Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a nerd. I get giddy when I see or hear anything Star Wars/Star Trek/Hunger Games/Marvel related. When I pass by Star Wars toys in Wal-mart or other stores, I have a hard time just walking by without at least looking. I own all 6 Star Wars films, all but one season of The Clone Wars, several books and items of clothing, and even some jewelry that reflects my passion for Star Wars. I've been a fan since at least 2004, though I didn't see any of the films until late 2005/early 2006. So to say that I was excited when news of a new trilogy hit the internet is a major understatement. When the first teaser hit YouTube, I watched it 20 times (maybe more). I was a bit skeptical at the thought of J.J. Abrams tinkering with another of my favorite universes, but hearing that he was an avid fan helped allay my fears a little (he's admitted to not even liking Star Trek!).
My birthday was this past Friday, and two good friends of mine wanted to see the film with me. It also worked out since I'm leaving for Amarillo to start a new job soon and who knows when we'll get to visit together again! Anyway, I was VERY excited for Sunday afternoon because it not only marked the first time I ever would see a Star Wars film IN theaters, it was part of a historic film moment (after all, this film shattered records all over the place!).
As the title states, this review will be chock full of spoilers, so if you haven't seen the film yet, stop reading NOW! I also will start with a disclaimer: these are my opinions ONLY. I'm very set in my opinions sometimes, and arguing does nothing. I don't mind differing opinion(s), but arguing doesn't accomplish anything. That said, here we go:
First, there were several things about this movie that I loved. I LOVED BB8. Who wouldn't? How could you not love a droid that gave almost the same quality performance as its human co-stars? I confessed to a friend of mine that I think I love him *almost* more than R2D2. I also have to give kudos to J.J. for being adamant about practical effects (like character suits). It gave the film a more old-trilogy feel, something I think turned people off about the prequel trilogy (incidentally, the overuse of CGI and digital effects is what tainted the Hobbit trilogy, IMO). I also loved Han Solo's return. He's a favorite of mine though, so I could be biased. The return of some characters, however, was more lackluster. C-3PO, for instance. I had hoped (though maybe it'll be explained in Episode 8) that there would be an explanation as to why he has a red arm. I mean, why? That is going to bother me until the question is answered!
I liked/loved Poe, but I really thought he'd get a little more screen time than he did. For the brief time we saw him unmasked, Kylo Ren. I almost refuse to 'love' a villain, but Adam Driver did such a fantastic job it's hard not to notice it or to like it. The 'twist' that he's really Han Solo and Leia's son wasn't much of a shocker to me; as the movie started and we met him for the first time, I had an inkling that he was related to either Luke or Leia (especially emphasized by the fact about his confrontation with the old man he killed in the beginning of the film). Maybe it was just me, but he seemed to be a mixture of Anakin Skywalker (pre-Darth Vader/pre-suit) and Darth Maul (post-Naboo duel); not quite fully evil at times, but also not fully grounded in reality. I liked how the film also touched on the issue of the stormtroopers vs. the clones. Stormtroopers are NOT the same as clone troopers, which is something I only discovered recently. It was slipped in in a way that I think the avid fans would have noticed, and the casual fan might have missed. Kudos to whoever made sure that made it in the film. And Andy Serkis? How does he manage to not sound anything like himself or any character he's played? If I hadn't known he was in the film, I probably would not have pegged him as Supreme Leader Snoke.
As for the other two new characters, Rey and Finn....I liked them. I was surprised that Rey turned out to be Force sensitive. All of the teasers and promos have pointed to Finn as the Jedi protege, not Rey. The twist in that was certainly surprising, and it was honestly refreshing to see a woman front and center wielding a lightsaber in a live-action film. I love Ahsoka Tano, but let's face it: she's a cartoon character and for a lot of fans, she doesn't exist. She's not canonical (even though it's been declared by Lucasfilm that she is). We have rarely seen a woman pick up a lightsaber and flat out kick someone's butt in these films. We've seen Leia and Padme pick up blasters, and in the background we've seen some women wield sabers, but a woman in the limelight? This was a first!
Also, though I missed a great deal of it, I know that Matt Lanter and James Arnold Taylor voiced characters/creatures in the film. Matt and James play the Clone Wars versions of Anakin and Obi-Wan, respectively; I think it was a great gesture to include them in this film (in whatever way they were involved). Also Ewan McGregor was included, but I am sad to say I completely missed hearing his voice, thinking it was Alec Guinness!
And, now....on to the things I disliked/hated (I do realized some of the things I address are now not considered canon by Lucasfilm, but I'll get to that at the end).
Leia is not a Jedi. Ugh. I'm not a big fan of the EU, as I haven't delved too deeply into it, but Leia is a Jedi. It's been an established fact for YEARS. Especially considering the whole, "there is another Skywalker" thing from ROTJ, she should have been made a Jedi, or at least something about her Jedi training mentioned in the film. She is NOT just a princess, or a diplomat, or a general. She. Is. A. Jedi.
Are Leia and Han even married? They married in the books (and had 3 children, btw), but there is no mention of their marriage in the film. It's basically implied that they had a fling, through which was produced Kylo Ren/Ben Solo, and then they went their own way. This lack of mentioning any kind of serious relationship, I think, takes away from what makes Han and Leia special. Yes, they bicker. No, they don't agree on much. But the Han and Leia of ROTJ would have married. Maybe not stayed married as in the books, but they would have gotten married.
Kylo Ren=Ben Solo. I had a discussion about this with a friend the day I saw the film. Ben Solo exists nowhere in the Star Wars universe, EU or otherwise. Ben SKYWALKER exists, but as the son of Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade (who makes no appearance at all in the film). Jacen and Jaina Solo (twins) and Anakin Solo are the only children Han/Leia ever had. Jacen became a dark lord of the Sith, killing Mara, and Jaina became a Jedi (I don't remember about Anakin). Where was Mara? Are we to believe that Luke re-instituted the old-Jedi code of no attachments? This goes way against what was established in the books. Luke abolished that code and the new Jedi order allowed romantic attachments. Granted, Mara dies, so maybe they did marry and we'll hear mention of her in the next film....or even see her in flashbacks. But, doubtful, so I'm going to put it here for good measure.
Han Solo died. Yep. Han Solo died. His son killed him. I fully expected Chewbacca to die, but was not expecting Han until he walked out onto that bridge with Kylo. I mean seriously, could anyone NOT see that one coming at that point? Needless to say, I'm miffed over that. Looks like Harrison finally got his wish of Han getting killed off.
I disliked Jakku. Tattoine is synonymous with Star Wars. Why introduce another desert planet that will only confuse newcomers to the universe? Maybe they were trying to establish that there were multiples of planets with similar environments, but I didn't like the desert aspect. Too similar to previous films, IMO.
How the heck did Maz get Luke's lightsaber from Empire? It fell down a shaft last we knew, along with his hand. I hate ambiguous things like that.
Rey and the lightsaber. *sigh* I'm all for suspending disbelief, but am I really to believe that this girl, who had never touched a real weapon before in her life, could suddenly pick up a lightsaber and basically defeat Kylo Ren? I know she's evidently strong in the Force (we're lead to assume anyway), but nobody just knows how to pick a lightsaber up and wield it. For someone who wasn't even sure that the Force/the Jedi existed, she certainly didn't need much training to learn how to wield it.
And the lens flares. Not a single one was in sight. What gives, J.J.?
Oh, wait. I LIKED that there was not a single lens flare in this film. See, it *is* possible to make a movie and not blind your audience at every turn! :)
Rating: 7/10
Bottom line: Worth seeing if you're a Star Wars fan. If you're new to the universe, I'd pass on this and start with the original trilogy first.
