A Good Movie, Just Not a Good Star Wars Movie

Rating: 4/10 (17 March 2016)

Before I begin my review, I would like to warn readers that there are spoilers.
The action in the movie started rather quickly, and within five minutes I was seeing stormtroopers, laser battles, and lightsabers all over again. For some reason, though, I felt a little let down. Something about it didn't feel like the Star Wars I had grown up with. However, I put my doubts aside and told myself that I just needed to wait. I would soon find myself in the Star Wars universe. Unfortunately it never really happened.
Several problems plague Star Wars VII, but there was one main problem that ruined the experience for me. The Force Awakens played out like a reboot of the franchise. The film was undeniably a copy and paste of the 4th and 6th films all the way down to a droid with vital information. Now some may disagree with me on this, but everyone must admit that there are several similarities between the films. Others would say that they liked how it was like a reboot and I would be okay with it except for a few large issues.
My first issue is that because it functioned as a reboot while keeping individuals from previous movies, it really sacrificed the character of those individuals. I grew up watching movies about a farmer's son growing up to become a man, a scoundrel developing a heart, and a princess falling in love. Luke, Han, and Leia developed amazing character over episode 4, 5, and 6. Yet when we come to 7 they have lost what they gained. It's heartbreaking to see these heroes portrayed this way just so that it flows with the story allowing Han to take the role of Ben Kenobi and Luke to take the role of Yoda.
My second issue revolves around Star Wars lore. In the movie, the character Rey discovers that she has force powers. So far this is complying with Star Wars lore. However, later on Rey performs some complicated force powers with no training. This goes against the very nature of the force. Now I am not saying this because I am a guy and don't like to see female leads who can handle themselves. In Star Wars lore, whether in the movies, books, or other mediums, the force isn't something that you can just use on the spot. It takes years of dedication to in order to master it. The fact that she was able to perform a jedi mind trick is almost absurd. It took Luke an entire movie, hence several years, in order to move his lightsaber when in the Wampa cave during episode 5. To have Rey do it without so much as a struggle is an insult.
Another issue that arose is the inconsistent story. About half way through the movie, it is revealed that Kylo Ren is Han and Leia's son and that he turned against Luke's jedi academy and, with the help of the Knights of Ren, burned it to the ground. Yet later on in the movie, Kylo Ren faces off against Rey, who has no training in the art of combat, and she beats him. I personally was left flabbergasted because of the inconsistency. I know that Kylo was injured, but he is a Sith apprentice. They are trained through the use of pain. That's how they learn to use their anger in combat. Sith will train by punishing weakness and if you die in the process they simply say that you were too weak to become a Sith. The scene could have easily been fixed to make it more believable. When Kylo reaches for Skywalker's lightsaber they should have had the lightsaber pass Kylo and fall into the hands of Luke instead of Rey. It would have involved some serious script rewrites but would have allowed for a much more believable and epic scene. Looking at it from a writer's perspective, this would have made a lot more sense. When depicting a villain who will appear in several films, you don't let him get beat during his first meeting with the protagonist. It lessens the tension of the movie and destroys almost any chance of fear towards that villain.
The last main issue I have with the movie is that Disney played it safe. I know that there was a lot of pressure on the company to create something that would be appease everyone, but George Lucas didn't make Star Wars the hit it is today by playing it safe. George Lucas took a personal vision and made it a reality. He showed us an amazing galaxy far away, introduced new and interesting aliens, and gave us outstanding battles. If he had played it safe, Star Wars would have been seen as a sub-par version of Star Trek and not the amazing experience it is today. I know that Disney wanted to create something that everyone would appreciate, but in doing so they created a film that felt like a sup-par knock-off of the 4th film.
Although I was disappointed with the film with all its flaws, there were a few moments when I saw the Star Wars I know and love. I wasn't entirely sold on the acting, however, Oscar Isaac did a solid job acting and John Boyega's performance, although occasionally carried away by his enthusiasm for Star Wars, was memorable. Despite my dislike for the 7th film, I still believe the next film has a chance at being great. I will watch it when it comes to theaters, but if Rey or Finn lose a hand or the film begins on a snow covered planet I will most likely give up on the series.