When I watched the first of the new Star Wars movies, I felt pretty much the same. It was not bad as such, but it felt so derivative. More so, I felt that it was not derivative for a lack of imagination, but because the creators were playing it safe, deliberately avoiding any deviation from a proven recipe.

And given that Walt Disney now owns the franchise, I have no expectation that any future movies set in the Star Wars universe will be any different. Which is a little sad, because the Star Wars universe is such a great backdrop to tell all kinds of interesting stories.