I am not a Star Wars fanatic. I enjoy movies and have enjoyed these particular movies but am not a part of the cult like following this particular series seems to have. My husband, however, is definitely a fan.
Because of my love for Jim and his love of the movies, I have watched the first 6 films at least once a year since the age of 14. My movie collection houses the originals in both blu ray and VHS (because only the VHS version has the "true" ending) and we have Star Wars related books alongside our C.S. Lewis on the shelf. I have played, and won, Star Wars Trivial Pursuit multiple times (and I have lost more often than I have won, to give you an idea of the quantity of time spent collecting Star Wars related pie pieces). A few times my husband has disappeared to the basement for a couple of days to watch the series alone.
We stop short of having a full sized storm trooper as decor and I draw the line at naming our children after Star Wars characters, but it's kind of a big deal in our home.
I have now seen the new movie three times since it's release a couple of weeks ago. That's right-- three times. My husband, who had been invited to a special viewing, has broken his personal record of in theater viewings by seeing it four times.
What can I say? I can appreciate a good movie, enjoy the musical score and can't pass up a date night at our local theater where I get cheesy popcorn and my favorite fancy drink (a Belgian chocolate, for locals who might be interested in trying it).
Now, if you haven't seen the movie and are considering it, there are some basics you need to know about the whole world you are about to enter or you will be confused along the way. So I recommend a bit of a brush up on Star Wars History if the names Luke, Han Solo or Darth Vader mean nothing to you or if you don't know what "the force" is.
Assuming you have been in public at all since this story came about back in the 70s, I'm just going to share some thoughts I had while watching this newest installment all three times. I'll give you a warning that there may be some sort of spoiler in this, though I'll try to avoid it.
As someone who has basic knowledge of the Star Wars universe and can
enjoy the movies without being over the top about them (and someone who will respectfully NOT mention the last trilogy in front of a true fan), here are a few thoughts on the most recent Star Wars movie, Star Wars: The Force
Awakens.
Thoughts.
1. The new main female character is Ray (Rae). Her outfit will be infinitely more comfortable to pull off than the metal bikini costumes that came out in response to Leia's risque scene in the original movies. Her hairstyle will also be easier to accomplish than the famous princess buns. And speaking of costumes, my families Halloween is all set for next year.
2. The new bad guy is an emotional teenager in a poor man's Darth Vader mask. And I love it. There were some missing elements to developing his character that would have made him a little more interesting, but that's forgivable since I'm sure they'll develop him more in the future movies. Because if I learned anything from this movie, it's that there will be future movies.
3. I love this movies comedic breaks. Movies that take themselves too seriously, especially in the science fiction realm, are just plain annoying. If you paid attention, this movie was borderline a comedy with some action scenes in it. Except there were a lot of action scenes.
4. The score of this movie is, as the cool kids say, "on point". I love big movie scores. In another attempt at my life, I would have loved to be in a film orchestra. This music was awesome.
5. So many unanswered questions and so many reasons for my husband to talk about this movie until the next one comes out! Oh the joys of obvious future plot development and all of the theorizing that accompanies it.
6. Robots are the dogs of Star Wars. Almost every good movie has man's best friend. In Star Wars, the robots are the fun characters that everyone cheers for, make fun noises and we all think are cute.
7. A little too much action. I love action films. I mean, throw me in a theater with anything Marvel playing and I'll enjoy it. But does everything always have to blow up... every time?
8. You notice something new every time you watch a movie. Every time. A weird background character, a small facial expression. Kind of cool.
I think I avoided spoilers for the most part. In conclusion, if you have the basic knowledge required and enjoy movies, it's worth a watch. Maybe not three watches. Unless your husband is a fan, then it's worth it to make him happy.
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