Chuckie
Member
I think by safe in terms of what TFA has actually brought to the franchise or what can be pointed to would be:
Female hero and a black hero, a more diverse cast and that's a good thing.
However it's thoroughly lacking in that it doesn't have as strong a visual identity in terms of spectacle.
It's not as goofy as the Lucas stuff. It takes itself far too seriously in an effort to create more "human drama".
Similar in the way hollywood takes marvel and dc films more serious. You hear those "gritty, grounded, humanistic" buzz words surrounding a lot of those films too.
Batman ain't dancing around no more, he's kicking you in the face. James Bond ain't got no funny quips and gadgets he too wants to kick you in the face.
It's not a trend that's exclusive to just star wars. But I think that's what people means by safe. Same boring methodology applied to all these legacy popcorn flicks.
It doesn't suit the context to what these movies are about, its a lot heavier now. Less of a goofy romp, a lot more tears and yes, overly acted scenes. For what it is.
If you had said this about Rogue One I could have at least seen your point.... but TFA is not gritty at all....and it is full of humour, especially Finn + Rey and BB-8