So this is how creativity dies ... with thunderous applause

Rating: 2/10 (24 December 2015)

I was really hyped for this movie. The trailer was awesome, it captured the atmosphere of the ROTJ-Aftermath perfectly (mighty Star Destroyer wrecks lay in sand dunes). And after seeing the masked villain and the light sabers my imagination went off ... I thought, well, there are still some Sith sprinkled throughout the galaxy and they form a terrorist group which attacks the new established republic. There would be questions about who the leader of this group is and what they want to achieve. I thought of a Republican army which gets somehow undercut by a malicious figure. I thought of Han and Leia living a peaceful life in retirement but getting involved in the handling of the terrorist threat. I thought of Luke leading a Jedi academy. I thought of Lando educating young pilots. I thought that those beloved characters meet after a long time to support the Republic. I thought ... and then I watched TFA and everything went down the kitchen sink.
TFA is not a bad movie from a technical point of view. They created great visual and practical effects. The actors give good performances, a lot better than the ones of the miserable CGI- infested prequels. I also like the music better this time with a revived innocent quality like we had in ANH.
But all this didn't help to rescue a recycled plot. After half an hour into the movie you can predict every single story element because it's a more or less direct ripoff of ANH. A lot of other reviewers already listed so I will safe the space here.
What really hurts is that there is no invention, no surprises in this film. Everything is absolutely the way you expected it to be. Why has Han Solo still be a smuggler with the same clothes after thirty years ? Why not give him another role (politician, husband) first and then enjoy the satisfaction when he gets back into Solo- Mode with Chewie ? So many missed opportunities ...
George Lucas at least showed us new planets or environments in the prequels which we could look at in awe. In TFA: nothing new. The new locations look boring and there are almost no new vehicles. There is no sense of epicness about it, everything seems so ... "local". The space ships now fight over landscapes instead in space.
So for the technical merits I give this film two stars. Storywise it's a complete failure.