; Chewbacca and Han Solo on the Millennium Falcon; Han Solo still being poor and getting in trouble by smuggling after, what, 50 years? WTF?; other people on the Millennium Falcon doing the exact same thing as prior movies; presenting lightsabres; lightsabres glowing on people's faces; outlandish lightsabre designs because A LIGHTSABRE ISN'T INTERESTING ENOUGH; force persuade used exactly the same way as before; a desert vendor oppressing the main character; R2D2 and C3PO; Jedi trainee going nuts and killing people; diverse rebels, further inbred by J.J. Abrams' inherent over-promotion of diversity in size, shape, color, and attractiveness -- not one that looks good; and, of all things, drastically changing ALL OTHER ASPECTS OF EDITING, such as pacing, everything about the camera-work: angles, stillness, shakiness, shot length, zoom amount, rotation, panning, artificial out-of-focus blur effects and colors except nostalgically keeping the traditional diagonal, inter-scene fade line. Why bother?

Other faults: The CG felt almost as bad as the latter prequels and was distracting -- still a far cry from LOTR CG after 10 years. The droid expended energy to appear indecisive, depressed, etc. when not in the presense of a human to whom to convey that emotion -- either poor programming, or, more likely, an oversight among many that J.J Abrams or Disney added when taking the probably-good screenplay and making it their own.

It felt as though the entire movie was originally well-conceived and would have been good in the hands of any competent director who knows how to bring empathy to characters and immersiveness to the audience. Then they deviated from the plan by hiring J.J. Abrams who removed the entire top coat, killing three decades of Star Wars lore for nothing: adding Nazi speeches to the stormtroopers, female stormtroopers, black stormtroopers, despite the Empire only allowing (speech-wise) white male humans; used 20-somethings to play all the main parts; used a central "no-name" stormtrooper character (e.g., "who could be any one of us") to follow since he wasn't confident following Jedi Rey despite making the new Jedi character female as a statement; dropped dozens of disgusting Star Wars cliches for "nostalgia" (listed above); choreographed lightsabres battles where there were probably none in the screenplay; put in excessive Han Solo and a pathetic performance of a now-"General" (as a statement) Princess Leia. The movie also suffered from a bad, forgettable soundtrack. They should have fired John Williams since he clearly wasn't able to compose a competent soundtrack for the prequels either. They didn't even get him to compose a replacement fanfare (something he, or someone else, could have easily done) -- this was a huge missed opportunity as it could have defined the entire Disney brand, had the movie been successful, and it could be used to replace the original trilogy fanfare, should copyright ever prevent their use.

It was shocking to see Han Solo sound excited after using Chewbacca's crossbow for apparently the first time, despite them being together for 50 years -- he would have used it on day #2 of them being together, while bored on the ship or on some planet. Totally implausible and immersion-shattering. It is inexcusable, and without words, to allow the non-Jedi to even think of wielding a lightsabre, much less, against a dark Jedi. As for the dark Jedi, or Lord Schnoz, as I like to call him, the guy was so poorly chosen and mis-directed, I missed Anakin from the prequels. By the end, I actually missed the originality, as bizarre and grating to watch as it was, from George Lucas, to this cliche-fest brought forth by J.J. Abrams. At least George Lucas didn't smear Star Wars cliches everywhere. Certainly the over-production, CG, and annoying sidekick aspects didn't go down much in the switch!… Expand
39 of 69 users found this helpful3930
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4
TrillcosbeyDec 24, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This film had so much going for it and really fell flat on its face.
The main antagonist is a spoiled brat that has tempter tantrums, ( he had it rough mommy and daddy were so mean they didnt let him play with uncle Luke.) So lame.
The story is just retarded, So the rebels won but they are still rebels??? and the bad guys lost so they have to make another newer death star that is 9-11 times a hundred!!!! cant the bad guys or the writers for that matter just come up with a new way to show how bad they are??
The players are just rehashed redux of the original players new luke is a female new leia is a dude who used to be a storm trooper new vaders a big baby like the old vader ( if we watch the last 3 awful films. )
I have lost any hope for this franchise, it is really just a big wealth generating machine for disney.… Expand
26 of 46 users found this helpful2620
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6
TSTINKERSJan 8, 2016
I have to give this movie a 6/10 because the story line was unoriginal. too many ideas taken from the originals. Get the guy from Game of Thrones to write the next star wars to give this one what it was missing. Predictability, ProperI have to give this movie a 6/10 because the story line was unoriginal. too many ideas taken from the originals. Get the guy from Game of Thrones to write the next star wars to give this one what it was missing. Predictability, Proper Dialogue etc.… Expand
22 of 39 users found this helpful2217
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6
AxefaceJan 6, 2016
I dont think copying everything that was good about the previous films and capitalising on nostalgia is good film making, I think it's capitalising. When I dissect The Force awakens - strip away the rape of the old films - all thats left isI dont think copying everything that was good about the previous films and capitalising on nostalgia is good film making, I think it's capitalising. When I dissect The Force awakens - strip away the rape of the old films - all thats left is some pretty good new characters and very nice effects - 6, maybe 7 out of ten? Upsetting. I wonder if they are actually capable of coming up with their own content for the inevitable followups.… Expand
22 of 39 users found this helpful2217
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6
atomic_tomatoDec 23, 2015
It was like, when you order your favorite pizza that was brought back after a while being off the menu and your excited for it... but its a new chef and the pizza tastes funny. That's pretty much the feeling I got from this movie. It wasIt was like, when you order your favorite pizza that was brought back after a while being off the menu and your excited for it... but its a new chef and the pizza tastes funny. That's pretty much the feeling I got from this movie. It was just.... off. Every scene felt rushed and nothing really made a lot of sense. Special effects were great.… Expand
23 of 41 users found this helpful2318
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4
chrisselthDec 22, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. When is a remake less than a remake? When it pretends that it isn’t, thinking by reshuffling almost every element, every shot, from Star Wars, and a touch of Empire, in a new order, changing the sexes of some of the main characters, that makes it new. When it tries to compensate for this by making everything bigger and glossier, while losing all real excitement. There is not the edge of the seats experience that marked the originals, just big bangs. When the script falls repeatedly into lame. When all the main characters are pitched to the teen audience, a cross between Hunger Games and Harry Potter. Adults are left embodied in the aged performance of Harrison Ford, confirming how tired this film is for anyone over 30. Disney has successfully revamped its merchandise business with this leaden loud movie, but I was left watching engineering competence with no excitement.… Expand
28 of 50 users found this helpful2822
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4
DarkSideOTForceJan 6, 2016
This movie was so disappointing. Abrams can't compete with the mind of Lucas. This was clearly a rip off of New Hope and Empire. Ren's voice sounded so lame and not controlling like Earl Jones. The plot was boring and movie very predictable.
52 of 93 users found this helpful5241
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6
43in2014Jan 17, 2016
This is a utter rip off of A New Hope! So many elements of that early film is use here to bait viewers back into the franchise that plagiarism charges should be considered. The worse of this can be seen in the most commonly seen A ForceThis is a utter rip off of A New Hope! So many elements of that early film is use here to bait viewers back into the franchise that plagiarism charges should be considered. The worse of this can be seen in the most commonly seen A Force Awakens poster. If you have seen HISHE's parody of Return of the Jedi, then you would understand why a second time around there was already quite dumb and third time around here is ridiculous!

Other poor elements here are the acting by the two young cast members. Daisy Ridley had the desperate expression whenever there is a close-up of her while Oscar Isaacs is way too enthusiastic whenever he meets his friends, as if he is mirroring A New Hope. Finally the rules behind who can use the force are totally disregarded and the film loses a lot of credibility here.

This is definitely a lazy job and I was quite bored during the film. At the end of the film I was hoping for a Marvel post-credit scene, but there was none. JJAbrahms should be ashamed of himself! He had a grand opportunity to reboot the franchise and he tricked us all with his trailers into watching this cheap sequel.

Score: 3/5 (no half score). Save your money and watch it on TV.… Expand
19 of 34 users found this helpful1915
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6
ToFewViewsDec 25, 2015
So the day has come, Disney has pulled Star Wars from George Lucas's grasp after sweetening the deal with 4+ Billion Dollars. Now with that much money spent on the rights alone you'd think the movie would come out somewhat of a masterpiece?So the day has come, Disney has pulled Star Wars from George Lucas's grasp after sweetening the deal with 4+ Billion Dollars. Now with that much money spent on the rights alone you'd think the movie would come out somewhat of a masterpiece? maybe a new "A New Hope"? But sadly elements of the film take away from the experience and causes the film to feel like the Step Child who's slightly Different to the rest. Fans of the Star Wars series(ie myself) will find it extremely easy to blindly love this movie but if you take a step back to observe the film the flaws may become more apparent. Things like sound design, Sets, Action and CGI was all done well, The movie almost always looks good, sounds good and its all around good looking. But then things like some main characters who don't fit their role at all and ruin the character or other main characters don't actually do anything in the entire movie. Watching the movie as a true die hard Star Wars fan what kept coming to mind for me was other ways the story could have been, With darker or more interesting story arcs and maybe using the absolutely massive extended universe that has been created for the Star Wars world from Books,Games Etc. With Disney planning on making a new Trilogy I really hope they can take the world and characters they have and making something truly amazing with it....not just something to "Break the Box Office"… Expand
20 of 36 users found this helpful2016
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4
nutcrackrDec 26, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Going into this movie, my expectations were modest. Having just watched the entire series, anything equal or above the third episode would have been a winner.
So here I am, declaring my disappointment for this overwrought nostalgia trip that suffers in just about every area. Obviously direct comparisons can be made to A New Hope, and it is a blatant copy in many respects. But the changes, or the vapid fillers in between, are considerably less entertaining or substantial. There is no character to these characters. The General of the New Order expresses his evilness through a series of stroke-induced facial expressions. The new baddie, Kylo Ren, decides to paint the walls with his lightsaber when he gets upset, poor thing. The Silver Surfer, eer Silver Stormtrooper captain, has the approximate threat of a penguin in a cape. And the big bad is a completely CGI-rendered evil that we know nothing about (he fairs the best).
So the bad guys are bad, what about the goodies? They’re bad too. Finn chooses to express his exuberance at strange times, to force the audience into a stupor, and decides to leave and return within seconds. Rey is the slave-scavenger that manages to see her future in an older scavenger and still wants to remain a scavenger even though she can pilot the Millennium Falcon instantly and is able to best an ex-Jedi trained in lightsaber combat seconds after touching one. We could write essays about Rey’s perfection. The old heroes, though, what have they done to them? Han Solo, the man who changed the most in the original series, is back doing his smuggling thing. Leia is fortunately given just a few lines, because you can never be quite be sure if she’s about to laugh or cry. I don’t blame Carrie Fisher though, what they’ve done to these old heroes is a travesty. Luke gets just 5 seconds of screen time and a swirling helicopter shot because “ that would look cool.” Even Chewie’s lines are worn out. R2D2 remains in hibernation for much of the film because he couldn’t stand what has happened to the universe.
Not only does it manage to setup poor new characters, it actually harms the original series in the process. Our victory is wrenched from our hearts and dumped into a modernized take on a nazi party that lives on a planet-turned-deathstar. Starkiller is a terrible name, by the way. And the science behind it is so ludicrous that it hurts to even talk about it. The pain doesn’t stop there. We also get unfunny lines, either from bad timing, poor writing or bad acting. Side characters have less charm than a dead Jawa, special mention going to the yellow-skinned goggle lady that could be entirely removed from the plot and it wouldn’t matter. The only good character in the entire movie is the voiceless droid, BB8, who manages to gain some appreciation due to its perseverance.
The movie also commits many other sins, chief of which is using death as a spectacle for the audience rather than a turning point for characters or story. Many of the story turns are predictable, not just those that copy A New Hope. It even manages to have a poor lightsaber fight with Rey doing a limp-wristed palpatine stab. The fight is poorly cut and lit so you cannot see anything. The movie falls back on nostalgia in lazy and tiresome ways. There are dozens of cringe-worthy moments either from clichés or insulting lines that just make you shake your head. This is not a passionate project, its one that’s been designed by committee and it shows in every aspect. The story is not thought out nearly well enough for a franchise that demands precision. It would have been better to start anew so they could head in new directions. Falling back on older characters requires the utmost case and that has not happened here. The Force Awakens is a mammoth project that will earn billions and produce millions of new fans. Size matters not.… Expand
37 of 67 users found this helpful3730
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6
zurnzurnDec 20, 2015
"That's not how the Force works!"

Frikkin' HILARIOUS!! Seriously that line was legitimately funny, well built up and delivered. I laughed *at* the Ren temper tantrums, but *with* Han and Fin on that line. It's what I'm taking from the"That's not how the Force works!"

Frikkin' HILARIOUS!!

Seriously that line was legitimately funny, well built up and delivered. I laughed *at* the Ren temper tantrums, but *with* Han and Fin on that line. It's what I'm taking from the movie.

JJ nailed it with Star Trek but the rest has been fan-service retreads that betray a lack of storytelling prowess. It's all for effect, with no depth, nothing to pull you in. I'm just glad I didn't see the trailer, because the promised emotional weight would have gotten me too pumped to not walk out of the theatre supremely annoyed.… Expand
16 of 29 users found this helpful1613
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6
Mojodog360Jan 4, 2016
I remember having a "bad feeling about this" when Disney purchased Lucasfilm, and it turns out my fears were warranted. What they delivered is a passable popcorn flick populated by Star Wars costumes. So many things went wrong with thisI remember having a "bad feeling about this" when Disney purchased Lucasfilm, and it turns out my fears were warranted. What they delivered is a passable popcorn flick populated by Star Wars costumes. So many things went wrong with this film. But mostly it feels both forced (pun intended) and rushed. It's not hard to feel the "film production by committee" vibe going on. Character stories were shoehorned in, breaking the holy grail of writing rules: Show, don't tell. I'm sure they want to establish a lot of foundation for later movies, and maybe those will be better. But I doubt it.… Expand
25 of 46 users found this helpful2521
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5
AdahmanDec 18, 2015
The Force Awakens is a lot like A New Hope. I mean A LOT. Imagine ANH with a female Luke, and a black Han...add in (yet another Death Star) and sprinkle it with a Darth Vader wannabe. I couldn't help thinking that I'd seen all this before.The Force Awakens is a lot like A New Hope. I mean A LOT. Imagine ANH with a female Luke, and a black Han...add in (yet another Death Star) and sprinkle it with a Darth Vader wannabe. I couldn't help thinking that I'd seen all this before.

Then you'll have The Force Awakens.

5/10… Expand
31 of 58 users found this helpful3127
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4
PerezDCDec 19, 2015
The Force Awakens is a dumb, lazy revival of the Star Wars franchise. The film wishes to draw your attention away from its unforgivingly weak plot and characters by bashing your head in with iconic Star Wars imagery.

Throughout the ForceThe Force Awakens is a dumb, lazy revival of the Star Wars franchise. The film wishes to draw your attention away from its unforgivingly weak plot and characters by bashing your head in with iconic Star Wars imagery.

Throughout the Force Awakens, you'll find an absurd amount of plot conveniences that solely exist to integrate beloved characters from the franchise's past into the new story. New characters like Rey and Finn are interesting in concept: A self-sufficient scavenger in search of her family and a soldier with nothing to fight for. The problem with these new characters is the lack of time they're given to be properly developed. The film wastes no time in thrusting these new characters into the Star Wars universe by way of forced conveniences. How else could the film fit in the rest of its seemingly mandatory cameos within its two-hour runtime?

Compare this to Episode IV: A New Hope. The characters in Episode IV are gradually rolled out in a way that feels natural and seamless. We're given time to get to know them. We don't actually leave Tatooine until about 40 minutes into the film. Episode IV bothers to create a great foundation and atmosphere for the rest of its story. It takes its time. And so, we BELIEVE in the story. Episode VII, on the other hand, expects you to believe this story before you even enter the theater.

The Force Awakens is essentially in a rush to check off all of the boxes. "Well, we need Han Solo in the film. And the Millennium Falcon. And Chewbacca. And Princess Leia. And C3P0. And R2D2. And Luke Skywalker. And Darth Vader's charred helmet. Because that's what people want, right?"

The real problem is that this IS what people want. In that sense, The Force Awakens exceeds with flying colors. Audiences have embraced these tricks that have been conjured by Hollywood's brilliant corporate minds. It is now the norm to sacrifice originality for nostalgic pandering.

The Force Awakens is a well-made film in the physical sense. Its cinematography and direction is thrilling. The set design is as top-notch as ever. But, films should strive to touch us emotionally, and this is where Force Awakens fails. The film seems to trust that the bulk of the audience's emotions will come from the re-introduction of classic characters. To the objective, unbiased viewer, however, there is little in this film that will stir up one's emotions.

If names like Han Solo and Chewbacca don't mean to much to you, then it is likely that The Force Awakens will also mean little to you.… Expand
39 of 73 users found this helpful3934
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4
marc5477Dec 26, 2015
Slightly below average overall. Not in the same league as episodes 4-6 but better than episode 1 and about the same as episodes 2 and 3.

It does not follow any written Star Wars lore but has similarities to the comic books. Instead ofSlightly below average overall. Not in the same league as episodes 4-6 but better than episode 1 and about the same as episodes 2 and 3.

It does not follow any written Star Wars lore but has similarities to the comic books. Instead of following the stories, they went on a tangent and basically created an unoriginal and weak reboot of episode 4. The problem is that the character felt shallow. The charm of the old movies is that the actors brought the characters to life, whereas in this movie it felt like they were forced to follow a rigid script. The new characters are not bad, but they just don't illicit any emotion and the relationship between the trooper and the jedi just seems forced even though it started well enough. It just moved too fast and was not believable given each characters history and the situation.

The next problem is the story is weaker than episode 4. The antagonist is not intimidating in any way and the Hitler-like character and Nazi-like angles were not as good (nor as believable) as the struggle between the empire and rebels. The sith replacements (the 1st order) are just dumb... dumb dumb dumb and their lead was supposed to be very powerful and killed off all the jedi that Luke was teaching (which is why he went to exile) yet he cant even beat a non-jedi in hand-to-hand combat sometimes. The good jedi is equally ridiculous. She basically learns everything Anakin and Luke learned over decades, on her own, in a few days and was equal in lightsaber combat to a trained jedi killer. She makes Anakin & Luke look like chumps but whatever.

Then you have really dumb stuff... A mega-Death Star... really? Is this Dragon Ball Z? They should have just followed the comic books.

The special effects were modern, though not ground breaking, and there is no Jar Jar Binks so that was good. Lea and Han needed more screen time and deeper story but they chose to focus more on action scenes (a la Abrams movies).

This was clearly a money grab. It was not horrible but it was uninspired.… Expand
24 of 45 users found this helpful2421
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5
PsychicGamer240Sep 4, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Despite the story being copy and pasted from Episode 4, The bad acting and the bad character development, this film was okay. I liked the action scenes, the idea of looking for Luke and theThis review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Despite the story being copy and pasted from Episode 4, The bad acting and the bad character development, this film was okay. I liked the action scenes, the idea of looking for Luke and the special effects looked amazing, but that's it.

A lot of this film didn't make sense, like we have a Pilot called Po Damron and the main villain is a giant alien called Snooke that we don't know anything about . Most of the characters are just there and you don't know anything at all.

Kylo Ren is not a good villain he has temper tantrums like a 3 year old, he starts chopping up his space ship with his lightsaber. A lot of the jokes from Finn weren't funny, as he was using them in a life or death situation.

The death of Han Solo also wasn't that good, he just got stabbed and fell for miles and looked like a piece of paper while falling, it also had no emotional impact. Even Qui- Gon Jinn and Mace Windu had better deaths.

There's no memorable theme songs, I don't even remember there being any music and that's not a good thing, because it means the music is forgettable.

I did not like the way that Mark Hamill's name was 2nd on the list and he was only in it for 30 seconds and now that Han Solo's dead they're not going to reunite there's something else gone out of the window.

Overall, the acting was not good, the character development was bad, the story line was copy and pasted from Episode 4, but however the action scenes were enjoyable, it looked amazing and I liked the plot of looking for Luke.… Expand
17 of 32 users found this helpful1715
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6
MooseSpoonDec 18, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This film had a lot of hype. Sadly it could nkt live up to the hype. The problem is this time the hype wasn't purely fan made. A solid addition to the star wars franchise but not without serious issues. This is essentially A New Hope with a different cast and setting

THE GOOD:
The nostalgia brought on by the original cast gives people who have seen the other movies a warm feeling. Things get wrapped up quite well and an aged cast seems to pick up where they left off

Poe and Finn had amazing chemistry. From the moment they met it was clear they would be a good pair. Even when they were apart, they were commanding of the screen. Hopefully they show up more.

Beautiful landscapes, great technology, some good battles.

BB-8. Love that droid. Figuratively.

THE BAD:

For all the nostalgia, we never see the old cast together.

Rey. A girl out of nowhere magically starts understanding jedi powers and using a lightsaber in combat against a trained opponent. While she is acted well, she is poorly written and ends up being a "mary sue" character. All her successes come off as oddly convenient rather than actual skill.

Poe and Damaron need more time on screen together.

Kylo Ren. A sith with daddy and grand daddy issues that for all his bravado cant seem to beat a girl untrained in the force or combat. While pride makes a good downfall, his roguish nature often goes against the empire he serves and inconveniences his master.

Starkiller base. A death star with multiple beams but the same relative weakness? Really? Humorous but just really convenient and overused. The problem with the old deathstar was a small port, so why not make a big port?

The resistance must be full of genius pilots. Somehow a handful of pilots can handle an imperial fleet. If that is the case, then why not just destroy the empire entirely?

Captain Phasma. I expect her to come back with a vengeance, but her character was comical and underwhelming. The leader of a military force so easily compromised seems poor choice.

The ease of killing imperial officers makes them like red shirts in star trek.

Han solo's death. I expected a better death for such an interesting character. A rogue smuggler letting his guard down for his son in a moment of family weakness. Care to explain how a guy who left his family behind all of the suddenly became a family man?… Expand
37 of 70 users found this helpful3733
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5
MrDeacon74Dec 18, 2015
I have waited years for this saga to continue ,sadly I must report that I'm very disappointed. The plot needed more work to truly grab ahold of the most die hard "Star Wars" fan. This movie is just a set up, I hope. To something much greater.I have waited years for this saga to continue ,sadly I must report that I'm very disappointed. The plot needed more work to truly grab ahold of the most die hard "Star Wars" fan. This movie is just a set up, I hope. To something much greater. JJ Abrams dropped the ball on this one.… Expand
37 of 70 users found this helpful3733
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4
starkitecktDec 18, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Poor writing, acting, and a lousy story ruin this otherwise fun jaunt through this Episode 4 remake. Yes, it is a REMAKE. There's a death star (I DON"T CARE WHAT THEY CALL IT NOW, ITS ROUND AND IT SHOOTS LAZORS!), there's a droid with info on it, and there's people that have to rescue other people. Its comically unoriginal and boring... except for the nostalgic throwbacks and one-liners.… Expand
38 of 72 users found this helpful3834
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6
LionheartedDec 19, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The writing was was pretty bad, I felt what killed it was the pellet-bar-mashing pace as if every expected member of the audience was supposed to have the attention span of a Goldfish. While George Lucas wasn't here to photobomb every scene with a 5-year old (Jah Jah), his legacy of dismal un-pruned writing lived on.
I didn't mind Han Solo dying at the hand of his son (Kylo Ren), it was actually an excellent choice, and I didn't mind the somewhat cartoony characters, what I minded the lack of development of the characters with almost sole exception to the Poe and Finn together. I minded the complete disservice to Han lacking any new development before offing him unceremoniously.
The chemistry between Finn and Rey seemed completely forced as well, no sparks at all.
In fact the best character development of the entire movie was the final 30 seconds of silence ...

The other thing is if you are going to create a story, create one that has at least some "believability" behind it. The reasoning behind the entire movie was so thin as to completely dismiss that there ever was a history behind this Episode at all. Useless plot, and unnecessary insertion into the Star Wars universe indeed.

Furthermore it wasn't just that the pacing was terrible, it just didn't feel like Star Wars because of the lack of emphasis on the Star Wars unearthly howls and mechanical wonderment, JJ almost completely railroaded this essential portion of the Star Wars "feel". There was an attempt with a canteena scene *nod* and BB-88 was fun! But just not enough to offset the spoonfed (for who knows what commercial reason the original Star Wars didn't spoon feed anything) writing.

I did like this movie better than the new Star Treks, at least it had the good taste to kill great characters instead of murdering them through poorly conceived re-writes. And I would actually go see this movie again .. if it were free.… Expand
19 of 37 users found this helpful1918
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6
kurlyJan 6, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. updating my review! SPOILERS big time!

After having a few days to digest the movie and realize most people's posts are correct, this movie is an exact replica of A New Hope, I've thought of more issues I have with this flick.

1) Han and Leia are not the types of people to just let their son be kidnapped and not tear the galaxy apart to find him and bring him home...with their knowledge and underground friends it wouldn't take long.
2) The "resistance", after defeating the Empire 30 years ago really couldn't find support anywhere in the galaxy? I mean, we click one stupid anti-government post on facebook and get 7000 likes.....the rebels destroyed the EMPIRE....and got no followers? some rag tag group of bad guys are now a threat? How did this happen?????
3) In 7 movies Han and his crew have disabled 3 shield generators.....really? Word isnt out on this guy and his shield generator expertise??
4) Why do the fat x wing fighter guys always die?
5) With all the master Jedi "seeing the future and talking to dead Jedi" ability, Luke really never saw this moment coming? He really couldn't help his friend and his sister in their time of need? The force is so strong some stormtrooper and a newbie can master it in seconds over trained experts, but Luke can't figure out how it works in 30 years?
6) Why would you need to blow up the planets in a solar system once you evaporate their sun? I would figure just destroying the sun alone would do the trick.....it would in our solar system.
7) Losing so many lives just to find Luke....and for what? what can he do? He's one Jedi....obviously being a master doesn't matter as stated above....can he coordinate attacks and defenses after being hidden 30 years any better than Leia who has been doing it non stop for 30 plus years?
8) The bad guy was way cooler with the helmet on.
9) Disney's its a small world after all....began with Vader/Luke?Leia......now it's Han/Leia?bad guy (Kylo?)....I was waiting for Han to say, "I am your faaaaaaather"........

and finally....
10) The best character in this movie got killed off....nothing could kill Jar Jar for three damned movies.....but let's kill off our best character...bummer....… Expand
20 of 39 users found this helpful2019
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4
hraM7Dec 20, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I honestly tried to make myself like this film, but unfortunately by the time i left the Theater i was empty and disappointed, here is why:

1) I already saw this film, a long time ago on a VHS. The storyline was just taken from episodes 4 and 5 so hard, that i could predict everything will become later.
2) I understand that the crew wanted to create more SW fans from those who are not familiar with the universe, but gosh why everyone in this either alien or youngster 30< y.o. ? Cmon thats now it should be done.
3) Most popular - Villianactor dont match, no way to fix it TOTAL fail
4) Jedis and sith were always smth special of this saga. This film has no respect for Master, knights, padawans and younglings. Just tell me, pls tell me: how is that possible that sith (which was trained by Luke Skywalker and Sith lord) could lose a duel to a girl that holds a lightsaber for like 10 seconds? it took Luke 2 episodes to fight properly, young padawans were trying to build their style of sabefighting for years and here we are - a girl with 0 experince destroys a well trained young sith... WTF.
5) Im not against a black ppl in the movie (hello magister Windu) but why that guy was heavy breathing for like 90% of the film? astma? he should visit a doctor i guess. That was annoying
6) im not gonna complain about small mistakes i think everyone saw in this movie (like Luke waiting for his new padawan on an island without food for many years WTF) but pls, leave SW saga alone or reconsider the way you want to continue with this =(… Expand
22 of 43 users found this helpful2221
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5
elaintahraDec 18, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Very nice images, very nicely made ships and locations. Though not nearly as bad as EP 1-3, unfortunately quite much a remake of episode IV:
- NO original plot, almost copy of ep IV!
- Starts in sand planet
- Exactly the same threat, exactly the same ending
- Same characters again, emperor, darth vader 2, han solo, chewbacca, leia, leia 2 (same time she is also Luke)
- Idiotic scenes, like Han and Chewbacca have been looking for Falcon for "a long time" and "suddenly" they just find it when it starts off from Jakku?
- Finn&Rey relationship completely made up, nothing close to Han & Leia in the 80's
- And when Falcon is found, even more stupid scene occurs when 2 different groups suddenly appear inside the ship?
- How is Rey suddenly the god inside Falcon she knows it inside out? Like all down to the wiring of everything? -> I know why, she was given to that dealer as a child, but it's not really obvious in the movie
- How did Poe and Finn land right close to Rey and BB-8? I mean from space you don't accidentally crash land so close
- "sell me that droid for a lot of money" - "actually it's not for sale" why not? FAKE?
- Poe died in the TIE fighter crash and explosion and suddenly he is alive?
- Bar scene a copy of ep IV
- Jedi hallucination scene copy of ep V
- All other Stormtroopers suck at aiming but not Finn?
- Han and Chewie just march inside the new death star and put three explosive grenades and thats it?
- They attack the new death star with ~8 X-wings? Then they lose few and they say "we lost half of our attack force"?
- R2D2 has rest of the map but only gave it out after, eh, after what exactly? He just woke up after the big killer planet was taken out?
- Why did the stormtroopers order an air strike at the market when they were trying to capture and not destroy BB-8?
- Rey suddenly is more or at least as powerful jedi as Han's son even without training anything?
- Emperor is a bit sad looking shriveled big hologram after being thrown in the electric chute. But who is Snout? Is that big guy Snout? A snout is the protruding portion of an animal's face, consisting of its nose, mouth, and jaw. ITS NOT A BAD GUYS NAME IN STAR WARS!
- Finn seems to be very good with sword, and know how to use it almost as well as Han's son. No explanation given as to why he can use it (can't remember his name)
- Where did these Nazi bad guys suddenly come out of, no explanation given in any way. They took out "republic", no explanation given why, except they're NAZIS. the even gunned down a town full of civilians for no reason, like SS troops.
- Rey suddenly just inherits Falcon and Chewie? That escalated fast
- That bar keeper is a bit too Harry pottery
-

+ chewie
+ cool aliens
+ cool, but too little screen time space ship insides (like Tie fighter)… Expand
64 of 126 users found this helpful6462
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