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WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS SPOILERS. DO NOT READ IT IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS AND DO NOT WANT TO BE SPOILED

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I love science fiction. I have my entire life. And I’m not young. I’m old. Really old. The grey in my beard proves it. But I still am a science fiction fan. I had a podcast on the SyFy show Defiance. I was a fan of Battlestar Galactica, both the 1975 version and the rebooted 2003 version. I’ve watched every Star Trek episode. Stargate SG-1 is my favorite live-action television show. I grew up watching Starblazers on TV and I own the series on VHS and DVD. My favorite cartoon/anime is Robotech and I also own it in both VHS and multiple copies in DVD. I watched all the Star Wars movies in the theaters on the opening weekend. I’ve seen the original Star Wars A New Hope hundreds and hundreds of times thanks to the original CBS television premiere airing in June of 1984 and one very tired VHS tape. I was giddy in the theater both times I watched Star Wars The Force Awakens. But despite all that, I still have some issues with The Force Awakens that I need to air.

The film has received pretty much unanimous fan acclaim. And after 32 years having the continuation of the Star Wars Universe on the big screen following The Return Of The Jedi, Disney producing a new trilogy is welcomed by all. I had fun watching it. But I want Episode VIII to be better. So I’m airing my dirty laundry of the issues I had with Episode VII. If you watch it closely enough you might have these issues too.

My first issue is known to many others: no one reacted – not even Leia or Rey – when FIVE PLANETS were destroyed.  Has The Force diminished in the Star Wars Universe? Has it become more personable? Does someone need to be “trained” in the force in order to feel that many lives suddenly silenced? In the original film Obi-Wan was the only one to react with the force to the destruction of Alderaan but if that is the case Leia should have reacted in The Force Awakens to the first Starkiller shot fired. That should have been shown on screen. Certainly Han is not more important than FIVE WHOLE PLANETS of people to The Force?

So I’m a rocket scientist (and if you are following the GonnaGeek drinking game now would be a time to take a drink) and I get the real science of space. This includes how light works in space. I understand that the Star Destroyer that was shown in the beginning of the film with the troop carriers flying down to Jakku was technically correct. But it’s not Star Wars visually. Star Wars always showed the ships in full light so the viewer could see them and appreciate them. So while technically correct, it wasn’t Star Wars and in fact looked too much like the 2009 Star Trek reboot to me. Which isn’t necessarily a surprise to me since JJ Abrams helmed both projects but I think there needed to be the visual separation between the two.

Also, the lens flares during the same sequence were similarly unnecessary. Star Wars historically doesn’t have lens flares. Lens flares are a JJ Abrams thing. I could really have done without them in Star Wars.

Even though I enjoyed the glimpse into Hans smuggler life the standoff with the smugglers on board the freighter could have been done better. It was straight out of Guardians Of The Galaxy or Big Trouble In Little China to me. Star Wars has always had more refined live action and this was not it. The CGI of the monsters was great, but the youth involved with the gangs and the inability of anyone to fight was a bit too juvenile for my tastes and not the Star Wars I’m used to.

And talking about youth, the youngins in charge of the First Order was way too Hogwarts to me. The First Order had older personnel in their ranks. I saw them on the screen. Why was General Hux 12 years old? His Hitler speech on the surface on Starkiller base was a bit of a stretch for someone so young. He needed to be older and have more experience. I realize that the Clone Wars and the Rebellion cost millions or perhaps billions of lives but it is a big galaxy out there. There are still experienced personnel out there for the grabbing. Hux in charge is a bit too much for me.

R2D2 is my favorite Star Wars character. By far. R2’s silence throughout the movie was unnecessary and even troubling. If he was protecting the map he gained by plugging into the Death Star R2 should not have gone to the forest moon of Endor. If R2 didn’t feel needed anymore he should have woken up when the planets were destroyed by Starkiller Base. If R2 was in mourning for Luke he should have woken up when BB-8 came in with the map to begin with. I’ve read JJ Abrams statement that every character including the Millennium Falcon and the Droids needed their own introduction. That’s fair. But R2’s reveal and back to life moments were a few scenes too far to me. R2 should have been in the mix front and center – especially when their base was threatened by the Starkiller weapon.

So Rey is strong with the force. She is naturally gifted. She’s a better space engineer than most and an incredible podracer and pilot. But even the Millennium Falcon has limits.  Rey crashed that ship into EVERYTHNG on Jakku – and I mean EVERYTHING – and there wasn’t even a scratch on it. Just what is that YT cruiser made out of anyway? And the shields were not even up to start with. But I will say the sand skid was pretty cool. Drift that Falcon, Rey! Drift it like you were in Tokyo!

Apparently light saber training is no longer needed. Luke did train Ben/Kylo Ren. I assume that included light saber training. And if Luke did not I’ll assume that Snoke trained Ren. Kylo Ren had a knight following. Light saber skills had to be part of his group in some way. So with all that how was an untrained traitor storm trooper and a salvage girl able to beat Kylo at his own light saber game? Granted, Fin “lost.” But Rey “won.” Armed combat of any kind takes training. It’s hard for me to swallow Rey’s victory in the face of absolutely no training – not even the quick 15 minutes in the Falcon with the blaster remote.

Those are just some of the issues I have with The Force Awakens off the top of my head. I’ll have others too, especially if I see the movie a third time. And yes, I just might even with my issues with the film. I’ve waited 32 years to see it after all. Is this my favorite film out of the franchise? No. Return Of The Jedi is. But it is still Star Wars. I’ll still own it. I’ll still continue to collect Star Wars Hallmark Christmas Tree ornaments. I’ll still watch Rebels, Star Wars VIII and Rogue One. But I want them to be better. I’m hoping Disney can make it so.

What did you like about the film? What were your issues with it? How many times have you seen it? Let us know what you think in the comments below and thank you very much for visiting GonnaGeek.com

~SP