Finally saw it tonight.
Full disclosure: I'm old enough to have seen the original trilogy in the theaters and was the perfect age when I saw TESB (being ten years old). So my nostalgia for the OT is pretty much off the charts and I doubt any new film can ever recapture the magic for me, personally. My cynicism wasn't exactly helped by the prequels.
That said, I went into the TFA with as open a mind as I could muster, while still fully aware that I wouldn't be leaving the theater with the same sense of "holy ****!" as I had as a youngin'.
Long story short, I was entertained. I liked it. AND, unlike the prequels (which felt like some fanfic alternate universe), the film certainly felt like it was taking place in the same Star Wars universe that I fondly remembered.
But...
I wasn't blown away. There was no sense of having seen a masterpiece. And that might've been inevitable, since--let's be honest--the story by all rights should've ended after ROTJ. Because any new threat to the Republic that you could imagine would invariably feel like a retread of the Empire, especially if it was to be threatening on a grand scale. And I think that was my biggest problem with it...it had a "been there, done that" feel right from the get-go. But others have already pointed out all the similarities it shared with ANH, so I won't rehash the same arguments.
Other nitpicks:
1. How likely is it that a major hero of the Empire's defeat would devolve back into a bachelor smuggler? Sure, it might feel more natural to see Han Solo in that role vs. some comfy, revered war hero enjoying the spoils of fame and fortune, but it doesn't ring quite true.
2. Similarly, Leia should be higher in stature than some general leading a scrappy force of "Resistance". Which leads to the next nitpick...
3. The state of the galaxy's central government was too vague. IS there a central government in charge? If so, is it the Republic? Is it the First Order? Is there a split of territories? And why is "the Resistance" spoken of as if it were separate from the Republic? The biggest problem with keeping all this stuff vague is that we never really get a sense of how big a threat the First Order is, so it's harder to empathize with the heroes because you don't really grasp how big a threat they face.
4. By resuscitating the Empire in such a familiar form, it has the effect of making us feel like there will never be any resolution or victory so great as to keep them down. Luke blew up the first Death Star, yet they bounced back with a vengeance. The second Death Star exploded; the Emperor was killed; Vader was toast; yet STILL the Empire--sorry, "First Order"--rises from the ashes and seems nearly as dangerous as ever. It has the effect of diminishing any sense of victory the good guys might win, now or later, because it seems like it'll never be decisive enough to finally proclaim victory.
5. Kylo Ren. We get the impression that he had lots of experience and training, yet Rey not only holds her own against him but has him eating snow by the battle's end. Really? If he had to go down, it would've been much more satisfying if Luke had been the one to do it. Especially if Ren had mistakenly had the arrogance to believe he possessed the ability to take Luke down, only to have his ass handed to him. Speaking of...
6. Thirty seconds of Luke? C'mon. We deserved more.
