Editorial: The Force awakens a new hope

Seeing Han Solo and Chewbacca on screen again feels like being reunited with old friends who've been away for far too long. Photo / File

I have spent much of the past week feeling like a kid again, constantly on edge, wired with eager anticipation. But it's not the big man in red that's had me so excited, oh no. It's a lovable rogue in a brown leather jacket that I can't wait to hang out with again. You see, Christmas comes a week early this year for the unapologetic geeks among us. Star Wars: The Force Awakens hit cinemas this week, after a tense decade-long wait since the last cinematic instalment.

But it wasn't quite the same as staying up to wait for Santa when you were a kid. This was more complex than that.

I grew up with the original Star Wars trilogy. Han Solo was the ultimate bad-ass hero, and Princess Leia the best, tough female role model. As I'm sure many of you know, when director George Lucas announced in the late 1990s that he was rebooting the much-loved series, releasing three films that would tell the story of how Darth Vader, the ultimate baddie despite his respiratory issues, came to the Dark Side, fans worldwide celebrated. We all loved the original films, they were classics. Not just great action films, but iconic tales of good versus bad, figuring out who you are and where you fit in the world. The perfect blend of action, adventure, romance and the strength of the human spirit.

But all the anticipation was soon destroyed by a series of films that got carried away with CGI and forgot to tell a good story. The characters were not as relatable. There was no Han, Luke or Leia equivalents. Our hopes, which had been so high, were dashed faster than the 12 parsecs it takes the Millennium Falcon to do the Kessel Run.

I went through a similar disappointment with Sex and the City. While it's a completely different genre, I felt the same connection to the characters as I did with Star Wars. Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha were the best friends I never had, in the same way Obi-Wan, Leia, Han and Chewie were. Witty and well-dressed, prone to occasional poor decision-making but ultimately with good hearts. When the first Sex and the City film came out in 2008, four years after the series finished, I was super-excited to catch up with the girls again for some fresh tales of love and loss.

But there was more loss than love. Just as with The Phantom Menace in my high school years, the essence of the originals had completely disappeared. The need to make more money from a successful franchise had overshadowed the need to stay true to the characters. My disappointment was palpable. It stung, I felt betrayed for weeks, months even. What had happened to my friends? They had changed and I didn't like it.

So it was with some trepidation that I waited for this latest installation. I felt similar to how I did with Sex and the City, waiting to see my old friend Han again, but I was unsure whether things would be the same as they were when we were kids. I'd been burned before and there was no guarantee that wouldn't happen again. Before the prequels came out, my excitement was pure. But it wasn't this time, it was tinged with apprehension.

For months now, all the signs showed this new Star Wars film could possibly be good. When I saw the first teaser, I squealed with joy as those first strains of the glorious John Williams score began - big, grand notes that took me straight back to my childhood. When the Falcon first swept on to the screen, I was transported back to that familiar galaxy far, far away. But still, I was nervous. I remembered all too well how excited I'd been before the prequels. Being back in that galaxy took me right back the the feeling of immense disappointment I felt after seeing those prequels. I've had to contain my excitement, temper my enthusiasm with the very real possibility that I may be disappointed again.

But I guess all this is just part of growing up. When you're a kid, everything is seen with unbridled optimism. Your view of the world hasn't been tainted with a disappointment that leaves a bitter taste in your mouth for years. But you know what? When you've experienced that disappointment, those bitter lows, the high of having your hopes exceeded is so much sweeter. Welcome home, Han. It's so nice to see you again.