Get ’em while they’re hot! Get ’em while they’re buttered! (Hat tip to Bugs Bunny.)

NOTE: This contains spoilers. So read no further if that kind of thing annoys you.
As a fully engaged member of the “saw it in the theater in ’77, shut up you punks” generation, I saw the new Star Wars movie the other night, and will probably see it another time or two while it’s in theaters. It was pretty much everything I was hoping it would be, and as a result I can finally see my way to forgiving JJ Abrams for the awful mess and general insult to Trekkies that was Star Trek: Mission Impossible, errrr, Into Darkness. But it did leave me with some thoughts and/or questions…

Snoke. Who is he? (And Snoke? Really? That’s a name with George Lucas written all over it.) How was he able to lure Ben Solo to the Dark Side? Did no one give Han & Leia a copy of “What to Expect When You’re Expecting an Extremely Force-Sensitive Child” at the baby shower?
Judging by the scar tissue, Snoke’s seen some stuff. I hope the Disney storytelling machine is cranking out backstory for us.

Rey. She’s awesome. So awesome that someone is likely working on a YouTube video setting clips of Rey’s badassery to No Doubt’s “Just a Girl” as I write this. It will get millions of hits and be endlessly shared on by tween girls on whichever social media thing they use these days.
It would be logical for Rey to be Luke’s daughter, but I hope they don’t go that direction. But given that Daisy Ridley looks like she could be related to both Natalie Portman and a young Carrie Fisher, I doubt I get my wish.

Ben Solo, aka Kylo: Impetuous behavior in someone very sensitive to the Force? That never ends well.

Finn and Poe Dameron: The Star Wars universe needs a buddy action/comedy film. Make it happen, JJ.

The old gang: Han’s story is now complete. I hope it pays off a little bit better before this trilogy is done. Carrie Fisher might want to brush up on her acting if Leia’s going to play a bigger part in this. And Luke….that was a perfect reveal. I look forward to seeing his story in a couple of years. C-3PO has been more annoying than useful to the story since ROTJ, so at least that tradition continues. I also enjoyed all the callbacks, especially the way they reinforced the horrible fashion sense of the Republic/Resistance.

Yes, there are plenty of nits you can pick at this movie. But they’re mostly the same nits you could’ve picked in 1977, and that seems to have worked out OK.

I’ll probably have more thoughts after a rewatch or two, but that’s all for now.