Chapter 925: Absolutely Fantastic

To put it plainly, the entire history of Star Wars was a saga of the Skywalker Family's grudges and shifting affections. When Rey raised Luke's Lightsaber and drew on her own powerful Force to battle Kylo Ren, a thought naturally occurred to the fans: Kylo Ren was the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia, making him a member of the Skywalker Family. What about Rey?

Rey had never undergone systematic Jedi weapon training. Her ability to hold her own against Kylo Ren proved that her Force was exceptionally strong. Someone like that could not have simply popped out of nowhere; she had to be the descendant of a prominent lineage.

Many people consequently associated her with Luke Skywalker, who had yet to make an appearance, while the thoughts of others drifted toward Obi-Wan.

Some recalled Luke Skywalker's voiceover from the trailer: "The Force is strong in my family. My father has it. I have it. My sister has it. You have that power too..."

Did those words prove that the female lead, Rey, was also a member of the Skywalker Family?

Harris Dunn felt as though the line he had been anticipating was about to make a return: "I am...!"

However, when Rey finally found Luke Skywalker after untold hardships, the film merely offered a shot of them staring at one another before abruptly ending.

"That's how it ends?"

The rest of the fans shared Harris Dunn's slight dissatisfaction. Star Wars: The Force Awakens was a brilliant film, but the suspense left hanging at the very end clawed at their hearts.

Was Rey's father really Luke Skywalker?

This suspense would stretch all the way to the release of the next Star Wars film, once again drawing countless curious fans into theaters.

George Lucas knew this perfectly well. The film Duke produced was outstanding, and his commercial tactics commanded respect.

Not far from George Lucas's seat, Ewan McGregor let out a soft breath. He was a fanatical Star Wars fan. Otherwise, he never would have stepped out of the art-house film circle back in the day to take on such a quintessential commercial blockbuster.

Ewan McGregor had walked into the theater brimming with expectation, and now he could walk out with complete satisfaction.

Standing up to applaud alongside the rest of the audience, Ewan McGregor had to admit that director Duke Rosenberg had done a spectacular job. He had used actual actions to prove that he truly understood the "Star Wars" series. Whether it was the film's tone or the plot's framework, everything fit perfectly with the consistent Star Wars formula, yet it never lost his own distinct style.

In Ewan McGregor's eyes, Star Wars: The Force Awakens was a sequel that felt much closer to the texture of the Star Wars trilogy than the Star Wars Prequel trilogy he had starred in.

Recalling the scenes he had just watched as he continued to clap, Ewan McGregor was absolutely certain of this.

The tone of Star Wars: The Force Awakens brimmed with cold colors, while its visual effects were magnificent, especially the stereoscopic shots presented in IMAX. Their vibrant, rich layers and vast, deep sense of space instantly made one feel it was a cut above other visual blockbusters. Some scenes even evoked the spatial immersion of watching Avatar in a theater. For instance, when the unprecedentedly massive enemy warship appeared in the IMAX 3D frame, it actually seemed to jut out from the screen, tempting the audience to reach out and touch it, completely sweeping away the state of most 3D films where the imagery only extended inward from the screen.

The flight combat scenes, steeped in traditional "Star Wars" flavor, were another thrilling visual highlight of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The intricate details it created, like the classic targeting sights, instantly gave Ewan McGregor the unique rush he used to get playing arcade games as a kid.

In terms of fighting style, this Star Wars: The Force Awakens was simpler, more direct, and more visceral. Duke had clearly abandoned the flashy, kung-fu-inspired choreography of the Star Wars Prequel trilogy. Furthermore, the emotional buildup leading into every fight scene was perfectly placed, giving the audience such a strong sense of emotional immersion that viewers wanted to hack away alongside the protagonists.

The nostalgia was abundant but not cloying. Duke Rosenberg seamlessly wove all sorts of homage shots into Star Wars: The Force Awakens, making it a film that had nostalgia without cheaply peddling it.

Ewan McGregor felt that the film would not only make those who understood the "Star Wars" film series jump for joy, but it would also allow those who weren't particularly obsessed with "Star Wars" to feel enveloped by a rich, era-defining nostalgia.

From Han Solo and Chewbacca, to Princess Leia and the droids C-3PO and R2-D2, and finally to Luke Skywalker, the reappearance of every familiar face stirred up an undeniable mix of excitement and emotion. The heartfelt confession between Han Solo and Princess Leia, in particular, left even him slightly teary-eyed.

With this in mind, Ewan McGregor followed behind the other guests to the front row where the crew was seated and headed straight for Duke.

"You did an outstanding job!" Ewan McGregor shook Duke's hand firmly and said with genuine regret, "Not being able to appear in this film is absolutely my loss."

Duke offered a mysterious smile. "Ewan, there will be opportunities."

'Opportunities?' Ewan McGregor was a little bewildered. Did Duke mean they would use his voice like they did in this movie?

However, there were too many people coming over to offer their congratulations, so Ewan McGregor couldn't easily continue to ask questions and stepped aside for now.

Inside the Hollywood Chinese Theater, the applause thundered endlessly. Harris Dunn clapped until his palms stung, yet the thought of stopping never crossed his mind. It seemed this was the only way he could vent his overwhelming emotion.

With over ten collective rounds of applause during the screening and five uninterrupted minutes of applause after the film ended, the fans' verdict on Star Wars: The Force Awakens was undeniable.

After finishing the film, Harris Dunn's biggest takeaway was the passage of time. He had kept a close eye on which classic characters' stories were continuing in The Force Awakens, who got more screen time, what role the new characters played in the narrative, how the new film balanced the old guard with the fresh blood, and how it managed to make regular audiences fall in love with those new characters.

Personally, he felt the balance between the old and new characters was excellent, and when they interacted, their chemistry was highly entertaining. Without a doubt, the new characters stood out remarkably well. The female lead, Rey, in particular, was practically a mirror image of "Furiosa", the heroine from Duke's other film, Fury Road. Much like Charlize Theron in Fury Road, Daisy displayed a restraint far beyond her years; contrasted with Kylo Ren's raging tantrums, she seemed deeply mature.

As for the old characters, the moment Han Solo and Chewbacca stepped back onto the Millennium Falcon and Han Solo delivered the line, "Chewie, we're home," flashing that familiar wicked smirk, followed by Chewbacca's roar—everyone was overcome with emotion.

Then there were the special effects. Although Harris Dunn had heard that Duke hadn't used the CG effects he excelled at and had relied on practical shooting instead, the final product proved that special effects were indeed still what Duke did best. The gorgeous visual effects absolutely exceeded all of Harris Dunn's expectations.

For example, the TIE Fighter against the setting sun was breathtakingly beautiful.

Even though many action scenes felt somewhat predictable, The Force Awakens was a true visual upgrade. The battles between the X-Wing Fighters and the TIE Fighters made Harris Dunn feel they were outrageously cool, and at times, he felt as if he were right there, plunged into the heat of battle.

That carried over to the ground battles as well—the blaster shootouts, the Lightsaber duels...

However, Harris Dunn's biggest shift in attitude was regarding the new characters. Although he was a standard Duke Rosenberg and Star Wars fan, speaking frankly, he had not been thrilled by the prospect of a female protagonist and a Chinese-American male lead.

After watching the film, his impression of the two roles had taken a 180-degree turn. Not only had Daisy Ridley vividly brought to life a character brimming with raw potential that easily won over the audience, but Daniel Wu had also gradually made everyone look past his Chinese face and genuinely fall in love with the new, self-redeeming character he portrayed. Furthermore, the interplay between the two newcomers, striking a perfect balance between serious and comedic, injected plenty of humor into the film to ease the tension.

It was only then that Harris Dunn realized Duke had intentionally hidden crucial details in the promotional posters and the soundtrack's album art. It was precisely because those details had not been exposed that they were able to experience more unexpected surprises while watching the feature film, thoroughly satisfying many of their initial expectations.

Among the newly added characters, none stole the spotlight quite like the little droid BB-8. Its on-screen loyalty, adorableness, humor, and other charming qualities were all wrapped up in a hopelessly cute shell, making Harris Dunn want to rush out and buy a 1:1 replica of BB-8 right this second, even though he already owned a miniature toy version.

Even the greatest films had to end, and the most thunderous applause had to fade. Harris Dunn walked out of the theater with the rest of the crowd. Once he reached a slightly less crowded spot, he immediately pulled out his Mobile Phone, preparing to post an Instant Sharing update, only to discover upon opening the app that related news was already flooding the screen.

"There is huge news regarding Star Wars: The Force Awakens—the film is absolutely fantastic! Even though the studio's preview hype can't save the world, or even save Hollywood, the movie flawlessly balances fan favorites with jaw-dropping action sequences. It also caters to those beautiful details that were gradually lost as the Star Wars Series grew into a phenomenon. But most importantly, it excels in its portrayal of emotional depth and human scale."

"The film features the usual gadgets and little creatures practically tailor-made to be sold in toy stores, but it also features flawed, uniquely charming men and women. They make stupid mistakes, and they achieve moments of triumph. They have their dignified sides, but they can also be clumsy and foolish at times—all of this reminds us: the time to watch and consume has arrived!"