The Ways of the Force

The newest installment of the Star Wars universe arrived a few weeks ago, and I finally went to see it on the 23rd as a small Christmas present to myself. I've heard the whole range of opinions on this film, from those who loved it and those who loathe it. I've been a fan of Star Wars since the first movie captivated my imagination at the age of 4, and I just have to say that some people take this franchise far, far too seriously. The people who hated the prequels forgot that the first three movies weren't exactly high-quality cinema. They were entertaining sci-fiction space movies with good action, interesting characters and storylines that weren't always expertly developed. They are modern myths of heroes and villains in a struggle between good and evil. And every installment since the first has stayed true to that notion. 

With all of that said, I think the new movie falls somewhere in the middle. It's not the best, but it's not the worst episode either. It's entertaining. It has some great battles, some great character moments, and unlike Episode 7, it reduces the number of allusions to the plot structure of it's corresponding original, in this case The Empire Strikes Back, which makes it feel more worthwhile.

I think Rey is one of the best characters in the Star Wars universe. She is much more dynamic as a questioning young jedi than either Luke or Anikan. Unfortunately, I can't say the same is true for Kylo. There's something missing in his character, as there was in the last film. I was hoping there would be more done in this one to resolve that, but instead they relegated him to a Anikan type Episode II role. The movie also would've been better served if it had delved deeper into the history or organization of the First Order. Where the prequels spent a lot of energy on the politics of the universe, this one has spent too little in my opinion.

By far, the most intriguing aspect of this movie for me was how it expanded on the nature of the Force. It expanded on the ways of the Force far more than any of the previous films. It also shows us the Luke was never really the Master Jedi we assumed he was. We discover there is still much about the force that he doesn't understand...and therefore, that we didn't understand. Now the next movie just needs to deliver on that notion and give us even more to feed our imagination.