What a Waste

Rating: 5/10 (18 December 2015)

Well that was glib and not good.
With very little emotional involvement, this was nothing like the Lucas films that predate it. Except for the one thing, Daisy Ridley is a true successor to Mark Hamill, because ... hey ... neither of the actors can act or at least they don't in these films.
Also the lack of engagement with this meant that I didn't get any real sense of scale because if there's no importance, then why will I care how big some gun is? Anyway, everything is either enormous or not there at all.
There was no lingering anywhere, no time to drink it in. Ridley's character seems like she's supposed to be suffering, and barely living, but her (non) arc provides nothing of this until someone *actually says it out loud*. Even the flashbacks don't assist that, and her performance suggests nothing throughout.
Talk of story brings us to this weird overly 'expositional' (I like to make up words, sue me) style, and despite the film having a literal description of what has happened so far they spend the half the thing explaining everything ... which is so redundant it hurts. These are supposed to be films for kids, and kids get visual story telling, they've got this. There were six of the things so far, and they've only looked away for the twenty minutes of Vader and Darth mommy making the most horrible couple ever. There is room to tell a visual story here ... there are two more films!!!!
Due to the mountains of explanations, that mire this script beyond all recognition, little happens beyond run, fight, bomb ... FLASHBACK!
Too much exposition, no meaning.
What's that, JJ? These miserable 'emo' rejects are supposed to be a force in the galaxy?!? And OK, if you're going to spend some time explaining everything, why not put some effort into the threat? HUH? I mean ... these guys *really* don't come across as imposing at all! Also the generals and admirals seem like some casting agent really screwed Disney on this one.
All of this reminds me, if you wanted Luke to have *any* meaning then just build him properly and stretch the story to the next film.
So the ironic combination of everyone dragging us through this and the fact that there's less plot than Spectre is not a joy to behold. Watching this as a child the only part of me that was sated was my need for SOMETHING TO BE HAPPENING ALL THE TIME PLEASE ... MUMMY, MY E NUMBERS ARE LOW!
The shining light in the whole thing is John Boyega. He's fantastic, giving a performance that hopefully kids will really love, given enough (or making enough) to provide actual emotion to the character and make you really care what happens to him. Fisher and Isaac do well in the short amount amount of screen time that they have. Isaac is *very* assured, but only gets one real character scene, having to Wedge the rest of it ... but as I said, solid. Fisher brings feels in the split seconds she's on screen ... which really makes me happy she was involved.
Oh, and one final thing ... main refrain aside, the score is limp, at best. Rey's theme is so toss it hurts, and the rest just blows by with the other crap.
Perhaps JJA has done one very good thing with this film. He screwed himself so that all the other directors can work unencumbered by having to do the same.