Not a bad film but be warned it is an Episode IV remake

Rating: 7/10 (17 December 2015)

This is Disney's first venture into live action sci-fi since the risible Black Hole of 1979. Having made such a complete cow-pat of that movie, and having paid multi-billions for the Star Wars rights, it is understandable that Disney's execs wanted to play it safe this time, and play it safe they did. They hired a director with form for breathing new life into a tired old franchise and used the most successful and charismatic of the previous six movies as a frame on which to hang the same plot for the latest.
Stop me if you have heard any of this before
A droid containing information vital to the Resistance is hunted by the bad guys. Droid lands on desert planet and befriends a local scratching a living in the dust. Stormtroopers destroy village. Heroic female character is captured by the bad guys and is rescued by the good guys. Bad guys have a massive weapon that can destroy entire planets just like that. Bad guys destroy defenceless planet. Massive weapon has shields that are protected by an off-world shield generator which is destroyed by rebels. Massive weapon is destroyed by small scale fighters navigating down a tight trench under heavy fire.
PS: Storm troopers STILL cannot hit a barn door from five yards.
For crying out loud.
OK – having said all that, there are several good points, the main one being the absence of Jar-Jar Binks or any such irritating CGI character. CGI was used more sparingly than the prequels, and practical effects are well-made and effective. The cinematography was astonishing, there were some quite beautiful scenes. I particularly liked the tie-fighters back-lit by a setting sun, and the shots of Greenham Common, (two miles from my home), with the old Cruise missile bunkers doubling as the Resistance HQ. (I even recognized some of the gorse bushes, lol).
Good to see Mark Hamill again as well, although he looked half-dead. One hopes Episode VIII will have a little more originality than this one.
A good evening's entertainment, but I doubt I'll see it again.