Going to start off with the negatives
Feels like a long time ago.. since Return of the Jedi
So it's been many years since the destruction of the death star and the death of the emperor/vader. I didn't mind this too much but I have put this as a negative mainly due to the next part I wanted to discuss.
Forgotten the original story lines
So, not only did it feel like the entire trilogy was for nothing - after all defeating all that evil felt like "what's the point". The Small band of Rebels grew in force and numbers then became an Alliance Fleet. Then magically they went back to being "Resistance" fighters... and again the numbers were stacked against them. This was my 2nd biggest issue with this new movie, it really did feel like why did they even bother? Instead of the Emperor we now have Snoke, we are yet again outnumbered/outgunned by an evil army. And of course that climax towards the end which resulted in the destruction of the New Republic - essentially putting us exactly where we was at the end of New Hope.
Too much Ford
One part I didn't enjoy, was the entire Smuggling Scene. It felt like Ford didn't take his role serious, nor the fact he was in danger and it generally felt that Han Solo didn't care anymore. Perhaps he was still hell bent on losing his Son to the Dark Side but with his "humour" and taking nothing serious I don't relate to that at all. I would have scrapped this entire scene which was my main big gripe at this movie.
Felt very original but perhaps a bit too much
The easy one, we all said it and we all know it. Felt similar perhaps too similar to A New Hope, I really appreciate that they made some changes but it did feel like too much A New Hope. You have the desert planet, dreaming of a better life, planet killer and the old Jedi with the young padawan.
Personally I would have removed the entire planet killer and perhaps have it. A final small issue was the end X-Wing battle felt too... much going on? too all over the place? no attention to exact details? now all of a sudden these X-Wings are super manoeuvrable?
Okay the Good Stuff and there was plenty of it
Kylo Ren
How do you top/replace one of the coolest bad guys in existence (Darth Vader) - You don't. Instead you give us some one who is a child of Solo. You give us some one who isn't a master but still learning. Not afraid to throw tantrums (not the annoying kind but the funny disturbing kind) and allow him to stop a blaster.
He also sensed his father arriving and also a Finn questioning but didn't bother with it. Not only do you feel his presence but you feel that there is a lot more to come from his character. Although I don't love him like Vader, you certainly feel like he is a popular Sith compared to Anakin during no.3 but perhaps better than most.
Pretty much Every Character - Too Many to list.
I loved Rey, really liked Finn and thought Poe was brilliant. Not forgetting a certain little droid BB-8 - Again how do you top R2. The right choices they made on the actors was also unforgettable. From the moment we all saw Luke, the cameo characters with a few lines - everything felt like they tried their best to give us a worthy Star Wars. And they did it.
Practical Effects
We all saw them right? real sets, real backgrounds, real characters not special effects, real explosions and a sense that everything was real. The prequels biggest mistakes pretty much summed up the non existence of that sentence.
The Story
The way the film started was brilliant, all about finding Skywalker. Giving us Kylo Ren and something about his past, showing us Finn a Storm Trooper who would normally not hesitate to kill innocent people like the others questioning his life. This entire scene was perfectly shot and executed. Then they gave us Rey who could certainly handle her self in sticky situations. It really did feel that every shot was perfected with love and care for this is Star Wars.
The Lightsabre moment
In this one single moment, I knew that Star Wars was really back and in good hands. Rey finds Lukes weapon and feels something powerful. A moment of history, voices and even Obi-Wan.
One thing the prequels completely failed on was moments like this. In the originals we had those moments, from Obi Wan talking about the dark times before the empire, to Luke facing him self in the cave and witnessing the Han/Leia suffering. It's a bit of script, to a dream that really gives off that "magic" of Star Wars. This moment actually sent chills down my spine. What did it all mean? I cant wait to see more.
The X-Wings Arrival
Another perfectly shot scene, only slightly off put by Han Solo now only discovering the CrossBow. From watching Finn fight with a sabre, to seeing the X-Wings taking on Tie Fighters and ground troops. There was a lot going on while Rey was having a nightmare moment for her self with Kylo Ren.
The Stare off
Rey vs Kylo when she begins to realise that resistance is possible with the Force. What a fantastic way of giving us Rey's abilities being discovered. I had a feeling that he would slightly struggle but he was completely put in his place. Not only that but telling a storm trooper to let her go was great to see.
Snoke and Phasma
People whined about this because it felt like they were "Non Existent" yet these same people didn't whine about the lack of Emperor Pre ROTJ or Boba. Such small meaningful parts, if you don't include being setup by Lando. This is the first movie out of this trilogy and I'm sure we will get more, perhaps even seeing what they are capable of doing. Remember this is the first.
Snoke is obviously in some way a Force user, perhaps the new Sith Lord but either way the character was impressive. Not like the Emperor but certainly not afraid or inexperienced. Phasma, with that armour alone deserves a place for memorable characters.
Luke Skywalker
I can't lie, I wanted more Luke Skywalker and I hope they do not make the mistake of killing him off during Episode 8 in a way that Yoda died. The original trilogy was about this guy, as much as many of us fell in love with the other characters - it was supposed to be about Luke. With that being said, I loved the way he was there at the very end. And it looked incredibly natural to Mark.
So on a final note yes I am looking forward to more, no I don't think Rogue One will have anything to do with Force Awakens nor the characters. I for one do not sit here and think about all the fan theories where 99% of them end up totally wrong. The more outrageous you think you more unlikely you are going to be right. I've yet to see a crazy idea turn out to be true.
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