Once again, I’m a very late bloomer with these Star Wars threads. I FINALLY took this movie in earlier at the 8:30p cst showing of my local favorite theater on 01/07/2017. The wife and I had a great Italian dinner alone, with the kids at their Grandparents house, then we ventured on to the theater at a time when we’d usually be getting to bed. Yeah, we’re 30 something old folks.

I loved it.

I felt myself wiping away some tears at some points. Especially with Vader, hearing James Earl Jones do his level best to impersonate himself from 40 years ago really made me shed some tears, both in nostalgic euphoria and in sadness that this great man will someday soon leave us. My wife and I both noticed him struggling to maintain his vocal dominance that he once had with ease. This is no criticism, but merely an observation. I’d listen to James Earl Jones any day above most everyone regardless of his age.

The first 45 mins or so was slow, and there is no way I’ll keep my four year old boy attuned to it right now. Although he is endlessly FASCINATED by the AT-AT’s in ESB, it will take him a few years to appreciate this movie in it’s entirety, and that I’m not at all upset about. I know he’ll love the intro of the AT-AT’s, apparently sans armor. At least once it is Blu-Ray, I can skip to that part and see the joy in his eyes.

All in all, I am very happy with R1, it brought me down when I needed bringing down and it brought me up when I need bringing up. I like it. I can’t wait to see it again so that I can see the nuances I missed.