Well, nerds. The moment has finally arrived. The first real Star Wars film we've had in almost thirty years. Yes, this is me being completely dismissive to the prequels. Movies that maddeningly bludgeoned you into thinking they went from awful to, "Well, it was the best of the three I guess?".
Was I super excited for this movie? You better believe it. I have enough anecdotal evidence that shows much of a fan I am. I grew up with the original trilogy. It's one of those movies where when I hear the score, I can pinpoint which scene in the movies it was used in. It's become that ingrained into me.
Without going into too many plot details, I will explain what I loved about this new Star Wars movie. I can best describe it as a return to form. We are now back with characters we cherish and love. We also gain new characters that are amazingly fleshed out in the time that we are given. What I really appreciate is rather than showing you a character is good at something, they SHOW you that character is good at something. Was this vague? Yes. I'm trying to save you from spoilers.
To get more specific, Daisy Ridley's Rey and John Boyega's Finn are fantastic additions to the Star Wars lore. They infused these characters with so much heart that you will love them and that is because they earn it. Not because they are forced down your throat until you do. There is a real chemistry in their time on screen together. They each have character arcs that really flesh out over the span of the film. They will be carrying the following films, so it's important we get to know them here.
In a more personal note, I'm so glad to see these characters. A much ignored segment of sci-fi fandom (women and African Americans) get characters that they can get behind without it feeling like pandering. I think this will serve as an inspiration to kids especially, as they can now have favorites that feel like their own. This movie was so diverse and I know I had touched on this in a previous post. I'm so glad to see it come to fruition.
Han Solo. It's so good to see him back. I swear Harrison Ford is Han and Han is him. Just the way he delivers lines, which makes him so different from other characters you are used to seeing Ford portray. There's always something about his performance that just goes next level. It's good seeing him interact with other characters as well and he helps propel the movie forward.
One other thing I really want to highlight are the action scenes. There are a lot of big set pieces here that are well shot and exhilarating. I'd rather focus in on the lightsaber battles. In the first three films, there was an unrefined rawness to the lightsaber battles. I know they were figuring them out then, but they felt more authentic. In the prequels, they were reduced down to carefully choreographed ballet. I like my fight choreography, but to this extent, it is over planned and all the emotion is stripped away. I am happy to report that in this movie, we are back to that rawness. It's not pretty and it's not supposed to be. Characters are not good with lightsabers, so they should not be experts within two minutes of picking them up.
I could go on and on about this film and how great it is. However, I think I have said enough. Maybe as I think on this a little more, I'll have a follow up post. In the meantime, go see this movie! JJ Abrahams did a fantastic job here and I'm said he won't be helming the next one. At least he leaves this in a good place to be picked up by another director.
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