The Force Awakens: A spoiler-ful review

Here there be spoilers.

We all know that Star Wars has been a huge part of my life.  I watched A New Hope multiple times on HBO as a child.  I saw Return of the Jedi in the theater.   Like the original run of the movie.

I also loved JJ Abrams's reboot of the Star Trek.  

Needless to say, I was stoked!!

We got to the theater incredibly early and got great seats.

from youtube.com

And eventually the Star Wars theme started playing.  The title flashed on the screen.  The title crawl started.  And I started to cry.  I'll fully admit it.  I need to see the movie again, just so I can read the crawl.

Now, onto my thoughts:

• This movie gets right into the thick of things.  It wastes no time in introducing the characters.
  
   Poe Dameron was captured.  We got to see Kylo Ren and Captain Phasma right away.  The plot was introduced (as was the McGuffin).  JJ is really good at that.  He gets you into the actipn quick.  Sometimes at the expense of plot and characterization...
• Speaking of Kylo Ren, Adam Driver was AMAZING.  He brought this humanity to a Vader-esque role. (Also, perfectly quaffed hair, when he should have helmet head!). Where Vader was the ultimate bogey-man, Kylo Ren was a human with anger and flaws. Vader would have never murdered a harmless bank of computer if he was angry.  And smacking his wound mid-battle to pump himself up... Awesome.
• Captain Phasma didn't have a big enough to role, in my opinion.  Please tell me that she a.) survived the destruction of the station and b.) has a big role in the next movie.
• Rey.  We women have been waiting for a female Jedi movie protagonist.  I don't feel that I know enough about her.  But maybe that's by design... maybe she doesn't know enough about herself.  She's amazingly powerful too!  I think she's a Skywalker.
• Finn.  I wonder if he's Force sensitive.  That's why he broke his conditioning.  he's also our "in" with the new bad guys.  I love that bravado that he's so obviously faking.
• the New Order.  Nazis much?
• Maz Kanata!!  I LOVED this character!  I hope she survived!
• Han!!  Raise your hand if you knew that Han was done for as soon as he yelled his son's name?  I totally did.  But it was amazing seeing him.  Also, I wasn't surprised that he split from Leia after their son went to the Dark Side.  
• Luke's new Jedi temple is Skellig Michel!!  Folks, that location is real.  It's a UNESCO World Heritage site.  He was only there for the end (which is why he wasn't in the marketing). I have a feeling that he'll be a big force in the next movie.
• And now I want a BB-8 of my very own!!

from ew.com

It didn't play as flat as the prequels.  Some of the characterization was a bit sparse, but they seemed like real characters.  not actors badly reciting lines.  Also the real sets helped SO much!  It's the movie that we've all been waiting 30 years for.  What did y'all think?

All in all?  I want to see it again.  Tomorrow. 

And I TOTALLY still want to be a Jedi.