The Complex Review of Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

How do you gauge the ldquo;badnessrdquo; of a movie objectively? Well, you really canrsquo;t. My neighbor could have loved it while I could have hated it, and another neighbor might not have felt anything or feel everything all at once. This was my sentiment towards Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I neither hated nor loved the film. My main disappointment was that TrevYun (circa the saga) decided to scrap the entirety of the post-original saga canon and go with a whole new direction. This is one of the points that many people dislike. I thought it was strange but doing the whole New Jedi Order and Yuuzhan Vong arcs would have been very expensive and 'startrekkie'.

Some say that a Trekkie director shouldnrsquo;t be taking on a Star Wars project, and that Abrams is going to make it his thing. But these critics forget Lawrence Kasdan, who was a key figure in Episode V and contributed significantly to the series. His involvement means that this criticism from detractors is moot.

Others argue that the moviersquo;s plot is a rip-off of the original Star Wars (now known as Episode IV). The film starts in space with a captured rebel and cuts to a sand planet with an orphan protagonist. Therersquo;s a familiar Millennium Falcon mentor figure who dies at the hands of the baddie, and a final duel between hero and villain. Yes, there are numerous parallelisms, but itrsquo;s not exactly an original story.

Therersquo;s also criticism of the characters being too Mary Sue-ish or the plot feeling rushed or relying too much on CGI. While the final fight scenes do feature actual props and a lot of practical effects, you can go watch Episode I if yoursquo;re craving a lot of CGI. However, the movie does a good job of introducing key characters like Rey, Finn, and Poe, and it captures some of the original trilogyrsquo;s spirit, including the banter.

Character Developments and Plot

Despite Reyrsquo;s compelling introduction, she has it too easy once she leaves her home planet. Friends of mine have criticized her as a Mary Sue character, as she inexplicably has skills in the Force without training. She seems to inherit the Millennium Falcon and Chewbacca, and she also seems to be both Han Solo and Luke Skywalker in the film. Poe gets more screen time and resources, such as the X-wing fighter persona and an intriguing arc, while Finn seems to be underdeveloped. The unbalance in character development leads to problems with the storytelling.

The movie has yet another Death Star, leading some to say it follows a formulaic approach to storytelling. However, this is vastly better than Episode VIII, which some consider a disrespectful ldquo;subversion of expectations.rdquo; On the other hand, Kylo Ren is the tortured soul that Anakin Skywalker should have been in the prequels. He doesnrsquo;t live up to Darth Vader, but he has the potential for an interesting character arc.

Technical Aspects and Improvements

The Force Awakens improves upon the last theatrical episode with better character dynamics and story flow. While itrsquo;s not as great as the original trilogy, it manages to be better than mere passable. It captures some of the original trilogyrsquo;s magic and spirit, even though itrsquo;s not a perfect re-creation.

Movies are like wine. The best wine is the one you like, and there is no objectively good or bad movie. For me, it was a joy to see Luke back, and even if Irsquo;m not a fan of the prequels, Irsquo;ve grown up with the original trilogy, and I saw the first Star Wars in theaters in 1977. Thank you for asking and I hope I answered your question properly!

Conclusion

In conclusion, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a good Star Wars movie. It is well-structured and captures some of the original trilogyrsquo;s spirit. However, it has its flaws, which prevent it from being a perfect film or a return to the glory days of the original trilogy. Itrsquo;s a step in the right direction for the franchise, and it will likely be appreciated by those who grew up with the original trilogy as much as I did.