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.