I think I've seen this movie before...in 1977

Rating: 5/10 (15 April 2016)

****spoilers here******
I'm sure I'm repeating what others must be saying, but if you want to watch a paint-by-numbers remake of the first Star Wars, then this film is for you. Consider: it opens on a desert planet, our protagonist escapes on the Millennium Falcon, there's a star destroyer overhead, the bad guys build a bigger death star (death planet, I suppose), the good guys attack it with a small group at a vulnerable spot, complete with a trench chase scene. There's even a cantina scene, in case you are nostalgic. I liked the set designs reminiscent of 70s sci-fi and the visual throwbacks to the original film (like the chess game), but visual nods of the head shouldn't bleed over into regurgitating the same plot.
Not that there wasn't some originality. A defecting Storm Trooper with a conscience garnered some interest, and I found Kylo Ren engaging enough as a villain. The name "Snokes" however does not inspire dread - it sounds like a boardgame, and he is too reminiscent of the Emperor. The political situation is confusing, to say the least: there's the Republic, the Resistance, and the First Order, and that's about all you get to know: not even a clue about the relationship amongst them. I did like the build up to Luke, and thought that last scene was well executed.
Unfortunately, for all the big talk about how awesome a story JJ Abrams was going to come up with, the best he could do was navel gazing in movie history. You know you've struck out when you make the prequels look more original and interesting.
The cardboard ads at Walmart call this the "movie event of a generation" - Millennials should feel insulted to think they would aim so low.