Read Mixed User Reviews for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens - Page 2

4

FuzzyWahJan 22, 2016

Star Wars is now just like Transformers. All the cool and pretty stuff thrown about over a story and characters you couldn't care less about because clearly nobody is trying to make anything beyond a "good" Star Wars film. No amount ofStar Wars is now just like Transformers. All the cool and pretty stuff thrown about over a story and characters you couldn't care less about because clearly nobody is trying to make anything beyond a "good" Star Wars film. No amount of searching through the original trilogy will net you a magical formula for making a good movie, because you still need a vision and a passion for creative storytelling.

Everything about the movie was good: the acting, the sound, all that stuff. All the pieces were well made, but there was nothing for them to come together for.

At least the film was fun to watch.… Expand

26 of 52 users found this helpful2626

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4

CriviewerDec 19, 2015

Nice effects, nice landscapes and nice designs, it definitely looks cool, evidently way better then the predecessors. This is just enough for a decent, average movie. But not enough for people that want to see a great movie.

The massiveNice effects, nice landscapes and nice designs, it definitely looks cool, evidently way better then the predecessors. This is just enough for a decent, average movie. But not enough for people that want to see a great movie.

The massive letdown is the plot and the script. Characters are introduced without any connections, they can perform just as good (actually even better) than well trained villains in terms of using the Force. Silly jokes and cliches are abundant and there are no hints of even the most basic explanations. Ex-machina screenplay tricks are also shamelessly used to introduce convenient plot developments.

Overall, a disappointment. I'm not a star wars fan, but this one is way below most of the others. It is a dull remake of the 4th episode with no innovative thinking.… Expand

23 of 46 users found this helpful2323

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4

MooseNineJan 21, 2016

I don't even know where to start. This movie is so huge disappointed. I was waiting for new star wars movie for so long and now... i wish "this" would never happend. Most of this movie is "copy&paste" from the old trilogy. Just look on theI don't even know where to start. This movie is so huge disappointed. I was waiting for new star wars movie for so long and now... i wish "this" would never happend. Most of this movie is "copy&paste" from the old trilogy. Just look on the first scene from "A new hope" and then on "Force awakens" - exactly the same schematics.
Another terrible matter is political correctness - especially exaggeration of women role and minimalized men role.

And of course there's a lot of plot gaps , big changes making no sense in relation to old trilogy, and a lot of funny scenes where Abramas tell us "one thing" and later in the movie make "other thing" where in relation to the "one thing" makes no sense.

Two good things i can tell about Force Awakens is pretty good directing and nice looking special effects but that's all.

And i know that so many people defend this movie and sayin' "it is good" or "IT'S AWESOME". That's what 2 years of commercials, good PR, marketing and "HYPE" doing with customers brain. I was great fan of Star Wars franchise since 80'. But now? I am still a HUGE fan of Star Wars... but not Force Awakens.… Expand

20 of 40 users found this helpful2020

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6

DarraghoJan 2, 2016

Rushed, shallow and a very safe play character and storywise. Some great sound design and visuals in there. Let's hope Rian can bring something new for the next one.

15 of 30 users found this helpful1515

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5

anvirtuDec 18, 2015

Making-money-from-fans movie. It is empty, boring, with simple story for teenagers. It is bad even for those who want just to watch some epic action in cosmo setting, because there are no any good lightsaber fight, no any good shooting fight,Making-money-from-fans movie. It is empty, boring, with simple story for teenagers. It is bad even for those who want just to watch some epic action in cosmo setting, because there are no any good lightsaber fight, no any good shooting fight, even big-scale epic battles don't exist in this film. Only visual part is beautiful, and maybe the main antagonist's pretty good, not so typical.
Just don't waste your time and money, leave this film for fans.
5/10… Expand

43 of 88 users found this helpful4345

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5

kennythekoalaDec 18, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I left this movie feeling so heart broken and disappointed. It did not live up to the hype at all, however, how could it have?

This movie is a fan service to Star Wars fans, unfortunately it does not go about this in a subtle way. Nostalgia is forced at every opportunity, usually pointlessly, and it left me sighing. I wanted a new fresh Star Wars movie that used the past movie as support, not the entire back bone of the movie. Han and Chewie were the exception to this, they felt very natural in this movie.

The new actors are talented, but i feel as if Finn is the new jar jar as he's used for comic relief so often. He is a storm trooper that was trained in a hitler youth like program, yet he is completely different than all the others with seemingly no external force pushing him in that direction. It didn't make sense to me. The first scene where Finn refuses to shoot innocent people may have been the worst opening scene I have seen in a very long time. It was extremely cheesy and weak.

Rey is amazing and powerful, but at times I felt she was too much. Her discovery of the force was so weak I almost yelped in the theater. Then, after her discovery, she becomes like a god and is invincible like the avatar in his spirit state. I thought the way she crushed Kylo Ren though she'd never even held a lightsaber was the worst part of the entire movie. Kylo had been training since he was a kid and this random girl who just learned she had the force an hour before crushes him in combat. ARE YOU SERIOUS.

Captain Phasma was so heavily advertised and she maybe had 3 minutes of screen time. WTF.

Kylo Ren is the weakest villain in Star Wars history. He was weak. He was easily manipulated. He couldn't beat a girl in saber combat who just picked it up an hour before. And I HATE TO SAY THIS because my hopes were so high for Adam Driver, but he was not intimidating or even interesting on screen. He easily had the weakest performance. When he spoke without his mask for the first time, half of the theater laughed at how nasaly and nerdy he was.

The plot itself was: Find this droid with this secret message and help us destroy this spherical super weapon. Where have I heard that before??? Wait, so the Empire had two Star Destroyers destroyed by rebels YET THEY BUILD ANOTHER THING BUT BIGGER??? This is irritating even now. There was hardly a speck of creativity in that.

Han Solo's death was a beautiful scene I have to admit. The way it was lit and shot was amazing, however, WHO bought that Kylo or "Ben" was actually gonna turn good? I hope any one with a brain cell saw that betrayal coming.

The way Kylo's back story was explained when Leia was talking to Han was just criminally horrible story telling.... WHY TELL US in the least interesting way possible? Every thing about "Save our son" "get our son back" just felt straight up stupid. The reveal that he was Han's son was horrible and his back story was continually explained in a horrible way.

All in all I would give this movie a 5, I know I sound bitter but I am just so frustrated with the way they went about this movie. I feel truly duped.

My order of favorite to least favorite now goes:

1) Return of the Jedi

2) Revenge of the Sith

3) Empire Strikes Back

4) A New Hope

5) The Force Awakens

6) Attack of the Clones

7) A Phantom Menace… Expand

58 of 119 users found this helpful5861

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6

ahmedshaltoutDec 18, 2015

It's sad what they did with this movie, especially that I'm a huge fan of J.J. Abrams. I love what he did in Star Trek, even though it was a reboot, he added new ideas.

Episode 7 should not have been a reboot. A new and UNIQUE chain ofIt's sad what they did with this movie, especially that I'm a huge fan of J.J. Abrams. I love what he did in Star Trek, even though it was a reboot, he added new ideas.

Episode 7 should not have been a reboot. A new and UNIQUE chain of events after the defeat of Darth Vader should have been born. New problems should have existed. Even though the directing was amazing, characters were lovely, and acting was top notch, the main problem was the story. Repeating the same events of Star Wars Episode 4 but with new characters just to please the fans makes absolutely no sense within the confines of the story and the world of that particular universe.

It is completely nonsensical for events to go the same exact way as the first movie right after what Luke, Leia, Han and Chewie pulled off. It feels like fan service mixed with an attempt at a reboot as if Episodes 4,5 and 6 never happened just to appeal to Star Wars nerds that hate change and to young teenagers that don't know Star Wars. It was a completely risk free attempt at making money with very little innovation in the story. It made me sad that, aside from one spoiler in the movie, the movie is almost EXACTLY the same as Episode 4, and it didn't even TRY to mask it. It PROUDLY displayed that it is a copy of episode 4 and everyone is buying it simply because of pure nostalgia. The possibilities that could have happened after the defeat of Darth Vader could have gone FAR deeper than this, but they decided to keep it simple for the simple minded fans and for the teenagers who avoided and never watched episodes 4,5 and 6 just because "It feels so old!"

The only reason i give it a 6/10 instead of a big fat zero is because it would be unfair to completely dismiss the amazing directing, lovely and relatable characters, and AMAZING acting. The actor that did Kylo Ren is really good and could have done a MUCH better Anakin Skywalker in episodes 1, 2 and 3. It's only fair to give it credit where credit is due. Sadly, though, It was simply a display of J. J. Abram's directing skills with zero story originality.… Expand

37 of 76 users found this helpful3739

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5

sackings384Dec 18, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The movies started off wonderfully. With a lot of fresh ideas (like humanizing the stormtroopers). And then in the second half it just went off the rails. Rey for some reason is like a superhuman. Amazing pilot, top notch engineer, and force master (after knowing about the force for like 10 minutes). It was all just so quick that it just was unbelievable. They took Kylo Ren who was AWESOME in the first half, and turned him into a guy that could barely beat Flinn in a lightsaber duel. It was just really disappointing. They could have hashed out Kylo a lot better in terms of mystery, and they could have held off on making Rey superhuman until she at least had some training.… Expand

18 of 37 users found this helpful1819

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5

villaduneDec 19, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I was relieved to read some of the reviews on here, because I was beginning to feel like the Star Wars Grinch. I grew up with the trilogy (Empire was the first movie I saw in a theater), and I was really hoping to enjoy this. My expectations were not very high, and unfortunately this didn’t live up to them. The main reasons:

1. HAN SOLO WAS UNBEARABLE. Painful. Ridiculous. Watered-down. I guess it would have been impossible for JJ Abrams (or anyone really) to tell Harrison Ford that his acting had become hokey. Or maybe nobody noticed. Either way, this portrayal had zero resemblance to the wisecracking, bad-ass, cool as ice Han Solo that I know and love. Sure, characters age, but they still retain their core.

2. THE PLOT WAS INCOHERENT. Some of the plot points were good. I like the “storm-trooper-with-a-conscience” concept. Luke Skywalker in hiding/exile was a cool idea. But the entire map thing (the basis of the movie) was silly and riddled with holes. It’s especially frustrating because if you look Episode 4 (which this completely knocked off), the plot was both clean and simple.

3. BAD USE OF LIGHTSABERS. The fights were pretty weak. This is Star Wars! Fight scenes and lightsabers are important. And two people who had never even picked up a lightsaber were able to compete with Kylo Ren, who was trained by Luke Skywalker and is supposed to be a master. This is like some random person who has never picked up a basketball but is a great athlete beating LeBron James one on one. Come on.

4. UNINSPIRED NEW CHARACTERS. The Jamaican E.T. (Mazy?) was terrible. The orange R2D2 was fine, but he was basically just R2. That giant villain both looked and acted like the villain from The Avengers. There were some characters that were basically knockoffs of the Cantina characters. I don’t know…none of them did anything for me.

5. LACK OF GREAT SCENES. After the movie, my buddy turned to me and said – “was there one really good scene in the movie?” And looking back…no. Not one. There are plenty of pretty good scenes, and no awful ones, but it’s just totally flat.

6. ENDED LIKE A BAD REMAKE. I just don’t get what they were trying to do. I understand keeping themes going (and the value of parallels), but the second half was just so incredibly similar to the original, but much worse. If you’re going to remake Star Wars, just remake Star Wars. I would much rather have seen either – (a) a totally different episode 7 that had no knockoff death star, no knockoff darth vader, no knockoff Luke Skywalker, etc., or (b) a straight remake of episode 4. The hybrid didn’t work for me.

7. KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID. That’s always good advice. They just tried to do way too much, and as a result sacrificed plot, character development and heart.… Expand

18 of 37 users found this helpful1819

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4

Mazmorrero47Dec 18, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. J.J. Abrams did a great job directing the hell out of a lazy script, which is basically a remake of A New Hope with lots of contrivances it never bothers to explain. How did Han and Leia's son became a sith? How did Luke's Skywalker's lightsaber end up in a box in a random cantina? (they literally say "a question for another time" for that one) Why is a map to his location lost in the middle of nowhere? Apparently we're just supposed to roll with those issues without questioning them. Not to mention Abrams and Kasdan went overboard with the fan pandering references.
At least the movie is beautiful to look at and the actors are great (Lupita Nyongo and Max Von Sydow are criminally wasted though). Finn and Rey make a likeable team thanks to the chemistry between John Boyega and Daisy Ridley, but I would have liked to see more Poe Dameron. Kylo Ren, on the other hand, is a pretty weak villain. He came off as a whiny brat rather than an actual threat. Even the stormtroopers had a hard time taking him seriously (I love when they get out in the middle of Ren's tantrum).
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a great movie while you eat it, but no so much when you digest it.… Expand

34 of 70 users found this helpful3436

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6

jtwoodallDec 18, 2015

Cannot believe what Abrams did. Lazy, lazy lazy. This was almost identical to Episode IV. There was no character development to help us connect with the new protagonists in the film, nor for the bad guys either. Harrison Ford not onlyCannot believe what Abrams did. Lazy, lazy lazy. This was almost identical to Episode IV. There was no character development to help us connect with the new protagonists in the film, nor for the bad guys either. Harrison Ford not only forgot how to be Han Solo, I think he forgot how to act. Abrams horrifically blew the introduction of Luke Skywalker into the film. The cinematography was great and there was a little bit of humor to give the film a much needed reboot of nostalgia after Lucas bastardized episodes I-III with CGI and zero writing quality. This is the only reason I gave it as much as 6 stars.… Expand

47 of 97 users found this helpful4750

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5

GofreinDec 18, 2015

It was not a new movie. It is just a fan adaptation of the 4th episode. There were lots of people leaving with dull faces, keeping silence. The casting is horrible. There was no sense in this movie at all. This is the worst episode of all. IIt was not a new movie. It is just a fan adaptation of the 4th episode. There were lots of people leaving with dull faces, keeping silence. The casting is horrible. There was no sense in this movie at all. This is the worst episode of all. I am very disappointed. I am no longer waiting for the 8th episode.
Shame for u Abrams (((… Expand

53 of 110 users found this helpful5357

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5

CynicalJayDec 18, 2015

This movie was alright, but only alright.

JJ seemed to build a film around the rehashed plot of the original trilogy, and let Star Wars fan's nostalgia take over. This movie holds no surprises for fan's of the original trilogy. You canThis movie was alright, but only alright.

JJ seemed to build a film around the rehashed plot of the original trilogy, and let Star Wars fan's nostalgia take over.

This movie holds no surprises for fan's of the original trilogy. You can see all the unremarkable twists and turns a mile away.

The pacing of the movie is a large downfall as well. You are no longer enthralled by the hives of scum and villainy, the frozen lands of blizzards and abominable snowmen, or the swamps with scary and eccentric creatures. You rush from vibrant 3D rendered planet to vibrant 3D rendered planet without getting a real feel for the unique atmospheres that the previous movies had endeavored to portray. And while the movie feels rushed at points, it doesn't give off the same sense of urgency that they had in previous films. The stakes are lower or at least the characters and settings make you feel that way. Instead of a fight for the fate of the galaxy, it feels more like a fight for the fate of a solar system.

There were bright spots like Fin, and quips from Han, Chewie, and BB8. I would say that the movie will be enjoyable to people who are looking for nostalgia and decent sfx.

To me though, the movie felt like Harry Potter in space. I will look with apprehension as Disney proceeds to milk this franchise for all its worth. Also, the main character looked and felt too much like Daenerys Targaryen and the score wasn't as iconic as previous films.

While George may have included many stupid and hated ideas into his films, at least they made the movies not forgettable and dull.… Expand

46 of 96 users found this helpful4650

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5

VideogamesDec 19, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Characters
_________

Finn: When we first meet Finn he is conflicted about his place in the First Order, so much so that he decides to defect and take a highly sought prisoner with him. Why is he conflicted? It's not that clear, but the idea does get you interested in the character. Unfortunately it's never really touched upon any further; in fact, the character stagnates at this point and seizes to develop. We aren't even given a trajectory for where this character is going. John Boyega turns in an energetic performance, but it's not enough to save the character or make his ham fisted relationships seem believable.

Rey: Again we see a character with an interesting background; abandoned by her family, Rey has become a scavenger on the planet of Jakku. She's essentially Finn in spirit and charisma, just more adept at just about everything (unfortunately the writers belittle the character thoroughly by relegating her to an initially preachy,"we have a strong female lead" role, through the use of blatant gags and head turns). The only meaningful development we get for the character is a scene of her reluctant to take Lukes old lightsaber, though whatever conflict she feels about using the force is quickly thrown out - for seemingly no reason - in favor of fully embracing the force (with a level of proficiency that makes no logical sense as she remains untrained). Truly one of the most sloppily written characters in the movie.

Kylo Ren: One of the only characters to see development (even if it's only to reaffirm what you were lead to believe about the character at first) is Kylo Ren. Adam Driver plays an emotionally unstable and immature villain and he does it rather well, giving the only performance that really informed what you thought about the character. He remains interesting to watch throughout the movie, with a clear motivation.

Han Solo: Abandoning the arcs of Episode 5 and 6, Han returns to his A New Hope incarnation. Why? I don't know, but I'm willing to bet that (like most of this movie) the decision was made to service the fans. He's here to die - that's it. I would have preferred to see him killed off screen prior to Episode 7 (even though Harrison Ford gives an unexpectedly good performance).

All in all, the characters weren't engaging enough. This was due mostly to the writing, not the actors. Speaking of the writing...

Random
_______

This movie is extremely self aware - to a fault. Even at such a break-neck pace, the writers will never miss a chance to tell you that you're watching a movie,"Kylo Rens mask is silly" "Look at our strong female character who is strong" "isn't it ridiculous that you can defeat a death star so easily?" "Look at this, its from A New Hope!" Etc etc etc. This movie feels like a pop culture interpretation/roast of Star Wars and it will leave you alienated and uninvolved. Not to mention the fact that the plot of this movie is beat-for-beat A New Hope. The writing is contrived and egotistical and is by far the WORST thing about the movie.

The camera work is what you'd expect from JJ. It has its moments of symmetry and odd angles, but is largely occupied by tired modern tropes that seem radically out of place in a Star Wars movie.

The sound mix was terrible, but this may have just been my theatre.

The music was fine, but modular in a way that the OT wasn't. It would have served the movie well to have a consistent underlying wave of music in the vein of Episode 4 and 5.

And I think I'll stop rambling now...
There are things to like about this movie, but they're hidden behind such a mess of self conscious fan service and lazy writing that you'll struggle to find them. If you're a fan of the OT, you're not going to like this movie, but if you find yourself consistently entertained by Marvel movies, you'll definitely enjoy it...at least the first time 'round.

A solid 5/10… Expand

20 of 42 users found this helpful2022

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6

rtoaleDec 18, 2015

I will keep this review short and sweet. I am a huge SW fan and saw the original trilogy in the cinema when they were released. This movie is not Star Wars, it looks a bit like SW but under the surface it is something totally different. II will keep this review short and sweet. I am a huge SW fan and saw the original trilogy in the cinema when they were released. This movie is not Star Wars, it looks a bit like SW but under the surface it is something totally different. I dont care what anyone says, the prequels felt like SW even with their silly characters and bad acting, they had the Lucas touch and that is what is sadly missing here. SW is George Lucas baby and without him it is something else entirely. Even the aliens didnt look right. As for the villian, i will bet my left nut that he is redeemed in ep9, Rey is looks daughter and Snoke gets destroyed. All JJ did was take the original ideas, shake them up a bit and release again. Same as the Khan idea from Star Trek. A 6 for this.… Expand

37 of 78 users found this helpful3741

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5

deckDec 18, 2015

Guardians of the Galaxy was way more Star Wars. The Force Awakens is a bad Remake of Episode four.
J.J. Abrams showed again, he is not a intelligent movie director.

27 of 57 users found this helpful2730

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6

NooogieDec 18, 2015

mixed bag for me. I didn't mind Finn, didn't care for Ray, I think maybe all the diversity PC stuff in this movie might of skewed my opinion of this a bit much. Kylo was ok as well....thou I think people will find he was written a bit tomixed bag for me. I didn't mind Finn, didn't care for Ray, I think maybe all the diversity PC stuff in this movie might of skewed my opinion of this a bit much. Kylo was ok as well....thou I think people will find he was written a bit to emo but that might be to relate to all the millennials.

Outside of the two CGI characters already mentioned in reviews the effects were generally spot on and feels like star wars.

The "reboot" of a new hope I think will cause a lot of negative reviews from fans more than critics. Lazy writing seems to be the popular opinion on that. I will be interested to see the ratings from fans in about 2 months time.… Expand

41 of 88 users found this helpful4147

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5

reviewf00Dec 18, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. There weren't many original ideas in this movie, other than the defected Storm Trooper. I mean really: the force sensitive young person on a desert planet, the Death-Star-like weapon with its similar vulnerability, the creepy Sith overlord in charge of everything complete with mask, the deformed Emperor, the Luke-I-Am-Your-Father trope, the "Hoppin' Star Wars cantina", etc.

The "tell, not show" storytelling and dialogue got tiresome too (yes, we get it, she doesn't need a man's help; did you really have to say OUT LOUD what a great pilot he was?), and the dialogue between Han and Leia was downright cringey.

That said, the space battles and simpler filmmaking were good. I enjoyed the use of actual sets and animatronics rather than Lucas's classic aggressive over-use of CGI.

In any case, there's paying homage, and then there's copying. I feel this movie copied more than it paid homage. Hopefully the next two tone it down a bit more.… Expand

32 of 69 users found this helpful3237

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5

AerobombardierDec 18, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A derivative disappointment. Within 10 minutes I was shaking my head dejectedly. As someone who attended the premier of "A New Hope" in 1977, I couldn't believe I was watching a very stylish, technologically advanced retread. With very few exceptions, J.J. Abrams dusts off Episode IV, slicks it up with modern digital effects, and passes it off as the Next Big Star Wars Thing. Watch Episode IV and then search the Web for The Force Awakens plot summary and spoilers and you'll save yourself 2:22 hours.

Regarding The Big Twist, you could see it coming leagues, not miles away. Even this "pivotal" scene is derivative. Abrams combines visual and thematic elements from Episodes IV-VI so obviously I almost groaned. The scene had zero emotional impact for me. A tragically missed opportunity.

Daisy Ridley is excellent; she's a worthy Force-wielding heir to the franchise. John Boyega is adequate, but these two have absolutely zero romantic chemistry. I sincerely hope the tale doesn't go down that path, because it will be a phony and contrived journey.

The only reason I gave this movie a 5 is because it is a tour de force in film-making technical art. If you want to see an expertly crafted film, then The Force Awakens is worth your time and money. If you want to see an original, heartfelt, and engaging movie, the don't spend either on The Force Awakens.… Expand

19 of 41 users found this helpful1922

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6

AlphaIliumDec 18, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Went to Star Wars: TFA this afternoon. This is a flawed film, redeemed from being a complete failure through the efforts of the actors that portray Finn and Rey. I went with two other people, and we all walked out of the film with that same disquieting unease that occurs after watching something that you desperately want to like but cannot due to cognitive dissonance between your head and heart. I’ll try to keep this relatively spoiler free, but here are some observations:
1) JJ Abrams cannot properly pace a film. The formula is becoming obvious. Future M. Night Shyamalan. Hipster director, all flash and no substance. Master of self-promotion with the same bag of tired tricks. Did he forever wound Star Wars as a franchise? No, but this is a disappointing start. It cannot be unmade, and is now canon. After Star Trek (whose novelty has worn off) and ST: ID, this film confirms that Abrams is incapable of creating a film that doesn’t move at such a pace that it breaks its own neck. Again, another film where the characters never rest, where there is no time for exposition, where everything that happens (in a galaxy that requires hyperspace travel to traverse it, no less) feels like it happens in less than 24 hours. The poor pacing took me out of the film through sheer action scene fatigue, and once disengaged I had time to become critical of its component parts. Why not just make a 3 hour film and slow it down a bit? Star Wars audiences would happily endure it.
2) Why is it a “Resistance”, as opposed to an Army of the Reformed Galactic Republic? Where did the First Order come from? Why do they identify as something other than the Galactic Empire? What is the scale of both respective forces? Is anybody going to explain the past 25 years of political reformation, positioning, historical events, or significant conflicts? Who is winning, and to what degree? How much of charted space does the First Order control vs. the Resistance/Republic? Why do both forces appear to be comprised of less than a thousand members? There is nothing grandiose about the First Order, unlike the impressive, despair-inducing monolith of the Galactic Empire.

5) Short shrift for mass destruction and genocide: The pacing of this film was so off that Abrams could not even convey the weight of grief that would occur after the first discharge of the Starkiller Base. In Star Trek, the sudden and unexpected destruction of Vulcan was a successful gut punch for the audience (I even watched as one Trekkie in the audience started screaming in disbelief at the screen). Really though, the concept of a Starkiller Base is absurd. If you drain a sun, the region it once inhabited would becoming extremely inhospitable to the weapon's user. Also, who terraformed the planet to create such a thing? How does the First Order have access to the resources necessary to build it? What was the planet once called? How could a planet contain the power of a sun? How does an energy beam split itself halfway to its destination? How could a new star re-form after said planet collapses? It all just feels thoughtless, as though Abrams is asking the audience to leave their ability to critically analyze plot devices at the door. I’m surprised that the core chamber of the base wasn’t the Budweiser brewery or something.
6) Is that Admiral Ackbar?! Why is he being treated like the janitor that wandered into the warroom? Why does the military meeting feel like a group of forcefully sarcastic twentysomethings playing cards against humanity in the local brewpub? Where is the solemnity for the fact that th7) I feel that, unlike Lucas (who loved the Star Wars universe even while mismanaging the prequels), Abrams was too obsessed with the cinematic style of the original films, and as result emulated the originals to the point of neglecting the universe in which the new plot is contained. As a comparison, I brought up the opening scene of Episode
8) Overly fortuitous moments everywhere: Convenient planetary rifts separating characters, needle in galactic haystacks character encounters, and inconsistent character actions everywhere. Why send somebody a map (in a deactivated droid) in order to find their location, while leaving a piece of the map missing? Unnecessarily cryptic, much? The Force, I suppose. Felt lazy. And “Oh, I just happened to run into you in the middle of space”, without which the entire film would come to a halt. Deus ex Machina all over, shifting Force potency when the scene demands it. Example: I can force push you across half a forest one moment and freeze a blaster beam in time, but now I cannot win a lightsaber duel against someone with no prior lightsaber experience because, well, the plot demands it.… Expand

17 of 37 users found this helpful1720

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5

PipeDec 18, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. What can I say, I am a Star Wars fan as most of you ... but I am a bit disappointed. Star Wars had a story after the "Return of the Jedi", out from the films, comics, video games, and sadly this movie erased ALL of that. Call me a nerd, call me a classic fan, and call me a follower but all was wiped out in a story that maybe never happened. JJ did an acceptable job with Star Trek and I gave him a vote of confidence for Star Wars, big mistake.

The story is a re-introduction to all the persons seeking new fans (well done Disney) in other words is some sort of reboot, remake, reuse, etc. The movie is another thing. From technical aspects, CGI, and models are awesome, seeing the Falcon flying again is something we were waiting. The acting is good from Boyega, Ford, Ridley, but I can't say the same from Fisher that was a bit rusty and overacted when she showed emotions at the climax of the Act 3. The villains are a joke. A new unknown "emperor" that at the beginning looked like a creature taken from Tolkien's books was hilarious, the other villain .. Kylo Ren portrayed by Adam Driver, let's say that is a Vader wannabe, in most of the parts were overacting. Captain Phasma, one of the biggest lies in the film industry due to all the marketing she had; isn't the fault of Gwendoline Christie, is the script didn't give her any action line, a waste of a good talent and lead potential.

This story even if tries to take the good parts of the old Star Wars didn't follow the old stories based in films, comics, books, games, that had been with us for almost 35 years. JJ ignored ALL and gave us a nice thriller for the new generations that only saw the original movies of Star wars few weeks ago.

Major Review: I am upset reading that this movie is better than one of the originals, as critics said, that is a big lie. Abrams took the New Hope and reused most of the ideas, now we need a planet size Death Star, now we need to destroy several planets, Alderaan wasn't enough, now we need an Emperor in a form of a creature, now we need a new Empire called the new order, now we still having a Rebellion, now we need a new Darth Vader an emblematic villain with a great voice portrayed by a person using a mask even if he doesn't need it (Han agrees with me in the movie, when he says the same) with a weird voice and terrible acting, and is just a puppet of a weird creature, this imitator is recovered wounded at the end following the same idea of Star Wars II (sadly they didn't film a scene but don't worry they mention it. Now we need to attack this planet weapon and try to enter into some kind of vent ..... wait I think we had seen that, but where?? This is a remake is hard to say it but is a remake. Rey is like Luke, Finn is like Han.

Captain Phasma a TOTAL waste of screen minutes, I had a lot of hopes for this character was thinking in finding a strong female, they were saying that she is awesome, a woman lead and bad ass. Big lie a total waste of a great look with a lot of potential that belongs to the thrash (happened in the movie literally), sadly this part could have been done BY anyone that could wear a helmet no matter the gender.

To all this weird soup add the indifference showed by Leia, she seems to be a bit rusty with her role. New characters like Finn and Rey try to do their job but a TIE Fighter with a co-pilot, Abrams did you watched Episode IV?? How did Poe survive and how the heck appeared piloting an X-wing after almost dying when he was escaping?. Rey, perhaps the most interesting character but has several story mistakes. A simple scavenger is super skilled in piloting an all piece of junk (Millennium Falcon) better than Han Solo?? Reminds me Episode I and the pod race, also is able to fix everything, and almost defeat Kylo without any … ANY Jedi training. If we remember Episode V, Luke almost died after fighting Vader, he lost his arm and Yoda trained him so Rey almost defeated a Jedi trained by Luke, are you kidding me?? Luke must be a terrible Master.

Finally the encounter of Han and Kylo (Han's son, sadly in books, comics, and another stuff Han had 3 kids, Jacen, Jaina, Anakin and Luke's was Ben) was too hard for Abrams changing the Ben name to one of them, why the heck using Ben when Ben is the name of Luke's son in the books, etc? Maybe Abrams needs to read a bit more about Star Wars than killing years of work from another artist and authors, and finally, this Darth Vader imitator kills Han Solo, yes kills one of the MOST important and iconic heroes in the most insignificant way without a glorious heroic fight.

Since all is a big remake we can guess in Episode VIII, Luke will say to Rey "I am your father" and to Kylo "I am your uncle", a person that had read at least some stories after Episode VI must be upset for the lack of respect to all them. I am not saying follow the stories but, at least, try to have a certain relation with them (Marvel does that at least).… Expand

16 of 35 users found this helpful1619

All this user's reviews

4

fr0sty500Dec 18, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. In short: The movie is just some mix between nostalgia/triggering of fanboy feelings and really silly comedy.
In general some gags are good and I was even looking for nostalgia, but it could have been implemented in a much more subtle way. Instead it is feeling like someone is waving at you with a banner, saying that now its time to recognise and regard that J. J. Abrahams integrated good things from the old movies.

It has almost zero to none story. The only story that is there is taken from episode IV and mended loosely together, without any real development of it. Same counts for characterdevelopment, which is simply not existent - and that despite some 180° turns in the attitude of some characters. The struggle Ben/Kylo Ren has with himself is not noticeable from his actions, behaviour or expression - although there is a like 2 min closeup of Adam Driver's face. The movie just plumply tells you via a dialoge between Kylo and his master (Smaug like the Dragon from The Hobbit or sth.) that he has these struggles, so you know later what is happening.

One good thing about the movie: The last scene. It is quite good (not totally, but it is rather well done). It is the only scene that creates somewhat of an atmosphere and (this may be the reason) uses music to do so. This makes the scene seem less plump and passionless made than the rest of the movie. Still it is a litte bit too long and I asked myself why Luke was standing with this stoner look on an island watching the sea and then staring at his daughter.

PS: Some unanswered questions which make me think they really were short of time and wanted to get the movie done as fast as possible:
Why does R2-D2 at some point just start to live again?
Why should they not stare at the small alien with the small/big eyes (which was some mashup between Yoda and the oracle from Matrix)?… Expand

21 of 46 users found this helpful2125

All this user's reviews

4

Tone01Dec 18, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After so many years of waiting it is a thrill to inject into the arm a new film in the franchise. The ST: TFA fix is short lived. Like a sugar rush. Inexorably, time ticks on. The high subsides and one is left, well, empty.

It's difficult to imagine all the talent in H'Wood and beyond combined their creative juices to make this very familiar tasting drink. In fact, it's Episode IV Cola in a new, politically correct container. Wait! At the helm, JJ Abrams, rapist of the Star Trek franchise and all-around hack. That explains it.

SW: TFA is too long, too homage-y (was there really a reason to crank up the chess game on the Falcon?), and absent an original idea for your pleasure. Thank the Maker there were no Jar Jars. That's not exactly high praise. Why exactly does Kylo Ren wear a Vaderesque mask? Mr. V's mask was utilitarian. Questions as these seep in while scanning for the Civic in the parking lot.

Cynics crow SW: TFA is a money making machine. Rabid fans stand ready to eviscerate those not drinking the Kool Aid. More moderate fans might pine for the time their virgin eyes watched desperate Luke consider his future in the twins setting before him on the sandy horizon to John William's brilliant score. Those who venerate will. Those who grew up in the flickering light of the preceding trilogies might take pause and remember. Remember.

Sure it was fun. Glad to see some of the old crew again. There was emotion and humor. Too, there was promise. It evaporated like an ice cube in the Tattoine desert. For that, Mr. Abrams, you will not be forgiven. Place your voodoo doll of Abrams for Ep VII next to Lucas' doll for Eps I and II. Feel free to stick pins at your convenience.

Some films become cultural touchstones. "Star Wars: A New Hope" is one. SW: TFA is not. It's just another film. Perhaps the failure is the audience. With lofty expectation there's bound to be disappointment. Maybe not. SW: TFA wrought heartache.… Expand

15 of 33 users found this helpful1518

All this user's reviews

5

KaxcerDec 18, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie is SEVENTH part of franchise not FIRST ! Therefore i want to see more advanced story something what i havent seen before.

Pros: First half of the movie
New characters (Finn, Rey, Paul, new droid)
Han Solo
Cons: Second half of the movie
Story
No big space battles (resistance "fleet" was made of 15 X-wing fighters ...)
Rehash of Episode IV: A New Hope
Too few Jedi and Sith characters
Empire was suddenly very strong after being defeated in Episode VI and Republic was already resistance
No mention of Yoda… Expand

18 of 40 users found this helpful1822

All this user's reviews

6

surphninjaDec 18, 2015

One word: Panderfest

Just a re-hash of old ideas, and not at all subtle. Not only are they re-doing all of the old stuff, but they want to make sure and point it out, never relying on the audience to pick up on any subtext. This is aOne word: Panderfest

Just a re-hash of old ideas, and not at all subtle. Not only are they re-doing all of the old stuff, but they want to make sure and point it out, never relying on the audience to pick up on any subtext. This is a reboot more than a continuation. Sure, it was fun to watch, but it did not live up to the potential of the people involved or the material available.

It's likely that this film was set up to feel familiar in order to transition us from the old characters to the new, so maybe we can expect more from the films to come, but this movie cannot really stand on it's own, and you can find much better sci-fi fantasy films that have recently come out.… Expand

26 of 59 users found this helpful2633

All this user's reviews

5

PupitoDec 18, 2015

This movie was a ton of fun, totally unnecessary, and made no sense whatsoever. The Prequels had an intriguing plot and terrible characters. Force Awakens has some really fun characters and a terrible plot. Way too much fan service, noThis movie was a ton of fun, totally unnecessary, and made no sense whatsoever. The Prequels had an intriguing plot and terrible characters. Force Awakens has some really fun characters and a terrible plot. Way too much fan service, no original ideas, and one of the coolest characters ever goes out like a chump. I could go on but there's little point. Here's how I rank the saga 1. SW 2. ESB 3. ROTJ 4.ROTS 5. FA 6.TPM 7. AOTC… Expand

34 of 78 users found this helpful3444

All this user's reviews

6

skykappahJan 21, 2016

I came out of the cinema with the same feeling as when I finished watching The Phantom Menace.... It's questionable if TFA is even better than the prequels. It is entertaining, though it feels empty. There's lots of lazy writing, convenientI came out of the cinema with the same feeling as when I finished watching The Phantom Menace.... It's questionable if TFA is even better than the prequels. It is entertaining, though it feels empty. There's lots of lazy writing, convenient situations and plot devices.

Having gone in thinking JJ would make his own Star Wars film, I didn't expect it to be an embarrassing re-tread of episode 4, a bit of Empire Strikes Back and others. If I knew TFA was going to be like that... Then I'd have actually wanted to see what Lucas would have done with it. JJ didn't make this his own film... He borrowed heavily from Lucas.

On positive ide there's a lot of visual goodness in this and the new characters are on the whole, are likeable. Daisy Ridley is the best thing about the whole movie. She fits into the universe like a glove. Oscar Isaac was seriously under used and his character, Poe should really have been the costar. Not enough of Poe at all. Kylo Ren, Adam Driver was basically an emo Darth Vader. Finn, played by John Boyega was the usual slightly bumblesome male character... I'm on the fence about Fin. We'll have to see if he gets better in the next film. As for seeing Han Solo and Leia? Hmm... it was weird.... I thought I'd get quite emotional, I did not. It's got to be the writing...

So yeah the lazy and convenient (at times perplexing) writing totally knocks off a good portion of the score from me... Above average at best.… Expand

27 of 64 users found this helpful2737

All this user's reviews

5

BonespiritDec 18, 2015

Not bad for Hollywood Blockbuster for teenagers, very bad for Star wars. A lot of stupid moments, too much vanilla. Really bad.
Villain is soo bad i have no words!!! Why does he taking off helmet.

20 of 51 users found this helpful2031

All this user's reviews

6

Benny1Dec 18, 2015

The pictures are great, the soundtrack is like always beautiful, but some of the new actors are horribly bad. The plot has nothing special with way more new questions than answers for the questions we already had. It more seems from me like aThe pictures are great, the soundtrack is like always beautiful, but some of the new actors are horribly bad. The plot has nothing special with way more new questions than answers for the questions we already had. It more seems from me like a big trailer than an actual movie.… Expand

24 of 62 users found this helpful2438

All this user's reviews

5

totorobiboDec 18, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. İ didn't even dissappointed in phantom manace than force awakens. How can disney do a film like this? Everybody says this is a fan base movie, stop there i am a big fan but this movie isn't sw! Can you imagine there is no jedi in this movie, sorry there is one just for 3 seconds and end of the movie. How can a none trained self force awared girl beats a jedi trained man easily, HOWWWWW!

Someone has to say disney bigger can not be better always, what kind of stupid weapon is that? Sucking a star, come on and why that laser shoots 5,6 lasers in one shot? Just shoot the system star and destroy the system, stupid. That sucking star thing also looks stupid really really stupid, just do a dyson sphere around the star and make it believable.

I can go on like this forever with this movie but i dont want, i am a really really a good fan but this movie is just badddddd. Hire timothy zahn for writing please.… Expand

20 of 52 users found this helpful2032

All this user's reviews

6

pdesaab07Dec 18, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. For those who never saw star wars (or saw it once), they'll give an 8/10. Those who have seen the movies since their childhood, like me, will feel the same way as I did :

1. Visually speaking it's a great movie. It captures the star wars universe for sure.
2. The combo Solo / Chewi is still spot on and hasn't lost its charm
3. New characters are well chosen... especially Daisy Ridley.

That being said:

1. I understand JJ Abrams wanted to satisfy the fans and this movie must have been a lot of pressure. But he played it too safe... It has too many clichés and "déjà vu".. the pace of the movie is like Episode IV : a droid with secret mission in a desert planet finds a lonely person in a scrapyard (like Anakin in episode I) who helps return it to its master.
2. Rey's character is great : but she turns in 24 hours from a girl selling junk to mind control specialist, light saber master, leading to beating the villain who had years of training... to fast to soon.
3. They built another death star after having 2 destroyed ? Someone needs to hire an new Chief Operating Officer
4. Oscar Isaac (who is SUCH a great actor) and Gwendoline Christie characters are not enough exploited.

To summarize: let's wait for the whole trilogy to give a realy review… Expand

15 of 40 users found this helpful1525

All this user's reviews

6

cosciugDec 18, 2015

I'm your average Joe that just came home from first screening in my
city of Star Wars The Force Awakens (18th DEC 2015 00:00 AM) and i also
happen to be a big Star Wars nerd. The thing is, if you liked Episode IV A New Hope, prepare toI'm your average Joe that just came home from first screening in my
city of Star Wars The Force Awakens (18th DEC 2015 00:00 AM) and i also
happen to be a big Star Wars nerd.

The thing is, if you liked Episode IV A New Hope, prepare to see it all
over again, cause it's more of a remake and not a sequel.

So, J. J. played it safe and thus he shall always be known as Jar Jar
Abrams.

In the end i enjoyed EP7, but it could have been better.

7/10 only because it didn't lose the Star Wars atmosphere.… Expand

23 of 63 users found this helpful2340

All this user's reviews

6

crazypndaJan 22, 2016

Scoring this movie is hard. One the one hand, I wanted a movie that FELT like Star Wars, and not merely LOOKED like Star Wars, and this movie did not deliver. On the other hand, it was a solid sci-fi action movie in its own right, which if itScoring this movie is hard. One the one hand, I wanted a movie that FELT like Star Wars, and not merely LOOKED like Star Wars, and this movie did not deliver. On the other hand, it was a solid sci-fi action movie in its own right, which if it didn't have a legacy to uphold, would be deserving of a higher score.

Many reviews complain that this movie was a rehash of A New Hope, but that's not a bad thing. The franchise reboot isn't just for existing fans, it's for future fans-to-be. The formula of A New Hope is a solid one worth borrowing heavily from, but the problem with this movie is its mood and pacing, not where it decided to plant its roots.

If I were use a list of words to describe the feeling given by the original trilogy (and even episodes I, II, III), I would use the following words:

1. Epic
2. Adventure
3. Mystery
4. Fun
5. Exciting

If I were to use a list of words to describe The Force Awakens, I would use:

1. Dark
2. Gritty
3. Struggle
4. Drama
5. Intense
6. Gripping

The mood is *completely* different from the first six movies. To compound the stark difference in mood, we are given a stark difference in visual effects. The thematic style remained consistent, but the technical style was much more realistic, bringing the franchise out of the surreal and into the real. The realness of the visuals combined with the mood, created a large gulf between it and the original movies - a gulf hard to reconcile for anyone who grew up with the originals.

Pacing was another problem. The story jumped through one adventure after another (which is consistent with Star Wars), but rushed through them. Combine that with how quickly Rey learns what we have all been told is a skill that must be taught or learned over time, and the pacing feels quite off.

Third, the villains were not well done. The "sith lord" is a poorly done CGI character. It's very difficult to love to hate a villain who isn't real. The primary villain, Kylo Ren, is also kind of an annoying little **** He's not a strong lead villain like Vader was, and when we learn where he comes from, it's almost impossible to draw a line from his origin to where we see him in the film. Either we're given too much information about him in this movie, or his character was poorly constructed given that information was available. He felt out of place.

Speaking as a sci-fi fan, this movie was awesome. Speaking as a Star Wars fan, this movie was a disappointment. If you carry no legacy Star Wars baggage, go and enjoy this movie. If you do carry legacy Star Wars baggage, you may want to adjust your expectations before seeing this film.… Expand

18 of 51 users found this helpful1833

All this user's reviews

5

jpsalvageDec 18, 2015

Singularly, the worst Star Wars movie. In all fairness I thought the rest of them sucked too. But in this one, the storyline was weak and idiotic; the acting was poor, rushed and unconvincing; the special effects weren't all that special;Singularly, the worst Star Wars movie. In all fairness I thought the rest of them sucked too. But in this one, the storyline was weak and idiotic; the acting was poor, rushed and unconvincing; the special effects weren't all that special; nothing new and fun...… Expand

18 of 52 users found this helpful1834

All this user's reviews

6

kubrickianDec 18, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie had a very small feel to it. Gone are the big galactic fleets with many different makes and models. Gone are the variety of creatures we once were familiar with like Trandoshens, Nautilins, Devenorians or Rodians. Instead you have JJ's re-imagined Disney financed sand box that is less of a merging of science and fantasy leaning more toward good versus bad.

But more about the 'small' feel of it all. The desert world seems far less diversified than Tatooine, the rebel/resistance base looks too much like an old NIKE or WW2 base. What happened to the A-wings B-wings and the giant Mon Cal type cruisers. Instead we have some miniature sized X-wings that the pilot jumps into without a ladder. The resistance general arrives at the battle in a ship no larger than a Winnebago. Why destroy the continuity of the Star Wars galaxy just to connect family plot points?

All of the planets visited after the first were entirely normal in Earth terms. While it's fun to hate on the prequels at least they gave us visually diverse and unusual worlds. JJ's Star Wars sand box looks identical to his Star Trek sandbox. Again, the lack of hardware and alien species made this a very un-Star Wars movie for me. And if you have seen all the movies in the theatres going back to the original you might know where I'm coming from.

One other thing. With the exception of the returning cast everyone in the movie is under the age of 30. The general is that ginger twenty something boy form Frank. The X-wing pilots looks like the teenagers from a Disney XD sitcom.

I'll never buy this movie. As bad as the clone wars and prequels were to many I still find it more authentically Star Wars than what I just witnessed. Depressing plot turns to say the least.… Expand

16 of 48 users found this helpful1632

All this user's reviews

6

Philsg1Dec 18, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. My background - massive Star Wars fan (also read all the E.U. books over the last 20 years).

Good:

- Better than all the prequels put together.
- Practical effects favoured nearly always over CGI.
- Several moments of LOL humour
- BB-8 - what a droid! (and completely practical effect too).
- Genuine moments where you were willing the characters on - just like the originals!
- Heartbreaking twist at the end.
- First half of the film felt new, fresh and solidly in the Star Wars universe.

Negative:
- Second half of the film felt like a 2015 reboot of Star Wars a New Hope.
- JJ Abram once again breaking 'in' universe physics (guilty of this in Star Trek - single person trans-warp, phasers firing at warp etc) so this time he has ships performing hyperspace jumps from inside other spaceships, and the worst was hyperspacing down onto the surface of a planet through its own gravity well - literally 20 meters above the planets surface!
- Ironically (as the prequels were all about politics) this film needed more back story and explanation of the intergalactic politics in the last 30 years as well as present day.
- The B.F.G. (The Big Friendly Giant!) portrayal of the evil Supreme Leader Snoke, was ultimately terrible and comical and was very poor motion capture CGI. Space pirate Maz Kanata also was unnecessary use of CGI - with both characters needing to be practical effects rather than computing alone.
- Ultimately too much left unsaid and a lot felt quite rushed. As part of a trilogy I can only see the score I have given only rising - probably to somewhere around a 8 rather than my initial scoring of 6.… Expand

18 of 55 users found this helpful1837

All this user's reviews

6

mixxalotJan 24, 2016

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I just saw it after reading all the negative reviews.

First the good

1. Special effects and see new characters and old. The actress who played Rey was good.
2. I liked the new BB robot droid he was cool.
Now what knocked off a few stars:

1. Complete rehash of Star Wars A New Hope Episode IV. Nothing original.
2. Fake in that Rey could pilot the Falcon and fix it better than Solo with zero training or experience!
3. Lame how Rey could fight better with a light saber and use force powers with no Jedi training!
4. Harrison Ford was a major letdown as Han Solo. He did poor job acting and looked like he did not even want to be in the movie!

5. Lame end with Luke and Rey stare at each other with no words spoken that sucked.

6. Villain was weak and Kylo Ren could have been better if he never removed his mask!

7. Stormtrooper guy Finn was out of place in the movie.

I paid $6 for matinee but probably won't watch it again. Disney and Jar Jar Abrams ruined Star Wars!… Expand

16 of 63 users found this helpful1647

All this user's reviews

4

trooperdeniedJan 28, 2016

Film was conceived with the idea of diversity in mind and incorporates stupidly large amounts of plot points from 'Star Wars: A New Hope'. The prequels were poorly acted at times but were new, bold, and showed the Star Wars galaxy at a scaleFilm was conceived with the idea of diversity in mind and incorporates stupidly large amounts of plot points from 'Star Wars: A New Hope'. The prequels were poorly acted at times but were new, bold, and showed the Star Wars galaxy at a scale we hadn't seen it before. The visuals were great, but the story and soul of it wasn't. Disney should've had a closer look at Lucas's ideas or at least taken inspiration from the enormous amount of content created over the years in the extended universe.

If I had submitted this plot/screenplay to my media teacher as an original sequel I would've been chewed up, spat out and told to use my imagination.… Expand

19 of 95 users found this helpful1976

All this user's reviews

4

JudgyMcJudgeJan 28, 2016

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is an enthusiastic, big budget fan film. The story is forgettable, the main characters are a) a too-perfect damsel who is never in distress, b) a wide-eyed bad guy turned good who acts like he was kept in solitaryStar Wars: The Force Awakens is an enthusiastic, big budget fan film. The story is forgettable, the main characters are a) a too-perfect damsel who is never in distress, b) a wide-eyed bad guy turned good who acts like he was kept in solitary confinement before being let out into the cruel Storm Trooper world, c) a whiny good guy turned bad who is rebelling against his parents. And every few minutes there's a cameo. Look! It's Han Solo! Look! It's Leia! Look! It's C-3PO! Look! It's the Millennium Falcon sitting in a very convenient place for the girl who's unreasonably good at absolutely everything (including staying warm in cold climates without actual sleeves) to steal and escape at the last possible second!

The dialogue is bland. The exposition necessary to explain the political goings on is lacking. I'm not even sure I understand who the giant hologram guy was, but my attention had begun to wane by that point. The movie is moderately entertaining, but much too long.… Expand

22 of 115 users found this helpful2293

All this user's reviews

5

Devestator158Feb 15, 2016

Yes, this movie is getting praise from critics and is dominating the box office, but I personally can't get past the fact that this is a remake of A New Hope.

15 of 89 users found this helpful1574

All this user's reviews

6

TheNikusFeb 16, 2016

This movie was very painful to watch for me. Everything that is wrong with it is perfectly illustrated by the scene where Fin holds Luke's training sphere in front of the camera on the Millennium Falcon. This isn't fan service anymore, it'sThis movie was very painful to watch for me. Everything that is wrong with it is perfectly illustrated by the scene where Fin holds Luke's training sphere in front of the camera on the Millennium Falcon. This isn't fan service anymore, it's more like providing certain manual adult services to the audience. The film offers exactly nothing new. No new ideas--maybe only gimmicks like Kylo Ren's sword or BB8's design. I dread a day when I might have to rewatch it for whatever reason.… Expand

16 of 99 users found this helpful1683

All this user's reviews

4

tonysopranozMay 18, 2017

I basically hated this movie. I liked the prequels way more than this one. Even though the prequels had flaws, they were more exciting and entertaining than this crapfest. Boring movie, lame characters, frustrating plot, and a badI basically hated this movie. I liked the prequels way more than this one. Even though the prequels had flaws, they were more exciting and entertaining than this crapfest. Boring movie, lame characters, frustrating plot, and a bad continuation of the Star Wars saga.… Expand

4 of 4 users found this helpful40

All this user's reviews

6

SquaredRenApr 3, 2017

Don't understand where the over the top reviews come from....this is a movie we already seen before. If it was called Episode IV remake, then I would understand it and give it a higher score, but it's Episode VII...nothing new, very powerfulDon't understand where the over the top reviews come from....this is a movie we already seen before. If it was called Episode IV remake, then I would understand it and give it a higher score, but it's Episode VII...nothing new, very powerful main character. Just a copy/paste from Lucas first Star Wars film.… Expand

4 of 4 users found this helpful40

All this user's reviews

4

TinyInfinity6Jul 23, 2017

Lazy writing on top of more lazy writing. The only reason this got the reception it did is because it carries the Star Wars name, which coincidentally happened to Phantom Menace too, and look how that movie is reviewed now.

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

All this user's reviews

6

mozesdicksonMay 17, 2017

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After watching all of the star wars installments in chronological order starting from the prequel trilogy to the the original Star wars films and now the sequel trilogy starting with The Force Awakens,
I just have this to say,
This is the third time they are trying to destroy a huge planet like battle station, I don't get why they couldn't think up any more creative issues to solve, it doesn't help if you watch the original series before this one because that's all they did in the original series.. Attack a death Star.
speaking of which, from the Sith, to the Empire and now the First order?? This is the most shallow evil that has come up in the series, I don't even get their backstory, they just seem like anarchists with strong affiliations with the Force, summarily Sith knockoffs
Kylo Ren simply is the most useless Sith-whatever In history, a pathetic Vader knockoff without a fearsome presence or a believable internal conflict within himself (which he is supposed to have)
Now Finns character, firstly a new method of recruitment for storm troopers was introduced, no longer mass clones of Jango Fett, now Finn was recruited but ever since his recruitment he has had mixed feelings towards serving the Order, how did he last so long within the ranks without getting spotted, even when Kylo Ren observed his behavior it wasn't taken up, aren't Strom troopers supposed to be docile and obey all commands without question,
Another thing I didn't understand with this Finn character was his attachment to Rey, how could it have become so intense after just meeting her a few times, so much so he was willing to sacrifice life and limb for her, his behavior towards her was just not believable enough, once again, I'd just have to use the word shallow, if you compare it to how Leia Organa warmed up to Han Solo, at least they gave them enough screentime to pretend to be important to one another,
Let's not talk about Finns acting which was decisively hard to watch, too many pointless reactions, it simply took away the intensity of the plot
Speaking of acting, no one was as unpleasant to watch as the pilot Poe, Firstly I feel his character was completely unnecessary, and his mannerisms pointless as well, I wonder if he'll be Central to the plot in coming installments because his introduction into the series begs alot of questions.
What was that female tin can that looked alot like Boba Fett even doing in this movie?
The lightsaber battles were so boring, why did two novices spar with a supposed master such as Kylo Ren and hold their own for that long, Rey has the Force, what did Finn have? Someone trained as a bloody Strom trooper
The director opened up many plots that they couldn't follow through, which is common in the star wars franchise but this one lacked closure and felt very open ended, especially Rey's backstory, and how she was derailed off course with relative ease, the same happened with Luke Skywalker when Obi Wan came to recruit him for his glorious destiny in the original film
They killed off Hand Solo, that's a very painful development but at least he didn't go without an enjoyable performance,
Overall the movie was decisively shallow compared to any of the installments, and not surprisingly, it grossed over 2 billion dollars, that goes to show you, build a big enough franchise and people would pay to watch just the credits if they have to.
Star Wars is a beautiful movie franchise, but they have apparently given into the trend of recent movies lacking intensity and depth.… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

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5

Ozon58Apr 23, 2017

The film is almost a complete copy of Episode 4. But here we have a boring new characters and a lot of garbage scenes. It seems that the authors just didn't want to take risks and come up with something new.

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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5

Voodoo123May 21, 2017

I genuinely enjoyed this first time I saw it -exciting visuals coupled with OTT character acting ala star trek 2009... a tipsy hyped-up star wars fans film/crowd pleaser for sure... Sadly upon future viewings sadly that's all it remains toI genuinely enjoyed this first time I saw it -exciting visuals coupled with OTT character acting ala star trek 2009... a tipsy hyped-up star wars fans film/crowd pleaser for sure... Sadly upon future viewings sadly that's all it remains to be. A shallow JJ abrams franchiser, a somehow plot-less action experience peppered with lots of 'OTT emotional actor' moments, dense with atmospheric emptiness. A poor re-telling of 1977 with the exact same plot... Say what you will about the prequel episodes but at least George told a new story about a galaxy far far away! For decent SW fan service see the superior Rogue One.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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6

joshmorgan64Dec 27, 2017

Memberberries memberberries memberberries memberberries memberberries memberberries memberberries memberberries

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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5

PluutozzMay 29, 2017

It has some entertainment value, but as a Star Wars film it dissapoints. The trailers looked good and all but when I finally saw it I felt a little cheated, especially with the "story" which is ofcourse is a covered rehash of A New Hope.It has some entertainment value, but as a Star Wars film it dissapoints. The trailers looked good and all but when I finally saw it I felt a little cheated, especially with the "story" which is ofcourse is a covered rehash of A New Hope. Lucas had some orginality with his prequels atleast though they were poorly executed. After Force Awakens I have little to no interest in what the future holds for Star Wars, atleast within the new trilogy.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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4

metrofunDec 16, 2016

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The story line is by at-least irrational and at most BS. The main character without any training after few weeks masters the force and defeats the main antagonist – dark master. Just for comparison, in the original Star Wars serie, it took years of training for Luke and two teachers to at-least take a stand against the dark master, but he still lost his hand.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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5

sugarniteMay 8, 2022

It is a remake of A New Hope, but the pacing is completely off. There are numerous climaxes throughout the film that do little to further the story, and everything wraps up at lighting speed at the end.

Initially, the mostly real sets andIt is a remake of A New Hope, but the pacing is completely off. There are numerous climaxes throughout the film that do little to further the story, and everything wraps up at lighting speed at the end.

Initially, the mostly real sets and practical effects immerse you in this real, lived-in universe… then everything becomes a cgi festival without a single real-looking set or prop for minutes at a time.

The characters are all immediate best friends, and it’s hard to relate to perfect characters. You don’t get to borrow character development from movies that came out 30 years ago, you have to build it in your own movie.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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6

Elf-HealerDec 19, 2017

Now with the release of The Last Jedi the first part of the so-called "Modern trilogy" makes even less sense. The excitement of finding map which leads to Luke just vanished, and the beginnings of Rey and Finn are now useless as thisNow with the release of The Last Jedi the first part of the so-called "Modern trilogy" makes even less sense. The excitement of finding map which leads to Luke just vanished, and the beginnings of Rey and Finn are now useless as this characters, according to The Last Jedi, serve just as a bland fillers. Still, The Force Awakens is promising attempt, if you just divide it from its sequel. Not because a lot of original characters appear as a beautiful nostalgia moment, but because it has quite consisted plot and is full of mysteries, which, unfortunately, will never find their passion in the 8th installment. Jedi are dead, and now you can see the emptiness of hope of the 7th episode in its full scale.… Expand