Flawed but Entertaining

Rating: 6/10 (22 December 2015)

I've given TFA 6 out of 10 because for 60 percent of my time watching it I was entertained, the other 40 percent I was a little disappointed.
I can see why people are loving this film and also hating it. First the love.
I think on the hole Abrams got the look and pace of the film spot on (a little two spot on for some people) I liked the new lead Characters especially Rey. I thought the character interaction was good and the most enjoyable moments were when Finn, Rey and Han were interacting. I liked the humour and I enjoyed the nods to the original trilogy.
For about 90 minutes everything was going well, there were a few annoying similarities between the OT and TFA but I could let those slide but the last 45 minutes were a real let down for me.
The Hate... As I said above I enjoyed the knowing nods to the OT but when you start tearing huge chunks of ANH & TESB and shoe-horning it into a new "original" film then that's really lazy.
A droid with crucial information....A planet sized space station with a weapon that can destroy planets....A vulnerability to the death star....sorry, Starkiller that can only be exploited using X-Wings making a bombing run down a trench....
I would have liked to have seen a little more originality for the start to a new trilogy.
Secondly Kylo Ren. At first I thought this guy was going to be a bad-ass, he stops a frickin laser blast in mid air!!! but he turns out to be a whiny man-child. I understand he's conflicted and he isn't fully trained but he's just not a convincing character. Hopefully episodes VIII & IX can flesh his character out a bit so we have a better understanding of why he acts this way.
Lastly, ignoring truths that are already established in the OT. Kylo Ren isn't fully trained but we know he has some training and is skilled in the ways of the force (Stops a laser blast!!) Rey has no Jedi training whatsoever so how can she defeat a trained Jedi in a lightsaber fight? OK he's been injured but she just seems to summon up this knowledge of the force, it was just not realistic (Yes I know I'm watching a Sci-Fi film) She manages to grab the lightsaber before he does, Errr hello? he stopped a laser blast!!!
A few additional niggles, Carrie Fisher is as wooden as an Ewok tree house. The last shot with Luke and Rey seemed to last ages, if I were Rey I'd have thrown the lightsaber at him. Poe's miraculous escape (Finn "I thought you were dead!?!" Poe "Nope.....")
I am aware I'm watching a $200 million dollar blockbuster film, I know Disney have to hedge their bets and cater to the masses, I wasn't expecting Schindler's List (That would be awful, gassing Ewoks...) but I do expect some new ideas.
I think the dire Prequals and the longing of SW fans for a good film has blinded them to the flaws in TFA and when all the dust has settled they'll see this for what it is. A solid but flawed start to a new Trilogy. I'm hoping for better from Episode VIII but lets keep the fun.