Spoiler Alert!! This is seriously your last chance to get away!

(Image credit: starwars.com)

I don’t usually talk about movies as soon as they come out. This is partly because I don’t always get to see them in theatres, and partly because I get distracted by other things. This time I was doing a bunch of writing on the Star Wars films leading up to the new release so, not only did I see it early (on the 18th no less), but I was also in a place to think about it as situated within the previous films, and I have a few hours to kill while on a working vacation. I guarantee that my thoughts will be somewhat disjointed and based on my very first impression. I did not take my notebook into the theatre with me for this viewing because I really wanted to shut off the part of my brain that has been writing about this universe and these films for my first viewing so I’m not only discussing my first impressions, but really my memory of my first impressions.

First let me say that, despite how this post goes, I actually really did enjoy the movie. It was a fun ride and it made me feel good about the SW universe. I am also quite excited for future movies — and not just because I have never not known Star Wars (no, I am not younger than the movies, but I might as well be). I’m excited because I think this film is getting us ready for a new storyline that remains true to the spirit of the earlier films, but with a new relevance.

And now for the part of the blog where I sound like a bad fangirl.

The film had a lot of action, but not so much that the story got lost. It really was a bit of a thrill ride, but more so for fans of the earlier films than for new viewers. Each new scene included a reference to a previous element in the earlier films. In some cases the scene was just ramped up a bit from previous films. For example, the Millennium Falcon has some new moves that are big improvements on the slight listing to the side type of manoeuvres we saw in A New Hope. Poe Dameron is also a much better and flashier pilot than either Anakin or Luke ever were, mostly because JJ Abrams has access to newer technology than Lucas had for any of the films.  Other scenes though, were direct references. The one that bothers me the most is the sudden trench run inserted into the finale. The Resistance pilots have been dive bombing this one power station on the new super duper Death Star planet, but during the last run a trench suddenly appears for Poe to fly down. I get the symmetry (and even appreciate it a little), but it pulled me out of the story because I just didn’t see why it was necessary.

I think Kylo Ren is going to be a great villain and I get that we’re watching his growth here. What bugs me is that, once his mask comes off, it never seems to go back on. Again, I can see why it was necessary for the mask to stay off: we needed to see his face when he kills his father to watch the decision happen and to give us hope that he might accept the light. His mask also needed to be off while fighting Rey so that she could scar him (forcing the mask in future films), but he just seemed far too willing to show his real face to his underlings. This is sure to change their perspective of him.

And now for the death. I’m actually not at all upset about this one. It was the right thing to do and is definitely something that Ford has been pushing for since Empire. It was necessary for Ren’s character and Solo’s. Both of them needed to grow or change in some way and this one move did that for both of them. My only complaint is that it was a little obvious for me. Again, this is likely because I’ve been spending so much time researching and writing about Star Wars, but Solo’s death was inevitable. I thought it might happen once Han began acting like a fatherly figure toward Rey (she must suffer the same loss that Luke did when Obi-Wan Kenobi was killed), but it was absolutely guaranteed when Leia begged him to bring their son home. In that moment Han Solo’s death warrant was signed.

Finally, I think it’s important that I talk a little about the fact that this movie was, for the most part, made by fans of the films. This is, like some sequels, much more of a retelling of the original story with new characters than a completely new tale — then again, the fairy tale nature of the Original Trilogy would virtually require such a situation. The fan connection here manifests itself in the fact that the repeat of these scenes are not allusions to previous moments (like Darth Vader’s scream of anguish when he learns of the death of his wife matching up with Luke’s cry when learning he is Vader’s son), but homages to some of the moments most appreciated by fans over the years. I suspect that we will see fewer of these in future films as the mythology builds itself anew, though the perpetual bad feeling of the characters will likely remain — in the numbered films anyway.