Star Wars: The Force Awakens in one word.
Awesome.
I wish I could come up with some better word – some cool literary word that makes me sound smart – but really, when it comes to Star Wars The Force Awakens, the little kid in me comes out & I just think it was awesome.
So the hard part for me is to write this article and not spoil just exactly what made it so awesome. I really don’t want to take away any bit of joy you may receive from watching the movie. If you are a Star Wars fan like I am, you are going to want to “discover” the story as you are watching it and NOT because someone told you. So don’t expect me to give any bit of the story away.
No seriously. I’m not.
However, I will give you this:
5 Things to Know BEFORE You See Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Refresh Yourself with the Characters from the First Six Episodes
Whether you are a super fan or not, you have probably been doing some watching of the older movies to prepare yourself for this one. We watched the original 3 (Episodes IV,V,& VI) as they are our favorites and we wanted to get our 6 year old interested in them before taking him to see it.
But truth be told, you don’t need to watch the movies to understand this one. Just remember these key facts:
- Aniken Skywalker was originally trained as a Jedi, turned to the Dark Side, and became Darth Vader.
- He was also the father of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, who both have the Force within them.
- Luke Skywalker became the Greatest Jedi to fight against the Dark Side.
- Han Solo helped Luke & Leia in the Rebel Alliance in the fight against the Galactic Empire.
- Han Solo & Princess Leia had a romantic relationship.
Catch Up on all 6 Episodes in 3 minutes
If you really want to see all 6, don’t do a movie marathon, just watch this:
The movie is set 30 years after The Return of the Jedi
Essentially, The Force Awakens is in “real time” – or whatever that may be in Star Wars time. You will see the “next generation” of the Resistance (AKA Rebel Alliance). And that’s all I’m going to say about that.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens. ©Lucasfilm 2015
Can you take younger kids to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens?
I have never been one to tell you if you can or can not take your child to see a movie, but I will provide you with as much information that I can for you to make that decision. This movie is rated PG-13 and there is definitely violence throughout the film. I didn’t feel there is any more direct violence than any of the other episodes, and there is not any gore or bloody scenes.
There is also no inappropriate conduct, language or situations that would make a parent squirm. If your children scare easily, there may be a few “dark” scenes where there is fighting and Jedi tricks that might frighten them. But I have seen much more blood, gore, language, and situations in other blockbusters that were released this year than in The Force Awakens.
My son is 6 and I have no qualms about taking him to see the movie.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens.2014 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM.
Does it live up to the Hype?
The Force Awakens brings back the magic of the first three films. Sitting in the theater and hearing the original John Williams score took me back to my childhood. I can distinctly remember where I was watching all 3 original movies, even as a young girl. And I so wanted The Force Awakens to take me back & allow me to get lost in a good story.
The Force Awakens had the perfect amount of nostalgia mixed with amazing new visual effects that made for a perfect movie. You will laugh at the cheesy one-liners, find your heart pounding when one of the original characters shows up on screen, and cheer for the Resistance. JJ Abrams does an amazing job with the story and with the direction. Bravo to him for steping into those big Lucas shoes and making something so masterful.
The Force Awakens takes you back to your childhood – even if for a short 2 hours and 13 minutes – and it was awesome.
Star Wars The Force Awakens arrives in theaters everywhere December 18, 2015.
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