Is Star Wars: The Force Awakens a Good Film?

There seems to be a lot of mixed opinions among the Star Wars fan community regarding the quality of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Some consider it to be a decent film, while others find it lacking in many aspects. This article aims to provide a balanced overview of the movie's strengths and weaknesses based on various perspectives.

Popular Opinions on The Force Awakens

Generally, the film has been categorized into two main categories in terms of reception:

Positive Views

Some fans argue that The Force Awakens is a decent film that, despite its flaws, is considerably better than its follow-up sequels, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. PewDiePie and Artboy22 have expressed mixed opinions, acknowledging the film's near-clone status to the original A New Hope but still finding it watchable and enjoyable. PewDiePie stated that the movie is the best the sequel series gets compared to the next two episodes, which, according to them, feel rushed. Artboy22, on the other hand, described the film as "decent" but admitted it's not great and certainly not the best of the trilogy.

Negative Views

Others are more critical, with a significant number finding the film, as JJ Abrams took over directing Star Wars, as a follow-up to the original trilogy. J.J. Abrams' direction, it is argued, resulted in a more of a knock-off of the original trilogy rather than a new saga. The core issue, as noted by moinksdweeb, is that the movie felt like glorified fanfic, not a film that could stand on its own merits.

Criticisms and Prospects

There are several criticisms that have been levied against the film, mainly centered around character development and storytelling continuity:

Character Development: Many critics have pointed out that characters such as Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron were underutilized and overly similar to their original counterparts. For instance, r/StarWars users mentioned that Finn and Han Solo were wasted talents, while Rey, originally a character with a lot of potential, was poorly executed with a flawed character arc. JRagula also highlighted that Rey, a character that fans were rooting for to go either light or dark, was underutilized. Storyline and Continuity: Artboy22 noted that the movie is dependent on other movies to feel complete and is so filled with mystery boxes that it would not stand alone. Additionally, Luke Skywalker's and Han Solo's characters were seen as incomplete arcs, restarting from square one rather than building on their adventures in the original trilogy.

Conclusion

So, is The Force Awakens good? The answer, as with so many things, depends on whose opinion you're looking at. From a purely watchable standpoint, the film might be considered good, with some elements of enjoyment and excitement. However, when scrutinized for its character arcs and overall contribution to the Star Wars saga, it is often seen as merely "okay" or "mediocre."

While your own opinion is valuable, remember that critiques from respected critics and fan communities can be a valuable guide in understanding the nuances of a film that has divided opinions.