Star Wars: Episode VII - Good or bad?

[Ventus Fall]

Just defending Kylo "Ben" Ren's face without the mask: I think it was perfect.

The casting for Kylo Ren's character was spot on. You could see that he is related to Anakin with a similar facial structure and hair style. The fact his face looks so clean is also a creative decision as every other with we've seen has looked very messed up facially. Kylo Ren's face is more pure and perhaps a reflection of the light still struggling within him? As for his personality, he looks young and when he took off the mask, his face didn't suit him which is why he wears the mask in the first place. To build up his badguy persona.

This movie is too clever to just throw things down at face value.

I don't agree
Well, not entirely.

I am fine with casting a character who looks young and not-really-like-a-bad-guy, but as soon as he took of the mask, I got Professor Snape vibes. Not personality-wise, but face-wise.
You can accomplish the same effect of it being a young, inexperienced guy, someone who's flawed, someone who looks similar to Anakin to a degree, yet not have a Snape-face.

I also think the faces don't look alike at all. Anakin and Kylo Ren's, that is. Anakin has a more square-shaped face. Besides -of course- have brown hair, and I don't even know where to start with the eye colour, his eyebrows and facial expressions are also extremely different.
Ren's face is pointy, more girly, smooth, black hair, dark coloured eyes, his eyebrows are uhm... what's the word... rigid? Not 'flat' and 'thin' as Anakin's is.
I honestly don't see much family-resemblace, which I feel is a missed oppertunity.
Anakin seems more America, Kylo Ren seems more... -from my experience here- Eastern European, Southern-European. In that area.
(Also their hair lines don't match up, which is also an important thing sometimes with genetics.)
The hair on both is slightly curly (or whatever word is used for that type of hair), but the facial structure is entirely different.
So yeah, all in all: I'm fine with Kylo Ren being shown as a young character, and perhaps someone who doesn't seem to suit the bad-guy vibe, but they surely could have taken a better look at having at least more things resemble his family-heritage.
(But then again, maybe that's my own fault I pay attention to those things so clearly, I can keep identical twins apart from one another in real life.)

The only thing their faces both seem to narrow down is that they both have a puppy-dog face when it's needed. They can both look sad in this... puppy-like way.
But that's it.
Does that mean David Tennant is a good actor for being related to Kylo Ren or Anakin?   People who know what I'm talking about with the puppy-eyes, might remember David Tennant's eyes in quite a few scenes.
In short: I don't think just having good puppy-eyes is a good factor for choosing such a character.

I felt having a strong female character is being extremely forced in this movie. Not that I don't like seeing a main female character. I indeed had the complaint with Episode 4 that Leia seemed like a strong woman, but didn't/couldn't use the force (reasons aside as to why). Yet at the same time she was a strong character, without all those powers.
Pehrpas it also feels forced because they want to do as many minorities as possible casting main roles. Main (male) African-American and a main female. (Not hating on the minorities, just feels a bit forced with the movie, is what I'm trying to say, especially in this day and age.)

I enjoyed the end, and I can't wait to see Mark Hamil again. I do hope they don't kill him off, or at least keep him alive for most of the sequels (8 and 9).
It's what I'm kind of afraid of.

There was also perhaps too much going on in the movie. While I understand there are going to be sequels to this, it just felt like a big prequel to the upcoming movies.
Also everyone seems to have the force powers. I mean, I know it's not everyone, but it feels like it is.


Summarised?
I liked the movie, it has good and bad points. I feel the type of main characters are a bit forced, but enjoyable. It's nice to see them as mains.