We finally went a second time!
So, I absolutely get why people dislike this movie, or have problems with it. I’ve read multiple people’s takes on why it’s not good, and/or why they found it harmful or hurtful, and/or why they think it shits all over established Star Wars canon (it doesn’t). I think many of them are valid interpretations. I’m also really not interested in debating the merits of it. I had fun, I like it, I think it’s a pretty good, flawed movie, and I’m not really interested in fighting about it.
Having said that, here is a spoiler-minimal list of things that are (in our opinions) good about this movie.
- Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) is a great character and I’m going to fight anyone who says otherwise. She’s brave and clever and loyal and has the best scene ever, where she basically turns into the audience surrogate fangirling over Finn (John Boyega). It’s adorable. I’m very mad I can’t find a T-shirt with her on it because I love her.
- Rey (Daisy Ridley) is still also a great character. She’s stubborn and determined and optimistic and she try. Also it’s fascinating because you can read every emotion on her face and the progressions of those are everything. (Regarding something Kylo tells her about [spoiler], I’ll be very interested to see if the third movie addresses it, because I don’t believe it but I also don’t not believe it. Kylo is a liar and I want to see this plot explored a little more because I don’t know that Rey’s emotional arc re: this thing is done yet.)
- Leia (Carrie Fisher, bless her) is practically perfect in every way and there is pretty much nothing that can stop me loving her aggressively. Of course, the movie yanks you around with her at a few different points, which is particularly heartwrenching now, but you also do have the security of knowing: she is in IX. That helps. Pretty much everything with her causes, if not tears, then watery eyes, at least. The strain of the instrumental theme is officially a killer of my soul. But I’m proud of our space mom, and I will say I pretty much cheered the first time around when she used the Force. Because, to hell with you, fake nerd boys. Leia’s got the damn Force.
- Finn (John Boyega) continues to be a good man who is doing his best and who loves Rey very much. He’s not in it as much as he should be, but he’s wonderful anyway. The saddest thing about this movie is that Finn and Rey spend most of it apart.
- I am also very proud of Amilyn Holdo (Laura Dern). Also, Amilyn is a beautiful name, if kind of born of modernist nonsense etymological conventions, but I don’t care I still like it. But the point is, Holdo is great. Also, Holdo is canon bisexual (thanks to some of the literature). She’s this beautiful soft colorful light in the darkness of this war who does what she can and takes no shit and her moments with Leia killed us hard.
- It is also nice to see so many girls in the (quasi-)background of the Resistance scenes! And a few in the First Order, too (my mom was especially thrilled about Kate Dickie, which was charming), but that’s not as exciting. There are some characters you see semi-regularly (Lieutenant Kaydel Ko Connix [Billie Lourd, Carrie Fisher’s daughter] gets more screen time this go-round, serving as a strong auxiliary member of the Resistance and its new guard; there’s a pilot named Tallie [Hermione Corfield], who mostly factors in the first fight scene but is definitely there; Rose’s sister Paige [Veronica Ngo] has a moment in that scene as well; Commander Larma D’Acy [Amanda Lawrence] seems to be one of the primary officers of the ship and does a lot of explaining) and a lot of other semi-regular background characters.
- Finn and Poe (Oscar Isaac) continue to be extremely gay, although they don’t interact as much as in the first movie. Poe is fond of referring to Finn as “buddy” and “pal,” and when Finn first wakes up from his coma and he is wearing next-to-nothing, Poe definitely sneaks a peek south before leading him off to get changed. They also touch way more times than is strictly necessary. The m/f also continues to be very good, particularly Finn/Rey, as those two spend a decent chunk of the movie worrying or thinking about each other.
- There are many excuses to laugh one’s ass off at Kylo (Adam Driver) and/or Hux (Domnhall Gleeson). This is very good.
- The porgs are cute and all, but I love the vulptex (crystal foxes) and I want a plushie.
–your fangirl heroines.
partlydrawn 