Movies with Brian: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (No Spoilers, but there is a corgi dressed as yoda!)

Duhdadadaaaadaaaa duhdadadaaaadaaada…. Star Wars! Let’s be honest you weren’t really sure what that onomatopoeia was all about at first, am I right?

The Force Awakens is the most recent installment of an ever-expanding fictional universe, and has finally made its way to DVD/Bluray/Digital for your home viewing pleasure. Originally I saw the movie in theaters with my wife, and left somewhere between disgruntled and disappointed. There were several reasons for that:

1. We got to the theater late and ended up sitting in the second row – Han Solo’s face was so droopy we wondered if he’d had a stroke.
2. The crowd wanted the movie to be good, and listening to the desperately forced laughter at parts that were not worthy of a cackle or guffaw made me resent paying money for this “experience”.
3. My expectations were off base because of how well reviewed it was. I lost sight of the fact that you really need to suspend your disbelief; granted there are significant moments that, even in that state, this movie stretched too far.

Suffice to say my initial descriptions of the movie fit into the four-letter category. Has anything changed since then? Yes.

It’s not that the DVD presented a different, more palatable film, but I watched it with my kids (ages 6, 4, and not quite 2). They were enthralled and excited by the action, the story, the world, the universe they were viewing did not have the staleness it did for me (somebody familiar with the first Star Wars films). Was it perfect? Not by any means, but it became a family experience. It was something fun that added value because it was shared, because the story itself (although a complete rehashing of  A New Hope, although filled with logical flaws that cannot simply be explained away “because the force”) is about good versus evil, and the reality of danger and pain and suffering, but in a safe way.

In a world that is growing more and more confused about everything from gender identity, to just wars, or even if there is such a thing as right and wrong anymore it is good to be able to tap into something with an underlying absolute value at its core.

With all my thoughts I still hold that the Honest Trailer is the most accurate assessment of this movie. It is not perfect. It does not capture the mystique of the original three, but it is a good sequel. In the end I think this movie will have been a perfect gateway into something bigger and more expansive than George Lucas was able to create. With a preview for Rogue One now out, and the knowledge that there are seven films to be released over seven years this is an exciting time for the Star Wars franchise and its fans.

Overall this movie was good, well worth watching, especially in preparation for the coming expansion.

Happy viewing,

Brian

Addition by Wesley. This is as close as I've gotten to a Star Wars movie. #realtalk