Is this basically just a remake/rehash? Yes, but I think it is kind of the point, things are cyclical.
I get what you're saying but I can't accept that for myself. If there were just recuring themes fine yes fine. But we're not just rehashing themes we're redoing an entire movie scene by scene. Loved the Cantina-Bar? Here it is again! loved the death star? here it is again! loved the robot taking the data away from the empire on a desert planet full of nomads? here it is again! loved the mentor dies on a space station while the others watch?... you see where I'm going with this! And worst of all I don't think it was done well. To many things happen because the plot demands it. To many problems get "ex machinaed". I hold no special love or grudge for Star Wars and from the perspective of it just being a movie it was a bust for me.
Also I surely hope "better than Jurasic World" isn't the bar we're setting for movies from now on. That's a pretty low bar
How did everyone feel about the first battle scene with Fin as storm trooper, with the blood and the helmet and what nat?
That scene was well done actually made me hope they were going to humanize Storm Troopers and make Storm Troopers a meaningfull part of the movie and a real threat. But it ended up being just to set up Finn and then go back to faceless, emotionless, useless Stormtroopers (except the one random Stormtropper with anti Lightsabre Gear). Another wasted chance for me.
Humor has been somewhat of a problem for me in the Star Wars movies
There is this humor that's in ALL the Star Wars movies, ALL the lords of the Rings movies, ALL teh Pirates of the Carabean movies.. I think most of those big blockbuster adventures, that I find so slapstick and almost unbearable. There were some fun parts but everything concerning C3PO for example makes me instanly want to sigh. But it seems all Hollywood Blockbusters "desperately need" slapstick humor so I'm not gonna give Star Wars extra crap about it.