Barely a movie

Rating: 4/10 (17 December 2015)

Probably the most anticipated film of all time, The Force Awakens starts off well enough, but swiftly goes downhill from there. People are (somewhat justifiably) worried about spoilers, but in the end, there is nothing to spoil. Every plot element, every twist, every action scene feels ripped from other Star Wars movies.
That alone would not be a huge problem, if the story was well-written. It is not. Indeed, it's not so much a plot as a series of coincidences leading to the next action set-piece or reference to the original trilogy. To make things even worse, the story completely changes direction about half-way through, with little to no warning, and only returns to its original concept after the climax (this plot thread, after all its buildup, is horribly rushed in its conclusion).
The actors make this somewhat bearable at times. Harrison Ford is a treat to watch, filling the role of the mentor character with ease. Daisy Ridley (Rey, the protagonist), John Boyega (Finn, her costar), and Oscar Isaac (ace pilot Poe) all give likable performances, elevating their characters above the blandness of how they are written. The disappointment in the acting and character department is, sadly, Kylo Ren. A lifeless husk of a Vader clone, Adam Driver's performance makes Hayden Christensen look like Laurence Olivier by comparison.
The biggest disappointment of the entire film, however, is John Williams. The composer fails to deliver a single interesting piece of new music in this film (we sorely needed an equivalent of "Duel of the Fates"), relying instead on rehashing the old themes of the original trilogy. A fitting metaphor for this movie.
Sadly, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens is a tremendous disappointment, even for someone who did not have high expectations. Do not let the good press fool you: this film will not age well. In ten years, we will all be wondering how anyone ever liked it, and that's if we're not banishing its memory to a galaxy far, far away.