I can finally review the new Star Wars movie, and yes, I am officially the last person on the planet to see it so I can include spoilers, not that anyone actually reads this blog, but you've been warned! Three weeks ago I read an article that stated 'as there are only 3 people who have not yet see this movie…' I was thrilled to be mentioned in an article! I live somewhere between Jakku and Hoth so it takes a bit for movies to make it to the local one screen cineplex, but it still costs less than a direct flight to either (unlike the big city theaters) so it is worth the wait to go. Overall, this was a strange experience for me, it may be the first movie in history that I emerged from without knowing my own mind on whether I liked it or not. It wasn't like the Hobbit (any of them) from which I emerged in shock, scandalized and disappointed, but rather it felt much like deja vu.
Now I am a geek through and through, except I don't know elvish or klingon, but then my latin and spanish are also rather dismal; languages just aren't my thing. I have been known to skip class to go to a premiere and even dress up for a showing. I've even read the books (yes, there are a plethora of Star Wars books, though most of them are now non-canonical). So it was a little weird sitting in the theater for the 7th Star Wars installment and feeling like I was in an alternate universe where things were familiar yet utterly strange. It was a similar feeling when they hit the reset button on Star Trek. I was completely lost as to the socio-political situation in the galaxy since the battle of Endor. They blew up a planet, I think it might have been the Republic capital but I'm not sure, they spent more time on the masked man's temper tantrums than they did on that minor detail. I'll need to watch it about 6 more times with the subtitles on to make sure I get all the dialogue before I understand, if it is even comprehensible.
From what I can discern, there is a recognized galactic government but for some reason Leia's off running a new rebellion type outfit while there's also an empire in exile run by Gollum who has learned english but he only makes appearances as a giant hologram. The villain from Star Trek: Nemesis (my least favorite Star Trek movie), along with far too much of the plot, makes a reappearance as Han and Leia's estranged and murderous son, who is into Emo, throws temper tantrums, and is a Darth Vader wanna be, complete with shrine at which he bows in worship on occasion. He's probably the worst villain (not in a good way) I've ever seen in a fictional presentation, though he does bear a striking resemblance to his teenage grandfather in the prequels (we won't mention those again) with his whiny, self-centered attitude. I actually miss Chancellor Palpatine and the elder Darth Vader; Darth Maul was pretty cool until he spoke. I won't even mention how ridiculous it is to have a light saber with mini lasers in place of the traditional (not for a light saber) guard.
I did love the new trio of characters, but the kids hardly got to know one another. Has the pilot even met the girl? And what's with killing off Han Solo and immediately filling his pilot's chair with the girl, as if he's just been outsourced? But then she also needs to be Luke too, and there's certainly a bit of Leia too: she's the whole gang wrapped into one! I really like the new Yoda (that cat lady) and Chewbacca is always fun. Why does every Star Trek or Star Wars movie need a planet destroying weapon, especially when it was almost a subplot here? Luke's off filming Castaway II so we don't see much of him and why are we ending the movie exactly where we left off in The Empire Strikes Back? I am ecstatic that the quirky humor, snarky comments, camaraderie, and great one liners of the original trilogy are back, but this film still manages to take itself too seriously at times, which was the greatest failing of the prequels, that and the stiff acting, which is only a problem with a few characters here (mostly among the Empire Wanna-bes, but that's how they are supposed to be so no problem there). I love that smuggler dude with the Scottish accent (see, I knew there had to be a Scotland in the galaxy far far away), he should have been the villain, not that guy from Nemesis.
I'll decide whether I like it after I've seen it a few times and figure out what is actually happening, perhaps the sequels will improve matters as well, but at least I was not disappointed (except with the villains). How can you have an awesome series without great villains? But then we just got spoiled with the original Vader.
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