Hey Everyone! This is Erin, here as promised with a review of the latest installment in the Star Wars franchise. It goes without saying that spoilers are ahead, but since it's been out for like three or four weeks, I'll take my chances with invoking the wrath of certain fanatics who hate spoilers.
(On that note, I would like to confess here and now that I am a spoiler junkie. Don't get me wrong, I hate knowing ahead of time what's going to happen. But at the same time...idk. I'm addicted.)
Yes, yes, review. Where to begin...?
Ah, yes.
I LOVED the casting choices, Daisy Ridley as Rey and Adam Driver as Kylo Ren especially. I felt like they really fit into/fulfilled their roles perfectly. That said, I'm going to talk about the characters in general.
I was pleasantly surprised by all of the new characters. Rey was definitely my favorite, but everyone else was wonderful as well. One of the things I've always loved about the Star Wars movies is that all of the characters have very obvious flaws. I was worried that the new movie might not step up to my standard of realism as to character, but they ended up doing a great job.
I loved especially how capable-yet-somehow-at-the-same-time-frail they made Rey. I think it's beautiful how she always kept up hope even though she never really knew what she was hoping for.
And I LOVED Finn. He was so funny and full of life and despairingly final. His huffing-and-puffing demeanor and endless confusion actually made me pretty sad for some reason, but it was a good kind of sad.
Don't even get me started on Han and Chewie/y. (Is it Chewie or Chewy? Somebody please help me with this.) Harrison Ford, as always, brought humor and ruggedness to the screen, and Chewbacca was just as awesome as usual. I love Chewbacca.
I was, frankly, a little disappointed with Leia. Her character seemed a little forced to me, less assertive and true-hearted. I really want to watch the movie again in order to examine her more closely and get a more formative opinion.
I was very much un-disappointed with Kylo Ren.
He was as vacillant, hurt, angry, depressed, and yearning as every good villain should be. I felt genuinely disgusted by and compassionate for him in the same moment, and I think that he was very well-written and acted out.
All in all, I'd say that the movie was all it should have been: funny, heartfelt, and dramatic, with almost all the right amounts of everything. I loved it and can't wait to watch it again.
What were your thoughts on The Force Awakens? And while I'm asking you questions, I might as well begin a debate and ask a few more, such as:
Who do you think Rey is? (i.e., Luke's daughter, Han and Leia's daughter, Obi-Wan's granddaughter, Chewbacca's aunt's cousin's goddaughter, some random child not connected with anyone else we know?)
Why do you think Rey is so powerful? And/or, do you think she's the Chosen One?
Why do you think Ben/Kylo Ren is so mad at his father and/or why so worshipful of Darth Vader?
What are your thoughts on the "broadsaber"? (Kylo Ren's broadsword lightsaber)
How do you think the Falcon originally got stolen from Han?
And lastly,
What on earth do you think Luke's been doing all alone on that planet for twenty years?
Get on our forums and answer, or tell us over social media. Tag me or Anna, with hashtag #ForceAwakensDebateFDAET and tell us your theories!
Catch ya later (and may the Force be with you),
Erin
