shallow and boring remake of Episode IV

Rating: 5/10 (2 January 2017)

List ten things you remember about Episode IV. At least nine of them are in Episode VII, but done here with far less depth and energy. So of course anyone who has seen the original will be disappointed by this movie, but even judged alone on its own merits, The Force Awakens is a poor effort. The visual effects are the only element done with any degree of competence, but when the plot is predictable and unbelievable (even relative to science fiction in general) and the characters are one-dimensional caricatures with little to no arc, good visuals aren't enough to make a movie worth watching. And finally, the closing set-up for Episode VIII flushes any and all vitality that was present, down the drain (another way in which this remake falls short of the original).