Okay, I know I probably shouldn't be doing this, but I've got to tell someone.
A couple days ago I saw The Force Awakens. I stayed quite calm up until the lights dimmed, then the rush hit. The music and opening that we've come to expect passed, and there was a planet being eclipsed by a dagger-like shadow. I knew at that point that all the naysayers were wrong.
In all of Zahn's "Rebellion Era" novels, the opening pages take place on a Star Destroyer, just like all three of the Original Trilogy films. To start with one of those giant war machines was for me the final piece of the "we're back" puzzle. This wasn't a remake of Star Wars, it is Star Wars.
Now I've heard a lot of gripes about many things, some big and some trivial. I've only got two, and I'm chalking them up to "not what I expected."
The music didn't immediately harken back to the Originals, or even the Prequels, but I'll admit I was so busy watching the plot that I wasn't paying attention to the score. I did catch the "Force Theme" being used at significant events, which makes sense. Also, since the old music was so little used (from what I recall), it kinda blows my theory that Rey is a member of the family. It could still happen, but as of now all I can do is shrug and wait for Episode VIII.
The second thing was a few of the camera moves. Now, in their context, they make perfect sense. They just didn't feel like "Star Wars." One was more "fantasy epic," a'la Lord of the Rings, while the other was more thriller, like Hitchcock. I'm going to have to watch a few more times to get my mind wrapped around them and why they were used. And I do intend on giving Abrams every opportunity to convince me his choices were right (they probably were).
So, besides a few almost slips in my willing suspension of disbelief, I have nothing bad to say about the film. But I would like to discuss one occurrence that some are upset about. However, I don't want to spoil it for anyone. If you want to read what I think about it, you'll need to highlight the following section. Warning: here be spoilers.
Han Solo dies at the hands of his son, Ben, who now goes by the name Kylo Ren. Anyone familiar with the Legends (the old Expanded Universe) knows that Han and Leia's eldest son, Jacen, turns to the dark side.
In the movie, Ben had been trained as a Jedi by his uncle, but was corrupted by Snoke and kills all the Jedi but Luke. This is why Luke is in hiding. This also led to Han and Leia breaking up, and probably why Han lost the Falcon.
At the end of the movie, while Han and Chewie are setting up explosives to take out a critical portion of the enemy base, Han confronts his son. Ben says he doesn't think he's strong enough to do what he has to do. He makes a showing of handing his lightsaber to Han, but then stabs him and pitches him into a nigh bottomless chasm. Ben had been told that to completely overcome the light side he had to kill his father. (Now, I'm betting that isn't the last we hear of Ben's wavering loyalties.)
I wasn't surprised it happened. The moment Han yell out his son's name I knew that there would be a confrontation, and only one would leave alive. And since we know Han likes to shoot first, and we need a bad guy for two more movies, it was obvious who would die. I was surprised that there were no reactions, no gasps, no cries, no screaming or throwing popcorn. Maybe everyone else saw it coming too.
Some have said that it wasn't a "fitting" death for Han. I disagree. In "Vector Prime," Chewie dies. The death, however, is quite spectacular, but that's not important. The why is. This was the first book in a new series, following the official end of the Galactic Civil War. There were no more new bad guys or superweapons. Then along comes an alien race from another galaxy who grow their technology and who cannot be felt in the Force. At all. And they destroy a planet by forcing its moon to crash into it. To show that these guys mean business, it was only fitting that one of the most unstoppable characters be killed off. If Chewie can die at their hands, is anyone safe? Anyway, the New Jedi Order is a good read, so if you get a chance, pick them up (even if they are unofficial now).
Regarding Han's death, its the same idea. When we first met Kylo, he stops a blaster bolt. Not like Vader did, but actually freezes it in midair. For a full minute. While having a conversation. And doesn't release it until after leaving the area. The bad guy's powers have been ramped up since the last movie. So here comes Han, hoping to use the love of a parent to save his son. It worked for Vader, so it should work on Ben. And it almost did.
I think Han knew it would happen, but he had to see it through to the end. Ben was obviously scared of his father, since he was hesitant to speak of him with Snoke. And by scared I mean afraid he had disappointed someone he used to look up to. Han knew that he had one last chance to influence Ben, regardless of whether he lived or died. He even seemed more surprised than angry that Ben killed him. Chewie on the other hand....
I've heard that Ford is slated to be in Ep. VIII, but I don't see how, except in flashbacks or dreams perhaps. We'll see.
Okay, spoiler and "crazy fan theory" over. I'll probably switch that to "readable" sometime after February. Actually the speculation is not entirely over. The movie left with more of a cliff-hanger than any other, I think. We still don't know who Rey's parents are. I'm positive its not Han and Leia, since neither spoke to her in such a way. But since they didn't speak to her as family at all, she may not be a Skywalker. Though perhaps they didn't know. The only things supporting her being a Skywalker, now, is the immense untrained Force power, the lightsaber "calling" to her, and the use of the "Force Theme" at key elements in her story. Even the ending and her vision left it ambiguous.
I'm willing to bet, though, that, based on her age, her father was training/training with the Jedi, and her mother went off on a mission, leaving her him an ally's care. Things happened, and her parent/parents were casualties of the Jedi massacre. So now its just a question of whether Luke is her father, or her parents' teacher. And if he tells her the truth, or goes at it "from a certain point of view." That's enough plot speculation for now.
The countdown to Episode VIII (coming May 26, 2017) begins.
