Saturday, January 02, 2016

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (2015)

So the real question on my mind when I saw this for the first time a week ago was, "Is it worthy?"  Is it a worthy continuation of the Star Wars saga?  Is it worthy of my love?  Is it worthy of having Han Solo on his own poster?  Is it worthy of me going to see it multiple times in the theater and generally getting all excited and happy and enthusiastic?

Good news!  It's worthy.

(Yay!)

From here on out, there will be spoilage.

I went to see it again today, and I want to write a really excellent review of it.  Except I'm really tired, and I think I'm coming down with a cold.  So this is instead going to be a enthusiastic-but-rambly post about all sorts of different thoughts I've been chasing around in my brain all afternoon.  I apologize for any incoherence or maudlinity.


As you may have guessed from my choice of movie posters to head up this review, I love Han Solo (Harrison Ford).  He's been my favorite Star Wars character since my first viewing of A New Hope about twenty years ago, when I was fifteen or sixteen.  Never before or since has an avowed scoundrel swaggered his way into my heart with such insouciant ease.  When I found out Han was back for this movie, I was both overjoyed and worried.  Because this is a character I love, and what if they somehow wrote him all wrong?  Or gave him a tiny, throw-away part?  There were a million ways this could have gone wrong, and I imagined many of them.

Happily, none of those million ways happened.  Han Solo is not only exactly as he should be, he's the heart of this film.  Yes, he doesn't show up until it's well underway and we're growing attached to the new characters.  But once he and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) arrive, the film stops having a slight "oh-please-oh-please-oh-please like us" vibe and settles into a "yeah, we've got this" rhythm.  He grounds it, just like he did the first movie -- if Han Solo tells you that the hokey religions and ancient weapons are legit, you believe him.  If Han Solo is willing to put his life on the line to give a bad guy the chance to turn from the Dark Side, you know that bad guy is worth trying to save.

Which, of course, brings us to Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), a character so well-written and well-portrayed that I hate him with the fire of a thousand sun-sucking starkiller bases.  Ugh, I want to punch him right in his puffy, pouty mouth.  And not just because he killed my dearly beloved Han Solo, though that's definitely part of it, but because he has clearly put his parents through every form of mental and emotional anguish parents can go through, and he just... demands evisceration.  Except, of course, that Han Solo wanted him saved, not eviscerated, so I'm going to have to settle for imagining myself punching him, not drawing and quartering him.

(I do think it's cool that his command shuttle looks like a giant bat, though.  Very evil.)

Anyway, I'm tired of talking about someone I loathe.  Time to talk about my favorite new character!  Which, obviously, is Rey (Daisy Ridley).


Rey is one of those characters I would enjoy being.  She's smart, fast, good at anything she does, snarky, and somehow still kind of naive.  She has a childlike wonder still, which I dig so very much.  I'd love to ride a saucer down that giant dune, pilot the falcon, hang out with Han and Chewie.  I'd like to be agile and unafraid of clambering around in dangerous places, strong with the Force, able to hold my own against multiple assailants.  And I'd definitely love to be able to talk Daniel Craig into doing whatever I told him to.


Then there's Finn (John Boyega).  I really like Finn.  He's scared, but determined.  He's kind and helpful, protective, gentlemanly, honorable -- the things I strive to be.  He also gets a little careless with the truth and tries to run away from his problems, but that really makes him a more interesting character than the practically flawless Rey and Poe.  My only quibble with this movie is that they never give Finn a minute to process the fact that he goes from being a Storm Trooper to slaughtering Storm Troopers in just a few hours -- I think he should have had a little more of a reaction to that fact, even if it was just like Rey's pause-and-realize-I-took-a-life thing.  Maybe he'll get lots of guilt and anguish in the next movie.


And I can't forget Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac).  He basically ties with Finn for my second-favorite-new-character.  (WHY is there a terrible dearth of good pictures of Poe on the internet right now???)  He's sassy and brave and excellent at what he does.  Not to mention enthusiastic and funny.  I can't wait to see more of him in the next movie.

Annnnnnnd I'm running out of steam.  It's ten o'clock and I meant to be in bed twenty minutes ago, but I got caught up in my Star Wars joy.  Oops.  Okay, so besides all that, I absolutely love Chewie and how heroic a role he gets here.  (Though why didn't he just keep shooting Kylo Ren on that bridge?  He hit him once, after all.)  Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) made good use of her screen time.  I got a huge kick out of seeing Ken Leung pop up as Admiral Statura -- I spent his scenes wondering if Josh Holloway was going to appear next, since I loved their buddy moments on Lost.  And is it just me, or is Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) a handsome old dude now?


I mean, he's no Han Solo, but he seems to be taking good care of himself out on that island.

So.  Now you know a bunch of stuff I've been thinking about regarding this movie.  And it's long past time for me to go to bed.  Here's hoping I can sleep off this cold and will be fine tomorrow.  Until then, may the Force be with you ;-)

43 comments:

  1. These are good thoughts! I did find Rey the littlest bit stereo-typical, but I also liked her immensely, so any unoriginal-ness is forgivable. ;)

    My favorite character, however, would have to be Finn. But I agree that he should've experienced some second thoughts before killing Storm Troopers...

    I have mixed feelings for Hans Solo's death, but I think it was a good move on Disney's part, in the end.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meredith, yes, Rey did slot a little too well into that "strong female character whose femininity gets sidelined so she can be a Strong Female Character" thing, but overall, I just really like her.

      And Finn is awesome.

      Harrison Ford wanted Han Solo to die off in Return of the Jedi to give the character some emotional heft and gravitas, so I went into this kind of suspecting he would die. And hoping he wouldn't, but yeah, I wasn't surprised.

      Delete
  2. Seriously! What is up with the complete and utter lack of good Poe pictures? You watch the movie, and there's all these great moments that there should be pics of, and you look on line, and there is nada. My favorite character, and there's just nothing good. Lame.

    I have that pic of Han leannnning saved on my computer too, cuz he looks great there. :-D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. DKoren, you know, there's kind of not a lot of good pictures of ANYBODY so far. I spent way more time trying to find a decent picture of Kylo Ren and failing than I did actually writing this post. And it took me ages to find some I liked of Rey and Finn. And that was the only really great one of Han too. I understand they're keeping things close to the vest, but the movie's been out for a couple weeks now... time to start giving us some good screenshots and publicity stills, folks.

      Delete
  3. Yay. I was waiting for this. :D
    I was (delightfully) surprised when Han popped up a LOT more in the movie than I was expecting. I guess, since he isn't going to be in them anymore, he had to make the most of it. *sniffles* (That bridge scene....oh, how I would have loved to give Kylo Ren the most coldest stare on the planet. I think I did, actually, in the cinemas. :P)
    Rey was very likable (so of course I liked her very much), although maybe she could have been a little less perfect? I didn't find her as annoying as Leia and Padme could be at times, though. (Except her accent at first was a little strange, because she was the only British person, but it soon became better.)
    WHAT. Daniel Craig was that storm trooper? How did I not know that! Now I must scurry off and tell the others... :P
    I liked Finn and Poe very much. Especially Poe. :)
    I thought Mark Hamill looked like he was doing very well for his age, comparing him to Harrison Ford. He basically looks exactly the same, except with a few more wrinkles and gray hair. ;)
    I really enjoyed this movie, and I'm hoping to see it again this week! (Also, I have no idea how I'm going to wait 2 years to see the next one...it was bad enough waiting 1 year to see the Hobbit movies.)
    ~Miss Meg March

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Miss Meg, you're welcome :-)

      Rey could have had more flaws -- the only one she had really was clinging to her hope that her family would return, and she let that go. I'm hoping she deepens in the next one.

      And yes, Daniel Craig is that stormtrooper. I didn't know if the first time either -- Cowboy learned it on the internet when we got home, and DKoren confirmed it for me. Second time through, knowing it was him, I could totally recognize his voice and cranky-sassy attitude.

      I think Mark Hamill's beard helps a lot. I saw some pics of him without it from a premiere or something, and he looked equally as weathered as Harrison Ford. So the beard really helps.

      And yeah, I know -- two years. TWO YEARS!!! This must be how everyone felt at the end of The Empire Strikes Back when it first came out.

      Delete
  4. I loved it. So many parallels to so many things -- religion, modern society, worldviews... it makes me happy.

    Oh, dear. As soon as I read, "Han Solo is my favorite..." I thought, "Uh oh."

    I like Han. I don't really have a favorite SW character (I'm not that big of a fan yet) but I was really, really glad the person I went with preferred Luke, because her crying over Han would have been SO MUCH WORSE had it been Luke. (Just so you know, I cried too. Poor Leia.)

    Don't shoot me, but I absolutely love Kylo Ren. He's such an emotionally tormented, confused, angst-ridden character, so full of complexities. I want a redemption arc for him, because I cannot see any other way of having Han's death be "worth it." I love his fight with the light and darkness; his inability to move beyond his idealism of the past; his trouble with his emotions. I read the novelization and after killing his father, he had a thought that -- this was supposed to make him cold, evil, detached. Instead, all he felt was pain and grief. He didn't pull out of it until Chewie shot him, and then he was able to focus. He is just... so incredibly lost. I need his back story. I need to know what drove him to this. I need to know about his connection to Rey. He recognized her, or knew of her existence. ("It IS you!") Who is she? Did she attend the Jedi Temple with him? Is she the only child who survived the massacre? Are they siblings? Cousins? Is she Ben Kenobi's granddaughter? Born of the Force to bring Balance?

    Rey is, obviously, incredible. I think I do have a favorite after all. Her dynamic with Finn is a lot of fun. He's hilarious. Poe... is fairly typical, but hopefully we'll see more of him next time.

    BB-8 is also so cute I can hardly stand it.

    I will be in agony for the next two years. I need answers to my billion questions. :P

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Charity, yeah. Han. My Han. Sniffle. Actually, though, the first time I didn't cry over his death. I knew as soon as Leia told him to bring their son home that this would end super badly, and when he walked out on that bridge, I was like, "This is it!" In fact, the only time I teared up that first viewing was when R2 woke up. Second time through, knowing what would happen to Han, I was pretty choked up once they started setting the charges.

      Now, yes, I could see Kylo Ren gaving a good redemption arc. And if he does, I will embrace him, I will. But right now -- nope. Punch him in the face. That's cool about the novelization, though! And yeah, I have so many theories on who Rey is right now -- gonna drive me crazy! The two I'm liking right now are that she's Han and Leia's daughter, or even maybe just Han's out-of-wedlock kid? Or that she's Luke's.

      Must. Have. Answers. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I hate waiting.

      Delete
    2. For what it's worth, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Rey is Luke's daughter. Now . . . we wait two years to see if I'm right ;-)

      Delete
    3. Jessica, yes... we wait two years *and hope they give us the answer in the next one and don't make us wait until the third!!!!*

      Delete
    4. Oh, dear. Let us hope they are not so cruel :-)

      Delete
    5. I heard a rumor before I went in that Han would die, so that was in the back of my mind. As soon as he walked out onto that precipice to speak to his son, I knew he was a dead man. I was in shock for about two minutes, though, and couldn't really process much after that -- and I got weepy-eyed when I saw Leia "feel" his death through the Force. (I really cried when Rey hugged her, though.)

      I hope Rey isn't a Skywalker, but it would not shock me to find out she is. I just can't see Han or Leia abandoning their daughter, nor can I see Luke doing it. If she is related, I suspect someone took her.

      Delete
    6. I heard zero rumors, but I have long known that Harrison Ford wanted Han to die in ROTJ, so as soon as I found out he'd be in this, I was pretty convinced he would die in this. So I had a lot of "Crud, I was right -- no fair!" stuff going the first time.

      I think your kidnapped idea could be right. Because the only reason I could imagine Han and Leia leaving her somewhere would be to protect her from Kylo Ren having gone evil, but she seems too close in age to him for that to work unless he went evil when he was like ten.

      Delete
    7. My dad and my older brother suggested that Luke may have abandoned Rey on Jakku because Kylo Ren's Dark Side defection convinced him that ALL Skywalkers--including himself and his daughter--were hopelessly doomed to evil. As in, "No descendant of Darth Vader can resist the lure of the Dark Side." Etc., etc., etc. So, he dropped Rey off on the poorest, most remote planet he could find, hoping she would grow up to lead a simple scavenger's life and never even learn about the Force--while he hid himself on that island to brood in solitude.

      If that's the answer, I think it was a poor decision on Luke's part--but I can definitely see him making it.

      Delete
    8. How old do you think Kylo Ren is, btw? To me, it seemed like he was about ten years older than Rey (so if he went Dark Side at age fifteen, she would have been five then). But I could be wrong.

      Delete
    9. That makes sense--I kind of thought Ren was around 30-ish :-)

      Delete
    10. Well clearly I stink at age guessing because I was putting Ren around 25. I had Rey figured for about 18 or 19 though.

      Delete
    11. Aw, don't say that! It's not that easy to tell how old he's supposed to be with all that crazy wild hair and the pouty face. (Seriously, he looks WEIRD. How exactly is he supposed to be Han and Leia's son? He doesn't look a bit like them.)

      Delete
    12. Ha, ha, the "what??? he doesn't look like his parents???" was my first thought too.

      Though, children do not always resemble their parents. My brother doesn't look anything like any of our relatives (neither do I, for the most part) -- you have to go back six generations to find a resemblance.

      Delete
    13. That's quite true--I actually look much more like my great-grandmother and great-great grandmother than I do like either of my parents. And I do think, now that you mention it, that he looks at least a LITTLE bit like Anakin Skywalker . . . so that works.

      Delete
    14. I thought on the bridge during The Awful Scene that actually he and Han did bear some similarities to each other. The chin and jawline, I think.

      Delete
  5. Ahhhhhhhhhh . . . the Star Wars review. I was waiting for this :-)

    I love this film SOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH. It just made me so happy, I don't think I can even express it in words. I wasn't worried or apprehensive going to see it, because I knew--I just KNEW--it was going to be an amazing film, and I was right. IT WAS AWESOME. And so I was insanely happy and pleased and satisfied and I-don't-know-what.

    I really, really, REALLY loved Rey. She was a character I could actually relate to, very easily, which is INCREDIBLY rare for me when it comes to female characters in action-type movies. Typically, with the strong female Black-Widow-type characters, I'm able to relate to them about as well as I can relate to Marianne Dashwood. (Not At All, in other words.) Not because they're "bad" or anything--just because we have nothing in common! But I DID feel like Rey and I had a fair bit in common, and I could really understand and emulate her. I love how smart and sensible she is. She's also really, really, really straightforward--she doesn't pretend anything. She's completely sincere. She ADMITS THINGS. She's perfectly willing to admit that she's lonely, that she wants her family back, that she's attracted to Finn, that she wants to be friends with Han, that she's afraid of Kylo Ren . . . I just found it super-refreshing, because characters who try to disguise/disavow their true feelings drive me absolutely nuts.

    And I looooooooooove Finn. Out of all the new male characters, he is DEFINITELY my favorite. (Sorry, Poe ;-) ) I don't know if I can even explain how special he is to me. BUT I LOVE HIM. He's totally joined my Top Three Favorite Male Screen Characters list (the other two being Steve Rogers and the '08 Colonel Brandon). His sense of humor is the best thing since sliced bread. And his relationship with Rey is absolute perfection. Seriously.
    "Got a--a boyfriend there? Cute boyfriend?"
    "NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!"
    GAAAAAAAAHHHHH.

    I don't want to give the impression I "don't like" Poe Dameron, though--I liked him very much. He's a really cool character and I'd love to be friends with him, but I'm not as--ahem--Emotionally Involved with him as I am with Finn. Finn is my baby. End of story.

    Han's death scene . . . Sheesh. Goosebumps.

    I don't know, though--did anybody besides me have any trouble actually grasping the fact that Han was really, truly dead? I certainly did. I think it's because he's just such an incredibly iconic character--somebody who's been a part of my life since I was three or four--and now he's DEAD? Wait--WHAT? Like, mentally, I do KNOW he's dead and I'm like, "Yeah, that's really awful," but my heart just doesn't want to believe it. Probably because, too, I've never had much real-life experience with death, so I don't really "know" how to deal with it?

    I don't know. Psychological analysis . . .

    But it's an awesome movie. Like, a REALLY awesome movie. And I love it and I can't wait for more.

    OH AND R2-D2 CAME BACK TO LIFE AND I'M SO HAPPY I JUST NEED TO SCREAM. (R2-D2 is my Original Favorite Star Wars Character Of Ever. Period.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I understand what you mean about Hans Solo, Jesicca! I don't think I've really quite processed it yet.

      Delete
    2. Jessica, I'm so glad you love it so much! I am not quite at that full-on, ecstatic love yet, but I'm very very very happy with it. I was pretty worried going in because, well, I've been burned before by new Star Wars movies. I think a lot of fans had that problem -- we were around when the prequels came out, and we were over-the-moon excited about New Star Wars Movies!!!!!!!! And then... they lacked. I have thoughts on that that I'm kind of working on for a post, why this works for me and the prequels don't as much. I mean, Revenge of the Sith is quite good, and even though Phantom Menace is dumb, I actually saw it in the theater like 4 times because it was just So Exciting To Have Star Wars On The Big Screen!!!!!! But... they're like fanfiction, whereas this is canon. So yes, I was pretty worried going in, that it was gonna be another wannabe Star Wars, not really and truly Star Wars. So happy such was not the case!

      YES! Rey's straight-forwardness is a big draw for me too. (Also, my nickname in college was Ray, so I'm kind of really loving her name...)

      Basically, Finn is me -- he reacts to things a lot like I would, makes some of the same (often not great) decisions I would, behaves like I would. He's helpful and protective and so yeah... I dig him 'cuz he's a lot like me. And Poe is completely not at all like me, but he's just so darned awesome I have to dig him too.

      As for Han being dead... no, I'm not having trouble realizing it, but I think that it's because, like I said in another comment response above, I kind of was expecting him to die. I knew Harrison Ford had lobbied for Han to die back in ROTJ, and I felt like yup, it's gonna happen this time. First thing I texted DKoren after I saw it was, "Harrison Ford got his wish." And then lots of frowny faces. But I can see how it would be hard to process!

      Delete
    3. Yes, I definitely know what you mean about the prequels. My brother and a lot of my friends had the same feeling--"Oh, man, I really hope this isn't another Phantom Menace." As for my own feelings . . . it's hard to explain. I was definitely aware of that concern (I was in kindergarten when The Phantom Menace came out, and I have vivid memories of how ridiculous it all was), but for some reason, as we got closer and closer to the SW7 premiere, I just had this really strong feeling inside that "This one is going to be awesome." I can't really analyze WHY . . . but it worked, I guess :-)

      I love her name too--at first, I was like "that's too short" but now I really like it. And you want to know something really funny? Daisy Ridley looks, speaks, and acts almost EXACTLY how I imagine Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. Like, no kidding. She's my mental Lizzy-image come to life--even more so than Keira Knightley is. I think it's hilarious. But also really neat :-)

      Right. See, I didn't know that Harrison Ford wanted Han to be killed, so I wasn't expecting HIM to die (although I fully expected to see one of the main characters get killed off). But also, I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I was so very young (three or four) when I watched the original trilogy--and then I didn't watch anything of those movies again till a year or two ago. (Although I consumed a LOT of Star Wars juvenile fiction throughout elementary school, so I was pretty familiar with that world as a whole.) I think what I'm trying to say is, because I was introduced to Han, Luke, and Leia when I was such a small child, they ended up becoming almost fairy-tale figures in my mind--not "real characters" who might someday die. Does that make sense? I know it's kind of convoluted :)

      Delete
    4. Jessica, how funny is this? Daisy Ridley reminds me a TON of Keira Knightley. I want to cast them as sisters in something.

      And that does make sense :-)

      Delete
    5. Yes--exactly! She looks just like Keira, only a teeny bit more Lizzy-ish. They would make an amazing pair of sisters :-) (Kind of like how Keira Knightely and young Natalie Portman looked so similar, actually.)

      Delete
    6. Jessica, something about her teeth and chin that really make me think of a younger Keira especially -- like Princess of Thieves era.

      Delete
  6. Perfect review! Despite your ramblings you summed up the movie and my thoughts on it quite well. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. EEeeeeee!! This movie. THIS MOVIE. Goodness, I'm in love. I really liked it right after I first saw it, but as more and more time goes by and I've thought about it and dwelled on the characters and really just mentally digested this story, I love it.
    Ohhh, you love Han too! YAY He's been one of my major fictional crushes ever since I was...hmm, probably 10 years old and he's never really wavered from his spot in the top-5 tier. ;)
    I really enjoyed him in this. There were so many moments of "oh yes, that's Han" in his facial expressions and words.
    And-and....sob. He died!!! I'm just....not going to go into that right now except that it was very painful.
    Now about Kylo Ren....as much as I hate that he killed Han I don't actually hate him. I find him a rather fascinating character and I really want to see him turn back to the good side and be reunited with his mom. I mean, hes the son of one of my favorite couples EVER...I just really want them to be a family again. :"(
    Although, hahaha, yes his "puffy, pouty mouth". I had a hard time reconciling myself to the fact that someone as handsome as Han didn't have a very handsome son. I mean, come on.
    And then we have the new main trio...aghh, I love them SO much. Rey and Finn and Poe...they're all amazing. (and yes to the Poe picture problem, it's so annoying!)
    I guess that's all for now..I have to save some of this more my own post. ;) Thanks for reviewing it!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Natalie, yeah, it definitely required some digesting. After that first viewing, I totally couldn't talk about it for like a day. I just had to process it.

      Han's not in my top 10, but he's pretty high on my list. He's just so... awesome. I'm glad that he died well, though, and didn't just get picked off by a storm trooper or something.

      And yeah, I will probably not hate Kylo Ren forever. Just right now, very much I do. (And what is UP with him being actually kind of an ugly dude? I've seen pics of Adam Driver where he looks pretty good, really, though most of them he has like a goatee. But here? BLECH.)

      Delete
  8. Great review Hamlette! Rambly, sure, but you shouldn't apologize for that! The thoughts off the top of your head are great! It reminded me again of many things I loved about the movie. :D Which is mostly the characters. Even though I was more interested in getting to know the new characters, I appreciated how great it was the Han got such a good send-off. Really, couldn't have been better. I have to say I liked Kylo though. In the way you like the villain. I actually hope he never gets redeemed now, because of how far to the Dark side he's gone... though if they do redeem him, the lengths they'd have to go to to make it convincing would make it incredible! I love what you said about Rey. And I like how Finn is a little naive too. They're so cute. He's a perfect gentleman, and she's strong AND feminine, and it makes me so happy! I had such a hard time finding pictures of Poe too. What's up with that? They didn't expect everyone to like him so much? Sillies. ;P Haha, you're so right! I actually find the aged Luke to be more good-looking than the Luke of Ep 5&6. Strange, but true. The beard suits him really well, and his eyes stand out very nicely. Ha! Gosh, I need to see this again...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sarah, hee, thanks! I like organized and coherent things, but sometimes... rambly is what I have.

      I love that both Rey and Finn have had these incredibly hard lives, but they're not hardened people. They both have this wide-eyed wonder and joy that is just delightful.

      And yes, Kylo Ren is a good bad guy. I do hope he gets a redemption arc, partly because I'm a huge sucker for redemption arcs and partly because Han's death would mean so much more then. I'd like to see him be sort of a reverse of Anakin's story -- bad boy embraces the light and turns against his former allies, as opposed to Anakin's good boy embracing the dark and destroying everyone he once held dear. It could be really cool.

      And yeah, Luke looks excellent. The beard is a major plus, makes him look all wise and awesome.

      Hope you can see it again!

      Delete
  9. I love your review! And agree with pretty much everything, although I'm not super big Mark Hamill. He's alright. But Han and Chewie and Leia...oh man. Oh, man. All of the grief and pain. Rey is definitely my new favorite, too. Nice ramblings; I enjoyed them. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hannah, thanks! I've never been a big Mark Hamill fan either -- Harrison Ford was my second-favorite actor for decades, due in no small part to Han Solo. But Mark Hamill looked... better than I was expecting, I guess? Hee.

      Glad you enjoyed my ramblings!

      Delete
  10. I'm not reading this to avoid spoilers (though I already know one Major Spoiler, and I'm glad I do so I'm prepared), but I'm really glad everybody seems to be liking this one. I'm hoping I shall, too ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Olivia, I hope you can see it soon! And I definitely hope you like it :-)

      Delete
  11. So we've both been sick, eh? Lovely! I'm finally back to felling 95% myself, but still, it's slow going. Hope you keep getting better!

    As for Star Wars, you pretty much loved everything about it that I do! Han was never my primary favorite, but I've always loved him. I really don't I've met a SW fan who doesn't at least like Han, and I'm much fonder of him than mere liking. Still, Luke's always been my boy, so I'm super excited to see what happens in ep 8. Dialogue for Luke would be really, really nice. Just sayin'!

    Kylo Ren, yah, he's got me flummoxed. I really don't think he was always a bad kid, I really don't. Something happened to turn him at some point, but we have no idea what that point might be. I waver between sorrow for the way he's turned out, hope that he can be redeemed, and, well, pure hatred. I do try to contain that last emotion because it's not all that healthy for me, but still, he pisses me off simply because he is so uncontained.

    Rey is awesome, Finn is pretty great, and Poe Dameron? (well, he did NOT have enough screen time!). Next film!

    I'm thrilled you loved it so much since it is definately a movie worth loving!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Carissa, I'm around 95% too today -- wasn't a bad cold, just a badly-timed one. Right when we needed to start doing schoolwork again! Grr. Oh well. Hope you're even better by now!

      One of the reasons that I dislike Kylo Ren so strongly is because he comes across to me as a very whiny brat. Like he was probably spoiled by his mom to make up for his dad not being around, but then she would sometimes be super hard on him too because she would worry about him inheriting darkness from Vader, and then whenever Han came around he'd probably try to be buddy-buddy with him because he felt inadequate as a father, so all around Ren really had a pretty comfy childhood but feels like he's entitled to having stuff handed to him. So now he's just a whiny, spoiled jerk like so many whiny, spoiled jerks I know in real life.

      (I hear you on the pure hatred thing. My hatred is entirely fictional, and I'm trying to keep it that way so it doesn't spill over into affecting Real Life.)

      Delete
  12. Glad you liked the movie too! And of course, Han is also my favorite character, ever actually. :) They did such an exceptional job of portraying Han again. He is different, because of everything he has gone through, yet he is still Han. And I agree, Kylo Ren was so well written. I did not quite realize how great of a character he was until thinking back and reviewing the film, but he was definitely excellent. Superb review Hamlette! As a lifelong fan, it's great to have new Star Wars to talk about.

    -James

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. James, I am THRILLED that we have a new Star Wars movie that is worth talking about :-) Really, truly worth our time. It's delicious.

      Delete

Agree or disagree? That is the question...

Comments on old posts are always welcome! Posts older than 7 days are on moderation to dissuade spambots, so if your comment doesn't show up right away, don't worry -- it will once I approve it.

(Rudeness and vulgar language will not be tolerated.)