Not very enthused, but still enjoyed it.
Spoilers: If you haven't seen it, don't read my post!!
What I didn't care for:
1: Romance seemed "forced."
2: Too much of the film seemed like it was a rehash of lines used in the original trilogy.
3: Too often I was able to predict what was happening as the preceding scene led into it.
4: Stormtroopers weren't supposed to be your average grunts with wavering loyalty. They follow orders. Always. Finn seemed too scripted to move in a linear fashion.
5: Overall, the plot was Episode 4, A New Hope, all over again. Holy freaking excrement Batman! How many times does the rebellion have to blow up the death star?
6: Obi Wan scene, redux.. Once you've seen the movie, you'll know what I mean. That's just more of #5 complaint for me.
7: Kylo Ren should have kept his doggone mask on. Taking it off ruined any sense of menace he held. That may have been by design though.
What I did like:
1: Acting was surprisingly good!
2: It felt like what Star Wars is supposed to feel like.
3: Effects are awesome again!
4: I like the characters, overall. I can nitpick some things, but objectively speaking I liked them.
5: There were several scenes that were pretty doggone funny, and very well done.
There is chatter that Kylo really isn't evil. Or the new baddest of the bad guy.
Also, the storm troopers are not the original clones. These guys are volunteers, military and they are wavering now. Keep in mind that this isn't the republic in the original sense we are talking about, this is a faction group that wants what the republic did. Complete with no-force possessing bad guys (Ren do not have it. They are sith worshippers and wanna bes) and volunteer armies.
MAJOR spoilers WARNING!!
Finn is a minor complaint really. Just one of the things I found "off."
I can see what you are saying, but from my perspective:
I speak from the position of being a fanboy since day 1, and an avid reader of all of the books, to include the comics, shorts, and so forth. Stormtroopers were more like Special Forces, per Lucas's direction to the authors of the books. Basically, they are brainwashed from day one, much like someone who just steps out of Marine Corps bootcamp (which I can relate to all too well.) The Stormtroopers from the original series weren't clones either. Clones had a very short lifespan, less than half of what a natural human has.
Finn wasn't a volunteer, he was taken as a child and raised as a First Order soldier. He said this in the movie.
Kylo Ren is a fallen jedi trainee. He turned to the dark side under the tutelage of Luke. This was said in the movie, before it was revealed that he was Han and Leia's son. He has a strong connection to the force, but not as strong as Rey. This was discussed by Ren and Snope after Ren was interrogating her, and trying to mind read, after she blocked his attempts (with her stronger connection to the force).
I'm going to say that Snope is a Sith, even though it was not said in the movie Quite possibly he is the host of Palpatine's master, Plagius, who had discovered how to defeat death. Possibly he is the host of Palpatine, by that plot line, but I find Plagius more plausible. Always two there are. <<Bane's Rule/
Did not read. Haven't seen it yet. Don't want any major spoiling lol. I'll come back after I watch it.
MAJOR spoilers WARNING!!
Finn is a minor complaint really. Just one of the things I found "off."
I can see what you are saying, but from my perspective:
I speak from the position of being a fanboy since day 1, and an avid reader of all of the books, to include the comics, shorts, and so forth. Stormtroopers were more like Special Forces, per Lucas's direction to the authors of the books. Basically, they are brainwashed from day one, much like someone who just steps out of Marine Corps bootcamp (which I can relate to all too well.) The Stormtroopers from the original series weren't clones either. Clones had a very short lifespan, less than half of what a natural human has.
Finn wasn't a volunteer, he was taken as a child and raised as a First Order soldier. He said this in the movie.
Kylo Ren is a fallen jedi trainee. He turned to the dark side under the tutelage of Luke. This was said in the movie, before it was revealed that he was Han and Leia's son. He has a strong connection to the force, but not as strong as Rey. This was discussed by Ren and Snope after Ren was interrogating her, and trying to mind read, after she blocked his attempts (with her stronger connection to the force).
I'm going to say that Snope is a Sith, even though it was not said in the movie Quite possibly he is the host of Palpatine's master, Plagius, who had discovered how to defeat death. Possibly he is the host of Palpatine, by that plot line, but I find Plagius more plausible. Always two there are. <<Bane's Rule/
Took my time, didn't read spoilers, and saw it on Saturday. The theater was still packed full and was pretty much sold out all weekend.
Finn just didn't seem right to me. He seemed more human than you would expect from an android-like Stormtrooper.
The buildup of Rey having the Force was all to evident and not surprising in the least bit.
Rather than excitement when Rey was manhandling Ren, I was wondering how they were going to kill him off so early, then a coincidental buttcrack hole in the ground shows up...
Rey is too simple minded, but I guess we all would be if we grew up in a desert of junk.
Most awkward staring competition.
Effects were great.
Costumes were great.
Acting was great.
I enjoyed it.
Mark Hamill's age didn't show well with the beard and "Hey someone found me... Oh wait, who are you?" face.
You didn't feel it was just Episode IV, A New Hope, rewritten?
I have my complaints about the movie, but I do want to reiterate that I did enjoy it. I feel it was most likely 100% better than anything George Lucas would have given us, judging by the dismal prequels.
4: Stormtroopers weren't supposed to be your average grunts with wavering loyalty. They follow orders. Always.
Have you read "Allegiance" by Timothy Zahn? It's about a handful of Stormtroopers that desert the Empire under similar pretenses as Finn.
For the record, I thought Finn was a little stiff.
Overall, I would have liked to have seen a little darker film and less of a rehash of ANH, but the feel of the movie was fantastic. There's so much hype to live up to and everyone has their own personal sense of what Star Wars should be, that it's impossible to please everyone. A far cry better that Episodes 1-3, I give it an 8 of 10.