2. Abrams Has Captured The Essential "Lived-In," Western/Sci-Fi Universe Feel
One of things that irritated fans of Star Wars with regards to the prequel trilogy was the way that the majority of the movies had a more futuristic sci-fi vibe over the classic "western/sci-fi" one that made the original Star Wars movie so good. Indeed, one of George Lucas' best decisions with regards to Star Wars on the whole was to set it in a sci-fi world that felt worn out; everything there had been used, scratched, broken (over and over again, even). There was a real wild west feel to it all; a frontierness. The brilliance of Star Wars has always stemmed from the way that it is essentially set in a world that has been lived in for thousands of years, and as a result things are gritty, damaged and - most of all - covered in sand. The final trailer shows that Abrams has delivered on his promise to take Star Wars back to the world of the original trilogy; one that has been battered and bruised. The scenes on Jakku, especially, nail this aesthetic.