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The Good And The Bad Of Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Imagine the feeling of having two passions merge, and you might have an idea of what it is like to be a writer, and film fan, who gets to write about films. To spend time carefully selecting words, constructing sentences and moulding paragraphs to accurately reflect the tempest of ideas in your mind regarding a piece of cinema is truly a privilege. But, what if a third, more specific passion entered the mix? What if you were a writer, and a film fan, who also loves Star Wars – and suddenly a brand new Star Wars movie is released? Let’s just say, there has been much joy and excitement among the ranks at We Got This Covered, since Star Wars: The Force Awakens soared into cinemas earlier this month.

Michael Briers – “What a time it is to be a Star Wars fan.”

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What I loved: Walking out of the theatre from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, cheeks damp from tears of nostalgia, joy and sadness, I couldn’t help but revel in the excitement of Disney’s franchise reboot. Make no mistake, J.J. Abrams’ blockbuster is a triumph, a send up to the beloved original trilogy and an explosive introduction of the new one to come.

When the stars align, The Force Awakens sings. Daisy Ridley is a natural scene-stealer as Rey; Finn is a wonderful hero — one I get can get behind, too, and John Boyega’s performance makes FN-2187’s journey away from the First Order all the more believable; and the only criticism I could possibly level at Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron is that we didn’t see more of him. If the core characters driving The Force Awakens are so remarkable, then the same can’t be said about the story.

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What I loathed: Throughout the late 70s and early 80s, the Star Wars franchise was put on a pedestal — and rightfully so. This was a genre-defining space opera that birthed a legacy, and was always celebrated for its risk-taking and experimental filmmaking. Fast forward to The Force Awakens, and the fact that J.J. Abrams’ opus hues so closely to the original trilogy and A New Hope in particular leaves me questioning Disney’s ambition to try something genuinely new.

Perhaps that’s being melodramatic, but when The Force Awakens borrowed so many elements from its peers — a droid carrying information, a monolithic planet killer and even a trench run — then it tasks Rian Johnson’s Episode VIII with trying some really different. That aside, with Rogue One on the horizon, what a time it is to be a Star Wars fan.

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