The new installment of Star Wars, The Force Awakens, has been all the rage over the past month and was the first of the series to be shown in theaters across China. To give some due diligence, we’ve asked a father and son combo, both of whom are true Star Wars fanatics, to give you a rundown of the latest flick. In this article, James Gooding and his son Jamie (grade 6 at YCIS) will give you their two cents about the most recent installment of a series that has impacted generations and will leave a mark on many more to come.
Jamie Gooding
When my dad told me that they were making a new Star Wars movie, I waited for what felt like three years. I kept asking my dad when it was coming out; I kept on saying, “Dad when can we go and watch Star Wars?” He told me it takes time to make the movie, so I waited a little bit longer before I asked again, “Dad, when can we go and watch the new Star Wars movie?”
I love Star Wars so much because the story is so awesome and addictive and I don’t want to be one of the few people in the world that don’t like it and don’t watch it. For many years one of my favorite presents to receive for my birthday or Christmas was the Lego Star Wars.
During my Christmas holiday, I went to Australia and my best friend Tristan, whom I’ve known since I was six months old, flew from upstate New York all the way to Perth, Western Australia to see me. We were so excited to watch the movie together. When I finally got to watch Star Wars, it was quite sad how Kylo Ren killed Han Solo (his father).
The new Star Wars movie was just as good as Return of the Jedi, I liked the new BB-8 droid carrying a quarter of the secret map to find Luke Skywalker. The costumes are great and I thought it was cool how the Starkiller Base absorbed the sun’s power to fire the laser to destroy the Republic. I especially liked how Poe managed to fly through the small hole of the isolator to destroy the Starkiller Base.
When we got back to Shanghai, after our Christmas holiday, we watched it again at IMAX. The second time was just as good as the first time. I think in the next movie, Kylo Ren will complete his training and come back part mechanical.
I’ve also got the books, which I’m looking forward to reading. I can’t wait for the next Star Wars movie to come out…
James Gooding
I was five years old in 1977, when my father took me to watch the original (and first) Star Wars movie at the cinema; it was my first cinema experience as a kid. I can still remember the walls of the cinema shaking during the opening scene as the Imperial Star Destroyer flies over chasing Princess Leia’s ship.
My childhood is full of Star Wars memories as I grew up watching the next two movies in the series, The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 and Return of the Jedi in 1983. I had a bunch of Star Wars toys and figurines as a child and I carried those memories and love of Star Wars into adulthood.
Sixteen years later The Phantom Menace was released. Like most fans I wasn’t impressed with the character of Jar Jar Binks; George Lucas really got that one wrong! However, I really enjoyed Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. A couple of years ago, I bought the whole six-movie DVD collection and have watched them as a family twice. We are now in the process of watching them again for the third time.
When Disney bought Lucas Films and announced they were making episode seven, the anticipation started and I was constantly asked by both my two boys, “Dad, when can we go and watch the new Star Wars movie?” The Force Awakens delivered and ticked almost every box for me. It was all action and fast-paced from start to finish. The new characters were mostly interesting, although I found Finn’s character a little one- dimensional. I loved how they brought the original characters of Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker and Han Solo back and could easily see the movie appealing to three or four different generations. It’s hard to believe that Star Wars has been a part of my life for nearly 40 years and that this was the first Star Wars movie shown in China. History is being made!
I loved the character of Rey and can see her becoming the next Jedi. Kylo Ren should have kept his mask on as he looked too young to be the villain, my guess is he’ll be somehow related to Rey. Personally, I can’t wait for the next instalment of Star Wars.
