Out in full force
Local buffs flock to see latest installment of Star Wars saga
LINCOLN – Robert Brouillard hadn’t even stepped foot into the theater yet and already he had a review for “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”
“Ten out of 10,” the North Smithfield resident said. “I haven’t even seen it yet but I already know I would see it again.”
The optimism that Brouillard showed for the approaching screening of the latest installment in the “Star Wars” saga was shared by many in line with him, as a crowd of about 50 people were patiently waiting to be let into Saturday’s 1 p.m. screening at the Cinemaworld movie theater at the Lincoln Mall.
“I’m a ‘Star Wars’ fan, I have been all my life. I’ve got to see it or I don’t feel complete,” Brouillard said.
“The Last Jedi,” the eighth “Star Wars” movie to be released in theaters, picks up where “The Force Awakens” left off, with heroine Rey seeking legendary jedi Luke Skywalker, while pilot Poe Dameron and former Stormtrooper Finn take on the evil First Order and villain Kylo Ren.
The movie’s release over the weekend brought together husbands and wives, siblings, and children of seemingly all ages to traverse the galaxy in the sequel that follows the conclusion of “The Force Awakens,” which grossed $2.06 billion when it was released in December 2015.
“The Last Jedi” was on pace to net a three-day haul of more than $215 million at the box office, after an estimated $104.7 million on Friday’s opening night.
But while Brouillard on Saturday was waiting to get into his scheduled showing of the film, a crowd of moviegoers who’d just finished watching the space odyssey were walking out of an adjacent theater. There was a palpable sense of nervousness among the people in line, who were trying every trick in the book to avoid accidentally overhearing any spoilers from those who’d just seen the flick.
That’s been an ongoing dilemma, Brouillard joked.
“I’m not on Facebook anymore. I don’t want to see them,” he said of any potential spoilers. “I’ve stayed off of YouTube, everything there has to do with it. I’m off social media.”
Christie Arsenault of Smithfield said that she’s been a “Star Wars” fan as far back as she can remember, recalling going to the cinema to see the first installment in the original trilogy, “A New Hope,” back in 1977.
“There’s excitement. It’s got good story lines, action, I love the characters,” Arsenault said. “I love Yoda, he’s just awesome. He kicks butt and he’s wise … I’m glad Chewbacca is back, I’m glad they brought back the old characters to tie it all together.”
Roy and Anne-Marie Cummings of North Providence were alongside their 16-year-old son Ryan as the first people in line for Saturday afternoon’s screening. Anne-Marie said the family pre-ordered their tickets months ago.
Roy said he’s been “hooked” since he saw the first “Star Wars” film in theaters back in the late 1970s.
“I saw the original one when I was younger, I wasn’t really a big science-fiction fan at the time so it wasn’t until ‘Star Wars’ had been out probably a good six months before I actually saw the first one and then it kind of had me hooked after that,” he said. “I kind of saw what all the hype was about.”
Roy said he was most fascinated to see how the story continues to play out and also how the filmmakers address the passing of actress Carrie Fisher, who portrays Leia in the franchise. Fisher died last December.
Ryan, meanwhile, said he’s been “really looking forward to the movie ever since I saw the last one pretty much.”
Anne-Marie Cummings said that her favorite character in the new franchise is Rey, saying “you’ve got a strong female character now and I like the way they’re passing the torch on from Luke to her. I want to see how that dynamic works out. Passing the torch, passing the lightsaber.”
“I like the way that they’re moving everything forward, they’re not just keeping it steady,” she said. “I like the way there’s so many more movies coming out one after the other. I’m really looking forward to each next movie.”
The next installment in the trilogy, the untitled “Episode IX,” is scheduled to be released in December 2019