Spoiler-free impressions of ‘Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens’

Last night, Star Wars, one of the biggest science fiction/fantasy/family drama (I’m not getting into this with you) franchises, held its gala premiere at SM Megamall Fashion Hall, complete with cosplayers, Lucasfilm’s recognized fan club as well as lightsaber guild, celebrities, reporters, and fans both young and old.

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With last night’s premiere, the Philippines became one of the first countries in the world to see the film. Tonight there will be more screenings before the movie officially opens tomorrow, December 17th, to the public. And with that in mind, we were requested to keep our posts spoiler-free. And I hate spoilers as much as you do so this post will just concentrate on general impressions of the film.

Star Wars for every generation
A friend I was with last night commented how one can never be too young nor too old to appreciate Star Wars. The gaps between the original trilogy, Episode 1 to 3, and now Episode 7 and the upcoming movies serve different generations of fans. The new film serves as a way to reignite the passion of fans for the franchise, while introducing a new generation of fans who were too young to see the first six films when they came out.

Nostalgia galore
Nothing amuses fans more than being able to pick out easter eggs and not-so-subtle nods to films of the past. Same goes with this film as I heard delighted squeals when familiar characters and objects make their appearance on-screen. From the opening credits, it hits you immediately with a wave of nostalgia. But the film manages to stay fresh with the new set of characters to root for or rally against. A pivotal scene in the film (which I want to say but I can’t) even blatantly meshes together the old with the new.

Star Wars as its always been
The thing with Star Wars is it doesn’t use elaborate tools to uncover plot points. Everything is out in the open or implied but isn’t outright said. You’ll just have to piece it together on your own. And The Force Awakens still manages to capture that essential Star Wars film characteristic. You just have to pay attention to get it. And yes, it stays family friendly, lightsaber fights and other battles aside. No one is sexualized just for the sake of it.

Welcome the new crew
As much as we love Luke, Leia, Han, and the rest of our beloved crew, we welcome the young ones with open arms. We can see Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Adam Driver, to name a few, being propelled into stardom with this films. They are now iconic characters for such an iconic franchise and I think they did it justice. I personally can’t wait to see them in the upcoming films.

It’s a transition
Even with all the action, the one thing about The Force Awakens is it feels like a transition movie, a passing of the baton, if you will. And I’m excited to see more.

Opening across the Philippines on Thursday, Dec. 17, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures through Columbia Pictures. Follow the official social media accounts of Star Wars in the Philippines, namely, (FB) StarWarsPH, (Twitter) @starwarsph and (Instagram) iamstarwars_ph and use the hashtag #TheForceAwakensPH.