Connor Macgregor Reviews...Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
Intro: With The Last Jedi released today, and me seeing it tomorrow, I felt it would be good to look again at The Force Awakens to see if it holds up two years old. Well, yes and no.
Summary: 30 years after the defeat of Darth Vader and the Empire, Rey, a scavenger from the planet Jakku, finds a BB-8 droid that knows the whereabouts of the long lost Luke Skywalker. Rey, as well as a rogue stormtrooper and two smugglers, are thrown into the middle of a battle between the Resistance and the daunting legions of the First Order.
The Good: I should start by saying that for the most part, the new characters are good to watch. Oscar Issac as Poe Dameron is a great addition, capturing the early charm and swag of Han Solo. Maz Kanata is also a good new add on, representing the wiseness of Yoda. It's also a good film that references the past and has a good feel for nostalgia for the previous Star Wars films. The Cinematography and Visual Effects are both great, making it feel new and fresh to enjoy.
The Bad: This is a film that's much more flawed than I thought on additional viewing. For starters, the dialogue is really weak, honestly much weaker than in the prequels. Very lazy and tedious, really taking you out of the experience. I thought the pacing of the plot was off too, everything going too quickly and not having time to breath. I also didn't appreciate the repeat treading of Episode IV. For a lot of Star Wars fans, its the excitement of doing a new story that's going to bring people in, not remembering the past. John Boyega is good as Finn, but the character of Finn is quite bad. Always getting beat up, knocked over, being a coward, and unfunny comic relief. Really disappointing.
Daisy Ridley: I'm divided on Daisy Ridley here. For her first major film role, there were some very dodgy moments in her performance. The character of Rey is fine to start off with, but gets a little too invincible as the film goes on. But I liked her independence, her ability to function in a fight, and her willingness to see the mission through. However, I felt it was slightly unrealistic that she gained her force powers way too easily in my book. Many people she's a mary sue, and I half agree to an extent, but I'm not quite there yet.
Overall: Star Wars: The Force Awakens is fine on its own, but in the wide scheme of Star Wars, it's not up there with the others, and tends to be on the weaker side of the series.
Rating: 80% - B+