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
4
JohnTYDec 22, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The 4 is mainly for BB8, Boyega and Ridley. But it kinda makes any victories the good-guys had in the original trilogy a bit pointless doesn't it? Empire's back (First Order); Death Star's back (Starkiller Base); Luke has seemingly trained only one dude in 30 years since ROTJ and that dude has gone bad; You can learn to use the force, and a light-sabre, in about 5 minutes as evidenced by Rey - Luke and Vadar and the rest must really be slow learners; Han is a smuggler again and he and Leia's relationship is a mess; Sith lords can use the force to read minds now - why didn't Vadar just "mind-meld" the Rebel Base info out of Leia's head in ep IV? And all this talk of getting rid minimising CGI only to have the main villain and a yoda-wannabe needlessly animated.

I think this is my problem with Abrams reboots: He has so much respect for the franchise but close to zero respect for the people that worked on it before him.… Expand
12 of 21 users found this helpful129
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6
chillaxerMay 5, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is basically an undisclosed remake of A New Hope. It deserves a mediocre rating for that reason alone. Just link the elements of A New Hope to The Force Awakens as follows, and you'll see that it's the same movie:

Luke Skywalker = primarily Rey
Princess Leia = primarily Poe Dameron
Han Solo = primarily Finn
Darth Vader = Kylo Ren
Obi-Wan = Han Solo
R2-D2 = BB-8
Chewbacca = Chewbacca
Grand Moff Tarkin = General Hux
Rebel Alliance = Resistance
Galactic Empire = First Order
Death Star = Starkiller Base… Expand
4 of 7 users found this helpful43
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6
MrInkyDec 24, 2015
Modern remake of first Star Wars movie Different name but same movie with updated cast. If you are 10-20 years old new great movie, over 50 waste of time snd money
13 of 23 users found this helpful1310
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5
RagnarocJan 3, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ok to many plot holes, characters with no or limited force training with abilities far to advanced, flying the Falcon for the first time and not crashing it while going through tight spaces was to far fetched. The scenery outside on Jakar and other planets was excellent the indoor shots looked like they were on a sound stage. The destruction of Corcrosant, I am assuming it was Corcrosant was not violent enough and as I said it just looked like a small cast was standing on a railing on a sound stage when explosion hit. See the movie do not buy all the hype hopefully the next one will be better.… Expand
10 of 18 users found this helpful108
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6
smiyamotMay 4, 2016
I saw Star Wars (IV) when it came out in the theater. It was an instant success, but why? The 3 heroes were not alike, the farm boy who wanted to become a pilot, the bad boy semi-criminal, and the Princess. And no movie is great without aI saw Star Wars (IV) when it came out in the theater. It was an instant success, but why? The 3 heroes were not alike, the farm boy who wanted to become a pilot, the bad boy semi-criminal, and the Princess. And no movie is great without a really great villain, Darth Vader, hello! This movie falls short here. The story line, hmmm, where have I seen this story line before? If this had been the first Star Wars, there would not have been 6 more.… Expand
5 of 9 users found this helpful54
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4
DaChunKDec 23, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Lazy lazy lazy. A near total rehash and remake of ep. 4 and 5. Death star that can blow up 5 planets at once now. WOW!

Weak weak characters. Weak plot which left me with no desire to watch any more installments.

Forgettable characters. Seriously watched the movie 2 nights in a row and still cant remember the main protagonists name.

Obvious links to Nazism by Obviously Jewish run Hollywood.

Here's an Idea. Lets throw together ideas from Avengers, Hunger games, Thor and and of the other star wars moves. Mix them together, throw in some familiar characters who look worn out from the original movies, use a plot that has already worked once before and then work on lots of special effects. Bound to be a hit right? WRONG!

FLOP!

Avoid and do not bother watching any more installments.… Expand
11 of 20 users found this helpful119
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4
makumosDec 21, 2015
Nostalgic fan service, totally predictable and unoriginal in all the way throughout the movie... It reached the point to make me consider if the prequels aren't that bad... I mean, at least Lucas tried to be original
Yet the effects wereNostalgic fan service, totally predictable and unoriginal in all the way throughout the movie... It reached the point to make me consider if the prequels aren't that bad... I mean, at least Lucas tried to be original
Yet the effects were good and there wasn't any Jar Jar.… Expand
12 of 22 users found this helpful1210
All this user's reviews
6
NOTaDISTRACTIONDec 18, 2015
I went into this movie without any expectations, and it was, alright, nothing more. The acting was overall good, the actor who played Po was awful, but other than him the acting was sufficient. The practical effects were magnificent, andI went into this movie without any expectations, and it was, alright, nothing more. The acting was overall good, the actor who played Po was awful, but other than him the acting was sufficient. The practical effects were magnificent, and the CGI was very good, with the exception of some of the space scenes. The biggest downfall of this movie was the story, totally uninteresting nostalgia-fest. There was a couple sitting next to me in the theater, maybe late 50's, it was obvious they had seen the movies when they were kids and had an emotional connecting to them. I, being a 16 year old who has no emotional connection did not cry when people died, or when "sad" things happened. so the biggest question, if you didnt cry what did you get out of this movie? The answer? just another predictable and boring blockbuster. 6.6/10… Expand
12 of 22 users found this helpful1210
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4
resetxresetDec 21, 2015
After all the hype, just BLAH. Same 'ol stuff--just a continuation of 4 and 5, ANOTHER "mo better" Death Star and Evil Government, same old "some pilots fried" attack on the Death Star, and same old double cross and nuts crawled up in theAfter all the hype, just BLAH. Same 'ol stuff--just a continuation of 4 and 5, ANOTHER "mo better" Death Star and Evil Government, same old "some pilots fried" attack on the Death Star, and same old double cross and nuts crawled up in the belly Jedi wiping his hinny in the woods waiting for somebody to beg him to train them story. Guess JJ played it safe and stuck with the party line, introduced a pc cast and cashed the check.… Expand
12 of 22 users found this helpful1210
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6
lakers24231Dec 22, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Let me start off by saying that when JJ was picked to direct the movie ,i thought he was the right guy for the job without a doubt.I really enjoyed his work with mission impossible series and love the star trek reboots.Also having watched a ton of his interviews ,i considered him to be very intelligent and talented.I still do.

But unfortunately TFA is absolutely horrible.I am still shocked and amazed how the critics review it so well and have no doubt at the moment that there is a conflict of interest in most of them.Having looked through the majority reviews of users here it seems all the fans and ordinary movie goers have the same problems with this movie.

And yes ,this is much more of a reboot than an original movie.There are so many things wrong with it and the script is so week that it is hard for me to believe that one can criticise Lucas's prequels.It is true they were not perfect by far.But omg just compare darth mall to kylo ran?When i first so Darth Mall he was menacing,strong,he meant business, he took on two fully trained Jedi knights with unbelievable confidence that he would kick their ass and he sort of did.That's what should represent a power of the dark side.Are you seriously telling me that a trained ex-jedi under luke skywalker and a current dark side aprentice of snoke had problems with a girl who held a lightsaber for the first time in her life? Are you seriously selling me that without any training she just used a jedi mind trick on a storm trooper?Are seriously selling me that Death Star 3.0 has the same weak points as the previous ones?Did i just see the best guy dark side has to offer lose a force pick up of a simple lightsaber to a girl who never did it?And i can go on and on with this for a very long time.

I am however sure the kids would love it ,because the movie was made for them and you can feel it through out the whole movie.The problem is even with all the practical effects ,previous heroes it just doesnt fell like a star wars movie.People criticise prequels ,but when i saw Coruscant i was "WOOOOW" it is amazing and i don't care if they used cgi ,it gave me the belief and a feeling that the galaxy is huge and unlimited.When i saw clone army i felt the power of the republic.Here i see a couple of TIE fighters and x wings ,with a bunch of storm troopers on the ground.The galaxy feels so small ,not to mention that all those coincidences play into that even more.

I can bet you all the money i have that by the 3rd film Kylo will turn good ,they are just exploiting darth vader story the other way around,that why they are showing him conflicted,but they show it so poorly ,those are like a little girl comparisons are spot on.When Anakin was turned to dark side we knew why,we knew that from the first movie he was afraid of loosing his mother a child,he kept those fears with him ,we see him being hurt by her death later on ,we see him being afraid of losing like her mother his love and future children.It not too much but i get that ,i can get him turning to a dark side.What made a guy with two very important parents and a super famous uncle under whom he trained turn to dark side especially when it was destroyed i don't get? Of course we can say that this will be told to us later,but at least something may be ?a hint or something?

There are just so many things wrong with this movie and so little right , that i could feel myself like a complete idiot getting robbed for my money and believing all the hype about this movie.… Expand
12 of 22 users found this helpful1210
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6
Aaron_WassermanJun 1, 2016
The Force Awakens is a good movie, don't get me wrong, but i can't rate it higher because of several reasons. It is A New Hope all over again, and that bothered me. I found the new characters with the exception of Kylo Ren to be enjoyable.The Force Awakens is a good movie, don't get me wrong, but i can't rate it higher because of several reasons. It is A New Hope all over again, and that bothered me. I found the new characters with the exception of Kylo Ren to be enjoyable. There was a ton of potential with Kylo but once we started to truly see him, I was pissed.… Expand
6 of 11 users found this helpful65
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6
GuccimayneDec 29, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie looked like Star Wars (characters, ships), but it definitely didn't *feel* like one. I didn't hate the movie, but I certainly didn't love it, so I feel a 6 is about as low as I can realistically rate this.

Going into the movie, I felt the trailers didn't give away much of the plot (a good thing), so I was eagerly awaiting a brand new adventure with new characters and some old faces. The first 1/3 of the movie was pretty unique and I was glued to my seat with wonder and awe. But about halfway through, I sadly realized I was watching a remake of the events of Episode IV as the movie began to become extremely predictable. The film doesn't even try to hide the fact that our new heroes were repeating 80% of the events from A New Hope with some tidbits from Empire and Jedi sprinkled in here and there. There was hardly anything *new* to take from the movie -- it's almost like it couldn't decide if it wanted to be a sequel or a complete reboot. Instead of feeling like part 7 of an ongoing story, I felt like I was watching a "Star Wars: Greatest Hits" compilation of iconic moments from the original trilogy, but with a fresh coat of paint. The heavy handedness of the nostalgic scenes was almost fourth wall breaking since they were so obvious. Regardless of the thinking behind this, I can say with 100% certainty that what was delivered was not what I waited 10 years for. If I wanted to watch the original trilogy again, I would have stayed home.

Beyond the unoriginal plot, pacing was another HUGE flaw. The movie hits the accelerator around half way through and packs in a lot of action, but little explanation about why and how the events on screen are taking place. Who is the Resistance and why is it needed if the Rebellion/Republic won 30 years ago? What exactly was the significance of the Hosnian system, given the characters only spent 2 lines total talking about its destruction? Does Coruscant no longer exist? Is the entire Republic somehow just 5 planets total? These questions, plus more, are left to be answered by the novelization and future films, which is a dissatisfying business decision. While sitting in your seat on opening night, these options don't yet exist, so you're left clueless. Character development (Rey in particular) was also a casualty to the fast pace, as lot of the characters do things seemingly out of nowhere with questionable motivation and explanation. Had they given the film an extra 30 minutes of run time to allow the story to breathe a little, that could have cleared up a lot of the holes. It's Star Wars! I would have sat in my seat for 3 hours without a question.

Lastly, John Williams. I don't know what happened, but Williams and company absolutely phoned it in on this film. I feel like there wasn't any particular moment where an epic orchestra caught my attention and got my blood pumping. The only song that I remember (after listening to the whole thing on Spotify) are very slow and mellow and would fit better within the magical halls of Hogwarts, not an epic space opera that is Star Wars. All in all, the music was underwhelming and severely detracted from the "Star Wars experience" that I know and love.

All in all, I was pretty unimpressed by The Force Awakens. I didn't hate the film, as there are plenty of bad films out there and the prequel trilogy really set a low bar. But I did not love the decisions to recycle old plots as an attempt to send the viewer on an apology tour full of star wars nostalgia. I wanted a new story mixed with new and old faces, not a glorified reboot. As much flak as I give the prequels, I'll give them credit for at least trying to be unique in each installment.

I hope the next two films will take the gloves off and really advances the Star Wars Universe.… Expand
13 of 24 users found this helpful1311
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5
andisartDec 21, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Star Wars Episode VII - The Remake Awakens...
Not surprising given the 4 billion price tag, Disney payed for the franchise.

Being a Star Wars fan since the 80s I really wanted to like the new film, but here is what made that impossible.

If you are going into this film with fresh eyes, you probably will like it a lot. The visuals are amazing, the use of practical effects and going for a more old trilogy style have paid of for sure. And it's good action popcorn stuff. But if you know anything about Star Wars you may have serious issues with this film. Here's why: the film is basically a rehash of A New Hope and also leans heavily on the other two old films. I didn't feel like I was watching a new film at all, but like I was watching an endless fan-service, constant nods to the old films pointing to particular scenes, in many cases almost exactly matching them. If the old cast wasn't present in the film you might as well just call this film a remake, it is that similar.

To go into specifics:

- the Rebels obtain an important plan, which the Empire wants.

- The plans are again being hidden inside a droid (R2D2 / BB8).

- the Rebel responsible is being detained by the Empire (Leia/Poe)

- the droid is being hunted by the Empire on a desert planet

- the droid gets into the hands of a nobody, which will turn to be the hero (Luke/Rey)

- said nobody is thrown unwillingly into a galactic adventure

- they flee from the desert planet with the Millennium falcon

- Luke is in hiding like Yoda was, on a distant planet, alone, avoiding responsibility. Like Yoda, the last Jedi.

- Rey goes finding him, alone, presumably to start her training, like Luke went alone to Yoda in Ep. V.

- another Father/Son issue between a hero and the villain, Han/Kylo, and again a showdown between them on a bridge over an abyss (Luke/Vader in Ep V)

- the name "Ben" used to reveal Kylo as Han's son, like "Ben" revealed Obi Wan in Ep IV.

- General Hux and Kylo Ren have issues, yet have to work together. Moff Tarkin and Darth Vader say hello.

- Another Deathstar! Wow, of all things I was sure they would NOT do that. And leading to the next point:

- the Empire, now the First Order, is still doing their evil things, apparently still as powerful as in the old films. The Rebels, now the Resistance, appear to be still somewhat a minor force. So what happened the to the big victory after episode VI? Looks like that never happened. And no word is lost explaining more here. So again the heroic underdogs against the evil huge Empire with their super massive weapon.

- therefore the whole Darth Vader story arc of the old films that he will bring balance to the force is nullified. The Empire and the Dark Side are still having their party.

- And here-ho we go, another trench fight with X-Wings, and the cherry on top is the count-down before the super-weapon strikes. Quick let's hit the ONE vulnerable spot this planet-sized weapon has while Leia is waiting in the control room. Hurray, like we never seen this fight before. Apart from the impressive fact they could somehow still come up with the means to build a weapon that sucks up a sun, the Empire's engineers must be really stubborn or outright stupid

- another Sith lord kinda guy behind the villain, again he wants the new Jedi (Luke/Rey)

Other issues I see with the film:

- Captain Phasma character wasted, no screen time and put in a bad light in the last scene

- General Hux trying a bit hard, not so scary

- reveal of Kylo Ren's face way too early, after that scene his menace was reduced significantly
- reveal of the Sith-kinda guy way too early, no suspense - destruction of Coruscant in a meager few seconds and that was it. The capital of the galaxy gone. - Rebels / Republic are not one, why not? What happened since Ep VI? - lack of new worlds, designs, vehicles etc. Over-reliance on the old designs (dont get me wrong, I like the old designs in the film, but where is the new stuff too?) - Rey, totally untrained in the force, beats Kylo in the mind battle and in the lightsaber duel? Makes the force look more like a gimmick the filmmakers were using too easily. Luke had to train very hard for this. - Han's death felt wasted, too fast and undramatic and no mention of him afterwards. Yes, we all wanted more of the old Star Wars again, but not THAT much. We wanted more adventure, more charm, less CGI, and we got that. But who wanted an almost exact remake of A New Hope with even more references to the other two old films? They went way too safe with the story, which I find too bad particularly because they otherwise managed to create the Star Wars feeling again. This makes me hope, that the next two episodes will be more interesting. J.J. was the right one for bringing fresh air into Star Trek, but he wasn't for Star Wars. Never let a fan take the helm, they are too blinded and what you get is a 2 hour fest of fan-service.… Expand
14 of 26 users found this helpful1412
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5
cwatzDec 20, 2015
Pros: Very visually appealing. Dogfighting in particular was fantastic. Han/Chewie steal the show.

Cons: Severe lack of originality. For spoilerish reasons of laying out the movie I wont say why, but when you see it, you will knowPros: Very visually appealing. Dogfighting in particular was fantastic. Han/Chewie steal the show.

Cons: Severe lack of originality. For spoilerish reasons of laying out the movie I wont say why, but when you see it, you will know what im talking about.

The new cast is also disappointing. The performances are fine, but the characters dont shine. Poe had a lot of promise but was barely in it. Finn also had some promise, but half of his time on screen is used to prop up other characters. The biggest problem was with Rey. Reactionary and bland character, and to make matters worse she was a complete "im perfect at everything" Mary Sue. Its fixable, but they have a long road to redemption, particularly kicking Rey back to earth.… Expand
14 of 26 users found this helpful1412
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4
NoelManojJan 19, 2016
The Force Awakens is a let down - repeating same concepts and story from from before - having like another death star 2 - another attempt by rebels to destroy it but the bigger oversight here is not having any important character destroy it -The Force Awakens is a let down - repeating same concepts and story from from before - having like another death star 2 - another attempt by rebels to destroy it but the bigger oversight here is not having any important character destroy it - so the excuse of showing the former glory of star wars in the movie is baselessly inadequate- the decision to have Luke Skywalker wear a beard is ridiculous considering that as an actor in real life, he looks great and the same thing was done for Han Solo and it worked....seems unclassy ...again despite Leia appearing , she seems so ordinary - earlier in previous star wars movies whenever u see her, she would appear dressed in a regal manner- Even now as the leader of the new republic(which they show no evidence of in the movie) , she should have been given a better look - plot wise- the story is really makes a senseless appeal which only true star wars fans would recognize - in the previous movie , with the fall of Darth Vader and the emperor , we saw all planets celebrating so we feel the empire is over but now again they continue this so called empire like an unnecessary charade...it seems pointless- the new evil sith warrior dressed like darth vader is a disgrace to the movie - he doesnt have great looks - luke and anakin ( Mark Hamill and Christen Haydensen) were absolutely great looking characters but the new guy looks pathetic and the way he uses the force is a disgrace to both the sith and jedi order - he has to reach out his hand so close to the face or body to make it work - that totally ridicules the ability of the force....the new actor does not resemble Han Solo , his supposed father in any way too ....u might suppose that with handsome and great parents, this new guy would look great too but unfortunately that s not the case, - another point is that the story is kind of flawed by making this guy appear everywhere like a magnet - he didnt even have a glorious stage entrance ( i mean like a suddenly dramatic appearance)....he becomes like a clonetrooper going everywhere in the movie, really not impressive....also the acting of han solo and leia seem forced - han solo's class and charisma doesn't appear much - its only his memory in previous star wars that seems to carry him through the movie - when Han dies , there doesn't seem to be a big reaction ....even leia's reaction seems unprofessionally subdued in terms of acting.....as for the new girl actress, she seems kind of too good to be true - its very irrational the way she suddenly becomes so adept at using the lightsaber especially against a sith warrior ...its a hypocrisy - she also uses the force as if she knows it well...its not like she discovered it in a great way....even anakin skywalker and luke were shown to have receiving training and almost were destroyed in their first fights ( against Count Dooku and Darth Vader respectively)....That she even suddenly using force on the clone trooper to release her without using her hands withh such confidence - it should be considered blapshemy for a person who is not yet a jedi to do all this....- another plot wise blot is the clone army - it is supposed to be consisting of clones but suddenly that famous concept seems to be a risk with the new guy coming out as a clone soldier, when he is not a clone.....the addition of the new guy actor who leaves the clones seems good though,,,,,,another disappointing fact is that the filmakers didnt seize a crucial way to represent the glory of the earlier star wars movies - the moment she touched the lightsaber , she has visions of the past - but it only is concerned with herself and slightly on luke....that moment should have been used to display the actual legacy of star wars heroes , by showing the flashbacks of anakin skywalker using the lightsaber ...him fighting obiwan..becoming darth vader....luke receing the lightsaber from obiwan ....using it in battle...so all this coupled with what was shown in the movie at that moment would have made it a truly dramatic moment so that Rey (the new girl) would truly understand the terrible yet great legacy attached with the lightsaber ....but the filmmakers dont do this and this makes rey 's fear of touching it somewhat unreasonable ..Again plot wise- the finding of luke skywalker seems so easy - the way he was standing there in the island makes it appear like he was there all along, aware of everything going around in the universe...and thus he should have come to the aid of his friends like han solo..... The filmmakers should have left finding him for the next movie , maybe make it a heroic quest for rey and others , which would have built the mystery and the powerful significance of him being a great jedi , being a key to the first order's defeat....but they don't do this ....even finding and recognizing yoda was not an easy task for luke but this dampens it all .The only two thumbs ups for the movie would be the funny moments and Han Solo's dramatic death on screen… Expand
14 of 26 users found this helpful1412
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4
heAd3rDec 22, 2015
Does everyone really think, doing a story plot again is good enough to be called an awesome movie? (NO spoilers!) alot of scenes are 1:1 taken from a new hope, it sure has a few funny (not too funny) lines, but god! the plot was the weakestDoes everyone really think, doing a story plot again is good enough to be called an awesome movie? (NO spoilers!) alot of scenes are 1:1 taken from a new hope, it sure has a few funny (not too funny) lines, but god! the plot was the weakest of all movies, people complain about the prequels? at least they had information about what was going on,. not impressed at all. Star Wars was once for the family, but now, how many people got killed? without explanation at all? no reason why? blood, really? sure there was blood in "A new hope", but that was because george didnt know how do to it in a more suitable way I presume, the story telling did well for like 35min of the movie, after that everything went overspeed, no real explanation on what happened in the past 30 years? thats just weak storytelling, I guess i know why so many people are excited, it got explosions, it has 1:1 scenes from episode IV, it has a slow lightsaber duel, it has spaceships, a spacestation, (i hope thats no surprise?) it has a lot of action, shootings, but does it have heart? no!, does it explain why everything is even worse than it was under the control of the empire? no! what happened between Han and Leia? weren't they in love? why does Han make the same mistakes again? why does carrie fisher sound like an old hag, why the hardcore 3rd Reich reference, not even the emperor the evil itself wanted this kind of temper, I just cant understand why they tried so hard to make the emperor look like a little lamp compared to those first order murdering maniacs without motive? As someone who really loves star wars, I just cant understand how someone can write such an easy predictable script. I did enjoy some of the characters acting, Han did well, Lukes hair looked amazing, Rey was ok, bb8 was enjoyable, Kylo was at first enjoyable but that changed pretty quick, Finn was like the lion from "The Wizard of Oz", Chewbacca is getting old, where is Lando? where is wedge? they destroyed the second death star, why are those not in the movie? r2d2 which is the main character in every single star wars movie, had like 35 seconds of screen time, that is in fact unacceptable, i do know they wanted bb8 to be the new r2d2 but why cant those two co exist at the same time? I cant really say it deserves a rating below 4, because, some things were ok, some things were acceptable, a few scenes were good at best, but it is not extremely bad, it has no soul, and no real story, maybe episode VII will be better, i really hope so.… Expand
11 of 21 users found this helpful1110
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6
CoNn3r_BDec 29, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I wanted to like this movie, I really did but there are just too many underlying issues that just ruins this movie for me:

The good:

The action scenes in this movie are phenomenal, I expected them to be good but I was taken by surprise with how engaged I became especially with scenes like the Millennium Falcon dog fight that was nothing short of captivating. The light saber battle between Kylo Ren and Finn was one of the most intense saber battles I've ever seen in a Star Wars movie I would put it in the same league as the fight between Vader and Luke in episode V.

I was surprised with how much I like BB-8. when I first saw the design I was reprehensive because it was obvious they one up the original trilogy which draws some comparisons you just don't want, all in all he was a functional and fun character and a worthy successor to R2-D2.

Finn was a great character and I really connected with him, his underdog roots and his complicated life made for a compelling character.

The original characters were more than gratuitous cameos and actually had bearing on the plot.

The bad:
This movie is terrible at pacing, the movie flies by in an instant which can be a good thing but in this case it just feels rushed, for example; the destruction of Starkiller base which had no impact at all when it happened, I wasn't captivated with this movies story. In fact I was rather bored with the whole story because it blatantly rips off episode IV at almost every turn.

Unimaginative locations, if I see another desert planet I'm going to stab someone. All the planets look familiar because they lack in creative imagination. Jaku is Tatooine, the forest planet they go to looks like Endor and most of the movie is filmed in space or inside a ship, this just makes the galaxy feel dead and stale which is not what I should be feeling from the galaxy far, far away.

The ugly:

Rey...everything about her. First off her acting was god awful, her character was bland and flat with no interesting qualities. Even though she has a mysterious backstory, it somehow feels so familiar that it lacks in impact. Her ability to instantly be good at everything she does is nothing short of insulting and don't get me started on her battle with Kylo Ren...The worst thing about Rey though is that she is the jedi. I never felt that she earned it in the movie, when she holds the light saber it just doesn't seem right and to top it off her battle with Ren was boring to watch. The best person to be the jedi would have been Finn, I felt he deserved it more and his back story made him a more interesting and engaging character.

Kylo Ren was just bad, I felt so disappointed when Ren took off his helmet to reveal a snivelling little teenager, it removed all the intimidation he had and from there on out he just felt like another Anakin Skywalker but somehow more whiny, the idea that he is Han Solo's son was cool but the reveal was so lacklustre that I didn't care.

Han's death, I didn't hate the idea that Han died in fact I was hoping for it but he was killed off so quickly at the hands of a character I didn't care about just so the movie can have one memorable moment. If Kylo Ren had been better developed and the conflict inside him had been shown more that scene might have had some impact on me. All in all the death of Han Solo is brushed aside pretty much as soon as it happens which just takes away from it more.

Overall I found this movie to be an enraging experience with an absolutely phenomenal start that falls flat halfway through. Well done JJ, you messed it up.
6.4/10… Expand
12 of 23 users found this helpful1211
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6
qwerpJan 9, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The film is almost good. Worth to look everybody but there are some disgusting moments:

Kylo Ren does not deserve to be the main antagonist in film! He is like little girl, hysterical and spineless. It can not be trusted any commanding or responsible tasks for him + his fail at the end, dweeb. Perhaps they were trying to make a complex villain, which itself is good, but it has turned a complete failure
+ it seems that the translator voice timbre was worse than original eng. Hall where laughed when he removed his mask and began speaking.

The miraculous destruction of the enemy's main station. There were other problems with the logic, but this is a huge hole in the logic. Thank to captain stupidly disabled shields. Thanks to engineers which not learned in the 2 previous mistakes and not provided elementary protection rules, it need 0 technical skills to break defence (e.g. this was good in SW KOTOR 1, 2). Thank to idiots among the stormtroopers and their commanders. And to screenwriter.

Too bad that is not taken as an example the good things from 1-3 parts prequels (and there were plenty of good!) For example there is no intrigues, strategy, policy, and a more complex story. Could make in reasonable limits and without boring. Ideally, for those who do not understand it make not ruin the perception, with depth. More of the new things could be brought. I wish the following parts will bring a lot of new.

"Wonderful" Force / lightsaber knowing without any training.

And it is a pity that a good part of the expanded universe that does not conflict with the film is put in not canon.

(By the way. Midi-chlorian are not The Force. They have potential to help connect living beings with The Force! No need to remove science)… Expand
13 of 25 users found this helpful1312
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4
GringolocoJan 3, 2016
Liked the movie but it was to slow, and i hated that they killed han solo. I think they should look back to the old movies, and look at the pace they had on them for the next movie.
14 of 27 users found this helpful1413
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6
TAFM17Jan 9, 2016
Overall, it's episode 4 with new characters. Pretty much the same film. Now I need 150 characters, but there's not much more to say. So I'm gonna just... 158!
14 of 28 users found this helpful1414
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5
xXGaming101XxJan 18, 2016
Warning Minor Spoilers Below (yes i know there is a button for spoilers but this is just a warning)

Movie was overall Ok but it ripped off its plot from Star Wars The New Hope Giant Weapon Of Death Exhaust Port? Sound Familiar? it shouldWarning Minor Spoilers Below (yes i know there is a button for spoilers but this is just a warning)

Movie was overall Ok but it ripped off its plot from Star Wars The New Hope
Giant Weapon Of Death Exhaust Port?
Sound Familiar? it should
The Dark Side was also underwhelming with Kylo Ren being much younger than he should and less threatening unlike Darth Vader who was more mature and threatening
And his master is apparently the alien from the Crystal Skull? Lol XD
But the movie retained its old style with original transitions between scenes and good actors
Was dissapointed that Jar Jar did not show up… Expand
11 of 22 users found this helpful1111
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4
choppyDec 20, 2015
It is exactly the plot of the first star wars movie, just redone with new characters. Likable enough, watchable enough, but nothing exciting or innovative that will make me excited for the new series or would make me care at all about theseIt is exactly the plot of the first star wars movie, just redone with new characters. Likable enough, watchable enough, but nothing exciting or innovative that will make me excited for the new series or would make me care at all about these bland new characters. It's just comfort food for Star Wars fans, nothing that moves the series forward.… Expand
10 of 20 users found this helpful1010
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5
LordOfCommunismJan 1, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So... I watched this movie now and it wasn't like an I expected. It was, sadly as it is, way worse. It was a good film tough, but it felt like a complete remade episode IV. There was a Death Star, an X-Wing suicide command and even a low-budget Darth Vader. "The new Order" and the "Resistance" could be called Empire 2.0 and Rebellion 2.0. And Han Solo dies. And it was pretty obvious too. But it still was fun to watch with all the new characters and the old(er) ones too. A friend of mine paid my ticket so I didn't felt ripped off. But sadly, it isn't a worthy sequel to the Original.… Expand
10 of 20 users found this helpful1010
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5
NikitaBrandtJan 3, 2016
The average movie with trite plot and not a very good selection of actors. However, we must pay tribute to the spectacular special effects and well shooted end.
10 of 20 users found this helpful1010
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5
bcatonJan 17, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This wasn't a bad movie, but the problems were substantial. There's the feel of politics and PC driving this rather than internal logic. Why is Rey so powerful, so skilled at things she has never done before? Because raisins.

The answer I have been given is "because Phantom Menace". That is a terrible reason, no-one thought that movie made sense, and mostly you want to forget that movie to enjoy this one.

I thought about it afterwards. Rey is there because they wanted a woman who could do everything a man could do, but better. She out-pilots Han, out-fights trained soldiers, and can use force powers without any training.

Kylo Ren does that to an extent, showing abilities that even Darth Vader didn't have, which I assume was done because the effects allowed for it.. I gave that a pass, one unbelievable thing shouldn't break a movie, but everything Rey does is overpowered.

She's not quite a Mary Sue - she makes the mistakes of the hero's journey pretty much on cue - but she's not really much of a person. "Star Wars Rebels" actually did a much better version of her story.

The twist of the movie was revealed to me by a friend without my consent, which kind of killed the emotional impact - but honestly, it seemed gratuitous. I really just wanted Kylo Ren dead anyway - I didn't need any more motivation for it.

Everyone being related to everyone is a weakness of the whole franchise - you could get away with it in the originals, because it was a fairy story, but this seems to want to be more realistic, and should have tried something new.

I don't regret spending my money on it but don't feel any urge to do so again. It's hyped up as being the best thing ever, but i can see much more enthusiasm for other movies. Most people will see movies like Casablanca or Gone with the Wind many times in their life, but will there be any market for repeat viewings of this?

All that said, this was so much better than the prequels.… Expand
9 of 18 users found this helpful99
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6
Cyclictunic209Jan 19, 2016
Eh, The movie was meh. Very disappointing. The first ten minutes contain some of the best cinematography I have seen in modern film. Practical effects were awesome. But behind all of the glamour and special effects lies a very lacklusterEh, The movie was meh. Very disappointing. The first ten minutes contain some of the best cinematography I have seen in modern film. Practical effects were awesome. But behind all of the glamour and special effects lies a very lackluster story. Way too many plot parallels between this and a New Hope. It's almost like they ripped the plot out of the first movie and just made everything bigger. Very lazy. The new actors are ok. I liked Finn. Rey seems like a Mary Sue. She's too good at everything. I thought the new villain was okay. Harrison Ford does give the film a lot of life. The plot twist was expected. Carrie Fischers acting is god awful as always. Not a good actress at all. Oscar Issac was pure charisma. I liked his character a lot. All in all it really was average. Kind of disappointed. This is coming from a Star Wars fan who wanted something different.… Expand
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4
suthnaraDec 21, 2015
Have you ever enjoyed reading books from a series. Like the "Game of Thrones" books. The authors writing is recognizable throughout. Imagine if J.K Rowling didn't write the last 2 Harry Potter books and someone else was hired to finish itHave you ever enjoyed reading books from a series. Like the "Game of Thrones" books. The authors writing is recognizable throughout. Imagine if J.K Rowling didn't write the last 2 Harry Potter books and someone else was hired to finish it would it still be a Harry Potter book. You get the same feeling watching The force awakens. It looks and feels like someones interpretation of Star Wars. It feels looks and feels like a transformers movie.

There are so many coincidences within this movie. It is like they were to lazy to take the time to come up with logical reasons for one person meeting another. Instead you see these chance meeting with exactly the right person not once but on numerous occasions. Like come on.

This movie is not really star wars. Its an adaption, set to the pace of movies like transformers and star trek. So if you're OK with that then you will enjoy this movie. I walked out 3 quarters of the way in.… Expand
8 of 16 users found this helpful88
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6
LaneMeyerDec 31, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. TFA has some serious flaws which are quite obvious. I did find the movie entertaining, although it's impossible to ignore the pitfalls of the movie. It's a remake of the original. Lack of character development. It's geared towards teenagers. And the biggest flaw I think was the scene where they took the droid into the the tavern. If the whole Empire is looking for the droid, why the hell would you take it into a public tavern where anyone and their mother will see it. Is Han and company really that stupid?… Expand
8 of 16 users found this helpful88
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6
HeavesDec 22, 2015
I have to say given all the hype, I was slightly underwhelmed. I don't think the story was that bad (a bit too cliche) but I think it was good enough. For me, the biggest pitfall was the lack of character building. The movie doesn't reallyI have to say given all the hype, I was slightly underwhelmed. I don't think the story was that bad (a bit too cliche) but I think it was good enough. For me, the biggest pitfall was the lack of character building. The movie doesn't really give you much reason to like the main to characters with very little backstory. Another moment of annoyance was the final fight scene which went against all logic. Having said that, the film did have its moments and the potential is there to produce an amazing sequel.… Expand
6 of 12 users found this helpful66
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4
varmadmcgooDec 23, 2016
While I enjoyed watching TFA and many moments contained therein — Harrison Ford’s reprisal as Han Solo comes to mind — I cannot look back on it favorably. So much of it seems, quite simply, cheap: The recycled plot. The inexplicablyWhile I enjoyed watching TFA and many moments contained therein — Harrison Ford’s reprisal as Han Solo comes to mind — I cannot look back on it favorably. So much of it seems, quite simply, cheap: The recycled plot. The inexplicably reincarnated Empire by another name. The tragic loss of a key character in a way that doesn’t seem earned or even believable. The injection of clumsy, modern 'romance' into a series that was just fine without it. The fight between a Sith lord and someone who has never used a Lightsaber before. I could go on. The short of it is: If I were an exec and Disney reviewing a submitted script like this, I would give it back, rejected, with the notes: “A new Star Wars movie must be true to the Star Wars universe and legacy, and it must also be original and compelling. Your script is neither.” But somehow, this turd of a movie was actually made.

I don't understand why critics have rated this disaster so well. I guess a lot of the analysis didn't get much deeper than “it’s nice to have a strong female lead.” Sure. True. But Luke trained hard to become a Jedi. There is nothing empowering about someone just lucking out with magic powers without earning it — and that doesn’t change just because that someone is a female lead!… Expand
2 of 4 users found this helpful22
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5
mrHallodriDec 20, 2019
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Too much fanservice. No original stories. The ONLY highlight was that HS gets killed. Turns out, that was the only bold move in the new trilogy. Disney is hurting the franchise.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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5
FortifierMay 6, 2020
Two words; Episode IV.

The movie had a lot of potential, and the special effects are absolutely amazing, yet Disney didn't do the series right by advertising this movie as a sequel and making it a reboot-in-disguise instead.
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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4
RetrodoxMar 28, 2017
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Its thematically amazing and the visuals are stunning but its a carbon copy of the previous movies and it has quips,mini messages,goofy characters,and cliches'.All makes for purely popcorn too kid friendly movie.The acting was actually pretty great by the youngsters I didn't particularly care for the original generation's acting and Harrison Ford's acting seemed depressing.thats why this movie gets a 3.9 Gimmicky,lazy,effect heavy,Disney-like.… Expand
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5
KraistlinDec 19, 2019
Attempt to copy Episode IV 40 years later, with less interesting characters and in a universe we already know. The disney touch created things to sell merchandising stinks. Totally expendable, if you like Star wars, you can continue the sagaAttempt to copy Episode IV 40 years later, with less interesting characters and in a universe we already know. The disney touch created things to sell merchandising stinks. Totally expendable, if you like Star wars, you can continue the saga in its classic novels and comics before Disney.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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6
xXClutchDutchXxJan 2, 2020
The best thing about this movie was hearing the X-Wing and Tie Fighters screaming through the air again like Banshees but besides that you have another rehash of the same story with no risk and an over powered Jedi for no reason other than toThe best thing about this movie was hearing the X-Wing and Tie Fighters screaming through the air again like Banshees but besides that you have another rehash of the same story with no risk and an over powered Jedi for no reason other than to drive a forced story plot.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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5
Mendax89Dec 10, 2019
Average movie pushed by Marketing. Bad copy of the first movie. Bad plot, bad writting.
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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4
DavidLammyDec 20, 2019
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well the best thing about this film was the way that annoying, sexually abusive, overly manly gay pervert known as Han Solo got killed by his own Son, serves the bastard right. I loved how stupid Han was to actually believe his Son still cared about him and was actually worth his time to even speak to, it felt like a fitting end to the worst character of all time that took a poop on Anakin's legacy by sexually abusing his daughter. However, this is a poor remake of A New Hope for the most part except Luke is a cheap replacement for Obi-Wan as Luke has no dialogue and only appears for 5 seconds and the other main characters are even more mindless than the OT main characters. It also had featured far too much spaceships in this film to the extent I think it's done some children some damage by encouraging them to wreck the environment by spending as much time in motorised vehicles as possible. I was also disappointed that this film wasn't anywhere near as sexy as previous Star Wars movies, the lack of sexy bum cheeks made me very upset.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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4
ratikka_1Dec 27, 2019
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The first scene, where they present the new villain, was cool. But after that it comes more and more boring. It was not a terrible movie, but it was not a good one either. Action scenes are cool, but the writing and the plot is quite bad.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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6
CakperDec 31, 2019
Film is ok, good but not very good. Its decent good, but not the goodest.! xD y

weak 5
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5
NDiggyDec 19, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The entire movie is simply a retelling of A New Hope. Perhaps given to a more talented director and group of writers this would not have been an issue, but as per usual, JJ Abrams has chosen to go all style over substance, rather than trying to balance the two. The sins of this movie are great, and once all the rose colored nostalgia and warm fuzzy feelings wear off, most people will come to see this movie for the mediocre film that it is and be left wondering what could have been.

Nostalgia can only take you so far, and it seems that Abrams is relying heavily on nostalgia and the hunger most fans have for a movie that can erase the bitter pill that was the prequels to help viewers gloss over or ignore the shortcomings of this movie. The first big issue is that Abrams has created a movie full of characters we have no reason to care about. Were it not for the inclusion of characters from the originals, the movie would lack any emotional weight at all. Whether it's Poe Dameron, Finn or Female Luke, there simply isn't enough backstory available to make the characters more than empty cut outs. It's the same with The New Order and the Resistance. We have no idea what either of these organizations are about, or why we should care beyond the whole New Order=bad and Resistance-good dynamic. The Resistance is all the more puzzling because apparently a New Republic was created and has existed throughout the interceding years following Return of the Jedi. Why the Republic isn't fighting the New Order we're never told, nor are we told what is driving the New Order beyond "yada yada yada evil..." to the where the New Order comes off as cartoonish and is difficult to take seriously.

The writers constantly write themselves into corners, and then not being able to think of a way out, simply have a character use "space magic" to overcome all obstacles. Apparently using the Force more ably than a trained Jedi or Sith requires no training at all because "space magic!" Then there are the times when the audience really could use some back story, but are not given it. I can only assume it is because the writers were either simply too lazy to think of something or they somehow think audiences will appreciate being left in the dark. At several points you could almost hear the characters saying "I don't have time to tell you why I don't have time to tell you." (Destiny players are sadly nodding their heads). Two specific points where this happens most prominently (spoiler alert), the first being why some random bar owner has Luke's lightsaber. Kind of a big plot point and it's glossed over as if it's unimportant ("Why do you have it? No time to explain...) It defies belief because we don't know this character. We have no backstory or reason to believe that this character should be in possession of this item. Then we have Poe Dameron, the best pilot in the Resistance who for some reason is sent on an important mission that involves no piloting. Left for dead in the beginning after a harrowing escape from the New Order, and then just randomly shows up for the end of the movie as if everything is all peaches and cream. No explanation really given. Then he hops in his fighter and starts doing things that defy the laws of physics

What is all the more frustrating is that there are some genuinely good moments in this movie. Mostly involving the original cast. Han and Chewie are as good as they ever were. Sadly though, the poor writing again lets us down, making the big "twist" in the movie ring hollow when it should have been an incredibly powerful moment. Which brings me to my biggest problem with this movie.

The most interesting stories were glossed over and ignored. Kylo Ren is the most interesting character in this movie. The more we learn about him, the more we want to know more about his back story. Had Abrams chosen to explore his character more, or tell more of his story, this movie would have been much better for it. Then we have what should have been the main plot of the movie, but was quickly swept under the rug so that Abrams could do his remake of A New Hope, the search for Luke Skywalker. The movie starts out with both sides wanting to find Luke. What should have been a grand adventure across the galaxy trying to find clues as to Luke's whereabouts is quickly forgotten about for some reason. Planet hopping with the crew of the Millennium Falcon, trying find clues about where Luke has exiled himself while trying to stay one step ahead of the New Order would have made for a much more entertaining movie than what we were given.

As I said earlier, the most painful thing about this movie is that you can see signs of where and how it could have been great. I've just listed the biggest transgressions that spring to mind, but I could go on about the pointless nature of Max von Sidow's cameo or the criminally over-hyped and useless Captain Phasma. Alas, though, the word limit.… Expand
14 of 29 users found this helpful1415
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6
AshCosgroveDec 19, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie did one thing (probably unintentionally) right: It made the prequel trilogy good by comparison. At least the prequels found ways to expand the universe and led to a satisfying (and admittedly expected) conclusion. Sure there was some pandering here and there, and Jar Jar, but at least it was new and interesting and Lucas was trying to make entirely new worlds based off the rather simple premise of Anakin becoming Vader and the rise of the Empire.

If I knew this movie was going to be a fan-fiction with chronic pandering issues, and rehashing nearly the same plot and themes from A New Hope right down to the cantina scene, I would've just saved my $17 and watched the Original Trilogy again. It doesn't have its own identity. It's not creating a new story, it's finding ways to jam in as many old SW elements as possible to satisfy the existing fans, rather than finding ways to create new ones. The movie felt... safe, which isn't a surprise considering who's ponying up the cash.

The "surprising" death felt cheap. I'm not angry at the death per se, but just the way it was done. The two things that I'll give it was that Poe Dameron is a pretty bad-ass character and I look forward to seeing him more in future movies as a stand-in for Wedge Antilles, and the battle scene with Maz on the forest planet between the First Order and the Resistance was quite amazing. The movie was best when it was doing its own thing. Jakku was also a good sequence that had familiar, but not the same themes as the original.

Since the movie had no identity of its own, I guess it's only reasonable to compare it to A New Hope beat-for-beat, just like the movie did with its story. It had no idea how to flesh out characters, or take the time to appreciate the scenery because we need to move to the next pander or action set-piece. It took 40 minutes to get off Tatooine in a New Hope. It gave us time to breathe and appreciate the characters and love when they succeeded and really feel something when they didn't. In this movie, the new villain was a whiny brat who literally threw temper tantrums when things didn't go his way and was beaten by a person who never held a lightsaber in her life. In the original, Darth Vader was a very ominous character who succeeded in his villainy by taking charge when things didn't go his way i.e. getting in a TIE Interceptor and trying to bring down Luke himself. In this movie the comedy felt very Marvel-esque using "hilarious" one-liners, irritating back-and-forth dialogue, and witticisms to entertain the audience. It didn't feel natural or welcome; it felt forced. In the original, the comedy came from interactions with people that had differing, clashing personalities, not from every character having a Tony Stark moment. In this movie, it felt the need to cram in as many familiar faces as possible within 2 hours (some of which was welcome, for most it was not). In the original, they presented new characters throughout the movie gradually, leaving plenty of room for new characters to enter for the sequels.

The cinematography was very Abrams-esque, and to a fault: weird angles, zooming back-and-forth, and of course dat lens flare. In the original, the scenery was its own character, and the cinematographer knew that. He allowed time to get used to a setting before zooming off to another one. I've always seen the Millennium Falcon as a character in the franchise. In this one, the ship felt lifeless, and claustrophobic (not in a good, 2001: A Space Odyssey way), and that's probably due to the way it was filmed.

I could write forever about its many problems, but I think I summed up my opinion pretty well.… Expand
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6
LB3Dec 27, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I don't know if I'm actually surprised by how mediocre this move was.

Obviously, George Lucas' original vision was a tough act to follow. Also considering the fact of the sci-fi and super hero movies we've seen since the original trilogy--including the prequels--that admittedly may have unfairly set the bar of expectation far too high for this film to overcome.

I will firstly go over what they got right:

-- Strong female lead: Although it's sad to say, but Hollywood tends to fall short on strong, multi-dimensional female lead characters--particularly in movies of this genre. Rey was no Disney princess in that she didn't flail around with that insufferable need to be romantically entangled. I also like the way the film handled Fin's misguided notion of "damsel in distress" syndrome, as she was perfectly capable of navigating her destiny without his intervention. Kudos for that.

-- The nostalgia: Yeah, we get it. This move IS part of the venerable "Star Wars" lore. So yes, it did what it had to do in order to tip a hat towards the movies that preceded it in an honest and respectful manner. This however is also something of a proverbial double-edged sword, in that I can't help but feel that we could have gotten that same sense of nostalgia in roughly 15 minutes of screen time. I am somewhat disheartened that this movie didn't have the courage to stand too distant from the original sexology.

On a personal note, I AM happy that this movie didn't serve to insult the audience's collective intelligence. No cheap shots or campy, "kiddie" humor moments that even Lucas couldn't resist. This film was a bit more sober than that in a very welcome sort of way.

The high point of the movie for me was General Hux'es not-so-subtle Hitler speech before the pounding of the doomsday button. The nerd in me was duly pleased.

Now onto what was unfortunately lackluster about The Force Awakens:

-- Thin on plot: This movie wasn't particularly compelling--especially not for what has been purported as a must-see film anything short of the return of Christ himself. YES, I am wholly sympathetic on the size of shoes Abrams had to fill. But this is where the move could have benefitted from standing-out more on its own. It's a tough call for sure, knowing that you have so many fans suffering from nostalgia fetish to please. Instead, we get a series of deus ex machina laden coincidences that amble the story along haplessly from one situation to another. YES, we can imply that the underlying "FORCE" plot device was weaving its tacit magic behind the scenes. But I shouldn't have to reach for this conclusion. There were already enough potential 4th wall breaks to accommodate some prototypically ancient wise character turning to the audience and saying, "...what...did you honestly think this all of such-and-such actually happened randomly on its own accord? (Yada yada) The FORCE..."

-- Weak black lead character: While I applaud Hollywood for taking a chance with a predominant black lead character, I am disappointed that they had to make him out to be the most feeble of our motley heroes. Okay, okay...I GET IT: Fin represents the nameless, faceless lackey that begets all Storm Troopers. And narratively, he is the lowly "everyman", Joe the Plumber reference that we are supposed to be able to relate to. But his twitchy mannerisms were something short of cowardice in the most unflattering way. Like I said, I get it: His character showed obvious growth even during this movie, nodding at even more potential character growth in the sequels to this...sequel. But the comedic reveal of his actual vocation didn't have the effect the writers intended on me, personally. I guess we're supposed to be satisfied enough with our lead heroine and not complain about another black stereotype stumbling around foolishly like a court jester. C'mon, Hollywood: You CAN do better than this!

-- Closure: It seems as though the writers burned so much time in nostalgic reverence that the climax of the film seemed hurried, abrupt, and artificial. I don't know why they felt they HAD to bookend this particular installment. For example...

****WARNING: HUGE SPOILERS BELOW*****

...I am constantly confused by how the Empire or First Order or whatever the "bad guys" want to call themselves fail to overcome the design flaws of their respective ultimate weapons. I mean--come on--seriously: A SINGLE X-Wing fighter takes out the planet-killing doomsday device AGAIN??? This was THE most egregiously tiresome aspect of the film, and what honestly pushed it down a few pegs to mediocrity for me.

On a more personal note: I am sourly disappointed that NONE of the new bad guys illicit the same intense fear that any of the previous villains had. Instead, we get a mousy, angsty, tantrum-throwing punk that looks like he got picked on one too many times on the playground; unforgivably weak.… Expand
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6
KirillvhDec 28, 2015
"The Meh awakens": Almost no originality, same old concepts blended together with different characters.
That said the acting, action and effects were good. Overall a decent if somewhat Meh movie.
14 of 29 users found this helpful1415
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6
Will_RJan 10, 2016
It was visually pretty awesome. But as far as the story goes, it basically copy-pasted the plot from A New Hope and combined that with a nostalgic trip, reintroducing old characters. It seemed that everything was underdeveloped - characters,It was visually pretty awesome. But as far as the story goes, it basically copy-pasted the plot from A New Hope and combined that with a nostalgic trip, reintroducing old characters. It seemed that everything was underdeveloped - characters, dialogue, and the overall storyline. And in some ways, it came off as more of a big, blockbuster action movie than a genuine Star Wars film. Since I had pretty high expectations for a new Star Wars movie, I came away disappointed. I just wished that they had tried to be more original and used their imaginations some more on this one. One thing I really did enjoy though was BB-8 - I thought it was a really cute and clever character!… Expand
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5
rvndprDec 19, 2015
I'm not sure why JJ Abrams let his standards fall this low, and that too for his first installment of a cult classic like Star Wars. The characters have not been introduced well. One is not likened to "good guys", and you do not really feelI'm not sure why JJ Abrams let his standards fall this low, and that too for his first installment of a cult classic like Star Wars. The characters have not been introduced well. One is not likened to "good guys", and you do not really feel anything against the "bad guys". The relationships between the characters are not built up. That alongwith the story feels "slapped together". that is not to say that they are not building up a story to present in the following sequels. This was no "New Hope". I would have even settled for something like the "Phantom Menace", even if it included the romantic portions of the same length as that in "Attack of the Clones" !!!

Mr. Abrams - Money should have not been a consideration for this venture. There is no rule that says that these need to be a trilogy. You should have slowed down the pace of this movie and focussed on the characters. People will watch the Star Wars movies even if they had 9 parts - just look at the Harry Potter series. Please tell Disney Studios that if they want to own the Star Wars franchise, they better get the basics right. This is a bold statement from me, since I have no experience making films nor is my profession anywhere close to that sort of thing.… Expand
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5
abovethefoldDec 20, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. By Sam Adler for Above The Fold (www.abovefold.net)

ANH: Rebels attacked by Empire led Darth Vader
TFA: Rebels attacked by 1st order led by Darth Vader looking person

ANH: Droid contains plans, everyone is after it
TFA: Droid contains map, everyone is after it

ANH: Story unravels on dusty planet
TFA: Story unravels on dusty planet

ANH: Vagabonds picked up by equally vagabond persons
TFA: Vagabonds picked up by equally vagabond persons

ANH: Princess gets capture and interrogated by Darth Vader
TFA: Obviously royal descended person is interrogated by Darth Vader looking character

ANH: Darth Vader chokes man
TFA: Darth Vader looking person chokes man

ANH: Rebel recruits visit strange green planet
TFA: Resistance recruits visit strange green planet

ANH: Plans discussed on how to take out death star
TFA: Plans discussed on how to take out Death Star looking planet though to discredit moviegoers the cast tell viewers "Its not a death star". Map to Luke discussed.

ANH: Planet gets blown up
TFA: Planet gets blown up

ANH: Vagabonds sneak around death star to rescue princess
TFA: Vagabonds sneak around death star looking base to rescue princess type character

ANH: Obi Wan gets killed by Vader
TFA: Han Solo gets killed by Vader looking person type thing

ANH: X Wings go into battle
TFA: X Wings go into battle

ANH: X Wing flies in trenches of death star
TFA: X Wing flies in trenches of death star looking thing though remember, its NOT a death star.

ANH: Death star blows up
TFA: Death star blows up

ANH: Emperor looking thing
TFA: Emperor looking thing

In short. Take off your rose tinted glasses and nostalgia hat - this is a remake of ‘A New Hope’. If Lucas knew he could have won over fans he might as well have done the same. Although episodes 1-3 were weak in their plot Lucas managed to include an original storyline ruined by overacting and CGI. Episode 7 offers the entire opposite producing perfect acting, realistic cinema though fails by rehashing an old storyline. Nostalgia fans will warm to this like a hot tea cup to cold hands. Star Wars fans will be bitterly disappointed.
Unfortunately, Episode 7 is nothing short of fun and worth watching. That is about it. You could of course save yourself some money and watch episode 4 again at home.
Just remember, Episodes 1-3 were praised at the opening and preceding months of their release - outcasted and condemned months later. Lets hope episode 8 is not a remake of Empire. Though a terrible director is up to make the next one - Rian Johnson.… Expand
12 of 25 users found this helpful1213
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4
v0idDec 21, 2015
The whole episode is built on the fact that there were a lightsaber Luke inherited from Anakin. Although in 5th episode, he lost it (with his hand) in the scene "Luke, I am your father".
12 of 25 users found this helpful1213
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6
Nihil84Dec 21, 2015
Spoilers here, Good movie overall but not a great star wars movie. The generic movie goer/kids will love it.

Pros: -Good action -Not boring/fast paced story -Good comedy thrown in Cons: -A new hope remake (resistance vs new order,Spoilers here, Good movie overall but not a great star wars movie. The generic movie goer/kids will love it.

Pros:
-Good action
-Not boring/fast paced story
-Good comedy thrown in

Cons:
-A new hope remake (resistance vs new order, another death star, protagonist stuck desert, droid looking for help, mentor dies in the end)
-Laughable antagonist (weak, throws tantrums, looks like adam sandberg)
-Thin characters
-R2D2 just wakes up out of thin air with a map
-Original characters and captain phasma get no screen time other than han/chewie
-Poe, Fin, Ren, Rey...who thought of these names? and Snoke...really? darth snokie

I could go on with more cons but I think I gave enough to show my view point. They wiped the slate clean and could have wrote anything and this plot line and characters is awful. Like I stated before its going to be good for your average movie goer and star wars fan, but some fans I think will see this as a hollow movie, hopefully 8 and 9 wont be so awful.… Expand
11 of 23 users found this helpful1112
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4
KapiluxDec 22, 2015
The Force Awakens does have its moments, but it really isn't a good movie and would even be completely forgettable if it wasn't running off of the major success of the Original Trilogy. The film is aestechically pleasing and the acting isThe Force Awakens does have its moments, but it really isn't a good movie and would even be completely forgettable if it wasn't running off of the major success of the Original Trilogy. The film is aestechically pleasing and the acting is alright for the most part, but the story, writing and directing are beneath contempt. The camera shots are often lackluster or simply awkward. The writing is just plain boring and oftentimes also absolutely ridiculous as well as unbelieveable, there is also absolutely no suspense in it whatsoever. The last scene in the movie was great as well as two or three others, but everything else is either mediocre or tripe. The editing was also obviously rushed which gives the film an unfinished feel.

I am convinced that Abrams as a director as well as his fellow producers were a very bad choice after watching this movie. It can't compete with the Original Trilogy in any way and is only on par with the Prequel Trilogy at best. Not to mention that the Prequel Trilogy was at least original, SW7 however often feels like a rehash or a remake of A New Hope, which is laughably awkward for a fan of the series.

4/10 - It is only slightly better than The Phantom Menace, which is very disappointing.… Expand
9 of 19 users found this helpful910
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5
DrewGeschutzDec 21, 2015
Entertaining, but ultimately disappointing. The pacing and story arcs were fast and plentiful, as a result the story is shuffled along at light speed to serve what feels like an agenda, rather than tell a cohesive tale. The finale and plotEntertaining, but ultimately disappointing. The pacing and story arcs were fast and plentiful, as a result the story is shuffled along at light speed to serve what feels like an agenda, rather than tell a cohesive tale. The finale and plot reveals weren't surprising, they were an obvious choice -- the 'easy road' filmic devices that were exercised in an effort to herald the new generation. It painted the production as a vast industrial entertainment complex that 30 years of wonder was fed into, head first.… Expand
8 of 17 users found this helpful89
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6
mrhotmoeJan 15, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It was very safe and basic no big things other than han solo dying which people guessed before it came out. If you want a good time then this is ok not worth a second viewing… Expand
8 of 17 users found this helpful89
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6
dc127Dec 21, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I went in with very mixed expectations. The prequels set the bar so abysmally low that almost any movie put on the screen would be received with universal praise. The early reviews of the movie were exactly that, universally praising the film. After leaving the theater on opening night (woo hoo 7pm rather than midnight early releases) I was . . . underwhelmed. The film is visually spectacular and has some amazing scenes in it. Finn, Poe, and Kylo are great new characters. Han is amazing. Rey is convincing as a tough but torn individual but I hated that she is just a cypher that can literally do anything. Individuals rating the film as an 9 or 10 must have seen a completely different film than I did.

The Force Awakens opens with Poe seeking a piece of a map to Luke Skywalker from a mysterious figure on the planet Jakku. Not surprisingly the Empire, I mean Nazi's, I mean The First Order shows up disrupting Poe's plansn. The map ends up in the hands of BB8, and it is up to this little plucky droid to complete the mission. Along the way he picks up a rough and table individual who is unknowingly strong in the force and they fly around in the Millennium Falcon a lot.

Does this sound familiar a bit? This is one of the most glaring problems with the film. 90% of the movie is a retread from the previous film. I mean there is even a trench run by x-wings on a death star. Wait I mean Starkiller base. Too often the movie goes beyond fan service to downright lazy writing.

The second think that struck me the wrong way is that a good 30-40% of the film is simply setting up FUTURE films. While I like a coherent narrative, I should be able to watch a movie on its own. Who are Rey's parents? Is she Luke's kid? Why did Ben turn to the dark side? Is Snoke a Sith? How did the lightsaber get into that trunk? Why did the New Republic allow the First Order to rise? Who are the Knights of Ren? Who is Max Von Sydow's character? How is Ren able to fly a ship, fix everything, wield a lightsaber against a more heavily trained (and evil) force user. I was having flashbacks to LOST. You can introduce some unanswered questions, but the movie just had too many. Disney/Abrams clearly have gone all out on maximizing the franchise rather than making sure this movie made sense in its own right.

Check it out, but keep your expectations in check.… Expand
14 of 30 users found this helpful1416
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5
Dogboy1111Dec 18, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. My review of The Force Awakens
Hmm, where to begin? It’s a very good question and one that the writers of the latest Star Wars movie did pretty well. Things were looking good for a while, but when you look back on a good beginning it sometimes begs the other good question: How’d we end up going so wrong.
Well perhaps wrong is not quite the right word. The movie itself had some great acting and good effects, but it was hamstrung by, frankly, a lazy-a*** plot.
It’s probably easiest to list the big plot gripes rather than try to make sense of it all.
1. Why, why and why again go with the basic storyline of the original trilogy??
The “ultimate weapon” that was the Death Star resurfaces in the new “ultimate weapon”, which I presume makes the original Death Star the “penultimate weapon”… but then again we had the Death Star II, so the original becomes the “ante-penultimate weapon”, followed by DSII as the penultimate and then this new one must surely be the ultimate weapon in the universe (unless superseded by a revised and improved ultimate weapon in a later Star Wars film).
“But wait, this is different!” I hear you say, this one’s a planet, and IT’s BIGGER! Yes, yes, it’s bigger, all despots with ultimate weapons like to brag that they have the biggest ultimate weapon in the universe, but in essence it still blows up a planet, right? “No, no” I hear you call, “this one blew up 5 in one go!” Heck, you’re right, that’s really different and is certainly bigger.
But it still gets blown up by small rebel ships in the film’s finale on a tight countdown?
Not to mention, since it’s a planet orbiting a star, and it sucks the star to oblivion to power itself, and it’s a planet and doesn’t appear to have engines, how exactly does it end up firing twice? Surely if you drain your sun you’ve lost your power source, and your new and improved ultimate weapon is about as useful as Stormtrooper armour? Hmm, maybe it had a binary sun… geez, if they’d thought ahead maybe they’d have constructed it in a system with a whole bunch of suns.
Or maybe just built it as a moveable space station that could still obliterate a planet (albeit not 5 at once)

2. And speaking of sons, another brooding teen gone bad, turning on his master to score a cool red lightsabre?
“But in Episodes 2 and 3 Anakin wasn’t the son, he was just adopted. And in Episodes 4, 5 and 6, it was the father that was bad, and now it’s the son!”
Geez, original, never thought about those subtle variances. I just wish that the latest writers had thought about it a bit more and ditched that whole part of the plot, because it sucks.
If you wanted to have yet another good guy gone bad blah blah blah plot, get Luke Skywalker out of sulksville and finally have him succumb to everything Yoda saw coming.
It’s like making Darth Maul a distant relative of Anakin’s just to try to get some additional “oh my goodness, I can’t believe he’s turned out soooo bad” factor. I’m sorry son, but your Auntie had an illegitimate child and he’s gone and got himself some interesting tattoos.

Now since I’m on the soapbox I might as well list a few other gripes that aren’t quite so critical to the whole storyline.
1. Plot discussion at Disney: “Okay guys, we’re definitely going with the rehash of the ultimate weapon and the brooding teen, but how can we make it even more different? Ooo, I know boss, let’s have a funny little droid that has some secret data to deliver to the Rebel Alliance! “No, no,” there you go again, “it’s not the Rebel Alliance. This time they’re called The Resistance!”
Yup, yup, that’s true. But then again, they both begin with an “R”, fight against the evil Empire oops, Order, and still use the same ships against the same bad-guy ships.
But you’re right, the Rebels won, remember?! Yeah, Episode 6 smashed the Empire and freed the galaxy from the Sith.
The new bad guys have a completely different name that begins with a completely different vowel… but true, they’re still led by the Sith.
And we still have a funny little droid that has the all-important secret data to deliver to the good guys, but this time we’ve made it the location of Luke in sulksville, rather than the plan to the new and improved ultimate weapon, so we’re sure that it’s a new plotline.

2. Back to sulksville.
Apparently, sulksville is in such a far-flung part of the galaxy that C3PO and the Rebel, argg, Resistance computers can’t identify where it is.
I mean no-one ever gone near that huge gaping area right next to the centre of the galaxy, and whoever heard of astronomy? The sum of all knowledge was apparently destroyed in the great Jedi Temple fire.
Or maybe Luke just unleashed the bacterial midichlorians upon everyone and they’ve gone and deleted half the star files so that he can enjoy some quiet alone time somewhere near Machu Picchu. Bad midichlorians, bad, bad, bad!

Doh! I've run out of room, so I'll just skip straight to: For me, it's a solid 5 stars. Unfortunately, that rating’s out of 10 stars.… Expand
14 of 30 users found this helpful1416
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6
LAROmegaDec 19, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. (I'll keep this mostly spoiler free.)
Is this a good movie, no. Is this a bad movie, no. It's the definition of an "OK" movie. For me personally I place it around Episode 3 in my ranking of Star Wars movies. Unfortunately, and I think this will be proven out after the luster of a new Star Wars movie wears off, it's not as good as the original trilogy. I'm stating to think that the original trilogy's magic can't happen twice. Now I've thought about why this movie isn't good a lot over the past day and it comes down to the movie not explaining much of anything.

Near as I can tell the Star Wars universe in this movie has two governments, the Republic and some form of the Empire pulled together from it's remnants after Episode 6. They appear to be in some state of cold war, with the Republic funding a "Resistance" within the Empire. Now I've pieced this together from reading online and little bits of dialog during the movie because none of it is explained. It's like what I imaging watching The Avengers would be like without having seen any of the precursor (Iron Man, Capt America, Thor) movies. Except in this case the precursor movie(s) don't exist (yet?). So when a few planets are destroyed in the middle of the movie I was left guess "Was that Coruscant?" only to find out later from a throw-away line that no it was not, but not much information other than that. This trend of not explaining things repeats for much of the movie and is why I personally think it's only OK.

Many of the other things that people are complaining about are neither here-nor-there in my opinion. Yes they exist, but in many cases they're artistic choice. Abrams is good at making media with mass appeal, not at honoring existing IP (see Star Trek). Though after this and Star Trek I firmly believe Abrams has no idea how physics work, real or universe specific. =)… Expand
7 of 15 users found this helpful78
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6
KalipsysDec 21, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The force awakens feels like a two hour long trailer for episode 8...... Does not provide us with adequate information about new characters, story is unfortunately similar to the new hope. Leaving the movie theatre, i felt like the movie was way better than what i think of it right now. Why .. well maybe because i was brainwashed with unprecedented hype around it and wished so hard for it to be good that i felt it was.. Unfortunately, after a couple days of thinking about what i saw, i realized that it was Indeed A TRAP ! I do give it 6 just because they were in my opinion, successful in bringing good characters ( from the light side ) that i can't wait to see in the next two movies. Characters from the dark side were left.. well in the dark. Phasma and Hux were not necessary and felt like they were added to make Kylo Ren less lonely in his adolescence crisis. I say this movie feels like a big trailer to the next episode because not much is revealed and it's just a two hour attempt at placing cards for the next movie to come. I was not as disappointed with the new Death Star (starkiller) as many people were since it seems like it's a star wars thing to have new death stars. Beginning of the movie was beautiful, i felt what Rey felt alone on that tatooine 2 planet, struggle to survive, waiting for something greater to happen. feels similar right, well thats ok. Last scene of the movie was great too, no lines needed in that epic new generation yoda luke moment. Was done well and i taught the setting in which it was filmed suits Luke just like Dagobah was right for a character like Yoda. Predictable movie, good actor characters on the light side, terrible characters on the dark side from lack of information about their background + bad acting ( my god General Hux).. Phasma ( noticed her existence because she wears chrome. The force in starwars is there, you can have it, but you must train it and learn about it, i cannot be handed out to you for free or when you need and are in imminent danger, close your eyes and make the force save your butt. Does not work like that.. Rey did survive the whole movie pressing the magic FORCE button to save herself and others. That was very disappointing. Luke had to learn it but Rey looked and felt as powerful and wise as Obi-Wan. Very nice pictures, i did enjoy how real the movie felt compared to 90% blue and green screens from prequels. Now try to please every one in this world, you will fail. JJ did not screw it he just made something that could reach everyone ( to make ridiculous amount of money ) but what could we expect. It could not be only directed to hard core fans either. Star Wars was never a movie to go see and analyse it too much. It was and still is entertainment, princesses and sword fights in the future... Go see the movie without too much expectations and you will be satisfied without finding it epic and well why would another star wars movie ever be better than the first ones.. i cannot happen. if you go see a movie that takes place in a series of 7 episodes so far.. well prepare to see similarities and calls to nostalgia along the way. In my opinion, the originals should have just been left alone forever that had touched a never before seen amount of people from all generations. In this decision to continue the story of starwars, the force awakens was ok as long as you never expect a star wars to be better than the originals... well because, starwars was new and had space to be creative.… Expand
7 of 15 users found this helpful78
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5
morventhusDec 19, 2015
The movie while entertaining.... IS LEGITIMATELY episode 4 and 5 shoved together and slightly rewritten... its enjoyable but leaves you wanting more. Some deaths are highly predictable and when the movie does take moments to be its own entityThe movie while entertaining.... IS LEGITIMATELY episode 4 and 5 shoved together and slightly rewritten... its enjoyable but leaves you wanting more. Some deaths are highly predictable and when the movie does take moments to be its own entity its short lived and goes back to retrending old ground.… Expand
13 of 28 users found this helpful1315
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5
vatore007Dec 19, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. THIS MOVIE SUCKS!!! The plot is the EXACT same as Episode 4, EXACTLY....NO imagination went into the plot. Luke isn't even in the movie until the very end for 5 seconds and he was the only one I wanted to see. Everyone raving about the movie probably never saw the original trilogy. This is just strong evidence that audiences are getting dumber and dumber. The plot was SOOO predictable and this is just another special effects showcase movie. The lightsaber duels SUCK ASS, too. And HOW DUMB is the new death star?? It sucks up an entire sun and then shoots a planet. Well, IF YOU SUCK UP THE SUN IN A SOLAR SYSTEM, YOU WON'T HAVE TO SHOOT THE PLANETS, THERE WOULD BE NO MORE GRAVITY TO KEEP THEM IN PLACE!!! SOOOOOO STOOOOOOPID… Expand
13 of 28 users found this helpful1315
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6
izalco70Jan 2, 2016
The film is a lot of fun, but as others have mentioned, it is a remake of episode 4, except that rather than having the talent spread out among several characters, it is now wholly concentrated in one, named Rey. They left no room forThe film is a lot of fun, but as others have mentioned, it is a remake of episode 4, except that rather than having the talent spread out among several characters, it is now wholly concentrated in one, named Rey. They left no room for development for the character, since they have made her an unparalleled expert at everything. Why does the resistance need to find Luke if they already have Rey?… Expand
13 of 28 users found this helpful1315
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6
Batman6794Dec 29, 2015
The good: The effects look good for the most part, particularly the light sabers. There is some good banter and funny dialogue throughout.

The bad: The script follows the pattern of the original almost beat for beat without adding anythingThe good: The effects look good for the most part, particularly the light sabers. There is some good banter and funny dialogue throughout.

The bad: The script follows the pattern of the original almost beat for beat without adding anything valuable. The new characters don't develop much depth. The story lurches from one set piece to the next, connected only by forced coincidences that strain credibility at first, and then push well beyond it.

Not as ugly as the painful prequels, but not very good either.… Expand
12 of 26 users found this helpful1214
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6
GuntherUltrabolDec 30, 2015
The plot was too familiar. The villian... watered down. The hero... watered down. Scene after scene I kept saying to myself; "I've seen this before in another Star Wars episode". I think anyone Star Wars fan will leave this movieThe plot was too familiar. The villian... watered down. The hero... watered down. Scene after scene I kept saying to myself; "I've seen this before in another Star Wars episode". I think anyone Star Wars fan will leave this movie feeling the same way.… Expand
12 of 26 users found this helpful1214
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6
sewandsewsDec 19, 2015
Star Wars The Force Awakens
As much as i enjoyed the film i came away with the feeling i had seen it all before. The George Lucas films were all original from a complete story he already had in his head. This film was a clone of the firstStar Wars The Force Awakens
As much as i enjoyed the film i came away with the feeling i had seen it all before. The George Lucas films were all original from a complete story he already had in his head. This film was a clone of the first three films, nothing original same story line with a few twists here and there. A droid had an important message a Jedhi had been turned to the dark side, plus a similar kind of Death Star energy weapon that could destroy planets. Too many similarities to mention, just a reboot of an old story.… Expand
12 of 26 users found this helpful1214
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6
sadwomanDec 19, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Lacks the magic of the original, which I think stems from a focus on rushing our characters from one action setpiece to another, denying them the time needed to interact with each other, develop their characters, form meaningful relationships, and ultimately grow on the audience.

The commitment to practical effects and costumed actors as aliens waivers with the introduction of two mo-cap cgi abominations that couldn't have looked more out of place. (Maz and Supreme Leader Snoke)

I haven't decided whether the fan-service moments were over the top or if my cringing was due more to the reaction of the audience that cheered and clapped every time they saw something they recognized.

There were still a few effective moments despite how boring the movie ultimately was. A certain someone's death is felt by Leia as a painful disturbance in the force, a nice character moment. Rey picking up a lightsaber to defend her friend despite having no training is also impactful.

Ultimately, it looks like a Star Wars movie, but it's been reduced to generic action schlock, and you're likely to walk away having little to no interest in revisiting this cinematic universe.… Expand
12 of 26 users found this helpful1214
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4
TubaFettDec 20, 2015
Just another Star Wars remake, right down to rescuing a damsel in distress from a Death Star knockoff. The characters were not convincing, which I pin more on the script than the acting, and the entire film seems rushed. It's good for smallJust another Star Wars remake, right down to rescuing a damsel in distress from a Death Star knockoff. The characters were not convincing, which I pin more on the script than the acting, and the entire film seems rushed. It's good for small children or those who've never seen the original trilogy and don't know any better.… Expand
12 of 26 users found this helpful1214
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5
TragicShowDec 20, 2015
As far as movies go, this is pretty much the definition of one that is neither good nor bad. The movie pays homage to the original trilogy, although some would argue that it does too much so. The visual effects are undeniably fantastic, yetAs far as movies go, this is pretty much the definition of one that is neither good nor bad. The movie pays homage to the original trilogy, although some would argue that it does too much so. The visual effects are undeniably fantastic, yet the story is severely lacking.

The visual effects look great and the use of puppets instead of CGI actually contributes to the look of the film. However, there are too many times when the camera jumps around and shakes during certain action scenes. The look of the movie is probably the best thing it has going for it. The acting is this movie is pretty good. While appearances of the original characters are pretty random and convenient, they all mix with each other nicely.

While I won't spoil anything, the plot is very unoriginal. The first act on Jakku was probably my favorite part of the film because it was consistent, had combat that made sense, and actually had a significant amount of character development. After that, the movie speeds up and tries to introduce too many things while leaving a plethora of loose threads which really shouldn't exist. I know it's the first part in a trilogy, but do we really need to wait two years just to find out why C3P0's arm is red?

The general consensus I've heard is that it's a lot better than the prequels but slightly worse than the original trilogy. I would argue that it is instead slightly better than EP 1&2, a little worse than EP 3, and significantly worse than the original trilogy. The movie has great effects, sound, and acting. Unfortunately, that's about all it has going for it, and in this day of technological advancement, that isn't enough to save it from being a mediocre movie.… Expand
6 of 13 users found this helpful67
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6
Karterii1993Dec 21, 2015
Over the past couple of years, Hollywood has made an attempt to bring back as many successful franchises from the past as possible, either through reboots or straight-up sequels. Needless to say, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens isOver the past couple of years, Hollywood has made an attempt to bring back as many successful franchises from the past as possible, either through reboots or straight-up sequels. Needless to say, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens is one of those attempts, and it is definitely one of the better ones! With that being said, it was still not as convincing of a return as I had hoped due to the awfully predictable script, and the lack of any surprising and exciting moments.

The first half of the movie is deceiving. The Force Awakens has a very strong start, and it feels quite different from any of the other Star Wars movies. It was a surprisingly dark and shocking opening, and it is very unfortunate that it turned out to be the height of the movie. It was a promising introduction to this new story, and that was mostly due to the introduction new villain, Kylo Ren, who felt like a genuine threat.

That feeling of dread dissipates after the first thirty minutes or so, as you start noticing that there is nothing to really worry about. It’s not that the tone changed or anything like that, but I just felt as though I misunderstood the movie at first. The threat isn’t as big as I thought, the villain isn’t as threatening as I thought, and the characters sure as heck weren’t as powerless as I imagined. Don’t get me wrong, the movie still wants you to think that everyone’s in trouble, but you won’t feel any sort of worry at all as the characters seem to be doing just fine… In fact, they are doing far too well.

This problem is further compounded by the lack of action scenes. If the characters could at least do something cool and exciting during an action scene (a la the prequels), you wouldn’t even mind the lack of urgency and cheer for them regardless. However, the characters are written to be and act weak, yet appear to be very strong and capable considering how easily they deal with adversity, and that just leaves you with nothing to worry about and nobody to cheer for.

But besides all of that, the biggest problem with this movie is that you have already seen it before - especially if you have just re-watched the original Star Wars trilogy in anticipation for this new entry in the series. That is a common problem with these modern re-imaginings or continuations of older franchises, as they tend to simply retell the same stories that were told many years ago. However, this one is so upfront about shoving as many cameos and scenes from the original trilogy into these two hours that it feels like cheap fanfiction. It got so bad that I drifted off during the climax of the movie, because I was really just re-watching the same scene from ‘A New Hope’.

The whole movie left me baffled by the fact that I really did predict the entire second half of the movie. I was sure that I was being misled at first and that the movie would throw something unexpected at me at the end, but no, the second half really is just a copy and paste job of scenes from the previous movies. Again, this is really unfortunate because the first half was so wonderfully unique.

The thing that bothered me the most about this lack of new ideas was that there was no effort put into showing off new environments in the Star Wars universe. You have been to these planets before (even though they are 'new'), and you have seen all these ships before, and you have seen these weapons before (except the oh-so-shocking cross-guard light saber). It’s fine to keep things the same if you have new stories to tell, but if you don’t have new stories to tell you better change everything else to make the old seem new again. Unfortunately, that just was not the case here.

With all of that said, this is by no means a bad movie, and if you are already a Star Wars fan, it is probably worth the price of admission! If you aren’t a Star Wars fan, though, I do not see how you could get much out of this movie. The only few exciting scenes rely completely on nostalgia, and if you haven’t seen these old characters before or seen these old ships before, there is nothing for you here except the first 30 minutes. If you want to jump into Star Wars, watch the other movies first! After all, you can’t enjoy fanfiction without being a fan first.… Expand
6 of 13 users found this helpful67
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6
lifeofbrianDec 22, 2015
Take episode 4 and give it better graphics and modern language (like the use of "boyfriend") and you've got JJ's Star Wars. Its an entirely forgettable movie. Its better than the prequels, but still worse than all of the originals.
11 of 24 users found this helpful1113
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6
CaptiosusDec 20, 2015
I walked into the theater very excited. From all accounts, it looked like Abrams was treating this franchise with a high amount of reverence. I also really liked the idea of a Stormtrooper who regained his independence, breaking free of theI walked into the theater very excited. From all accounts, it looked like Abrams was treating this franchise with a high amount of reverence. I also really liked the idea of a Stormtrooper who regained his independence, breaking free of the groupthink brainwashing. When I left the theater 2.5 hours later, I was completely deflated.

Ultimately the movie felt like a checklist of nostalgia items being ticked off of a page rather than attempting something new. The entire plot is the exact same as Episode 4 (so much so that there is a MadLibs style image floating around the net showing how one can transpose names and have the exact same film). Lightsaber battles, check. TIE fighter versus X-Wing big battle sequence, check. Fascist gestapo imagery, check.

Since Abrams and Kasdan didn't bother with any meaningful backstory on the last 30 years of the Galaxy, the Republic, the Resistance, and the First Order were hollow plot devices. Kylo Ren didn't evoke any emotion from me as a villain should, he simply seemed cliche, a milquetoast villain who is bad simply because we're told he's bad. Bad storytelling, poor pacing, nonexistent character development, and frenetic cinematography. Harrison Ford really carries the middle part of the film with his reprisal of Han Solo.

When the honeymoon period wears off, I have a feeling more people will realize this movie is mediocre (much like they did with Phantom Menace, which also got rave reviews early on). As we left, I turned to my wife and said, "Disney obliterated all of the expanded universe for THAT?" There were tons of better post-RotJ books that could have been adapted into a new trilogy but now they're all 'erased', replaced with this poor shell of a movie.… Expand
14 of 31 users found this helpful1417
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4
schwegsDec 19, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Good: Rey is amazing, Han is amazing (really brings the energy). Overall a very fun adventure. Well directed. Can't wait for episode 8.
The Bad: The betrayal of Han was really inappropriate. Not the fact it happened, but the way in which it was done -- Star Wars is supposed to be a story of redemption, not of a son pretending to turn to the light side to murder his father, arguably the most loved hero in the franchise, without any chance of defending himself. It's a cheap hollywood emotion trick, where everything the movie says is that he's going to turn to the light side, and then says "psyke! just kidding, we lied". Additionally, there is so much fan service done to A New Hope it felt like the movie was a joke at times. I enjoyed the prequels, and this felt like the producers were so afraid of being unpopular by the outspoken haters, they re-made A New Hope in a different setting. Give it time and I think people will see this movie doesn't stand on its own - that is, without knowing it was made to appease OT fans, it will be really confusing to watch.… Expand
13 of 29 users found this helpful1316
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4
imthatoneguyDec 18, 2015
A soulless remake of A New Hope. The Prequels were terribly written, the acting was razzie worthy and the directing non-existent but at least they tread new territory. The Force Awakens is a substandard New Hope clone that never getsA soulless remake of A New Hope. The Prequels were terribly written, the acting was razzie worthy and the directing non-existent but at least they tread new territory. The Force Awakens is a substandard New Hope clone that never gets past "Previously on Star Wars...".… Expand
13 of 29 users found this helpful1316
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5
NasmrDec 18, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. SPOILER TO THE MOVIE.

I was so hyped to see this film, I booked the tickets online and had butterflies leading up. By the time I was in my seat
and that iconic starting theme to star wars played I had actual adrenaline pumping through me ready to see the biggest movie of
the year.

The movie starts and I'm met to the view of a looming star destroyer, a great homage to the beginning of episode 4!

Then the empire defeats and overwhelms the rebels, with a rebel leader having a microchip that contains crucial information to the war between the rebels and empire. He then hides it into a droid unit and it escapes....very much like 4....

Then a down on their luck hero who yearns for adventure whilst stuck on a desert planet finds the droid and is thrust in to the action- OH COME ON JJ!

The entire plot is Episode IV verbatim! Due to this fact that we've seen it before, it leaves me the viewer engaged with the story as we all know how it's going to play out. By the end of the film it feels empty, with me going "nothing happened!". Even the movies twist is predictable...so predictable I speculated Hans fate the day before.
And nothing did happen. Nothing new is introduced into the star wars universe and no progression happens in the slightest.
I bet if we took the future Episode VIII and cut the beginning intro text of VII, nobody who skipped 7 would be confused in the slightest.

The only redeeming quality of this film is it's use of practical effects, which create vehicles and ships with actual weight when you view it in motion. Whatever he did he did it right there.… Expand
13 of 29 users found this helpful1316
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6
TheGreatBakerDec 25, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie was truly surprising.
A new addition to the Star Wars movie collection has just been completed but it has some major flaws that are hard to get around. The biggest problem this movie has is that is relies an extreme amount on the original ideas that were presented in the original trilogy. The entire end problem of the movie is exactly the same as episode IV, except in this movie instead of it being a normal Death Star, it's a planet that they converted into a Death Star. The heroes even solve it the same way as the original Death Star, by going down a long trench in an X-Wing and shooting something small and blowing it up. Also the main antagonist is a complete mirror of Darth Vadar, but they ruin it by having Kylo Ren remove his mask and his mysterious back story within the first half of the movie. There is also the ending duel between Kylo, Finn, and Rey that is poorly written. Kylo first defeats Finn in a one on one lightsaber duel that isn't too bad, but after that Kylo is set up against Rey in another one on one and it looks like Kylo is about to kill Rey because he is far more experienced and more powerful than she is. Then Rey gets a massive skill and ability boost out of nowhere that she uses to defeat Kylo and almost kill him. Poorly written end fight to say the least. There are other grievances, but those are the big ones.
Beyond those complaints the movie still shows many positive features throughout. The entire production quality and looks are simply stunning. The wonderful addition of new characters like Finn and Rey are a great aspect of the movie with their personalities being something that people can enjoy. Along with bringing back some favorable characters like Han and Chew. The movie also is a first for the franchise to successfully add comedy to its production.
Overall the movie is a decent Star Wars film that certainly has the feel of one, but it is in good supply of poor writing and copying from the previous films. It is worth a watch, but as a long Star Wars fan I believe that this is not on the level of the original three.… Expand
12 of 27 users found this helpful1215
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5
BitmouseJul 18, 2016
I really didn't like that they used Han Solo as a two dimensional prop. It doesn't feel like they really did the original Star Wars justice. Abrams, for what he is good at, isn't very good at directing depth. I would venture this is becauseI really didn't like that they used Han Solo as a two dimensional prop. It doesn't feel like they really did the original Star Wars justice. Abrams, for what he is good at, isn't very good at directing depth. I would venture this is because he has spent too much time working on his career and hasn't developed very much personal depth. For every thing we accomplish in our life we fail to accomplish another.

That being said it was excellent in many ways. Particularly it's pacing and it ability to transition from scenes of one gestalt to another.

Again, that being said, it left me feeling insulted as a Star Wars fan, the original cast and story was more or less dismissed. It is understandable, much of the original cast is in a very different place than they were during the first trilogy. However, I still didn't feel that they captured the Star Wars feel, which was something I imagine most fans wanted.

I think it is a fill that can be enjoyed by many, but as someone who grew up with Star Wars, it sort of drives home the message that at least in it's current iteration the original feel won't be found.… Expand
4 of 9 users found this helpful45
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5
BlacklucDec 19, 2015
This is my attempt for a very short and spoiler free review. I am known to be a Star Wars fan, but I wasn't over hyped about this movie. I was too afraid that they would handle it... exactly the way they handled it. Even without expectingThis is my attempt for a very short and spoiler free review. I am known to be a Star Wars fan, but I wasn't over hyped about this movie. I was too afraid that they would handle it... exactly the way they handled it. Even without expecting much, I was disappointed.

TFA is aimed towards fans of the OT, way too much. It's a blatant and tasteless remake of ANH. The first minutes of the movie failed to captivate me (which is VERY important in a movie), and so was the rest of it. It felt like an over introduction of characters or elements that we already know, seen or heard too many times with tons of quotes and references that should have been subtle, not prominent. The characters are dull and definitely lack depth. I did have few laughs and I was entertained, which wasn't the case for the two people next to me in the theater that were sleeping. The movie was too flat and predictable. I'm guessing that somebody who knows nothing about Star Wars could enjoy it or old fans who wished to see exactly what they saw back then, with way too many references to it. I will be hated for this, but even with George's bad writing, I prefer EP3 to this movie. It was good though to see real sets and not just CGI.… Expand
11 of 25 users found this helpful1114
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4
Eyeball_PaulDec 29, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After watching Episode VII, here is my synopsis for Episode VIII:

The movie begins on an ice planet, where a First Order probe has landed. The probe identifies the new location of the Resistance base on the planet. Meanwhile, inside the base, Finn wakes up and finds out that Rey has left. He then indicates his wishes to find her. Before he sets off, the base is attacked by First Order troops. Cue battle scene where Poe and Finn kick ass. Finn then sets off to find Rey.

Back at the Island planet seen at the end of Episode VII, Luke trains Rey in the ways of the Force. Luke is amazed that Rey grasps the concepts of the Force so easily and already knows so much. Luke naturally thinks nefarious thoughts and thinks something is not quite right.

Back in space, Finn is captured by the First Order. Rey senses this through her incredible knowledge of the Force and sets of to find him, despite Luke's warning that she is not ready and she needs to complete her training.

Rey flies to the Star Destroyer Finn is held on. After kicking Stormtrooper ass, she comes face to face with Kylo Ren (again). Ren gives a speech about how he is now more powerful since he has completed his training. Cue the inevitable lightsaber fight where, at the end of the battle, it is revealed that Ren and Rey are siblings. "Noooooooo" proclaims Rey who then proceeds to slice off one of Kylo Ren's limbs. Finn and Rey then escape.

Kylo Ren then slumps off to Snoke. Snoke then orders a full scale attack on the Resistance with their new superweapon, which we will see in Episode XI..... THE END.… Expand
11 of 25 users found this helpful1114
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6
meediocreJan 8, 2016
A thrilling and fun movie, but riddled with so many copycat moments, same-old plot developments and implausible scenarios, that you can't help feeling that Disney, like the recent Battlefront game, have tried to appeal the broadcast possibleA thrilling and fun movie, but riddled with so many copycat moments, same-old plot developments and implausible scenarios, that you can't help feeling that Disney, like the recent Battlefront game, have tried to appeal the broadcast possible audience - there's nothing original or interesting about this new film, but it is pretty entertaining I suppose.… Expand
14 of 32 users found this helpful1418
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6
Mak54291Dec 22, 2015
6.5

Good movie and well made: Nice cgi and sound. Music is also good. But repetitive story considering the past movies and extreme luck to a lot of people.
7 of 16 users found this helpful79
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6
onenaghiDec 21, 2015
The Force Awakens plays it safe. It is not a bad movie, by any means. The new characters, Rey and Finn are interesting enough, and the acting and action are overall very satisfying. However, the plot is unoriginal and the story and worldsThe Force Awakens plays it safe. It is not a bad movie, by any means. The new characters, Rey and Finn are interesting enough, and the acting and action are overall very satisfying. However, the plot is unoriginal and the story and worlds are lackluster. Neither does Kylo Ren have the presence of other Star Wars villains. Some of the better moments of the movie depend on the nostalgia of the audience. What does Star Wars become when it is left uninspired and unimaginative? It becomes an exercise in the routine, just another Hollywood blockbuster. It is certainly the weakest of the 7 movies so far, but there is still plenty of hope for this new trilogy if Disney can find some better writers.… Expand
7 of 16 users found this helpful79
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6
Toophat82Dec 20, 2015
Honestly while not a bad movie it wasn't great either as a fan of the movies and original canon of books I would give it a 6 out of 10 rating as the movie script wise would have been a lot better had it been able to and followed the originalHonestly while not a bad movie it wasn't great either as a fan of the movies and original canon of books I would give it a 6 out of 10 rating as the movie script wise would have been a lot better had it been able to and followed the original canon and story of the books with solo twins as if you read books and then watched this movie you would easily understand what could have been as story wise it was on the weak side compared to what it could have been.Hopefully next film is a lot more then this first outing. Some of the character potrayals seemed off point and not genuine to the characters being played and let's just say some of the cast was young and it showed as you wouldn't expect a storm trooper to act all as goofy and childish as Poe did in the movie but instead a bit more hardened from his training and time with them considering all he must seen and gone through and nevermind the way Rey and Poe acted around each other and together made me think I was back in high school again and not in a Star Wars film that's is for sure and while maybe that had nothing to do with it and probably had more to do with the direction and what was given to them to play then the actual acting itself. Nevermind that at times movie left you with more questions then actual answers and wondering what's what and how did this get to this point in first place les just say I hope the next film has a lot more then what this first outing gave us and was that's for sure. As a Star Wars fan of course I will always want to watch any Star Wars film and reccomend anyone to do same that's just the fan in me but I won't lie or hype up a movie no matter how much of a fan I am and always be genuine in how I felt about movie.… Expand
7 of 16 users found this helpful79
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6
moviescriticnetJan 1, 2016
I know everyone expects me to rate this with A+. Well, I m sorry but I'm not American, so that's not going to happen.
If you are a Star Wars fan, that is a nerd erected by childish light swords, stupid robots and hairy creatures, then you'llI know everyone expects me to rate this with A+. Well, I m sorry but I'm not American, so that's not going to happen.
If you are a Star Wars fan, that is a nerd erected by childish light swords, stupid robots and hairy creatures, then you'll be thrilled to know that the movie respects it's past, picks up where the last six (!) episodes left and generally speaking it will definitely please the fans of the series. Nevertheless the movie is disrespectful with those who seek something new and lacks emotion. The most strange and spectacular things will happen (again) but there is nothing to remember the next day. Compared to it, the latest Mad Max entry seems like a philosophical work. What I'm keeping from this movie is the performance of Daisy Ridley (currently no 1 in imdb starometer), an unknown English actress starring as Rey, that you'll be hearing about in the future.

Grade: C+… Expand
7 of 16 users found this helpful79
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5
cameron4225Dec 20, 2015
I really wanted to love this one. It had so much hype and the characters seemed so cool. It started off great and the end fight was amazing, however, after it ended I couldn't help but wonder what was missing. It left me with a sour taste inI really wanted to love this one. It had so much hype and the characters seemed so cool. It started off great and the end fight was amazing, however, after it ended I couldn't help but wonder what was missing. It left me with a sour taste in my mouth. Sure the movie must have looked good on paper, but it just turned out stale and mediocre. The characters were indeed designed well, but the story just didn't make sense and the acting was forced. I just wasn't invested In the characters and they all felt light actors and actresses trying to play a role. It was like watching expansive fan-fiction. It felt like it wanted to be part of the star wars universe but didn't understand what that really meant. Instead it turned out to be a mash-up of things ive seen before. It was just uninspired and although it was entertaining, as a blockbuster should be, It wasn't new and felt like a blatant copy. Just fake. My score would be higher if it wasn't star wars… Expand
7 of 16 users found this helpful79
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4
RadarE33Dec 20, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Not as bad as the prequels, but JJ's unfortunately let his mistakes with the new Star Trek series bleed in here, and the result is a mess. The movie starts off well enough, introducing us to the Empire (Or, the First Order) getting down to business--namely, killing innocent civilians. Yet, the script never bothers to explain who some of the supporting characters are or their motivations... They're just there to help out and show how bad the big baddie of our movie is. With exception to the side character issue, the intro helped to draw me into the film, which is a shame because the rest of the movie drew me out of the experience. The two leads, through circumstance, are hounded by the First Order after a droid carrying plans to the whereabouts of Luke Skywalker is told to flee the opening's carnage by... um, "Ace Pilot" (They didn't characterize him or have him in the film enough for me to remember his actual name), and thus, steal the Millennium Falcon from a junk yard and flee Jakku to escape. From here, the plot turns into a mess, with the leads meeting up with Han Solo and Chewie, engaging in some shenanigans, and then being attacked by the Empire again after they try to find Leia. This entire stretch was for the most part long, boring, and tedious, reeking of the monster chase from Star Trek 2009. Rey inevitably gets kidnapped, the Empire's new contrived super weapon is revealed, planets are blown up, and pants across the universe are collectively shat in. The resolution sees the Resistance (The Rebels, who work with the "Republic" but aren't actually in power) attacking... um, "Not Hoth" (a name was never given for the planet) with a paltry force of X-wings in an effort to destroy this new super weapon, which inspires terror across the galaxy with the soul shaking name of...yeah sorry, they didn't name this one either. Blasters are fired, X-wings go "pew, pew, pew", and Kylo Ren confronts our heroes in a climatic showdown. Sadly, this isn't nowhere near as exciting as it sounds. The execution of this script is lackluster at best, with numerous plot holes and logical gaffes that were unsurprising to myself, given JJ's consistent inability to learn from his mistakes. I expect this from amateur first time writers and not AAA Hollywood productions. While the blaster fights were decent for the most part, the fighter combat was a blur of motion and shaky cockpits, reminding me more of the show Super Human Samurai than actual Star Wars. No detail is given around the pilots surroundings, which helped the audience to see and feel what the pilot was going through in the original trilogy. Instead, we get random fighters being shot down. There was better fighter combat pay off in Independence Day, and while both of these movies used CGI, the former looks better and more realistic: Force Awakens' fighter combat and ship aesthetics look like a cheap video game. The Lightsaber combat is clunky and awkward as hell, and that's coming from someone who likes the Prequel and Original Series' fighting styles. As for the cast, new comer Finn, of whom I was concerned was being shoehorned in due to identity politics, actually surprised me. He's a good character... which unfortunately cannot be said about Rey, the female lead in Force Awakens. One part insufferable, one part savant, she the embodiment of the all too common "Mary Sue" Trope, the heights of which reach ridiculous levels at the end of the film's final confrontation. Whenever there's a problem that Finn can't shoot at, Rey's there to pull a miracle play out of her ass. This gets painful as Rey starts gaining force abilities like Mind Control while in captivity--out of thin air. No guidance, no Luke instructing her through the Force--all it takes is Rey's gender to fuel her abilities, leading to her being able to overpower Klyo Ren, a fallen jedi who trained for years under Luke. Speaking of mistakes, Klyo Ren is horribly miscast, and as soon as his mask comes off, both his character and his struggles can no longer be taken seriously. At that point, he sounds and acts more like a whiny emo who fears to confront daddy about his lifestyle choices. All in all, it's not as bad as the prequels. It is however, more reminiscent of Bioware and EA's treatment of the Star Wars universe with SWTOR, where they screw up more than they improve. If you're a fan and are still dead set to see this, then go ahead. If you aren't, or are not a fan, then avoid. It's a shame: we were finally free of Lucas's meddling, only to have JJ try and re-enact his childhood fantasy battles on screen. What a waste.… Expand
9 of 21 users found this helpful912
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6
SpectralAnubisDec 26, 2015
Star Wars: Episode VII will clearly go down as one of the best box office successes. It is very evident, why too. Consumers eat this level of brand up. Is it a "good" movie though? I'd argue it has merit, yet most of movie viewing is entirelyStar Wars: Episode VII will clearly go down as one of the best box office successes. It is very evident, why too. Consumers eat this level of brand up. Is it a "good" movie though? I'd argue it has merit, yet most of movie viewing is entirely subjective. Will it satisfy, your inner geek and lover of space adventure? Yes, it will. Will it satisfy your craving for the Star Wars franchise? Probably, but pieces of you will be disappointed or entirely jaded. Episode VII is one part episode IV and one part episode V, with a dash of unexpectedness laced in.

It does have a nostalgic feel in minor parts. There are obvious hints and throwbacks to the original titles. However, it doesn't overwhelm you. The plot is a mashup, with not a lot of substance or filling. Numerous scenes seemed rushed, not that they weren't acted or shot correctly. Just it lacked information, it was moving faster than should have been. I'll frame it as a reboot, which has potential to be stronger than it's predecessors. The series going forwards, has a good deal of upside.

I give it a 6 out of 10. I recommend a viewing, if your a fan of Star Wars or not. Take it for what it is.… Expand
14 of 33 users found this helpful1419
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5
boredthorDec 18, 2015
What a beautiful and astonishing time we live in folks! Growing up watching Star Wars I would've never hoped for continuation. For me it was a completed tale with tons of expanded universe content created by the true force-touchedWhat a beautiful and astonishing time we live in folks! Growing up watching Star Wars I would've never hoped for continuation. For me it was a completed tale with tons of expanded universe content created by the true force-touched individuals. My childhood and the beginning of adulthood was a quest, a thirst for knowledge and interest. And this quest got fulfilled. Then came I-III episodes. Hated the first one, but gave it some credit. Walked out of II in the middle of the movie. (such a cheesy love scene in Star Wars? C'mon Lucas!) III was definitely not that bad. My heart pounded when I hearted sacred words of Order 66. My fanboy life was complete... Or so I thought.

JJ Abrams came out of nowhere and stated his will – Star Wars VII The Force Awakens. Everybody was hyped. I was jealous of them. So many times I've been lied and destroyed by these sequels, remakes and continuations. But I did not care. Until they touched my franchise. The one that partially got me into movies, comics and eventually – writing. It also made me learn english, but thats not the point here.

I love Star Wars. My Star Wars. My saga. Its IV V VI. These episodes. And now they tell me these precious memories will continue.

They Lied.

Sorry but its not Star Wars at all. It is, at best, a Star Wars experience. Its a rollercoaster, made by Disney in collaboration with everyone else. It might be funny, it might be nostalgic – but it has no weight. I felt empty, walking out of the cinema. And I've seen faces of the people dressed as jedi, stormtroopers and so on. They were smiling but their eyes told another tale.

This is just – not our story. If it is a story at all. I don't get why you film another episode IV with another cast and sell it on a ride of Fan service. There are a lot of Fan service. 90% of the movie is freakishly predictable. I guessed the whole plot excluding the state of Luke Skywalker. Everything else – I guessed from the trailer.

My question is – Is it really that hard to make a decent Star Wars? Don't we have enough source material to work with? Can't we put our childhood dreams and make an astonishing tale? JJ answers with this thing. Its not a bad movie, don't get me wrong. Its by a mile better than episode I. But is it what we wanted?

Did you want THAT movie people?

I know I didn't. I feared it. I tried to embrace it. Failed. Predictable, poor narrative, no sub plot. Disappointment.

None the less – great merchandise. Isn't that whats Disney is after by the end of the day?… Expand
14 of 33 users found this helpful1419
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5
kevinschmallDec 20, 2015
This is a well-made movie with no substance and lazy writing. I never figured out what the main villain's motivations were (except that he had a father?). The ending was lazy (something randomly gives them the answer on where to go nextThis is a well-made movie with no substance and lazy writing. I never figured out what the main villain's motivations were (except that he had a father?). The ending was lazy (something randomly gives them the answer on where to go next without any explanation?). This isn't a Star Wars movie...it's an action movie with fan service.

One last thing is that my favorite parts of A New Hope and The Empire Strikes were made *exceptional* once you add in the music cues from John Williams, and in this movie they just weren't there--like he knew the writing was bland and, after reading it, he wasn't up for the challenge of carrying the movie himself so he just floated through on bland music to match. I'm pretty sure in 1977 John Williams was so excited and impressed with A New Hope that he was inspired to match that caliber and those musical themes carried him throughout the original trilogy. I remember hearing one theme during this movie and the scene felt forced and the music only lasted about 3 seconds.… Expand
10 of 24 users found this helpful1014
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6
ZebunkerDec 20, 2015
It’s Star Wars. It was not ruined by trailers. It has tons of hype. It’s an experience going to see it and that’s about the best thing you can say about the movie. While the movie was a letdown it certainly fits in somewhat. Hardcore fansIt’s Star Wars. It was not ruined by trailers. It has tons of hype. It’s an experience going to see it and that’s about the best thing you can say about the movie. While the movie was a letdown it certainly fits in somewhat. Hardcore fans will be upset but new comers might find an above average blockbuster. One that certainly seems more fitting to be released in the summer. Maybe around May 22nd…

The film can be described sadly as a re-make of A New Hope. Some characters are playing different roles than there character did in the original films which is jar jarring to watch. There are some very non-star wars elements that creep in and halt the progression and pacing. It’s very messy technically speaking. It’s nice to look at, it’s hitting some of the same notches but all the instruments seem to be out of tune. It seems to look well worn, like the originals. But somehow feels barren of cool background stuff to enjoy looking at. Save for Harrison Ford’s performance, which saved this film.
Go and watch it for the experience. Enjoy the popcorn. Just don’t think about it too much or your childhood might be ruined forever.

Spoilers below

Best Actor

Harrison Ford as Han Solo steals the show. Everything else, honestly, is just filler. He drives the story and plays a huge part in setting up the other films. It’s odd that we really did not get a good story in this film. It feels more like a chapter than any of the other Star Wars films have and it does not work for the audience. It feels incomplete and missing many things. The movie felt barren. There was not much life to it other than Han Solo.

Sure the other actors did good jobs. But a lot of the shots and progression felt too close. The film was pushed along too fast. Many times characters did not get time to breath or the audience to catch up and deal with some heart breaking moments such as the poor handling of Han Solo’s predictable death. A much better way would’ve been to have Han sacrifice himself for the cause. It makes you wonder why Luke did not become aware that his best friend is in danger. Or how smart Han is and to be almost tricked by Leia into trying to save him. It’s just a bad bit of directing and could send the series down a very lackluster path.

The scenes with Han were great however while they lasted. Some elements were not the same. It’s as if Harrison knew how to play him but nobody else know what the character would do or would not do. So, sometimes he does things that seemed odd. Like trying out Chewie’s bow for the first time. In all the decades he was with him not being able to try it. Come on. We don’t buy it. Han was great.

Worst Actor

Kylo Ren was being built up as the next Vader. Literally and figuratively in the story. They really dropped the ball on this one. And this is almost more unforgivable than the poor handling of Han’s death. Kylo’s voice does not in the least bit sound intimidating. This is why Vader was done by a much better voice than the actor that played him. Something like that should’ve been done here. Use a deep throated voice, scare the pants off the audience. Nope, not here. Eventually Kylo takes his helmet off.

It’s at this moment that all the anxiety and interest and the character goes away. He acts mean at times then almost normal. Maybe it’s building to something but for a first act movie you really can’t do that. You need to classify your characters in one way. Don’t show who’s under the helmet and don’t reveal that he’s Hans’s son so early in the movie. Creating dramatic tension and cross cutting stories is George Luca’s wheel house. Sad they did not follow his previous way of handling that. You don’t’ show all your cards at once.

Honorable mention is for Captain Phasma. She had only a very minor role in the film. But what was funny was how she was being hyped up as the next women’s rights leader, a feminist for the modern world. Taking on men’s traditional roles. It was a joke and over-hyped too much.

Best Scene

The parts when the group meets up with Han Solo and fight off the pirates then to a new world, to follow the trail and see where the adventure takes you. These parts were the most exciting and interesting. It felt most like the old films and introduced many cool places and characters. It even felt like a nod to some of the novels. But even in these sections there this movie is hard to pick one scene out and say that was amazing. It was all like watching a movie where the other 6 films felt like you were being a part of the story in some way.

Worst Scene

When Han Solo dies. Not because he dies. But how it was out of character. How Han would never do that, he’s smarter than that. How everybody in the theater knew he was dead even before anything happened. And to the poor time given for Leia and Chewie to have a final goodbye. To take one of the most beloved characters and toss him off bridge like he’s trash. To die a lonely and wasteful death. Sad.… Expand
12 of 29 users found this helpful1217
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6
kbeesh82Dec 18, 2015
Before I get into my review, I want to state that I am huge Star Wars fan, having seen the original trilogy hundreds of times since I was a kid back in the 90's. Going into this new film, my expectations were high. I know JJ can write a goodBefore I get into my review, I want to state that I am huge Star Wars fan, having seen the original trilogy hundreds of times since I was a kid back in the 90's. Going into this new film, my expectations were high. I know JJ can write a good script and consider myself a fan, so i surely thought it would be better than the wacky stuff George Lucas put together for the prequels. I'm not going to write a novel here as a lot will surely be expressed by other reviewers but I wanted to lay down my main take aways after watching this film last night.

First the Good:

1. Nostalgia: This plays out like a Star Wars film - Everything about the feel, music, and direction looks like it could have been from the original just with updated technology- but no terrible CGI that we were treated to by Mr. Lucas. Things feel far more real here.

2. The characters are memorable. More so than the old standbys, they really bring life to the universe that was sorely missing from the prequels. Real emotion is felt between them and aside from a few stilted performances it really works. I wish they were able to spend more time developing a few of them.

3. Action: the light saber scenes are dog fighting are also lights years ahead of what we have seen from the prequels....they are much more exciting to watch.

The Bad:

1. Nostalgia only goes so far- playing into the collective minds of Star Wars fans is great to a point and then it just gets to be too much in the force awakens. This is a clear minus for the film

2 Plot development- what happened in the last 30 years? It would be nice if a little more was explained regarding the build up of the New Order. We are left guessing on a lot and it makes this new film feel more flat.

3. Repeated and uninspired Plot- A lot of the locales are visually exciting, but just seem like widgets to get the story from one place to the next......serving little purpose other than variety and again nostalgia. The film never really feels like it has a satisfying climax. You have seen it in another Star Wars movie before.

I left with mixed emotions- really happy that there was a new Star Wars, kind of disappointed that it just felt like a re-make of one of my all-time classics. I hope that in future ones, they can expand upon the script and produce something a bit more original. I wish i left the theatre jumping out of my seat in excitement, but sadly that is not the case.… Expand
12 of 29 users found this helpful1217
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4
theforcesucksDec 18, 2015
Mixed bag for me. The visuals and action were great. The characters were okay, though I thought Rey was overpowered and Kylo Ren/Supreme Leader Snoke were fairly meh. The story though was sub-par, nothing but a retelling of Episode IV AMixed bag for me. The visuals and action were great. The characters were okay, though I thought Rey was overpowered and Kylo Ren/Supreme Leader Snoke were fairly meh. The story though was sub-par, nothing but a retelling of Episode IV A New Hope with no suspense or excitement.

I really wonder how this one will be remembered in the end. You know, after all the excitement has passed and viewers start to be honest about what they thought of the actual movie.… Expand
12 of 29 users found this helpful1217
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5
KINGCAM93Dec 19, 2015
Firstly, I am a major fan of Star Wars, I love both the original movies and prequels.

However, I was very disappointed by this one. While the movie had some strengths (such as a strong female lead), it was simply, mediocre. TheFirstly, I am a major fan of Star Wars, I love both the original movies and prequels.

However, I was very disappointed by this one. While the movie had some strengths (such as a strong female lead), it was simply, mediocre.

The cinematography totally lacked the magical elements of the force. The villain was not a very charismatic, nor intimidating character. Most of all, the plot jumped around everywhere, randomly introducing characters and leaving events unexplained.

I felt like I was watching an over-the-top superhero movie, with endless special effects and no compelling storyline.

The Force is still asleep...… Expand
12 of 29 users found this helpful1217
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6
theRobotDec 18, 2015
Good thing about this movie is that it doesn't suck like episodes I-III. Almost no cringe moments, cheesy dialogues and plain stupid things, that were driving me mad in the aforementioned 3 episodes. On the other hand, it's a movie aboutGood thing about this movie is that it doesn't suck like episodes I-III. Almost no cringe moments, cheesy dialogues and plain stupid things, that were driving me mad in the aforementioned 3 episodes. On the other hand, it's a movie about nothing - it can be spoiled literally in 2 sentences. They just pumped it so much with action, action, action, ACTION, that there's barely room for anything else. Surely it's better than talking about retarded boring **** like in the first 3 episodes, but on the other hand, it's like a diet coke - you don't really feel filled after drinking it.

Sadly, art is also pretty much gone. Jakku and Ren planet are the only locations worth remembering, while BB8 is probably the only interestingly designed character. It feels kinda soulless, even compared to the new trilogy, not to mention the old one.

I even like the new protagonists, even though they are as hilariously politically correctly diversed as possible - I'm surprised there was no asian protagonist pushed somewhere. But they are likable, especially the black guy. On the other hand, the antagonists appear to be rather pathetic - Lord Voldemort's space clone and his wimpy, pathetic minion are lame even compared to generic Count Dooku and robot sith, whatever the hell his name was.

That being said, the movie was not boring. It might have been pretty generic, but it was not making me sleepy, like Episodes I-III or Hobbit: Battle of Five Armies were doing. It's good to see a blockbuster, that doesn't totaly suck. Some people might have expected more and they are disappointed now, but I was expecting total crap and it turned out to be above my expectations.… Expand
14 of 34 users found this helpful1420
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6
SergeantSozDec 25, 2015
Since this is Episode 7, I wanted to give it a 7 but just couldn't do it. Actually the movie is pretty decent. I was going in expecting it to be way worse but you could tell they put a lot of money in the budget, except for the writing.Since this is Episode 7, I wanted to give it a 7 but just couldn't do it. Actually the movie is pretty decent. I was going in expecting it to be way worse but you could tell they put a lot of money in the budget, except for the writing. Honestly is there any Star Wars movie with decent dialogue. Also the movie relied on bringing back old characters to let nostalgia make the movie better than it seems. So as far as the pros go, the CG looked really good and the overall story and setup for the next movies was good.

I want to give this episode a 7 out of 10, but I’m going to be brutally honest. The movie was good, but not great. I’ll keep this organized and list the good and the bad. The good – great action and special effects, nostalgic old characters, music and cinematography. The bad – new characters, lame villain, and bad writing.
Good: This is a good Star Wars movie. I would rank it in the middle below Episode 3, 5, and 6. That means it’s better than the films of the first trilogies so this one is off to a great start. The action, sound, and special effects are all suburb. Obviously they had a blank check because this is easily a billion dollar movie.
Bad: So this is a billion dollar movie but they couldn’t hire a decent writer? Honestly I can’t think of any Star Wars movie with good acting or writing. Usually the acting is terrible. This time around it’s mostly ok but my biggest problem with this movie is Fin. No I don’t hate him because he’s black. I hate him because he does not convince me that he trained his whole life to be a storm trooper. The guy is fidgety and always sucking wind (Like Jack from Lost – maybe it’s a JJ Abrams thing?). Every line that comes out of his mouth is corny. This isn’t the actors fault. It’s the writers. They clearly did not put any effort into this character. He’s just flat awful. Most of the dialogue feels forced. The conversations don’t seem natural and it seems the actors are just taking turns saying their lines. The film has plenty of one-liners and not a single chuckle in the movie theater occurred. You want a movie writer who knows how to come up with dialogue, go see Hateful Eight, because Tarantino is excellent at that. The second new character is Rey, the girl who falls prey to the cliché strong female protagonist who single handedly can take down an army of guys who were trained their entire life with a weapons she’s never even used before. She is hot though and her accent is sexy. Lastly the villain Kilo Ren or whatever is one of the weakest villains I’ve seen. I’ll wrap it up with this one question. So Fin is a Stormtrooper and he has no problem aiming a gun but every single other Stormtrooper can’t hit the broad side of the barn? The Hobbit had the same problem. The good guys cut down hordes of enemies like butter with no opposition. For the next Star Wars movies, I want to see some real WAR! The beginning of Episode 3 is what I’m talking about. Still to this day, that was one of the most exciting scenes ever.
I know I complained a lot, but go ahead and see it. Everyone is. Just hang in there until Chewy and Han Solo arrive. Then it gets good, because like I said, Fin is terrible.… Expand
7 of 17 users found this helpful710
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6
BlackriftDec 18, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well how should I start this... I love Star Wars but I was very skeptical when I heard Disney bought the rights and is continuing the franchise. Why? Because to me, that's a sign of just another corporation trying to milk every last dollar of something amazing and in the process reducing it to garbage. We see this often in the gaming industry nowadays (CoD, EA & Ubisoft products) as well as the film industry (Terminator franchise, Batman franchise, The Hobbit, etc).
But as much as I had my doubts, I still decided to give this a shot so I can judge for myself. When the trailer came out my first thoughts were 'meh, could go both ways'.
So when the movie came out, I went to the premiere. To be fair, it's quite alright for an action movie. The SFX are spot on, the scenery's cool and after all, it is set in the Star Wars universe and does a pretty good job at nailing it. But that's about it. The new characters introduced here are weak. The most interesting character I found was BB and that's saying a lot. I also believe the actor playing Kylo Ren was horribly miscast. Awesome outfit, awesome voice, kick-ass mask... and then his face. A watery eyed nerd, really?
The story is no real story at all. It's just the original story but instead of the Rebels and the Empire, you have the Resistance and the First Order. Otherwise, it's pretty much more of the same.
What really bugged me as well was the fact that they portray Kylo Ren as an awesome Sith Lord and then he gets completely owned by a teenage chick who just realized she has the force? Really? Is that all they could come up with? And I thought only jedis/siths can use lightsabers. So why was Finn suddenly fending of Ren like a pro?
Another mistake was killing of Han Solo, who was by far the coolest thing to happen to this film.
I want to like it for the sake of Star Wars... Like I said, the world, visuals, sound effects and soundtrack are awesome but the story has so many holes it's a bit ridiculous.… Expand
14 of 35 users found this helpful1421
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6
podunk411Dec 22, 2015
Solid 6 out of 10. Shocked at the rehashed story (pretty much ripped wholesale from the prequels) and endless plot holes. Because you've seen this story before (ahem) none of the story moves are surprising-- you see every move coming. TheSolid 6 out of 10. Shocked at the rehashed story (pretty much ripped wholesale from the prequels) and endless plot holes. Because you've seen this story before (ahem) none of the story moves are surprising-- you see every move coming. The acting was great (given the material) and there are some really great moments, it's just too bad J.J. Abrams & the writers couldn't come together on a more original script. This script feels written by the Disney marketing team. I still had fun watching TFA though, even if the nostalgia is a big part of it.… Expand
8 of 20 users found this helpful812
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5
NicholasTseDec 20, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I think of myself as a fan and someone who saw the original episode iv as a kid when it premiered in the late 70's. Star Wars can never be rebooted so this is the closest that they can do to reboot the franchise for the young generation. So the movie isn't really made for people like me. At the end of Return of the Jedi, we were given a happily-ever-after ending of all our favorite characters riding into the sunset. Now with episode VII, they are back, but Luke is a disillusioned Jedi gone off somewhere to find himself. Han and Leia are a divorced couple with a psychotic evil son with a temper tantrum.

Apart from my gripe about the fate of some of the original characters, the film is entertaining overall. But it is hard to overlook they basically copied some the same elements from episode IV into episode VII, and 'updated' it. For example, the new version of the Cantina is less of a watering hole than a Starbucks.

Technically, pacing of the film could have more build and rhythm particularly near the climatic battle scenes. John William's score lacks the engaging theme and hooks that worked so well in the original series. The empire march was noticeably absent. The Skywalker theme was also restrained. I think these soundtrack elements plus some of the swash buckling action sequences were some of my favorites from the original series.

I could agree that the Force awakens is better than the prequel films, but as a fan, those films were just necessary background stories that filled in our gaps on what led up to episode IV. To me they didn't have to be great. But they had to be seen. And you pretty much knew what would happen.

We don't know what will happen in episode VIII but it's going to be a brand new story direction, as by the end of Force Awakens, the connections to old characters and plot lines have pretty much been shed, except for the Skywalker lineage. And it is probably intended.

While episode VII is a must-see, as a fan, I realize this new movie isn't made for me anymore. It's made for our kids and their generation. Will it trigger the same sense of wonder and excitement as it did for us? No matter. The force is always with us.… Expand
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4
wcladleyDec 20, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After months of anticipation and waves of hype, Star Wars: The Force Awakens comes off as a very meticulous attempt at cultivating a valuable piece of intellectual property, but falls noticeably short of meaningfully extending the mythology on which the property was based. One can almost imagine the meetings that generated the concept for this film: The directive seems to have been to create a Star Wars film that would be thoroughly digestible to new audiences, while having such a heavy coat of nostalgia that those who grew up with the series in the 70s and 80s would not be able to hold back a smile. This strategy benefited the Force Awakens in its art direction, which powerfully captures the magic of the originals while managing to seem completely at home in today’s sci-fi action genre. It really was beautiful to see. Sadly, however, this strategic approach was a narrative failure; creating a film so safe and so attached to slightly altered retreads of scenes and scenarios from the first film that audiences are denied a real opportunity to learn more about the history of this narrative universe and how these new characters fit into it.
We finally get to see a human being behind the storm trooper armor, but aside from a few forced lines about being “robbed from a family” he’ll never see again and “programmed” to fight as a storm trooper, Finn’s character serves as nothing more than a side-kick who offers muted comic relief and poorly conceived romance. Han and Leia don’t feel meaningfully attached to their son, and their son seems to mimic Darth Vader more so because he was challenged to do so by a gigantic, balding supreme leader, rather than out of a deep-seated adherence to the Dark Side. In fact, Kylo Ren seems more like a cosplayer who takes things too far than an ultra-violent initiate of an ancient, dark religion. And then we have Rey, played to great effect by Daisy Ridley. She is, arguably, the only character with emotional believability and narrative substance in the film, and yet her epiphanic moment comes in the midst of others saving the day. Her obviously crucial backstory is only dealt with in the briefest of terms, and she is inexplicably robbed of the clichéd Hollywood kiss with Finn, opting for a safe peck on the head as her love interest lies unconscious in a healing chamber-equally an admission of the lack of ideas for her character as it is of the subtle racism that is still alive in Hollywood. Had the film dispensed with rehashing old scenarios and focused more on her, tons of interesting narrative possibilities could have been opened up. Instead, I suppose we have to wait for the next installment to see how-or whether-these possibilities are realized.
And, surely, the wait-and the narrative crafted to generate that wait-is part of the overall marketing strategy. What the Force Awakens gives us is a brief taste of what might come in the series, in its history, and in its universe-banking, perhaps, on the undying passion of its hardcore fans to pick apart every frame of this one as they theorize about what might happen two years from now. But this fan devotion does not simply exist on its own. It was born out of the artistic originality and feeling of unlimited potential that existed within the original trilogy, but could not be realized due to the technical limitations of the medium at the time. And sadly, 32 years after Return of the Jedi, we are still waiting for that potential to unfold. The prequels offered the visual scope and technical sophistication that the originals were lacking, but failed miserably as an origin story. The Force Awakens, released at a time when all such limitations could have been easily cast aside, instead opts to be highly polished, but ultimately soulless, “content”- when it could have been the beginning of a grand, culminating story arc for a series that deserves one.… Expand
8 of 20 users found this helpful812
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6
ZzgashiMay 6, 2016
A plain, boring, and inoffensive movie that lacks any of excitement or surprise of the originals. It's only ambition is to prove how much it fits in by re-using themes.
4 of 10 users found this helpful46
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4
Roboman1723Jul 31, 2016
If you liked Episode IV you'll sure love this movie as it's basically a clone with **** character writing. I give it a "4" not because it wasn't enjoyable (and it was) but because of the total lack of creativity.
4 of 10 users found this helpful46
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5
kenchun24Dec 19, 2015
This one hasn't aged well, which I'm used to when it comes to the hack like copy and paste J.J. Abrams films. I rated TFA an 8 back in 2015, all caught up in the new StarWars movie hype. But yeah with Ep. 9 coming out in a few months thisThis one hasn't aged well, which I'm used to when it comes to the hack like copy and paste J.J. Abrams films. I rated TFA an 8 back in 2015, all caught up in the new StarWars movie hype. But yeah with Ep. 9 coming out in a few months this story just isn't compelling, even though the cast is charismatic, this final SW trilogy story (started by Mystery Box Hack Abrams not Rian Johnson for all those that say TLJ ruined this trilogy, nah it started with JJ!)is littered with issues. One of which is they wasted the trio of Han, Luke & Leia and the passing of the torch is muddled with the new cast, again, they do great with what they got, but the script/story just isn't quality. And while I do have issues with Rian Johnson's TLJ, at least he took some interesting takes/weird choices, but some great thematic things I really dug considering Hack Abrams set him up with a weak, copy and paste first entry. But TFA has become a chore to sit through the more I have revisited it.… Expand
13 of 33 users found this helpful1320
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5
BaronzApr 20, 2016
Bad movie. Some point for good CG and nice xwing vs tie fighter air combat. That is the only good thing in this movie, the story is just a slightly modified version of the older movies, uninspired and boring. No new ideas, no iconic bad guy.Bad movie. Some point for good CG and nice xwing vs tie fighter air combat. That is the only good thing in this movie, the story is just a slightly modified version of the older movies, uninspired and boring. No new ideas, no iconic bad guy.
And please, why does the strormtrooper wears armor (from the 70s) if they still dies with a single blaster hit ?… Expand
7 of 18 users found this helpful711
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6
Riekopo2Dec 20, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Sadly I was disappointed with The Force Awakens. There were glimpses of greatness, but it was mostly mediocre in my opinion. I think they played it really safe when they made the movie. It actually felt like they just took the original three movies and just put a new coat of paint on and rearranged things. It really felt like a Disney movie to me more than a Star Wars movie. I think a lot of the writing was just plain bad.

A lot of things didn't make sense. Carrie Fisher's acting was really bad. That witty fire in the belly personality was completely missing from Leia and Han. Killing Han was really lame in my view. It was pretty obvious that was going to happen once he stepped into the bridge. The "big bad" guy was just ridiculous in my opinion. A thirty foot tall guy that looks like Voldermort. Kylo Ren's acting was pretty terrible. His voice behind the mask just sounded like a boring robot. His voice outside of the mask was even more boring. I think he was a terrible villain. I didn't feel intimidated or afraid of him at all. He felt like an angsty teenager more than anything. I think his line delivery is what really sucked.

The introduction of the movie was extremely abrupt and there was basically no character development. They did a really poor job of introducing and explaining things. It made no sense how Fin and Rey immediately acted like best friends and in love as soon as they met. How did Fin and Rey magically run into Han when they took the Millennium Falcon? Fin's character was way too goofy I think. He was supposed to be trained from birth or since a child to serve the First Order and be obedient and loyal yet in his very first battle he decides to defect. It really made no sense. Fin also acted incompetent which is a Star Wars Stormtrooper/Imperial trope that really needs to die. The First Order showed massive incompetence and got their asses kicked completely. They lost two Deathstar superweapons so they decided to just build an even bigger and more powerful one. So they can turn an entire planet into a weapon, but they can't defend it against a few Rebel fighters. That's just out of the realm of believability for me.

When the Rebels attacked the planet they only showed like 15 X wings yet somehow they are able to destroy this planet. One of the Rebel commanders actually said "half our fleet is destroyed". What the hell does that mean? Were there budget cuts or something? They only showed like 15 X wings. I also think they used too much CGI. In my opinion they should never use it. They shouldn't have given a CGI character such a close up and prominent role. I'm talking about the small orange one Maz Kanata who felt really out of place to me. It also didn't make sense how everyone magically knew how to use a lightsaber. I'm talking about Fin when he fights that Stormtrooper who conveniently had a vibroblade. And also when Fin and Rey lightsaber duel Kylo who should have been able to kick their asses.

BB8 I wasn't too hot on though it had a couple funny moments. It felt like a less cool and less funny R2D2. A giant ball is a pretty weird design. It's harder to animate and anthropomorphize a ball. The joke Han made a couple times about Chewbacca's bowcaster didn't make sense. They've been together forever, but Han only just now tried out Chewie's bowcaster? What? It made no sense that Rey was able to use the force so effectively without having any training. The movie was just full of things like that which didn't make sense.

Overall, I think this movie was maybe designed by committee. I think I liked the prequels more than this.… Expand
7 of 18 users found this helpful711
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6
SierpinaDec 18, 2015
Buena no es, mala tampoco, buena experiencia visual (mas en 3D), pésimo guion, mala continuidad, personajes para el olvido, con la salvedad de BB8 y Poe Dameron.
12 of 31 users found this helpful1219
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