The Hall Closes and Force Awakens

Hey everyone. So my staff and I closed the hall for Winter Break and we are truly done with the fall semester... and I'm done talking about that because once we were done, I got in my car and went to see Star Wars.

Since the movie did just come out, I want to keep this as spoiler-free as possible, but I might say things that kind of imply movie events. I don't know - haven't decided yet. Anyway, read at your own risk.

Of course when I say "read at your own risk", I mean go and watch it because it's a very good movie. Similar to my blog about the Peanuts movie, it felt like the newest part of the Star Wars saga continues with the feel of previous material - in this case, the original trilogy. There were some ways where it felt like we were pulling back to have a simpler story, but also pushing forward to continue plot lines and character development.


I've been sitting here trying to think the hype I had to see the Force Awakens compared to middle school/high school me with the prequels. The prequels have a much different feel than Force Awakens and I would argue that the differences coincided with what I was looking for in a good Star Wars movie.

Another important point to consider is that a decade has passed since Revenge of the Sith and in that time, my love of Star Wars, sci-fi, and general nerdy things has grown. I've watched the movies many times, played games like Battlefront 2, Lego Star Wars, and Empire at War, and connected with people over Star Wars. Heck, an alternate telling of Return of the Jedi is how Michelle and I started talking outside of a group conversation. Going back to 1999 with the Phantom Menace, I had only known Star Wars was a thing for two years prior during the 20-year special edition re-release. So having a new movie didn't have the weight that this one did (because let's be honest, I had an adrenaline rush when the Star Wars logo & music started).

Now I'm not going to say that Force Awakens is perfect, but it felt like a proper Star Wars movie. It's possible that I've appreciated it more because of the prequels and how they had obvious issues. To avoid spoilers, I'll say that this movie had a few big moments that just happened when it seems like they could have built up more and pushed back to the next installment. It still all made sense though and as long as they don't try to up the ante way too high in the next one, it should make for a great trilogy.

I could honestly go on about Star Wars for a long time, but I think this is a good point for me to stop. Tomorrow is National Sangria Day and Games Day!? I need to get on that!

DFTBA