You can breathe a sigh of relief. The Force Awakens is not a train wreck, and it is not in any way like the prequel movies. In fact the first thing you notice watching it is how it might be too much like the original, with a lot of the story beats recycled from A New Hope.
It has enough to become its own thing though. Instead of a whining teenager for a protagonist, we get Rey, a diesel-punk, plummy tomboy, and Finn; gormless, sensitive and in-over-his-head. They are likable and relatable - the two chief qualities missing from the characters of the prequel movies. They do a good job of giving the movie a heart and humour.
In terms of the story, Abrams is very good at keeping up the story momentum - far better than Lucas does in the orginal trilogy in fact. I am one of the few who argues that Empire Strikes Back is the worst of the originals, what with its most exciting action happening in the first half hour, and the rest of the movie consisting of the heroes hiding in one place or another. This movie manages keeps its characters moving ever onward, either running to or away from the next objective.
One thing that has to be commended is the action and the effects. CGI and modern camera techniques have a presence, but they are used with moderation, and where possible there are a lot of old fashioned practical effects and costumes. Similarly, the lightsabre fights have a heft to them like the old movies, with the characters bashing away at each other; none of that fancy-pants, passionless fencing from I, II and III.
It does have its missteps though. Some of the dramatic scenes are really cheesy and overwrought, largely as a consequence of our new villains. Our Darth Vader analogue isn't bad most of the time, but he looks especially dorky, with and without his helmet. There is also a surprising amount of screen time devoted to characters standing around with one arm outstretched and a constipated look spread across their face. Also there is a scene where Rey eats what is clearly half an apple with some broccoli in it. That seems weird to me.
Over all, The Force Awakens does a good job of kickstarting the franchise, and I look forward to the next one. I predict it will benefit from not having to devote so much time to nostalgia coddling or placating some very cautious fans.
(Spoiler Free) A Competent Pastiche of the Original Trilogy
You can breathe a sigh of relief. The Force Awakens is not a train wreck, and it is not in any way like the prequel movies. In fact the first thing you notice watching it is how it might be too much like the original, with a lot of the story beats recycled from A New Hope.
It has enough to become its own thing though. Instead of a whining teenager for a protagonist, we get Rey, a diesel-punk, plummy tomboy, and Finn; gormless, sensitive and in-over-his-head. They are likable and relatable - the two chief qualities missing from the characters of the prequel movies. They do a good job of giving the movie a heart and humour.
In terms of the story, Abrams is very good at keeping up the story momentum - far better than Lucas does in the orginal trilogy in fact. I am one of the few who argues that Empire Strikes Back is the worst of the originals, what with its most exciting action happening in the first half hour, and the rest of the movie consisting of the heroes hiding in one place or another. This movie manages keeps its characters moving ever onward, either running to or away from the next objective.
One thing that has to be commended is the action and the effects. CGI and modern camera techniques have a presence, but they are used with moderation, and where possible there are a lot of old fashioned practical effects and costumes. Similarly, the lightsabre fights have a heft to them like the old movies, with the characters bashing away at each other; none of that fancy-pants, passionless fencing from I, II and III.
It does have its missteps though. Some of the dramatic scenes are really cheesy and overwrought, largely as a consequence of our new villains. Our Darth Vader analogue isn't bad most of the time, but he looks especially dorky, with and without his helmet. There is also a surprising amount of screen time devoted to characters standing around with one arm outstretched and a constipated look spread across their face. Also there is a scene where Rey eats what is clearly half an apple with some broccoli in it. That seems weird to me.
Over all, The Force Awakens does a good job of kickstarting the franchise, and I look forward to the next one. I predict it will benefit from not having to devote so much time to nostalgia coddling or placating some very cautious fans.