Alright... I'm going to say it, because nobody else seems willing to go there, but... Daisy Ridley's a bit, well, sort of not that good, right? Or, at least, a bit wrong for Rey... (he says charitably).
I mean, we all love The Force Awakens and that - and we need to love it, after the Prequels - so I can understand there being some sort of collective denial. Certainly, she's sweet and nice, and gets better as the film goes along, and she's not quite Mannequin Skywalker bad, but... well... y'know. She's borderline being a bit sort of rubbishy. A bit shit.
It's not just me who thinks that is it? Please tell me it's not just me. Please tell me you're not all going to look at me, and cluck your teeth, and go "Don't be mean to her - she has a sweetness and gentle vulnerability, and we're not letting a bully like you bring her down."
I know you won't like me criticising her in this way, because you're the big, brave, protector of poor, defenceless, vulnerable, young women, and I can hear the hackles of your rescuing tendency going up from here.
I mean, we all love The Force Awakens and that - and we need to love it, after the Prequels - so I can understand there being some sort of collective denial. Certainly, she's sweet and nice, and gets better as the film goes along, and she's not quite Mannequin Skywalker bad, but... well... y'know. She's borderline being a bit sort of rubbishy. A bit shit.
It's not just me who thinks that is it? Please tell me it's not just me. Please tell me you're not all going to look at me, and cluck your teeth, and go "Don't be mean to her - she has a sweetness and gentle vulnerability, and we're not letting a bully like you bring her down."
I know you won't like me criticising her in this way, because you're the big, brave, protector of poor, defenceless, vulnerable, young women, and I can hear the hackles of your rescuing tendency going up from here.
But put all that aside, and admit it to yourself: she is though, yeah?
She flirts with being dreadful, right? Doesn't she though? I mean, seriously. She just is a bit not-good. She does that plummy overacting thing, where it looks like all the words are eager to escape her mouth at once, but the Tonsil Police have told them to line up and exit in an orderly fashion.
She gets better towards the end of the film, but she's still the weakest aspect. I'm not trying to be mean. I'm pleased for her that she got the job, and stuff, I just wish they'd given it to someone else. You know: someone who can do better acting and whatever. You know what I'm saying, yeah? Don't you?
Probably best not to get me started on Carrie Fisher...
She flirts with being dreadful, right? Doesn't she though? I mean, seriously. She just is a bit not-good. She does that plummy overacting thing, where it looks like all the words are eager to escape her mouth at once, but the Tonsil Police have told them to line up and exit in an orderly fashion.
She gets better towards the end of the film, but she's still the weakest aspect. I'm not trying to be mean. I'm pleased for her that she got the job, and stuff, I just wish they'd given it to someone else. You know: someone who can do better acting and whatever. You know what I'm saying, yeah? Don't you?
Probably best not to get me started on Carrie Fisher...
IF YOU'VE WHAT?
If you've played a Lego game before, you'll know exactly what to expect from The Force Awakens.
It's the same as every other Lego game, but wearing Kylo Ren pyjamas.
Crucially, there are three new elements on show: a basic cover-and-run system, which turns certain moments into a sort of Gears of War lite; multi-build puzzles, where you can now disassemble objects you've made, and rebuild them into different things ; and flying/shooting stages, some on-rails, some not so much.
Beyond that, this is - the characters, settlings, story, and the superficial window dressing aside - exactly the same as pretty much every other Lego game; a sort of simplistic puzzle-platformer, in which you switch between multiple characters, with different abilities, to progress.
For Star Wars fans, what this does offer is the chance to hear more from yer actual The Force Awakens cast: pretty much everyone lends their voice to the game - yes, including Harrison "Paycheque" Ford.
Also, once you're through the bulk of the movie plot, you can go back to the central hub and play missions which broaden the scope of the story. How did Han and Chewie get the rathtars aboard their ship? Be thrilled by Poe Dameron's rescue of Admiral Ackbar! And so on.
It adds much-needed meat to the game, but - unfortunately - they've plastered meat onto the bones in other ways, causing it to resemble a rudimentary scarecrow fashioned from corned beef. The Lego games have always felt over-padded, and The Force Awakens, perhaps because it's based on a single movie, is worse than most.
If you've played a Lego game before, you'll know exactly what to expect from The Force Awakens.
It's the same as every other Lego game, but wearing Kylo Ren pyjamas.
Crucially, there are three new elements on show: a basic cover-and-run system, which turns certain moments into a sort of Gears of War lite; multi-build puzzles, where you can now disassemble objects you've made, and rebuild them into different things ; and flying/shooting stages, some on-rails, some not so much.
Beyond that, this is - the characters, settlings, story, and the superficial window dressing aside - exactly the same as pretty much every other Lego game; a sort of simplistic puzzle-platformer, in which you switch between multiple characters, with different abilities, to progress.
For Star Wars fans, what this does offer is the chance to hear more from yer actual The Force Awakens cast: pretty much everyone lends their voice to the game - yes, including Harrison "Paycheque" Ford.
Also, once you're through the bulk of the movie plot, you can go back to the central hub and play missions which broaden the scope of the story. How did Han and Chewie get the rathtars aboard their ship? Be thrilled by Poe Dameron's rescue of Admiral Ackbar! And so on.
It adds much-needed meat to the game, but - unfortunately - they've plastered meat onto the bones in other ways, causing it to resemble a rudimentary scarecrow fashioned from corned beef. The Lego games have always felt over-padded, and The Force Awakens, perhaps because it's based on a single movie, is worse than most.
PLEASE... WHAT IS THE TROUBLE?
Lego The Force Awakens opens, quite inexplicably, with Return of the Jedi's Battle of Endor... before jumping forwards 30 years. Was that necessary? Also, was it necessary to extend the individual levels with quite so much carry-fetch-puzzle solve filler?
I dunno. It's just a bit... boring at times. The switching between characters thing starts to grate after a while, and the multi-build puzzles seem to be hewn from a similar material (paddillium).
Which pains me to say it, because this - like all the Lego games - just wants the player to have fun. It's unpretentious, and joyful, and silly, but... well... even the office clown can get on your nerves after a while, if he keeps telling you to go and fetch him something from the filing cabinet.
Admittedly, I have played the vast majority of Lego games, and that might have added to my sense of boredom. In fact, I know it did... but if I'm getting bored, then others must be too. The format needs a major shake-up. When Lego games first arrived they felt fresh and witty, but they seem to be resting on their laurels now. They've become predictable.
Then again, I'm a 40something man, and this probably isn't aimed at me. It's probably aimed at kids. Aka Nature's Idiots.
SUMMARY: It's The Force Awakens Lego game.
SCORE: <A SMATTERING OF SEMI-INTERESTED APPLAUSE>
Lego The Force Awakens opens, quite inexplicably, with Return of the Jedi's Battle of Endor... before jumping forwards 30 years. Was that necessary? Also, was it necessary to extend the individual levels with quite so much carry-fetch-puzzle solve filler?
I dunno. It's just a bit... boring at times. The switching between characters thing starts to grate after a while, and the multi-build puzzles seem to be hewn from a similar material (paddillium).
Which pains me to say it, because this - like all the Lego games - just wants the player to have fun. It's unpretentious, and joyful, and silly, but... well... even the office clown can get on your nerves after a while, if he keeps telling you to go and fetch him something from the filing cabinet.
Admittedly, I have played the vast majority of Lego games, and that might have added to my sense of boredom. In fact, I know it did... but if I'm getting bored, then others must be too. The format needs a major shake-up. When Lego games first arrived they felt fresh and witty, but they seem to be resting on their laurels now. They've become predictable.
Then again, I'm a 40something man, and this probably isn't aimed at me. It's probably aimed at kids. Aka Nature's Idiots.
SUMMARY: It's The Force Awakens Lego game.
SCORE: <A SMATTERING OF SEMI-INTERESTED APPLAUSE>
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