The latest installment in the multi-billion Star Wars franchise, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," has been out for over a month already, yet I still feel like I’m on a Star Wars high. You see, I’ve been a huge Star Wars fan ever since I was around eleven years old. I thought it was kind of stupid, until someone from church told me that Darth Vader has that robotic suit of his because his body was burnt off after falling into lava after a tremendous lightsaber battle. My 11-year-old self heard the entire story with my jaw dropped, while the only thought racing through my mind was, “Wow, this is badass.”
As a Millennial, I can’t attest to how the world reacted to the greatness that swept the nation when the original "Star Wars" movie was released in 1977, but I can attest to how I felt when I was a pre-teen engaging with all of these wonderful stories of lightsabers and crazy planets and the force. That original movie was a story of a young man who realized he was meant for something greater than just farming and became a hero across the galaxy.
Re-watching these movies before "The Force Awakens" was a journey for me. Not only did I feel like a kid again watching these wonderful movies (except for "Episode II," that one wasn’t so wonderful), but it spoke to me seeing these movies again. As a young adult struggling with whether or not I’m meant for something greater, seeing Luke Skywalker achieve greatness inspires me to probably get up from that couch and do something. Perhaps I’ll never destroy a Death Star, but maybe I can achieve something that will warrant a medal from Princess Leia herself.
This past week on the train, I overheard two little kids, probably around seven or eight years old, talk about "Star Wars" with the same excitement I once had when I would talk to my cousin about how great the series is. I suddenly remembered endless conversations we had, about how cool seeing General Grievous swinging around four lightsabers or about how Anakin Skywalker fulfilled the prophecy of being the chosen one, and I couldn’t help but smile seeing these two kids share that same passion I once had.
This latest movie is a lot more than simply a movie: It’s a reawakening. From the generation that grew up with the original trilogy, to my generation who grew up with the prequel trilogy, there is now a new generation who will grow up with six new "Star Wars" movies in six years. Perhaps they are spoiled, but then again, I won’t turn down the opportunity to sit in the same movie theater with this new generation and feel like an eleven year-old all over again.
And with this reawakening for years to come, I say this: may the force be with you all.
