Star Wars and Feminism

*WARNING: mild spoilers - character analysis*

Round of  applause for the All-Star cast in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, especially the incredibly strong female characters portrayed.

Yeah....I caved...and {power}walked the mile down the road to the nearest cinema. Being without a car for the {hopefully short} time being, means getting my lazy butt up and walking, something I should have done sooner.... And yes, I went alone, per my usual prerogative for adventures.

Oh! And before I forget, let me just leave this right here:



And also, THIS article on Harrison Ford - yes, i realize I used Hello Giggles for reference quite a bit, but this isn't my thesis paper, so....

Diva much? However, I like the author's last line: [she hopes that Ridley and Boyega] set a new standard of pay for women and people of color in the film industry in the process.

Where was I? Ah, yes!

Rey: new main character. Badass. Drives the Millennium Falcon, for fuck's Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater's sake. Han is hesitant to believe she's the pilot because she's a girl, but Chewie can sense there's something about her - umm, yeah, the Force is strong with this one.

Aside from the Force, she's strong, but also nervous and afraid, like any one of us may feel if we've been thrust into such chaos and the weight of the galaxy placed on our shoulders. She's relatable to boys and girls.

c/o Moviepilot.com

Carrie Fisher's Princess Leia was one of the few, if not only, strong female leads in the original trilogy. The prequels granted us Padmé Amadala and this upcoming trilogy is ever-expanding, introducing more female leads {I realize Padmé and Leia weren't the only, but the ones most familiar to all who've enjoyed within the spectrum of fans from casual to die-hards}. It does, however, disturb me that Disney made Fisher lose 35lbs to reprise her role...

c/o movieweb.com

Maz Kanata: voiced by Lupita Nyong'o {so many cool cameos in the film!!}, Maz is rather underrated. She lends her 1000 years-worth of wisdom and guidance to Han, Chewie, Rey, and Finn, as well as the audience with her comment she's seen Rey's eyes before...hmmm.

She's an entrepreneur with her own business and respect of all those in the joint despite her small statute {remember not to stare!}

c/o imgur.com

Captain Phasma: yeah, I realize she's a "bad guys" from the First Republic, which reminds me quite a bit of Hitler's Third Reich....including a sinister autonomous arm salute following the speech of General Hux to the Stormtroopers.... None the less: she's second-in-command to Kylo Ren, the new big, bad Dark Lord in town.

There was a Reddit commentary going around stating that the armor isn't "feminine," whatever the hell that means. Do the Stormtroopers even have to have a gender?? I'm sure we all assumed they were male, based on the voices of those Stormtroopers heard in the original trilogy and the all-male Clone Troopers {they were clones of a male after all}, but I'm digging the addition of a female Trooper, especially one in charge.

Played by Gwendoline Christie, the one and same actress who portrays Brianne in Game of Thrones, could you expect anything less from this incredible woman?

c/o screenrant.com

These aren't the only one strong female leads, but certainly quite notable.

Thank you, Disney, for incorporating more characters little girls can look up to. Not all heroes are male....and neither are all villains.

Hmm...something tells me I'll be seeing this film once {or twice} again before it leaves theaters - for the kickass characters, Daisy Ridley, and for all of the Easter eggs {Daniel Craig cameo, anyone?}.