Media Monday: The Force Awakens

…..have I really not written about this yet? Like, seriously? As I stated in my introduction post so many months ago, I am a geek in many ways. But, far above all else, I am a huge fan of Star Wars. I was not alive to see the release of the Original Trilogy, but I watched them many times on VHS growing up. I grew up with the prequels coming out, and while I know the general consensus on them, I enjoyed the prequels. Now, something I never thought possible is happening: a new trilogy of Star Wars films is coming out, as well as “anthology” movies in between. To quote Tony’s previous thoughts post about TFA: it is a great time to be a Star Wars fan.

I could talk about this movie for hours. Days even. I love everything about this movie. And with the DVD release early last week, I couldn’t have picked a better time to finally talk about it here. I’m not going to go into much detail on the plot. For me, this is less a direct “review”, but more so a persuasive essay. I can assume that those who read this blog, the blog with “geek” in the name, have probably already seen The Force Awakens. I want everyone to see this movie, and if you already have, I want you to see it again. I also want to address some common complaints I see online regarding parts of the film, and explain, from my viewpoint, why those complaints are terrible.

Let us start off talking briefly about the plot. The plot, at it’s roots, is very straightforward sci-fi fare. Good versus evil, light versus dark. All the things you’d expect from Star Wars. But that is NOT a bad thing. Star Wars works because it follows the age-old archetype of The Hero’s Journey. The Hero’s Journey, or elements of it, is present in most works of fiction. And of course, it is present in The Force Awakens. Now, a very common complaint I hear is that The Force Awakens is just a rip-off of A New Hope. While I would never use the word rip-off, I understand the complaint. Many of the plot elements, right down to the ecology of the planets, are shared with A New Hope. However, the word homage is what should be used. The Hero’s Journey is the lynch pin here. Stories can follow the same basic plot points, and still be different. The difference is in the details, and hoo-boy, the details are different in The Force Awakens.

I would also like to talk about the characters for a second. I don’t think there was a single new character I didn’t like. Rey was tough and capable, yet had an intriguing backstory leaving many yearning for answers in the next few films. Finn was a mold-breaking, not only serving as a point of focus for the story, but also showing that the First Order has flaws. Poe was the typical fun, cocky ace pilot who can kick ass in more ways than one. My favorite new character, however, was Kylo Ren. Kylo Ren is trying so hard to be evil; he embraces the dark side, hoping to become as strong as Darth Vader. However, he is tempted. Unlike characters we’ve seen before, he is not tempted by the dark, but by the light. Ren is trying so desperately to be evil, but the temptations of good keep seeping through. I see many people online call Ren whiny, or pathetic, but I think that is kind of the point. Ren is like a child, throwing fits when things don’t go his way. He equates rebellion with the dark side, yet will eventually see that he cannot escape the light. Also, for those saying that Kylo is weak; did you not watch him take a shot from Chewie’s bowcaster and walk it off?!

Now, enough about my thoughts. Everyone should go see this movie. I am so very enraptured by this film, and it makes me so happy that I can finally put up an affiliate link to the DVD of this movie. I feel so lucky that I get to watch a new series of Star Wars films coming out in my lifetime.

It is so very good to be a geek, is it not?