Derivative, 2010s young adult movie with the trappings of a Star Wars film

Rating: 5/10 (1 January 2016)

My uncle asked me what I though of this movie a week after I had seen it. Not wanting to spoil the movie, though I was eager to get into detail, and in order not to influence his opinion too strongly before he saw it, I said it felt like "Harry Potter in space." Now, depending on one's opinion of the Harry Potter films, this comment could either be praise or criticism. I don't particularly like the Harry Potter films, so it's criticism from me, but he didn't know that and my comment was neutral.
Fast-forward one week: my uncle saw the movie, didn't like it, posted his feelings on Facebook, and mentioned my Harry Potter comment. "Of course it's like Harry Potter in space!" said one commenter. "They both depict the 'hero's journey!'" Now, of course Star Wars and Harry Potter are similar in the sense that they depict the prototypical "hero's journey." But aren't many of our favorite franchises now – Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Hunger Games, Matrix, and the litany of young-adult books being put on screen recently? So why did I say Harry Potter?
First, the characters: Rey is a talented, beautiful loner with a heart of gold who is put upon by the unappreciative and arrogant Dudley Dursley's of Jakku. When she is given a chance to shine, she is (surprise!) incredible at literally everything: "Let's fly away on that spaceship!" "No, it's a piece of garbage, and I'm not sure if I can fly it!" – proceeds to fly the Millennium Falcon better than Han Solo and later teaches him about his own ship; "How will I ever escape these chains? Maybe that Force thing I just heard about" – immediately uses Obi-Wan level Jedi mind tricks; "I've never used a lightsaber, but here goes!" – beats the crap out of – and nearly kills – the most powerful Sith lord in the universe before deus ex terra.
Speaking of Kylo Ren, though he looks like a young Snape, he's really Draco. An angst-ridden young man who grew up among the Dumbledore's, Professor McGonagall's and other Hogwarts faculty of the Star Wars universe, yet is bewilderingly fixated on evil potentates and "doing hoodrat s*** with my friends," so to speak. He's got the motivation! He's got the training! But if it weren't for that darned orphan, he would have gotten away with it too. The most obvious visual comparison between The Force Awakens and the Harry Potter franchise is Snoke. He is an oversize hologram of Voldemort, whose approval Draco, sorry, Kylo, desperately seeks.
The other aspect of the movie that smacked of HP was the flashback to Rey's abandonment and origin story. Not unlike Harry Potter, Rey was abandoned before she could form memories, and is fixated on her past. She will learn about her origin story through flashbacks doled out in each successive film as she confronts the key players in the events that transpired. Expect Snoke to factor in heavily. Also, note how the flashback comes through a supernatural Force blast when she touches Luke's lightsaber, just as Harry sees his past when Voldemort's ghost head passes through him in the chamber of secrets. I meant to write that last sentence without irony, but with source material like this, sexual innuendo writes itself.
I point out these similarities to show that TFA specifically mirrors the Harry Potter version of the hero's journey, not just the hero's journey in general. Now, what is the significance of this point? The fact that TFA is essentially a remake of A New Hope, mixed with the interpersonal dynamics and story arc of the Harry Potter series perfectly summarizes my problem with this movie: It is a derivative, 2010s young adult movie with the trappings of a Star Wars film. Whereas the original six Star Wars movies were wholly original amalgamations of diverse influences, from the "hero's journey," to samurai films, Westerns, sci-fi serials, and 20th century history, which served as touchstones from which lesser sci-fi and fantasy films would take inspiration, this new film is a copy of a copy of copies. Star Wars is no longer a primary producer in the world of sci-fi and fantasy film, but an unimaginative, "greatest hits" compilation of the original movies and the lesser films they have since inspired.