December
22
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Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
A simple benchmark question for judging the merits of this “blockbuster of the year” is: if this film did not have almost 40 years of nostalgia-filled cultural context and cult following, would it be acclaimed as a cinematic triumph on its own merits? The answer is an obvious and resounding no. It has a vacuous and incoherent narrative arc, its characters are all tired old cultist clichés, the degree of repetitive “oh no, they are going to die” followed immediately by “phew, they escaped” is tiresome and the denouement or nearest thing to a climax offered by the film is straight out of the C-Grade sci-fi bottom drawer.
Of course, if the question is: does this film have marvelous visual effects, then the answer is a qualified yes. They are very good, but do not cut new ground. It is a dynamic action-filled old-style tale of good versus evil, with loads of colour and movement that will warm the heart of all Star Wars fans.
Not all movies can be easily reviewed using film analysis techniques. With some, you just have to suspend all critical faculties and go with the flow. But I’m not too sure that the next generation will be so forgiving. The 16 year old in front me heading for a quick exit said to his friend “I could have made a better film”. I’m sure he could.
Director: J.J. Abrams 
Stars: Daisy Ridley, John Bodega, Oscar Isaac
CineMuseFilms 
As much as I agree with you on The Revenant, I couldn’t disagree more with you on this one.
Not only do I believe it’s a great restart of the franchise but it’s also honest, funny, immensely entertaining and has a lot of heart. I do not deny there’s a lot of history and nostalgia that comes with it but it has compelling new characters and the magic that is Star Wars.
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Thanks for responding dylanharding92. I sense the magic too but hoped for a film that went beyond warm fuzzy memories. Anyway, how dull would life be if we all agreed on everything?
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Definitely agree with this review. I didn’t think the movie was crap, but it certainly disappointed me and was only above average. What frustrated me the most was how everybody around me was praising this movie well beyond its merits. I was so frustrated that I wrote an analysis on The Force Awakens that really delves into the big problems with the plot. It’s still my most viewed post.
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