Ribbons wrote:...I can't turn off the part of my brain...
For some reason, this phrase alone triggered (god I hate that word) something in me I don't think I've ever articulated before - I never have watched any Star Wars movie on its first viewing with any sort of critical eye. Never. I'm solely blaming this on my love of the OT as a child (saw Star Wars & ROTJ in the theater - my mom thought ESB was too intense for me, then bought me multiple story books that told said "too intense" story, Nice, eh?). My initial viewing of the prequels, and now sequels & side films, was all about the experience - as if it were a theme park ride. I guess I'm the Star Wars junkie that's looking to match that first experience, but never quite getting there.
Why am I saying any of this? Because I agree with every fact you pointed out. 100%! But having seen the film after a great dinner, in a Dolby Theater with such unmatchable sound, with my entire family (first SW film with everyone*) as well as my sister and nephew, and all of this in super-comfy recliners that had butt-rumbling subwoofers in each of them...none of that mattered. That the movie was almost nonstop action made it essentially a thrill ride for me. The humor and back-and-forth banter was the best since the original trilogy, making it a fun ride. The Emperor coming back (spoiled in trailers) and
monologuing during the fleet battle was like an upside-down loop followed a few moments later by a corkscrew - it's been done before (Luke & Vader) and before (Anakin & Dooku), but there was enough difference to make it interesting for me.
I guarantee you that everything you pointed out will bother me in future viewings, but it's a matter of how much - will I still enjoy it after multiple viewings (as I have the sequels & R1), or will its issues become too much to ignore (the prequels & Solo for me) and cause me to lose the love?
I guess all this comes back to your first line- "I've never been a particularly big Star Wars fan..."
And I just wrote a novel explaining the blueprint of my personal SW fandom.
Shit.
Thank god I'm married and my Mom is dead...otherwise there would be a basement with my name on it.
*My youngest son (age 8) has, up until about a month ago, refused to watch any Star Wars film. Why? Because he has always loved the Stormtroopers. He thought their armor and masks were really cool. But whenever he watched a movie, they always died. So because of that, he stopped watching them and never went to see the new movies at the theater....until a month ago when he joined the whole family and watched Episodes 7&8 in preparation for 9. Now he's hooked.