It’s going to be hard to write a review of Star Wars: The Force Awakens without talking about it. But I can say it is an excellent movie. I really liked the new characters. Except for one. You will know why when you see it. What I was very grateful for was no Jar-Jar Binks or Ewoks. This was infinitely better than Episodes 1-3. The movie started a little bit slow, but it had to so you could met three new characters. There are some mysteries surrounding one of them. I won’t say if they were solved. When the old characters started to come into the movie, it felt like it was 1977 for me all over again.
I was six years old when the first one came out. Don’t think the mass merchandizing is a new thing nowadays. Back then it was there, but it wasn’t as transparent. You had to send away for the first toys. Collecting those figures was a must for any boy back in the late ’70s. But it didn’t stop there. There were the trading card sets, the magazines, and the comics. As Return of the Jedi came out and everyone believed Star Wars was done forever, the novelty wore off. It didn’t come back until 1997 when they re-released the first three and announced Episodes 1-3. And then a few years ago they announced the new ones.
I have seen them all in the movie theater. There truly is no other way to experience it. I saw the new one the other night, and all day yesterday the John Williams music was going through my head. I know there was one moment in the movie that will stay with me for a long time. When it becomes mainstream, and everyone knows it, I will talk about it then. But I actually respect that people aren’t spoiling the movie.
Seeing the older characters was nostalgic, but Han Solo definitely carried the movie. In a lot of movies Harrison Ford has been in since Star Wars, I always see him as Han Solo first. But with this movie, he IS Han Solo! The rest of the gang is there, with the exception of Lando Calrissian. I wonder if he will show up in any of the other movies. Finn and Rey were excellent! I wasn’t sold on them based on the promos. But for new characters, they really gave it their A game. Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey, is going to become a major actress. Anyone who has seen the trailer knows where Finn comes from. But the true mystery is Rey. I will say no more!
As of opening day, The Force Awakens has already shatter box office records grossing $120 million in a single day. This movie will have long legs. I plan on seeing it again. Until then, May The Force Be With You.
The Season Of Myths 