3) The Frequent Callbacks To The Past
It’s not just the over-familiarity of the plot that bothers in The Force Awakens – there are so many winks and nods to the original trilogy that Episode VII sometimes feels less like its own movie, and more like a tribute made by a fan who’s been given the directorial reins. Which is literally the case – J.J. Abrams has been a huge Star Wars fan since a kid.
The problem is that Abrams allows the can’t-believe-his-luck child within him to take over much too often, making visual references and repeating quotes wholesale from the original trilogy. Abrams brings enough original content to The Force Awakens to make it feel like its own beast, but far too frequently does Episode VII shoehorn old bits and pieces into the story just for the sake of geeking out.