Fans Speak on The Force Awakens: Linda Interviews Fangirl Abby
Now that The Force Awakens has been out for a few months, fans have seen it multiple times, and we’ve all had time to digest and process the movie, I was curious to catch up with my fellow fans and see what they though of The Force Awakens. Initially I sent everyone the same questions and planned to do one post picking one answer from each person. But sometimes when I do interviews, even when I know my interviewees and their passions, I’m surprised at how interesting and unique each person’s answers are! It became impossible for me to choose one answer from a person, so instead, here is a series of fan impressions to The Force Awakens. Reading everyone else’s feelings about the movie has made me want to watch it again with their points of view in mind.
I’d love to know what your thoughts are as well. Do you agree? Disagree? Please share in the comments or on Twitter!
Meeting Abby at Celebration last year really brought home why I enjoy being part of FANgirl Blog and why I think Disney is doing a better job making Star Wars more (if imperfectly) accessible to girls in general. These young women are the real heirs to the empire. Like my own daughter, Abby had to miss the Star Wars marathon because of finals, but I liked how she still kept up The Force Awakens Opening Day!
- Did your expectations for TFA change between Celebration and its release (because of merchandising, trailers, rumors, commentaries, etc.)?
Yes, my expectations for TFA did change. At first, at Celebration, I was expecting the original group to be together and the new three to meet up and become friends. I wasn’t expecting the ‘I am your son’ aspect or the mystery of the new three’s histories. I mean, I knew there had to be some surprise element, but I wasn’t expecting it so soon.
- Did you see TFA on opening day? (did you wait in a crazy line, dress up, etc.)
No, sadly I did not see TFA on opening day. I’m still in school and my dad thought that ‘I had finals.’ So, he went without me to the marathon. Although, I did watch the Star Wars Opening Night Snapchat Story. I wasn’t too surprised when most of the people rushing in to get seats were in costume.
- TFA in one word:
I would say that TFA in one word would be: Surprise!
- Favorite returning character: (feel free to say why)
My favorite returning character has to be Han. I know, surprise surprise. It’s just, I love how his personality didn’t change much between the years. He’s still the cocky, arrogant thief who loves his ride. Now, with the addition of mentor and father figure.
- Favorite new character: (feel free to say why)
My favorite new character is Rey. Not only does she have a mysterious background, but she one of the last people with the force. She’s frickin’ awesome! I mean, Kylo Ren trains his entire life with a lightsaber and yet, Rey defeats him the first time she ever uses one.
- Was TFA the (the story, the movie, the whole experience) you expected? If it wasn’t, how did it differ?
TFA wasn’t what I expected. It was better, so much better. There were twists that I never expected and the characters were so much more than I ever thought they’d be. The villain also has a deeper backstory, which I absolutely love.
- What are your hopes for (your new hope, so to speak) for future movies/the franchise?
I hope that the future movies give us more background knowledge of the characters. I also hope that it shows us a bit of Rey’s training and the story behind where Luke was. Overall, I just hope that Disney and Lucasfilms continue making films as good as TFA.
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