Star Wars: The Force Awakens - 12 Reasons It's Better Than The Prequels
6. Show, Don't Tell
A golden rule of screenwriting is the concept of show, dont tell": the audience should be able to figure out plot details, character motivations, and other basic story concepts, simply by watching the movie and observing the action, rather than being force-fed heavy-handed exposition. One of the reasons the Star Wars prequels are so dull is because they prefer to tell, rather than show, when it comes to plot elements. At times, the exposition in the prequels trilogy make them seem more like a play, where characters walk in, recite their lines, and walk out. A more common violation of show, dont tell in the prequels is through character relationships. We are always told how great of friends Anakin and Obi-Wan are, but never once do we see a true brotherhood between them. Obi-Wan constantly seems fed up with Anakins immaturity, while Anakin is always disrespecting his master and talking badly about him behind his back. This can be easy contrasted with The Force Awakens, where, in just one scene with Finn and Poe, we see a true friendship grow between them based on how they act, and it makes their reunion feel so much more real. We never have to be told that they are friends; we see it from the events of the movie. In just one scene, The Force Awakens established a better friendship than the prequels failed to do in three whole movies. Similarly, we are able to figure out parts of Rey's backstory through the flashbacks and bits of dialogue, but nothing feels forced.
