My Fandom Awakens [SPOILER FREE]

If you're reading this, you're likely to have already decided to go see Star Wars: The Force Awakens, or have already seen it. But if not, I highly recommend it, especially for even the most casual fan of the franchise.

What can I say? I was not disappointed. I know that sounds like faint praise. But as a part of the generation that saw the Original Trilogy in theaters and then suffered through the prequels, I hope you can appreciate the impact of those words. The Force Awakens is simply awesome. I have only praise for the filmmakers.

Beginning with the script, Lawrence Kasdan proves once again his skill in making the SW Galaxy come alive with believable dialogue. Based on what I have read, I wonder how much of Michael Arndt's (a capable screenwriter) original script remains after Kasdan and J.J. Abrams got done with it. Abrams' decision to go with mostly practical locations, effects, and aliens (along with the selective use of CGI) was perfectly fitting with the OT, giving the film a feeling of physicality that is often lacking in the prequels. Finally, the actors themselves give awesome performances. Daisy Ridley and [John] Boyega are a delight. (I can't believe I just wrote that phrase, but they are.) And they are well supported by the rest of the cast, both old and new.

While I have a few questions the movie doesn't answer, I am satisfied with the story I got. Well, actually, I'm not satisfied. For the first time in three decades, I walked out of a Star Wars movie eagerly anticipating the next.

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