In Which I Go To The Movies(Star Wars!)

So, last night I went to see Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens. (No photos in the post because, copyright restrictions.)

I had the choice of going to the swimming pool and had my togs and towel all ready. It was a HOT day(more today and tomorrow). But.

But the cinema was air conditioned and it was my big chance to see this movie as I did the first: on impulse, after school.

I remember that day. There were normally queues going around the corner, but for the 5 p.m session I just bought a ticket and went in. I sat near the front, and was glad I had, because that first huge spaceship(beautifully sent up in Spaceballs) swooped over me in a way it wouldn't if I'd been sensible and sat near the back. I remember being swept away by it, and why not, since it was The Hero's Journey of Joseph Campbell, the perfect description of Adventure with a capital A. The years went by. There were two more films in the trilogy, ending with a joyous party and young Luke Skywalker, the hero, gazing into the night and seeing the shades of his two mentors and his redeemed father standing smiling at him. 

More years went by and there was another trilogy, about his father and how he went from a sweet little boy to the Dark Lord Of the Sith. Not as good as the original trilogy, but I went to all three anyway. 

And now, finally, there has been a sequel to the original trilogy, with three young folk to follow in the footsteps of the original three young folk, and it's good! Very good! Not only that but some of the original characters play an important role in it, they don't just do walk ons. Interestingly, the Luke Skywalker character is the girl, not either of the boys, and she is the main character. Nice! Princess Leia was strong, very strong - once rescued she told the others to get out of her way and just got on with it, and even in that slave girl outfit, she strangled Jabba the Hutt with her chain -  but she was not the protagonist. Young Rey is. And I believe it passes the Bechdel test, where two named female characters are talking about something other than a man. 

I am determined to keep this spoiler free as much as I can, but I will advise you to watch the original trilogy first, if you haven't, because something happens in this film that might just spoil the originals for you if you go backwards. So find one of the last remaining video libraries or download from an online service, but watch them first.

This time, as the first, I sat near the front - three rows from the front, in fact, perfect, because it was just far enough, in a raked auditorium, to be able to enjoy spaceships swooping overhead without craning. 

Anyway, loved it! Anyone else been yet? What did you think?