10 Reasons Why Star Wars: The Force Awakens Easily Outdoes The Prequels

After years of waiting and not actually knowing whether a new trilogy would ever come (until Disney bought the rights), Episode VII in the Star Wars saga has finally arrived in the form of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And, the critical consensus is that J.J. Abrams and his team have delivered a solid piece of popcorn sci-fi entertainment, even if the final product isn't entirely free of (mostly fairly minor) flaws. While The Force Awakens doesn't quite match the original trilogy in terms of sheer, uncomplicated enjoyment, it is comfortably, casually the fourth-best entry in the franchise to date. After George Lucas' disappointing return to the series back in 1999, fans can relax with the knowledge that The Force Awakens is everything the prequels could never manage to be and more. On that note, join us as we take a look at ten reasons why Star Wars: The Force Awakens outdoes the prequels and then some. Of course, spoilers will follow, so if you've yet to see the movie, make sure to catch it first before reading on. 10) The Dialogue OK, so The Force Awakens isn't about to win any awards for its words. This isn't Aaron Sorkin-level wordsmithery, and there are passages - such as the scene when Han and Leia first reconnect - that can feel overly-expositional and clunky. But if the criteria is to beat the prequels, then - in dialogue terms - Episode VII has no trouble coming out on top. Obviously that wasn't going to be very difficult, especially when you have Lucas' notorious direlogue to contend with (choice quote: "It is only natural. He cut off your arm, and you wanted revenge.") But for all The Force Awakens' less impressive lines, it has many more memorable ones. Check out some of our favorites below: "There has been an awakening - have you felt it?" "I have lived long enough to see the same eyes in different people." "Chewie...we're home." Mark my words, each of those and more will now enter into Star Wars legend and be quoted by fans for years, even decades to come. 9) The Humor If there was one thing the prequels could have used more of, it was a sense of humor. The original trilogy had it in spades, yet for some reason - between Return of the Jedi in 1983 and The Phantom Menace in 1999 - George Lucas apparently lost his. Thankfully, The Force Awakens happily restores it back to the franchise, to the extent that Episode VII is probably the most comedic Star Wars movie yet. You have slapstick moments, like Finn sharing a watering hole with a giant Jakku creature, or a pair of stormtroopers casually changing direction when they stumble across a raging Kylo Ren. You also have Poe taking the irreverent Han Solo role, asking the fearsome Kylo "So who talks next?" after he's captured and lectured by the First Order villain. Episode VII is full of little moments that lighten the whole affair, with not a single gag failing to land. 8) The Inventive Cinematography In the prequels, and even in much of the original trilogy, there's not a great deal going on in terms of cinematography (A New Hope has its share of neat shots, but after that it all becomes a bit workmanlike). Mostly, it's the spectacular mise-en-scene - the creature designs, the environment, the costumes - that makes the Star Wars movies pre-Episode VII so spectacular to look at. The Force Awakens is different. The high art of the design is still impressive, but there's also inventive cinematography by Abrams regular Dan Mindel that really surprises. The shots of Rey on Jakku, dwarfed by the desert wreckage of the old Empire, or the Tie Fighters appearing on the horizon, the sun blazing behind them, or the Nazi-like rally on Starkiller Base. These are gorgeous, powerful shots, the likes of which have never before been seen in Star Wars. 7) The Return To A Worn, Lived-In Look For The Universe About that spectacular design work - The Force Awakens has exactly what fans were looking for after the squeaky-clean, sterile-looking prequels. Episodes I-III were packed with shiny environments and technology that appeared a million miles away from the cluttered-up look of the original trilogy. With Episode VII, J.J. Abrams wisely takes Star Wars back to its down and dirty origins. The universe in The Force Awakens is suitably worn and packed with little details, prompting the feeling that we're just stumbling into a place that's been lived in for centuries. There's history in the look of Jakku, its landscape littered with the wreckage of war; in Takodana, with Maz Kanata's home built on a ruin; in D'Qar, the Resistance base that looks like an old hangar from wars past. Such places are more vibrant and exciting than any location found in the prequels. 6) The Excellent Practical Effects The Star Wars prequels are so slathered in CGI that even cast members have complained about how the over-abundance of green screen damages the films (Ewan McGregor in particular hasn't been complimentary). It's something J.J. Abrams from the beginning evidently wasn't keen to emulate, as The Force Awakens is founded on its practical effects, and is - predictably - all the better for it. The decision to shoot in real locations and on physical sets gives a tangible feel to the environments, while the largely practical creatures - ranging from the simple to the elaborate - give each location in Episode VII a bustling Mos Eisley vibe. After Mad Max: Fury Road, for The Force Awakens (or indeed any movie) to go primarily CGI like the Star Wars prequels would have seemed like taking a step backwards; admirably, Abrams has replicated the grungy practical style of the original trilogy with aplomb. 5) The Romance So bad it deserves to be in its own category of awful, the romantic component of the prequels is so poorly handled that you have to wonder who the hell was really behind the Luke/Leia/Han triangle of the original trilogy - so sweet and simple (until the incest came into it). George Lucas, the man responsible for the iconic "I love you"/"I know," somehow convinced himself that the prequels' Anakin/Padme love story was good enough. The Force Awakens smartly takes a much more subtle approach, leaving just enough tension between Finn and Rey to suggest a future romance. The sweetest love story on display in Episode VII, however, is still Han and Leia's, with Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher barely even having to say a word to sell it. You feel through them years of connection, without Abrams feeling the need to resort to anything like Revenge of the Sith's dreadful "So love has blinded you?" exchange. 4) The Standout Performances The prequels have an impressive cast of their own, but ultimately a good deal of the actors (even the Oscar-nominated Liam Neeson and Oscar-winning Natalie Portman) end up coming across as severely wooden. In The Force Awakens, the mighty roster of acting talent is utilized perfectly, with Oscar Isaac (cocky, charismatic), John Boyega (nervy, comical) and Domhnall Gleeson (sneering, cold) bringing their best selves along to this pulpy universe. Adam Driver, meanwhile, has been rightly singled out for turning what could have been a stock villain into a conflicted, volatile brat. It's not just the newcomers, either - the old-timers are great here, too, with Harrison Ford bringing tragic baggage to Han Solo but still his wise-cracking, roguish self, if just a little more world-weary and sad. 3) The Cast Chemistry Of course, great individual performances help to sell the product, but they aren't everything. Even the prequels had solid individual turns (from Ian McDiarmid and Ewan McGregor, to name but two). What was missing from those films, however, was the palpable cast chemistry that both the original trilogy and Star Wars: The Force Awakens have. It's something that can be so difficult to get right - see the complete lack of affection between Hayden Christensen's Anakin and McGregor's Obi Wan, and the total disinterest Natalie Portman's Padme appears to have for Christensen's Anakin. Compare that to the sparks that fly between Isaac, Boyega and Ridley, or between Ford and all three, in Episode VII. 2) The Compelling New Characters Here's a test to find out how well-written the characters in the prequels are compared to those in the original trilogy: try to name as many character traits as you can for the likes of Padme, Anakin et al, then do the same for Han, Luke, Leia and co. You might find that Han is selfish, cocksure, cynical, coolly uncool and - deep down - secretly affectionate, while Padme is a virtual blank, lacking in any discernible personality. In The Force Awakens, the characters are actually, well, characters again. Rey is independent and strong-willed, yet naive, Finn is insecure and cowardly, yet morally upright, Poe Dameron is brave and confident to a fault. Of course, fans love the old characters - Han, Leia, Chewie; all still great - but it bodes well for the future that the new ones are immediately so compelling. 1) The Complicated, Three-Dimensional Villain If you're going to single one character out in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, it has to be lead villain Kylo Ren. First of all, he fits the purpose of this list by highlighting just how weak the prequels are in terms of bad guys (Palpatine aside). The cowardly, dim-witted Neimoidians, the non-threatening Count Dooku, and Anakin - with his uninteresting journey into villainy - are all just as disappointing. By contrast, Episode VII's villains are all very strong, though it's Kylo Ren who takes the top prize. He is the truly three-dimensional villain that the prequels wanted to have in Anakin, and more. Both threatening and tragic, Kylo walks the tightrope of viewer sympathy by giving you reasons to alternatively despise and feel sorry for him: a confused, hormonal teenager who also happens to possess unparalleled power.