The Force Awakens

[Kevin]

The Force Awakens

Palladium editor, Alex Marciniszyn, and I went to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens last weekend. It was his first viewing and my second. I’m sure there are those of you out there who were disappointed by it, but I loved it and so did Alex. Relax, there are no spoilers coming, so you can continue reading if you haven’t seen it yet.

I instantly fell in love with the new heroes and even some of the secondary characters, and I want to see more. As for Harrison Ford . . . 100% Han Solo. What a joy to see him back in that role.

I think J.J. Abrams did a great job. He reminded us what Star Wars should feel like, and recaptured the characters, spirit and joy of the original three movies. Sure there are some all too familiar tropes. I'm sure some were included as homages and for fans, while others were there to put the minds of Disney Hollywood executives at ease. Hollywood is risk averse. Which is why so many movies just repeat the same things over and over again. Hollywood seems to believe that if it worked once, then it is the formula to success another 329 times. But Abrams and his crew made The Force Awakens more than a regurgitation of what has come before. Force Awakens advances the story and sets the stage, I hope, for some original and epic Star Wars tales yet to come. Stories that I hope will make us cheer and cry and inflame our imaginations.

Even the handful of people I know who did not care for the movie are anxious to see what comes next. That says a lot all by itself. Count me among them. I can hardly wait till the next Star Wars movie. Why? Because the Force did awaken. This movie brought Star Wars back to life with a sense of wonder and joy. And in so doing, it has sparked my own imagination and excitement for the books we are working on here at Palladium. I’ve been listening to the music score for The Force Awakens and the earlier Star Wars movies to help inspire me as I work on my next three books. Ideas are flying between me and Chuck and the guys, and we can hardly wait to reveal to you everything our crazy imaginations are brewing up.

If you haven’t seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens yet, do yourself a favor and go see it. If you enjoyed the original three Star Wars movies, you should enjoy The Force Awakens.

What’s next on my movie watch list? The Hateful Eight and The Revenant.

Sincerely,
Kevin Siembieda
Publisher, Writer and Game Designer

© Copyright January 20, 2016, Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved.

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