Star Wars + fic recs + Xmas

[daasgrrl]

Saw Star Wars, like everyone else. I guess I enjoyed it? I'm REALLY not a Star Wars person - I remember falling asleep when I was taken to see the first one many years ago, and since then onscreen deserts always make me sleepy. Not even kidding *g*. There was a kid, some robots, a hologrammatic projection (help me Obi-Wan, you're my only hope!), possibly some light sabers, and I distinctly remember waking up at the end when people were flying around in little ships and the Death Star exploded (only I had no idea what it was at the time, let alone its relevance to the story. It was a thing that exploded). I also think it was one of my first exposures to movies not specifically made for children, and the cuts from place to place and the sheer variety of characters confused the hell out of me. I have seen the movies since, but on TV, where it's easy to drift into another room and neglect to come back *g*. I'm a Star Trek girl through and through.

That said - I probably enjoyed it as much as I could have done. It actually felt, oddly, like a 'remix' of Star Wars, in that every single component I vaguely remember from the original was present and accounted for, only in a slightly altered way. Same settings, same humans, same aliens, same planets, same scenes, same robots, same factions, same ships. Just... redressed. So that was a bit bizarre, but at least I felt like I was on familiar ground? Some general thoughts:

- I liked Rey a lot, but only in the sense that we were basically instructed to like her *g*. She was like a generic YA heroine to me - brave, plucky, talented, and with unfeasibly dewy skin despite living on a desert planet. I felt exactly the same way about Poe. Again, I liked him very much, but he had generic cocky hero pilot scrawled all over him. And I still don't get how he survived the crash, but left his jacket behind. But whatever, right?
- Now Finn, on the other hand, was one of the few characters I actually enjoyed for his own sake - I thought he had a bit of personality and was cute as well (I may have gone looking for Finn/Poe slash immediately after the movie. Shh.). Also loved the rolly BB-8 and greatly enjoyed seeing Han, who seems to barely have changed, and Leia, who is actually far more beautiful than she was in the original movies, imo. Luke was generic to start with, and he still is. Eh.
- Han and Leia's kid - Ren? - was hideously miscast. Rey looks exactly like Luke's daughter/Leia's niece (assuming that's who she's meant to be - this was pointed out to me) but the actor playing Ren was basically young Severus Snape. In fact, I had a very disorienting moment when he and Rey were fighting with light sabers in the forest while snow came down around them, and I felt like I'd accidentally wandered into AU! Harry Potter, with Rey channelling Hermione. I swear she was all Accio Lightsaber! at one point.
- was BC ever associated with this movie??? I can't remember, but I SWEAR TO YOU that General Hux was BC!lite. Every time he was on screen, I automatically superimposed an image of BC delivering the same lines (to far more effect, I'm afraid) over his character. Everything about that role/characterisation to me suggested BC. Maybe that's what the actor was aspiring to, but god it was weird. Or maybe that's just me *g*
- I wasn't spoiled for Han's death, but I didn't really care either. Sorry, Han. You were very attractive.
- Speaking of which, Han calling Finn "Big Deal" did genuinely engage and amuse me for some reason. Loved that. In general the Han/Finn dynamic, the Finn/Poe bromance and BB-8 were the emotional high points for me. I think the harsh aesthetic and all the Light/Dark stuff in general just leaves me cold.

I honestly haven't given it a great deal of thought, so if you'd like to talk to me about Star Wars, please go ahead!

And I've really been enjoying people's Cabin Pressure fic, because something about it really lends itself to that Christmassy feeling. It's probably because poor pitiable Martin is Tiny Tim incarnate. Or something. Anyway indybaggins has been writing a lovely five-part fic about food and friendship (and more?) called "To Think of Cinnamon" (posted up to 4/5), and splix has just written the one-shot Christmas fic "Mistel". Maybe I'm just in a particularly sappy mood - it's Christmas! - but they both just made me exceedingly happy.

Anyway, it's Christmas Eve here, and I'm off the computer tomorrow (family day), so if I don't talk to you before then, have a very Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays! I'll probably be back by the time everyone ELSE is celebrating, anyway - such is the magic of time zones *g*

Comments

[donutgirl.livejournal.com]

hmmm... my memory is that BC really wanted to be in the movie because he's such a fanboy, and he dropped some hints in interviews but afaict Disney never called. I think if he'd been invited, he would have done it, so I don't think he was. But maybe someone else knows more.

I haven't seen it yet, but yours is yet another review confirming to me all my worst fears about it... From what I've seen, even from people who love it, the best they can say is, "it's basically just like the original." I love the original, but I'm not that interested in seeing it rehashed.

ETA: oh and happy xmas!

[daasgrrl.livejournal.com]

Oh, interesting! Well, all I can say is the role looked written for him, or perhaps it was just something about that actor's interpretation *g*

Yeah, look, I guess it depends on what you're looking for? I liked baby!Trek well enough for one movie, even if I can't actually remember what that movie was about, but Into Darkness was just a disaster (imo). So some old school fans may love it just for the nostalgia. It amused me that even the bloody wipes were the same.

Happy Xmas! :)

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

Your experience is my Star Wars childhood soulmate. Or did you have my childhood? Are you me? ;-)

[daasgrrl.livejournal.com]

Hee - of your generation, certainly ;)

It does bother me that it seems that it seems like Star Wars is like a hallmark of the "real" science-fiction fan. I consider myself a science-fiction fan - I've read Heinlein, and Asimov and Egan, and then of course there's Star Trek and Red Dwarf, but I just can't warm to that particular franchise.

[gentlespirit.livejournal.com]

It does bother me that it seems that it seems like Star Wars is like a hallmark of the "real" science-fiction fan. I consider myself a science-fiction fa I know what you mean! I haven't even seen this one, and I probably will at some point, I guess. But it's just not something that I care much about, and I tend to dwell in the lands of things that I am passionate about. But I DO love how happy it has seemingly made a lot of people.

[indybaggins.livejournal.com]

Me, too, I've always considered myself a SF fan, but I've never been into Star Wars. To be honest, I always thought it was a bit silly... *hides*

[daasgrrl.livejournal.com]

Hee - yes to all of this :)

[indybaggins.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen Star Wars and I don't really plan to? I don't know why, but it's never been my thing. I was always more of a Trekkie ;)

And I agree, Christmas is exactly right for all the Cabin Pressure feels! Thank you so much for reccing my fic, I hope the last chapter will work, too! *hastily re-reads it* ;)

Have a wonderful Christmas! <3

[daasgrrl.livejournal.com]

I don't know why, but it's never been my thing. I was always more of a Trekkie ;)

*agrees fervently*

Yeah, I only went to keep my husband company (he loves both) but also because I felt it was just One Of Those Things That Everyone Was Seeing *g*

Hope you're having/had a wonderful Christmas! And although I have yet to comment, I loved the last chapter <3

[indybaggins.livejournal.com]

Oh, yay, I'm glad! :) Don't feel like you HAVE to comment either, I know the holidays are busy! I still have the latest chapter of your fic in my inbox, too, I wanted to finish writing this fic first before reading anything else (because then that will give me all the Mycroft/Sherlock feels and those are not the same feels as the ones I need for Cabin Pressure, um, my brain is a strange place *g*) but I am done now, so I will read it tomorrow! Looking forward to it! :D

[justjuly4.livejournal.com]

Merry Christmas!

[daasgrrl.livejournal.com]

Merry Christmas to you! <3

[justjuly4.livejournal.com]

Thank you, hope you're having fun & getting all the nicest gifts!

I had a good time reading your fic. Loved the last chapter about Christmas. I could easily imagine Sherlock's and Mycroft's facial expressions when they said your lines.

[daasgrrl.livejournal.com]

Awww, thank you so much for reading, hope it was a good Christmas for you. Are you looking forward to the Sherlock special? :)

[justjuly4.livejournal.com]

Yes, I do but I have my doubts about 19th century setting. I think it won't be our Sherlock as we got to love him in S1-3.

[janamelie.livejournal.com]

Merry (slightly belated) Christmas! :)

[daasgrrl.livejournal.com]

Hee - thanks, and, um, happy Boxing Day? :)

[dioscureantwins.livejournal.com]

Happy Boxing day!

[daasgrrl.livejournal.com]

LOL, and the same to you. Hope you had a decent Christmas (I was way too amused thinking of Mycroft moaning about it being Christmas for a week by 2pm, poor man *g*)

[dioscureantwins.livejournal.com]

It's still Christmas over here. We have two days of it. It's in fact one of the weirdest Christmasses ever with the current temperatures. Am gearing up for the special. It's hit the cinemas here as well. I'll need to travel to an out of the way place for it but... well, that's what one's a fangirl for.

[daasgrrl.livejournal.com]

Ooh, you're actually going? What day is it showing there?

[dioscureantwins.livejournal.com]

January 1st at 20.00 PM. We'll receive the broadcast at 10.00 PM so I'll have to give that a miss. Not really sorry though for our TV-screen is 17 inches (we had to search far and wide to find such a small telly) so I'd rather see it in the cinema. When does it show in Australia?

[daasgrrl.livejournal.com]

It's screening here at 11.30am on Jan 2nd. Which may sound late, but it's actually only around two hours after the special finishes screening in the UK, so not too bad. A simulcast would obviously be nicer, but I think it's worth it as far as timing goes, since I really didn't enjoy it the one time I attempted to livestream.

..and LOL, I bet you did have to try hard - my computer monitor is bigger than that. We still have a CRT TV, though - remember those? *g*

Oh, and since you're still going, Merry Christmas!

[dioscureantwins.livejournal.com]

Thank you.
I do hope the special won't disappoint. Missing the curls already though.

[littlemissnovel.livejournal.com]

Rey is a BAMF in my opinion and I loved her :D \
BB-8 is such a cutie and I loved that he(she?) gave a finger to Finn.
Love how Poe gave Finn his name! (Also, Finn/Poe, so cute! XD)