4.5 for me.

The squid ball monster scene seemed pointless could have been replaced with something else. I mean, I know they have to put something in to show what Han has been up to this whole time, and to show how little he's changed, but that could've been something else. A 3rd Death Star was just silly. I noticed when watching all of the scenes on Starkiller base, I was less concerned about the thing blowing up Leia and Ackbar and more concerned about whether or not Chewie, Rey, or Finn were going to survive (Han was a goner in my mind as soon as he was revealed to be Kylo's dad).

On the subject of Kylo, I think he was a terrible villain, but an excellent character. I didn't see him as an angsty emo with daddy issues, but as someone on the path to the dark side who is still conflicted about the decisions he's made. It's also refreshing to see a baddie who isn't nearly as experienced yet. He has the power and ability to be a terrifying enemy to face, but lacks the control and experience necessary. In my opinion, it will be cool to see both heroes and villains grow and develop throughout the new movies.

EDIT: Also happy that I wasn't the first person to mistake the planet that was destroyed for Coruscant. Until I stepped into this thread, I thought that scene was JJ giving a middle-finger to the prequels.

1

The pacing of the movie was chaotic.

Does jj even understand space and distance?

All the villains were horrible. Ren a crybaby, Hux an attention seeking brat. I feel really bad for anybody that loved Phasma entering the movie because she's a female stormtrooper. What a pushover.

Hans death was so predictable and disappointing.

I did love the new good guys though.

So many things though were just off for me.

I'm rambling now and will nit pick, but why is he named Ben? They barely knew the old man! Why would a stormtrooper even know how to turn off the shields? How could they see the starkiller beam from Mazs planet? Exiting hyperspace in atmosphere(jj did to light speed what he did to transporting in star trek)?

Going forward I would be shocked if Rey wasn't Luke's daughter. I'm also expecting to see her with a double bladed lightsaber.

2.5

The good:

Action is as tight as ever and looks right. It was really nice to see effort in practical effects and focused camera shots.

Jokes/banter were really good at certain parts.

Nothing was offensive to the source material.

The bad:

It is almost a carbon-copy in a weird sort of "fan-fiction" extension of Star Wars Episode 4

The pacing is absolutely awful. It is almost one elongated action sequence at certain parts even though characters have traveled 4 set pieces. Really needed scenes where characters can sit down and explore their surroundings.

The jokes/banter was too much, it really started to cheapen the experience halfway through. While it is (really) funny to see stormtroopers walk away from Kylo's temper tantrum, it further makes the film feel like fan fiction with what-if moments then a iconic space opera. Finn saying, "droid, please" sticks out as something that doesn't need to be in a Star Wars film either.

Characters and motivations. I expected this from JJ Abrams, but oh boy I was really hoping he wouldn't falter on this. Pretty much all characters are a very slight twist on a OT counterpart, but lamer. Finn's defection/attempts to fake being resistance (If he is mentally conditioned from birth by the FO, why is he a eccentric in personality also?), Rey's immediate use of force techniques with no training, the republic/resistance relationship, Captain Phasma/Huxx, and pretty much anything that wasn't a OT character had no real development. Basically showed but no telling.

sh*tty use of a full cgi character that is unmemorable, underdeveloped, and sticks out like a sore thumb.

Blows its load by showing big name characters and not showing any restraint. It really would of just been better if Snoke or Luke weren't shown in the first film. Luke's appearance is especially cringey with how shoe-in it comes off in a "tick off the box" kind of problem that this film keeps having.

Kylo Ren had potential, but his downfall to the darkside because he is a kid misbehaving sucks the villainy out of him. Would have just been better if he was some wacko obsessed with collecting artifacts and got subdued by the allure of the stories/power associated with those items.

Closing thoughts

It was exciting and I appreciate the clear enthusiasm of the cast and fans had for this film, but this really didn't do anything new and has created a big disappointment in me that the film is taking the playing safe route. I am happy people can enjoy it way more then I do, but I honestly don't see how this is better then any of the OT films.

My enjoyment is 5/5.the story choices that I didn't love were still fun.

4.

Would have been 5 except for Yet Another SuperWeapon trope.

I rank it behind Empire and Star Wars, ahead of Jedi, and ahead of the three prequels.

Its a 10 out of 5.

Seriously though - 5. My entire group of friends, my dad, and myself all LOVED it!

3.5, would probably be lower if it wasn't Star Wars.

Overall solid, but too many weirdly confusing plot elements and/or plot holes, and it was really hampered by the fact that they did little to establish the plot before jumping right into it. A little bit more explanation toward the beginning would have gone a long way.

The set design and practical effects were fantastic, though. There were just way too many things that didn't quite sit right in the back of my mind, even though I was really trying to enjoy the movie and didn't really have any specific expectations. Great filmmaking, but unfortunately the storytelling couldn't keep up.

4.5 for me. I was engaged the whole time, and the whole thing was over way to fast. I can leave the technical "impossibilities" to science has advanced to where these things are possible, without nit-picking about them.

My biggest regret is not many candidates for new X-Wing ships... We need to start letter writing campaigns to the next two directors before it is too late!

5

I dont like decimals so rounded to the nearest whole number.

Of course I was in a really good mood going in. When the concession guy asked if I wanted butter on my popcorn I said, "Yes and don't stop until it soaks through the bottom of the tub onto your hand." He did not disappoint.

I was entertained for over 2 hours. When it was done there were questions and if this were a single movie that would have bothered me, but since this is just part of a trilogy within a larger story, I have faith all will be answered in time.

Cute droid.

Crazy monsters trying to eat the heroes.

Tons of humor.

Tons of x-wing on TIE, falcon on TIE, awesome.

Riot control Stormtrooper!

The feels. The FEELS.

Better than ROTJ. Numbers are meaningless for Star Wars movies, just the comparison to ANH and ESB. And I thin this one can hang out this those.

3 from me so far, though I'm going to watch it again in a few days to see if it improves (or seems worse) after a second viewing.

Main problem from me was Kylo, he seemed more like a whiny hogwarts dropout than an intimidating cosmic threat.

4 for me. It was fun and entertaining, if too fast at the end. Some parts really needed an extra scene or so. The planning up to the attack on the Death Star was one that jarred me in the theater. The destruction of whatever planet that was was another. A better scene back at the rebel base after Han died yet another. I didn't have issues with what was there, just wish there had been a little more.

A huge plus over the prequels are the actors. Felt better and more natural this time around.

But you know what pissed me off more than anything?

The lack of Star Fighter variation. There were only 2 fighters: T-70s and TIE F/Os.

3 star fighters. T-70s, TIE Fighter First Order and TIE Special Forces (the one piloted by Dameron and gunned by Finn).

I'm saying 4.5, but considering how I cheered and screamed like a little fan girl during the film, it could be a 5.

Much better than what I was expecting. It is more Star Wars than anything past he Empire Strikes Back. Disney, I forgive you for wiping out the EU.

Easy 5 for me

Sitting with a silly grin on my face at the opening scene that was still there at the end :-)

About a 4 for me.

My biggest issues were: too little of the original score used, it felt like completely different music which IMHO is not a good thing.

Size of the galaxy as others have said felt like it was all in a couple of solar systems very close by.

Too little explanation of exactly what was going on (I'm not talking about the plot secrets either) things that appeared to be common knowledge were left unexplained.

I have a few other niggles but it beats the prequels hands down, I agree with others that this is mainly a set up movie for the next two.

I'm going with the consensus so far of a 4. Stayed close to the originals (but maybe a little too close) and the tone of the movie was certainly familiar. I hope that VIII and IX have a little more fresh content, but it set all the characters up nicely.

Fun ride overall, but some clear faults.

So I just saw it again and I liked it better this time around. Bring my 2nd vote up to a 3.5. One thing I noticed this time was something I like to call "shake the camera drama" I really don't care for that, as it gives me a headache. But it wasn't as widely used in TFA as in some films so I guess I can deal. Anyway it's a movie that grows on you. I can't wait to see it again!

4. Very good, but I don't think JJ Abrams made any really tense action scenes outside of the final lightsaber battle (which was incredible). Luckily, the characters and humor made up for that.

Also, somehow they made another Boba Fett who was even more disappointing than Boba Fett.

Going back and forth between two and three.

Completely, unabashedly, unashamedly 5!

The first part of the movie had me giddy with, "I'm watching Star Wars in the theater again!"

About halfway through the movie I took a second to reflect and realized that the movie was basically perfect. I don't mean perfect as in unable to be improved upon, but I mean that I had seen nothing that made me feel disappointed. There are all these inconsistencies that people like to point out, but we've seen that all before. How about, "Only Imperial Stormtroopers are so precise," way back in 1977. Now it's a gag, but that's seriously a huge problem with the first film. You don't even fear the stormtroopers. But I've seen that kind of stuff in all parts of Star Wars and frankly, it doesn't bother anymore. Why didn't the Star Destroyer intercept the Falcon when it was above Jakku?* I don't know, but who cares?! It was an engaging movie and I didn't feel let down by it at all.

Also, let me add that I'm a huge prequel fan, but it took me several viewings to warm up to Episode I. This time, with The Force Awakens, I didn't have to search for connections to make it feel like Star Wars. It was easy to sit back and just enjoy it for what it was. I wholeheartedly welcome it to my collection of the 6 Star Wars films.

*This was pointed out to me by my wife after the movie.

I'm going to give it a 4 (but I reserve the right to change my opinion after a second viewing!). Mostly because it was sad. It made me very sad. Was it a good movie? Most definitely! I enjoyed so much of it, especially the character interactions and X-WINGS!!! I got choked up when I saw those X-wings on approach above the surface of the water -- so good! But man, I just left with this feeling that the movie was such a downer. Now, for Revenge of the Sith it was even worse of a downer, but I wanted a downer because it's the whole birth of Darth Vader and rise of the Empire story. I could watch that one again and again because of the raw emotions.

Do you know the saddest part of The Force Awakens? When all those X-wing pilots started dying. We had just seen them dominate in the earlier battle, especially Poe, without a single loss. And then they attack the base and every time one of them was shot down I just felt a little piece of me die. I can't explain why. And of course, the death of the smuggler was sad, too. And Finn wanting to run away from everything, and Luke having disappeared, and the state of Han and Leia's relationship [sigh]

When I saw the teaser, I was so excited for this movie. When I saw the full trailer, I felt sad because the galaxy was in turmoil once again, despite all the sacrifices. I guess when I saw the movie it wasn't just the sacrifices of the people in the movie that haunted me, but the brave people who gave their lives to fight against the Empire decades earlier. Just so sad.

3 for me. It looked great, and there were a few chills moments, but it was episode 4 with a little bit of 6 mixed in.

Spoilers ahead

We have a droid given secret information in the opening segment. ( map to Luke? Really?). If he has bowed out, why is everyone think he is so important?

We have a Luke analog that is female, and even grows up on a desert planet.

We have a character that is a reskinned Vader for the most part.

We have Death Star number 3, only this time it's an oscillator instead of a regulator or an exhaust port. We have a sacrificial trench run, we have solo and Chewie infiltrating a bunker to take down the shields.

Even the twist that happened there was unsurprising. Did anyone think that was going to go some other way?

We have a cantina, a search for the droid.

I thought the cinematography was good and the visuals were great, but I kept feeling like I had seen this movie before, and they just photoshopped in different faces.

I liked that Ren struggled, the light saber fight was good, the acting was good, I felt like it could have been a 5 if it had not been a blatant rip off of what has come before. I wanted to love it but wound up only modestly liking it.

5

It was extremely well done.

1.5

I can't hate what I don't GAF about. The movie was embarrassing to watch. If I had actually paid for the ticket (saw it as a company event) I would have asked for my money back...from Disney.

It was an overhyped movie for little kids...really, really little kids. It was dull, samey, predictably laughable. I face palmed far too often. I'm not gonna say it was Episode I, but 0.5 away from it for sure. Thanks Disney and JJ, I'm totally de-invested. Do whatever the hell you want to the franchise. It's not my bag anymore.