lots of "moments", mainly for the sake of having moments.

Rating: 5/10 (1 September 2019)

Edit - there's actually a good article, "JJ Abrams is bad at making movies". worth a read.
I'm a star wars fan. a big star wars fan. not the biggest in the world ever, but hey.
4 5 and 6, the films. I was 2 in '77, so didn't get "the original cinema experience", but anyway.
1 2 and 3, under rated in my opinion. yes they did everything on a computer, yes the dialogue was (slightly) forced. no, Artoo (probably) doesn't have rockets in his legs, but under rated films.
Now the force awakens has been on the TV a few times, so I've seen it properly, and I've seen it on TV with adverts littered. I've read some of the top reviews, which said it was a reboot of A New Hope, and...I don't disagree.
it's a tricky one. A star wars film could barely live up to the hype of the news of a star wars film. my mum didn't think a lot of it, she thought it was just star wars, remade (she's ok with the "star wars" franchise).
"A New Hope", "The Force Awakens"
the titles sort of mean the same thing.
so we have.....
a secret message given to a droid, to get away from an attack, a bad guy in a black cloak wearing a black mask with a voice synthesizer, a desert planet, a cantina, a person quickly saying "I wish it was another death star", so the viewer doesn't dwell too much on the previous statement which says "so it's another death star". Some of this might be based on the expanded universe. I have to admit, I've not delved into the books much. I tried a couple of them, and they really didn't do much for me. The action translates better for film for me, than into books. Some slightly cheesy lines, "I can fly anything", "while there's light, there's still hope". Also....Rey has almost no training, but apparently can take on Vaders grandson in a light sabre fight. I'm sure all of these things have been said many times.
The ending was cool enough, just discovering Luke. it's a beginning, rather than an end. Also in the title scroll, it mentions "The Last Jedi" - fair enough, that's a precursor to Episode 8.
One niggle I have, is that apparently everyones name has 3 letters. Rey, Poe, (Fin), Ren, Hux. BB8. Apparently we all have 3 letters. Ok, Snoke is the exception. Skywalker, Vader, Chewbacca, Threepio, Tarkin, Palpatine...mmmm....better. Biggs? well, maybe.
Special effects, can't fault them. Since about the year 2000, computer graphics could do anything. Since about 2010, computer graphics could do anything, and also didn't look like computer graphics. So with Pacific Rim (enjoyed), Transformers 2 (enjoyed), Independence Day Resurgence (bit nuts) and so on, "epic scale" CG is as about as big as it gets, hopefully it will be more about design and memorability, than just "scale", and putting in scenarios for the point of being able to make a special effect (Maul's lightsabre I can definitely go with, Kylo's?...as someone said, it would chop off your fingers).
Occasionally you want special effects that don't cost much - eg, "force extracting" information from someones mind.
4 5 and 6 (deliberately) had the "used universe" feel. in 4 5 and 6 everything did work, so seeing wrecks lying around in TFA takes the the used universe one step further. this is an added touch though, and shouldn't be seen as the premise of the film.
Episode 1 2 and 3 were all about preparing a story, they definitely weren't designed to be stand alone films. People have said about Rey possibly turning to the Dark side, about Ren's progression from 'petulent' to 'developed character'. Episode 9, the last Episode.....really?
I do truth be told find it a bit odd that both franchises (Star Wars/Star Trek) now have the same director. It's a bit like one person saying "Tories, Labour (or Republicans, Democrats), I'm in charge of both of you now". I mean strictly speaking, I understand why George Lucas wanted to wash his hands. He'd been doing SW since 1977, Episodes 1 2 and 3 were a last hurrah for him, and he'd basically "had enough" of it by now. but....there are other directors....yes? maybe not Michael Bay, he'd just blow everything up for the sake of it, and we know that doesn't always work.