A New Hope vs The Force Awakens
Okay, this isn’t exactly Old vs New – The Force Awakens (2015) isn’t a remake of A New Hope (1977). It’s more of a rehash. There are similarities. Lots of similarities. Look at the basic premise: an unsuspecting nobody becomes ensnared in a galactic struggle and learns they have the biggest part to play. Which movie is that? Both, of course. Because of that, I’m going to compare the two as if The Force Awakens is a remake of A New Hope, given both stories incorporate the same key beats. Beat #1 The protagonist’s life is disrupted when they come in possession of a droid. People believe A New Hope…
Character Justification
When it comes to characters, something else I ask myself is this question: Is the character justified? A simpler way of putting this is do I believe the character is who the story purports them to be? I beat on the new Star Wars Trilogy last week, and will do so again, because it’s an easy target due to its shallow characters that are never meant to be more than archetypes – the humble hero, the cocky hotshot, the frightened sidekick comic relief. Can I believe that a scavenger who’s had no training of any kind whatsoever is capable of being a fantastic pilot, a great mechanic, a brilliant shot…