I wanna always feel like part of this was mine

Today we saw Star Wars The Force Awakens. Still reeling. I wouldn't likely have been the slightest bit interested if it weren't for J.J. Abrams. Episodes I-III really bugged me as much as they bugged everyone else. I love Episode IV A New Hope and I think it was Gary Vaynerchuk who I recently heard say that it is without question that Empire Strikes Back is the best movie of all time, and though I never said that myself, I understand the sentiment.

But the prequels led the story astray and so I just have a DVD of A New Hope and I actually watch it quite often.

But then waaay back when the trailers for Episode VII first aired I said, "damn you, J.J. Abrams" knowing that I was sucked back in.

So if you have seen Episode VII, which I assume you have by now but I will not spoil, let's just say if you love ANH then you will probably love Episode VII.  And when it gets to the part where you-know-who does you-know-what as they say, I held it together, but the wordless final 5 seconds of the entire film WRECKED me. And I'm sure I'll go back and sit through the whole thing all over just to see those last 5 seconds again.

Star Wars ANH is the first movie I remember seeing in the theater. I would have been 5 years old. My dad took me. We waited in a very long line that wrapped around the building. On the outside of the building were the movie posters, and when we got to the one for Star Wars, my dad pointed to Darth Vader and told me that he was "the bad guy". That helped me understand the movie a little better.

So I would have been around 7 or 8 when I saw Empire Strikes Back, I remember when Vader said "I am your father" I didn't believe it. Not that I was shocked or incredulous, I just literally did not believe it. And I thought Luke was a fool for believing it. Like, obviously Vader was just digging at him, telling a lie to try to upset him. Really, Luke, how could you fall for such an obvious lie.

J.J. Abrams described Episode VII as though everything has changed, but nothing has changed. It's really more in the "nothing has changed" camp if you ask me. It is not a new movie with a Star Wars brand on it. It's the real Star Wars. If you did not see the original in the theater when you were 5 years old, I am not sure you would understand this. But I feel that Episode VII did require nearly 40 years and my entire life to tell the story, and that it would not be so meaningful if it came out immediately after Return of the Jedi and also if we hadn't have had to suffer through Episodes I-III.

So, thank you J.J. Abrams. I didn't really mean it when I said damn you.