Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | Release Date: December 18, 2015
6.7
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 7984 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
5,073
Mixed:
1,217
Negative:
1,694
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0
ForcedAwayDec 28, 2015
The problem is not only that this movie is just a hodgepodge of scenes that we've seen before. It also sets up the remaining films to also be more of the same as well. We already saw the fall of the Empire thanks to jedi Luke Skywalker andThe problem is not only that this movie is just a hodgepodge of scenes that we've seen before. It also sets up the remaining films to also be more of the same as well. We already saw the fall of the Empire thanks to jedi Luke Skywalker and the rebellion in episode 6. Now, we'll see the fall of the First Order thanks to jedi Rey and the resistance in episode 9. Why stick around for that? JJ, you have forced me out.… Expand
67 of 113 users found this helpful6746
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0
TomslyDec 30, 2015
Well film critics, you failed. You had the massive Disney marketing juggernaut on one side pulling you to give it a 10 and the actual film product on the right, pulling you to give it a zero. Spineless and cowering, you gave it a ten. IWell film critics, you failed. You had the massive Disney marketing juggernaut on one side pulling you to give it a 10 and the actual film product on the right, pulling you to give it a zero. Spineless and cowering, you gave it a ten. I realize it's scary to give a sure smash hit like this an honest review, but how long do you expect to maintain your credibility in the face of obviously inaccurate reviews like this? This movie was nothing but a parody of Episode 4 and 5, trash through and through. Yes, Disney failed Star Wars fans with this debacle, but you critics failed us even worse by deceiving us into wasting our time and money on this garbage.… Expand
67 of 113 users found this helpful6746
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0
alexander87Dec 25, 2015
Like watching a Star Wars TV pilot written by YouTube commenters.

A cash grab remake with an insulting script full of coincidences, plot holes, fan service, no character development etc etc. Horrible beyond belief.
112 of 189 users found this helpful11277
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0
ApexpreyDec 30, 2015
It's been quite an emotional ride since seeing episode 7. First I thought, "is something wrong with me? Everyone is talking about this movie like it's the film of the century, but I think it's terrible." Now, thanks to the thoughtful reviewsIt's been quite an emotional ride since seeing episode 7. First I thought, "is something wrong with me? Everyone is talking about this movie like it's the film of the century, but I think it's terrible." Now, thanks to the thoughtful reviews here, I realize, "no there is nothing wrong with me. The movie really is terrible." But now, I just feel sad because the new Star Wars movie is terrible! It's such a downer because I love Star Wars and had such high hopes for the future of this franchise. With all of the money that this film is making, there is no doubt that Disney will double down on this approach and the next one will be terrible too. But at least I'll leave that one knowing that I'm not going crazy for recognizing it as such.… Expand
80 of 135 users found this helpful8055
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0
564Dec 29, 2015
Wait, isn't this "Galactic Battle"?
Sheesh this thing cannot be Star Wars.
Ben Solo? Same story of Jacen Solo in the Expand Universe but wait now EU doesn't exist.
Same also the mask of Kylo Revan...ops Ren.
I sense your lack of faith disturbing.
48 of 81 users found this helpful4833
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3
ariansandDec 24, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie was horrendous. But let's just break it down:
1. Almost no story. Really thinking about it, what exactly happened in over 2 hours was almost nothing.
2. They just replaced Han Solo with this unknown girl.
3. Luke Skywalker appeared only at the very end of the movie. Consistent with the Di$ney's moneywhoring with 1 star wars film until infinity. They will ruin the franchise forever. This is only the beginning.
4. Another Death star lookalike. Just why?
5. The main villain was ridiculous. Why would he wear the darth vader type of helmet when his face wasn't distorted. Makes no sense whatsoever.
6. Piss poor acting.
7. Really? A random black "traitor" just picks up the lightsaber and he almost defeats the main villain.
Then the girl who has not been trained by any jedi or sith just totally decimates the main villain. It is just ridiculous.
8. The events were so predictable. There was not a single event that was even remotely surprising.… Expand
48 of 81 users found this helpful4833
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1
insomniac0Jan 1, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Atmosphere? -0 I didn't felt I was in the space on a foreign star system of some sort. More like Nevada, Scotland and Germany.
Casting? -0 Emotionless, talentless, un-charismatic stars. From Ray to Finn to Ren.
hanging - This is the part that truly made me jump in my seat. Really long loooong pauses in dialogues vague starring.
Script? Ran a SW marathon just before the TFA to refresh my memory. Oh boy the rip-of. Completely copy-pasted the script of Ep4. And the dialogues suck soo soooo soo much.
Photography? An absolute failure. Apart from one good take (while moving forward the camera on the subject instead of zooming in ) it's bland, no amazing landscapes no interesting lines nothing.
Information? The movie doesn't give us any at all.
Plot holes? Lightsabers are supposed to be used only from the trained jedi. Not some girl from the movie twilight who "concentrated" and learned to use the force while fighting between a cliff and a SUPER-VILAIN apprentice who is taught greatly in the ways of the force. A guy who can stop blaster beams!!!.
Gore? Seriously this has to stop. It's called star WARS not star fights. It's supposed to have killings, death dismemberment. Where are the hands that are cut off clean? Just because the teens of today will have nightmares we are denied from the privilege of some good ol' fashioned violence?
Music? toun toun toun to totoun to totoun, bam bam bam ba babam ba bam. I don't remember any tune from TFA.

Whenever I watch movies at home I jump forward the bits that suck. I could watch TFA at half the time and still not miss a thing.
Poor movie. Maybe watch it once. Compared to the others is ****
And I am not a SW fanatic I think they are ok, a classic like LotR or Godfather but this has no rewatchable value at ALL.… Expand
48 of 81 users found this helpful4833
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0
jeffnicholsDec 20, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Other than Adam Driver, the cast in this movie is ridiculously BAD. The reviews for this movie are only good because the casting show's a new era of PC - by casting an african american, a spanish guy and a female to be the leads. Let me tell you - they are all awful, especially the girl. Aside from the bad casting - the plot and story are the same exact ones you've seen before even a *SPOILER* father/son relationship between a darth vader character and Hans Solo. Really?! Other than being a sentimental throwback to the style of the original Star Wars, there is no redeeming value here.… Expand
32 of 54 users found this helpful3222
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1
Bullets4allDec 25, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. worst Star Wars movie series.
Where the hell have found that crow in the lead role?
Note the absence of Lucas, the film is weak.
Only the applicant made this movie to be successful… Expand
32 of 54 users found this helpful3222
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0
crzymodernworldDec 26, 2015
real ticks me off how much propaganda there is in this film . it is such a farce of in your face “female empowerment” .For example this Captain Phasma. portrayed as an alpha badass, elusive and apparently capable of extraordinary combatreal ticks me off how much propaganda there is in this film . it is such a farce of in your face “female empowerment” .For example this Captain Phasma. portrayed as an alpha badass, elusive and apparently capable of extraordinary combat feats. So someone please tell me: where in real life (and the military) are these sorts of women? One of the hallmarks of good fantasy is its ability to generate suspended disbelief. The story must be real and plausible enough in other areas that you can forgive the mind-boggling aspects (such as the Force in Star Wars). Captain Phasma just doesn’t pass the sniff test.leave it to liberals to ruin starwars.… Expand
32 of 54 users found this helpful3222
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0
CharleiDec 29, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I was looking forward to watching the new Star Wars movie. With all the media, and marketing hype, I was expecting to see a really good movie. I was disappointed. In particular, I hated the character of Rey; she was a Mary Sue character. I hate Mary Sue characters in general. Everything was so easy for her. She just flipped her fingers and everything worked for her. How the hell did you learn to do the Jedi mind control thing?

Harrison Ford's performance was so pathetic, that I actually felt happy when Han Solo was killed - one less annoying thing in this movie phew! Every male character in this movie was pathetic. Seems like guys in this movie were in touch with their feminine side in this movie. Who wrote the script? A bunch of teenage kids?

I bet Superman hates Rey. Superman, for example, is allergic to kryptonite, and he got his butt kicked by Wonder Woman. What could be more humiliating for a strong muscular dude than to get his butt kicked by a chick that looks like a supermodel? On the other hand, all Mary Sue Rey does to get out of a tough spot is say "i'm good enough, i'm smart enough, and, doggone it, the force is with me".

If the movie producers would have chosen Ronda Rousey for the lead role, I would have bought everything done by her without questions. Ronda is built like a mean bad-*ss scary fighter, unlike the actress that played Rey. When Ronda says jump, you reply "how high Mam!"; she doesn't need stinky Jedi mind control tricks.… Expand
32 of 54 users found this helpful3222
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0
HardcaseDec 29, 2015
This movie isn't just bad, it's shameful. How can Disney take a franchise that has meant so much to so many people and pervert it into this ridiculous sham? This is not the next episode of the Star Wars series. It's not the next episode ofThis movie isn't just bad, it's shameful. How can Disney take a franchise that has meant so much to so many people and pervert it into this ridiculous sham? This is not the next episode of the Star Wars series. It's not the next episode of anything. It's a remake! Are you kidding me? You acquire the most successful movie franchise ever, and rather than take advantage of the possibilities that it presents to you, you decide to remake it instead? Did you really think you could remake those movies better than they already were? Talk about brainless! Movie audiences fell for the hype this time. We'll see what happens with episode 8 (or rather the remake of episode 5). Unbelievable!… Expand
32 of 54 users found this helpful3222
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3
bigburgerJan 10, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Went to see it over Xmas with my 12 year old nephew. I had no idea it was going to be a remake of A New Hope, otherwise I may have waited for it be released on DVD. What is wrong with Hollywood ? Are there no original ideas left ? They basically replaced Luke with a girl and and Darth Vadar with a stroppy man child, and copied the entire plot (which was thin in the original to begin with) of A New Hope. The writers somehow thought it would be a good idea to give us a conflicted villain, seems like nothing was learned from the prequels, they also forgot the lessons of what made the originals great, simple is best, Star Wars is not Russian literature, we don't need need complicated villains who are torn between good and evil, nobody cares if he misses his daddy, we just want our villains to act and behave as villains do, don't we ? Minor annoyances, Carrie Fisher, it really shows that she hasn't acted for decades, she was pretty awful. The under 25 group of officers that run the death planet thingy, no wonder it got blown up (Grand Moff Tarkin is spinning in his grave), the stormtroopers who really cant aim straight, maybe they are all former waste compactor operatives and janitors. The main cast are an enthusiastic bunch but they lack the star quality of Ford and Hammil, I had forgotten their names 5 minutes after leaving my seat. The music was also not memorable, something I expect from a Star Wars movie. Plus points for me was Jakku, even though it was basically a copy of Tatooine it worked well, Han Solos little side operation smuggling giant dangerous monsters brought a smile to my face, even though Ford looks and acts his advanced age, Han should be relaxing somewhere on a beach spending his retirement loot, not risking his life being chased by bounty hunters. The last scene with Luke on that beautiful Irish island was a nice touch. I left the theater feeling empty and disappointed, needless to say my nephew absolutely loved it, and i suppose thats who it was made for. A good kids movie but lacking in originality and depth and not much better than the prequels, but thats enough for it get a good review it seems… Expand
32 of 54 users found this helpful3222
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5
Kaiser_BenDec 28, 2015
I really like Star Wars, it is one of my favorite movie series ever but this time, after I watched a new VII episode, I was confused.

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

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

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

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

Overall:
Action - 8/10
Actors - 3-4/10
Script - 3/10
Special Effects and sound - 9/10… Expand
16 of 27 users found this helpful1611
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5
KapitanhDec 29, 2015
Es una pelicula que recuerda demasiado el capitulo 4 de la saga; además se espera una historia más espiritual y nos encontramos de lleno en una guerra, que pensábamos que ya estaba extinta le doy un cinco porque pense en un "despertar" y meEs una pelicula que recuerda demasiado el capitulo 4 de la saga; además se espera una historia más espiritual y nos encontramos de lleno en una guerra, que pensábamos que ya estaba extinta le doy un cinco porque pense en un "despertar" y me encontre con una pelicula de guerra, igual me gusto como pelicula de accion. felicito al equipo de marketing muy buena la publicidad, engañosa pero buena...… Expand
16 of 27 users found this helpful1611
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0
smoothoperatorJan 3, 2016
This is one if the worst movies ive ever seen. I cannot believe people buy into this series, the story is simply one of the worst ever written and the action is a snooze fest. I mean you have the entire universe to work with, , which is aThis is one if the worst movies ive ever seen. I cannot believe people buy into this series, the story is simply one of the worst ever written and the action is a snooze fest. I mean you have the entire universe to work with, , which is a limitless black hole of possibilities, and this is what they come up with?

It is a complete re-hash of everything star wars has always been, a boring, uninteresting drama story about a son and father. I wanted to walk out after 15 minutes, funny how the Hateful 8 took place in basically one room and i was sad when the three hours ended.… Expand
77 of 130 users found this helpful7753
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3
MoriarteJan 1, 2016
As an avid Star Wars fan, I didn't expect much from JJ Abrams and his crew. It turned out, my expectations matched what I saw in a latest instalment of the saga. I ask myself: why do these things happen? After contemplating for a bit, I comeAs an avid Star Wars fan, I didn't expect much from JJ Abrams and his crew. It turned out, my expectations matched what I saw in a latest instalment of the saga. I ask myself: why do these things happen? After contemplating for a bit, I come to think that one needs a firm grasp of philosophy and science, a good eye for actors and a cunning storyline, in order to deliver a Sci-Fi masterpiece. A visionary, a man capable of immersing you completely in a parallel reality, where heroes and villains become real.

Well, JJ Abrams simply isn't the man for the job. I'm sure he would be able to make fantastic ads for TV or something similar, but to wave a magic wand on stage of Star Wars .. one needs somebody else. Disney, that was bad judgment. You could as well invite me to do the job, I could screw this film up for half his fee.… Expand
77 of 130 users found this helpful7753
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0
ShowtimerDec 23, 2015
This movie was an insult to anyone who ever loved Star Wars. How can Abrams just grab elements from previous Star Wars films, cobble them together, and call it episode 7 as if it's a new episode? I could not be more disappointed. Astonishing.
77 of 130 users found this helpful7753
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0
CaperookJan 4, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie is a carbon-copy of the original trilogy, let me state that in the first sentence. But I admit it is possible to overlook this obvious flaw.
What isn't possible to overlook is the overall stupidity of the plot. It has more plot holes than swiss cheese: the clone army is _completely_ gone form the universe for some reason, the new Death Star is capable of sucking the suns dry (!), but still has not only the breathable atmosphere (!!), but also snow (!!!), shoots a laser beam that splits into five at a random point of its trajectory (!!!!) and leaves behind a functioning sun after being destroyed (!x5).
Heroes pull off impossible stunts (like synchronizing their shooting and piloting while being in different rooms of the ship and not communicating their next move verbally); the main protagonist is a Mary Sue who has no inner flaws that make her human or likable, but has abilities that far surpass that of the most powerful Jedi or Siths shown in the previous films. The antagonist party, the New Order (they are the Empire, but with a much more straitforward Nazi vibe) exists not because it is justified by the course of history over the last 30 years, but because Disney needed something stormtrooperish to market as toys. Otherwise, the New Order shouldn't even have any resources to begin with.
Overall, The Force Awakens is not a film - it is a massive marketing machina designed specifically to help Disney try their hand at striking specific cords in the souls of the fans.… Expand
77 of 130 users found this helpful7753
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3
XanatarDec 22, 2015
So this is what happens when Disney buys a franchise - Cut out the best parts of the previous parts, clue them together somehow, put a lot of state of the art CGI on top of it, then sell it as a "rejuvenation / fresh start". In fact, its justSo this is what happens when Disney buys a franchise - Cut out the best parts of the previous parts, clue them together somehow, put a lot of state of the art CGI on top of it, then sell it as a "rejuvenation / fresh start". In fact, its just all the same stuff all over again.

The writing must have looked something like this:" Ok... lets do this.. hm, but that was all already done before. - I have an idea, lets make it... bigger! Excellent, then we don't have to find something originally NEW. Our fans will love us" . Or maybe it was all about fear from Disney Execs of disappointing the core fans, thus starting **** storms all over. Thats why they probably thought recreating "core" scenes of the original as closely as possible and sell it as a new movie is a clever idea. And yeah, because it looks so incredibly familiar and close, lets rename the planets... that will make us look innovative. Hell, you can say a lot about George Lucas and some of his more stupid character or story choices, but at least he tried to tell HIS story. And he did it quite well in his first 3 movies, and not so well in his prequels. And, though some of his characters where plain stupid and an imposition ( Jar Jar Bings), at least they kind of stayed in character and were unique. Some of the current main cast and the plot feel hollow, only Han Solo rescues many scenes with his presence. Was it really required to burn up all the cool storylines that were created in the books by Timothy Zahn for... this?

I have to admit one thing - they did an absolute briliant marketing strategy with all this secrecy and non-spoiler policies. That probably means the hype will carry the movie through, even if it is only a medicore sci fi movie with plot holes so huge that a star destroyer fits through.… Expand
61 of 103 users found this helpful6142
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0
Farce_AwakensDec 30, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. At the moment Ren took off his mask, revealing a teenage emo Loki, the movie was on life-support. The first half built up a mysterious & powerful villain who even stopped a blaster beam in mid-air, suspended it for several minutes & then released it. So they set up an intimidating & fearsome villain, a must have in any Star Wars movie, then they completely obliterate that half way through, revealing our feared villain to be a petulant, wiry, goofy looking kid played by a bad actor. And it just got worse from there.

The moment the movie went off life-support & died is when they all gather round the 3D image of the new Death Planet rip-off & then Miles from LOST figures out in 20 seconds that, lo & behold it has almost the exact same weakness as the Death Star in IV! After about 30 seconds of explanation it's like "ok...BREAK! Let's do it!" From that point on the movie was a pathetic, rushed, re-do of episode IV's Death Star attack. I actually couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was like a parody. The Death Planet even had a trench! Fancy that! Just lazy garbage. And the fact that people still don't care that they were given a cheap remake (not to mention the rest of the countless issues with the movie) just goes to show that our average movie goer could be fed Bantha droppings on cardboard for 2 hours with the Star Wars scroll & theme & think it is the best thing since sliced bread.

But the parallels to IV don't stop there! If only they did. From the very beginning we see plans, or in this case a map, put into R2-D2, I mean BB8, so they can escape the clutches of the Empire, I mean First Order. BB8 ends up on a desert planet, Tatooine, I mean Jakku, where he runs into an amateur pilot, Luke, I mean Rey, stuck on the planet who dreams of going into space. Wow! Why didn't I think of this plot! Incredible!

First we meet Finn, who is this trilogy's answer to Jar Jar Binks. After being raised a First Order Stormtrooper his entire life, he suddenly decides he can't kill people, chooses to leave, leaves, & then ends up killing his former stormtrooper mates with no conscience. There is no great inner conflict portrayed, no depth of character, no background, no character development. He just decides it's not for him & bam, he's out there slinging comic relief one liners.

Then he meets up with Rey. Rey is a starving scavenger one minute who then suddenly turns into a combination of Steven Segal, Obi Wan, & Chuck Yeager. Why? Because Girl Power! 1st she's struggling to find enough junk to keep herself alive by selling it. Next thing you know she is single handedly piloting the Falcon better than the Red Baron. Then through coincidence (which is the only way the plot ever moves in this movie) Han & Chewy just so happen to tractor beam them in. Then Rey suddenly becomes a 1st class engineer who would put Scottie to shame! She starts lecturing Solo about how his ship works & knows it better than he does. Plus she can speak Wookie & droid! Rey's character is never developed, she's unrealistically perfect at everything without trying, & thus we could not care less about her as she's not credible.

Later Rey is captured by our emo barista, Ren. And Rey ends up using the Jedi-mind trick! How does she even know about this? Ehh, who cares. Fans are dumb & they'll buy it. Maybe she watched episode IV?

The movie spends about 5 seconds on the father-son relationship between Han & Ren, & failed to emotionally invest us in it one iota. Ben-Ren impales Solo with the lightsaber & he falls off a walkway into oblivion. Chewy is over it in 30 seconds. Yep. There you go. 3 movies worth of beloved character sent off in a rushed, poorly done scene with no suspense. See ya Solo!

Later, Rey starts fighting Emo-Ren w/ lightsabers… & proceeds to start kicking his ass!? Yes, she goes from starving scavenger to beating a trained jedi with a light saber she’s never used. Wow, this light saber thing isn't so hard after all! Maybe next episode 3PO can finally take the gloves off, issue a crowd roaring taunt to Ren, "Bring it, wuss!" & then start delivering the best ass kicking light saber jiu-jitsu we've seen since Yoda in the prequels!

In the originals Luke failed at everything & it took him 3 movies of training & losing to even become a Jedi Knight, not even master, & finally beat Vader. That is called developing a story, developing a character, building feeling for that character, building suspense. It's basically called movie making 101 which is apparently now a lost art.

In the end this was a lazy, special effects, copy & paste job meant to entertain & make money with no concern for any sort of plot, consistency, depth, character, credibility or anything else. JJ got you to the theater, got your money, & even got a large number of nostalgic fans to check their brains at the door & like it. Mission accomplished, Disney!… Expand
87 of 147 users found this helpful8760
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1
Serious_catJan 1, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I hated Lucas prequel, but at least he tried something.
Here we just have a lazy rehash of a new hope featuring such original features as:
* another desert planet
* another snow planet
* another cantina
* another Yoda character, except red
* another death star
* guess what, this death star happens to have a trench to its weak point. I guess it's a mandatory feature
* another death star exploding
Also for some reason, despite the fact the Rebellion killed the Emperor and blown up the Death Star (the second one), 30 years later it's still the Rebellion fighting the Empire except now the Rebellion is called the Resistance and the Empire is called the First Order, because... Well because probably the writers were afraid of coming up with original ideas.

The Kylo Ren character is kind of interesting in that he has some personality. The main problem is it's the personality of a whiny child, almost a Scott Evil parody which is *actually* played for laughs once in the movie. While it is a bit refreshing it is actually very inappropriate for a villain that should instill some menace and that instead is so inefficient at litterally everything that you almost want to point and laugh at him. The general guy seems looks like some teenager in an ill-fitting costume and Darth CGI is, well, just big lump of CGI. In fact the bad guys are so inept almost like cluncky cartoon villains. Maybe they didn't to scare children because Disney? Anyway it's bad.

The good guys are as white bread as it goes. The Finn character is supposed to have some depth because he was a stormtrooper or something but seriously who cares, he just ends being your generic wise-cracking sidekick.
Rey makes you think about some bad video game character. She is completly bland. She can do anything and she goes from one Serie's main character to another in a series of pointless cameos.
The characters from the old trilogy are shoe-horned into the movie for no good reason.

The plot is the same as in "a New Hope" except with more coincidences. The Death Star is bigger but it blows up just the same. Actually when the Rebel... eh, I mean the Resistance blows it up your just surprised not having some StormTrooper yelling "Oh, no, not again!".

Again, I hated Lucas prequels but at least he was trying to come up with new ideas. In comparisons this movie is some kind of souless counterfeit concocted by Disney's mad scientists.

Oh, yeah, the laser saber fights ditched the dumb jumping around from the prequels to something more appropriate. So at least there's something.… Expand
58 of 98 users found this helpful5840
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3
and94Jan 10, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. ok serious review this time. I managed to get a copy online.

The following review will analyze both the trailer and the subsequent garbage that was released in theatres.

Firstly, in the trailer, the real fanbase was pandered to with flashy tie-x-wing fights and a new lightsaber. They introduced two key protagonists, Finn and Rey. And the return of han solo. The badguys were going to be kylo ren and captain phasma. So how did this trailer seduce so many fans for the impending box office blowout? It didn't. It was all media. Toxic internet communities like reddit were hyped for months for this movie. Twitter, facebook, this movie used all forms of social media to make sure every single living being knew about this movie. The trailer was just a seduction tool, to show some flashy action and to create expectations. It showed set-pieces in rapid order, starting off with a desert area, followed by a space sequence, a spaceship interior, a village, a forest, and finally a snow landscape. All these sequences adjacent to eachother make the audience expect a dynamic and fast-paced film. And that's what the masses want. Hollywood knows that audiences don't want to sit through a movie BORED! So they fabricate this trailer which would appeal to masses. And this brings me to the film review.

The key problem is not a predictable plot. It is the lack of character struggle - of inner conflict, of any insightful themes. In addition, acting, script, and directing were flawed. The black protagonist is a stormtrooper who 'betrays' his federation and then can easily go on a stormtrooper killing rampage moments later. There is no explanation on how the darkside draws kylo ren in. As such, these two main characters feel tacked on the film. The plot moves these characters, but the characters make no conscious effect towards the plot. It is as if they are puppets on strings. They are so empty, and devoid of human character. As aforementioned, there is no emotional reaction to the stormtrooper's situation of betraying his troops. The only counterexample is in Rey's character, who was really believable as a poor woman living by trading junk. Midway in the film, her character is ruined though. The minor characters use a script of one-liners and the camera tries to make every character shine through jarring closeups and rapid character and camera movement. Again another counterexample is the far-shot scene of kylo ren meeting han solo on the bridge with the light and dark motifs. A big scene like that might be the reason for the positive reviews, however thefar too numerous flawed scenes detract from the few good moments like rey's introduction on the desert, and kylo ren and han's meeting.

Now I'm no film elitist and I've tried to keep the review informal to this point. Also, I'm not a film buff but tried to use some critical theory of art since I am interested in theodore adorno's philosophy.
I downloaded this movie expecting a fun movie, but ended up repulsed. Don't line disney's and jjabrams pockets. Don't go to the theatres, and I hope this review is a lesson on all Hollywood movies hyped by social media. Don't be superficial.… Expand
29 of 49 users found this helpful2920
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3
salatetsJan 9, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Пробуждение силы - фильм играющий на ностальгии "фанатов " серии не выражающий никаких новых идей. Начнем с сюжета: во-первых повстанцы победившие империю , опять сражаются с ней, только в новом обличии - "Первый орден". В фильме показано более нелогичное облучение джедая, Рей только прикасается к мечу Энакина, так бац она умеет внушать, владеет телепатией. Качество картинки довольно посредственное, за исключением некоторых сцен. Бои на мечах смотрятся, как бои на дубинках ,в о время этой битвы не был применён не один прием силы, ав едь могушество Кайла было показано в начале фильма. Возражение старых героев словно битьё трупа, ввели героев, что-бы они больше не показывались исключая исторически важных(Люк).… Expand
29 of 49 users found this helpful2920
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3
DailyNiteCriticJan 14, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Several years after the events of Return of the Jedi, Luke Skywalker has gone missing and a new empire known as the First Order rises from the original Empire after its defeat, vowing to not stop until every Jedi is dead.

In the beginning, we see Rebel Resistance pilot Poe Dameron meeting with a companion that gives him a small device that poses significance of searching for any of the remaining Jedi. It isn’t until The First Order creates an ambush and leader Kylo Ren kidnaps the pilot. One of the Stormtroopers, however – cannot bear the trauma and chaos The First Order delivers, and decides to escape the reign of the dark side.

Along the way is a girl Rey, strong-willed and sort of resembles a female Luke Skywalker based on mannerisms and her slow transition into a much stronger character with a surprise twist in the middle of the movie.

Soon, all three meet up together along with a likely group of old friends from the original Star Wars movies that will band together to take out Kylo Ren and The First Order, while protecting the droid with the clue to Skywalker’s whereabouts.

Pros:

Daisy Ridley and Oscar Isaac are the only stars in the movie who really stand out. Daisy as the adventrous and rebellious Rey and Isaac as the wisecracking badass Rebel pilot Poe Dameron.

The visuals are amazing (the space fights, the large creatures in the Millennium Falcon, the new Death Star’s laser)

Bringing back the old cast (Harrison Ford, Carrie Fischer, Peter Mayhew).

Good character development with Rey, Poe, and the new Resistance.

The sets and locations in the movie remind me of the original trilogy’s planets Tattooine, Hoth, and Yavin 4.

The supporting villain General Hux is powerful with his speech to the First Order when they are about to wage war with the Resistance.

CGI with certain characters (Clerk that Rey goes for metal money, Supreme Leader Snoke, and other supporting roles who help out Han Solo and the Resistance.)

The script is better than some of the original trilogies’ dialogues and has improved from the prequels.

The movie is fun with its sense of humor and visually striking battles.

The twists and turns, such as Kylo Ren being a former son of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker exiling himself after Kylo Ren turns to the dark side is surprising.

Mixed:

Finn is an all right character, goes from traumatized by the First Order’s cruel and violent actions toward anyone affiliated with the Rebels to being some sort of happy go lucky hero. Poorly developed but could have had a better start and better actor to play the role. They should have also made the character more conflicted.

The story moves at a slow pace until the newcomers meet up with some of the rebels and the old allies feels rushed.

The friendship between Rey and Finn feels forced, but could progress a little better.

How do these characters know how to fly the Millennium Falcon? If this was a real situation, nobody would even know how to pilot a ship like that!

Cons:

Kylo Ren and the actor who plays the villain is one of the most critical mistakes ever made in this movie. Where Darth Vader showed plenty of power, discipline, and was super calm under pressure and receiving bad news, Kylo Ren is so weak – He walks like a Californian surfer, throws tantrums like a little child and has a monotone Batman voice when interrogating his victims.

Rey is given Mary-Sue qualities near the end of the movie instead of just giving some sort of background as to how she is able to fight well.

Han Solo was killed off too quickly and it was obvious and predictable as to what was going to take place that moment when Han Solo confronts his son, convincing him to change back to the light side.

There isn’t too much background about how the First Order was established after the fall of the Empire.

There was only one lightsaber duel in the end, and it was TERRIBLE. It looked more like horror icons going at each other rather than a real, intense fight with heroes and villains who have practiced REAL light saber duels for a very long time. Felt like a style-over-substance type of movie, with the story being less of a concern in the movie and visuals being important. The Stormtroopers are lame as well. In the originals, the Stormtroopers were more combat hard and authentically genetically controlled soldiers while in this movie they act like rookies and are more like video gamers who were transported into a virtual reality. Lor San Tekka was only in the movie to advance the plot, but could have been useful later on in the movie..… Expand
29 of 49 users found this helpful2920
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5
hijackDec 18, 2015
It sucks. Nothing extraordinary makes me want to go watch it again. Broken record storylines all over the place, nothing new or exciting. Some nice visual shots but seriously, probably not even as good as the prequels. There's zero characterIt sucks. Nothing extraordinary makes me want to go watch it again. Broken record storylines all over the place, nothing new or exciting. Some nice visual shots but seriously, probably not even as good as the prequels. There's zero character or relationship development. It's like you're supposed to take advertisings word for it being awesome, but it's not special at all. No tension, sets were lame. D&D monsters make an appearance, which is just stupid. The more I think about it, the more disappointed I am. Laaame. It's lame. Its a stupid show, not worth the money. :(… Expand
100 of 169 users found this helpful10069
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3
VindoR_Dec 24, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Overall a very disapointing movie:
- the plot is basicly the original trilogy condensed in 2h16min, but done very badly, full of plot holes and non sensical situations
- the really fast paced rythm doesnt allow for any emotional connection whatsoever, even the death han solo is brushed off in 2 minutes
- the darth vader rep aka kylo ren is beyond ridiculous, the CGI emperor clone is average at best
- and most surprising of all even the music is subpar, never though i would say that about a john williams score but here it is, its like he knew he was doing a cash grab for kids and didnt even try.… Expand
42 of 71 users found this helpful4229
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0
deathclawDec 27, 2015
nah, i see fanbois push their +10 reviews. it was actually so bad it didnt worth the time ive wasted on watching it... the actors are rubbish, i could play better, the story is one by one episode 4 except that here isnt even a story justnah, i see fanbois push their +10 reviews. it was actually so bad it didnt worth the time ive wasted on watching it... the actors are rubbish, i could play better, the story is one by one episode 4 except that here isnt even a story just running jumping exploding shooting exploding monster eating exploding shooting end of movie... when i watch episode 4-6 i feel like they have made a 2 hours movie about days, months or years, this one on the other hand looks like they have made a 2 hours movie out of 5 minutes of events... lame. lame screenplay, lame actors just lame everything.… Expand
42 of 71 users found this helpful4229
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0
Bazza72Dec 23, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. 2 hour toy commercial. Seriously, that's what this movie is. A marketing exercise which has no regard or respect for the universe George Lucas created. Sure, the prequels were not great but this film didn't have a tenth of the atmosphere and production value they have.

From the opening scene I never at any point thought I was watching a Star Wars movie. There is no suspense or atmospher to the film.

The new characters are undeveloped and I just didn't care about them. Finn the storm trooper who does sanitation ? Is a bumbling idiot in combat.
Ray seems to be just there to appease the feminist/PC brigade by rejecting a mans help at everything and being able to do everything instantly like flying a ship, Jedi powers, combat with no training at all.

The baddie kylo ran or whatever was ok until he took the mask off to reveal a spotty teenager who throws the most laughable temper tantrums and despite being trained by golem gets his asked kicked by Finn and Ray who have never used a light sabre before

Harrison ford was the only good thing in this movie which brings me on to killing off Han Solo. It was done so badly it was awful. You could see it coming from a mile away.

Leia threepio Luke and Argo are just wheeled out along with props and settings from the original trilogy just to provide nostalgia and a week attempt to make it Star Wars.

The general and all the other actors gave pretty much soap acting at best and that include Finn.

The Death Star 3 lol was a joke with another single point of weakness. Oh and the republic gets destroyed by it but I didn't care it's just so badly written. General Leica is leader of a resistance who's "fleet" consists of about 8 swings ???

There is so much I could rant about that's bad I just cannot write it all up it would be a book. Basically Jo Abrams and Disney screwed Star Wars up and there's no way to unscrew it. And as another reviewer said it makes the prequels seem a whole lot better at least there was a story to them of some substance… Expand
42 of 71 users found this helpful4229
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2
Adler7Dec 27, 2015
I really looked forward to this movie, but came away disappointed. The story line is just a remake of an earlier story. Yet another "Death Star". Really? Another version of Darth Vader. Really? I suppose I was expecting an originalI really looked forward to this movie, but came away disappointed. The story line is just a remake of an earlier story. Yet another "Death Star". Really? Another version of Darth Vader. Really? I suppose I was expecting an original story, but not so much. At Least Harrison Ford won't have to come back for the next episode. I imagine George Lucas is laughing--all the way to the bank… Expand
42 of 71 users found this helpful4229
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0
donb5302Dec 28, 2015
I'm dumbfounded how this movie is getting good reviews in some circles. This movie is horrible. And I'm sick and tired of critics giving positive lazy reviews of something that history will show was crap. You don't care about theseI'm dumbfounded how this movie is getting good reviews in some circles. This movie is horrible. And I'm sick and tired of critics giving positive lazy reviews of something that history will show was crap. You don't care about these characters. You don't care ( outside of Hans Solo) about anybody in this film. Nothing is explained. There is no edge of your seat story to hold it together. In short, this thing goes nowhere! a complete waste of $10, and 2 hours of my life I can't get back. Look, I wanted to like this movie. I did. But there was nothing. Bad acting. Bad story. Bad music. Need I go on? Save your money. Your welcome.… Expand
42 of 71 users found this helpful4229
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1
TerribleWTFJan 9, 2016
WTF, that's some movie which i hated. I'm one of the first generation star wars fan's. but this movie is terrible. Self the bad boy is no secret anymore. When he is angry he destroys the Console with his light saber instead of killing theWTF, that's some movie which i hated. I'm one of the first generation star wars fan's. but this movie is terrible. Self the bad boy is no secret anymore. When he is angry he destroys the Console with his light saber instead of killing the messenger. There is not really any story behind it. just a combination of old topics. Nothing is really new. And the new Actors are terrible. This movie don't deserve a rating at all. That's more made for from the production straight into the video store. terrible… Expand
42 of 71 users found this helpful4229
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0
FlankeDec 25, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well I just watched it and I was very disappointed, the casting was horrible and there was no Luke Skywalker.. how could two untrained Jedi overpower a sith master? it does not make any sense... plus the love between the two characters seems forced and not realistic at all... I am a huge star wars fan and have collected all the toys etc... I was ok with Phantom menace but this movie was just to predictable.… Expand
55 of 93 users found this helpful5538
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0
FJGCDec 21, 2015
As a major SW fan since childhood (I like all the films, including the prequels, as well as the expanded universe comics, novels and even video games), basically I am the ideal fan that every corporation wants to have, I am massivelyAs a major SW fan since childhood (I like all the films, including the prequels, as well as the expanded universe comics, novels and even video games), basically I am the ideal fan that every corporation wants to have, I am massively dissapointed in this film. It basically makes the prequels look like masterpieces, whatever flaws they may have. George Lucas >> JJ Abrams. Read the rest of the realistic negative reviews if you want more detail on why this is so bad. I've already wasted enough time with my opinions on this. But I am not letting the blind fanboys get away with the hype, the film is bad and deserves to be remembered as a bad film, this should be a lesson for future filmmakers on how not to butcher a beloved film series. Giving this a 2 only for the somewhat good first act on Jakku. The rest of the film is just face palm after face palm, bad one liners, plot hole after plot hole.... it's just UGHHHHH.… Expand
55 of 93 users found this helpful5538
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0
Obee2Dec 24, 2015
Why is this movie doing so well? Because Episode 4 was a great movie, and Episode 7 is a remake of it? But why aren't fans turned off by the fact that it's just a remake? Because the majority of them are too young to realize it. AlmostWhy is this movie doing so well? Because Episode 4 was a great movie, and Episode 7 is a remake of it? But why aren't fans turned off by the fact that it's just a remake? Because the majority of them are too young to realize it. Almost nothing in this movie is at all new, and the little bit that is new is either not good, or doesn't even make sense. It's a truly awful insult to long time Star Wars fans everywhere. I wonder if this will start a new trend in Hollywood of remaking old movies and disguising them as new.… Expand
55 of 93 users found this helpful5538
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2
drivingcatDec 26, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I signed up to just voice my novice opinion on this movie. I've never written a review on anything, so this probably won't be too good of a read. But this movie failed. And what I can't understand is how it has received such praise. The trailers looked great and from everything I read and saw in the promo videos, it looked like it was in good hands. I feel like Abrams/Disney did some kind of Jedi mind trick and it took the awfulness of the movie to snap me out of it. I was amazed at how horribly let down I felt during and after that movie after so much promise leading up to it. I agree with most of what everyone else is saying who gave it a low rating and I can appreciate the fact I'm not alone. I went into the movie only knowing the trailers, so I had no idea what the actual story was. What a dreadful letdown. Boy... anyway.

Pros
- The chicken sandwich I had, very tasty

Cons
- The movie… Expand
68 of 115 users found this helpful6847
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2
BroncoYehaDec 23, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I was very disappointed with this movie as it essentially had the same plot as Star Wars A New Hope with a larger death star. There were so many plot holes and too many convenient coincidences (Rey finds Luke Skywalkers lightsaber in the basement of some bar??). The empire and rebellion have been replaced with the First Order and the Resistance, but the movie does not explain how these groups came to be. You have to wait until the end of the movie to see Luke Skywalker, and he does not even speak. Stick with the original Star Wars movies. I can't believe there were so many positive reviews for this movie! Ridiculous.… Expand
68 of 115 users found this helpful6847
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3
Sergei_PavlovJan 3, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This move should have been titled Star Wars: The Farce Awakens.

It's a remake of Episode IV only in its production design and plot devices, but betrays all the basic ethical and metaphorical principles that, on an unconscious level, constitute Star Wars mythological foundations. Here are two examples:

1. The Empire (Evil) glorifies technology, the Rebellion (Good) uses technology merely as a tool.

Notice Han Solo's sudden fascination with Chewabacca's crossbow (after 40 years of friendship). His constant remarks about how much he likes Chewie's weapon are in contradiction with the metaphorical values associated with Good established in the original trilogy, and even the prequels. The Millenium Falcon looks like crap because it's just a tool that gets the job done, as opposed to the Empire's clean, well-preserved and beloved "technological terrors".

2. The Dark Side is Quicker and Easier than the Light Side.

These values teach us the importance of effort and learning to reach our potential. As opposed to Luke, who needs three movies to master the Force, Rey is able to use precognition, telekinesis, and even mind tricks without training, guidance or any effort whatsoever. Her use of the Force follows the principles of the Dark Side, but it's presented as beloging to the Light Side. The "lesson" contained in this new approach to the Force is that people are predestined to greatness (or failure), regardless of their effort and ethical values. This opinion would have been subscribed by Goebbels.

But the lack of ethics in this movie is not exclusive of its content. It's also present in its form. This movie has more in common with Lost than Star Wars. It's conscious plot holes have been designed to foster endless internet debates as a free marketing tool. A good plot doesn't leave room to debate, because there's only one correct explanation. Darth Vader uses a helmet because he needs it to breath. End of the discussion. Why does Kylo Ren have one? No one knows, and the Internet can go and fill millions of pages trying to sort it out. Hint: there's no correct answer because, simply, there's no answer.

This farce is an exercise in emotional and marketing manipulation. It can only seduce you if you allow it to. Thankfully, people grow wiser in time, and lies are unmasked sooner or later. I predict this movie's scores will continue to plummet, and in a few years it will be completely forgotten from our collective memory.… Expand
107 of 181 users found this helpful10774
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0
QGJDec 30, 2015
A movie made not to tell the next chapter of the saga, but to pander the disgruntled "fans". No, this is not a continuation of the six-part saga from George Lucas. That was a story made by an artist. This is a cheap copy of one of itsA movie made not to tell the next chapter of the saga, but to pander the disgruntled "fans". No, this is not a continuation of the six-part saga from George Lucas. That was a story made by an artist. This is a cheap copy of one of its chapters made to sell.… Expand
94 of 159 users found this helpful9465
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3
vreynauldDec 26, 2015
As a member of both the Rebel Legion and the 501st Garrison, I believe it's safe to say I'm a "super-fan" of the Star Wars franchise. I grew up with the originals and my oldest son grew up with the prequels. Some of my fellow Legion andAs a member of both the Rebel Legion and the 501st Garrison, I believe it's safe to say I'm a "super-fan" of the Star Wars franchise. I grew up with the originals and my oldest son grew up with the prequels. Some of my fellow Legion and Garrison mates and got together and we all saw the movie on Christmas Eve with dinner afterward. After watching the movie, we generally walked out in stunned silence. During the following dinner, we debated and complained, pointed out every flaw, every plot hole, every unbelievable coincidence that was forced upon the viewer.. and there was much to debate as the negative reviews here rightfully point out. Too much of a rehash of A New Hope, too many coincidental events, no context, no exposition, and so on...

The next day, I saw the movie again with extended family including several tween and early teen cousins, nieces/newphews, et cetera. They completely lapped it up, bouncing in their seat for every BB8 scene and every crazy camera angle of blaster shots. That's when it dawned on me: Disney's "Star Wars" has no interest in staying faithful to the original mythos or providing a meaningful story - they're catering to the ADHD, can't-stop-playing-with-my-phone generation. All they have to do is make a kid-friendly droid character, fill two hours with explosions and "pewpew lazers!" (to quote one of my nephews) and they'll sell millions of tickets and overpriced, made-in-China toys.

People like myself and other unofficial fan club superfans have spent lots of money and time because we wanted to feel as though we're part of the Star Wars universe but I don't see future generations feeling the same way. The new direction of Star Wars is entirely short-sighted, based on capturing the hype and marketing while delivering forgettable films. It's the "Moichendising!" scene from Spaceballs come to life.… Expand
94 of 159 users found this helpful9465
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0
MindTrickedDec 28, 2015
Were critics praising this pile of garbage under the influence of the jedi mind trick or something? What absolute cowards! No one experienced in film could possibly look at this joke and not see it for what it is: 1/2 rip-off of previousWere critics praising this pile of garbage under the influence of the jedi mind trick or something? What absolute cowards! No one experienced in film could possibly look at this joke and not see it for what it is: 1/2 rip-off of previous films and 1/2 incoherent ridiculousness. Beyond awful.… Expand
94 of 159 users found this helpful9465
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3
JolexlarisDec 30, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. If you are willing to spend a good time in the cinema with your family you may like this movie. But that all the good I can say about it. The story is just a repetition of episode IV in all possible ways, there’s no ambition, no desire to say anything new. There is nothing new under the sky, and is hard to find an explanation of how this movie justifies its own existence. The original trilogy was an excellent remix of a lot of epic stories, the prequel trilogy was an ambitious attempt to put some deepness and politics in to an action movie, this movie seems to be just a reboot of the original trilogy. It’s just sad.… Expand
78 of 132 users found this helpful7854
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0
tigerskin84Dec 28, 2015
I really want to love this movie but i cant ... it has so many flaws, a carbon copy of episode 4, the new order is now under the command of a bunch of teens , the villains arent evil!!! what where you thinking jar jar abhrams?? rey is way tooI really want to love this movie but i cant ... it has so many flaws, a carbon copy of episode 4, the new order is now under the command of a bunch of teens , the villains arent evil!!! what where you thinking jar jar abhrams?? rey is way too overporwered and kylo ren is a crying b!tch, and if you are going too kill a big hero do it with the honor he deserves, nobody was touched by his death i really cant believe people gaving a 10 to this movie , the thrawn trilogy is way better than this!! IM TOTALLY DISSAPOINTED!!!… Expand
65 of 110 users found this helpful6545
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4
dob111283Dec 18, 2015
If I wanted to watch Episode IV, I could have stayed home. Say what you will about Lucas' prequels, but at least he took chances on new storylines. This is rehashed garbage that was meant as a cash cow. Ignore all the idiot fanboys who screamIf I wanted to watch Episode IV, I could have stayed home. Say what you will about Lucas' prequels, but at least he took chances on new storylines. This is rehashed garbage that was meant as a cash cow. Ignore all the idiot fanboys who scream "haters gonna hate". They're pretty much in complete denial because they expected so much. After this movie gets out via word of mouth, it'll just be a decent movie, nothing more. Someone needs to bring in Christopher Nolan or give Lucas another shot.… Expand
65 of 110 users found this helpful6545
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0
AwakenedDec 29, 2015
The force sure wasn't awakened in this debacle, but I sure was. And what I've learned is tis: Critics are not to be trusted. Disney played them like a fiddle, keeping them away from the film until the hype machine was roaring, assuringThe force sure wasn't awakened in this debacle, but I sure was. And what I've learned is tis: Critics are not to be trusted. Disney played them like a fiddle, keeping them away from the film until the hype machine was roaring, assuring that any critic who dared to speak against this joke of a film knew that they would be speaking out against what was sure to be the biggest hit of the year. And the critics, just like the early viewing kids and teens, were just swept away by it. Newsflash people: A movie isn't good just because it gets a lot of coverage. You need to decide if a movie is good AFTER you have seen it, not before based on the marketing. That's what I did, and the actual quality of this film is zilch! The biggest cash hit of the year is also the worst quality film of the decade. Regarding critics, lesson learned. They have lost all credibility.… Expand
65 of 110 users found this helpful6545
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0
johnangelDec 28, 2015
Why do you need deathstars and fleets train Rey for a week and watch her destroy planets and eat galaxies wtf is this **** I didn't expect sharknado type of writing in the new star wars but this is what I got and zero is that this movie gets.
39 of 66 users found this helpful3927
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1
NoshidoDec 27, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I really am a star wars fan. I have collected the comics, books and games. I have always really enjoyed this universe as a little diversion form that lame thing we call life. So, when I heard that a new film was coming I was excited. Then they tell me ALL the cannon for the past 30 years is gone, poof. sigh... Okay fine, there were some things I didn't really like here and there anyway, so lets see what you got JJ.

Maybe, this will fix some of the things that went wrong in the EU, make an even better chapter. Right? NO. This uninhibited story opportunity is wasted completely to give us nothing new at all. There were so many directions they could have gone, and rich lore to pull from, why do this?

The story is simply non existent. The characters have little motivation for there reactions and show no real conflicting feeling or depth. Everything we see is unoriginal, stolen or uninteresting. One of the biggest issues is the core concept of the film. They are searching for Luke, but why? First he is not needed, they defeat the first order with a handful of x-wing pilots and a space janitor. Second he walks away from everything to find the first Jedi temple because he failed, but leaves a nebulous trail of bread crumbs in the form of a map? This makes less than zero sense. Last Rey beats Kylo Ren with ease with zero training, what the heck does she need to get better at? She already can mind trick move objects and saber fight soooo...?

One of the worst elements of the film is the hand holding, figuratively. Every time something happens in the film that needs explanation through good acting or story telling, they instead have a character break it down in simple sentences so we don't miss it. If a film is made well I feel it should be able to communicate to the audience without such heavy handed tactics. A look, a quick visual, something. In this film we don't see any of this. It would appear that Disney believes its audience is brain damaged or at the least far below average intelligence. I don't mind suspending disbelief but this film asks me to suspend cognitive function in order to be entertained. I give this film 1/10 instead of zero for one reason. The visuals were at least accurate to the universe, but not one plot point or character is worth a point.

It was painful to see something I loved destroyed this way. I think of what fans would have done if Peter Jackson had decided that Tolkien was no longer cannon in lord of the rings and made something like this. It would have redefined backlash, as it was he got a lot of flack for not staying close enough to the books, but in star wars its okay to flush everything the fans love down the toilet cause Disney. sigh...… Expand
39 of 66 users found this helpful3927
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1
Lich_MasterJan 8, 2016
I didn't like that movie at all.
I went with my wife, she was sleeping, and I was constantly saying stuff like "why?", "why that?", "is this new hope again?"
Most of the world rates that movie 100 out of 10, so I feel wierd. Maybe I amI didn't like that movie at all.
I went with my wife, she was sleeping, and I was constantly saying stuff like "why?", "why that?", "is this new hope again?"

Most of the world rates that movie 100 out of 10, so I feel wierd.
Maybe I am too old - Star Wars is meant for younger audience.
Maybe I just didn't like whole PC concept - main characters are:
Woman
Black Guy
Gay
Transvestite
Old man.
I can't recommend this movie, but on the other hand - everyone saw it. So just go, see it (maybe DVD), just not to be left out… Expand
39 of 66 users found this helpful3927
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2
deathmachineptJan 16, 2016
Very mediocre film equal to the prequels like episode III but with no cool epic scenes but no boring scenes either.
This movie copies the entire script of New Hope but fails with flying colors on understanding what made New Hope Great andVery mediocre film equal to the prequels like episode III but with no cool epic scenes but no boring scenes either.
This movie copies the entire script of New Hope but fails with flying colors on understanding what made New Hope Great and that was perfect passing, original story, incredible character development, prefect blend of music to every scene and a very satisfying ending none of these are present in Force Awakens.

I thought this movie had fewer CGI but it doesn't feel like it, the CGI is really bad as well, very noticeable there are at least 4 fully CGI characters that make a negative impact on you.

The story doesn't make any sense for fans and non-fans both bad guys are poorly used and poorly developed. The dialogue was awful so despite both Finn and Rey being well acted the lack of good writing didn't make them stand out.

Anyways everyone on my family left the movie disappointed, I left not remembering any scene or anything that made an impact on me(at least the prequels did), I didn't even heard any music, the movie has too much action but it's bad action not like what you see in MadMax, it wasn't worth the ticket price and I wish this movie would never had been made because it destroyers the original movies history and characters something that the prequels were not able to do.… Expand
26 of 44 users found this helpful2618
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6
mace8704Dec 31, 2015
With the original trilogy, I loved the villains/empire. As a kid, the empire was truly terrifying and cool. So while I enjoyed the addition of Finn and BB-8, Kylo Ren, Phasma, and Snoke were all huge let downs. Kylo Ren comes off as anotherWith the original trilogy, I loved the villains/empire. As a kid, the empire was truly terrifying and cool. So while I enjoyed the addition of Finn and BB-8, Kylo Ren, Phasma, and Snoke were all huge let downs. Kylo Ren comes off as another angsty teen and lacks the intimidation and mystery of Darth Vader. Phasma is underdeveloped and does practically nothing the entire film. Snoke is a CGI character which I've always struggled to connect with on a personal level. To make matters worse, Rey, the new protagonist, was laughably phenomenal at everything with no training. Need a pilot? Rey can do it. Need a mechanic? Rey can do that too? Need to take down a New Order genocidal maniac? Rey will close her eyes for a few seconds and take care that lickety split.. Don't get me wrong. The film is fun, but lacks the creativity and strong antagonist of the original trilogy. Still an improvement over the prequels, but I was expecting more.… Expand
26 of 44 users found this helpful2618
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3
docbill4uJan 17, 2016
Anyone remember the scene when Han Solo's beast-of-a-right-hand-man's tennis shoes were briefly shown as he walked to greet Leia? Unbelievable editing flaw. To think this could perhaps be the biggest money maker of all times and nearly 75%Anyone remember the scene when Han Solo's beast-of-a-right-hand-man's tennis shoes were briefly shown as he walked to greet Leia? Unbelievable editing flaw. To think this could perhaps be the biggest money maker of all times and nearly 75% of the movie involves "shoot em' up" or "blow em' up" scenes that one's visual system cannot even really track, is just plain crazy! Saw this in iMax and that wasn't enough to make it worth the experience.

Then, the ending hike up the never-ending flight of stairs to return the precious metal to Luke. Hey, anyone here ever hiked up stairs? Well, you know what, you get out of breath along the way, but, not Rey...another very serious editing flaw that would be more typical of a junior director filming his/her first film. How can anyone really give this positive views? I am glad Solo is now dead...it would be too painful to ever see such poor acting again.… Expand
26 of 44 users found this helpful2618
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2
Ml3805Dec 31, 2015
I was extremely disappointed in this movie, I had high hopes with Abrams work on Star Trek. The prequels weren't great but were better than this. I fear Disney will kill this franchise. I'm shocked that it received so many positive reviews.
88 of 149 users found this helpful8861
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0
AlexandrosKJan 1, 2016
From the standpoint of "movies," where people act and the director directs, this is the worst movie I have ever seen.

Some reviewers are reviewing this based on "Star Wars," which is fine, but I feel that the Phantom Menace, which wasFrom the standpoint of "movies," where people act and the director directs, this is the worst movie I have ever seen.

Some reviewers are reviewing this based on "Star Wars," which is fine, but I feel that the Phantom Menace, which was panned, was an infinitely better Star Wars movie than this because it was a fine "movie" irrespective of its Star Wars-ness.

Other reviewers have touched on the plot holes, insufferable Mary Sue main character, and how the movie is a tired (incompetent) rehash of the first Star Wars movie, but the Force Awakens greatest failings have nothing to do with the plot:

The Force Awakens is the worst movie I have ever seen because the actors don't have any charisma.

The two greatest offenders of this, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, mercifully are not the main characters. For the moments they do appear, of which there many, I was squirming in my seat over how bad the dialogue was. Mind you, the script is terrible, but these actors went even less than phoning it in: it's like they realized how terrible the script was and did everything they could to make the movie fail on purpose.

There are soft, emotional moments between the characters they play and it is cringe worthy to watch. Both actors seem to convey their loathing for the script in their role as they vomit out the words to what the director doubtlessly intended to be a touching scene.

Moving on to the other characters: The male lead is mostly forgettable, but he probably did the best he could with the script; the female lead, on the other hand, has the personality of a potato. She spends the entire movie acting out her role as if her character was the lead to a Twilight movie (noted for the main character's lack of personality), but somehow manages to find new depths of emotional range.

The villains:

Many have touched on the co-badguy's petulant and childish tantrums, but that is the fault of the script, not the actor. The problem is the actor himself looks like a petulant kid who would get beaten up in some highschool movie. Miscast or perfect cast? I can't tell; the script seems to imply they cast him perfectly! Unfortunately, the whiny, petulant, insufferable attitude being broadcast by someone the movie is trying to tell me is some evil dark lord of evil space wizard does worse than break immersion, it made me laugh out loud in the theater at moments that were no doubt intended to be suspenseful.

The other co-badguy villain is doubtlessly intended to be some villainous, threatening, gestapo-like, space general, but again, casting chose not only an incompetent actor, but the completely wrong look to convey anything but derision from the audience. The soft features of his face, the youthful look, the ginger complexion, and the boyish british accent makes me feel that he would be better suited to a role as a protagonist in a Harry Potter film than the evil, nazi-like, space general he attempts to portray in the Force Awakens.

Now that we've examined the main characters in the film, let's talk about how they interact with eachother, which is the true awfullness that permeates the Force Awakens.

I've briefly examined the Harrison Ford/Carrie Fisher interactions, but that's only a small slice of the terrible chemistry that exists between actors in the film.

The male lead and female lead don't appear to be in the same film: the male lead will act as if he's in a different movie than the female lead. Whereas Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher seem to share their vehemence for the franchise, script, and possibly director, it looks like the male lead and female lead are trying their best and making it worse.

The male lead will make a statement with, say, emotional scale A.

The female lead will then respond with emotional scale motor oil. That is to say, it's not even the same universe of emotion.

Forget about the actors being in the same room, one begins to wonder if they've even read the (awful) script beyond the lines they parrot out because they don't actually seem to be interacting with the other actors in the film.

Though Harrison Ford delivers his tired interactions with the spirit of someone who was paid a lot of money just to show up, the other actors put an effort and zeal into interacting with other characters, but the performances end up as buffoonish and trite.

Charisma, there is none in this movie. It's as if the actors aren't in the same room and they have no idea who they're talking to: almost is if they're reciting lines from a script devoid of anything but their own lines.

Why is anyone saying this movie is good? I feel tricked and cheated; do I live in Clown World now? Is up down and left right?

I signed up for an account just to review this movie; the positive reviews make me wonder if I have been transported to an alternate reality where the values & standards of the real world no longer apply.… Expand
88 of 149 users found this helpful8861
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0
CareTakerJan 9, 2016
Movie is a remake of 4 and 6. It does not follow the story form the 6 movie onwards. It only promotes it self on nostalgia from the old movies. It is full of inconsistencies with the Star Wars universe.
49 of 83 users found this helpful4934
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3
Calrissian77Jan 3, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I watched the movie twice.

In brief: things I liked:

- Most of the first act on Jakku
- Some shots and sequences later in the movie
- The acting of the whole cast (Carrie Fisher excepting, sad to say)
- Harrison Ford (he played Han Solo well and carried the movie through the middle)

In brief, things I disliked:

- The unimaginative derivative plot
- The lack of context and background and explanation
- The movie is too full of deux ex machina and people and circumstances lining up too perfectly too frequently
- The leads bond together far too quickly
- The bad relationship between Han/Leia and their son Kylo/Ben is never shown; just stated as such. This robs Han's death of any real significance or meaning as it is not believable. A terrible way to go out for an iconic character and hero.
- The dialogue is bad. As bad, in a different way, than the prequels. Because there is so little explanation in the movie, characters are left to mouth terrible exposition as dialogue which sounds awful and still explains little.

The movie asks you to do a lot of joining of dots. But, doesn't really even provide you with enough dots and you are left with making stuff up so that it fits or just turning off your brain. Neither is good enough. Nor is having to wait for Ep. 8 for any sort of explanation for the background to the movie or the motivations and choices of the characters. It is lazy writing and poor story-telling.

To continue:

- Poor world-building. I rarely, accept for the opening Jakku sequence, got that sense of immersion and world building I regard as quintessentially Star Wars.
- Poor score. John Williams does a terrible job. Not sure that I blame him, though. I think there was little in this movie to score in the way he used to for Star Wars. The cinematography and story-telling is too different. His music can't help tell the story anymore, probably because there isn't much of a story to tell.
- Destroys the legacy of the Original Trilogy. The main heroes of the OT have all regressed. As for Luke, he has run away with scarcely a word of explanation almost as if his heroes journey never happened. This, to me, reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the source material. But, JJ Abrams did the same thing with Star Trek: ID where he did the same thing to Wrath of Khan.
- The new characters are all bland and boring. Rey is, in essence, a Mary Sue. Finn is scarcely believable (no explanation is given as to why he left the FO) and seemingly exists only for comedy effect. Poe is a stereotypical 'super-pilot'. Kylo had potential but his temper tantrums are not convincing, and are portrayed for laughs. This undermines the character. He can be scary or funny. Not both. They are all uninteresting.
- The movie has far too many wise-cracks and laughs. The prequels tried to be too serious. But, this goes the other way and is far too 'laugh-a-minute'.

My first viewing left me a little confused. My second was easier because I expected less and watched the movie for its own sake and for what it is. A light easy assembly line block-buster with some Star Wars thrown in. But, make no bones about it, this is a mediocre movie: lacking creativity, inspiration and imagination. As the movie jumped frenetically from sequence to sequence toward its predicable end, I was just bored.

As a long time Star Wars fan, I do not consider this a genuine Star
Wars movie. Merely a poor caricature of one. I give it 3/10.… Expand
85 of 144 users found this helpful8559
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1
NotAKyloRenDec 26, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Copy from episodes IV and V. The story is unbelievably bad, even worse the new characters are failure. Kylo Ren - crybaby villain(who makes you lough at the dark side when he takes of his mask and you see some 17 years old nerd trying to be bad), Rey - overpowered scavenger teen who learns more about force in 3 days than Luke in 3 movies, seeing Leia and Solo old in the movie just felt wrong. This is the worst Star Wars movie till now. Thanks Disney you nailed it...… Expand
36 of 61 users found this helpful3625
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0
MrsweetDec 30, 2015
Huge fan of the Star Wars universe , very disappointed with this lark of effort ... expected a whole bunch of new worlds/ships/cool stuff and characters , poor show .
59 of 100 users found this helpful5941
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0
stnovkovDec 30, 2015
Spoiler free. I really really wanted to love it. Unfortunately there is no way, since disney and JJ Abrams decided to make a franchise wave for audience in range 3-13 y.o., not a movie. My standards aren't high, just the movie is very, verySpoiler free. I really really wanted to love it. Unfortunately there is no way, since disney and JJ Abrams decided to make a franchise wave for audience in range 3-13 y.o., not a movie. My standards aren't high, just the movie is very, very bad. Biggest disappointment in movie industry. All critics and reviews aren't dumb, they are just paid. Don't go and waste your time.… Expand
59 of 100 users found this helpful5941
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3
goblin6Dec 29, 2015
Visually interesting but poorly written, characters were one dimensional and plot was unimaginative. Making a bigger death star and spending five seconds planning to destroy it with the same idea ripped off from episodes IV and VI wasVisually interesting but poorly written, characters were one dimensional and plot was unimaginative. Making a bigger death star and spending five seconds planning to destroy it with the same idea ripped off from episodes IV and VI was completely asinine. The only good thing about this shiny turd is that episode IV and V keep looking better and better. All three writers deserve the blame for this mindless tripe but I smell more Toy Story than Empire Strikes Back. Hopefully Disney's check will bounce and Lucas can quietly repossess the franchise and prevent any further suffering for the fans.… Expand
82 of 139 users found this helpful8257
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0
StarWarsisDeadDec 26, 2015
Bad movie. Total disappointment.

Other commenters have said everything there is to say about this terrible movie. The fact that this movie is rated so highly by professional critics suggests that the critics are not impartial. Ive justBad movie. Total disappointment.

Other commenters have said everything there is to say about this terrible movie.

The fact that this movie is rated so highly by professional critics suggests that the critics are not impartial. Ive just lost any and all faith in their opinions. They must be getting paid.… Expand
69 of 117 users found this helpful6948
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3
Disappointed58Dec 22, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have to say overall I was let down by the movie. Started out kind of slow, and was kind of boring. I grew up watching the original Star Wars in 1977 at the theater. As a 7 year old, I was captivated by that movie and i was looking for the same thing, only to be disappointed. Abrams did not capture my enthusiasm. He is no George Lucas, and he would better off staying with and directing Star Trek. Probably with the help of Disney and Abrams, "The Force Awakens" is missing George Lucas's panache. For one, you killed off Han Solo. Unbelievable. One of the most iconic characters in the original trilogy. And you introduce us to a character that basically learns the force and how to use a lightsaber in a matter of a couple hours. Really? Luke is the "yoda" of Jedi Knights and it took him years and years to learn about the force and the dark side. Do I even ask what she accomplishes in episode 8? If ever a series needs resurrected, it is now. George Lucas, where are when we need you most?… Expand
46 of 78 users found this helpful4632
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0
marcantoinegDec 25, 2015
The worst star wars movie (in competition with its sequel). A shame to the franchise. Irrealistic even from a sci-fi point of view, the same plot as episode 4, stupid and useless characters, It was made to make money off nostlagia and sellThe worst star wars movie (in competition with its sequel). A shame to the franchise. Irrealistic even from a sci-fi point of view, the same plot as episode 4, stupid and useless characters, It was made to make money off nostlagia and sell toys to children. F u disney… Expand
46 of 78 users found this helpful4632
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0
dragos-oltDec 22, 2015
a pale shadow of what star wars is... without imagination.
anyone how seen at least one of the previous from the series could almost fell the force around
23 of 39 users found this helpful2316
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1
jjsucksJan 19, 2016
Episode VII is an exact remake, plot point for plot point, of Episode IV with a dash of elements from Episode V and VI, except with far less compelling characters who undergo zero character development throughout the film. Though I'm a fan ofEpisode VII is an exact remake, plot point for plot point, of Episode IV with a dash of elements from Episode V and VI, except with far less compelling characters who undergo zero character development throughout the film. Though I'm a fan of throwbacks and self references, Episode VII takes it too far - to the point where I started to wonder if JJ was trying to constantly remind me that I'm supposed to be watching a Star Wars film. Its attempt at humour fell flat, is misplaced for the Star Wars series to begin with, and is reminiscent of the goofy attempt at humour of the much hated prequels.

On the plus side, the CGI was fantastic. Although it is far from a saving grace, seeing the Millennium Falcon and X-Wings dogfight with Tie Fighters again was a nice, albeit brief, reprieve from an an otherwise terrible film.

Star Wars Episode VII: A New Hope (2015) is a mediocre attempt at a remake falsely marketed under the guise of furthering the saga.… Expand
23 of 39 users found this helpful2316
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3
SpazeGoatJan 2, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I thought no matter what, there was no way 'The Force Awakens' could be worse than Lucas's prequels of the late '90s. I have a newfound respect for those movies after seeing this one. The Force Awakens starts off strong, but quickly dissolves into obscurity. By the end I was looking around at my clapping and cheering peers as if they were completely insane.

What bothered me most was that within 15 minutes of everyone meeting each other, they formed an emotional connection and became "BFFs". It was so warm and fuzzy at times, I could actually taste sweet and sour care-bear vomit in my mouth. Rey (Daisy Ridley) is essentially the next Luke Skywalker. In a mere 2 hours she puts Han Solo's piloting abilities to complete shame and makes him look like a 2nd year Jiffy Lube mechanic. Rey can seamlessly use the force; mind tricks, telekinesis, and can handle a lightsaber without incident. Skills that took Anakin, Luke, and every other Jedi in history years to obtain.

Finn's (John Boyega) performance was unmemorable on the whole. He was trained and brainwashed by The First Order his entire life, but don't let that fool you. Never mind the fact that he worked on and help construct a flying fortress that can blow up several planets and kill billions of people simultaneously. That wasn't a deal breaker for dear ol' Finn, oh no. It came when he was ordered to kill a dozen or so villagers in the middle of the desert. So he becomes a traitor and later joins "The Resistance". Forget the fact that he was a Storm Trooper his whole life, there's no way he could be a spy, let's trust him and act like we've known him for years! And with his extensive knowledge from being a Storm Trooper/sanitary worker he becomes uh, you know, an essential... integral... asset to the planning and destruction of the new "Death Star". So cool.

Apparently J.J. Abrams and Disney couldn't come up with anything new. True to modern Hollywood form, we'll just do the SAME thing, we'll just make it BIGGER. Enter new Death Star. It's no small moon, it's the size of Jupiter. Quite the feat of engineering actually. Am I to understand that the First Order was able to construct this monstrosity in complete secrecy? That the rebels' intelligence gathering got worse over the past 30 years? None of that matters, however. Despite all, it's blown up by a ground team of 4 and a squadron of X-wings. Didn't see that coming (sarcasm).

The Empire was defeated, the Republic was restored, the Galactic Senate reformed... just long enough to get blown up in mere moments. Who did they have to protect them? Oh, the same band of rebel misfits from 30 years ago. Seriously? After 30 years, the rebel outfit is still operating underground and are more disorganized? Absolutely no new technology, ships, or tactics. Still, they are victorious over the First Order without any assistance from the Republic ...or the rest of the galaxy they helped save in the first place. Even President Obama couldn't decide which side was more "JV".

My next question is a little more sensitive in nature. Is anyone else sick and tired of the strong, independent female protagonist? I love hot, smart, kickass women just as much as the next guy, but it's getting a little ridiculous at this point. These days, every movie has a 110 lb. woman taking down men twice their size. Let's face it, Ronda Rousey is a great fighter, but to think she could take down any of her male counterparts is as far-fetched as the critic reviews for this movie. Sorry ladies.

Which brings me to Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). I thought he was a good antagonist up until the end. He can extract information from your mind and stop a laser blast in mid-air. Completely ruthless; a bit creepy and disturbing when he takes off his helmet. He seemed well-trained and very powerful. Yet he fails to deflect a shot from Chewbacca who was leagues away. Then he gets his ass kicked by 2 kids that have never used a lightsaber before. I guess he should've went home to mommy and daddy. Obviously, Han and Leia were terrible parents. I didn't see that one coming.

All in all Stars Wars: Episode VII - The Force awakens was just another marketing scheme. This movie felt like just another jazzed up re-imagining of a franchise. If George Lucas could sue Disney for plagiarism, he would. Coupled with the popularity of the franchise and the overzealous advertisement effort, Star Wars a huge success. The sheeple continue to enjoy being spoon-fed and they are eating this one up like its Filet Mignon. Then there are idiots like me that knowingly keep paying for the same movie over and over again. The horror.… Expand
79 of 134 users found this helpful7955
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3
lunanulJan 1, 2016
The best one could hope for in such a movie would be for the creative staff to mine the old stuff for gold and serve it up in a fresh, new way. What I witnessed was a kind of reverse alchemy wherein the gold was transformed to (mostly) lead,The best one could hope for in such a movie would be for the creative staff to mine the old stuff for gold and serve it up in a fresh, new way. What I witnessed was a kind of reverse alchemy wherein the gold was transformed to (mostly) lead, with an occasional blink of polished brass. I am very fond of the first two movies in the original trilogy (episode IV and V) and haven't seen much magic come out of Star Wars movies since then. There was one fine scene in ep. VII that truly captured the old magic, but that was it. 2 minutes out of 135 is not a golden ratio. That said, a person who has never seen the original trilogy could be in for a real treat. Maybe.… Expand
56 of 95 users found this helpful5639
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0
bbqpaukDec 30, 2015
Such a waste of money. Same old, been there, done that. Same conflicts, many loopholes, same enemy, same plot, same everything. It would be great for someone just starting to enter the Star Wars franchise but if you have ever experienced itSuch a waste of money. Same old, been there, done that. Same conflicts, many loopholes, same enemy, same plot, same everything. It would be great for someone just starting to enter the Star Wars franchise but if you have ever experienced it before in any way shape or form it is just bland.… Expand
56 of 95 users found this helpful5639
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0
RootieKazootieDec 29, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is the biggest disappointment of the 21st century since the residency of George W. Bush It. This is just a rehash of the original three Star Wars movies--- almost exactly--- and obviously on purpose. And with a dull, trite script and uninteresting characters. This was obviously done consciously--- but I cannot understand why or why audiences seem to love it. This was an opportunity to go where no Star Wars had gone before-- to break new ground, take us to new places and new adventures, and introduce new wise-cracking, witty, characters with panache and depth. None of that happens here. It is literally just a trite, cliche-ridden and somewhat inane remake of the first Star Wars movies, but lacking the humor, surprises, wit, soul and excellent writing and acting that made the first Star Wars movie such a wower. I almost fell asleep, no kidding--- I could see everything coming from a mile away. I think folks have bought into this--- but, really--- it's a piece of brainless junk.… Expand
56 of 95 users found this helpful5639
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2
TheRehashAwokeDec 26, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Cash grab. Rehash/Reboot. Corporate made fan fiction. Nostalgia Pandering. Unoriginal. Self Parody.

These are the most common, but legitimate criticisms you'll most likely see against this movie, but for my review, I will for the most part, focus on the unoriginality and the fact that it feels like a parody.

The Force Awakens starts off strong and promising, the first half hour is actually entertaining, but then things take a dramatic turn and it all starts going downhill....

Where do I begin? Wow, this is without a doubt the weakest story in the saga thus far. FIND LUKE SKYWALKER, BUT BEFORE YOU CAN DO THAT YOU HAVE TO BLOW UP ANOTHER DEATH STAR! It doesn't even explain WHY finding Luke is so important.

In fact, NOTHING is explained in this film.

Our new heroes are Rey, (who plays the Luke Skywalker role of A New Hope) and Finn, the co-star and basically our comedy relief character. If you stop and think about it you realize he's useless to the story, but for whatever reason he tags along for the adventure.

Their main goal is, by the luxury of a string of endless coincidences in this poorly thought out movie; to stop the threat that is the First Order, (who's motives are unexplained, as well as the state of the galaxy) and their SUPER DEATH STAR PLANET THING, (wait for it.....) STARKILLER BASE! Oh, and also like I stated earlier, find that old hermit Luke.

Seriously, there are so many instances where you'll stop and think, "wow they're always there at the right time. How convenient". Such as, finding the Millennium Falcon by chance, running into Han Solo by chance, finding Luke's old lightsaber by chance, and my favourite, R2D2 waking up from low-power mode for no apparent reason other than to MOVE THIS NONSENSICAL PLOT ALONG! (And these are only a few of the hillarious amount of coincidences. I hope someone makes a meme listing all of them.)

The mystique and badassery of our new villian Kylo Ren, (Darth Vader 2.0) is ruined when he takes off his mask. You can't take him seriously anymore, he was a legit badass for the first hour of the movie, but that's all destroyed.

Han Solo's death was the ONLY emotional part in the film. He dies by his son Kylo Ren's lightsaber, that everyone saw from a mile away was going to happen, very predictable but it was sad to see him die. HOWEVER, the way that he falls off the platform looks ridiculous and I actually laughed out loud at how stupid it looked.

The last third of the film is where I realized I was watching a parody. It is literally beat for beat, Episode IV and VI combined. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. A trench run to destroy Death Star 3 (the starkiller) and an underwhelming lightsaber duel between insta-Jedi Rey and Kylo Ren. As many others have said, if you've seen A New Hope, you've seen this movie, but that movie was actually good.

And lastly, the ending... I cannot put into words how bad the ending is... It is so bad... It is easily the WORST ending in the saga. After all that, the movie ends with Rey eventually finding Luke on top of a mountain and she proceeds to hand over the lightsaber to Luke (who's green screened into the shot BTW, looks super fake) and the two engage in a cringe worthy awkward staring contest with no words being spoken...

And it was at that moment where I laughed the hardest ever at a SW film.

Was that a parody I just witnessed?

In conclusion, it's good to see more and more people are WAKING UP (no pun intended) and seeing TFA for what it is; A heartless, corporate assembley line made fan-film that panders to the lowest common denominator.

The Star Wars Saga (1977-2005) will live on forever.

On the other hand, this piece of **** corporate made fan-fiction can go **** itself.… Expand
89 of 151 users found this helpful8962
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3
thepomyJan 4, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As many other fans of the true Star Wars (Ep IV-IV) I was highly disappointed by this last installment. There was so much good material in the expanded Star Wars Universe that flourished in the past 30 years and yet J.J. Abrams ended up making a mediocre rip-off of Episode IV. This movie is a reboot with references to the original trilogy, not a sequel.

There is no credible explanation on why things are in the current state, Leia and Luke have laughable appearances, and even Han Solo seemed to be a sad shadow of the character everyone used to love in the original trilogy. According to J.J. Abrams anyone can use a light-saber and it takes little to no effort to master the force, even against a supposedly well trained sith. Pretty much everything we learned in Ep IV-VI is erased in this movie.

The choice of Adam Driver for the villain doesn't really convince, and Kylo Ren/Snoke end up being laughable villains (a winy emo wanna-be sith lord, and a giant hologram with a funny name). All in the movie is obvious, to the point where people can imagine what's going to happen. The final demise of Han Solo is a good example of that.

This installment is a shallow and successful attempt to make money, not the movie all the fans deserved to watch.… Expand
66 of 112 users found this helpful6646
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3
McZouJan 2, 2016
Entertaining movie, should have been called anything but Star Wars. I had great fun watching it but it ends there. No more, no less and definitely not a Star Wars. Just a blockbuster, to be followed by many others until Disney has squeezedEntertaining movie, should have been called anything but Star Wars. I had great fun watching it but it ends there. No more, no less and definitely not a Star Wars. Just a blockbuster, to be followed by many others until Disney has squeezed all the money they could from the franchise and will leave it up, destroyed and unpopular.… Expand
119 of 202 users found this helpful11983
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0
literallywhoDec 27, 2015
I'm not even part of the Star Wars fan club, but I created an account to give this garbage 0.

I tried to convince myself the movie was fun when I went to the theater. I failed. FA is a complete and utter garbage. Plot is mind-numbing.I'm not even part of the Star Wars fan club, but I created an account to give this garbage 0.

I tried to convince myself the movie was fun when I went to the theater. I failed.

FA is a complete and utter garbage. Plot is mind-numbing. Jokes are tired and cringeworthy. Idea of Kylo struggling with the whole dark/light side was nice but the execution was terrible. Felt like I was watching a failure of a straight-to-TV aimed at a 10 year old demographic.

Cash grab remake/merch advertisment, and nothing more.… Expand
86 of 146 users found this helpful8660
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2
Punisher1978Jan 14, 2016
I am writing this review in the hope that you will see it before you go to watch Star Wars VII, and in the process save your money and time. If you're 10, then you might like it. If you're an adult and appreciate well crafted story-tellingI am writing this review in the hope that you will see it before you go to watch Star Wars VII, and in the process save your money and time. If you're 10, then you might like it. If you're an adult and appreciate well crafted story-telling with good acting, you're out of luck. I saw the positive reviews by various critics and my hopes were raised - then dashed like an egg thrown at a wall, upon seeing it. "What's wrong with it?" You say?, I say "Nearly Everything!". The only saving grace was the production values which were amazing. Everything else was pretty bad.

Script - Awful
Plot - Awful
Acting - Dreadful

I was really hoping for something good, and instead they made a cash-in for the franchise (as expected, but I thought the glut of critics reviews were to be trusted - What a fool I was!). If you really liked this film, then you -

A) Can't be trusted to recommend anything else - ever (especially film)
B) Must be J.J. Abrams
C) Must be any film executive @ Disney.

For the record, I really like the 'Star Wars Universe', but not this. Definitely not this.… Expand
43 of 73 users found this helpful4330
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0
RocknrebelDec 23, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First time review.

The people who gave this movie high scores must not have seen Episodes 1-6. If they had then they would give this movie a 0. I walked out of the theater astounded. The movie started off well then started a downward spiral to depths I have never seen before.

Plot: As tired and old as Carrie Fisher was in the movie. Why not come up with something original. They had total freedom to write what they wanted and they did nothing but recreate Episode 4. Nice one. This was a failure

Characters: Kylo Ren started out cool. Stops a laser bolt, Ruthlessly executes a old guy. Then they took all that away from him by giving him angsty teenager tantrums and allowed a janitor and young girl beat him in a light saber fight and the use of the force. Rey and Finn. I have no opinion as every scene was them running away from something while Rey is being told to us that she is a strong girl and doesn't need a man, while having Finn look like a buffoon in action, but somehow he comes up with EVERY IDEA in the movie. If you are unlucky enough to have to sit through this movie again just watch. Finn has every good idea, but can't do anything and in my opinion he is worse comic relief then Jar Jar Binks. Why does he have the stupid lines he does?

I am just tired of even thinking of this movie to continue writing.

So many plot holes, none of it made and sense or had any continuity. The force and training to use it was made a mockery. I saw the movie with my wife and when we were driving home she made the comment "I don't get it. Luke had to carry that frog around on his back for along time and train to do the things they made that girl do" (She isn't a Star Wars fan, and only watched the movies with me to get ready to watch TFA with me) Then she said "I don't know anything about Star Wars, but i think they messed this movie up"

My response was "You are right, they messed up, and I don't think there is any way to repair the damage"

For all of Lucas' faults he at least respected the force and understood a good story. TFA makes me appreciate episodes 1-3 in a new light.… Expand
43 of 73 users found this helpful4330
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0
lyashuk_dimaDec 24, 2015
Really disappointing experience! Watched the original trilogy as a teenager and this was a bad remake of the first movie, but also parts taken from second and third movie. I don't understand the professional critics, how can they rate thisReally disappointing experience! Watched the original trilogy as a teenager and this was a bad remake of the first movie, but also parts taken from second and third movie. I don't understand the professional critics, how can they rate this movie so high?… Expand
43 of 73 users found this helpful4330
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3
HotMacheteDec 29, 2015
After all the hype, The Force Awakens is ultimately a failure and missed opportunity in the same vein as the prequels. JJ Abrams gets better performances and better visuals on film than Lucas was able to with Episodes I through III, but theAfter all the hype, The Force Awakens is ultimately a failure and missed opportunity in the same vein as the prequels. JJ Abrams gets better performances and better visuals on film than Lucas was able to with Episodes I through III, but the actual story in Episode VII is just as riddled with plot holes, dues ex machina, fan service, and one-dimensional characters. It's Star Wars for the Transformers generation ... louder, more exaggerated, and ultimately dumbed down.… Expand
43 of 73 users found this helpful4330
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3
sheppardt1Jan 6, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. There are some good things: old school special effects in much of the film were more realistic than prequels, storm trooper defecting was a great idea, the lead actress and actor are good, the first half is generally good until they escape the planet and that laughable scene on the millennium falcon had to happen. The bad things: Clunky script, several bad jokes especially by Harrison Ford, terrible CGI/motion capture for the new emperor guy who is some sort of half-man or worm or something, wimpy lead bad guy, bad CGI for the fight scene against the death planet, terrible CGI for the awful escaped alien creatures on the millennium falcon, too many coincidences, the female lead was too strong and actually defeats the bad guy with no training, female lead was made too strong to be realistic, a death planet was a terrible idea, too jokey at many times in the movie. The list could go on for awhile. The biggest problem with the movie is the complete disregard for the original series emphasis on training and discipline to become a jedi and this directors inability to slow things down and develop some characters. How much better would the millennium falcon scene have been if the characters just talked a little bit and learned about each other. The terrible scenes with those creatures escaping and some ridiculous smugglers could have been cut and probably millions of dollars saved by some good dialogue at that point. The movie just had no soul and the end left them with no significant bad guy. I thought it was really a mess just like the last star trek.… Expand
43 of 73 users found this helpful4330
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0
RamirezalfordJan 11, 2016
It broke my heart. It was a slap in the face. I hate Jar Jar Abrams. I hate Disney. They destroyed the future of Star Wars. Who is to blame? Whoever wrote the story. The worst Star Wars anything of all time. Nintendo games made it better. BadIt broke my heart. It was a slap in the face. I hate Jar Jar Abrams. I hate Disney. They destroyed the future of Star Wars. Who is to blame? Whoever wrote the story. The worst Star Wars anything of all time. Nintendo games made it better. Bad story. Nothing new. oh my god, oh my god... I am devastated. Save your money… Expand
43 of 73 users found this helpful4330
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3
pit_nsJan 2, 2016
Disney what did you do to this movie?! Where did all the money go to???

First: When I watch this movie and see small Resistance base located somewhere at the middle of nowhere or 30 people cheer after the victory with no visual affects itDisney what did you do to this movie?! Where did all the money go to???

First:
When I watch this movie and see small Resistance base located somewhere at the middle of nowhere or 30 people cheer after the victory with no visual affects it makes me think you did not make that scene epic at all but made it look like this move is a budget movie.
Luke on some island that looks like earth place in the middle of nothing, not building etc....did you remember how Yoda's place was awesome, climatic?
That bar with that alien lady, what was that? No people go in or out, no landing place for other spaceships? It is like forgotten place but it is full with spaceships around, where is the landing place? where are the people???!!!

Secondly:
Bigger dead star planet that destroys 10 planets at one shot? Are you kidding me... and you destroy all city planet with senate that was so iconic for this series just like that in one second....was it really so hard to create new original story...

I am so disappointed about that movie that I think it was maybe for somebody who never saw previous episodes and is age between 8-20...

Luke abandoned his sister and hid on some planet (because some kid went to dark side what!!!!!? wasn't he stronger enough to capture him and get him back...), resistance after being victorious is smaller than before....makes no sense to me....

Lastly, why that boy wears that mask for? he does not need it? just to look cool? ehh........

I hope you make the next one right...… Expand
63 of 107 users found this helpful6344
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3
revilloDec 18, 2015
It's a shame that Abrams was at the helm for this one. He's not the worst producer in the business, but he sure is a lousy storyteller. Just about all the basics of how to weave together a narrative are absent here. You can feel theIt's a shame that Abrams was at the helm for this one. He's not the worst producer in the business, but he sure is a lousy storyteller. Just about all the basics of how to weave together a narrative are absent here. You can feel the insecurity and willingness to compromise in every scene, and no character, conflict or theme really gets enough attention to become compelling, which is a shame because the performers here are all talented and likeable. Lucas wasn't much of a writer, that's for sure, but he pursued his vision with passion and creativity. Abrams is more engineer than artist. He's just checking off boxes.… Expand
93 of 158 users found this helpful9365
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3
magie666Jan 2, 2016
It's a money-grabbing re-hash of the beloved star wars (1977). I left the cinema with a very Bitter taste in my mouth. Almost everything in it is a copy from the original, its just been jigged up with some new characters and cgi. Thats it...It's a money-grabbing re-hash of the beloved star wars (1977). I left the cinema with a very Bitter taste in my mouth. Almost everything in it is a copy from the original, its just been jigged up with some new characters and cgi. Thats it... UTTERLY DISAPPOINTED.!!!!!!!!!!!!!
John Boyega wasnt too bad as an actor in it, bit silly but wasnt too bad.
Daisy Ridley was an utter disappointment, ''SHE CANT ACT'' she was awful.!!!!
The stupid attempt to add humour was a failure...I cant remember laughing once at the cheesy lines. It was shockingly BAD.
Star wars the force awakens: Soulless, Unremarkable, bland, dull Need I go on !!!

I gave it 3.. nothing more , nothing less… Expand
70 of 119 users found this helpful7049
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3
noobmsu93Jan 17, 2016
A very unoriginal film. I am perplexed as to how anyone who grew up watching Star Wars would consider giving this a high score. It is just a pathetic rehash of Star Wars IV!
I'm not going to reiterate what has been written by so manyA very unoriginal film. I am perplexed as to how anyone who grew up watching Star Wars would consider giving this a high score. It is just a pathetic rehash of Star Wars IV!
I'm not going to reiterate what has been written by so many thoughtful viewers. But I will ask all of you this...why are we as a culture accepting this vapid excuse of creativity from film makers? Why redo/remake works by more creative people just to keep a profitable franchise alive? Why not try something new?
Who knows it could even be profitable (and it probably would be)! Stop listening to the "bean counters" Hollywood!… Expand
50 of 85 users found this helpful5035
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0
RGN_DKSDec 22, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After seeing it twice, I don't like it.

First, the movie is a medley of sorts of the original trilogy (particularly ep. IV), only the plot is way more confusing. I keep reading additional content (like that Aftermath) and I still can't fully grasp what's the situation of the galaxy. It's a mess, and this should have been explained in the movie (having to dig information elsewhere is frustrating). Also, a new Death Star? Really?

Second, the pacing is weird. The first half of the movie is somewhat stronger than the second. The ending feels like it doesn't fit and it doesn't feel much like Star Wars.

Third, the villains are weak. You can't stop comparing Gen. "Mux" with Tarkin, "KillO'Ben" with Vader, and "Supreme Leader Snarf" with Palpatine - and they all fail to deliver (and it's not the actor's fault...). That Kylo Ren is the stupidest character since Jar Jar Binks. Nothing he says makes sense. "I'll finish what you started..." What did Vader start to begin with? Palpatine founded the Empire, Palpatine started hunting down the jedi, Palpatine started every war in both the classical and prequel trilogies... so what the heck is this kid talking about? Finally, having a loving father and mother, being son of two of the greatest heroes of the galaxy wasn't enough... Having the strongest force user as uncle and master is not enough... Somehow he bounded to Supreme Leader Snarf will and - then they repeat the plot again? At least we had 3 movies to try to understand Anakin's fall. By the way, nobody told this stupid kid that the grandfather he worships so much came back to the light before he died? Oh, but that's not enough. The stupid kid had to lose the lightsaber fight so we could grasp how dumb and weak he is. Kylo Ren is like "Cartman with Authoritah fell to the dark side" - but dumber.

Forth, why wasn't the big imperial ships protecting the big bad base as well? Why that stupid name, "First Order"? Why captain Phasma lowered the shield (the price for such treason should be surely death or worse... oh, forget it). Why make lots of puppets and then make Maz Kanata CGI? The movie kept reminding me it was just a movie!

Also, that dialogue between Han and Leia. So much of it was unnecessary... Which brings me to what I hated the most about the movie, and the main reason I'm giving it such a low score: it erases anything good and fulfilling we had at the end of Return of the Jedi. Every single one of the original heroes failed miserably in every aspects of their lives. Where is the reward for being good, just and do heroic deeds?
So... Han failed as a husband, as a father, as a member of the resistance and overall as a man (a bitter one it seems)... same goes for Leia (oh, she is a general of a sidekick cell that's supported by the republic... great). Luke is the worse of them all: failed as a jedi master, failed as a protector of the galaxy, as uncle, as friend, as brother, as the owner of R2D2... the plot seemed to be around finding Luke, but the movie ends and he's done nothing and you get to wonder: why? Why do they need him? What do they need him for? The resistance certainly can handle any new Death Star that appears, and it seems the plumber trooper and junkyard girl can surely handle the stupid angry kid. All that, and R2D2 being in a coma because he's sad sounds so absurd... Didn't the little droid survived the killing of younglings by Anakin Skywalker? Didn't he watch the purge of the jedi and the founding of the Empire?

Well, I guess that's it. I had to watch it 2 times to be sure I didn't like it, but the more I think about it, the worse it gets. I was going to keep it to myself, but after seeing how angry "the real fans" are getting at anyone that disagree with them, I felt I had to come and share with you, that also didn't like the movie, that you are not alone. I can only hope the next one will end up being so good it's going to redeem this one.… Expand
50 of 85 users found this helpful5035
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3
CygnusBlackJan 10, 2016
I won't dwell into the flaws of this movie that were already described by many.
It's just disgusting seeing what they've done with the franchise throughout the years.
It's like seeing a once good PC game being dumbed down for today'sI won't dwell into the flaws of this movie that were already described by many.
It's just disgusting seeing what they've done with the franchise throughout the years.

It's like seeing a once good PC game being dumbed down for today's consoles. Press X to win.… Expand
40 of 68 users found this helpful4028
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2
xxxkombajnxxxJan 14, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie was really good until 2 things happened:

-minor thing- Kylo Ren took off his mask
-major thing- Rey just used all the force she needed and defeated Kylo Ren in a lightsabre fight without ANY training. She also repaired millenium falcon just on a hunch... Absurdity of this is beyond anything ever imaginable. The political correctness that told someone to make female character practically a god ruined really great movie… Expand
30 of 51 users found this helpful3021
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6
WakkoJan 2, 2016
Decent Star Wars movie. Would have rather seen Lucas' production; not JJ Abrams. Lucas tells a story. Abrams sells you a pretty picture so quickly that you have to watch it a few times to make sure you didn't miss it; which was prettyDecent Star Wars movie. Would have rather seen Lucas' production; not JJ Abrams. Lucas tells a story. Abrams sells you a pretty picture so quickly that you have to watch it a few times to make sure you didn't miss it; which was pretty shallow in this movie and a repeat / mash up of Star Wars New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi.

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

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

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

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

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

Now the bad:

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

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

JJ. abrams didn't do Star wars justice in my opinion. There's so much action in the movie, that half way through you'll be craving for some actual character development. Finn could have been an interesting character, but he's not really. He grieves over a dead stormtropper in the opening sequence, yet when he flees from Starkiller base with Poe, he kills maybe 20-30 stormtroppers without blinking an eye. That doesn't make sense really does it? Sure if this had happened over a long time of character development, but this is within the first half hour of the film. he's also a worse soldier than a person who has been surviving on a desert planet alone, yet Finn has been training his whole life to be a soldier. That doesn't make a lot of sense now does it. How is he handling a lightsaber again? A lightsaber is a weightless weapon and unless you want to cut off your own limbs, then you need to receive training to use it. And yes general grevious had training to use them. Now this is just a small nitpick, but it mirrors a larger tendency with TFA. It doesn't respects its own lore, and it's filled with plotholes the size of moons. The original movies also had a lot of flaws, but at least the characters were consistent and didn't do something totally out of their character. The original movies also build up character development without only using action sequences, which made a more balanced movie. The force awakens awakens is nearly a carbon copy of a new hope, yet a new hope was better, 30 years ago.… Expand
20 of 34 users found this helpful2014
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3
SammyghhgJan 6, 2016
Ok. I hate doing this, but this is a split review. Cinematography, directing and pretty much every actor in the film gets a 10/10.

The story gets a generous 3. As the movie progressed, I felt like I was sitting into a resetting ejectionOk. I hate doing this, but this is a split review. Cinematography, directing and pretty much every actor in the film gets a 10/10.

The story gets a generous 3.

As the movie progressed, I felt like I was sitting into a resetting ejection seat specifically designed to hit my **** meter.

EJECT EJECT EJECT.... that was my brain every time some **** happened that NEVER would have happened in Star Wars.

Stormtrooper is neurotic and freaked out by everything. No... Finn had decided to leave, why would he be scared. He's well trained and is executing a plan of action. Why make the black guy a **** in the first 3 minutes of meeting him? HE'S A STORMTROOPER... not some cowardly **** Surely some of the training would have stuck.

Then Homie the Poe guy can't outfly four highly destructible missiles like Anakin did in RoTS (ep 3.) but instead IS capable of shooting down literally every tie fighter in on Maz Kanata's planet, but then is incapable of replicating that feat when trying to blow up the Death Star 3.

Kylo Ren freezes time... not a blaster bolt... time... if it was the bolt, the electricity surrouding it would have kept jumping. It didn't it stopped TIME.

Ok... Kylo has an insta win in the first 10 minutes.... I almost walked out.

I settled in for the long haul and had to hit eject again when they escaped from tatooine... how does a girl lost in a desert know how to fly a ship that apparently doesn't work after changing one switch.

Then hit eject again.

Random meeting with Han and Chewie.

Then again.

Space bug doesn't immediately eat Finn.

Then again.

The Lightsaber gives visions? uhhhh...hhhhhuuuuu?
How?

Then again.

An X-wing somehow snipes stormtroopers while moving, and doesn't even cause explosions... which then take place moments later when someone who isn't poe completely misses the stormtroopers.

And again.

When Poe Dameron ganks 6+ tie fighters in less than 10 seconds. A feat that no other pilot, jedi or non-jedi has ever replicated. Even in the now non-canon books.... at least with lasers cannons.

And again.

When everyone meets at the rebel base and no one gives a **** about how Poe survived, or why he hadn't told anyone about Finn's place in the escape

And again.

When the entire planning session to destroy a planet sized star killing super base took a whole 30 seconds of **** conversation and easy answers.

Then again.

When Han flies a millenium falcon under the shields at light speed and no one asks why this wasn't the plan for Death Star 2.
Then again. When Kylo and Rey have a semi-orgasmic screaming match which apparently portrayed Rey finding out that she can read minds too..... because that's always been a Jedi thing right? AND AGAIN When Rey immediately knows how to mind trick Daniel Craig... I mean ... some anonymous stormtrooper into doing whatever she wants.... and if that's the case, just do it to everyone you encounter and take the base over 100%. And again. When Rey starts climbing over stuff because she likes climbing over stuff. Then again When Finn announces he doesn't know anything really and is just a sanitation guy. Funny but **** you. Then again When Finn announces he knows how to disable the shield after all. Then again When Phasma gives up the codes so easily it's as if the film makers were looking for a surefire way of confirming why women should never exist in combat roles. Then again when the shields could be turned off without a redundancy And again when only 12 x-wings are all that's left of the rebel alliance after 30 years of growth.... bad job leia. And again when they pull out 400 bombs from a satchel the size of the one from Hangover. And again when Han has a stilted and boring conversation with the nutso individual with a red lightsaber and all black clothing. And again when the sun was finally pulled into the weapon and the room went dark and that caused the DARKNESS ... it's dark side ****ers and that's retarded. And again when everyone runs away from Kylo ren and 3 stormtroopers. And again when Kylo rocks up and a sanitation attendant duels him with a lightsaber, being extremely proficient at a number of points, eventually succumbing to his wounds. And again when Rey jumps up after being concussed, wins a force pull battle against a trained Anti-jedi after showing almost no indication of knowing the force was even a thing ever, but suddenly owning said jedi in saber combat after less than two miinutes of back and forth. And again when R2 turns on an knows exactly where the map is. And again when it's the only missing peice of said map And again when they send desert planet girl to see Luke instead of his sister who he would know and give more than two ****s for. So yeah. Pretty average story... again. being super generous with the 3/10. I am really reluctant to see it agian as it might turn me off star wars for ever. BAD.… Expand
20 of 34 users found this helpful2014
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3
lcampoliDec 20, 2015
Didn't really do it for me. It definitely started strong, but it just moved very slowly. The best scene, for me, is when Rey is introduced to the Force; it was great leap into the character's psyche, and Daisy Ridley exhibited a greatDidn't really do it for me. It definitely started strong, but it just moved very slowly. The best scene, for me, is when Rey is introduced to the Force; it was great leap into the character's psyche, and Daisy Ridley exhibited a great performance. In fact, all of the acting was great.

The flaws of the movie were its length and lack of creativity. It is extremely boring, cliched, and fake. There is little, if any character development, and therefore lacked any deep fulfillment. This made it feel like a total waste of engagement on the part of the audience.… Expand
20 of 34 users found this helpful2014
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6
LightbarrierDec 26, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Those looking for positive feedback look away because this is not the review for you. "The Force Awakens" threw me off because it made me ask if it was possible to get in trouble for plagiarizing your own work. Allot of the scenes that appear in the movie played very similarly to all the other original Star Wars movies especially the first one. For me it's fine when a story reuses a small scene as a nod to the original, the problem is that too much of the story here followed the same script of the first one from the death of a major character to the destruction of the massive weapon. This in turn makes it hard to decipher what makes "The Force Awakens" special, when I left the movie theater I admittedly thought it felt like the original star wars movie however, it didn't feel like a Star Wars movie. What do I mean here, well the original Star Wars movie at the time felt so different and there was nothing out there like it. However, for me "The Force Awakens" had none of that originality that made the first so special and thus relied only on what fans loved about the originals. Now other movies may seem to also copy narrative, so much so that this idea of myth comes into play and that nothing is original. However, just because the overall narrative may play to a hero's quest doesn’t mean that everything has to follow the exact same order with the exact same events. By the time the credits had rolled and people were clapping I felt like a chump, what did they see in the movie that I didn't, I've watched all the originals and it's not like I didn’t find the lore of the universe interesting. However, I really know the answer to that. For me it was " Star Wars: Episode VII The Fan Fiction", it has everything that fans love in the star wars universe, but it's not willing to bring any new interesting or exciting ideas to the table. Thus how could I like what I've already seen when I watched the original movies.

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

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

I have some other minor complaints about this movie such as the lack of giving any backstory to how we arrived to these events after episode VI, but these are the major issues which hold the movie back for me. Thus I can say I didn’t really like “Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens”.… Expand
20 of 34 users found this helpful2014
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3
anirudh6kDec 23, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I enjoyed the ride as the movie flowed on, till plot kept going downhill. At first you get a nostalgic feeling as you notice the references to the older films (some in humourous and entertaining ways).
Eventually the movie turns dry, with poor acting and just outrightly copies 'a new hope'. Highly disappointed that inspite of all the hype and scope the movie had, it just blandly copied a older successful version of itself.
What made the movie worse is how it potrayed the good and the bad guys. So the new 'darth vadar' is bad because he turns evil , because he was frightened??.... umm ok, he trained to be a jedi by luke but went to the dark side, and is so powerful that he can stop laser beams by using the force. But ... but gets easily defeated by someone basically holding a light saber the first time with no training ...coz yea she the good guy.
This movie was disappointing, its a bland remake and can be fun to watch as a good defeats bad story regardless of any logic or plot… Expand
77 of 131 users found this helpful7754
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3
JamieMadrox85Dec 31, 2015
This movie is a lazy cut and paste of a new hope, i really don't understand how people are giving this movie such high scores. The main characters Rey and Finn weren't likable characters. The villain Kylo Ren was a complete joke, so much soThis movie is a lazy cut and paste of a new hope, i really don't understand how people are giving this movie such high scores. The main characters Rey and Finn weren't likable characters. The villain Kylo Ren was a complete joke, so much so in fact that most of the audience on launch night kept laughing at him and while I'm not against humor in a star wars film this is done to the detriment of the character. He really cannot be taken seriously anymore after a point in the movie. I was even disappointed by the musical score, i was sure there was no way John Williams had anything to do with this one but i was wrong. There certainly wasn't a "duel of the fates" or "battle of the heroes". And i won't even get into the numerous plot holes in the movie simply because i don't feel like writing a review that long. In short this movie is crap and gave me a new appreciation for the prequels. (Yes, I'm an original trilogy fan)… Expand
67 of 114 users found this helpful6747
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0
jjman295Jan 3, 2016
The biggest let down of 2015 and 2016!!! it is basically a crappy version of A New Hope. Wish I never seen it cause it just sucks so bad. I would not pay anything to watch it.
104 of 177 users found this helpful10473
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2
RGB999Jan 1, 2016
This was not an earnest, thoughtful continuation of the Star Wars saga.

This was taxidermy. The cheap, unsettling, not-convincing kind. Like many others here - casual and hardcore fans alike - I really wanted to like this movie, andThis was not an earnest, thoughtful continuation of the Star Wars saga.

This was taxidermy. The cheap, unsettling, not-convincing kind.

Like many others here - casual and hardcore fans alike - I really wanted to like this movie, and signed in (after 3 years of forgetting I had this account) to voice my discontent. Many of the "most helpful" reviews cover all the same flaws and complaints I have, so no need to rehash them.

Considering the resources, attention, and hype that went into this movie, it almost seems deliberately bad. Maybe - in this era of rage-inducing attention-seeking clickbait - it's more profitable to make a controversial product than a straight-up good one. How much more traffic and ad revenue do all these media sites get from angry viewers visiting their websites out of spite and expressing their displeasure? How many of us disappointed fans have been emotionally hooked into waiting for the next one, just for the slim hope of a redemption?

Or maybe the producers/execs were so sure of this movie's success (and who wouldn't have been?) that they couldn't care less about the plagiarized plot and its glaring inconsistencies, among other issues. These days, it seems everybody in the media business is getting lazy off their well-established cash cows, and us consumers are only enabling them.… Expand
47 of 80 users found this helpful4733
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3
VothrossJan 11, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie is very well directed, the actors did a good job, nice battles and stuff but sadly the writing is MORE than childish. Before watching the force awakens, i saw all the positive reviews on the internet but after actually watching it my self i can say that it is a pretty bad movie. A copy-paste of the scenario of "A new Hope", some outrageous plot holes, everyone and my aunt can decently wield a lightsaber (back in the day we thought that such a weapon needs you to be force sensitive and also have JEDI TRAINING in order to use it properly), the villain is just laughable (if Anakin in the prequels seems whiny to you, check out this guy..), the way that the shields of starkiller base go down is just hillarious-they just tell someone to lower them ahahahahahahah, the main character becomes an expert forcewielder in a very short amount of time and WITHOUT any training, the lightsaber duels are absolute crap...
I could go on for hours :)… Expand
47 of 80 users found this helpful4733
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4
vonMistontDec 25, 2015
Starformers or Star Wars for Marvel fans (with ADHD) - SPOILER FREE
It was so action packed yet so forgettable that in retrospect I begin to look more fondly on prequels. It's based on homages to the original trilogy and references belongingStarformers or Star Wars for Marvel fans (with ADHD) - SPOILER FREE
It was so action packed yet so forgettable that in retrospect I begin to look more fondly on prequels. It's based on homages to the original trilogy and references belonging rather in the realm of Robot Chicken Star Wars than in actual movie. This homages and great Harrison Ford performance may be what eluded some fans to liking this movie, but I'm sure that after you cooled down you will realize what are we dealing with here. Except for the very beginning there were no moments of peace, where you could just watch sights and listen to John Williams music. It was one big roller-coaster of events yet we are left with no explanation to why balance of power in the universe is the way it is. What's The Order, what's the Resistance, what's the Republic, who is more powerful and why. While The Empire was well established authoritarian state with it's own character The Order seem to be just blunt obvious Nazi reference. Villains are pitiful, when we meet them for the first time they seem really intimidating but when it comes to anything they just loose their steam. The worst part is with all this positive feedback the film gets the rest of the movies may be as shallow and badly filmed as this one. I'm afraid we forever lost the Star Wars just like Star Trek fans lost Star Trek for the transformers clone. Transformer liking audience seems to be more profitable. At least George Lucas was creating his own vision and not just delivering to the market... Let's just hope next movie will try to be a film on it's own without spending half it's time to show that the director did watch original trilogy.… Expand
74 of 126 users found this helpful7452
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5
AliceofXDec 22, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The drinking of the Kool-Aid continues. I mean sure, the Force Awakens wasn't terrible and quite fun at times but it at best can be described as mediocre. As of now it has 95% on Rotten Tomatoes while films 1 and 2 only have 94%. Would the critics seriously have me believe that this film is better than Empire Strikes Back?

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

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

Overall, The Force Awakens can be enjoyed but this is not the big step forward for Star Wars and personally I don't get what everyone's raving about.… Expand
37 of 63 users found this helpful3726
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0
starfighter1Dec 29, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A huge disappointment. It recycles far too much material from the original trilogy, contains too many plot holes, and the story-telling is sloppy at times. In no way does the film advance the Star Ways mythology. It simply regurgitates it, into things we have seen before. There's another Death Star, there's more father & son issues, and then we have cheap knock-offs of Yoda, Boba Fett and the Obi-Wan death scene. A huge missed opportunity to tell something fresh, or even offer an intelligent, thoughtful story. Thanks J.J. Abrams for ruining two of my favorite sci-fi franchises.… Expand
37 of 63 users found this helpful3726
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0
GreystoneDec 30, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well, I sure didn't see this coming. After remaining true to Star Wars through the awful Episodes 1 and 2, this monstrosity has finally done it. I finally have no desire whatsoever to continue watching Star Wars. The film was just terrible. Ren is so strong with the force that he can stop and hold a lazer blast in mid-flight, but he can't even defeat a completely untrained newbie who just discovered the force that day like Rae? It's worse. He couldn't even defeat Fin who has no force ability whatsoever. Another droid hunt on a desert planet? Another creature cantina? Another Death Star? This movie was terrible on it's own and set's up nothing but terrible films to come. I never thought it would happen, but I'm out. There is just nothing to remain for.… Expand
54 of 92 users found this helpful5438
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0
PrincessZenaJan 7, 2016
Someone is messing with the reviews on the most helpful page. All the 10 reviews are old and the not helpful scores keep getting adjusted downward, thus not reflecting actual feedback. Some of the fan-boys must be resorting to cheating andSomeone is messing with the reviews on the most helpful page. All the 10 reviews are old and the not helpful scores keep getting adjusted downward, thus not reflecting actual feedback. Some of the fan-boys must be resorting to cheating and hacking to keep the score from going down. They're in denial about how truly awful this movie is. BTW, denial is the first stage of grief. Star Wars is dead people!!!… Expand
98 of 167 users found this helpful9869
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