Caught an early showing of Star Wars- The Force Awakens last night. And while I don’t want to give too much of anything away, I can’t help but say a few things. Anything you read below the banner could be a spoiler.
- The movie wonderfully subverts the main theatrical trailers. Some of those big scenes in the trailers aren’t quite what they originally seem. It’s always nice when a movie does that.
- Star Wars might work best when it’s “generational.” That’s a big part of what was missing from the prequels. It’s a huge part of this movie’s success.
- The movie answers so many questions but also does a great job leaving some key things open-ended. It really leaves you wanting more.
- I can’t help but think that this is both “the movie we want” as well as “the movie we need.” I’ll say more about that sometime later. There are some great themes at work that are both totally 21st-century but also as old as human history.
I’ll be curious to see how the movie plays on second-viewing. The pace worked really well, and they packed an awful lot in (with many subtle moments). The humor was spot on, and there was a nice sense of self-awareness that was refreshing. I look forward to hearing how others articulate comparisons with this movie and the prequels (especially in terms of motifs and callbacks).
(image from starwars.wikia.com)
Space Enough, and Time 