Checks All the Boxes

Rating: 6/10 (21 December 2015)

(spoilers) Director JJ Abrams steps into the Star Wars universe nicely unsurprisingly after how he transformed the new Star Trek movies into more Star-Wars-esque. He seems like a good fit. However the movie keeps so much in the original 77 movie that it is more like a quasi- remake than sequel. Abrams is so intent on checking all the boxes it seems he forgets to let the movie become his own creation. In his defense this is a monumental undertaking. There's no wonder he was reportedly hesitant and anxious to helm such a beloved series. The end result is nicely nostalgic, but at the same time kind of stale. There is too much "coloring in the lines" for this movie to be rated glowingly. Harrison Ford certainly lends mightily to the franchise, but this feels like a nice merry-go-round ride, something you loved as a kid, but is too tame and too familiar now. Give it a generous 6/10 and worth one viewing.