As I sit in bed at 1:30 am after watching the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens, I am filled with many different thoughts, feelings, and emotions. As you know, I did my best to avoid trailers, billboards, or spoilers of any kind. Star Wars is a universe near and dear to my heart. I was very excited to see the movie (hype that was dramatized even more so due to our theater sucking and delaying the screening) and definitely want to see it again. Here I will share my very first, brief thoughts and feelings regarding the new film. There will be no spoilers beyond things you have already seen in trailers. My apologies for the disorganized scatter of thoughts below.
Whew. What a ride. An emotional roller coaster. And I suppose that’s a good reflection in its own manner. First off, I want to say I LOVED Daisy Ridley’s and John Boyega’s performance. Inspired and amazing (even though I think Rey should’ve definitely had an American accent, little nitpick). They fit in so well into the universe you never thought twice about it. I really can’t say enough good things about the two of them. I can’t wait to see what happens with their characters. Great storylines coming down the pipe for them. My eyes will stay most closely on Rey–I am very excited for her journey and adventures.
It’s not what I expected completely, but then again I was never sure of my expectations in the first place. The acting and writing were spot on for the most part and JJ had us laughing many a time. They didn’t short us on nostalgia either which the crowd would whoop and holler at. It was a lot of fun. It was exhilarating in some parts. The Star Wars-y “feel” was present for a lot of the movie (but was easily noticed when absent) and a big thanks goes out to the writing and acting. The Force felt mysterious and powerful again–something to wonder over and never truly understand.
It was strange to see Han and Leia near each other again. Something felt a little off in certain parts, but it was also a nice reunion. There were some recognizable actors which I don’t love–it takes away from it feeling like another universe. I feel like it should be old-timey actors or new ones to the screen. To be honest, towards the end, it felt a little rushed (and not in the good hurry-blow-up-the-Death Star-before-we-die rushed). There were too many important, different story arcs going on that it was hard to feel emotionally attached to all of them. Basically, whatever you felt closest to was the one you felt connected to and the other plot points felt distracting. The ending felt rushed (though I loved LOVED LOVED the last scene) and with that, my emotions felt a little topsy turvy. I will simply say that JJ Abrams made some bold moves. I’m not sure every big event that happened was followed up with properly.
It’s tough to accept that all the canon and Expanded Universe we know and love has been swiped away by the far-reaching hand of Disney. It’s a hard pill to swallow. Not sure that I can quite yet. To me, right now, they’re resting side by side. It’s hard to compare what happened in the universe writers built to this movie’s track and storyline. Still, it was a Star Wars recipe and certainly had the right emotions and moments throughout. I’m absolutely going to see it again. There were some absolutely beautiful moments that will certainly haunt me. It was still a Star Wars.
Feelings I’m left with… Anticipation. Joy. Elation. Laughter. Curiosity. Unsure. Skepticism. Captivation. Disappointment. Amazement. Happiness. Deep sadness. Gut-wrenching hollowness. Unsure. Breathless. Hopeful. Wonder. Conflicted.
However, everything aside, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a great movie, highlights including superb acting, witty writing, and make-you-grin nostalgia. You should absolutely go see it. My hesitation is simply regarding the plot they decided to follow and how they executed it. But still, it was a hell of a ride and will take many more times to really analyze it. And as always, stay hungry and fit!
*Question of the Day: Did you see the new Star Wars? What did you think?
Thanks for bringing me along! I really enjoyed it
Technically all the expanded universe content was not swiped away by Disney. Lucas never sanctioned any of it, so it never became canon. I agree with you about the recognizable actors, it was sometimes a bit distracting, but then there were also some sneaky cameos! Daniel Craig, aka BOND, was the storm trooper Rey interacted with. How cool is that?
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