This viewer is in neither the "love it" nor the "loathe it" camp.

Rating: 6/10 (4 May 2016)

Basically adequate reboot of this legendary film series offers up a reasonably entertaining story, but one without much resonance. The special effects often tend to take over, and there's not really that much threat from the villains on hand. While it is a treat to see veterans of the franchise return to their beloved roles, they mostly take a back seat to the new characters. Yes, the yarn concocted here by director J.J. Abrams and original series screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan feels awfully familiar at times; there's no denying that. "The Force Awakens" also tends to get a little overly precious, as it concerns the new droid character BB-8.
30 years after the Rebels helped to eliminate the Empire and destroy their second Death Star, a new evil entity has emerged to take the Empires' place. They're the "First Order", and one of their number is a moody young Jedi named Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Not helping matters is the fact that original hero Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) has disappeared at this time when he's needed the most. The Rebels are now re-christened The Resistance, and Leia, now a general with this organization, seeks to find her missing brother. Drawn into the fray are Finn (John Boyega of "Attack the Block"), a former Stormtrooper who experienced a change of heart, and Rey (Daisy Ridley), a desert scavenger.
"The Force Awakens" yields adequate entertainment, and attempts to deliver some genuine emotion, but it fails to be completely engaging. It's got a breathless pace to it, and lots of action. The cast features a number of familiar faces, but they've been better utilized in other things. Harrison Fords' Han Solo, who's gone back to his mercenary ways, gets the lions' share of screen time compared to his fellow alumni of Episodes IV to VI. He, at least, is in fine form. But Kylo Ren is an underwhelming villain, as is the all-powerful figure Snoke from whom he takes his orders. He's a pipsqueak compared to Darth Vader. It's also a real shame to have the legendary Max von Sydow on hand in the opening minutes, in such a regrettably brief cameo appearance. Fortunately, Boyega and Ridley are appealing heroes and anchor this stage of the saga pretty well. And the expected abundance of CGI is complemented by a respectable amount of practical effects.
Overall, a well intentioned but uninspired continuation of Episodes I to VI.
Six out of 10.