Galactic romp with a minor Rey of doubt

Rating: 8/10 (5 January 2016)

Ah yes, the difficult seventh installment.
Let's be honest: how many franchises have got to seven installments and still been good? Cards on the table now, I reserve the right to use this line again when I come to watch the upcoming Creed.
But this is no underdog story. This is a heavyweight. This is Star Wars. This is a franchise that's now 39 years old and counting. Equipped with the punching power of Disney behind it and with an armada of super-fans queuing for midnight screenings worldwide, this is a movie with every chance of standing tall at the end of round seven.
It's a movie that will be emotive to a lot of people. This will be as spoiler-free as possible.
The first point is the casting, which I think JJ Abrams (Armageddon, Lost and Star Trek) got just about right. John Boyega was fantastic as lovable Stormtrooper turned rebel, whilst the better known Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave) and Domhnall Gleeson (Harry Potter) suited their roles perfectly.
What raised my eyebrows was Daisy Ridley's appearance as female lead Rey. I didn't find her believable, I didn't empathize with her plight and ultimately I wasn't that bothered about her prevailing. I don't think it was her fault; the role was not well written and the character too naive to be taken seriously. There are repeated attempts to shroud her in mystery that failed to intrigue.
One talking point amongst people I've spoken to was the role of Kylo Ren, played by relative unknown Adam Driver. I think he excelled: playing the role with an intriguing vulnerability. Not every villain can be a cold-hearted bad-ass.
It's an interesting change in direction: where in Episodes 1-3 and 4-6 the bad guys have traditionally had a flawless, confident villain here we see a villain lacking conviction. This is a character that will develop across the next two installments. Kylo Ren intrigues me more than his protagonist counterpart.
In plot terms, I'm happy here. We all know the drill: band of misfits group together to take out the bad guys and save the galaxy. It's the same much-loved tried and tested principle as the episodes that came before. It works. Not much else to say.
Structurally it's sound too. The film begins with a nod to previous films (scrolling yellow intro text the best example), there's sufficient action immediately following. We then meet our major cast, understand them, and the story goes from there
Without giving too much away, this is where the beloved cast of installments 4-6 reappear. This won't be a spoiler, the likes of Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher are here as most will have suspected, expected and demanded.
The movie flies to its conclusion at lightspeed, with gorgeous visuals aplenty en route. At no point does the film feel slow nor rushed. You learn and see enough to maintain a happy medium of interested and absorbed. The ending is an action-packed, gloriously visual finale that will gratify casual moviegoers and die hards alike.
There's not much more that can be said whilst remaining spoiler friendly. Go and enjoy this movie for what it is, a swashbuckling sci-fi that pays sufficient homage to its predecessors.