Nick Ridley

Not to be missed, of course, though somehow this felt less 'star wars' than previous films. I was hoping for the delight experienced when I saw TFA but I guess part of the excitement was the drought between the prequels and that moment. JJ executed the film well, though it felt still as if a Marvel influence crept in. The story is neat and the back-tales reasonably satisfying. There were some emotional moments and some great lightsaber duels though some of the space fights were too densely packed for me to relate properly; I didn't feel the peril of the Falcon or the desperation of the x-wings in the same way. A little too much flitting between star systems for any particular location to feel memorable in the way Yavin, Tatooine, Hoth and Endor stick in our minds. That said, it was pretty good and I don't feel robbed. If anything, I want to see it again right away! ***** I've seen it for a second time now, and I have to say, it's a grower. I knew what to look for, felt more comfortable with the pace and I loved the fan service and tributes. I think someone must have been chopping onions when the Billie Lourd/Leia scenes were playing. I loved how it wrapped up, I felt the whole atmosphere flood back - I'm upgrading my review from 4 to 5.