Read User Reviews and Submit your own for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens - Page 13

6

TheJuliePenguinOct 21, 2016

It's hard for me to give this a mixed score because The Force Awakens was a good movie. It had likable characters, great acting, fantastic music, awesome action scenes, good pacing, appropriate emotional cues, basically everything you wouldIt's hard for me to give this a mixed score because The Force Awakens was a good movie. It had likable characters, great acting, fantastic music, awesome action scenes, good pacing, appropriate emotional cues, basically everything you would want from a great movie going experience. I loved the plot, but that should come as no surprise. I saw The Force Awakens because I'm a Star Wars fan and, as a Star Wars fan, I've seen and loved Episode IV. The Force Awakens is the exact same movie with new characters and a revamped death star. For this reason, I felt utterly betrayed by George Lucas by the time the movie was over. Creating all this hype for a new Star Wars trilogy to just give the audience a completely unoriginal plot is nothing other than lazy. I'm willing to cut Lucas some slack, though. The prequels received an unearned amount of hatred simply for doing something different and, given the ratings of TFA, it seems that many fans were so blinded by nostalgia that they really did just want a retelling of the same story. And maybe the goal of this movie was to introduce a new generation to a classic story and recapture the hearts of older fans. Perhaps the next movies will diverge and contain exciting new stories. If this is the case, I will be grateful and probably look back more fondly on TFA. But, based on the ending of the movie, I'm not sure it is.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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6

SquaredRenApr 3, 2017

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

4 of 4 users found this helpful40

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6

mozesdicksonMay 17, 2017

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

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

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6

NeoconTomSep 29, 2019

Its an enjoyable film, but also extremely overrated and missing potential. Feels like a poor rehash of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, because we can't have anything drastically new, otherwise it will get trashed, like the Prequels did.

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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6

HyapeDec 17, 2017

If I were shooting this film, probably, he would be just like that. The millennial falcon, Han Solo, Chui, laser sword, nostalgia. a lot of nostalgia!

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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6

KirleDec 9, 2021

Boring but still digestible.. it seems to me that Disney is starting a sjw agenda with this one.. unfortunately, instead of considering the long term fans, this movie seems to be made for the masses.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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6

KyBaJan 2, 2018

Despite many defects of the films and some disturbing aspects, I prefer it to SW8 because it is a Star Wars and not the 8, which in contrast is only an action movie

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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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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6

DoniJrNov 8, 2018

It's good to have Star Wars back on the big screens and with the modern technology that makes the visuals even more beautiful. The story does not appeal to me so much, but it's a good starter with great antagonists and interessingIt's good to have Star Wars back on the big screens and with the modern technology that makes the visuals even more beautiful. The story does not appeal to me so much, but it's a good starter with great antagonists and interessing protagonists (Finn and Poe chemistry it's great to watch).… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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6

promised_mahdiApr 12, 2019

Actually I didn't like episode VII it was just a copy of last episodes there are somethings different but main structure is exactly same that was in last episodes and characters are just repeated but in different shapes main story is justActually I didn't like episode VII it was just a copy of last episodes there are somethings different but main structure is exactly same that was in last episodes and characters are just repeated but in different shapes main story is just same maybe it becomes better in next episodes… Expand

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6

RyanHerofTimeMar 21, 2019

I'm Half and Half on this movie. I love star wars, But this movie was ok. -To start I'm not into the idea of reconning the Expanded universe for this movie. It was a bad idea. -This is a reskin of a new hope. Plot by plot. it helps with theI'm Half and Half on this movie. I love star wars, But this movie was ok. -To start I'm not into the idea of reconning the Expanded universe for this movie. It was a bad idea. -This is a reskin of a new hope. Plot by plot. it helps with the nostalgia factor. but I think that's a cheap way to make a movie. Compared with the prequels at least they were different. -The old cast where amazing! It was amazing to see Han and Leia again. Ford and Fisher always do a stellar job.

- The New cast were ok. Adam Driver was great! John boyega and Daisy ridley were ok, but felt stale. I think this is more a writing problem than a casting problem.

What I have a problem is it feels like too much Disney, not Star Wars. I don't understand why this movie did not get the hate as much as Last Jedi. I think it was that nostalgia factor, that helped it. I think sequel films do not have a real plan. unlike George Lucas had. I hope Episode 9 can have this trilogy.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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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

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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6

pur__0_0__Jul 1, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm gonna be honest here. Star Wars: Episode VII was the only reason why I started watching Star Wars in the first place. Since it was so popular ($2 billion, seriously? I thought Star Wars wasn't a thing anymore!), I decided to take a look at the franchise and seeing how the original and prequel trilogies were, I was expecting this movie to also be somewhere across those lines. Turns out it is nothing like them. First of all, let's get the praises done with. The CGI is awesome. With that said, let's move on to the bad stuff.

The story begins with a Stormtrooper named Finn deciding not to kill innocent people. First of all, what's with these new age space movies and concern for innocent people's lives? It happened in Star Trek (also directed by JJ Abrams, I think I'm seeing a pattern here), it happened in The Expanse and now it's happening here also. Star Wars is meant to be about fighting and killing. Concern for innocent people is exactly the opposite of what we come to watch a Star Wars movie for. And to add insult to the injury, that concern doesn't even stay for very long. Immediately Finn proceeds to kill every single Stormtrooper and escape from there.

After that there's Commander Po, and something something Finn wears his jacket. After some time the scene transitions to female Luke. Now I don't have any problem with a female Jedi, and I don't think anyone does for that matter. Ahsoka Tano was a good character. But when your character's entire personality is being female and having a plot armour because of it, then it goes a little too far. Especially considering a plot armour for being female comes when the character is actually very gorgeous because men normally have a thing for seeing hot girls fight, but Rey here has a very sister-like look. There's no way we would ever want her to win. Keep getting beaten, yes, but not win.

So anyway she teams up with BB-8, Po's droid and then they team up with Finn to find Po which they just happen to do so with some plot convenience. After that they join the resistance to fight the Empire led by Kylo Ren. He's literally the only likeable character in this entire movie (other than BB-8 probably because of the way he gave a thumbs-up with a lighter, it was very funny and cute). It's kinda sad that they ruined him in the next movie. Speaking of the next movie, they also ruined the part where Luke and Rey meet each other. I was expecting it to be a very big moment. Of course I won't be cutting any points from this movie for it, but it's not like the sequel wasn't already planned. They had already planned to play with the audience's emotions like this.

I can understand very well why there are so many people who hate the sequels. This movie looks like a complete rip-off of the original only making it worse in every aspect. Even I hate the fact that its poster does not look like a painting but rather a collage like every other Disney movie nowadays. I simply can't stand watching it again. Only the cool visuals were able to save it from being a train wreck that the next two movies turned out to be.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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6

PsychopathicTimMay 14, 2021

I remember being incredibly underwhelmed by this movie upon release. My dad and I were a part of the many people who went to the premiere of Star Wars The Force Awakens. I was cautiously optimistic I was going to like it, surely it was inI remember being incredibly underwhelmed by this movie upon release. My dad and I were a part of the many people who went to the premiere of Star Wars The Force Awakens. I was cautiously optimistic I was going to like it, surely it was in good hands. And yeah, we finished the movie and it... was okay... But surprisingly felt very stale compared the the first six movies. Apparently they're calling it the Skywalker trilogy now, which doesn't make much sense to me, because Star Wars revolved around th Skywalkers, it should've ended after the other 6... but I'm getting ahead of myself.

The Force Awakens was very dissapointing to me, I knew I should like this, and everyone else at my highschool had nothing but good things to say about it. What was this feeling I was getting? For the first time in my life, my beliefs were being challenged as I was the only one of my class that didn't like the new Star Wars movie. People say it was a return to form, but to me, it just felt like a rehash of the old movies. An amalgamation of "Star Wars greatest hits." Particularly A New Hope. I was baffled. It was like when in the anime bleach, where the characters RESET the story, characters and development every arc, and redo the same arc over again, just with different villains.

It feels trite, and overdone. It doesn't feel new to me. I also don't know if it was just me, but I feel like the story beats went by extremely fast, I don't know, but it felt really jarring. I should like this, I should be glad I see Chewbacca and Han Solo after many years. But everything in the movie felt contrived, including the new stormtrooper splinter group that emerged post Star Wars Return of the Jedi. These guys felt like lesser versions of their superior, now defunct, empirical counter-parts. And the man leading them is such a one dimensional, mustache twirling villain. So when he used a planet canon to obliterate 5 other planets ala Death Star style, I felt so numb, I just didn't care. Why would you blow up FIVE, habitable, conquerable planets? If your'e ultimate goal is to subjugate the galaxy and it's subjects, then whats the point if their are no subjects to subjugate?... That was a mouthful...

There are decisions that make no sense in this story that I swear only occurred because "It happened in A New Hope."

On a different note, I was hoping we'd get more characterization from the main characters, but I guess that's too much to ask for. Rey is as one dimensional as they come, she wants to do things for others because "It's the right thing to do" and never shows any sign of nuance. Like, what has the galaxy ever given her? It would make more sense if she was a more synical woman who fends for herself because that is how she grew up her entire life, and her character arc would be to learn to fight for others the more she gets close to them. Because the closer she gets to her new friends, the more likely she'll be to fight for them as they break down her barriers from over the years and make her care for others. THAT would be better characterization of her in my opinion.

And then there's Finn... He's a stormtrooper who deserted the evil stormtrooper group because he no longer wanted to do these evil things. On the surface, that's good character development. REALLY GOOD! And you can do A LOT with that. It would've been interesting to explore his character more. But instead he's rellogated to the role of Rey's body guard. Seriously, everytime he yells "REY! REY! REY!" anytime she gets kidnapped, I want to blow out my ear drums. He is so annoying at times it is laughably bad how much he depends on Rey. But no because "I can't do anything without my master Rey" (a joke quote)

So the characters are poorly written, and don't even get me started on Poe because he felt almost insignificant to the entire movie, he'd be better off left out entirely and instead used in the sequels, like how the OG MC's met new characters in the original movies with every new episode.

I will say now that I think visually the film is great eye candy, and John Williams score is fantastic!

I was just so let down by every other aspect of this movie.… Expand

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6

Dom007Feb 13, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Probably the best out of the sequels. But it's still just an average film. The lightsaber duel at the end of the film is underwhelming and the start of the film is somewhat weak. It picks up towards the middle and has some interesting parts towards the end but it's nowhere near the level of the prequels or the sequels.… Expand

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6

DarkiozsJan 4, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Star Wars el despertar de la fuerza o The Force Awakens es una pelicula mediocre tiene un buen elenco de actores pero el guion es confuso y para pertenecer a la franquicia Star Wars posee muchas coherencias la mas grande para mi es cuando Rey empuña un sable de luz sin siquiera haber usado uno antes en su vida ademas, lo rescatable de la pelicula fue Kylo Ren un villano atrapado en la confunsion y con un transfondo interesante, sobre lo demas personajes como Finn que tienen una papel inconcluso y que no lleva a ningun lado al actor perfectamente Finn pudo ser un jedi, con respecto a Rey ella es un persona muy marie suey ser tan buena empuñando un sable y tener un control en la fuerza sin haber entrenado antes fue un gran error en la trama de la pelicula hubiera preferido que a rey le hubieran dado un origen mas aceptable para los fans, lo que destaco de la peli fue la muerte de Han Solo, los Escenarios y la banda sonara la pelicula pudo ser mejor pero se enfocaron más en darle total protagonisma a rey que hablar de otros temas dentro de la pelicula siento que Rey apoca a los demas personajes, pero eso no es culpa de la actriz si no del mal guion y el la mala organizacion de ideas de pelicula, esta pelicula siendo sincero no es tan mala como su continuacion pero para ser el origen de una nueva triologia deja mucho que desear la nota que le daria es un 6.2/10 por que considero que para ser una pelicula de star wars comparandolas con entregas anteriores queda bastante corta pero como una pelicula casual y que sea disfrutable esta bien la pelicula pudo ser mucho mejor, gracias.… Expand

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6

AJ_13Jun 15, 2022

I really think it's a nice way to iniciate a trilogy. Introduces great characters such as BB-8, Rey and Kylo, some others not that good as Finn or Poe and rescues legends as Solo and Leia.

Technically completely flawless to my eyes. My mainI really think it's a nice way to iniciate a trilogy. Introduces great characters such as BB-8, Rey and Kylo, some others not that good as Finn or Poe and rescues legends as Solo and Leia.

Technically completely flawless to my eyes. My main problem with it was its script, way too many plot holes, nonsenses and recycled storylines from the original trilogy.… Expand

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6

BobbyAxelrodJan 31, 2021

There isn't anything special about this movie. It was slightly above average and highly predictable. It came off more as a fan service to the previous movies but provided nothing new or remarkable otherwise. It had some decent moments but itsThere isn't anything special about this movie. It was slightly above average and highly predictable. It came off more as a fan service to the previous movies but provided nothing new or remarkable otherwise. It had some decent moments but its ultimately nothing spectacular.… Expand

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6

TropicalNayrMar 28, 2021

i would rate this a 64%
This movie is better then the ones after it but still was not that good the story was bla.
The charter struggles and acting was horrible. The personality of the charter were bla. not very good star wars movie

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6

MaddoxWhiteApr 25, 2021

This seemed like a good start to the sequel trilogy, though it's more of a remake of New Hope with a few things changed.

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6

XathiahsFeb 11, 2022

It's a Copy-paste from Episode IV, but worse. To help audience to get used to the new SW universe they ended up copying the story, the scheme and the emotional cliffhanger from the first movie. Barely good.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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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

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5

ajs101Dec 26, 2015

This is a wonderful action film with excellent special effects. This aspect of the film a deserves a 10.. The plot development and character development of this movie is minimal and not satisfying. This aspect of the film gets a 0. It isThis is a wonderful action film with excellent special effects. This aspect of the film a deserves a 10.. The plot development and character development of this movie is minimal and not satisfying. This aspect of the film gets a 0. It is like music with rhythm and blues and no melody or harmony. A lot of young folks will love this movie I find it half baked. Consequently it gets a 5 out of 10 from me.… Expand

14 of 22 users found this helpful148

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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

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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

FeriatusDec 18, 2015

Star Wars: The Expendables - dialogues are cheesy and screenplay is a blend of the best of star wars! I bet if not for sentimental value this movie wouldn't get a very good reviews. Some action scenes and the new villain is the best part ofStar Wars: The Expendables - dialogues are cheesy and screenplay is a blend of the best of star wars! I bet if not for sentimental value this movie wouldn't get a very good reviews. Some action scenes and the new villain is the best part of the movie. But again nothing new or exciting here.… Expand

13 of 37 users found this helpful1324

All this user's reviews

5

PupitoDec 18, 2015

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

34 of 78 users found this helpful3444

All this user's reviews

5

jdb26354Dec 25, 2015

The user rating is at 73, directionally wiser than the professionals' 81.
Star Wars Awakens is first and foremost a triumph of marketing and commercial myth-making, even the CGI-laden 3D boredom that now passes for the creation of culturalThe user rating is at 73, directionally wiser than the professionals' 81.
Star Wars Awakens is first and foremost a triumph of marketing and commercial myth-making, even the CGI-laden 3D boredom that now passes for the creation of cultural icons. Light saber fights, space filled with random fighter fire, and the Gargantuan symbolizing monolithic darkness - all the tropes invented in 1977 are still with us in 2015. A few times during my sitting, my mind wandered to how much tougher the competition is now for film from television - in terms of characters, surprises, and epitomizing the epic. This Star Wars is not up to that change, and I doubt the recycled franchise will be, as it never had nuance. This time, the clarions beckoned me to the "film that couldn't be missed." Next time, I will be deaf to them. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. The same level of special effects lavished on a film serial about WWII - the origin of the storm troopers and the dark force (and black garb) of Nazism - now that would capture me in a way no Star Wars film ever could. And don't kid yourself - we know the ending in one just as much as the other.… Expand

33 of 55 users found this helpful3322

All this user's reviews

5

TyranianApr 13, 2019

Certainly more like the originals than the prequels but that's not necessarily a good thing as this one piles on the dumb.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

5

DougMDec 24, 2015

Bit of a mess like the Abrams Star Trek films... the rushed character development, convenience tropes and ham-fisted scene hopping were all there in force. Felt like it was meant to be a much longer film and Abrams just edited it down to theBit of a mess like the Abrams Star Trek films... the rushed character development, convenience tropes and ham-fisted scene hopping were all there in force. Felt like it was meant to be a much longer film and Abrams just edited it down to the highlights.

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

Overall just a bland forgettable experience with the exception of Harrison Ford's dentures.… Expand

18 of 30 users found this helpful1812

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5

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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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

AdahmanDec 18, 2015

The Force Awakens is a lot like A New Hope. I mean A LOT. Imagine ANH with a female Luke, and a black Han...add in (yet another Death Star) and sprinkle it with a Darth Vader wannabe. I couldn't help thinking that I'd seen all this before.The Force Awakens is a lot like A New Hope. I mean A LOT. Imagine ANH with a female Luke, and a black Han...add in (yet another Death Star) and sprinkle it with a Darth Vader wannabe. I couldn't help thinking that I'd seen all this before.

Then you'll have The Force Awakens.

5/10… Expand

31 of 58 users found this helpful3127

All this user's reviews

5

sherbzDec 26, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I really wanted to like this film, but it falls short of the mark. They would have done far better to spend an entire film on documenting who the first order are. Instead they have basically recycled all the old plot mechanics and its basically everything you have seen before but with new characters. Instead of a death star we have a death planet. Instead of Darth Vader being the bad guy who has a bit of good in him, we have Kylo Ren.

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

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

Basically this boils down to a decent action film that has its moments. But it certainly isnt magical. Disappointed :(… Expand

18 of 30 users found this helpful1812

All this user's reviews

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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5

jibbonDec 19, 2015

Well like so many here I am greatly disappointed. Do not expect anything more than a soppy, soulless remake of the original film. I mean, what a wasted gift - the opportunity to touch the collective unconscious of a new generation. Lucas,Well like so many here I am greatly disappointed. Do not expect anything more than a soppy, soulless remake of the original film. I mean, what a wasted gift - the opportunity to touch the collective unconscious of a new generation. Lucas, despite his faults, offered us a deep, archetypal structure in Star Wars which for many assumed almost mythic proportions. Do not expect anything so potent in this production. Abrams has clearly missed the deeper archetypal conflicts and drawn inspiration from the basic plot of A New Hope instead. I get the logic - just take 'what works' and put it on steroids - throw in a female protagonist and wannabe antagonist; make everything bigger; quicker; more improbable - and somehow it adds up to less. It's just superficial writing that awakens, sadly, very little indeed.… Expand

56 of 97 users found this helpful5641

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5

elaintahraDec 18, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Very nice images, very nicely made ships and locations. Though not nearly as bad as EP 1-3, unfortunately quite much a remake of episode IV:
- NO original plot, almost copy of ep IV!
- Starts in sand planet
- Exactly the same threat, exactly the same ending
- Same characters again, emperor, darth vader 2, han solo, chewbacca, leia, leia 2 (same time she is also Luke)
- Idiotic scenes, like Han and Chewbacca have been looking for Falcon for "a long time" and "suddenly" they just find it when it starts off from Jakku?
- Finn&Rey relationship completely made up, nothing close to Han & Leia in the 80's
- And when Falcon is found, even more stupid scene occurs when 2 different groups suddenly appear inside the ship?
- How is Rey suddenly the god inside Falcon she knows it inside out? Like all down to the wiring of everything? -> I know why, she was given to that dealer as a child, but it's not really obvious in the movie
- How did Poe and Finn land right close to Rey and BB-8? I mean from space you don't accidentally crash land so close
- "sell me that droid for a lot of money" - "actually it's not for sale" why not? FAKE?
- Poe died in the TIE fighter crash and explosion and suddenly he is alive?
- Bar scene a copy of ep IV
- Jedi hallucination scene copy of ep V
- All other Stormtroopers suck at aiming but not Finn?
- Han and Chewie just march inside the new death star and put three explosive grenades and thats it?
- They attack the new death star with ~8 X-wings? Then they lose few and they say "we lost half of our attack force"?
- R2D2 has rest of the map but only gave it out after, eh, after what exactly? He just woke up after the big killer planet was taken out?
- Why did the stormtroopers order an air strike at the market when they were trying to capture and not destroy BB-8?
- Rey suddenly is more or at least as powerful jedi as Han's son even without training anything?
- Emperor is a bit sad looking shriveled big hologram after being thrown in the electric chute. But who is Snout? Is that big guy Snout? A snout is the protruding portion of an animal's face, consisting of its nose, mouth, and jaw. ITS NOT A BAD GUYS NAME IN STAR WARS!
- Finn seems to be very good with sword, and know how to use it almost as well as Han's son. No explanation given as to why he can use it (can't remember his name)
- Where did these Nazi bad guys suddenly come out of, no explanation given in any way. They took out "republic", no explanation given why, except they're NAZIS. the even gunned down a town full of civilians for no reason, like SS troops.
- Rey suddenly just inherits Falcon and Chewie? That escalated fast
- That bar keeper is a bit too Harry pottery
-

+ chewie
+ cool aliens
+ cool, but too little screen time space ship insides (like Tie fighter)… Expand

64 of 126 users found this helpful6462

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5

PipeDec 18, 2015

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

16 of 35 users found this helpful1619

All this user's reviews

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

All this user's reviews

5

ForgewolfApr 4, 2016

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Good
-The special effects
-Some new characters and re-visiting some old ones
-The Millennium Falcon
-Other familiar Star Wars assets
-Kylo Ren's opening scene with him using the force to hold a blaster round suspended in the air. Probably the only bad ass scene with him in the film.
-A great start in the beginning "
-Music

The Bad
-Lack of originality to the story and character development
-Fin and Ray's friendship or love thing felt not only rushed, but artificial
-Another Deathstar like weapon, but with more inconsistencies.
-Commander Phasma wasn't the one to yell out, "Traitor" and duke it out with Fin..
-Kylo Ren's hissy fits were not bad ass or dark. They were immature, childish and almost annoying
-How quickly Fin and Ray picked up on using a lightsaber with less training than Kylo, yet managed to keep up with him. A lightsaber requires extension Jedi/Sith training to wield effectively.
-The new facial design of the stormtroopers seems a bit silly if you ask me.
-R2D2 randomly being activated at the end of the film. Why could he not be fixed and powered up at any other time?
-After the beginning magic wore off, it felt like the movie was steadily going down hill.
-Fin being a stormtrooper who cleaned toilets, are you kidding me!?

What should have been done
-Darth Jar Jar as Snoke (Would have made Jar Jar relevant to the Star Wars lore and an epic plot twist)

-Kylo Ren attempts to revive/clone Darth Vader OR create a clone army of Darth Vaders or other fallen Sith warriors
-Have Luke force grabbed his lightsaber at the end of the film from Ray
-Should have had Commander Phasma be the one to yell out traitor and fight Fin in hand to hand combat.
-I would have had former clone troopers make an appearance from both the First Order and the Rebels.… Expand

6 of 30 users found this helpful624

All this user's reviews

5

Ozon58Apr 23, 2017

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

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

All this user's reviews

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

All this user's reviews

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

All this user's reviews

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

All this user's reviews

5

ksnApr 17, 2020

The only thing that hold this film from bottom of franshise is special effects.
logic is totally broken.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

5

deckDec 18, 2015

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

27 of 57 users found this helpful2730

All this user's reviews

5

MooncalfianMar 24, 2016

It's like watching a very average - but very high budget - Star Wars fan film, from somebody who didn't really understand the original saga, or even how to direct a well-paced movie.

Usually when it comes to reviewing sequels of oldIt's like watching a very average - but very high budget - Star Wars fan film, from somebody who didn't really understand the original saga, or even how to direct a well-paced movie.

Usually when it comes to reviewing sequels of old fan-favourite films, I find myself hampered somewhat by nostalgia; my love for the originals expands my expectations to the point that they become unrealistic. But not so here. With The Force Awakens, I found my nostalgia satisfied (due to the exorbitant and constant fan pandering), but I attempted to appraise from the perspective of somebody who had never seen the originals. What I saw was a film which barely measured up to the typical cliched tripe Hollywood superhero movie that is churned out on a tri-annual basis.

Some of the acting is good, the scenes are pretty, and there are some fairly emotional moments in the film, but that's literally all the good things I have to say about it.

It is rushed, jumping from poorly-considered action scene to action scene, without really stopping to build any real character relationships, nor pause to authenticate the fictional universe and its massive mythos. The rest of the acting is fairly hard to swallow, particularly from the 'bad guys' and the typical fanfare of Lost / Heroes cast which J.J Abrams parades in just about every project he gets his mitts on, but also some of the time the acting from Rey felt overdone and patronising.

Indeed, patronising would be a word I would use to describe the entire movie. From the plot which seems to throw all of the prior work out of the window, to the spoon-fed 'wow he's a great pilot!' exposition, to the cliched gags. The entire showing bares the unsightly brand of J.J.Abrams' hubris, as he dances on the premature grave of George Lucas, declaring the the world that he knows better; that his vision of Star Wars is superior.

Spoiler alert: it's not.

It's a fun movie, but that's it. And when the hype of the big screen dies down, people will remember this as what it was: an average cash-in without any real heart or soul.… Expand

9 of 36 users found this helpful927

All this user's reviews

5

FranzHcriticDec 21, 2015

It doesn't have the force of 'Blade Runner,' yet it triumphs over each prequel movie by many, many galaxies. Yes, I don't think it was meant to be a masterpiece, and it was filled with frequent cliches, yet I enjoyed the ride nonetheless. NotIt doesn't have the force of 'Blade Runner,' yet it triumphs over each prequel movie by many, many galaxies. Yes, I don't think it was meant to be a masterpiece, and it was filled with frequent cliches, yet I enjoyed the ride nonetheless. Not the most thoughtful, but it's not intended to be that way. Still, I think it was over hyped just a little too much for fans' sake. But, overall, it was a good two hours.… Expand

13 of 39 users found this helpful1326

All this user's reviews

5

kennythekoalaDec 18, 2015

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My order of favorite to least favorite now goes:

1) Return of the Jedi

2) Revenge of the Sith

3) Empire Strikes Back

4) A New Hope

5) The Force Awakens

6) Attack of the Clones

7) A Phantom Menace… Expand

58 of 119 users found this helpful5861

All this user's reviews

5

OlrikusApr 9, 2016

I didn't expect much of it and even with my low expectations I was disappointed. Plot is laughable and looks like a wasted opportunity to bring something new from the rich lore of Star Wars (or add to it). Daisy Ridley screenplay is bleak andI didn't expect much of it and even with my low expectations I was disappointed. Plot is laughable and looks like a wasted opportunity to bring something new from the rich lore of Star Wars (or add to it). Daisy Ridley screenplay is bleak and dull and my biggest question is how with such huge budget special effects are just okay. When Harrison Ford is on the screen it is the entire different story and his brilliant acting makes the rest of the film feel even worse by contrast.… Expand

5 of 24 users found this helpful519

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5

dans221Dec 29, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I tried to keep my expectations for the sequel in check, but I'm quite disappointed of how it turned out overall.

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

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

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

For all their faults, the prequels at least took a chance and Naboo and Coruscant were interesting, immersive worlds and it was an interesting question to see how the Galactic Republic turned into the Empire. Maybe if the next episode is not directed by JJ Abrams it might be better? Who knows, but my feeling is that if they don't make a second installment in the "sequel" trilogy it wouldn't be a big loss.… Expand

30 of 49 users found this helpful3019

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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

All this user's reviews

5

ZafeerApr 14, 2019

I left the theater trying to decide if it was a good movie or not. Watched it a second time with my kids and still I can't decide. Lots of recycled content. Another desert world? I want to like this movie but it doesn't feel like StarI left the theater trying to decide if it was a good movie or not. Watched it a second time with my kids and still I can't decide. Lots of recycled content. Another desert world? I want to like this movie but it doesn't feel like Star Wars despite the original characters making an appearance.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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5

Voodoo123May 21, 2017

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

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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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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5

KaxcerDec 18, 2015

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

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

18 of 40 users found this helpful1822

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5

CharlemagneApr 10, 2016

Makes the prequels look good. The prequels at least had some semblance of a story and not a plot consisting of just a bunch of random happenstance that happen to echo the original.

What it has going for it is excellent casting. But evenMakes the prequels look good. The prequels at least had some semblance of a story and not a plot consisting of just a bunch of random happenstance that happen to echo the original.

What it has going for it is excellent casting. But even that is cheapened by destroying the immersion with random lines from real world cultures - Rey's "Oi" hardly seems Stars Wars, Poe seems too 'New York', Boyega at least exceeds the black-American comic relief role they intended for him (does no one else cringe at this kind of soft racism of stereotypical roles?). Adam Driver is what Anakin should have been.

I like the character Rey and I like Daisy Ridley as Rey, however there is a trade offs between pushing politics and making art, choices arise where one choice serves art and the another politics... and the makers of this movie choose politics every time at the expensive of the art. And Phasma is another example - put in yet does nothing, it's as if the movie's makers aren't even real believers in strong female characters because they can't conceive of them to write them, they're just filling quotas with one dimensional characters.

Too many English accents and English actors... they seem to have not understood that the original trilogy was rehashing the American Revolution with the accents: English accent = empire/tyranny/bad, American accent = rebel/freedom/good. And instead just thrown in an excessive amount of posh English accents and actors "because it's cool".… Expand

5 of 23 users found this helpful518

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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

TornadoCreatorApr 9, 2016

I've never been a big fan of Star Wars, but I can appreciate the style of the franchise. It's got a certain gravitas to it that is very fun. This film does have that gravitas, and throughout much of the film I enjoyed the scenes for what theyI've never been a big fan of Star Wars, but I can appreciate the style of the franchise. It's got a certain gravitas to it that is very fun. This film does have that gravitas, and throughout much of the film I enjoyed the scenes for what they where. The acting was far better than the franchise usually gives off but that's not saying too much. The action scenes where well shot and exciting. The characters where at least moderately interesting. It's a film I could describe as the perfect popcorn nonsense flick. You can't however think about this film too much and doing so has severely dropped it's rating in my mind.

A second viewing was enough to heavily highlight the flaws in this film, which has one of the most nonsensical plots ever. The so called "science" in this film is laughably bad, and even suspension of disbelief can't save it. The way the plot so closely mirrors Episode 4 while also actively trying to one-up the film every chance it gets leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. It's a film that feels mean-spirited at times.

If you're a fan of Star Wars, this is a safe entry into the franchise with some good scenes and spectacle that you'll enjoy, but if you want a cohesive story and consistent world; this is the worst in the franchise so far. The flaws in this film are flaws with the core storytelling so if you're not a fan of Star Wars, the more you think about this film the less favourably you'll see it. Some films age like fine wine, this one will age like bread.… Expand

5 of 26 users found this helpful521

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5

Kaiser_BenDec 28, 2015

I really like Star Wars, it is one of my favorite movie series ever but this time, after I watched a new VII episode, I was confused.

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

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

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

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

Overall:
Action - 8/10
Actors - 3-4/10
Script - 3/10
Special Effects and sound - 9/10… Expand

16 of 27 users found this helpful1611

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5

GofreinDec 18, 2015

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

53 of 110 users found this helpful5357

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5

dabyd1304Feb 2, 2017

Adam Driver es de lo poco salvable en "El Despertar de la Fuerza". No creo que sea coincidencia, que ademas su personaje sea el único que merezca la pena de los mas que cuestionables, y faltos de carisma, nuevos personajes.

El episodio 7Adam Driver es de lo poco salvable en "El Despertar de la Fuerza". No creo que sea coincidencia, que ademas su personaje sea el único que merezca la pena de los mas que cuestionables, y faltos de carisma, nuevos personajes.

El episodio 7 deja a la saga con un argumento interesante, pero bastante alejado de lo que convirtió a Star Wars en una franquicia de éxito.

El director ha creado un batiburrillo con muchos altibajos. Cuando parece que la película va cogiendo forma, siempre se desinfla. El exceso de CGI para impresionar al espectador en 3D la convierte en una más de entre todas las grandes producciones "blockbuster" del Hollywood de hoy día. Es una lástima porque son varios los momentos que ilusiona y que parece que puede tener identidad propia. Pero siempre se estropea con un fanservice de baratillo y acción casi constante, como si necesitaran estas dos cosas para mantener al espectador atento.

No es mala, ni mucho menos. El problema con "The Force Awakens" es que le falta alma. Y no ayuda nada que tenga todos los vicios del cine actual taquillero.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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5

AliceofXDec 22, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The drinking of the Kool-Aid continues. I mean sure, the Force Awakens wasn't terrible and quite fun at times but it at best can be described as mediocre. As of now it has 95% on Rotten Tomatoes while films 1 and 2 only have 94%. Would the critics seriously have me believe that this film is better than Empire Strikes Back?

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

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

Overall, The Force Awakens can be enjoyed but this is not the big step forward for Star Wars and personally I don't get what everyone's raving about.… Expand

37 of 63 users found this helpful3726

All this user's reviews

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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5

Joker92Jan 15, 2016

The visuals and sounds were spectacular in the Imax I watched it in, but that's were the good stops. This movie should be the poster child of "over-hyped" and "overrated". The praise this movie gets from the establishment is from having theThe visuals and sounds were spectacular in the Imax I watched it in, but that's were the good stops. This movie should be the poster child of "over-hyped" and "overrated". The praise this movie gets from the establishment is from having the star wars logo on it alone. Writing was horrible, very boring. It's so obvious how hard that they try to shove the whole " strong female protagonist" thing down your throat the entire movie, that it takes away from the value that it there. Am glad I had seen it in the theatre, because like I said the visuals and sounds in the movie were really good. Horrible actor for the villain role too. That guy looks like he belongs in a 90's boyband, not an agent of the dark side.

""Mild Spoiler"'

I did like how they humanized a storm trooper. It was an interesting story point to see a person behind the helmet.… Expand

22 of 38 users found this helpful2216

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5

VideogamesDec 19, 2015

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

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

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

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

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

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

Random
_______

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

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

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

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

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

A solid 5/10… Expand

20 of 42 users found this helpful2022

All this user's reviews

5

anvirtuDec 18, 2015

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

43 of 88 users found this helpful4345

All this user's reviews

5

BarbudezJan 17, 2016

Yo esta pelicula, cuando salió los teasers, fue como, esto no es Star Wars, esto no tiene alma, no tiene ese encanto. Pero pensaba en mis adentros, a lo mejor, es una pelicula de Star Wars decente, respeta al universo, tiene una nuevaYo esta pelicula, cuando salió los teasers, fue como, esto no es Star Wars, esto no tiene alma, no tiene ese encanto. Pero pensaba en mis adentros, a lo mejor, es una pelicula de Star Wars decente, respeta al universo, tiene una nueva perspectiva, mas atrevida, esta JJ Abrams, que hizo dos putos peliculones como son las 2 pelis ultimas de Star Trek, tenía un material que el amaba con toda su alma.

El resultado no podia ser mas....deprimente, desolador, decepcionante, viniendo de alguien que iba con las expectativas bajas. Es increible que me sienta como si hubiese muerto alguien cercano a mi, ese pequeño niño agradable que conociste en el colegio, encontrarterlo muerto de sobredosis en un parque con una jeringuilla clavada en su brazo 30 años después.

Vayamos por partes:

Primero tenemos el guión, un guión que han cogido la estructura y situaciones episodio IV y lo calcan descaradamente. Persona especial que vive en un planeta desierto? Listo. Malos que buscan un robot con unos planos valiosos? Listo. Un Darth Vader? Listo. Una cantina? Listo. Una secuencia calcada a la secuencia final de la estrella de la muerte? Listo, Otra estrella de la muerte?.Listo Stormtroopers? Listo La fuerza? Listo. JJ es muy listo, en efecto, sabía perfectamente que esto era un refrito o un remake de la IV y lo ha ocultado muchísimo, porque sabría que los fans, se sentirian decepcionados y tanto.

Una aventura epica, tan artificial, tan superficial, tan intrascendente, no interesa, no llama, no arranca. ¿Como demonios una historia de Star Wars no tiene ese gancho? tios, teneis un puto material rico, que os podeis expandir por mil cosas. La historia original enganchaba por concepto de la fuerza, la lucha del bien contra el mal cierto, aquí todo funciona a golpe de calzador, situaciones de calzador, personajes metidos con calzador, que habia momentos, que parecian Sketches de SNL, que solo faltaban los falsos gritos y aplausos, no...el fan no es imbécil, no es retrasado, que tienes que presentarlos de esas maneras tan cutres y tan artificial. La parte narrativa, es un totalmente errática, la trama avanza lentamente mientras intentan desarrollarte a unos personajes planos y algunos los desarrollan demasiado, que le quitan la gracia de las sorpresas....Hacia falta descubrir que Kylo Ren es el hijo de Han Solo a los 30-40 minutos de pelicula?o sacar de golpe a Snoke no una, ni dos sino hasta 3 veces? y encima ni contar que leches ha pasado?. Y cuentas nada, de lo que le pasó a los Jedi (otra vez) con la Nueva República? o un poco de trasfondo?...han pasado 30 años, no 2 horas después de la batalla de Endor.

Los villanos, en serio, pesimamente elaborados, La Primera Orden que son? Fachas Nostalgicos con un fondo fiduciario del copón? Kylo Ren, un desgraciado llorón que le hicieron falta dos bofetones en su juventud? En serio?

Y sobre las batallas.. En Star Trek esos planos funcionaban, porque eran 3 naves malcontadas, pero aquí queda fatal, parecia eso un gameplay del nuevo Battlefront.

Y ese humor? en serio? las clásicas tenían tantos gags? No lo creo.

La conclusión a Abrams le ha pasado lo de "Las croquetas de mi madre están ricas, pero las mías no saben igual" porque esto no tiene alma ni encanto que tenia las de Lucas, hasta las precuelas, o que ese enano judío NO tiene alma y el señor Kasdan que le encierren en un puto asilo y que tiren la llave.

PD: Creo que me sigo quedando con el Legends, al menos tiene mas coherecia XD… Expand

11 of 19 users found this helpful118

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5

SpillydDec 21, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie is really hard to rate given the crazy history of the franchise. So my number rating is what I think I would give it had I not seen any of the previous movies. Looked great, didn't seem to drag too much but I can't say many more good things about it. As a SW fan I would rate it higher just for the nostalgia and the fact that it wasn't one of the prequels. But I have huge problems with the movie.
As almost everyone agrees, the story is almost identical to A New Hope. Another Death Star!?!? Granted it was bigger and the idea was much cooler it's still a freakin Death Star. The bad guy is nowhere near as intimidating as Darth Vader. Not even close, so I'm hoping he is not a large part going forward. He loses to a tiny girl with no saber training or force training. If that was me I would retire and find another line of work. It was cool to get reintroduced to the old characters but it says something when the Wookie with no "speaking" lines steals the show. I have hope that the next two movies will be better now that they have gotten all the nostalgia out of the way and can focus on a new story but I'm scared someone's going to end up sleeping in an animal at some point.… Expand

14 of 23 users found this helpful149

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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

All this user's reviews

5

PsychicGamer240Sep 4, 2016

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Despite the story being copy and pasted from Episode 4, The bad acting and the bad character development, this film was okay. I liked the action scenes, the idea of looking for Luke and theThis review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Despite the story being copy and pasted from Episode 4, The bad acting and the bad character development, this film was okay. I liked the action scenes, the idea of looking for Luke and the special effects looked amazing, but that's it.

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

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

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

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

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

Overall, the acting was not good, the character development was bad, the story line was copy and pasted from Episode 4, but however the action scenes were enjoyable, it looked amazing and I liked the plot of looking for Luke.… Expand

17 of 32 users found this helpful1715

All this user's reviews

5

reviewf00Dec 18, 2015

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

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

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

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

32 of 69 users found this helpful3237

All this user's reviews

5

GrogmonsterDec 29, 2015

George Lucas said after seeing this film "it's what people wanted." Really? People wanted a remake of
Episode 4? A lot of scenes just didn't feel right and felt rushed and far too many items conveniently placed like the millennium falcon forGeorge Lucas said after seeing this film "it's what people wanted." Really? People wanted a remake of
Episode 4? A lot of scenes just didn't feel right and felt rushed and far too many items conveniently placed like the millennium falcon for example. Really disappointing, I was expecting better.… Expand

34 of 56 users found this helpful3422

All this user's reviews

5

LegoLover58Feb 4, 2023

A hollow rehash of the original Star Wars movie. Rey is the only interesting character.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

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

All this user's reviews

5

reviewer2015lolMay 2, 2016

Why does the movie use so much plot elements of the past? It's literally easy money. People just love it because it's star wars but when you begin to think about it , it's so cheap and cliché. There you go star wars fans , in your face

100 of 133 users found this helpful10033

All this user's reviews

5

ALLCAPSDec 28, 2015

Nothing special. Nothing seemed new. The planets were familiar, the scenes, the fights and even the characters. I found the first hour incredibly boring only for nostalgia to save it for me a little at the end. Was it the worst thing I sawNothing special. Nothing seemed new. The planets were familiar, the scenes, the fights and even the characters. I found the first hour incredibly boring only for nostalgia to save it for me a little at the end. Was it the worst thing I saw this year? No, but it definitely wasn't even close to one of the best.… Expand

44 of 73 users found this helpful4429

All this user's reviews

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

All this user's reviews

5

FLaaVEnAug 11, 2020

The best start for a star wars trilogy since 1977 and overall an enjoyable movie.

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

5

LockeJohnDec 21, 2015

It's a well done move with copied plot from the previous movies. The huge box office will send a message to Disney: "Keep doing it, we love it!". So prepare for more movies with copy - paste plots.

11 of 19 users found this helpful118

All this user's reviews

5

Tony1984Dec 28, 2016

The hype didn't match the output. The nostalgia was fantastic and it deserves praise for that, but the rest was basically bland. It's a remake of IV but without the tension. Plot holes abound and even in the land of suspension belief there isThe hype didn't match the output. The nostalgia was fantastic and it deserves praise for that, but the rest was basically bland. It's a remake of IV but without the tension. Plot holes abound and even in the land of suspension belief there is a limit and they shattered that boundary here. Kylo Ren was especially disappointing and I mean really poor.… Expand

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

All this user's reviews

5

totorobiboDec 18, 2015

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

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

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

20 of 52 users found this helpful2032

All this user's reviews

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

All this user's reviews

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

All this user's reviews

5

CynicalJayDec 18, 2015

This movie was alright, but only alright.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

46 of 96 users found this helpful4650

All this user's reviews

5

AerobombardierDec 18, 2015

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

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

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

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

19 of 41 users found this helpful1922

All this user's reviews

5

jpsalvageDec 18, 2015

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

18 of 52 users found this helpful1834

All this user's reviews

5

BonespiritDec 18, 2015

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

20 of 51 users found this helpful2031

All this user's reviews

5

sackings384Dec 18, 2015

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

18 of 37 users found this helpful1819

All this user's reviews

5

meowsedaiDec 19, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. When the opening credits came on - and for the first couple scenes - people were applauding and shouting in joy. When the ending credits rolled, maybe one dude in the back clapped. Everyone seemed a bit underwhelmed, and I'm not seeing anything about it in my news feed today.

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

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

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

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

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

If you're expecting to be transported back to your experience of Star Wars as a child, "The Force Awakens" is but a clone - the spirit has fled.… Expand

87 of 146 users found this helpful8759

All this user's reviews

5

hijackDec 18, 2015

It sucks. Nothing extraordinary makes me want to go watch it again. Broken record storylines all over the place, nothing new or exciting. Some nice visual shots but seriously, probably not even as good as the prequels. There's zero characterIt sucks. Nothing extraordinary makes me want to go watch it again. Broken record storylines all over the place, nothing new or exciting. Some nice visual shots but seriously, probably not even as good as the prequels. There's zero character or relationship development. It's like you're supposed to take advertisings word for it being awesome, but it's not special at all. No tension, sets were lame. D&D monsters make an appearance, which is just stupid. The more I think about it, the more disappointed I am. Laaame. It's lame. Its a stupid show, not worth the money. :(… Expand

100 of 169 users found this helpful10069

All this user's reviews

5

MrDeacon74Dec 18, 2015

I have waited years for this saga to continue ,sadly I must report that I'm very disappointed. The plot needed more work to truly grab ahold of the most die hard "Star Wars" fan. This movie is just a set up, I hope. To something much greater.I have waited years for this saga to continue ,sadly I must report that I'm very disappointed. The plot needed more work to truly grab ahold of the most die hard "Star Wars" fan. This movie is just a set up, I hope. To something much greater. JJ Abrams dropped the ball on this one.… Expand

37 of 70 users found this helpful3733

All this user's reviews

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

All this user's reviews

5

villaduneDec 19, 2015

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

18 of 37 users found this helpful1819

All this user's reviews

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

All this user's reviews

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

12 of 25 users found this helpful1213

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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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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

8 of 20 users found this helpful812

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5

WhatdoyouthinkDec 22, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. "I am being torn apart." I watched the movie twice. I felt hope at times during the movie but
almost constantly battled a feeling of impending doom that the movie is not on track. The movie
is entertaining and humorous, but feels way too coincidental and convenient, which I really wish
could be explained away by the Force. The new characters are likable but we are forced to like
them because Rey can do anything as a superhero from a superhero movie, Finn is invincible like
a cartoon character to any crash, hit or lightsaber, and Poe has unshakable confidence and wit.
How can anyone not love those qualities? Kylo Ren, the most interesting character during much of
the movie is no longer an interesting character by the end, which is a failure. The side
characters of Phasma, Snoke, or the First Order were card board cut outs, and revealed the
film's lack of depth to flesh out history or imagination. Han's humor and silent gestures
grounded this movie, which I really credit Harrison Ford for his acting and writers to give the
movie deeper emotions rather than all the telegraphed surface emotions. During the Rey rescue
scenes I thought the movie was finally getting good, and felt on track but then they made it
heart wrenching. The marketing by Disney, JJ and Harrison misdirected me, into thinking this was
going to be a fun ride at least for this film, and that they would take great care with the lore
and characters already in place. But Disney forget to invent much of anything in the Star Wars
world except to play with the pieces already in the toy chest and add a few characters. They
almost kept it a "fun", "satisfying" movie experience, and it would have rated a 6, but Han's death makes it feel like a horror movie so it is a 5. It was an effective, memorable scene but did the writers have wisdom to make it worth it, like an Obi Wan death? Hopefully episodes 8 and 9 can frame this movie in a better light and give meaning to a master story.… Expand

11 of 18 users found this helpful117

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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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