Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens (2015)

“I have a bad feeling about this.” And well you should, one last time, Han Solo – but I believe your faith will yield its reward. I finally saw Star Wars VII on the big screen last night – for the last evening screening in Houston, as I suspected, since it came to DVD the previous day. If you are a rabid Star Wars fan, of course, you love it, with an unqualified huzzah. If you have a love-hate relationship with George Lucas or JJ Abrams or Disney, you have your own quibbles that no one else can understand or dissuade you from (like my youngest son, who refuses to see the film). Taken as the seventh sci-fi movie in a stream of nine, set in an exceptionally imagined and portrayed alternate universe, however, I would say I like The Force Awakens, though certainly not as much as The New Hope or The Empire Strikes Back, and not even as much as The Return of the Jedi. Whoever came up with the three newest heroes’ names (Finn, Po, and Rey) crossed some wires with the villains (Snoke is laughable and Kylo Ren is no Darth Vader). One villain makes up for his name with a pedigree and a voicebox/mask (which he doesn’t seem to need because he takes it off during pivotal confrontations). He looks and sounds like a young Prof. Snape (but with a huge anger management problem). In his final duel, he powerfully overmatches newbie Rey until a 15-second meditation break centers her and she beats him back, while still making feeble prods with the light saber. The story has plenty of gaps (beyond the missing puzzle piece in the galaxy) and parallels (even a line similar to “Cover me, Porkins”). I would like to know whether George’s story would have been better, because I am afraid that if I start comparing this film to the prequel trilogy, the latter may come out better. Onward and upward! 4 stars. (4-7-2016)