It would take a very cosmic force to get me to see a movie more than once in theatres. The dark side of ticket prices has held power over my student budget for too long. But this Christmas, all bets were off. The newest instalment of the Star Wars saga was coming to town — The Force Awakens.
As a self-proclaimed Star Wars fanatic, one of the first things I loved so much about the film started before it was even released, and was possibly the reason I ended up making a total of four trips to the theatre.
The hype surrounding this movie was overwhelming, but never nervous or paranoid like so many other highly anticipated releases. In my mind, this had a lot to do with how it couldn’t possibly be worse than the last trilogy.
It’s true, the franchise had fallen on hard times after the previous trilogy flopped in the early 2000s. However, this year, no one seemed to be worried about Episode 7 being a letdown, and no one wanted to be the one to spoil it for other fans.
It’s rare that a series of films can create a sense of community, especially one seemingly dedicated to wholesome enjoyment. Its fandom includes anyone from the age of Young Anakin to, well, the not-so-young-anymore Han Solo.
Walking into the theatre for the first time, I felt like everyone in the room was just as excited as I was. This made the movie 10 times more enjoyable, even before the first blast of the soundtrack roared in my ears. The soundtrack helped though, because damn is it ever good.
If sci-fi just isn’t your thing, I’ve compiled a list of quick non-spoiler facts that may convince you to give this film a shot.
Plot
Almost none of the main plot points in the movie require prior in-depth knowledge of the Star Wars series.
Avoiding any spoilers, the story focuses primarily on all new characters, with a few veterans reviving old ing roles.
Special Effects
If you’re tired of seeing movies that have too much computer-generated imagery (CGI) and look completely fake (*cough* The Hobbit), new director J.J. Abrams went to painstaking lengths to use as many real effects and puppets as possible.
The resulting film looks absolutely stunning.
Acting
All the acting performances (except maybe Adam Driver as Kylo Ren) were spectacular. Harrison Ford as Han Solo proves he’s still awesome. There are also some great cameos from stars like Daniel Craig and Simon Pegg, if you watch closely. Finally, BB-8, who’s a droid, is absolutely adorable, and probably my favourite character, rolling from one event to another.
If none of this is enough to peak your interest, my best advice would be to simply keep up the smiling
and nodding routine as your friends continue to rant on and on about how amazing it was and what exactly you’re missing out on. After all, as one of those friends myself, we know it doesn’t matter that much to you, and that’s ok. But the force is strong in this family, and I believe this re-awakening of the Star Wars franchise will stir something in all of us before the end of the new trilogy.
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