10. It’s the start of a new trilogy. Lest we forget, there are two more movies coming down the pike, to say nothing of all the “Anthology” films designed to fill in the gaps between the main films. While much has been made of The Force Awakens as a return to that galaxy far, far away, we must also remember that Episode VII is going to establish themes and plotlines for the next trilogy – and perhaps beyond.
9. It’s not George Lucas. And I don’t mean that as a slight to the man; for all the faults of the Prequel Trilogy, I do feel he’s hugged the cactus long enough, and he’s still the man responsible for birthing Star Wars into the universe. What I mean is, up until now we’ve really only seen George Lucas’s Star Wars, with his authorial hand at the narrative till. I’m excited to see what other voices bring to the galaxy.
8. Stellar space dogfights. In a way, I’m more excited about this one than lightsaber fights. We’ve done the lightsaber thing over and over, but Return of the Jedi is still the benchmark for great space combat. In light of the CGI pixelfest opening of Revenge of the Sith, and with the inclusion of an X-Wing pilot as one of our chief new characters, we’re in for some stellar space fighting.
7. Fun new merchandising. Look, if there’s one thing you’ve learned about me on this blog, it’s that I’m a hopeless shill, an easy mark. I’ve been devouring the new canon novels, spending far too much time on the Star Wars Card Trader app, and delighting in bobbling the head of my Kylo Ren Funko figurine. All of this has gone on, many rightly note, with a pretty hefty spoiler embargo from Disney. Just imagine what neat new doodads I’ll be able to put on my shelf once the movie lands.
6. Opening the puzzle box. Speaking of spoilers, let’s talk about the fact that the movie remains almost entirely unspoiled. We know next to nothing save what we’ve glimpsed in well-edited trailers and gorgeous movie posters. Maybe I’m just adept at dodging those murky spoileriffic corners of the Internet, but JJ Abrams has always been known for his puzzle box approach to filmmaking, keeping his cinematic cards as close to his directorial chest as possible. With the long arm of The Mouse at his side, we’re in for a real surprise come December.
5. Meeting new friends. It’s evident that The Force Awakens won’t just be treading familiar ground. We have a trio of new protagonists in Finn, Rey, and Poe Dameron, creepy antagonists in Kylo Ren, Captain Phasma, and General Hux, as well as the instantly lovable BB-8, heretofore unseen figures, and the overall shape of the galaxy in the wake of the fall of the Empire (if indeed it really fell). With no clue how all this fits together, with the tease that some characters are connected to the Original Trilogy in surprising ways, and with Disney positioning many performers as breakout figures, Star Wars ought to introduce us to a few new stars.
4. Seeing old friends. But of course, The Force Awakens isn’t discarding our holy trinity of science fiction. Luke, Han, and Leia are coming back, as are Chewbacca and that dynamic droid duo of C-3PO and R2-D2. Heck, even Admiral Ackbar is confirmed for a return. (Lando can’t be far behind, right!) It’s been thirty years in-canon, and only a little longer for us in the real world. The Force Awakens has a lot of catching up to do.
3. A new John Williams score. This was very nearly my #1 on the list, and I really can’t undersell just how pivotal Williams’s music will be to the success of The Force Awakens. Even if the film is a catastrophe on the level of Attack of the Clones, it’ll make a brilliant silent film with just the score turned up to eleven. He’ll be remixing the familiar tunes, as the trailers indicate, but I’m equally if not more excited to hear how he brings new characters to musical life.
2. Where is Luke Skywalker? Remember that puzzle box I mentioned? Abrams and company have let nothing slip about the whereabouts of Luke Skywalker, the only surviving Jedi (well, assuming Ahsoka Tano doesn’t make it out of Rebels). We know Mark Hamill is in the film – how could he not be? – but the trailers haven’t given us more than a momentary glimpse at a cybernetic hand which, to be fair, might not even be his. The mystery of science fiction’s greatest hero, and the implication that his absence might be a major plot point, has me all a-flutter.
1. That childlike sense of wonder. Credit the marketing team for this one, but the #1 reason I’m excited about The Force Awakens is that I feel genuinely excited about it. Something of a tautology, I know, but there’s a difference between this and my excitement for the next superhero movie. With the latter, I have a fairly good idea of what’s coming, and my excitement stems from confidence in the direction of whichever franchise I’m financing with my ticket. With Star Wars, the trailers and promotional materials give me a very different feeling, a reminder of why I fell in love with Star Wars at age eight or so, a promise that everything is going to be different but nothing is going to be too far afield. So far, everything I’ve seen of The Force Awakens has been a wonderful blend of nostalgia, promise, mystery, and wonder. Abrams, known for his Spielbergian sense of awe, is a worthy heir to the franchise, and I have the feeling of coming home to that galaxy far, far away.
Despite my obvious enthusiasm, rest assured I’ll be giving this one a fair shake come December. I haven’t made my mind up in advance, and if it’s absolute dreck I won’t flinch to say so. But I’ve got a very good feeling about this.
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