SykoGrafix
SykoGrafix.com
December 23, 2015

The Force Awoke.

I remember where I was when it happened.

It was during an illustration class in the first year of the Video Game art college program I had gone back to school to take. We were all at drafting tables, mostly working independently. During a break in the action, I pulled out my phone to check my message and read my Twitter feed. My eyes widened as I read the events that has transpired earlier that day. I knew I had to be the one to tell everyone.

“George Lucas sold LucasFilm to Disney and they just announced that they’re making Star Wars Episode VII.”

The room rustled. Cool moment.

It seemed hard to comprehend at the time. Star Wars was not in any danger of being forgotten, but the prospect of getting more movies, numbered sequels even,  was unfathomable.  It was exciting to think of the possibilities but the question over what they were going to do with it cast a shroud. After all, how do you create a sequel to Return of the Jedi?

Quick painted BB8 doodle drawn by me using the software Mischief.

Quick painted BB8 doodle drawn by me using the software Mischief.

Well, here we are. They did it and it’s fantastic.

I’m not going to go into too many details or post any spoilers but I do want to say that I’ve seen The Force Awakens twice so far and loved it. The new characters were great, the call-backs were fun, the returning cast was so good to see again, and the ending was pitch perfect.

I have to say that watching it the first time was kind of a weird experience though! I feel like I know every inch of the other 6 movies, so seeing a movie that I didn’t know anything about, but was so obviously Star Wars, was very strange! I didn’t know what was going to happen and that new sensation was ever-present. Upon my second viewing though, it had become much more familiar, and in a very good way.

I think that it is very much a Star Wars film, but it’s also it own thing with a modern sensibility. From a lot of the action and the dialog, It did feel like a movie made in 2015, and that’s fine. It’s a new beginning for this franchise, and while I don’t want it to become too over-saturated to the point where it looses its magic, I’m excited to see what happens with it moving forward.

All that said, my most favorite part of Episode VII is when the annoying kid sitting next to me, who kept on saying things like “Who’s that?” and “What’s that?” and “My tummy hurts!” and his dad, who had to keep telling the kid to be quiet, left their seats and did not come back. Then I could finally enjoy the movie! My main concern regarding when Episode VIII comes out is that I do not sit beside anyone else like that, or, coincidentally,  sit beside the same kid again.

Sayonara.

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