The Farce Awakens?

Rating: 7/10 (16 December 2015)

As I just returned from the premiere in my country, I'm filled with mixed emotions. Being a long-time Star Wars nerd, this movie has both entertained me well and also left we stunned.
This is a spoiler free review.
J.J. Abrams' effort to recreate the universe envisioned by George Lucas can be seen in many parts of the movie, but there's hell to pay.
Story:
Unfortunately, one of the two big gripes i had with the movie lies in the way Abrams tries to unravel his continuation attempt to the original trilogy. Like many have already mentioned, too many parts of "The Force Awakens" feels like a carbon copy of Episode 4 and Episode 6. There a simply too many parallels, starting with the first shots of Jakku until the end. While this creates a fairly familiar feeling, especially when old scoundrels enter the big screen, it also shows how much respect or even fear Lawrence Kasdan and J.J. Abrams must have had while writing the screenplay. It doesn't feel fresh, and it doesn't leave a sour taste, but it strays away from what we consider to be true about the Star Wars universe.
Special Effects:
I was pleasantly surprised by the accuracy of the special effects. This has been one of my pet peeves when watching episode 1-3. Abrams for the most part manages to capture the essence of the old movies. The Millennium Falcon looks crisp, the light sabers and fights resemble Episode 4-6, and generally sets and aliens look realistic in the Star Wars way. It is a big step forward from the green screen massacre Episode 1-3 was.
Sound:
The original trilogy had one of the most recognizable and epic soundtracks written by none other than the grandmaster John Williams. Episode VII was also written by Williams but unfortunately to me he could not repeat his feat this time. It was something I realized early in the movie, when Rey was sliding down the dune, and I payed close attention afterward. Of course most parts were done well, but sometimes I felt something was amiss. It is really hard to put my finger on it, and a very personal opinion, so keep that in mind.
Characters:
Now for the really bad part. Keep in mind this is not about acting. Dear Mr. Abrams, why? WHY?
Star Wars is a franchise that has grown so much, that it developed a whole universe of stories, events, characters, even what Star Wars fans call "expanded universe". In short: CANON!!!!!!! I'm not entirely sure when this movie is set, but it think it is around 32 ABY (After the Battle of Yavin). The intro doesn't give the viewers too much information about the events, that happened in the meantime. Instead it introduces new characters Rey,Finn, Kylo Ren (Ben) and Poe. And here is my second BIG gripe.
Mr. Abrams had a whole universe to pick his characters from but he decides that its all not good enough and simply disrespects canonical characters and rewrites Star Wars history. As most of us know Han Solo and Leia Solo had three kids together. Jaina, Jacen and Anakin Solo. Jacen turned to the dark side and became Darth Caedus. Luke married the Emperor's Hand Mara Jade (unfortunately never made it into the movies) and they had a child called Ben Skywalker. So who is Kylo Ren, when Han Solo calls his son Ben? And why is Chewie still alive if he died 25 ABY during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, protecting Solo's children?
Don't get me wrong. I'm not a salty Star Wars maniac but I purchased those books trying to find out about the universe, and now when Disney is trying to milk the cow suddenly everything is not canonical anymore? Abrams commented on his choice to ignore the expanded universe, that he didn't have enough time for it (Moo makes the cow). While I can understand that the limitations of such an extensive canon can make it hard, I certainly don't understand why the writers only had 6 months to complete the screenplay.
Acting:
I'm quite happy with the acting in the new Star Wars movie. Especially Daisy Ridley as Rey stands out. She plays her role convincingly and has good chemistry going from the start with Finn, played by John Boyega. Finn is probably the more interesting character of those two, from a Star Wars perspective. He sheds some light on the man behind the Stormtrooper helmet. Oscar Isaac is convincing as the hotshot pilot Poe. But unfortunately his character is clichÃ© and over the top as we see him shoot down approximately 10 TIE fighters in 6 seconds. Kylo Ren played by Adam Driver is disappointing. He is portrayed as either brutal, having emotional outbursts or weak. As a villain he is lacking in many ways and can't compare to Darth Vader, let alone Darth Maul. This brings me to the First Order units. I don't know why, but the Stormtroopers seemed to be portrayed as clumsy but brutal. I think this movie would have profited from the expertise of true fans like the 501th legion. (Just watch the documentary about the Rose Bowl Parade). The classic actors don't need much mention here.
Conclusion:
The Force Awakens is by no means a really bad movie. It is for the most part entertaining. Many things were done right, and many opportunities were missed. Abrams once said that it is a movie for fans. I strongly disagree. As the release of the movie drew closer I think Abrams realized the magnitude of making a Star Wars sequel and quickly mentioned that fans might be in for a disappointment. That is also not true.
New Watchers 8/10 Star Wars fans 6/10