Enjoy a very belated and random review of the new Star Wars movie.

THIS IS NOT A SPOILER-FREE BLOG

I saw Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens in a packed theater on Christmas Day. It was one of those audiences that whooped when the main titles started and continued to clap whenever one of the veteran characters showed up on screen. Overly enthusiastic audiences during movies is one of my major pet peeves (Magic Mike was a nightmare), but it didn’t completely kill my spirits. I can imagine it’s how I felt when the first Harry Potter movie came out, but then again, I still didn’t outwardly show my glee. I suppose that goes along with the whole “conceal, don’t feel” a la Frozen bit I’ve got going on…but I digress.

I went into this viewing with absolutely no expectations. I agreed to see both Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith for two reasons: Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen. This movie has no Ewan McGregor or Hayden Christensen. I basically signed up for R2D2, who had a minute of screen time. Boo. BB-8 ain’t got nothin’ on you.

However, I was greatly surprised by how much I enjoyed the movie. I’m not a fan of action movies, but I always enjoy a “good vs. evil and good prevails” type of film. My viewing partner aka dad was not so impressed, but maybe it’s because this wasn’t a highly anticipated film for me.

The new cast is good. That seems pretty basic to say, but it’s true. Strong, female protagonists are pretty cool, and newcomer Daisy Ridley chose the perfect film for making her debut. From the talk show appearances he’s done, John Boyega seems perfectly likeable and Adam Driver has the perfect voice for a villain. Also, props on the diversity.

**Here’s your second spoiler warning**

I’m extremely impressed that the Internet kept the death of one Han Solo underwraps. (And admit it: you had a feeling that Kylo Ren wasn’t just going to turn back to the good side that easily.) But still, for an iconic character, this was a pretty bold move. Although, I’m sure they’ll find a way to bring him back for the next two movies. A hologram or something, probably. I’m also not onboard with the actors on the shortlist for a young Mr. Solo, even though Scott Eastwood is nice to look at. Hopefully they’ll pull another Daisy Ridley and find another talented unknown to play the coveted role.

And who do I think Rey’s parents are? Jury’s still out. It would make sense for the series if she is secretly a Skywalker. If she’s Leia and Han’s kiddo that could lead to an epic brother-sister showdown with Kylo Ren, and I’m completely up for that. Or maybe we haven’t met them yet…

I still wouldn’t consider myself a devoted Star Wars fan, but this movie was generally an enjoyable experience for me. I hope the sequels bring new pretty faces and more R2D2.