After more than a decade-long wait, I was finally in line to see “Star Wars: Episode VII.” And what’s more, I was dressed as my favorite character, the iconic smuggler and scoundrel, Han Solo. When the first teasers came out
After more than a decade-long wait, I was finally in line to see “Star Wars: Episode VII.” And what’s more, I was dressed as my favorite character, the iconic smuggler and scoundrel, Han Solo.
When the first teasers came out for “The Force Awakens,” my friends joked, “Was the force asleep? Time to wake up force!”
We all laughed but seriously, we were stoked. Our skin crawled with goosebumps and nostalgia swept over us as each trailer was released on by one.
These friends each have a specific Star Wars related text sound, so I can identify them when they’re trying to reach me.
“Utinni!” my phone shouts, much like a tiny Jawa would, as it buzzes when Trey texts.
“Rwarrrr!” it shouts, like Chewbacca, when Ricky is sending me memes or funny messages.
And a loooong drawn out whistle, much like R2-D2, is what my phone does when my best friend Nicole texts me. That’s my favorite sound.
It was unfortunate that I would not be able to see such a legendary movie with my best friends because I was living in a galaxy far, far away, on Kauai.
I couldn’t contain myself Thursday in front of Kukui Grove Cinemas on opening night. So many excited fans had lined up outside and were waiting in costume. I was lucky to be one of them at the 7 p.m showing.
In its opening night, the movie made more than $100 million. That’s half of its budget. It’s projected to make more than $200 million throughout the weekend. Heck, I may go see it twice, or thrice more. I’m sure diehard Star Wars geeks like me feel the same.
Dressed in my Han Solo garb and carrying around my blaster, I roared when the lights dimmed. I shouted even louder when the green words LucasFilm appeared on the screen. When the words, “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away …” came on, my heart jumped.
Then John Williams’ majestic score blasted the speakers. I wasn’t alone in my excitement. The audience cheered and I with them, as I shot my arms in the air. A little girl next to me smiled at me, but the puzzled look in her eyes gave away her actual feeling of concern.
The moment had finally arrived.
Set 30 years after the destruction of the second Death Star, Star Wars: The Force Awakens has many if not all the same tropes as the other movies did.
There’s the cute little droid, the long-lost father-son relationship, the budding romance, the evil domineering force looking to rule all and the rebels fighting against it.
The movie had it all. The new characters, Finn, Rey, Poe and Kylo Ren did not take away from fan favorites such Han, Leia, C-3PO and Luke.
All the nostalgia was there and the feels were real.
Written and Directed by J.J. Abrams, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” does not take its time to get started. It dives right in.
For me, a Star Wars fanatic, I wanted to get acquainted with all the characters, but I had not looked at any spoilers prior to opening night. Nothing. I had not read a thing. Not even glanced at a toy box with what could have been the name of new character. I just didn’t want to know!
But I had come in with an arsenal of previous Star Wars knowledge and history and an abundance of expanded universe information, which to my chagrin had been de-canonized. But it’s still useful to know.
In the movie, the characters are three-dimensional and deeply, emotionally flawed individuals, which makes them 10x more interesting.
The most loving of them all?
BB-8.
BB-8 is quite the droid, one that could be considered the R2 of this generation.
I’m saddened and a bit moved that some of my favorite characters had so little screen time, but I understand it’s in an effort to make way for a new generation of Star Wars icons.
It’s their time. Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford had their day. And boy, were those the days.
Han has always been my favorite character. Since the beginning. When I was a little girl, people asked me who I wanted to be from the movies. I always said Han. It was a fantasy come true that I was sitting dressed as Han watching Han on the big screen. Tears rolled down my eyes.
“Hokey religions and ancients weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid,” Han once told Luke.
His sense of humor and his charisma is what made his character likeable.
Geeking out after the movie, I ran around and found some other cosplayers and tried to get photos. I had a blast!
My favorite director Abrams had done it and I was going to make sure everyone knew it.
Go see Star Wars: The Force Awakens!
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Michelle Iracheta, cops and courts reporter, can be reached at 245-0424 or miracheta@thegardenisland.com.
