I finally had the chance to see a film that I've waited all year for, which is Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens. After watching the film twice, I have to say, it is a fantastic transition and true sequel to the original trilogy. Aside from nostalgia , it really delivered as a film franchise that deals with passing the torch from one generation to another with new solid characters that have now been added to the list of fave star wars characters. Rey the main character (played by Daisy Ridley )is the Luke Skywalker of this new generation trilogy, and Finn (Played by John Boyega) along with Resistance X Wing Pilot Poe Dearmond (Played by Oscar Isacc) is another great addition to the Star Wars mythos. Poe is a very likable guy and that's all thanks to Oscar Isacc's portrayal of the character and Maz (played by Lupita Nyong'o ) is definitely a great Yoda Arch type character. Other characters like Han Solo, Chewbacca and other familiar characters is another great treat. Kylo Ren is literally what Anakin Skywalker of the prequels should have been, a great character / villain that has as much conflict as he does cause it for the Protagonists.
I love that the film pays Homage to the old trilogy and the Starwars films in general without giving too much fan service. It offers a fun balance between old and new characters and does a great job at passing the torch to the new cast. I like that the film didn't fall for a lot of tropes that other films tend to do, such as : guy saving girl, girl automatically falls in love with the girl. Or the damsel in distress factor. The film manages to have a good balance of comic relief without sacrificing the dire weight of the situations that the characters face in the film. What I love the most, which I feel I haven't seen in movies in such a long time, is the ultimate good vs ultimate evil factor. In this day and age (2015 Internet age), there are so many ambiguous, morally grey characters that have the same repeated cycle of always flip flopping between good and evil. I believe that's what makes Star Wars great. It embraces it's world and universe and still keeps what made the old trilogy great, developing great characters that you can get attached to (like BB 8, the new R2 D2) and makes you care about these characters. And because the old Expanded universe is no longer canon, unlike Marvel and DC , it's all up in the air in terms of what happens next, you're left with wondering , guessing yet never knowing until the next episode of the film is released.
I won't spoil the film for anyone who hasn't seen the film since it's still fresh off release, so to anyone who hasn't seen it, Watch the film before the year is over! Despite minor nitpicks (everyone of the internet age typically does) it had good character arcs. A great start to a new chapter in the franchise. You dont need to alot of knowledge about the original trilogy to watch the film. But with that knowledge, it makes the film an even more enjoyable experience. It's like a good family reunion of people that you've loved since childhood. Easily My fave movie (and of its genre) of the year. In addition, it's up there with Empire strikes back and return of the Jedi. JJ Abrams and the rest of the cast, writers and production has breathed new life and wonder into the Star Wars Franchise and I couldn't feel more at Home. Highly recommend it to fans of the original trilogy as well as new comers looking for a jumping on point into the film series.
Now, like every report and review about the film, it answers questions about what the world is like 30 years after Return of the Jedi, but it truly does leave everyone with so many questions. IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE YET, and want to avoid spoilers , then LEAVE THE REVIEW NOW. But for those who have seen film, these are the questions that I've thought about when I discussed it with some friends of mine. My questions are:
0. Although the expanded universe is no longer canon, they still use minor elements and change things around such as name and aesthetics . With that said, I wonder what other elements of the old non canon will be used?
1.How did the First Order organize into the new generation Empire, who helped put The First Order together?
2. The Sith lord Emperor Snoak: what's his connection to the old Empire? Did he know Darth Sidious personally or by association?
3. In the past 30 years, what did Luke do while The First Order took over the Galaxy?
4. What happened to the new Generation of Jedi that he trained? We're there any survivors ?
5. How did Kylo Ren turn to the dark side? And why is he not called Darth like all the other Sith Lords before him?
6. Is Rey related to Luke Skywalker in some form or way? A daughter? If so, then who is the mother of Rey?
7. Why did Rey grow up alone on the planet Jakku? Who were her parents and why did they leave ?
8. If the storm troopers consist of children who are smuggled and brainwashed into joining/ working for the First Order, then why hasn't the Resistance stop this from happening? Could it be that they don't know?
9. What's Captain Phasma's deal? And what will she do next, what's her agenda ?
10. Finn couldn't have been the only one who has opted out of the first order, for if he managed to do that, then who else has managed to do that? If not ? Is he the first to break his programming ?
11. Will the Spin off Standalone film StarWars: Rogue One make any reference to TFA? And in what aspect will it connect to the new Trilogy?
12. How many Sith Lords are out there? And where are the Knights of Ren? What have they been up to while TFA happened?
13. How did Maz receive Luke Skywalker's Lightsaber? And what's her connection to the force if she is not a Jedi? What's her connection to Luke ?
14. If Rey is Force Sensitive, how did she manage to use the force without any proper training ?
15. What is Rey's origin?
Art by Anthony Andujar jr
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