Recycled and uninspired,

Rating: 6/10 (23 January 2016)

I feel like writers and directors who are attached to big name revivals of some of histories greatest cinematic entries, don't even bother to watch the originals and try to improve upon them.
This movie, without adding a bunch of spoilers, barely... and i mean BARELY... separates itself from the previous entries in this movie, by failing to come up with anything original in the Star Wars universe. JJ Abrams (although I'm sure he put a lot of effort into this film) smashes his style into as much of the opening 15 minutes of this movie as possible (with lens flares galore), and perhaps due to advice from his studio, tones it down and tries to match the feel and nostalgia of the originals for the remainder of the film. He didn't succeed.
Plot wise, the whole film is a carbon copy of Episode 4: A New Hope event for event. There are VERY few original scenes, even though I know a few were trying to pay homage to the first three films (like the canteen for instance), and the giant star-killer death-star planet thingy, but couldn't they have finally gone in a different direction? . Why copy something when you can inspire a new and different understanding? The only thing that makes this movie different at all is the dialogue, but there are so many terrible holes in the plot, unexplained scene changes and co-incidental events, that true fans will be frustrated by the end of this film.
Personally, I found the characters in this movie much too similar to others from the series. Many of the new characters are just recycled husks from the previous films. The lead, a young girl stranded on a desert planet, hoping to one day leave and find her purpose (change the gender, and there's Luke), a young man struggling with the dark side within himself and sides with the imperialists (Ren literally trying to be Anakin throughout the film), a loud mouthed cocky fighter pilot (a Han wannabee), and of course there has got to be some comic relief, so they give us an imperial janitor turned soldier, who has plenty of attitude and stumbles his way through most of the battles (Finn = the new Jar Jar).
Criticism aside, I'm sure people will think I'm being harsh, but think about this: The original trilogy was something that has lasted the test of time, and the prequels (although some are terrible) are still Lucas's story. This film is something else entirely. Another director with permission to tell another man's story... and it feels exactly like it. A version of events told by someone who wasn't there, rather than from the witness himself. Like when your best friend tells you a story you told him only the week before. You smile, but you also want to punch him in the face for stealing it. Abrams bring nothing new in this film, when he could have focused more than just the plight of the Rebelion again.
This movie is only slightly better than Phantom Menace, and that's as good as I'm willing to go with this one. I certainly didn't leave the theater with the sense of excitement to see the next instalment in 2017.
..but I'll watch it, of course...
6/10