

I think this is done largely because the formula worked before and they were playing it safe as it was the first Star Wars film with George Lucas being totally hands off.

First and foremost, I will agree that the film is far too close to Episode IV.

I hate having to defend that film, but I can't agree with all of what you said. Now, I think you are somewhat off base on The Force Awakens. The characters are badly written and clearly shows that the people working on those films do not fully understand the source material. The casting is spot on, the visuals are generally good, although the set design leaves a lot to be desired.

Abrams work on the Star Trek films, I couldn't agree with you more. Too bad Irving Kerschner isn't still around to show them how to make a real Star Wars movie. Here's to hoping they'll actually craft a good story with compelling characters like they did back in the 70s/80s, and try to actually eliminate some of the ridiculous plot holes that have worked their way in since 1999. Disney's decision to throw away the expanded universe was a complete joke, as continuing things with characters like Grand Admiral Thrawn and the remnants of the Imperial fleet would have been far more compelling than the First Order lead by some dude no one's really appears to be that afraid of. I tried so hard to want to like it but I couldn't help by leave the theater feeling completely overwhelmed. Episode 7/Episode 4 version 2.0 couldn't have been more disappointing if it tried to be. I wont be seeing this one in the theater, it will be a red box rental.Īs a fan of (at least the original) Star Wars and the greater Star Wars universe, particularly before Lucas ruined it with those terrible prequels, I REALLY want them to not screw this up. And that is just one example of mistakes made. I know some shit got blown up, but what exactly? Why did those worlds matter? Who was on them? What was lost? And WTF is the "resistance"? A simple break down of the status of the galaxy could have been given by Leia, MM or Akbar, but instead they dive right into what the superweapon is and how to blow it up. This isn't Super8 or Cloverfield!! Details are important! Mystery should only be a small part for this type of movie (mystery of Luke and Snoke are acceptable). Abrams sacrifices story and character development for non-stop action. The comparisons that it was just a reboot of A New Hope is a very valid one, and it shows a lack of give a shit by Disney and Jar Jar Abrams. The story left TONS of holes about the state of the galaxy, and the "super weapon" was an unimaginative insult to anyone with half a brain. I have not liked a single one of his ST movies and TFA was pretty much crap. The vast majority of his movies are not good.
