SPOILERS Why yes, I did see SW: The Force Awakens this weekend
SPOILERS
Several lovely people have emailed over the weekend asking, did I see it? Did I like it?
SPOILERS AHOY - GO NOW IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IT
Yes I did see it, 3 times, in 3 different formats, and yes, I liked it very much. Over on Club Jade, there’s a feeling of a need to “process” this film and I think that’s very true for those of us who lived with Star Wars for 38 years, and who were deeply enmeshed in the EU. Some of it is very jarring. I enjoyed the second viewing more than the first and I sobbed through most of the 3rd.
Slyvermont,
cyndisuesue and Lexsara all came into town and joined me, knitress and econopodder. This is important. Knitress and I have been seeing Star Wars together since we met in 1979. She skivved class at NU to go to ESB, I didn’t, something I’ve always regretted. I met Slyvermont and CyndiSueSue through Club Jade around the time I was writing Stuff in 1995 or shortly thereafter. My spawn joined us for the Thursday show and he was born in 1999, the year of TPM.
It was really interesting hearing the spawn discussing his favorite Star Wars with his friend on the way to the movie. They both are gamers and really loved Lego Star Wars, The Force Unleashed, and the Clone Wars cartoon. My spawn loved the Clone Wars movie, too, though he may deny it now. Friday nights were filled with Clone Wars, pizza, and Star Wars gaming afterward. The point is, they had a very different experience than I did coming into Force Awakens. Their experience is not movie based at all.
Yet, they loved the film, too, as much as I did and maybe more.
This was an important realization for me as I processed my own views. TFA is derivative, even highly derivative, with its reliance on (another) planet-destroying superweapon (combo Death Star-Suncrusher), the destruction of the shields, the trench run, the life in the desert, a next gen named Ben, ever so many McGuffins and coincidences, and so many other things. But I didn’t assume that everyone came into the film as I did. Like showing the trailer during Monday Night Football, and as the marketing has (tried) to show, Star Wars is for everyone and not everyone has lived it and the EU for the last 38 years.
We hit on a key phrase going to the third viewing - this is a conservative film and strategically the right choice for the first entrant in a franchise Disney paid $4 billion for. I felt TFA would have been better if it had been less referential and more original but I loved what I saw and I understood why it was the way it was and did not resent the film for those choices. If anything, I felt that the nods, especially to the EU were welcoming, see, we haven't forgotten you, either.***
I’m not sure what else I can add to the commentary. I was mostly unspoiled and stopped trying to figure out who Luke had referred to in the trailer as “you have that power too.” I couldn’t reconcile who Rey might be, I did not assume she was Force-sensitive until her extraordinary mental duel with Kylo, I bought completely that Finn was the Jedi to be, and I’d never thought Rey would steal the Falcon. I didn’t know if Kylo Ren was a Skywalker or Solo. I was continually surprised and so happy to have been thoroughly misled.
I was incredibly moved by Han’s statement “I knew Luke,” spoken with genuine love and not blaming him at all for his son’s’ fall. I loved how the Falcon reappeared. We had joked on Twitter at the last trailer that maybe Maz was an ancient Force sensitive lady space pirate who was the Obi-Wan to Rey's Luke "Who are you? I'm no one.". She was and I loved that character and the portrayal so much. The whole sequence when Rey and Finn meet Han is unbelievable - the writing is terrific - Han Solo the Rebellion General? No! Han Solo the smuggler! This is the Millennium Falcon that did the Kessel Run in 14 parsecs? 12! So much was encompassed in that sequence.
I thought the chemistry between the characters was all amazing. John Boyega was wonderful. Poe Dameron is my new space husband. (My real life spouse is now signing correspondence "your terrestrial husband. My spawn said, "I approve of your new space husband, mom.")
I really, really liked Adam Driver and his interactions with Oscar Isaac and especially with Daisy Ridley. Ridley is just amazingly expressive in her face and I loved her and that we have her as the focus of the journey. I’ve heard some criticism of Adam Driver (constipated is a word I’ve seen) but I loved his performance, appearance, and everything. There are no words in the most intensive parts of those two scenes between Ren and Kylo and I LOVED them.
And of course, the lightsaber handle stuck in the snow. Right before we left, my spawn and I were watching ESB and I explained how, when Luke is hung up like a Christmas ham in the wampa cave, that when we saw him for the first time summon his lightsaber, stuck in the snow, with the Force, it was incredible. It was the first time we’d ever seen the Force used like that. We didn’t know it could do that. (go watch it)
When Rey summons the same handle, stuck in the snow, with the Force theme welling was spectacular. I wept and cheered. This was the most referential moment of the film for me and the one I most appreciated. Her expression when she follows Maz's wisdom and listens for the light side during the duel (thanks Maz!) was breathtaking.
Han and Leia. I completely understood how something so terrible would tear them apart - they feel they failed as parents and so go back to what each felt they were best at.
I’ll close with how wonderful it is to share Star Wars with friends and family again. I’ve been really moved by the many commercials showing parents sharing it with their children and fans of all ages, races and genders sharing with each other. The concept of a community of fans is so important - and was something I was concerned Disney would suppress. I love hearing about (and seeing) R2-KT, all the celebs clamoring for parts and dressing up for the premiers, the member of the 501st who was the voice of the female stormtrooper we hear, and the friends invited to premiers and red carpets. One reason that the 3rd viewing was so emotional for me personally was that I’d tried to explain to Slyvermont something about what has happened with me and certain elements of the Narnia fandom and the devastating comments I’d recently received on a new story. She asked why didn’t I just shut off comments? I burst into tears and said that it was because that was how I’d met her and so many others, through fic. To close down that line of communication meant closing myself to meeting amazing people and sharing and building community with them.
So yep, as we joked after the 3rd viewing that in another 30 years, we’ll all be in assisted living and the van will come to wheel us into a senior’s matinee.
*** I admit it. When we came out after the first viewing, I said that there was Mara Jade sized plot hole. I know Mara's probably not the mother of Rey. I know that Luke will never say, as someone who I thought was ta-dala said on Tumblr, "Her name was Mara." I know that Dunc is mocking me for this. (I even said that on Thursday night). I DON'T CARE. I'll just hold on to that until Episode VIII.
This entry was originally posted at http://rthstewart.dreamwidth.org/129781.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
Several lovely people have emailed over the weekend asking, did I see it? Did I like it?
SPOILERS AHOY - GO NOW IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IT
Yes I did see it, 3 times, in 3 different formats, and yes, I liked it very much. Over on Club Jade, there’s a feeling of a need to “process” this film and I think that’s very true for those of us who lived with Star Wars for 38 years, and who were deeply enmeshed in the EU. Some of it is very jarring. I enjoyed the second viewing more than the first and I sobbed through most of the 3rd.
Slyvermont,
cyndisuesue and Lexsara all came into town and joined me, knitress and econopodder. This is important. Knitress and I have been seeing Star Wars together since we met in 1979. She skivved class at NU to go to ESB, I didn’t, something I’ve always regretted. I met Slyvermont and CyndiSueSue through Club Jade around the time I was writing Stuff in 1995 or shortly thereafter. My spawn joined us for the Thursday show and he was born in 1999, the year of TPM.
It was really interesting hearing the spawn discussing his favorite Star Wars with his friend on the way to the movie. They both are gamers and really loved Lego Star Wars, The Force Unleashed, and the Clone Wars cartoon. My spawn loved the Clone Wars movie, too, though he may deny it now. Friday nights were filled with Clone Wars, pizza, and Star Wars gaming afterward. The point is, they had a very different experience than I did coming into Force Awakens. Their experience is not movie based at all.
Yet, they loved the film, too, as much as I did and maybe more.
This was an important realization for me as I processed my own views. TFA is derivative, even highly derivative, with its reliance on (another) planet-destroying superweapon (combo Death Star-Suncrusher), the destruction of the shields, the trench run, the life in the desert, a next gen named Ben, ever so many McGuffins and coincidences, and so many other things. But I didn’t assume that everyone came into the film as I did. Like showing the trailer during Monday Night Football, and as the marketing has (tried) to show, Star Wars is for everyone and not everyone has lived it and the EU for the last 38 years.
We hit on a key phrase going to the third viewing - this is a conservative film and strategically the right choice for the first entrant in a franchise Disney paid $4 billion for. I felt TFA would have been better if it had been less referential and more original but I loved what I saw and I understood why it was the way it was and did not resent the film for those choices. If anything, I felt that the nods, especially to the EU were welcoming, see, we haven't forgotten you, either.***
I’m not sure what else I can add to the commentary. I was mostly unspoiled and stopped trying to figure out who Luke had referred to in the trailer as “you have that power too.” I couldn’t reconcile who Rey might be, I did not assume she was Force-sensitive until her extraordinary mental duel with Kylo, I bought completely that Finn was the Jedi to be, and I’d never thought Rey would steal the Falcon. I didn’t know if Kylo Ren was a Skywalker or Solo. I was continually surprised and so happy to have been thoroughly misled.
I was incredibly moved by Han’s statement “I knew Luke,” spoken with genuine love and not blaming him at all for his son’s’ fall. I loved how the Falcon reappeared. We had joked on Twitter at the last trailer that maybe Maz was an ancient Force sensitive lady space pirate who was the Obi-Wan to Rey's Luke "Who are you? I'm no one.". She was and I loved that character and the portrayal so much. The whole sequence when Rey and Finn meet Han is unbelievable - the writing is terrific - Han Solo the Rebellion General? No! Han Solo the smuggler! This is the Millennium Falcon that did the Kessel Run in 14 parsecs? 12! So much was encompassed in that sequence.
I thought the chemistry between the characters was all amazing. John Boyega was wonderful. Poe Dameron is my new space husband. (My real life spouse is now signing correspondence "your terrestrial husband. My spawn said, "I approve of your new space husband, mom.")
I really, really liked Adam Driver and his interactions with Oscar Isaac and especially with Daisy Ridley. Ridley is just amazingly expressive in her face and I loved her and that we have her as the focus of the journey. I’ve heard some criticism of Adam Driver (constipated is a word I’ve seen) but I loved his performance, appearance, and everything. There are no words in the most intensive parts of those two scenes between Ren and Kylo and I LOVED them.
And of course, the lightsaber handle stuck in the snow. Right before we left, my spawn and I were watching ESB and I explained how, when Luke is hung up like a Christmas ham in the wampa cave, that when we saw him for the first time summon his lightsaber, stuck in the snow, with the Force, it was incredible. It was the first time we’d ever seen the Force used like that. We didn’t know it could do that. (go watch it)
When Rey summons the same handle, stuck in the snow, with the Force theme welling was spectacular. I wept and cheered. This was the most referential moment of the film for me and the one I most appreciated. Her expression when she follows Maz's wisdom and listens for the light side during the duel (thanks Maz!) was breathtaking.
Han and Leia. I completely understood how something so terrible would tear them apart - they feel they failed as parents and so go back to what each felt they were best at.
I’ll close with how wonderful it is to share Star Wars with friends and family again. I’ve been really moved by the many commercials showing parents sharing it with their children and fans of all ages, races and genders sharing with each other. The concept of a community of fans is so important - and was something I was concerned Disney would suppress. I love hearing about (and seeing) R2-KT, all the celebs clamoring for parts and dressing up for the premiers, the member of the 501st who was the voice of the female stormtrooper we hear, and the friends invited to premiers and red carpets. One reason that the 3rd viewing was so emotional for me personally was that I’d tried to explain to Slyvermont something about what has happened with me and certain elements of the Narnia fandom and the devastating comments I’d recently received on a new story. She asked why didn’t I just shut off comments? I burst into tears and said that it was because that was how I’d met her and so many others, through fic. To close down that line of communication meant closing myself to meeting amazing people and sharing and building community with them.
So yep, as we joked after the 3rd viewing that in another 30 years, we’ll all be in assisted living and the van will come to wheel us into a senior’s matinee.
*** I admit it. When we came out after the first viewing, I said that there was Mara Jade sized plot hole. I know Mara's probably not the mother of Rey. I know that Luke will never say, as someone who I thought was ta-dala said on Tumblr, "Her name was Mara." I know that Dunc is mocking me for this. (I even said that on Thursday night). I DON'T CARE. I'll just hold on to that until Episode VIII.
This entry was originally posted at http://rthstewart.dreamwidth.org/129781.html. Please comment there using OpenID.