Star Wars: The Force Awakens★★★★★
OMG, Star Wars
I can't deal with all these feels
Star Wars, OMG
Three decades after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, a new threat arises. The First Order attempts to rule the galaxy and only a ragtag group of heroes can stop them, along with the help of the Resistance.
WARNING: Possible spoilers ahead.
As of today, I've seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens three times. Twice in "normal" theaters, and once at an IMAX theater, in 3D. I wrote the haiku for this review after seeing it the first time, nearly a month ago, and it still holds true.
To say that I was excited about this movie's release would be an understatement. I tried, for a long time, to not get my hopes up, to not get too excited about the prospect of a really good, new Star Wars film. (Full disclosure: I liked the prequels for a while, until I realized the error of my ways.) But from the moment I watched the first trailer—and got tears in my eyes—I knew it was a lost cause.
Thankfully, the movie doesn't disappoint. I don't want to get too spoilery—although all bets are off in the comments, if you want to discuss—but the movie was filled with the kinds of things that made the original trilogy so special: People you connect with immediately, and who make you want to join their adventures. Funny moments interspersed with thrilling action. Adorable droids. Epic space battles. Heartbreak. Foreign planets populated with crazy, and sometimes crazy awesome*, aliens. Good battling evil.
I went into seeing the movie not knowing much—I stopped with the trailers after the first and avoided spoilers as well as I could. I think this made watching it that much more special, as I had little idea of what was to come. Sure, some people are complaining that the movie tells a too-familiar tale, but I don't think that's a fault. It's a movie for a new generation of fans, and a little homage/background info never hurt anyone.
It was amazing to see the old crew back on screen, but the new class totally stole the show. Rey is a fantastic hero, albeit a mysterious one (spoilers at the link, natch), and the fact that she is [REDACTED] makes me positively gleeful for all the little girls out there who needed to see someone like her in this kind of movie. Finn is adorable, if a little too intense/animated at times. (Side note: The fact that John Boyega seems to be as excited about this movie as the most dedicated of fans is an utter delight.) Poe is a dreamboat, super talented, and a genuinely nice guy (a total unicorn, as some of my friends might say). I have no doubt that these three can carry the weight of the franchise to come.
The bad guys—avoiding spoilers here—were great, too, and I can't wait to learn more about their backgrounds in future movies. At least, I hope we'll learn more.
Regarding that one scene, and I'm sure those of you who've seen it know which I'm referring to ... it was hard, yes. But I think I understand why it was done, and I'm OK with it. It'll have serious repercussions in the next movies, but I'm pretty sure it'll all work out for the best. It is Star Wars, after all.
I could go on about this movie for a long time, but it boils down to this: Everyone should see this movie, Star Wars fan or not. It's not just a great Star Wars movie, it's a great movie in general.
Want to discuss? Head to the comments!
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