A True Disney Disappointment

Rating: 5/10 (19 December 2015)

When I first heard Disney was involved, I figured that it was only on paper, in reality Lucas film would own the show. I was terribly wrong... JJ Abrams clearly showed his ability in the high speed, out of space action that was evident in Star Trek. That is were it all ended for me.
I don't even know where to start... Let me start with the fact that the romance that was always present in every Star Wars episode is non- existent. The chemistry between the lead actress and lead actor was there but it did not get taken advantage of. I expected a climatic moment as their relationship blossomed, especially when the guy came back for her, the moment was there, instead we got a brotherly hug. I am not trying to bring race into it but Disney have always shied away from that inter-racial romance, especially when the love interest is a black male and the lead is a white female. Maybe I am being harsh on Disney but that killed any romantic element that could have developed. They should have cast a white male, at least we would have got the romance.
The absence of Jedi was rather uncomfortable for any Star Wars fan. That's the whole point, is it not? They tried to develop the lead star into a Jedi by revealing her abilities in the weirdest of ways, it looked silly and did not marry with the original concept of Jedi abilities. There was poor attempt to suck the co-lead into wielding a light sabre but this made the whole affair look even sillier.
The dark side have always been formidable and an encounter with a Sith was always one that made every Star Wars episode enjoyable. The Kylo Ren character was laughable, throwing temper tantrums and assaulting his own men was the extent of his power. Feebly over powered by a little girl, runs to his master and finally gets whooped by the same little girl in the most undignified manner, he even needed to be fetched by a forgettable nemesis. You would be forgiven if you thought he stole the light sabre and was a Sith imposter. After Darth Moor, Count Doku and Darth Vader graced our screens, it is a shame to see this pretty boy Muppet do this role injustice.
The final battle was a mere imitation of the death star scene all those years ago with a few barely noticeable twists. It was at this point I was convinced, this movie had one purpose and one purpose alone... SELL MERCHANDISE, to a new shallow audience disconnected from the original franchise. In the end it was clear to see, this is the end of a the greatest franchise in Cinema history. I hope it ends here, it will be a shame to see Disney drag this one through the mud in the name of easy money.
All in all the movie lacked depth and direction. Some great high speed chases and some good humour. The lack of romance killed any hope of a descent recovery, in my opinion, this is an average movie from an above average franchise. This will soon be forgotten.