It's time for Star Wars to dare to be more -- again

Rating: 5/10 (27 December 2015)

What made Star Wars Star Wars? For those of us old enough to remember, it was fresh; it was bold; it was DIFFERENT. Although it had its roots in ancient myth, matinée serials, and westerns, it dared to go against the grain of the cynical and hyper-realistic face of American cinema in the 1970s and usher in a new era of energy, optimism, and imagination, fueled by never-before-seen technology, visual and sound effects, and unprecedented use of a lush and brilliant symphonic score.
So I ask you: how many of these elements are present in TFA? Without giving too much away (I'm not putting a spoiler warning on this), very little if any.
Star Wars was the product of the creative mind of a young George Lucas who was not afraid to rock the boat. TFA is the work of a nervous and not-so-daring J. J. Abrams who was under enormous pressure to use tried and true formulas to give Disney maximum return on its investment. There is no comparison.
Lucas and Spielberg both began their careers as avant garde visionaries before becoming isolated from the mainstream mindset in their towering empires. Abrams is nothing more than a gifted fan boy who revels at mimicking and one-upping the masters, with absolutely no original idea or vision of his own. He was given this assignment simply because the Disney brass considered him a safe bet after the disappointment of the prequels caused by the aforementioned isolation of George Lucas from the mainstream. Unlike Lucas and Spielberg who had a story to tell in their youth, Abrams does not care about the story, so long as it is told very loudly. He is NOT the real deal, and neither is his work.
I am somewhat optimistic about Episode VIII knowing that it is in the hands of Rian Johnson. I'm not sure he will be any better than Abrams, but he will likely be different, and this case, different is good.
Meanwhile, enjoy this recent product which, like The Phantom Menace, will go on to set box office records before being harshly judged by history.