Good enough for now

Rating: 6/10 (21 December 2015)

Watching this movie was an odd experience. It was entertaining and well made, but didn't quite feel like a Star Wars movie. Most everything was handled well--the effects looked good, the dialog was fine, and some interesting new characters were introduced. My first impression after one viewing is that it's not a great movie on its own. The things that people will like about it are the pieces of the original trilogy--the characters, settings, and story beats redone for the fans who grew up with them. The one element that I thought they got entirely right was the character of Rey. Her arc from desert survivalist to powerful hero was maybe enough to make new fans out of first time viewers to the series. The rest just feels like fan service, albeit done very skillfully.