While mere mortals may spend the evening queuing around the block for tickets to see the new Star Wars film "The Force Awakens," WGBH's own Jared Bowen is way ahead of us. He saw it yesterday morning at an exclusive press screening, and then joined Jim Braude and Margery Eagan on Boston Public Radio to dish. (Don't worry, fans—there are no spoilers below.)
So what did he think?
"I walked out thinking: 'it's good, but it's not a wow,'" Bowen said, temporarily breaking the hearts of super fans everywhere.
"However, I realized I spent the rest of the afternoon and all of last night thinking about it," he continued, effectively gathering up the pieces of broken hearts strewn across the land and gently taping them back together.
What's impressive about "The Force Awakens," Bowen says, is director J. J. Abrams' clear reverence for the original trilogy that George Lucas created. Abrams even goes so far as to duplicate the screen wipes in between scenes in the originals.
"It's not CGI-laden," Bowen said. "You feel like you're experiencing those original films all over again."
Of course, a big part of the experience of the original film is watching the classic characters—Princess Leia, Chewbacca, Han Solo, and, of course, Luke Skywalker—develop. Here, they return, but in a more mature form: Princess Leia is now a general, and Chewbacca is a little grayer around the edges.
"It's a really peculiar feeling to find you have such an engagement with these characters," Bowen said.
In conclusion: with time, Bowen has updated his review from 'good' to 'wow.'
"I think it is transitioning into a 'wow' because of how deftly it was handled," he said.
To hear more from Jared Bowen, tune in to Boston Public Radio above.
