I’ve just come from seeing it. My overall impression, which echos what others have said, is that too much was forced. Pun intended. Too many “moments,” too much convenience and rapid movement to the next needed event. Too much reliance on exposition and a soup of elements from the OT. It resulted in not feeling natural, relationships not feeling as real as they should have. I can’t tell if the movie would have benefited from a better story or a simpler telling. When we pare the story down to its elements, I think it may be the former as much as the latter.

That’s not to say I thought it was bad, I’m still digesting a lot. The Millenium Falcon chase really inspired a new hope in me after a start that left me searching for something to hold onto. Many great visuals, although generally fleeting. I wish Maz Kanata had been more fleshed out, more time taken there. I liked the female protagonist angle. I agree much with Noxos on the good and bad. The vision sequence was very good - modern but impressive.

In the end, I feel that this was something of a Forced Awakening.