Terrible and Tired

Rating: 2/10 (1 June 2013)

The paucity of ideas in this film is mind-numbing. J.J. Abrams has jumped the shark. This is just tedious as hell. Easily one of the most dreary movies in the series. Endless, repetitive, seen-it-all-before action sequences until I wanted to scream. I never cared a whit about any of the characters. I just sat there waiting for the movie to actually engage or BECOME something other than just a retread or reversal of ideas from the first movie series: Ideas that were inspired the first time around and now are used just to wink at the audience and try to pump up emotion that isn't there. And, if you want the audience to cry, the worst thing you can do is have all the characters crying or tearing up in the scene that's mean to provoke such a reaction. It's one of the oldest rules in the book, but nobody here seems to have learned it. Mainly, I just---felt--nothing. Sitting there waiting for this endless loud claptrap to end. Really weak. Oh, and it's obvious that so many sequences are designed purely for the 3D experience without working independently or having emotional impact. Which means you might as well be on a ride at a theme park. A truly empty-headed movie.