Doesn't Age Well

Rating: 5/10 (31 May 2017)

Really enjoyed it on first viewing. The nostalgia of watching an original Star Wars film again, the quick pacing, the intense action -- they all swept me up in excitement.
But shortly after leaving the theater, the bad after taste happened. I turned on my brain again and realized that the story was a juvenile attempt at recreating what has already been made.
The characters lacked all depth and motivation. The locations were bland. The actions taken were nonsensical, and it felt like JJ Abrams did a connect the dots script to try and make sure he didn't have to deal with the fallout George Lucas had with the prequels; in so doing, he took what could have been an incredibly engaging new episode with a new series of characters, a reorganized galaxy, and a new vibe -- and it turned it into same old same old.