Let me premise this post as the title states, it’s a non-spoiler review of the newest Star Wars movie that I was lucky enough to get 7pm tickets on the Thursday it premiered. Gone are the days of midnight showings! I snagged a few tickets for the non IMAX 3D showing of the movie and I can sum it up with one word: YES!
Let me explain a bit why “YES” is my summary of the 2 hour movie. I grew up a Star Wars fan and even watched midnight showings of the Prequel Trilogy in college and this movie that JJ Abrams directed will go down as my generation’s Star Wars movie. My dad had the Original Trilogy and now, I can follow in his footsteps as I wait for my own son to grow up and immerse him in everything Star Wars.
But I digress, and so let’s dive into my thoughts about this movie. First off, if you’re familiar with the video game, Star Wars: Battlefront, then you know that game is beyond beautiful in the portrayal of the landscapes and gameplay. This movie is downright gorgeous! The Star Wars Universe is so diverse and rich and it was nice to see that displayed throughout the movie. There’s a scene in the movie that as I watched it, I immediately lost myself in it. It was a continuous shot of a character that lasted at least 5 seconds long. Just amazing. Amazing.
I tip my hat as well to the screenwriters because they crafted both an adventure that had true emotion to it; the kind that you feel while watching the movie. And it’s because of the strong characters that they weaved into this plot that really makes this movie; both veteran characters and new ones.
One character that stole the movie for me was BB-8, which actually was created for this movie. He is a functioning robot they used instead of using digital special effects. Star Wars gave us R2-D2 who some can say displays more emotion that some of the other characters in this galaxy. But they took all the stuff that makes R2-D2 great and crammed it into a rolling ball. Simple, right?
One last thing I want to touch on is the fact that this movie felt real. The universe is so rich with 6 movies under its belt with countless novels and this movie delivers in a big way. I believed we were on Jakku. I believed I was flying an X-Wing in space. I felt the drama when Kylo Ren first appears on screen. This movie makes me believe that this universe is my universe. The balance between practical effects and digital effects was seamless!
And for a lot of fans who’ve been waiting a long time for the new trilogy to appear gave a collective sigh of relief that the franchise they love so much is back in the best possible way. It almost makes up for the Prequel Trilogy.
On second thought, no, it doesn’t. This is the future of the story and I’m glad it’s finally here. For this Star Wars fan, a single viewing will not do. So I’m grabbing my lightsaber and jumping in my X-Wing and flying to the nearest theater that still has tickets available to see it again. And I’m sure you will do the same after your first viewing!
Does this get Shortboxed
I guess I’m biased because I’m a huge Star Wars fan, but even if you’re not a fan of the franchise but want to be amazed by the brilliant acting, screenplay, and the visual effects, then this might be your cup of tea. I’m confident any Star Wars fan will sing this movie’s high praises, but it also was a very enjoyable movie to watch. I admit, I was grinning from ear to ear for like the first hour, both because I was enjoying the movie but also I was giddy to be watching a new Star Wars movie in theaters. I couldn’t help but snag some Galaxy Premiere swag before leaving the theater! So the simple answer is, yet again, YES!
If you want to get a taste of Star Wars before you catch this flick, check out BJ’s discussion of the comic that leads up to The Force Awakens as well as his writeup of the Princess Leia comic that in my opinion, captures the spunkiness that Carrie Fisher brings to the screen! And as always,
May the Force be with you!
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