The Geek Awakens

Rating: 10/10 (21 December 2015)

OK, first thing's first, I wasn't too excited about the prospect of a new star wars movie back when it was first announced that they were planning to make another "trilogy". The original, episodes **IV-VI** as they are called now, were released at a time when I was just a rug rat. I got to watch them some time around the mid-80s as syndicated shows on local TV, then after wards on every format from Betamax to DVDs.
They were awesome. It jump-started this kid's movie-watching habit. To experience them then, I would like to think, is similar to how it impacted the rest of the world when it first came out in cinemas. There were nothing like it before. Episodes IV-VI did to movie-making what **Jimi Hendrix**'s guitar-playing did to rock & roll and **Michael Jackson**'s *"Thriller"* album to the music business.
Then came the prequels, which came out during my, let's say, formative years. This if you will, I'd like to compare to **Metallica**'s career back in the 90s with their *"Load"* and *"ReLoad"* albums. If you were also into them at some point in your life then you might get the analogy. If not, then it's suffice to say that the experience is kinda like having that ex- girlfriend whom you hated the most suddenly turn up and learning you had a kid with her. Nuff said.
Now going back.
So I really wasn't excited for a new **Star Wars** movie, let alone another trilogy. The announcement happened at a time when I was full-on geeking out with **Marvel** and its planned cinematic universe which was gradually building up. By this point, I felt that I've already outgrown the Star Wars franchise the way you outgrow **Mickey Mouse** or mainstream porn (whooops...).
And so the years passed after the announcement and I wasn't really following any news or development regarding the new movie. But it didn't mean that I wasn't planning on seeing it. Let's just say I was more of just curious how it turns out, realizing that **Lucasfilm** and my beloved Marvel are now both under the **Disney** umbrella.
So last night I finally got around to seeing it, braving a torrential Monsoon downpour and risk of catching the flu. And what do I think of it? Ladies and gentlemen, I'm back onboard. The force definitely awakened in this one.
What the movie did is reconnected me to beloved characters which I thought were long buried beneath my stressed adult mind. During moments whenever the old characters share the screen with the new, so much unspoken history reverberates in the scene and fills the air that I wanted to cry. Our new generation of heroes in the form of **Rey**, **Finn**, and **Poe** definitely pass the coolness test for me. They have been weighed and found worthy to finally push those **Katnisses** and **Edward Cullens** off the Hollywood stage.
Off with the trying-hard mythos of half-cooked contemporary fiction. Make way for the greatest fairy tale ever told in any generation. And you know what else this movie did? It's made light sabers fashionable again. X-wing/TIE fighter dogfights are freakin' awesome again. And death stars? Yes, obsolete but never uncool. Star-freakin-killer bases though? They're definitely the rebel-busting way to go.
And so my attention is now divided between a universe of flying tin men and soldiers with shields instead of guns, and the continuing story of the most dysfunctional family in a galaxy far, far away. I'm geeking out on Star Wars all over again. This is such a good time to be a geek. I'm psyched. Now that the Star Wars franchise is in a lot better hands away from its daddy, the saga has taken on a form worth taking seriously again. And you know what? No lens flares from **JJ Abrams** in this movie. Amazing! Proof that Star Wars don't need no friggin lens flares. All it really needed was a dose of good characterization, permeating mystery, genuine laughs, and good ol' Millennium Falcon action.
What did I like about the movie the most? Falling in love with Ray. I know. Finally, a character in the franchise that you can again root for. That was the problem with the prequels, you couldn't really root for anybody, not even **Obi Wan**. Back in the old trilogy, I had a childhood crush on **Leia** and was seriously jealous of **Han Solo**, and ergo, heavily sympathized with **Luke**. Then **Return Of The Jedi** made me all go, "ewww, gross!" with the whole fraternal twins reveal, but it's all good. With The Force Awakens I'm emotionally invested in the characters again. Everyone had a chance to shine, and Ray's was definitely the brightest. You'd want the series to continue just for her story alone and it would be enough. Same could be said about Finn or Poe, and it's all a good thing as well because we were given such great characters this time around.
So far, it seems that the biggest criticism about the movie is that it was derivative of the original trilogy. To me, they felt more like tributes, which to a true fan, should have further enriched the experience of watching. It certainly did the job for me.
There were also big questions raised, and some minor plot holes that needs filling, like the sudden turnaround of Finn early in the film. Another is Kylo Ren turning out to be just another delinquent kid with parent issues. But I'm not complaining. We're getting another trilogy after all, so mysteries are definitely essential and there's a lot of room for the next movies for villain development.
All in all, it's a great feeling to finally have a new movie that's truly worthy of the franchise. **Star Wars: The Force Awakens** puts the meaning on why this movie franchise is called "Star Wars" in the first place.