Episode IV: The Force Awakens

Rating: 7/10 (29 December 2015)

I, and as I see many others have already stated, have seen this movie before in the form of "A New Hope". And just like them as well, I was gravely disappointed...at first. I had to watch this movie twice, and even plan on going back to watch it a third time, to fully understand what is going on.
The Force Awakens is more than just a rehash of "A New Hope", it is an entry for the next generation to appreciate Star Wars as we all did before the Prequels were made and...well you know. Fans may be disappointed (what else is new), but they have to understand that this movie is NOT for them, at least exclusively. Some may argue that its strictly fan service, but I argue that the main villain Kylo Ren denounces that. POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD.
I was expecting a dark, brooding villain similar to that of Darth Vader going into this movie. Needless to say I was very disappointed with what I ended up getting. Kylo Ren was much too emotional for an established villain, I felt. And that's where I discovered my first mistake. Darth Vader was an established villain from the moment he was introduced in the first movie. He has had years of fighting for the Empire under his belt that it made him the cold, fearsome Sith Lord we all have come to love.
Kylo Ren, on the other hand, is NOT an established villain, he's a new one. We don't get much about his back story other than he's Han Solo's son who trained with Luke Skywalker before being turned to the dark side by the even more mysterious Snoke. Throughout the movie, we see him struggle with not only good and evil, but personal issues of whether he'll ever be as strong as his grandfather, Darth Vader. If I recall, Vader never once doubted himself in the original trilogy.
The point I'm trying to make is that Kylo Ren was more human that I was hoping for, which I didn't like initially. But I'm sure they did it this way to change the story up a little and make you relate to Ren, like most modern films try to do with their villains these days. Because I understand this, and understand that Kylo Ren is not established, I was able to then see the film for a second time in a new light. And guess what? I found it enjoyable :)
The main issue people have with this movie is that it is too similar to the first one. That may be the case, but should it matter? Especially if we all loved the first one? Take what I took into account, and I'm sure you'll appreciate the movie, and look forward to where this new trilogy is heading.