12. It Looks Amazing
When it comes to heaping praise on The Force Awakens, you'll hear behind-the-scenes names like J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan mentioned quite a lot. You probably won't hear names such as Dan Mindel (the cinematographer) or Michael Kaplan (costume designer), but they - along with countless others - were crucial in the making of this film. Because it looks incredible. This is Star Wars at its most purely cinematic. The originals made great use of mixing groundbreaking technology and practical effects, and this takes that to its 2015 zenith. Is there plenty of CGI to be found in this movie? Yep, but it all looks superb, done with care and only in the moments where necessary. The X-Wing battle scenes, for example, are stunningly balletic. On the other hand are those real, tangible things. Creatures created by actual materials rather than on a computer screen, giving the places we travel to in this movie that densely populated feel it should have. One isn't better than the other in this movie. It all complements everything else, giving us a movie that, if nothing else, is a visual treat. Thankfully it's so much more besides.
James Hunt
Contributor
NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far.
A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.
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