Star Wars: The Force Awakens

I've wanted to post thoughts on The Force Awakens for days now.  To that end, I have a Word doc with 3000 words in it -- there's no shortage of things I can say about Star Wars.  But, as the document keeps growing and I post none of it here, I realized that these just aren't thoughts I'm willing to share.  You wouldn't think something like Star Wars would be a private thing, but it appears it is.

My feelings run too deep, and they're too intertwined with who I grew up to be.  Seeing Star Wars in 1977, when I wasn't quite nine yet, seeing it twenty-five times in the theater... it may have been nearly forty years ago, but it shaped me then and it still shapes me now.

So, I'm not going to talk about Force Awakens, other than to give basics.

• I love it.
• How much do I love it?  It is currently my second favorite of all the films, behind Empire. It might even end up surpassing Empire, for Reasons.
• I've seen it six times already, and that number will grow before its theatrical release is finished.
• Poe is my favorite character.
• I adore Rey and Finn too.
• Kylo Ren and Hux are great bad guys and make me grin every time they're on screen. 
• Han, Chewie, Leia, Luke... just... YES.
• I grin and laugh all through this movie. It's got the kind of natural humor I love, where people aren't trying to be funny, they just are.  Nothing is forced.
• It's full of sass and I love this.  Every character is sassy. Except Phasma, which is probably why she's one of my least favorite characters, even if she looks cool.  Every other stormtrooper is sassy, except her. (Guess one of them has to stay serious.)
• Speaking of stormtroopers.... Daniel Craig.  Best. Stormtrooper. Ever.  And I thought that before I even knew it was him in the uniform.
• The music is fantastic, but they had better release a complete score soon, cuz my favorite cue is not on the album and that drives me crazy.  Cuh-ra-zee, I tell you!  I need that cue, precious!
• My favorite moment and favorite cue are, not coincidentally, for the same scene in the movie. (when the Resistance X-Wings coming in over the water, in particular, the long awesome single-shot that starts with Finn, follows Poe maneuvering around blasting tie fighters, with Finn coming back into frame farther down the landscape, without losing track of either of them.  That is one beautiful, glorious piece of filming right there.)
• Unlike most viewers, I have no desire to have all those unanswered questions answered.  Right now, I couldn't care less about anyone's backstory, or any whys and wherefores.  It's all irrelevant to my enjoyment of what's on screen.  Not knowing things is much more interesting than having things explained.
• Did I mention how much I love love love Poe?
• Poe is also the character I most relate to.
• My family quotes this movie constantly, and there are many quotes that will end up in the Lifetime Quotables list, not just the heat-of-the-moment quotables.
• This is the most emotional of all the Star Wars films for me, not because of nostalgia (though that plays a small role), but because it has genuine moments that make me tear up.  Not coincidentally, those are also all tied to moments in John William's music.  Not coincidentally, that's also one of the Reasons this movie shot to the top of my favorite Star Wars movie list.
• Bloody awesome practical creatures and effects and amazing sets and landscapes.
• Joy and wonder.  Rey when she sees Maz's green world.  And even when captured, Poe can look around the immense hanger of the star destroyer with a bit of awe. 

When Han says, "Chewie, we're home," he's not just speaking for them, but for those of us out here in the audience who have lived in this world ever since we first saw Star Wars.  This movie is home.

Now, where's my X-Wing???