Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens is the Star Wars sequel I’ve been waiting for. With loveable characters, an intriguing story, and great action, the new film really shines in an old, familiar world.
I really wanted to just get out my thoughts on the movie after having a few hours of sleep. I’ll do my best to not have any spoilers in this, but if you don’t want to hear anything about the movie at all, just…don’t read any more and it will work out better for you. 🙂
My Road to The Force Awakens
So, when I initially heard about the new series of Star Wars movies, I did my best to approach it with hopeful skepticism. Disney was taking over and our beloved creator would be in a galaxy far, far away, leaving the opportunity for a new generation of storytellers to dive into this galaxy we all love so much. But, I’d been excited about new Star Wars movies before…
Then the first teaser came out (a little over a year ago) and at the first orchestral fanfare, I couldn’t contain my optimism. I was sold after 40-something seconds worth of footage.
Over the last year, I have tested the waters with “leaked” plot points and video clips and behind the scenes footage…and it was all just kindling on a fire that was raging in my little nerd heart. My hopeful skepticism had morphed into a raucous joy with a shadow of fear.
The unfortunate specter of the prequels was always looming. They hid in the shadows and whispered, “I looked good in trailers too.”
But, my dear Fold, that ghost of Christmas past was wrong. The new film is really great. And great in ways that I wasn’t expecting.
Paying Tribute Without Losing Yourself
The Force Awakens is so reverent in light of the original trilogy while maintaining a new spirit all its own. This movie is not an homage, although it has some in it, and it’s not devoid of what made the originals great.
For instance, I was worried about the use of the original characters that they would take over the movie and outshine the new ones, but that didn’t happen at all. The new characters are amazing and wonderful and can’t help but push past the nostalgic fog and into a new light.
The spirit of the film is fresh and new, while honoring the past in so many ways. The practical effects and puppeteering mixed with kinetic energy and a youthfulness makes for a film that stands alone and enhances it’s predescessores.
New Characters
The new characters are well done. They’re complex characters with varying emotions and worldviews and lives. In the same way that we grew to love a scruffy-looking nerf-herder, the new characters are so quickly endeared to the audience that it’s almost instantaneous.
Oscar Isaacs’s Poe Dameron is fantastic in a sort of swashbuckling way that we haven’t seen in a long time. And it isn’t cheesy.
Daisy Ridley’s Rey is a joy to watch and experience life through her eyes. She has a sense of hope and gentle spirit…but she’s not helpless. She’ll throw down when she needs to. She’s great and I can’t wait for my daughter’s to have her to look up to in Star Wars movies to come.
Jon Boyega’s Finn was a surprising and refreshing character. I love him as an actor, but the stormtrooper thing seemed like it could go in so many directions…but the way they handle it is really fresh. And it didn’t take long for me to be looking forward to scenes with him in them.
And Adam Driver as Kylo Renn is everything I want to see in a villain. He has motives, drive, feelings, and it all comes together in a truly unnerving character. He is the Anakin Skywalker I wanted to see. I can’t wait to see more.
In Conclusion…
The movie has plenty of set up for future films, but still has a conclusion to this chapter. It’s satisfying and at the same time, I can’t wait for more. There is so much that nerdier nerds could probably say about the spoilers details, but this is where I’m going to end it…
Go see it. It’s good.