Star Wars: Spoilers and Theories

If you haven't seen the new Star Wars movie yet, you didn't care enough to avoid the spoilers anyway. The movie has been out for weeks, and you could have asked to watch it for Christmas. If you asked for ANYTHING else, your priorities are already established, and I have no pity for you.

That movie was freaking awesome.

Where am I on the Star Wars fangirl spectrum? Truth is, I haven't seen all of the original movies. I want to see them now. Currently, I have seen bits and pieces. I know Princess Leia wore a gold bikini, and Yoda talked backwards, and Luke was good with the saber and Darth Vader was his father, and I liked those Ewoks very much. I saw the Prequels that the true fans hated, and I loved them. They are what first got me interested in the stories and characters.

Then I watched the animated Clone Wars with my husband at night on Netflix. Those cartoons were so good! Ahsoka Tano is one of the most interesting characters I've ever met. Her cool ears hair that dangles behind her, and she lives to be super old. The Star Wars world, and the battle between light and dark in each character as well is the world they defend is complicated and interesting. I get it. I feel the battle of light and dark inside of me, and I like seeing how other characters respond and deal with the inner struggle.

So, that is the backstory of me coming into the Star Wars: The Force Awakens.  Well, and this. My husband woke us all up early the morning the trailer came out and we watched it 3 or 4 times before we started getting ready for school and work. He was REALLY excited. Ian has actually seen all the original episodes, and reads a lot of reviews, and had high expectations for the movie. It was fun to be excited about something together.

Rey is awesome. Her sitting next to a broken ship, eating her gel food, and wearing an old helmet in the middle of a sand world was one of the coolest scenes. It showed her independence. She is waiting for something more, and something more comes with BB-8. She is hesitant to take on her role, but she is clear about what side she is on. Right now, she identifies with the light, although her true desire at the beginning is for someone to come back for her. That moment happened when Finn, Han, and Chewie come back to the ship for her. That giant hug for Finn had all the emotion of a character who had been waiting for this type of relationship. Although she is capable of taking care of herself, she wants someone to find her worth returning for. I think she is Luke Skywalker's daughter. I am also open to other theories. My evidence is that the light saber called to Luke, his father, and now it calls to her. There is something there. Plus, the person she was waiting for on her sand planet is never coming back, but the connection and home she wants lies in front of her in her future. It makes sense that Luke is her family and the connection she was waiting for. However, it could be different. I am not buying into the reincarnated Anakin theory.

I think Han Solo is actually dead, but the motivation behind his death still puzzles me. His son kills him. His son that is trying very hard to be loyal to the darkside kills his father in an effort to kill his past, kill the love that is pulling him towards the light he doesn't want, and further solidify the evil within him. There is nothing that says evil more than killing the unarmed father that loves you and wants you to come home. But, I don't think Han would have let it happen unless he wanted to. It was some sort of a sacrifice. Maybe a sacrifice he was willing to make if it gave his son a chance. Maybe he actually helped his son turn the saber and light it up. Maybe he didn't want to go on living in a world where his son wanted nothing to do with him and was fighting on the dark side. I hope that is clarified more, but it might not be.

Kylo Ren. Some people really hated the person cast for this part. I thought he was fine. He seemed like a troubled, brilliant, annoying, power hungry person. I didn't see that he resembled his parents much, but there are a lot of children that look nothing like their parents, so genetically I wasn't bothered. I thought he did a good job of being really into the part. I liked his commitment and his struggle. I was convinced that this kid is an imbalanced and unpredictable wild card.

Finn. I loved this guy. He was the friend we all want. A fun loyal guy who is figuring things out, and he is motivated by self-interest. Yep. I know him. The dynamic between him and Rey was very entertaining. He kept trying to save her and she kept saving her own self. In the Clone Wars the moral struggle Storm Troopers have was explored on a pretty deep level, so I was into his inner conflict. He had a world and philosophy he didn't agree with. He was a sanitation worker, put into his first battle, and he can feel that it is wrong and he wants nothing to do with it. Some criticized his quick decision and rebuttal of his training, but for all we know he had been struggling for a long time, and it was when he was in the heat of battle that his conscience became clear. His journey from captive to individual fighting against the institution that had power over him was compelling and awesome.

Poe. I like anyone who makes me laugh, so I liked this guy. I was not bothered by his cocky nature. It seems like a pilot who was that good would have to be pretty cocky. His smile was precious, and I hope he gets a romantic interest in the next episode because he was swoon worthy for me.

BB-8. My friend Joni Newman said he is the lovechild between Wall-E and R2D2 and yes. This is true. I love that android. Part of the awesomeness of the Star Wars world are the droids who are not autonomous, but also not completely controlled. They have personalities and skills that add awesome conflict, tensions, and comedy to the plot. I loved BB-8.

Snoke. Who cares? OK, some people are really into who he is. But, it doesn't matter to me. He is the evil guy with a scared up face. He looked like Gollum, but without a cool backstory. Unless he was at one time a good guy, he doesn't interest me. If he turns out to be Yoda, I am in. Time will tell if I care about this giant hologram or not. For now, not so much.

Commander Leia Organa. I love that she is awesome and powerful and wise. I can't wait to see how her relationship with Rey unfolds. I like that she is a mother, conflicted by her loyalty to her naughty son, and her job that she absolutely believes in. It is a really great conflict that so many people can relate to. That hug with her and Rey was an awesome moment. "I know you tried to kill my son, but he was wrong and you are right. I love him, but he made the wrong choice, and I support you." The strong, vulnerable women made the movie so good.

If you haven't watched it, what is your excuse?