8 Things You Learn Watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens
4. The Opening 45 Minutes Is Bravura Filmmaking
Its difficult to imagine a more satisfying, near-perfect stretch of blockbuster filmmaking than the first 45 minutes of The Force Awakens. The last stretch of Attack of the Clones comes close, as does the dénouement of Skyfall a film which Episode VII seems indebted to in its constant nods to franchise history whilst all the while moving forward but both are surpassed here, with Abrams landing punches left, right and centre in terms of iconography, set-piece and character introduction. Some highlights: The First Orders attack on a small village, which could be ripped straight from a Vietnam War film (as could the bloody hand-print smear on Finns helmet, which is one of the series most brooding moments); the reveal of the Millennium Falcon, with Finn and Rey sprinting past it, acknowledging some unknown junk not fit for flying only for the camera to swivel around to reveal the famous ship, which has fallen into disrepair; Finn and Reys chemistry, which is staccato sharp and, more importantly, actually believable; and Han and Chewies entrance, with the formers were home line already one of the best lines in the whole saga. This is how you open a movie.
